Commander Diego Garza
Commander Diego Garza is the head of Spain's Guardia Real, the oldest and most elite security force tasked with protecting the royal family. A stunted and weedy sixty-year-old with a swarthy complexion, tiny eyes, and thinning black hair, Garza has learned that true power stems not from physical strength but from political leverage. His command of the Guardia Real troops gives him clout, but it is his prescient political savvy that has established him as the palace's go-to man on a wide array of matters, both personal and professional. A reliable curator of secrets, Garza has never once betrayed a confidence, and his reputation for steadfast discretion, along with an uncanny ability to solve delicate problems, has made him indispensable to the king.
Role in the Crisis
As the night's events spiral out of control, Garza finds himself in a desperate race to manage the fallout from Edmond Kirsch's assassination. He is fuming as he paces the darkness of Prince Julián's apartment, enduring Bishop Valdespino's self-righteous lecture, and he bristles when Valdespino declares that the prince will need him at his side before the press. Garza feels strongly that the situation is something he and the prince should handle alone, but Valdespino has already inserted himself into palace politics. When Garza receives word that Ambra Vidal and Robert Langdon have fled the Guggenheim, he is incredulous, and he orders Agent Fonseca to locate her and bring her back before any information leaks out, refusing to alert local authorities to avoid embarrassment. He is then blindsided by PR coordinator Mónica Martín, who shows him a photo of Bishop Valdespino meeting with Kirsch days earlier, a fact the bishop had not mentioned.
Arrest and Imprisonment
Garza's situation deteriorates rapidly when his own Guardia agents arrest him on direct orders from the king, who has been convinced by Valdespino that Garza framed the bishop. He is marched across the plaza in handcuffs, past yelling cameramen and reporters, and locked in the palace armory. From his cell, he can hear the crowds outside chanting, "Where does Spain come from?! Where is Spain going?!" He realizes that the order to arrest him could have come from only one man—Prince Julián himself—and that Valdespino has poisoned the prince's mind against him. He is left to contemplate that the only person on earth with power enough to help him is the dying king, who will never cross Valdespino or his own son.
Exoneration and Final Actions
Garza's fortunes reverse when Mónica Martín, pretending to demand a confession, secretly whispers to him that she knows he is innocent. She reveals that she has been working to clear him, and he is eventually released. After his release, Garza receives a call from Bishop Valdespino, who apologizes for the arrest and claims he is being framed. Garza informs Valdespino that an incriminating text has been found on his phone, but the bishop insists he had nothing to do with the murders. Garza listens as Valdespino, sounding weary and heartbroken, asks him to help Prince Julián connect with Ambra Vidal. Garza's final act in the narrative is to stand in Mónica Martín's office, watching Kirsch's presentation on television, his hands now free, as the world absorbs the futurist's message.
