The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway — Chapter 9

A STORY OF INÉS VALEZTENA FROM INÉS VALEZTENA'S POINT OF VIEW

INÉS' FIRST LIFE ENDED AT THE AGE OF 26.

ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE DIED KNOW HOW LONG A LIFETIME IS.

This episode contains depictions of eating disorders, rape, and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

Warning

AND THAT IS HOW I, TOO, CAME TO KNOW THE LIMITS OF MY FLEETINGLY INSIGNIFICANT LIFE.

I KNEW BECAUSE I HAD DIED ONCE BEFORE,

BUT THE KNOWLEDGE I OBTAINED HAD NOT COME SOLELY FROM DEATH.

AFTER ALL, MY FIRST LIFE ENDING AT THE AGE OF 26...

...WAS THE RESULT OF NONE OTHER THAN MY OWN DECISIONS.

IT HAPPENED SO LONG AGO,

BUT THE HOPELESSNESS I FELT AT THE TIME IS STILL FRESH IN MY MIND.

I REMEMBER THE CROWN PRINCE'S DOLTISH FACE BEING THE LAST THING I SAW...

...AND THE CHAOS THAT ENSUED IN MY 26TH YEAR.

THE ONE AND ONLY DAUGHTER OF DUKE VALEZTENA HAD ACHIEVED THE STATUS OF BEING PART OF THE GRANDES DE ORTEGA.

SHE HAD BEEN BORN INTO ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL FAMILIES IN THE EMPIRE,

AND SHE WAS A LADY WHO ENJOYED BEING ADORNED EXTRAVAGANTLY.

THE DUKE SPARED NO EXPENSE TO SATISFY HIS DAUGHTER'S FINE TASTE,

LEADING HER TO BECOME A CONSTANT LEADER IN FASHION IN THE CITY OF MENDOZA.

BACK IN THOSE DAYS, NOBLEWOMEN WOULD REGULARLY APPLY ALMOST-TOXIC POWDERS TO THEIR SKIN TO MAKE IT LOOK PALER,

BUT AFTER INÉS RETURNED FROM A SUMMER TRIP WITH BRONZED SKIN, TANNING SOON GAINED POPULARITY.

INÉS WAS TRULY LIVING THE HIGH LIFE.

EVERY WEEK, MAGAZINES WERE BUSY PRAISING THE CROWN PRINCE'S FIANCÉE FOR HER CLASS AND DIGNITY.

SHE WAS BELOVED BY THE CROWN PRINCE,

AND SHE WAS LIVING THE LIFE OF A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG CROWN PRINCESS.

AT THE TIME, INÉS WAS SO HAPPY WITH HER PERFECT LIFE...

...THAT SHE MADE AN EFFORT TO PERFECT IT EVEN MORE.

EVERY DAY, SHE NAGGED HER SEAMSTRESSES TO DESIGN NEW DRESSES FOR HER...

...AND SHE COMBED THROUGH COUNTLESS INVITATIONS TO DECIDE WHICH EVENTS WOULD BOTH IMPROVE HER REPUTATION...

...AND ALLOW HER TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.

INÉS OFTEN EVEN STARVED HERSELF IN PURSUIT OF A SLIM WAIST,

BUT BECAUSE SHE WANTED PEOPLE TO THINK SHE HAD BEEN BORN WITH A NATURALLY SLIM BODY,

SHE MADE A SHOW OF EATING BIG MEALS WHENEVER SHE ATTENDED A FORMAL DINNER.

MEANWHILE, SHE WAS VOMITING UP EVERYTHING SHE ATE AFTERWARD.

WAS SHE LIVING A NORMAL LIFE?

INÉS WASN'T SURE.

IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT SHE BEGAN SPIRALING WITH DOUBT.

SHE COULDN'T TELL WHETHER SHE HAD DONE IT ALL TO BECOME THE PERFECT WOMAN FOR THE CROWN PRINCE...

...OR IF SHE HAD SIMPLY USED HIM TO ACHIEVE HER PERFECT LIFE.

BUT SHE DID LOVE HIM.

SHE LOVED HIM THOUGH IT HAD ONLY BEEN A FEW YEARS, AND EVEN THOUGH HE HAD MADE HER FALL FOR HIS DESPICABLE LIES,

AND EVEN IF HER REASONS HAD BEEN VAIN AND IT WAS ACTUALLY THE REPUTATION AND STATUS THAT SHE LOVED...

LOVE?

HOW COULD IT HAVE BEEN LOVE?

HOW COULD SHE HAVE LOVED SOMEONE LIKE HIM EVEN FOR A MOMENT?

INÉS HAD SUFFERED FOUR MISCARRIAGES,

AND EACH TIME SHE LOST A BABY, BOTH THE IMPERIAL FAMILY AND THE EMPRESS...

...BLAMED HER FOR IT AND OPENLY ASSAULTED HER WITH THEIR DISDAIN.

THAT WAS HER LIFE AS A MARRIED WOMAN FOR 10 YEARS.

