Dragon's Heart

Water and Fire

Castle of Betancourt family, Sangredo, 1665

The first rays of daylight that entered the royal chamber from the slots of the curtain came as redemption for queen Lucrecia Betancourt. This slender beam of light represented a new day, leaving behind the fearful night that she lived in the arms of her husband. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she ignored them until they reached the fresh wound in the corner of her swollen, crimson lips. Gently tracing her finger over it, memories of the King's ravenous kisses flooded her mind once more.

This nightmare unfolded every single night. That drunken old man claimed her body as his own again and again. The scars he left on her body, weren't important compared to the ones he left in her soul. For countless years, Lucrecia endured the torment silently, her pleas  unheard by the world. Despite the burden of bearing the King's three sons, she couldn't bring herself to love them as a mother should. Instead, they stood as bitter reminder of her tortures. Whenever she attempted to touch her sons, she felt the king's invisible grip like a noose around her neck, suffocating any semblance of maternal affection. She was trapped in a golden cage for many years, but her heart was still free to beat for the day when every dark shadow of the king would  disappear and every single bond between them would break forever. On this  day, everything will come to an end, and she will  be in the arms of the only man she loves in her life, her beloved Luciano.

With a violent tug, she freed herself from the King's heavy hand that lingered on her waist, hurried down from the huge bed and ran to wash herself, yearning to cleanse herself from his filth. She sank into the warm water and left her thoughts to travel. Over her thirty years of marriage, the queen had slept with so many lovers that she had lost count. Dukes, barons, council members, even ordinary soldiers. Yet, none of them could ever replace Luciano or Ernesto. She never hated anyone as much as Ernesto and never loved anyone like Luciano. Each of  them was but a  pawn in a revenge game, where she would either emerge victoriously or be lost forever.

The jolt in his hand made the king crumble in silence, his eyes blazing with an icy rage, as his queen left the room quickly. Nights of peaceful sleep had become a distant memory, for he carried the weight of his tyranny on his shoulders. He always had the same feeling. Ernesto was in so much pain, knowing that Lucrecia did not love him. After all, she never bothered to hide the disgust and discomfort whenever she was in his presence. He had tried almost everything to keep her close to him, however nothing got away her sadness and disappointment. Lavish gifts, jewelries, an army of servants, alluring perfumes, captivating flowers, travels, countless balls weren't enough to satisfied her, not even her own children. His wife would always try to escape or hurt him. She would always end up with that cursed man: King Luciano del la Rosa. He knew very well that Lucrecia would never truly be his own. Nonetheless, he couldn't bear the thought of letting her go. Thus, he spent all these years punishing her and himself together. How could he ever leave his wife in the clutches of his most detested enemy? All he could do was drinking to forget his painful reality.
The first rays of daylight that entered the royal chamber from the slots of the curtain came as redemption for queen Lucrecia Betancourt. This slender beam of light represented a new day, leaving behind the fearful night that she lived in the arms of her husband. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she ignored them until they reached the fresh wound in the corner of her swollen, crimson lips. Gently tracing her finger over it, memories of the King's ravenous kisses flooded her mind once more.

This nightmare unfolded every single night. That drunken old man claimed her body as his own again and again. The scars he left on her body, weren't important compared to the ones he left in her soul. For countless years, Lucrecia endured the torment silently, her pleas  unheard by the world. Despite the burden of bearing the King's three sons, she couldn't bring herself to love them as a mother should. Instead, they stood as bitter reminder of her tortures. Whenever she attempted to touch her sons, she felt the king's invisible grip like a noose around her neck, suffocating any semblance of maternal affection. She was trapped in a golden cage for many years, but her heart was still free to beat for the day when every dark shadow of the king would  disappear and every single bond between them would break forever. On this  day, everything will come to an end, and she will  be in the arms of the only man she loves in her life, her beloved Luciano.