Cristina Iuga's Blog: Cristina Iuga Romance Writer
March 13, 2023
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March 12, 2023
Excerpt
Madrid, 1720, Santa Cruz Palace, prison
This palace housed on the first floor a known prison, situated right in the middle of one of the city’s main squares, to provide an example to the population – passers-by could hear the cries of the prisoners from outside and imagine what was happening inside. The prison palace was "guarded" by the statue of an angel on the roof, from which the proverb "to sleep under the angel", valid for those arrested, came out.
Everyone knew that if you were rich enough to allow yourself to give a generous amount of money to the jailers, who were corrupt and utterly bribable, you could enjoy better food, a comfortable mattress and a window cell, more airy and less damp. You even received paper, feather, ink and wax to write letters and could walk in the prisoner's yard.
However, there were rare cases when a prisoner managed to stay alive.
"Tomorrow morning at seven o'clock you will be executed by beheading, your Excellency."
Saying this, the jailer left. The heavy sound of the lock blocking the cell door was heard.
Left alone in the dark, after having bribed the jailer for better conditions, Sebastian sat down on his matress, leaning his back against the stone wall, and closed his eyes. A slight tremor was engulfing his entire body. He felt a hot sweat going down his spine. He was only twenty-three years old, and he was going to die. Yes, he was a murderer for having killed his mother's murderer.
After almost two hours of his lying on the ground in the darkness, tortured by thousands of thoughts, the door opened, and a figure appeared wrapped up in a dark cloak, accompanied by the jailer. The latter hung a lantern on the cell wall, and left them alone, closing the door again with a lock.
In the now-illuminated cell, the young man was shocked when he realized that the person who was just taking her hood off was the daughter of the duke of Abrantes – a very important name in Madrid.
"Mirabela," he murmured, finding it hard to believe.
Her name was on the lips of all the young men who were preparing to marry – she was beautiful – extremely
beautiful. And full of qualities. There was no single man who did not want her, either for a night or a lifetime.
Only Sebastian had made an exception. And Mirabela knew that, and she was frustrated. She alone knew how many nights she had been crying in the candlelight because of the small discreet advances she had made to that man, who had refused her forever. And she had made it known to her father too - an extremely powerful and influential man. And her father loved her so much, he made all the whims of hers.
"Why are you ignoring me?" she asked him, simply looking him in the eye, hardly hiding the pain in her heart.
"I don’t think you came all the way here to ask me this."
"You didn't answer my question."
"I'm not ignoring you, he justified himself, trying not to offend her. I'm just not ready to venture into another relationship. I think you found out about my breakup with Beatriz."
"You don't believe yourself what you're saying, she reproached him. Why are you making advances to so many girls besides me? For God's sake, is there anything that makes you reject me? Any man would want me in his bed - except you."
"Why are you here, Mirabela?"
"I want to offer you a deal."
The reply made the young man extremely attentive. The two looked each other full în the face.
"I love you, Sebastian", she confessed."I'm sure I'll be able, in time, to make you feel the same way about me."
"Unfortunately", he noted, ironically, "I'm a little short of time."
"My father is the duke of Abrantes. All he has to do is only to move a finger, and you'll be released. Actually", she added, taking a document out of her coat, "I have here the pardon order signed by the prison commander. If you cooperate, everything will be fine, and if you don't, I'll tear it in front of you."
"What do I have to do?" he murmured, in a gloomy tone, aware that he had to stand at her courtesy - and the feeling of standing at a woman’s courtesy, as a man, was so unbearable.
"Marry me", she proposed.
There were long moments of silence. Seeing that the young man was late in giving her an answer, Mirabela took a deep breath and opened the door of the lantern, bringing the paper closer to the flame.
"Wait! he stopped her, looking at her desperately. "I agree Tell your father I'll marry you. I'll sign whatever document you ask me to, as proof."
"I don't need proof", she said, victoriously. "Once you are released, your mere refusal will mean you are back on the scaffold. Now, my dear", she added, touching his cheek gently in a sensual gesture, "you are free to go."
