Blessed Ruler

A spin on Beauty and the Beast, not a children's version though. Also, I apologize for the length.

It was spring when we began the trip to our new lives.  Leaving the big city behind was not a hard thing for me to do, although Garnet and Sapphire thought differently.  The three of us were triplets.  My mother, who died giving birth to us, named us after jewels because she thought we would be brilliant little darlings, shimmering gems among the world’s dirty rabble.

Garnet had been named for her deep, dark brown eyes and auburn hair that had a reddish tint, Sapphire for her large blue eyes and bright, curly, golden hair.  They were both very dainty and elegant, had perfectly manicured hands and nails, and could sing and dance with no error whatsoever.  I was named Jade for my deep green eyes and jet black hair.  My beauty and grace were comparable to my sisters’.  Yet, I was born with something my sisters weren’t.  That was intelligence and common sense.  They were both completely incompetent and could do nearly nothing for themselves, while I had taught myself how to read, write, and deal with numbers.

We had to leave the city because my father had been a gambler and lost all our wealth.  He had managed to hold onto a little from selling our gigantic, flashy mansion, which I hated, and all the possessions within.  We departed with nothing but two horses, the clothes on our backs (which happened to be elegant ball gowns paired with fine slippers for my sisters), and some spending money.  Luckily I’d been able to sneak one of my books out of the house.  I’d loved reading and learning; I had a natural curiosity for anything really.  I’d decided to take a book about plants, thinking that we could grow a garden when we move.  

Our new home had been owned by a man with whom Father was still on good terms.  He sold it to us for a very low price and also gave us the horses we rode there.  It was decided that Father would return to the city and retrieve the rest of the money owed to us as well as return one horse.  The house was supposed to be a decent size, with one large room on the main floor, two rooms on the second floor, and an attic.  It bordered the forest, and this had something to do with its suspiciously low price.  The town was a fair distance from the city, and the trip took a while, given Sapphire’s complaints about foot pain and Garnet’s about saddle sores.        

Finally, though, we made it to the town by midsummer.  Or village I should say.  It was a sleepy little place.  The center of it was a well surrounded by a few shops and buildings.  Further back off the road were houses, though not very many.  Beyond the houses were fields of crops and animals.  But our home wasn’t in the village.  It was past the fields and even off the main road.  We followed a dirt track for a while until we came upon a little house with a forest to the back.

“Well, girls, here we are.  Welcome to your new home,” announced Father brightly.

We dismounted, Sapphire and Garnet not so gracefully in their voluptuous skirts, and walked to the front door.  Father turned the doorknob, and we saw our new house for the first time.

            The house was very small.  There was a large stone fireplace straight ahead with a cauldron sitting above it, two rocking chairs off to the side, a wood pile stacked along the right wall, a table and chairs to the left, and cupboards along the left wall for storage.  Also to the left was a staircase that led upwards into darkness.  The whole house was a light oak, the floor, walls, furniture.

            “This is it.  This is where we’re being forced to live?” asked Garnet in a state of shock. 

            “But where are the servants?” wailed Sapphire.

            “I like it.  It’s very quaint,” I stated.  “And, it’s so small we won’t even need servants!”

            “Yes, this is our life now, so you best make what you can out of it,” Father declared.

            Sapphire and Garnet dejectedly dropped their bags on the floor and plopped down into the rocking chairs, their fluffy skirts puffing up over the arms of the rocker.  It looked like the dresses were trying to swallow them.  I couldn’t suppress my laughter, and Garnet glared at me.

            “I’m going to check out upstairs.  Would anyone care to come with me?”  I asked.

            Garnet and Sapphire stared at me with mouths agape while Father replied, “No, darling, I’m going to try and get things settled down here first.”

            I readjusted my bag of clothes so it was more comfortable over my shoulder as I ambled up the staircase.  The banister was old and dusty but solid.  The stairs did not creak at all.  They exited onto a narrow hallway which led down to the other end of the house where there was an even narrower and dustier looking staircase, probably leading to the attic.  Off this hallway were two doors, each leading to bedrooms of identical size.

            I walked to the second staircase, and I could see a light coming from the top.  This staircase creaked.  It appeared no one had used it for ages.  The attic was all open, no hallway, just one large, long room.  The walls and ceiling sloped inward to conform to the shape of the roof, but it was very bright, as there were windows in the eaves.  I hadn’t even noticed them from outside, but I realized they looked out onto the forest, the back of the house.  The windows in the bedrooms on the second floor were on the front of the house. 

