Sea of Dragons

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Legend has it there was a time when these giant creatures did not roam the skies of Mexicannia terrorizing people; a time where President Nick and his minions ruled freely with an iron fist and renegades were nowhere to be found. A time where men dictated the rules and women -silent and obedient- complied. A time of so-called peace when money was abundant, commerce flowed, population grew and Mexicannia seemed to be synonymous with success.

Then President Nick met Mara, an incredibly powerful and beautiful heiress from some exotic far-away land, brought especially to become his wife. As a foreigner, Mara had only been exposed to the perfectly filtered version of Mexicannia that was portrayed to the outside world, and she’d grown enamoured with the idea of it. So, she naturally jumped at President Nick’s proposal; believing her life there would be happy, peaceful, and successful. They were married soon after and Mara felt ready to become the best First Lady to the most beautiful place she’d ever heard of. Or so she thought…

What she encountered, was nothing like she’d expected. She quickly realized that the place she’d imagined, simply did not exist. The outside world believed in this made-up utopian Mexicannia just as she had, but the reality was entirely different. As the car had crossed the bridge and the ironclad gates loudly closed behind them, it was as though she had left everything she’d ever known behind. The sun. The sky. The wind. It had all changed, forever.

It felt like she had entered an entirely different world. There was a sudden darkness, a palpable moodiness and there was also a distinct smell that instantly repulsed and frightened her, something pungent she could not quite place. The buildings were concrete and volcanic rock with very thick walls, heavy doors and small windows; they were all tall and imposing, almost as giants overlooking the dirty, somber streets. The trees, plants and flowers were scarce -to say the least- and there were no parks, ponds, playgrounds or any green, open space that she could find.

And men…men were all she could see as they were driven deeper into the city towards the Presidential Residence. She’d been aware that men were the only ones in positions of power inside President Nick’s cabinet, but as they drove through the streets, she realized they apparently handled everything else as well in Mexicannia. They were the business owners, attendants and guests; there seemed to be no other women around, no matter where she looked. “Men are the only ones allowed; women are not capable” – she was told.

Women on the other hand -Mara later learned- were married off at 18 to live submissive and reclusive lives dictated by their husbands. Deprived from freedom, choice and opportunities; left to aspire to nothing more than their spouses, their households and the endless children they were expected to mother. Women were basically condemned to a life of enslavement for which they were expected to be grateful for.

“And what about the children?”- Mara asked. She’d noticed children’s voices, cries or laughter were nowhere to be heard either. “Girls stay with their mothers until they’re old enough to be married and when boys turn 10 they are taken to the Gentlemen’s Academy” – Nick answered.

Their married life began much like any other and Mara’s fears slowly dissipated with Nick’s constant reassuring and his never-ending quest to -as he put it- “spoil her rotten with presents”. It hadn’t been a single day since they’d been married that he’d not presented her with some kind of romantic gesture and Mara was soon swept away by it all. Her defenses came down and she began melting into the background of a life that Nick had provided for her.

She gracefully hosted any and all the professional and social commitments that came with her title; she patiently sat behind Nick at every one of his functions and events, seamlessly blending into the background so as to not steal his spotlight; she even laughed at his non-comical jokes and misogynistic remarks like they didn’t crush her soul one tiny bit at a time.

The years went by and as Mara failed over and over again to provide Nick with his desired heir and numerous family, their marriage began to strain. Nick turned bitter and started drinking heavily; delegating more and more of his responsibilities to his second in command, the military General Sebastien Hill. Mara withdrew and became even more a shell of herself, losing her voice and giving up on her dreams of building a better Mexicannia; with the military on the streets patrolling, things took a turn for the worse. Violence was rampant and justice seemed to be non-existent.

Then one day in the heat of a fight, a fit of rage overcame the President and he slapped her. She’d thought she’d always fight back and defend herself if it came to it but when it happened, for some reason, she froze. Unable to scream or fight back. Unable to move. But that wasn’t the scariest part. What scared her most is that as she stood there frozen, holding her cheek, she could see something had snapped inside Nick. Something had changed inside of him that had made his eyes look darker, even though they were already pitch black to begin with. She could feel it.

Mara woke up the next day, utterly dumbfounded. What was this place and this life she’d gotten herself into? How did she not know? Why had no one else warned her? How was she supposed to get used to it, when she came from a place of entirely opposite beliefs and customs, filled with freedom, opportunity and equality? What would become of her? Of her marriage to Nick? Would he hit her again? Would he expect her to continue to betray herself and submit to everything she believed was wrong with Mexicannia? She would soon find out.