Saying this, she touched his chest with the tip of her index finger, slowly descending on his muscular body, on his abdomen, then entering his pants for a moment.
"You'll be a wonderful husband, Sebastian", she whispered in his ear, with a smile."Follow me", she said, and then she took him by the hand and dragged him out of the cell after her.
In the dark corridor, lit from place to place by burning torches, the prison chief was waiting for them.
"He comes with me," she informed him, and the man stepped aside, saying nothing.
Everything had been arranged in advance. The Duke of Abrantes had pulled the strings at the Court, reaching out to the queen's great advisers. After all, it was Sebastian of Belalcazar, an earl whose name was quite important among the nobility.
The young man took his hand to his eyes upon contact with the bright light outside. It was midday, the sun was shining, and the fresh air struck him like a beneficent balm. The noise in the square woke him up after days spent in the dark with the rats.
"You see?" Mirabela smiled at him, stroking him gently across his arm in a gesture of affection. "Isn't life beautiful? Come on, go home and wash up, you smell like a piggy. Then go to bed and come to dinner tonight. Dad and I are waiting for you."
"Mirabela, are you sure that..."
But she gently touched his lips with the tip of her finger, urging him to remain silent.
"Stop protesting, my dear. The deal's a deal."
This palace housed on the first floor a known prison, situated right in the middle of one of the city’s main squares, to provide an example to the population – passers-by could hear the cries of the prisoners from outside and imagine what was happening inside. The prison palace was "guarded" by the statue of an angel on the roof, from which the proverb "to sleep under the angel", valid for those arrested, came out.
Everyone knew that if you were rich enough to allow yourself to give a generous amount of money to the jailers, who were corrupt and utterly bribable, you could enjoy better food, a comfortable mattress and a window cell, more airy and less damp. You even received paper, feather, ink and wax to write letters and could walk in the prisoner's yard.
However, there were rare cases when a prisoner managed to stay alive.
"Tomorrow morning at seven o'clock you will be executed by beheading, your Excellency."
Saying this, the jailer left. The heavy sound of the lock blocking the cell door was heard.
Left alone in the dark, after having bribed the jailer for better conditions, Sebastian sat down on his matress, leaning his back against the stone wall, and closed his eyes. A slight tremor was engulfing his entire body. He felt a hot sweat going down his spine. He was only twenty-three years old, and he was going to die. Yes, he was a murderer for having killed his mother's murderer.
After almost two hours of his lying on the ground in the darkness, tortured by thousands of thoughts, the door opened, and a figure appeared wrapped up in a dark cloak, accompanied by the jailer. The latter hung a lantern on the cell wall, and left them alone, closing the door again with a lock.
In the now-illuminated cell, the young man was shocked when he realized that the person who was just taking her hood off was the daughter of the duke of Abrantes – a very important name in Madrid.
"Mirabela," he murmured, finding it hard to believe.
Her name was on the lips of all the young men who were preparing to marry – she was beautiful – extremely
beautiful. And full of qualities. There was no single man who did not want her, either for a night or a lifetime.
Only Sebastian had made an exception. And Mirabela knew that, and she was frustrated. She alone knew how many nights she had been crying in the candlelight because of the small discreet advances she had made to that man, who had refused her forever. And she had made it known to her father too - an extremely powerful and influential man. And her father loved her so much, he made all the whims of hers.
"Why are you ignoring me?" she asked him, simply looking him in the eye, hardly hiding the pain in her heart.
"I don’t think you came all the way here to ask me this."
"You didn't answer my question."
"I'm not ignoring you, he justified himself, trying not to offend her. I'm just not ready to venture into another relationship. I think you found out about my breakup with Beatriz."
"You don't believe yourself what you're saying, she reproached him. Why are you making advances to so many girls besides me? For God's sake, is there anything that makes you reject me? Any man would want me in his bed - except you."