            The attic had a mattress lying on the ground, a cushioned chair off to the side, and a shelf.  I guess that’s where my lone book would be going.  Something seemed wrong in this room though.  It was much smaller than it should be.  The rest of the house went off to one side more.  I walked over to the mysterious wall.  It seemed bare, but I moved my hands over the surface, looking for something to grab on to.  I could feel a crack in the wall, and I followed it up, down, and where it turned.  There was definitely a door here, though not a very large one, but there was no handle, no knob, not even a hollow in which I could hook my fingers.  I decided to try to open it from the bottom where I could possibly get my fingers under it.  Unfortunately this door was built to be almost seamless and to look as if it was part of the wall.  If I wanted to see what’s behind, I’d have to pry it open with something else.

            I unpacked my bag while thinking about this strange new house.  If there’s one secret room, who knows what other secrets these walls could contain.  This village itself seemed dull enough, but something feels different about this place in general.  It’s almost so quiet that it must be hiding a crazy secret.

            I was interrupted by the sound of my father climbing up the staircase.

            “I see you’ve claimed your room.  I suppose you’re lucky, getting away from your sisters.  I’ll be the one having to deal with them,” muttered Father.  I couldn’t help laughing.  “I’m glad at least one of my children isn’t chiding me for losing nearly everything.  I know it was a dumb thing to do, but I just couldn’t help myself.  Anyway, we’re going to have a nice life for ourselves here.”   

            “I agree.  We’ll make do with what we have.” 

“We should go into the village and buy some food for the family.”

            “I’ll go with you.”

            “Alright, darling,” Father said as he walked to the door.  He doubled back when he noticed the book on the shelf that I had chosen to bring with me.  “Why did you choose this book?” he asked curiously.

            “Oh, I thought it would be the most helpful.  I was wondering if we could perhaps buy some seeds and grow a garden.  I would take care of it all, I promise.  We could plant it right-,” I pondered for a second and then pointed out the window, “Right there!”

            “Whatever you’d like, Jade, whatever you’d like.”

*

Life in our new village was very basic, but I had more fun than I ever did at our old house.  I bought my seeds and planted my garden in the back, growing fruit, vegetables, and spices.  Father spoiled me because he knew a garden would add to the variety of food we ate.  It kept me busy all the time, weeding and watering and gathering.  Father had also bought me tools to keep the garden tidy and neat.

            One afternoon when I was tending to my plot, it dawned on me that a garden hoe would likely be thin enough to fit under or along the side of the secret door in my room.  Wiping my boots on the grass, I grabbed the hoe and ran to the house.  I slammed the door behind me and received glares from Sapphire and Garnet who were knitting.  Tripping over my own feet as I stumbled up the stairs almost caused an accident, but I made it to the attic unscathed. 

My room was bright with late afternoon light, but I did not slow down, instead dashing to the wall and rubbing my hands up and down, looking for the narrow gap.  I found it and followed it to the floor, shoving the blade into the opening and putting all my weight on the handle.  The door creaked as I jumped and pushed down on the tool.  Finally, in a burst of dust and a fit of coughing on my part, the door came free and flew out of place.  Well that explained why there were no hinges; it was fitted into place and then left as is.  The little space must have been untouched for quite a while to have accumulated so much grime.  I ran downstairs to grab a lantern while the dust settled. 

Father was cooking supper, and my sisters were still knitting beside the fireplace.  They glanced up at me as I pounded down the stairs.

“What in the world could you possibly be doing up there that is making so much noise?”  Garnet asked cheekily.

“Yes and why did you bring the garden hoe up there?  And what are you lighting that lantern for?”  Sapphire asked briskly.

“Listen.  I don’t have time to talk at the moment, but I will be back down soon, so you’ll have to wait until then,” I answered.  The excitement to see what I’d uncovered was bubbling up inside me, and I could barely speak, let alone stop and explain anything.  I ran back upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.  I could barely feel the floor beneath me as I skidded to a halt in front of the secret entrance.  I knelt down to fit through the waist-high door and crawled in.

The lantern flooded the small space with light, and my eyes drank it in eagerly.  The room appeared empty except for two items sitting on the ground.  I picked them both up and brought them into my room.  One was a beautiful leather-bound book; I couldn’t read the cover for all the years of dust, so I blew it off.  There was gold script across the front, reading Beauty.  Along with it was a rose, the size of which I had never seen before.  But with its size came its incredibly preserved look.  It was a deep crimson red and looked as though it was plucked from a garden no more than an hour ago.  I also found it puzzling that none of the petals had wilted in its long imprisonment or with my handling of it. 

