Three years later, Joaquim’s wife died of a fever. He was left alone with his land, his suffering, and a debt of 12 contos de reis to the Baron of Araújo, the most powerful man in the region.
If he didn’t pay before the end of the year, he would lose the property.
Baron de Araújo Tournament
Joaquim then explained the opportunity that could change everything. The baron had a daughter, Eduarda, twenty-two years old. Unlike other women in her society, she loved riding horses, hunting, fighting, and gambling.
Every year, she organized a tournament on her father’s estate. Fighters from all over the region came to compete in boxing, wrestling, and other combat disciplines. The winner would take home 100 contos reis.
This sum would be enough to pay off Joaquim’s debt, restore the estate, and allow him to keep it for years to come.
But Joaquim didn’t know how to fight. He was old, weak, and hadn’t had much luck.
Then he told Benedita what he had seen in her: not an insignificant woman, but a warrior. A power no one had been able to understand, because no one had ever given her the chance to use it.
His offer was clear: he would secretly train her for the tournament. If she won, he would share the prize with her. Half would be his, that is, 50 contos, enough to pay for postage and start over somewhere else.
Benedita asked what would happen if she lost.
Joaquim replied that they would lose together. He would lose the fifth. He could sell it. But at least they would have tried.
She didn’t trust him. Even so, she didn’t have many other options. Something in Joaquim’s voice, a genuine weariness and a recognizable pain, made her think that perhaps he was telling the truth.
She accepted, with a simple threat:
“I will fight. But if you betray me, I will kill you.”
Benedita’s Secret Training
The next day, Joaquim woke Benedita before dawn. He took her to a hidden clearing, out of sight, and improvised a circle with ropes tied between the trees.
