I Tamed the Monstrous Prince - Chapter 41
Chapter 41
First came the physical pain, a searing agony in his lungs and throughout his body with every breath. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the disintegration of his mind. From the day he was cursed, Archanjelo wandered the castle, bereft of reason. He crawled on all fours like a beast, devouring raw animal livers. Hideous black scales erupted on his skin, and he developed a craving for human flesh and blood. He became like the Evil Dragon, Tieghrosh, himself.
Cosimo Flores, the royal mage and Archmage, cast a spell to weaken the curse, redirecting Archanjelo’s malevolent desires, which had been aimed at everyone, solely towards himself. He also wove enchantments to help the king retain some semblance of sanity. No one knew how the mage managed to hold the king’s mind together. It was an ancient tale, a story of ancient magic.
The curse in Archanjelo’s blood passed down through generations. Occasionally, a royal would exhibit symptoms, but they always perished young. The curse seemed to fade with time, becoming a distant memory. No one knew why it had now afflicted the First Prince, Cesar.
Perhaps that was why Adelaide, too, succumbed to madness. Years of conflict with Guido’s consort, Cornelia, had left her weakened. Adelaide refused to accept her son’s condition.
‘My son would never!’
Cesar had been so intelligent, beautiful, and kind. But from the day he was cursed, he acted exactly as described in the ancient texts. He attacked others in a frenzy, screaming in agony from the pain that wracked his body. When dark scales appeared on his hands, Adelaide refused to see him.
‘That’s not my son…’
Society gossiped that the First Prince’s condition was divine retribution for Empress Adelaide’s wickedness, her madness having incurred the wrath of the gods. The Empress slowly lost her mind. Moments of lucidity were fleeting. Like her son, she would sometimes cry out in pain. She refused to eat or sleep, and her legendary beauty withered.
Guido, citing his son’s illness and his wife’s madness, sought an annulment. With ample justification, he readily took a new wife.
One rainy night, Adelaide threw herself from the top of the west tower of the Imperial Palace.
Cornelia, the Emperor’s consort, became the new Empress. The balance of power shifted completely. The First Prince was gradually forgotten. Cornelia, as expected, banished all those loyal to the former Empress. Only Mercedes, the wet nurse, remained, steadfast in her refusal to abandon Cesar.
‘I will protect His Highness.’
She clung to her position in the palace with even greater tenacity. She would do anything to protect her son.
“Yes, anything.”
Mercedes smiled bitterly. She truly would do anything. She had already eliminated anyone who stood in Cesar’s way. She felt no fear. How could she? The strongest force in this world was a mother’s love.
***
“Did you wash properly?”
“Yes.”
As she waited outside the bathroom, Cesar emerged, dripping wet. He wore the new gown as instructed, a towel wrapped around his head. But he hadn’t dried himself completely, leaving a trail of water droplets on the floor. She had anticipated this. Towel in hand, she approached him.
“Let me see.”
As she drew closer, the scent of lavender filled the air. Her scent. Cesar was the one who always buried his face in her, inhaling her fragrance, but now the roles were reversed.
“Good.”
Mingled with the lavender, she detected a sweet aroma.
“Good?”
“Yes, good.”
“Good…”
“Cesar washed well, that’s good.”
“Yes, good.”
Cesar repeated the word “good” several times. He, who had only ever uttered negative words like “no” and “bad,” had finally said “good” to her. The thought made her smile brightly.