I placed the rose gently on my mattress and picked the book up again.  Undoing the clasp that held it shut, I lifted the cover carefully.  I could tell the binding was falling apart, and I had to be cautious when I opened it.  The pages were yellowed with age but were a thick type of paper that felt fairly durable.  I had expected a novel but instead found a handwritten and dated page.  It was a journal that must have been written by whoever once lived here. 

I flipped to the first page and read:

 

First week in the new house, autumn.

            This village is strange to say the least.  Everyone is very quiet and avoids my family and me.  I know they talk; they gossip amongst themselves.  I wish I could learn to like it here, but I don’t think I will.  It’s too different, and I am too much of an outsider to understand.  The only joy I find in this house is our proximity to the forest.  Something calls to me in those woods, and I can feel it deep within me.  I chose to room in the attic because its windows overlook the forest.  At night I have a recurring dream of a castle in those woods, perched in the middle of a valley and surrounded by trees.  I know I am utterly filled with grief, but I know not for what.  It is always at this point where I awaken and am held in a dark grip of fear. 

 

I was immediately captivated by this story.  It sounded so familiar to my own life these past several weeks, minus the dream, that I couldn’t help but feel a connection to this person.  I turned to the next page of the journal, unable to stop reading.

 

Second week of our new life, autumn.

            After a week of living with my family in what was practically isolation, I have made a friend in the village.  Her name is Audrey, and she is the only person, so far, who will talk to me.  We met in an odd situation.  I had been at the market bartering for vegetables, and the seller was refusing to come down.  When he sold another woman the same thing for less than he was offering me, Audrey stepped forward and chided him.  He then sold me what I had wanted for half price.  Our friendship continued from that moment on.  My family is still talked about, but we are no longer outcasts.  Yet there is most definitely something odd about this place.  Just yesterday I heard our neighbors talking about “the beast.”  When I asked Audrey about this, she told me a story the villagers had passed down through the generations.  It started when this village had been ruled by a king.  The rule had been fair until a prince took the throne as a young man after the death of his parents.  He had been their pride and joy; not only was he intelligent, but he was also very beautiful.  At first his rule was filled with prosperity, but, as the years passed, he changed.  He became cruel, taxing the villagers so he could afford his every whim.  But the worst was the festival that he held each year.  All citizens were forced to go to the royal palace where they brought offerings of food, money, crafts, and luxury items.  The prince would take these gifts and usually others as well; in his vanity, he believed he should be doted upon and given only the best.  If he saw a woman he believed was as beautiful as he himself was, he forced her to stay with him.  Often he would take several at once, and the families would be devastated.  The women that remained with him were banned from outside contact, from ever seeing their loved ones again.  One year, the festival was filled with especially beautiful women, and the prince spoiled himself.  But he did not know that one woman was a witch.  When she was forced to leave her family and stay with the prince, she cast a terrible curse on him.  He was turned into a hideous beast, and every woman he had claimed was turned into a spirit that haunted his waking life.  Audrey told me she did not believe a bit of it, but she admitted there was something spooky about the forest.  I have already told myself I shall find this castle in the woods and search for this mystical beast.  My boring new life needs a little adventure.

 

The story amazed me.  A cursed creature living in these very woods is unbelievable.

“Jade, dinner!” yelled Father from below, calling me back to reality.

            I realized I was starving, closed the journal, and gently placed it and the rose on my shelf next to my plant book.  I told myself to remember to look up roses later on. 

            I entered the first floor with a smile, and it grew even bigger as I saw the looks on my sisters’ faces.  They were enough to almost make me giggle.

            “What’s your problem?”  I asked Garnet.

            “Oh, wouldn’t you like to know.  While the rest of us were working, you were upstairs making enough of a ruckus for the whole village to hear!  What could you have possibly been doing up there?” she retorted angrily.

            “Well if you’re going to be nasty about it, I may not even want to tell you!”  I shouted back; this is where the screaming match would begin.

            “Oh now, really?  I should just go upstairs and find out myself what you were doing.”

            “Girls!  Stop it right this instant!  I will not have this senseless bickering in my house.  Garnet, sit down!”  Father yelled as he yanked Garnet back into her seat.  “Now, my dear, you may tell us what you’ve been doing this afternoon.”

            I told them to wait while I ran upstairs and retrieved my treasures.  When I came back down, Father uttered a gasp at the sight of the rose while my sisters stared indifferently.  I told them what I had done.

