Cursebound Hearts

Rozdział szósty

Three days of relentless torture had passed, and Dragon's Bane had permeated every inch of Winona's system. The substance, once believed to be harmless, had wrought undeniable pain and ache throughout her body, leaving her battered and broken.

Winona, once a defiant force, could now barely stand on her feet. The confines of her wretched cell bore witness to the toll inflicted upon her. In the stifling stench, she heard the ominous click of the door, signaling an intrusion into her chamber of torment.

As the door creaked open, Winona, a mere shell of her former self, braced for whatever new torment awaited her.

The guard stepped into Winona's cell, an ominous presence heralding another encounter with torment. In a cold, taunting rant, Winona faced the guard with a glint of defiance in her eyes.
"Your king's cruelty knows no bounds, does it? Or are you all simply instruments of his sadism?"

The guard remained stoic, unmoved by her words, as he held out a platter of food. In an act of futile resistance, Winona declared,
"I won't have this. I won't be poisoned once more."

Ignoring her protest, the guard, an extension of the king's will, forced the meal down her throat with a brutal efficiency that left Winona choking on both her defiance and the unwanted sustenance.

The moment the forced meal made its way down Winona's throat, a searing, burning sensation erupted, consuming her senses with an agonizing fire. The pulse weakened, and each breath became a struggle against the merciless tide of pain.

A cry, raw and desperate, echoed within the confines of her cell as Winona's body revolted against the unwanted sustenance. The burning sensation intensified, a cruel symphony of torment that left her trembling on the edge of consciousness.

Her legs, already weakened by days of torture, buckled beneath her, and she lost the delicate balance to stand. In the suffocating stench of her cell, Winona succumbed to the overpowering pain, her consciousness slipping away like a flickering candle in the shadows. The dungeons of Draconovia swallowed her in darkness, leaving only the echoes of her cries lingering in the air.

• • •
Winona felt the chilling sting of ice-cold water, a rude awakening that jolted her back to consciousness. With a yelp, she opened her eyes, trying to balance herself in the disorienting surroundings of her cell.

She breathed heavily, the impact of the water against her battered skin sending shivers through her exhausted frame. Her throat, hoarse and ravaged, bore the unmistakable signs of the Dragon's Bane that coursed through her system. The relentless torment persisted, prolonging her suffering in the dungeons of Draconovia.

"Why couldn't she just be beheaded already?" she wondered, the defiance in her eyes undiminished. No matter the agony, she remained resolute in her refusal to be married to King Aurelius.

"Water," she cried, her voice hoarse as she surveyed the puddle on the cold cement floor of her cell. Unquenchable thirst clawed at her, and Winona, in an act of desperation, lowered herself to the floor, attempting to drink the little water that lingered there.

"Water," she muttered repeatedly, her gulps desperate and erratic. The guards in her cell observed her torment and vulnerability, silent witnesses to the cruel dance.

The ominous creak of the cell door announced the arrival of the next guard, the very one who had lashed Winona previously. In his hands, the cruel whip awaited, a tool of torment wielded as an extension of King Aurelius's unrelenting will.

"You've rested for far too long," his cold voice trailed off as he prepared to unleash the next wave of agony upon Winona. The two other guards, obedient to their king's sadistic commands, lifted her off the cold floor, forcing her to stand on her aching feet.

Her body, already battered and broken, protested every movement. As the first lash landed against her back, a whine and muffled cry escaped Winona's lips. The relentless onslaught continued, each subsequent lash more excruciating than the last, creating a symphony of suffering within the dungeons. The guards, indifferent to her cries, executed their assigned role.

The relentless lashing continued, each cruel strike sending waves of pain through Winona's battered body. Hot tears welled at her lids, blurring her vision as the guards carried out their sadistic task. In the midst of her torment, an otherworldly chill enveloped the air, causing the hair on her skin to stand on end.

As if time had suspended itself, Winona felt a strange presence. Her vision, slowly clearing and intensifying, darted upward to behold an ethereal figure-the fentlen sorcerer of the hidden council. His grace was almost deceiving, a contrast to the brutality that surrounded her.

"You," his voice echoed, akin to the wind whooshing against her ears.

"Me," she murmured breathlessly, her voice barely audible over the ongoing lashing.

"Marry him," his windy voice suggested, a directive that echoed with an unsettling certainty.

However weak, Winona couldn't help but muster a defiant response,
"That's not the only way to kill him."

As if unraveling an intricate spell, the sorcerer uttered ridiculous summonings that Winona struggled to comprehend. The still silence hung in the air, pregnant with the weight of destiny.

"That's your only chance," he stated with an air of finality.
"Do it."

"Now!" His voice echoed like a whirlwind, throwing Winona off balance as her weakened body dangled by the chains that bound her.

A heavy lash landed against Winona's already battered back, jolting her back to the harsh reality of her torment. A loud cry escaped her lips, echoing within the confines of her cell. The pain, though brutal, seemed to heighten her awareness.

In that agonizing moment, Winona realized she had to heed the sorcerer's cryptic advice. Marrying King Aurelius might be her only chance to gain an upper hand and ultimately eliminate the ruthless monarch.

With a heavy heart and a sense of defeat, Winona finally uttered the words,
"I accept... to marry King Aurelius."

Her words hung in the air, and to her surprise, the torment seized immediately. The guards, obedient to the unseen forces at play, lowered their weapons.