Alicante in $780s-$890s RT

Let me tell you a story about Alicante — a city thousands of years old, once ruled by Greeks, Romans, and Moors.

Under Moorish rule, Princess Cantara was famed for her beauty and grace. Her father, the Caliph, decreed she must choose a suitor. Two men vied for her hand: Ali, who wooed her with secret love notes, and Almanzor, who set sail for India to gather treasures to impress the King.

While Almanzor chased riches, Ali and Cantara fell deeply in love, forgetting the Caliph’s challenge. Months later, Almanzor returned with gold, spices, and silks, earning the King’s blessing. Heartbroken, Cantara leapt from Mount Benacantil — and Ali, once hearing of her death, jumped too, following her into the afterlife.

Stricken with grief, the Caliph sealed himself in his fortress, never to emerge. To this day, locals say you can still see his face in the mountainside, gazing over the city.