            “You found this rose in the secret room?”  Father asked, bewildered.

            “Yes I did and this journal left by someone who lived here.  The story is- bizarre.  But the rose is the most amazing.  The cloud of dust that emerged when I opened the door should be proof enough that the book and flower are very old.  I found it sitting on the ground on top of the book.  It’s inexplicable how it’s managed to stay in such perfect condition all these years.”

            “Unless it’s not a real rose,” muttered Garnet.

            “Garnet, look at that flower and tell me it’s not real,” I snapped, angry that she would doubt my discovery.

            She snatched the rose out of Father’s hands and glimpsed at it.  I saw a devious look pass over her face as she held the rose by its petals and ripped it to shreds.

            “No!”  I screamed in anguish.  “What is wrong with you?”

            “It was an accident, I swear,” she said guiltlessly.

            “Garnet, I know as well as you or Jade that you did that on purpose.  I am so vexed by your spitefulness towards everyone and everything.  I’m sure it’s all stemming from this move, but this is our life now, and you have to put up with it just as I have to put up with you!” scolded Father.

            Garnet stared at him with a look of blazing fury, stood up, and stomped out the door.  We looked on, openmouthed, Sapphire on the verge of tears.  Father was the first to get up and shut the door that Garnet had refrained from slamming shut.

            “Maybe she’ll go out and do something useful with herself now,” he uttered, rubbing his temples in exasperation,  “but that would be a miracle.  Now Jade, darling, what have you read from this journal you uncovered?”

            “Oh, Father, it’s so very interesting!  You can read it,” I told him as I opened it, turning the book so he and Sapphire could both look.  Father ended up reading it aloud since Sapphire was stumbling over the first sentence.

            “Well that is quite a story,” he announced when he finished.

            “Do you think the beast is ugly?” asked Sapphire.  “I would feel bad for him.  Going from magnificent to ugly would not be an easy thing.”

            “Well it does say he was transformed into a hideous beast.  Anyway, I think that was the point Sapphire.  The woman made him ugly in order to pay for his wickedness.  He was too vain for his own good, so she taught him a lesson.”

            “Jade is right Sapphire.  Beauty is not always a good thing.”

            “That’s what you think,” snorted Sapphire as she finished serving everyone with food.

            If only they weren’t so easy to fight.

* 

It was the morning Father was supposed to leave for the city.  I wouldn’t say it was sad, but it was definitely solemn.  None of us knew exactly how much money would be coming home.  Not to mention it was late autumn, and the early winter blizzards were famous here.

            “Be safe Father.  Don’t make any foolish decisions like travelling in a storm.  It’s okay if you need to stay in the city longer.  No need to hurry back,” I reminded him.

            “Yes child, I know.  I love you all and will be careful, I promise.  Be responsible and act like the adults you are.  Good bye now,” he stated from his perch atop the horse’s back.  The two animals began shying in impatience, so he flicked the reins, looking back for a final wave.

            “Look,” I said as soon as he was out of sight.  “This is going to be a long few months if we’re bickering.  I’ll try not to bother you if you promise to stay out of my way.”

            Sapphire and Garnet glanced at each other and walked away.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

 *

The months without Father passed quickly.  Sapphire and Garnet barely even saw me.  It didn’t hurt that Garnet worked now.  She helped at a neighboring farm, taking care of the cows.  She was paid in dairy products, so we always had fresh cream and butter and cheese.  Sapphire stayed home, however.  We often avoided each other since we were doing very different things.

            Not only did I go to the market every week, but I was also in the rush of getting in the last of the fall crop before the first freeze hit.  I had to go about the task of canning and drying, in order to preserve all our fresh produce for the next few months.  Without my garden, we might have starved.  Father thought it was a great investment so, besides my normal work, I had the duty of fencing the garden to prevent the rabbits and deer from feasting.  Luckily there was no early frost, and the autumn temperatures were moderate, making for good working and growing conditions.

            Sapphire generally took care of the inside work.  So while she was indoors keeping the house in one piece for the day, I would be outside struggling and sweating, attempting to keep our family nourished through winter.  The pressure on me was very high.  As it got cooler, I began to feel nervous that our stores weren’t going to last; three mouths were a lot to feed, not to mention that no one knew when Father would arrive home.

