"Stop!" King Aurelius's command echoed through the court, his voice cutting through the air with a hard authority that silenced even the continuous lashing. He rose from his throne, a figure of imposing authority descending from the podium where his seat of power stood.
The entire courtroom held its breath as the king walked down, his steps resonating with the weight of his dominion. The guards paused in their cruel task, and Winona, whip-stricken and bearing fresh cuts, stood in the midst of the circle. Her naked, sweat-soaked frame held an air of defiance, and her eyes remained locked on the approaching king, a livid spite burning within.
As King Aurelius reached her, his imposing figure loomed over her battered form. The court, hushed and tense, observed the unfolding drama between the cursed king and the unyielding assassin.
King Aurelius's large arms closed around Winona's right hand, and a sharp intake of breath escaped her at the unexpected contact. Her eyes, cautious and watchful, met his as he studied the intricate tattoo etched on her arm-the mark of the dragon.
In that moment, realization dawned upon the cursed king. His search, whether for power or destiny, had led him to the unyielding assassin bearing the mark he sought. It was a revelation that shifted the dynamics of the court and the fate of Draconovia.
As King Aurelius held her marked hand, he declared with a cold certainty that reverberated through the court,
"I'm going to marry her."
The revelation hung in the air, an unexpected twist that left the court in stunned silence.
A court member, a man of noble stature, rose from his seat. His presence was marked by a stern countenance and regal attire that befitted his status in Draconovia's court.
He raised his voice, questioning the king's decision to marry someone who had once attempted to take his life.
"My lord, is it wise to wed someone who sought to harm you?" he argued, his words laden with concern and a hint of defiance.
King Aurelius's response was cold and formidable, a threat that hung heavy in the air.
"Question my decisions, and you question your own fate. Do not forget where your loyalties lie," he warned, a reminder of the unforgiving consequences that awaited those who dared to challenge his authority.
Undeterred, the court member continued to argue, challenging the king's unexpected decree. In the flick of a second, a guard, acting as the enforcer of the king's will, marched over to the dissenting man. With a swift and brutal motion, the guard struck a dagger into the man's forehead, the impact accompanied by a guttural noise that reverberated through the court.
The courtroom, silenced by the sudden act of brutality, bore witness to the consequences that awaited those who dared to question the will of the cursed king.
A hushed stillness settled over the courtroom as the lifeless body was silently carried away by the guards, leaving behind a chilling reminder of the king's unwavering authority. No one dared to say a word or move a muscle, ensnared in the paralyzing atmosphere of fear that clung to Draconovia's court.
King Aurelius, sly grin revealing his pearly whites, broke the silence with cold words that sliced through the air. "Prepare for my wedding to my new wife," he declared, his tone commanding obedience from every soul present.
The audacity of his decree elicited a defiant proclamation from Winona. "Over my dead body," her words hung in the air, a vow laced with the intensity of her unwavering glare.
In response, King Aurelius, unfazed by her challenge, delivered a cold and intimidating response.
"Your body is already at my mercy, Shadowblade. Defy me, and you shall witness the true depths of Draconovia's shadows."
"I said, I will never marry you," Winona spat with gritted teeth, her defiance unwavering. Yet, before she could brace herself, his hands roughly seized hers, pulling her closer against him. She refused to flinch, her eyes radiating nothing but hatred.
"Then I'll just make sure you do," King Aurelius replied in a dangerously low tone, his breath chillingly close to her face. With a forceful push, he sent her sprawling to the floor.
"Take her," he ordered, his voice a venomous command.
"Lock her, torture her until she agrees."
The weight of his words hung in the air like a deadly threat, and Winona, lying on the floor, responded with bitter laughter.
"Torture, my king? I'm sure your methods are as sophisticated as your heart." Her words, taunting and mocking, echoed through the courtroom.
A dark smirk played on King Aurelius's lips as Winona lay on the floor, defiant in the face of her impending fate.
"Of course," he humored darkly, his eyes holding a malevolent gleam. "Drown her in dragon's bane." The decree fell from his lips, a final sentence that sealed her destiny in the depths of Draconovia's shadows.
With a spiteful comment, he sneered at her resistance.
"Your defiance will be your undoing."
A guard, an instrument of the king's will, roughly seized Winona, dragging her away from the courtroom and into the impending darkness that awaited her.
• • •
Winona stood within the confines of her cell, her body meticulously lashed, each wound a testament to the cruelty inflicted upon her. Pain radiated through her every movement, a constant reminder of her captivity.
Her thoughts danced between the wish for freedom, to break free from the chains that bound her, and the desire to eliminate the guards who played their part in this macabre dance. The king, in her eyes, stood as her next target.
As another guard entered, holding a metal bucket containing a mysterious substance, Winona's senses heightened. She could smell it in the air, the distinct fragrance of Dragon's Bane. However, she couldn't fathom why the king desired to drown her in it. To her knowledge, it was a harmless substance, or at least, that's what she thought.
The smell, faint yet ominous, filled the air as the guard poured the contents of the bucket over her battered body. In the very next second, Winona felt her skin begin to burn, a sensation akin to the prickling heat of a thousand needles. The Dragon's Bane, once thought harmless, revealed its true nature, unleashing a torment that went beyond the physical.
The heat beneath Winona's skin surged to an unbearable intensity, a relentless agony that surpassed anything she had endured before. Her screams and cries echoed through the cold, damp walls of her cell, the once defiant assassin reduced to a tortured soul.
It felt as though she was being burnt alive, the Dragon's Bane searing through her flesh with a merciless ferocity. The guards, unmoved by her suffering, continued to lash her nonstop, each strike inflicting a new wave of brutal pain upon her already tormented body.
The relentless onslaught of agony pushed Winona to the brink. She couldn't take it. The pain seemed insurmountable, each lash and burn worse than the last, blending into a symphony of suffering that resonated through the dungeons of Draconovia.
As the torment persisted, Winona's eyes witnessed a surreal transformation. Before her, skin flickered between the familiar texture and something else-thick, lethal scales that seemed to materialize and vanish in a nightmarish dance. The pain intensified with each passing minute, the substance altering not just her physical form but the very essence of her being, as she teetered on the precipice of a transformation that defied the natural order of things.
YOU ARE READING
Cursebound Hearts
Storie d'amoreAll her life she has been trained for this. Kill the king!! She would rip his heart out, but now she is his. His queen. Every woman who bears the mark of the dragon meets a grim destiny, sacrificed on the 13th moon of the equinox to sustain King Aur...
