A ROSE FOR MY BELOVED

Once upon a time, in a far, far away kingdom, whose name I have forgotten, there lived a princess, a princess imprisoned in a castle. From the top of the tower, a tower surrounded by thorns and vines, she wondered, “Where are my roses? My precious roses that bleed out of passion. My beautiful roses that smile at me with the twinkle of morning dew.” Such were her sighs that the villagers who heard her lament feared she would run out of air. But her roses had disappeared, they had withered, they had been pulverized by the fiery flames that emerged from the jaws of the green monster. The green monster, who was not named out of fear. The green monster that appeared three springs ago seeking a new home. Its arrival was announced with the thunder and lightning of a relentless storm. It has never been sighted, only its flames, roars, the glint of its green scales, and its shadow have been seen.

But everything changed when the peasants, distraught by burnt crops and outraged against the lazy man who proclaimed himself king, stormed the castle. Their war cries were heard by the guards, brought by the evening breeze, but they could do little against an enraged village. The princess heard the sound of metal hitting metal, screams, and cries. Chaos had erupted, and the only thing that would stop it would be herself. With the grace born from her roses’ patience, the princess placed her delicate hands on the solid oak door and opened it gently, softly, and decisively. The screams ceased, and the sound of swords and axes falling to the ground echoed among the ancient stone walls. Everyone watched her. Everyone admired her. With her head held high, she began to walk through the chaos toward the exit, where the last rays of the sun beautified the deserted kingdom.

The villagers followed her, determined to carry out their mission. To carry out the sacrifice. They called to the beast:

Come, come, dragon!

Don’t hurt us with your talons!

Come, come, dragon!

A maiden for your hunger!

Come, come, dragon!

Take her with your anger!

The chants and pleas continued as they led the princess to the wall, where her tomb awaited her, and where her destiny would take the form of a dragon. They tied her to a pillar, stripping her of her rich jewels and long robes, leaving her only in a white tunic. The only thing they had not taken from her was her dignity. If she was to be sacrificed, it would be for her honor.

Come, come, dragon!

Do not become our downfall!

Come, come, dragon!

Take her to your dungeon!

A roar echoed through the crevices of the mountain and traveled through the rocks and stones of the walled castle to reach the ears of the kingdom. The entire kingdom trembled under the force of the green monster. A blizzard rose out of nowhere, stirring the spirits.

The dragon answered the call. The black clouds warned of its presence, brought by the hurricanes that formed with the beating of its wings. Its scales were perceived among the cotton balls, and soon the terrifying majesty of its being was present, descending from the skies like an ill omen. It had a tail longer than the longest river in the entire kingdom, adorned with thorns that ran all over its body to its head. It possessed large, sharp claws, perfect for tearing its prey with force, claws that created earthquakes when they landed on the ground. Its eyes, the princess noticed, were fixed on her, golden like her hair.

The princess was petrified. She had tried to show courage, grace, and honor, but the reality was very different. The monster was imposing, fierce, and terrifying, yet beautiful and elegant at the same time. It moved with an unusual grace for a beast of its size, and its fearsome eyes hid an intelligence greater than that of a simple dragon. The monster snorted and growled, causing the entire kingdom to tremble beneath his power.

The dragon seemed impatient and took a step toward the crowd, flanked by the sacrificed princess. Its gaze did not waver from her, even as the palace guards positioned themselves in attack formation. It did not seem unsettled by the threat; its attention was solely focused on its sacrifice.

The princess breathed rapidly, trying to avoid fainting like a mere maiden. But the impression of the majestic animal in front of her was almost uncontrollable, and she felt her body lighter as if her soul had separated from her body.

From among the crowd, a crowned man stepped forward and addressed the beast, pleading:

“Dreadful dragon! Do not take this maiden, for she is greatly cherished.”

The dragon averted its gaze from its bound princess and turned its elongated, angular head toward the king.

“Who are you to dictate my desires? What makes this sacrifice my most prized vice?”

Its voice resonated in the heads of all present, causing howls of terror.

“The surprise is inside, for the princess is yours for the night!” announced a villager.

The same man who had shouted those words untied the princess from the post and, with a strong push, threw her to the ground at the feet of the monster. The princess screamed from the impact. She could feel a sharp pain piercing her ankle and shoulder. Then, the tears, which she had managed to contain until now, were unleashed, along with her fear and desperation.

The dragon lifted its head, opening its jaws with an ominous crunch. From its throat emerged a guttural sound; at first, it was like a distant purring that grew in intensity until it turned into a thunderous roar that tore through the air and shook the souls of the people. The roar was a reminder, an echo of the chilling supremacy of the beast. It was a cry of war.

Under such a solemn proclamation, the kingdom knelt, pleading, lamenting, and begging for mercy and forgiveness.