            The winter was as mild as the autumn.  No severe blizzards hit us, though the city was being pelted with snow.  We prayed Father was alright; we were answered in the early spring when we spotted him on his horse, healthier than the day he departed.  We’d been left more money than expected, so Father bought us gifts.  For Sapphire and Garnet came a dress each, complete with slippers and ribbons.  For me there was a rose, looking the worse for wear from the trip home, and a packet of seeds.  Father told me I had to plant them and find out what they’d be.  I had already made my predictions when I planted them in a sunny corner of the house.

            Now that Father was home and settled, our routine returned to normal, and I was working in the garden as usual.  After planting the mystery seeds, I watered and weeded that patch like it was all I had.  When the first mysterious sprout emerged from the ground, I went screaming into the house excitedly, yelling to anyone who would listen.

            Over the time my plant took to grow, I was catching up on some reading.  The journal was mostly about her daily life, the village, her family.  She revealed that her name was Fayre.  She lived with her father and mother as well as a brother.  He was younger than Fayre and her best friend.  His name was Drury, and he was very mysterious.  Even though she talked about him many times, I felt like I had no idea whom he was.  There seemed to be an air of distance surrounding him, and, without personally knowing him, there was no way you were going to get to know him.  He was one of the reasons the villagers avoided the family when they first moved; they thought there was something very wrong with him.

            Fayre and Drury had a deep connection.  They were more than siblings and friends; they spent all the time they could together.  Fayre stated once that the move to this new place had only strengthened their tie to each other; in their hometown they were never this close.  She thought it was a matter of Drury being afraid of and lost in this strange, new place.  She was the only one there to be with and comfort him, so naturally they gravitated towards each other.

            Her account changed about halfway through.  Fayre had been fighting with her parents over Drury, and the two siblings decided to flee into the woods together.  I read over the writing with a knot in my chest as if I knew what was going to happen.

           

            The day we fled from our home, winter.

Drury and I were trapped in a corner, and we had nowhere else to turn.  Escaping was our only option, so we absconded after I said farewell to Audrey.  She had warned us not to enter the woods, but we were aware that no one would follow us into the long-haunted forest.  Upon our departure, Drury had second thoughts, but I convinced him this was our only choice.  We wandered for a time through the forest, following our own path carved out through the trees, bushes, and brush.  This forest was strangely silent.  There was no bird song and only twice did we hear any creatures other than ourselves.  Eventually we stumbled upon a real path.  It was packed dirt and did not look very well-travelled.  Obviously someone was tending it, though, because it was cleared of overgrown vegetation.  We made a rash decision to follow this new path, rather than continuing on through the trees.  At the end of this strange trail was something neither of us had completely expected.  It was the castle from my dream the first week of our new life in the village.  I told this to Drury, and he suggested we go inside.  I had a feeling that this was also the castle in the village legends of the king-turned-beast, but this I did not tell to my brother.  We walked in cautiously as the front gate opened slowly on its own.          

           

            I flipped to the next page expecting the rest of the story, but it wasn’t there.  The journal was blank after this page, having already carefully scanned through the remaining ones.  It made me wonder what had happened that Fayre hadn’t finished writing.  But this did make me decide one thing.  Tomorrow, as soon as I woke up, I would go on a search through the woods for the day and see what I could find.

*

            I woke up at dawn and quickly filled a pack with a loaf of bread, a piece of cheese, some fruit, and a flask of water.  I didn’t know how long this trip would take, but I hoped I would arrive home again before dinner.  As I left the house, I took a quick glance at my plant.  It would blossom soon enough.  There were minuscule buds forming, and my heart fluttered knowing that my hard work was going to pay off in no time. 

            I had not told my family where I was going.  I had said I’d be out today and not to worry.  I hadn’t wanted them to wish to come with me.  This was my adventure and mine alone.  I hadn’t completely forgiven Garnet for ripping up my rose; since then I’ve been hoping to explore the forest, but I hadn’t had a good excuse to skip a day of work until now.  That journal was one of the best things I could have found here.

            The spring morning was chilly, but, thankfully, I was wearing a warm cloak.  The wind blew and played with my loose hair.  The light filtered in through the leaves as I set a brisk pace headed who knows where.  I wasn’t thinking of where I was walking; I was just wandering through the maze of trees, which probably wasn’t my best idea, considering this was my first venture into the woods.  Getting lost was the last thing on my mind, though.  The branches and fallen leaves crunched under my heavy boots, and I heard the trill of birdsong, the playful jumping of squirrels.  I decided that now would be a good time to break for a morning snack, halting because my fast walking barred me from thoroughly enjoying the landscape.  I had thought to stop near a bubbly creek, so I could refill my flask.

