Contos d'Aldeia

In a quiet riverside village, twin watermills turn under the watchful eyes of two sixty‑year‑old widowers, lifelong friends whose rivalry is softened only by brotherly affection. Their world is framed by the slow flow of the river, the rustling oaks and the rhythmic clatter of the millstones, a place where seasons mark the rhythm of daily life.

Against this pastoral backdrop, the vigor of youth stirs. Simão, a strong‑handed miller’s son, and Margarida, the beautiful daughter of the neighboring mill, have grown up together, their bond shifting from childhood games to a tangled mix of admiration, teasing, and a growing, unspoken yearning. Their tender interactions are tinged with the expectations of a close‑knit community, where love and duty often wrestle for the heart’s attention.

Yet the tranquil valley cannot stay untouched by history. Rumors of the civil strife between the supporters of D. Pedro and D. Miguel drift in on messenger breezes, turning ordinary conversations into anxious whispers. As the village braces for the arrival of soldiers, the story gently unfolds the tension between personal desire and the looming demands of a world at war, inviting listeners to feel the pulse of an era where love, honor, and survival are in constant negotiation.