Alonso Ponce de León, companion to the ambassador, medic, savant
Alonso is 22 years old. He was born in the year 1290 in Zamora as the fifth son of a wealthy member of the royal family of Fernando Peréz Ponce de León. He got the name in memory of his grandfather Alonso Perez de Guzmán, called Good. His father died at an early age, so he grew up in the court under the supervision of a close family. He was not raised as a knight, and his family had predestined him a spiritual path. He received a degree in liberal arts and in 1305 he was sent to study at the University of Alcalá, which he successfully completed with a bachelor's degree in medicine.
After completing his first period of study, he concluded that the life of a scholar might be good for an illegitimate son of a servant in rich family, but not a descendant of the Ponce de León family. With this reason he left the university and went to join the military service under his famous grandfather Alonso Perez de Guzmán in Gaucín on the border with Granada. Life on the border was full of skirmishes and larger clashes, and the young student quickly got necessary experience in the art of fighting and medical care of war injuries. In the ranks of armed escort of Don Guzmán the Good, he participated in the capture of Gibraltar, where he earned the knight's title for the dispersion of the rear army of Moroccan Sultan. Alonso fought side by side with Don Iňigo Díaz de Haro, and Don de Haro also witnessed Alonso's knighting ceremony. Later, his grandfather granted Alonso the right to use the entire coat of arms of the royal family of Ponce de León. However, Alonso did not acquire any fief with which he could associate his name.
Shortly after the victory at Gibraltar, Guzmán the Good dies in Gaucín in battle with the Marinid soldiers. After the death of the mighty relative and patron, friction over the separation of family property arose and Alonso sets out as a poor knight to make a pilgrimage to Compostella for the salvation of the immortal soul of his patron. Here he reunites with Don de Haro and learns about his future travels to the courts of European rulers. He offered Don de Haro his company, and Mr. de Haro was pleased to accept this offer. Alonso, in addition to medicine and warfare, has also devoted himself to music since his student years.