            When I finished my quick meal, I lied down on the ground and watched the clouds float by amidst the foliage.  Little did I know that the combination of the warmth of the sun and the calming sight would lead me to fall asleep.

 *

            I awoke many hours later near dusk.  Jumping up, shocked, I looked around in confusion.  Had I really slept that long?  I quickly put away my flask of water and slung the pack over my shoulder, hurriedly beginning to walk towards where I believed I had started from.  The birds were no longer twittering in the trees and everything was silent except my loud footsteps.  The woods felt spooky, and the trees were no longer noiseless sentinels, rather looming shadows.  I soon came upon a path.  Had I walked on a path this morning?  I asked myself.  I couldn’t remember in my nervous fear.  But paths lead to places, so I chose to follow it.

            It was getting much darker when the trees began to thin out.  All of a sudden, the path came to an end, yet it led to something.  Not what I had expected in the least.  I looked at the gates towering over me, the castle beyond shooting up towards the sky, appearing to nearly touch the clouds.  My jaw dropped, and my mind went blank.  What nightmare had I wandered into?

            Slowly the entrance opened, but who opened it, I could not tell.  I prayed it was just the wind.  I hesitantly thought about what would happen if I went inside.  I knew there was a chance someone lived there who could help me find my way home.  I was also starving since I’d only packed for a light snack for breakfast and a quick lunch.  But at the same time I just couldn’t imagine what ghosts might be lurking in this ancient palace. 

            My feet carried me over the threshold as I tried to focus my mind on something other than fear.  As soon as I entered, the gate slammed shut behind me, rattled in its lock, and caused me to jump in fear.  My nerves were on end from the fright.

            The trek to the building was one that seemed to go on for much longer than it should have.  Whether it was from the thought of the evil creature that could be lurking in the shadows or something entirely different, I wasn’t quite sure.  As I approached the giant doors, they too opened for me of their own accord.  They were huge wooden doors, at least half a foot thick, that no wind of any strength could possibly open.  A shiver ran down my spine when I thought of what I had gotten myself into.  My steps echoed strangely in the tall, open foyer I had entered.  My boots clicked on the smooth tile floors, and the beautifully carved ceiling was the perfect soundboard to deflect my noise back.  I shied away from the loud disruptions, suddenly halting. 

            It was at this point that I realized how extremely silent this hall was.  It wasn’t a natural silence like when you’re in the forest: at least there, you can hear the wind or the rustle of leaves or an occasional twig snapping.  But not here, in this supposedly enchanted palace.  The years had seemed to take no effect on the beauty; however, underneath it was something artificial.

I decided to try to ignore the muteness that this palace harbored by looking around.  Off this hall were many doors, leading to places of which I’m sure I could only dream.  If I continued to walk forward, there was a huge staircase that had two separate sides, meeting together at the second floor.  Above was an enormous chandelier that flooded the room with a soft yellow glow, although it seemed unnatural and cold. 

            Choosing which way to go, I got up and walked towards the door closest to me.  When I entered, I was greeted by the sight of a large table, a fireplace the size of my own house, and a large, high-backed stuffed chair that faced the fire.  It wasn’t until I walked in further that I realized there was something very large and wide sitting in the chair, casting a shadow that reached halfway across the room.  Slowly, it rose from its seat and turned to face me.

            I was stunned by the sheer size of the animal staring at me.  My brain refused to process anything but shock and utter dread.  I didn’t know what to do; it was too late to run, and even if I did, this enormous monster would soon catch me.  But the logical part of my mind returned from its retreat elsewhere and encouraged me to say something of use to the creature.

            “Um, I- I apologize for intruding, s-sir.  My- my name is Jade.  I was walking in the forest when I became lost.  I, uh, hadn’t planning on being out in the dark, but unfortunately, I did not find my way home in time.  I was hoping that maybe someone would be here that could shelter me for the night,” I said, starting out haltingly but then turning my story into a speedy babble.  He (I assumed it was the male beast spoken of in Fayre’s journal) tilted his head and looked at me, my face illuminated by the light of the fire.

            “You are so much like her,” he uttered in a sonorous rumble.

            “I- I’m sorry?” I asked, unsure of what he had said.

“I have been waiting for you.”

            I puzzled over his statement for a moment.  Questions rattled around in my head until he spoke again, and I realized I was being extremely rude.

            “I am sure you are wondering how I knew of you before you arrived.  The rose you found; it was mine.  I gave it to someone long ago as a final farewell, and you have now found it.  But I sensed also that it is no longer whole.  Something has happened to it, yes?”

