The action takes place in Galicia at the beginning of the 12th century, in the reign of Alfonso VII de León the Emperor. A Galician peasant, impoverished but noble, named Sancho de Roelas, announces to Tello de Neira, aristocrat and lord of those lands, his desire to marry Elvira de Aibar, also of noble lineage although diminished, to whom he is engaged. Don Tello lends himself to be her godfather, but when he sees Elvira, he immediately falls in love with her beauty and kidnaps her with the intention that Elvira agrees to have sex with him. She refuses and Sancho travels to León to ask King Alfonso VII for help who, finally, appears incognito at Tello's pazo and, after revealing his identity and learning that Tello has forced Elvira, orders them to marry and then execute to Don Tello, with which Elvira will regain her honor and will be endowed with half of the estate of the late great lord.