Page 53 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

had received several stab wounds. One fell dead on the spot, and the The Duke's accomplice then strangled Ciuriaci and sent him after
other was severely wounded. the Prince. The Duke, holding a light, approached the sleeping lady
and uncovered her, admiring her unadorned beauty. Overcome with
The lady was greatly distressed to find herself alone with no one to passion, he got into bed with her. She, too sound asleep to distinguish
help or advise her. She feared the wrath of the kinsfolk and friends of between him and the Prince, allowed him to lie with her.
the two men. However, she was saved from this mortal peril by the
intercessions of the wounded man and their speedy arrival at Klarenza. But, boundless as his delight was, it didn't last long. Rising, he called
While staying at the same inn as her wounded lover, the fame of her some of his comrades, who secured the lady so she couldn't make a
great beauty quickly spread and reached the ears of the Prince of the sound, and they took her out of the palace through the same secret
Morea, who was staying there. The Prince, curious to see her, found door he had used to enter. He set her on horseback, and in dead silence,
her even more beautiful than the rumors had suggested. He fell in love they headed towards Athens. However, he didn't take her to Athens,
with her so deeply that he could think of nothing else. Learning how where she would have encountered his Duchess, as he was married.
she had arrived, he believed he could have her. The kinsfolk of the Instead, he lodged her in a beautiful villa near the city, overlooking the
wounded man, aware of the situation, sent her to the Prince, much to sea, where she lived secluded but with respectful service.
the delight of both the lady and the Prince.
The following morning, the Prince's courtiers waited for him to rise
The Prince, unable to discover her true rank, assumed she was of noble until noon. Seeing no sign of him, they opened the doors and found his
lineage and treated her with great honor, not as his mistress but as his bedroom empty. They assumed he had gone off privately to spend a few
wife. The lady, contrasting her present happy state with her past woes, days with his lady and didn't worry further. But the next day, an idiot
found comfort and her beauty flourished. Her fame spread throughout roaming the ruins where the Prince and Ciuriaci's bodies lay, dragged
the Morea, reaching the ears of the young, handsome, and gallant Ciuriaci's corpse by the halter. The corpse was soon recognized, and
Duke of Athens, a friend and kinsman of the Prince. The Duke, eager the citizens, struck with grief, discovered the Prince's body and buried
to see her, visited the Prince with a company of honorable gentlemen. it with honor. They spared no effort to trace the perpetrators of the
The Prince received the Duke with distinction and eventually introduced crime, and the Duke of Athens' absence and furtive departure made
him to the lady. The Duke, unable to converse with her due to the him a suspect.
language barrier, gazed upon her in mute admiration. He fell prey to a
passionate love, believing the Prince to be the luckiest man in the world. The citizens demanded that the Prince's brother, whom they chose as
Driven by his desire, the Duke resolved to take the lady for himself, his successor, exact vengeance. He gathered a large, powerful army to
casting aside all considerations of honor and justice. make war on the Duke of Athens. The Duke, informed of the movements,
prepared to defend himself with the help of allies, including the Emperor
He arranged with the Prince's trusted chamberlain, Ciuriaci, to prepare of Constantinople's son, Constantine, and nephew, Manuel. The two
for a sudden departure. One night, the Duke and a comrade, both young men were honorably received by the Duke and the Duchess,
armed, were secretly admitted into the Prince's chamber by Ciuriaci. Constantine's sister.
The Prince, standing at an open window to enjoy the breeze, was caught
off guard. The Duke swiftly ran him through with a sword and threw him As war grew imminent, the Duchess called Constantine and Manuel into
out of the window. The Prince's body fell unnoticed into the sea below. her private chamber, tearfully explaining the situation and the indignity
she suffered if the Duke kept a mistress. The young men consoled her

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The Decameron