"Dong! Dong!..."
The church bells toll solemnly, and as the morning mist lingers over Lisbon, the melodious sound echoes through the sky. Inside the main church of Lisbon, the candles have been lit, and the grand mass has begun. The most prominent figure in this mass held for the well-being of the King is undoubtedly the 26-year-old Duke Manuel, dressed in purple finery, kneeling beneath the dome of the altar.
"Lord! Please save our King, my cousin, Joao II!..."
In the holy candlelight, the clerics chant the Latin hymns in harmony. Manuel slowly bows his head, fingers intertwined, as he kneels on the mat before the statue of the Holy Mother. Behind him, another figure under the dome's light is Bishop Diogo, wearing a platinum mitre and reciting the benediction. He intones the sacred prayers with a rhythmic cadence, until the long scripture ends, transforming into one devout prayer.
"Por Sua Graça, se cumpra a vontade do Senhor."
"May the Lord's will be fulfilled in grace."
