Fernando starts as a monk, leaves that vocation to seek true love, finds it with Leonora – the woman of his dreams, except she has a dark past. She’s the mistress of the King of Castile, and the King likes her a lot. She’s his “favorita.” She gets him a commission in the army, and he becomes a battleground hero. The King weds him to Leonora. Then he finds out she’s still the King’s mistress. He rejects her and goes back to the monastery. It does not end well for either the Queen or “La favorita.” Monday Night at the Opera, December 8, 2025, 7 p.m.