doña Elvira Fernández de Lara, noble widow
Doña Elvira Fernández was born around 1280 into the Lara family, which has two black cauldrons on a white field in its coat of arms. Her father, Fernando Núñez de Lara, was the youngest son of Nuño Gonzalo, called the Good. Some might say that the Laras were not always a good family, perhaps even daring to say something about the rebellion against King Alfonso X or that uncle Nuño González was too friendly with the Emir of Granada and led his troops. But that does not change the fact that the Lara family is one of the richest and most noble, its members hold important positions, own land in both Castille and Aragon and are even related to the Castilian and Portuguese crown.
Elvira married Don Rodrigo Estevez of the Castro family. His father, and later Rodrigo's brother, was mayor of the famous city of Santiago de Compostela. Unfortunately, Rodrigo did not enjoy worldly pleasures very much, and died tragically shortly after the wedding. The widow was grieving, but her husband had left her a rich inheritance. Therefore it was not against her will to fulfill the last wishes of the deceased and accompany his remains to Aachen. As her distant cousin Iñigo of the Haro family is currently staying in the Bohemian Kingdom somewhere in the Holy Roman Empire, she and her suite accepted his protection for a time.