"Why are you here, Mirabela?"
"I want to offer you a deal."
The reply made the young man extremely attentive. The two looked each other full în the face.
"I love you, Sebastian", she confessed."I'm sure I'll be able, in time, to make you feel the same way about me."
"Unfortunately", he noted, ironically, "I'm a little short of time."
"My father is the duke of Abrantes. All he has to do is only to move a finger, and you'll be released. Actually", she added, taking a document out of her coat, "I have here the pardon order signed by the prison commander. If you cooperate, everything will be fine, and if you don't, I'll tear it in front of you."
"What do I have to do?" he murmured, in a gloomy tone, aware that he had to stand at her courtesy - and the feeling of standing at a woman’s courtesy, as a man, was so unbearable.
"Marry me", she proposed.
There were long moments of silence. Seeing that the young man was late in giving her an answer, Mirabela took a deep breath and opened the door of the lantern, bringing the paper closer to the flame.
"Wait! he stopped her, looking at her desperately. "I agree Tell your father I'll marry you. I'll sign whatever document you ask me to, as proof."
"I don't need proof", she said, victoriously. "Once you are released, your mere refusal will mean you are back on the scaffold. Now, my dear", she added, touching his cheek gently in a sensual gesture, "you are free to go."
Saying this, she touched his chest with the tip of her index finger, slowly descending on his muscular body, on his abdomen, then entering his pants for a moment.
"You'll be a wonderful husband, Sebastian", she whispered in his ear, with a smile."Follow me", she said, and then she took him by the hand and dragged him out of the cell after her.
In the dark corridor, lit from place to place by burning torches, the prison chief was waiting for them.
"He comes with me," she informed him, and the man stepped aside, saying nothing.
Everything had been arranged in advance. The Duke of Abrantes had pulled the strings at the Court, reaching out to the queen's great advisers. After all, it was Sebastian of Belalcazar, an earl whose name was quite important among the nobility.
The young man took his hand to his eyes upon contact with the bright light outside. It was midday, the sun was shining, and the fresh air struck him like a beneficent balm. The noise in the square woke him up after days spent in the dark with the rats.
"You see?" Mirabela smiled at him, stroking him gently across his arm in a gesture of affection. "Isn't life beautiful? Come on, go home and wash up, you smell like a piggy. Then go to bed and come to dinner tonight. Dad and I are waiting for you."
"Mirabela, are you sure that..."
But she gently touched his lips with the tip of her finger, urging him to remain silent.
"Stop protesting, my dear. The deal's a deal."
March 9, 2023
I Will Make You Dream, free book
FREE on Amazon Kindle between 10 and 14 March!
I Will Make You Dream
A girl who swore not to get married and ran away from home...
A young man blackmailed to marry a petty woman in exchange for a pardon from capital punishment...
Smuggling, blackmail, seizure, family conflicts...
"My father is the duke of Abrantes. All he has to do is only to move a finger, and you'll be released. Actually", she added, taking a document out of her coat, "I have here the pardon order signed by the prison commander. If you cooperate, everything will be fine, and if you don't, I'll tear it in front of you."
"What do I have to do?" he murmured, in a gloomy tone, aware that he had to stand at her courtesy - and the feeling of standing at a woman's courtesy, as a man, was so unbearable.
"Marry me", she proposed.
I Will Make You Dream
A girl who swore not to get married and ran away from home...
A young man blackmailed to marry a petty woman in exchange for a pardon from capital punishment...
Smuggling, blackmail, seizure, family conflicts...
"My father is the duke of Abrantes. All he has to do is only to move a finger, and you'll be released. Actually", she added, taking a document out of her coat, "I have here the pardon order signed by the prison commander. If you cooperate, everything will be fine, and if you don't, I'll tear it in front of you."
"What do I have to do?" he murmured, in a gloomy tone, aware that he had to stand at her courtesy - and the feeling of standing at a woman's courtesy, as a man, was so unbearable.
"Marry me", she proposed.