            “Oh yes, I did find your flower, and it was beautiful.  But my awful sister tore it to pieces in one of her malicious fits, and it was destroyed.  I apologize.  I’m sure it meant something.”

            “Yes it did,” he briefly sighed near a whisper.  The look in his eyes was one of loss, and I realized there was nothing to fear of this giant.  “I suppose you would like a place to sleep, yes?”

            “I would appreciate it greatly, sir.”

            “Yes.  Follow me Fayre,” he commanded, brushing past me and leading me up the staircase.

            “I’m sorry, my name is Jade.”

            “Yes, that is what I said,” he replied.  I didn’t want to argue with him so I did not answer.

            He showed me to a bedroom with a bed already made up.  After the long day I’d had, sleep was the very first thing on my list of priorities, and I quickly fell into a deep slumber, not awakening even once in the night.

 *

            When I roused the next morning, sunlight was streaming through an enormous window, beaming directly on my sprawled body.  Where was I?  I bolted upright, confused and disoriented by the extravagant blankets I was lying under.  What had happened to me that I was in this strange place?  I went to heave myself off the bed when I saw what I was wearing, and I remembered.  I was in the palace of the beast.  Obviously yesterday was not a dream; everything that had happened to me was true.

            I wasn’t sure if I should be calm or terrified.  This beast was kind enough, or at least he seemed to be, but I may have fallen right into his trap.  Maybe he takes in lost wanderers and eats them after he fattens them up.  What if I was trapped here, and he never let me go home?  The more I thought about this, the more I realized I needed to leave as soon as possible.  I was probably just scaring myself, but I didn’t want to risk it.

            Before I braved the rest of the castle, I was curious enough to explore my own room.  I vaguely remembered entering with a bed already made up.  The furniture was dust free, and everything was neat and tidy, as if the Beast truly was waiting for me to arrive.  Anyways, the room was huge, bigger than any of the rooms in our house in the city even.  My bed was so large that you could have fit my father, my sisters, and me and still had room for a few more people.  The bedding was a deep purple with gold woven throughout.  There was an armoire.  Inside were dresses, elegant gowns that my sisters would die to own.  They were bedecked with jewels, gold, it seemed as if no frill was spared.  There were drawers filled with necklaces, bracelets, earrings, with jewels the sizes of small rocks.  But in the last drawer was a page with familiar writing scrawled on it.  I reached in to grab it, and the paper was the same as the kind in Fayre’s journal.  I sat down to read in an armchair placed next to a small table beside the bed.  

           

            Day Drury left

Drury did the unthinkable today; he departed from the Beast’s palace, and I remained.  I couldn’t go with him after what he’d said to my dear friend.  I know he was only trying to look out for me, but there was no call for his rude behavior.  The Beast was more than kind when he took us in; his personality had been revealed to us over the past few weeks.  He is gentle and loving, and I know he would never hurt even a fly.  Just the other day, the Beast and I were walking in the garden when he plucked me a dying rose.  He told me to close my eyes while he placed the flower in my hands.  When I opened my eyes again, I saw that the rose was alive and vibrant, a deep red.  I asked him how he did it, and he replied that I did it.  I was always brimming with love and happiness, and it coursed into the flower, with a bit of his help, transforming it into something beautiful.  Unfortunately Drury did not see the Beast in the same way I did.  He thought he was an evil monster with no goodness.  He thought he hadn’t changed at all from the horrid prince he had once been.  But I know that the Beast regretted his past and would do anything to make up for his wrongdoings.  This is why I couldn’t go with Drury.  My choice is tearing my heart in two, but right now, the Beast needs me more.  Besides, Drury will soon realize the error in his behavior and come join us again.  I know he won’t stay away for long.

 

            The continuation of Fayre’s story wasn’t something I expected to find in this nearly deserted castle.  The rose she talks about must be the one I found with the journal.  No flower, unless it was magic, could survive that long.  The picture of the Beast that Fayre paints does not surprise me, although it has changed my thoughts about leaving today.  Maybe I will stay a little while longer, if only to explore and learn more about Fayre.

            I forgot which way down the hallway would take me to the grand staircase, so I chose to go right first.  I walked over a deep crimson carpet that muffled the footsteps of my boots.  The walls were decorated in wood and gold and paintings of people and scenes.  They were elegant and colorful, and the light of the windows brightened the hallway.  The corridor soon darkened though; the line of windows abruptly ended, and the lighting converted to candles.  I had already guessed this wasn’t the way to the staircase, but curiosity got the best of me.  Exploring this new place was worth the extra time it would take. 