OSCAR NEVER ONCE TOOK HER SIDE...

...AND HE IGNORED HER PLEAS FOR COMFORT.

IN FACT, HE EVEN CONCLUDED THAT SHE HAD BEEN BORN WITH A CURSED WOMB THAT COULDN'T PRODUCE A LIVING CHILD.

ALTHOUGH HER LIFE DAZZLED FROM THE OUTSIDE, SHE WAS DYING ON THE INSIDE.

THINGS WERE FAR FROM NORMAL FOR HER AFTER SHE GOT MARRIED.

NORMAL LIFE WAS SIMPLY AN IMPOSSIBILITY.

IN THE END,

WHEN SHE LEARNED THAT HER PERFECTLY PRISTINE HUSBAND HAD BEEN INFECTED WITH EVERYTHING IMAGINABLE FROM HIS DEBAUCHED LIFESTYLE...

...AND THAT THAT HAD BEEN THE CAUSE FOR ALL OF HER CHILDREN DYING...

WHEN SHE WAS TORTURED BY THE MEMORIES OF ALL THOSE TERRIBLE NIGHTS...

...WHEN HER FILTHY HUSBAND HAD FORCED HIMSELF ONTO HER PREGNANT BODY,

IGNORING HER ATTEMPTS TO REFUSE HIM...

...JUST TO SATISFY HIS OWN DESIRE...

HE WAS THE ONLY MAN SHE HAD EVER KNOWN,

AND HER BODY WAS NOW MARRED WITH PROOF OF ALL THE DEPRAVED NIGHTS HE HAD SPENT WITH OTHER WOMEN.

SHE HAD NEVER DONE...

...A SHAMEFUL THING IN HER LIFE,

YET SHE WAS BEING PUNISHED...

...FOR HAVING MARRIED THAT CESSPOOL OF A HUMAN.

BUT EVEN WORSE THAN THE DISEASES HE CARRIED...

...WAS HIS DESIRE.

HE WAS WELL AWARE OF THE AWFUL DISEASES HE CARRIED,

BUT NOT ONCE DID HE HESITATE TO PLEASURE HIMSELF ANYWAY ON HIS UNASSUMING WIFE.

HE DIDN'T HAVE A CARE ABOUT HIS WIFE OR BEGETTING AN HEIR.

IT WASN'T EVEN THAT HE DID IT TO SPITE HER.

HE SIMPLY DID WHAT HE DID WITHOUT A THOUGHT.

WHEN SHE LOOKED BACK ON HER LIFE, SHE CONSIDERED THE FOUR MISCARRIAGES SHE HAD TO BE BLESSINGS.

IF EVEN ONE OF THOSE CHILDREN HAD SURVIVED,

INÉS. PLEASE DON'T DO THIS.

IT WOULD'VE BEEN AN IRREVERSIBLE SIN.

YOU AREN'T IN YOUR RIGHT MIND.

YOU AREN'T ABLE TO THINK CLEARLY RIGHT NOW.

MY MIND HAS NEVER BEEN CLEARER.

THE FACT THAT SHE HADN'T BIRTHED A SINGLE LIVING CHILD WAS THE ONLY CONSOLATION IN HER MISERABLE LIFE.

YOU SAID NO ONE IN THE ORTEGA FAMILY HAS EVER GOTTEN DIVORCED, DIDN'T YOU?

YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU COULDN'T BE THE FIRST FAILURE IN THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.

WELL, NOW I'M GOING TO TURN YOU INTO A TRUE FAILURE.

YOU...

...WILL BE THE VERY FIRST PRINCE TO MAKE HIS WIFE COMMIT SUICIDE.

I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF...

...BECAUSE LIVING WITH YOU DISGUSTS ME.

I CAN'T SPEND ANOTHER MINUTE,

NO, NOT EVEN ONE MORE SECOND,

WITH SOMEONE LIKE YOU.

JUST LIKE THAT, SHE HAD KILLED HERSELF.

NO ONE COULD'VE COME UP WITH A MORE PEACEFUL CONCLUSION.

HER DEATH HAD NOT HARMED ANYONE,

NOT EVEN THE CROWN PRINCE WHO WAS LITTLE MORE THAN A GUTTER RAT.

THE ONLY HARM HE SUFFERED WAS AS A RESULT OF HER WILL...

...WHERE SHE REVEALED ALL THE DETAILS OF HIS FILTHY SEXUAL ESCAPADES.

SHE HADN'T EXPECTED TO RECEIVE ANY GREAT COMPENSATION.

SHE MERELY HOPED THAT IF THERE WAS A GOD, SHE WOULD BE TAKEN TO A BETTER PLACE.

AND WITH THAT, SHE CLOSED HER EYES, RESOLVED THAT IT WOULDN'T MATTER EVEN IF THAT WASN'T THE CASE.

SO WHEN SHE WOKE UP ON THE HUNTING GROUND WHERE SHE'D SPENT HER CHILDHOOD,

SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD HAPPENED.