The El Escorial, Madrid. Early Summer.

The halls of the El Escorial were dotted with courtiers, each buzzing with their whisperings and gossip. Among them was one particular woman with whom we are chiefly concerned: Maria Josefa, Duquesa de Osuna. Maria Josefa was, by grace of her heritage, a descendant of that great conquistador Ponce de Leon, and had thusly inherited the great many riches of her many times distant grandfather's wealth and fame. She was, by all accounts, a beautiful and strong woman, known at the Court for her character and love of the arts. She was married to Pedro Tellez-Giron, the 9th Duque de Osuna, a match which had been joyous and fruitful, with the Duquesa bearing her husband five children. Her husband, in addition to his position as a member of the grandee, was a friend and ally to the First Secretary Jose Monino, the Conde de Floridablanco.

On this day in mid-June, Maria Josefa found herself conversing with a member of the Royal Guard, a young Hidalgo named Alonzo de Guernica. Alonzo was the distant descendant of a man who had gained some notoriety during the Fall of Granada many centuries ago, and his family had been clinging well onto that heritage ever since.

"I must know," Maria Josefa, as much a gossip as any self-respecting lady of the Court would be, "Of one of your fellows, Manuel de Godoy, I believe was his name?"

"Manuel? Oh, well what would you like to know?" Alonzo was not a particularly smart boy.

"Well," Maria said, "I wonder if you know anything about his relationship with Her Majesty the Queen." The guardsman and the Queen had been seen together in increasing frequency since her arrival to Madrid a year ago, and such was their companionship that it bred certain rumors. Rumors of infidelity, which upon further investigation, had dogged the Queen well before her husband's ascension to the Throne.

"Ah, you see, he's her favorite, that's about as much as I know," Alonzo said, taking on the ending remark as if to run from the conversation. Maria Josefa, knowing this game, quickly spoke, entrapping the young man, "Oh come now," she said, "You certainly must know something about them, I can't imagine a pacense like himself would say nothing of their relationship."

Alonzo looked at her for a moment, then sighed, looked around, and leaned towards Maria conspiratorially, "Well, and don't say I said this, Manuel does speak of her quite... openly. He's said that they're close than just a Queen and her Guard."

"Really?" Maria asked, smiling widely, and Alonzo repeated himself, "Don't tell anyone I told you that. I'm not sure either the Queen nor Manuel would be pleased to hear such things."

Maria laughed and waved her fan at the young man, "Her Majesty has already heard the rumors, trust me. And anyways," she went on, "She's not the sort to let rumors pull her down."

The conversation went on for a bit longer, drifting away from the Queen and towards more pedestrian topics: France, England, the New World.

Evening

Pedro Tellez-Giron had returned to his guest chambers early - he had spent the better part of his day chatting with his old friend the Conde de Floridablanco, as well as a young painter named Francisco Goya, a favorite of Floridablanco's. As he began to unbutton his coat, Maria-Josefa, his beloved wife, entered their chamber.

Pedro smiled at her, Maria's presence alone lifted the man's spirits, "Good evening, my love," he said with a plain affection that had become a point of constant criticism by the many courtiers who favored the subtler arts of love and passion.

"Good evening," Maria responded, smiling. She quietly moved over to her mirror and took off her hat and untied her hair bows. Maria's hair tumbled down to her shoulders. As she began to comb, she spoke up, "You know, I heard the most fantastic thing today."

"What?" Pedro asked as he removed his coat and went to work on getting his waistcoat off.

"According to one of the men in the Royal Guard, the Queen is having an affair."

Pedro stopped unbuttoning, and looked up to his wife, "With whom?"

"Her bodyguard."

Pedro hummed briefly, then finished taking off his waistcoat. He then rose up off of his bed and walked over to his wife, "Who told you this?"

"A young member of the Guard, Alonzo, I think his name was?"

"And what do you think of this?"

Maria shrugged, "I don't see any reason to doubt it, she's always had a bit of a reputation for that sort of thing. And have you seen those two together," she turned around to her husband and pinched her index finger and thumb, "They're as close as this at all times," she then turned back around, and began to unlace the back of her dress.

Pedro sighed and took up the reins of unlacing, quietly pulling out the knot at the top of his wife's dress, letting it loose from her. As he worked on getting her out of her corset, he thought of the Queen, and then his thoughts went to Floridablanco. During the course of the day's conversation, Jose had mentioned how she set him ill at ease, and that her continued presence at Royal Council meetings was becoming problematic. He then thought of the King. Carlos was weak-willed man, and Pedro knew that any slight whisper from anyone would set the King on the whisperer's desired path.

After the husband and wife finished their preparations for bed, and were laying next to each, Pedro spoke, "I believe I shall mention this to Jose." Maria turned to him, rubbing the oncoming sleep out of her eyes, "Why?"

"I think that he might get some use out of that. He's not exactly a fan of hers," Pedro. Maria shrugged and turned back over, "Do what you will."

The following morning, in the Patio del Reys

Pedro had woken early to take a walk outside of the palace walls. The hills around the El Escorial were quite beautiful this time of year, with the trees filled with beautiful bright leaves and the flowers in full bloom. By the time he had returned, breakfast had come and gone, and he chose to brunch with Floridablanco, who himself had missed breakfast to catch up with paperwork.

The two had sat down at a small portable table on well maintained wooden folding chairs - Jose's favorite method for the conveyance of his meals, when Pedro spoke up, "Last night my wife told me something that I thought might interest you."

"Yes?" Jose looked up from his meal, toast covered in gazpacho.

"Apparently my wife heard from a member of the Guard that the Queen is having an affair with her bodyguard."

"Really?" Jose asked, putting his toast down on the table, "And which guard said this?"

"A fellow named Alonzo."

"Alonzo de Guernica? I know him, he's not a very smart fellow, but certainly not the type to lie."

"Well, what do you make of this?"

"Of what?"

"That the Queen is having an affair."

Jose shrugged, "I knew that already."

"Well shouldn't we tell the King?" Pedro asked.

"Don't worry, that will come," Jose responded, giving a soft smile, one that Pedro knew to be the indicator of his old friend's scheming.

After that, the two men went on, their conversation shifting away from such topics. Jose discussed his plans to call for foreign officers to help train the Spanish Corps, as well as his fears of the rumblings coming from France. During the course of this, Pedro noticed that Jose was writing in a notebook. At one point, the man put the book on the table to turn his attention to an attendant, and Jose caught a glimpse of a word, "Prueba."