In fury, the beast unleashed its wrath, expelling black smoke and confusing those around. Taking advantage of the situation, the dragon brought its snout close to the princess, sniffing her wounds and lingering on her neck, inhaling her natural scent. With a grunt, it pulled away from her, and encircled her with its long scaly tail, lifting her onto its back.

With another terrifying roar and a warning to the kingdom, it rose above the storm clouds and, along with them, disappeared on the horizon, returning the sun and light to the kingdom.

The dragon crossed the skies until it reached the enchanted forest where its subjects dwelt. A mountain rose among the mist and low clouds until it touched the sun that began to disappear as the hours passed, the sunset creating an illusion over the forest.

The princess, who had been sleeping peacefully, began to wake up. She felt cushioned and protected by a soft, warm support that rocked her into another dream. But the pain from her injuries forced her to open her eyes. The first thing her eyes could make out was that, despite the darkness of the rocky walls, the light was strong and bright, leaving the entire space exposed. A cave. A cave full of treasures, adorned with twisted rock pillars and natural arches, as if they were remnants of an ancient temple dedicated to the beast. But neither the treasures nor the other wonders were what captivated the maiden. It was the candles that lit the room, the hand-carved stone furniture that resembled those that adorned the palace, and the bed she was on. A bed for a human. It was grandiose, but not the size of a dragon as imposing as the one that had kidnapped her.

The sound of beating wings startled her, and she directed her gaze to the large opening of the cave. Lost among the rugged rocks and enveloped in a perpetual mist, the entrance of the cave was flanked by sharp stalactites that hung like silent guardians. The air around the cave vibrated with ancient and mysterious energy, impregnated with the echo of forgotten legends and whispers from times long past. The dragon approached with the last rays of the setting sun. The princess rose from the bed and grabbed the golden candlestick on the table, wielding it as a weapon and preparing to defend herself against the monster.

But it was not a winged beast with sharp teeth that pierced through that mysterious mist, but a man: robust, tall. His wavy hair, the color of wet earth, cascaded down to his shoulders. With a stern, solemn, angular, beautiful face. His eyes were golden like the treasures that covered every corner of the cave, like the hair of the princess. His naked body moved with agility, grace, and the arrogance of possessing the title of the most powerful creature that had ever existed. His beauty was unique, unreal, fearful, and glorious. His long, strong legs moved toward her, his eyes indicating his intentions. The princess, whose wounds had not yet healed, tried to move away from the imposing figure, but as she took a step back, she began to fall. She tightly closed her eyes expecting the impact, but instead, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, preventing her fall. He helped her stand, but the princess, frightened, refused to open her eyes. The frustrated dragon let out a grunt and placed one of his hands on her cheek.

They were warm, the princess noticed. Warm, strong, and rough as if he did manual labor. Finally, yielding to the dragon’s demands, she opened her eyes. He was staring at her intensely, his eyes tracing every line of her face, memorizing it, adoring it. His fingers caressed her delicate skin, touching it as if it were the most precious treasure. And it was. Because from the moment her scent took over his senses and embedded into his blood, he knew she would be his. He knew he would make her his queen.

The princess seemed to forget her initial fear and was captivated by the attention of this man who looked at her with so much desire. Sliding a hand behind her knees, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to his bed, made of the fluffiest wool the princess had ever appreciated. He laid her down with astonishing gentleness and tended to her wounds. Applying a green ointment made from medicinal plants on her ankle and shoulder before bandaging them with strips of cloth.

The princess watched him attentively, astonished and blushing. Was this sweet man the ruthless beast? Her heart did not want to believe it, but the scales that ran along parts of his arms and torso were signs that man and beast shared a single heart. Without thinking, when the man moved from her ankle to her shoulder, she took the opportunity to touch those green plates that shone under the shadow of the candle flames that ran through the cave. Fascinated, the princess followed the trail of the scales up to his neck, unaware that the man had stopped and was motionless, analyzing her reactions and emotions.

When she realized the tense atmosphere, the princess withdrew her hand, ashamed of her bold reaction, but the man grabbed her hand, stopping her, and drew her toward him until their lips were almost touching. All she could see, hear, smell, and feel was him. Her heart began to beat wildly, and her breathing became erratic. This man had tormented her people for years; she should want to get away from him, to be afraid of him. But there was an inexplicable connection between them, something that bound them and that came from beyond the physical world. Yet she couldn’t help but think of all the misfortunes caused by his actions, all the pain he had inflicted on her kingdom. All the sorrow.

She turned her gaze away from his piercing look. Hating him for what he had done and for making her feel so many contradicting emotions.

“The truth is not what you think, listen and you will see,” he said, lifting her chin to turn her attention back to him.