            The hallway finally ended at a huge set of double doors.  They were very majestic looking and intricately etched.  The doors were flanked by huge lanterns that illuminated the carvings.  It appeared to be a story in four parts.  The first looked like the Beast and a young girl, who was holding a rose in her hands.  The Beast’s face had a look of intense adoration and love, and the girl’s was a look of pure joy and innocence.  I guessed that the girl was Fayre.  In the second carving, there again was the Beast and Fayre and now a boy, as well.  This, I assumed, was Drury.  In this picture, the Beast was kneeling at the gate of his palace, his arm reaching just beyond the entrance.  Drury and Fayre were on the other side of it, and Drury seemed to be pulling Fayre away.  She was stretching back towards the Beast and held the rose in her hand.  The look on both their faces was of despair and anguish, as their fingers just missed each other’s.  The pain was almost tangible; the sadness touched my heart.  My eyes slowly found their way to the third etching.  This one contained both Fayre and the Beast again, but they were split apart by a line down the middle.  Fayre was sitting at a table with her head in her hands, and the rose lay on the table in front of her.  The Beast was depicted prone where he had been kneeling in the last picture, by the gates of the palace.  His eyes were closed, and a large tear trickled down his face.  I had the urge to reach out and wipe it away.

            Before I could examine the fourth carving, the doors flew open, and I jumped back in surprise.  The Beast stood before me, looming over.

            “I- I’m so sorry.  I must have taken a wrong turn when I was looking for the staircase.”

            “Yes, I will take you downstairs now,” he replied.

            He swept his cape around his body, and the candles flanking the doors flickered out.  I heard his footsteps padding along the carpet ahead of me, and I hurried to catch up to him.  I nearly ran into his back when I reached him, my sight hindered by the darkness.  Eventually we found the part of the hallway that was lit by windows and proceeded to walk to the grand staircase, after passing my room.  He brought me down to a spacious room with a long table, and inside a large breakfast was set out.

            “There is food,” the Beast uttered.  He seemed smaller now than by the carved doors.

            “Oh, thank you, sir.  I am very hungry.”

            I sat down at the table and began to eat, the Beast leaving without a word.  I was able to reflect in the silence; the more I thought, the more I wished to stay here longer.  This castle was so mysterious and interesting, and there was still much to discover.  The Beast truly was harmless: there wasn’t any possibility that he wanted to hurt me, so what were a few more days in the palace? 

            The Beast seemed to know when I finished eating and reentered just as I was done.  He stood at the doorway for a moment, with a look of sadness just like the one in the carving; however, it passed in a split second, and again he was the same mysterious and stoic Beast as usual. 

            “You are full?” he inquired.

            “Yes, thank you very much.  I- I don’t mean to intrude, but I was, uh, wondering if perhaps you could permit me to stay here for a little while longer?  I’m just- curious, and your home fascinates me,” I expressed to him.  He stood for a moment, looking down.

            “Yes, of course.”

            “Oh, thank you!  I knew that when I found Fayre’s journal something exciting was bound to happen,” I admitted slightly embarrassed but enthusiastic.

            “I am glad you are elated at this.  May I ask- oh, never mind,” the Beast stopped and sighed.

            “No what is it?”  I quickly responded.  “I would like to know.”  

            “Are you- happy here?  Besides my home arousing curiosity, are you actually happy?” he answered.

            To tell the truth, I hadn’t thought about my family.  I did miss Father, and I knew he was likely having an awful time with my sisters, but I did not miss Garnet and Sapphire.  The Beast was better company than either of those pests.  Not to mention, this palace was much more exciting than our little cottage before I’d discovered the journal and Garnet ruined the rose.  I suppose I was fairly happy, no less happy than I would be if I was home.

            “Yes, I think I am.”

            “I believe you.”

            The Beast motioned for me to follow him, so I rose and walked up next to him.  He led me out the front doors and into the garden.  We were walking in silence except for the sounds of leaves and grass crunching beneath our feet.  But something had been bothering me, and I decided now would be a good time to ask it.

            “Sir,” I spoke loudly.

            “Yes?”

            “I was just wondering.  Where does the food come from that you feed to me?  Like breakfast this morning.  Did you make that yourself?”

            Something almost like a smile passed over his face.

            “No, never.  I have never cooked in my life, having been a prince in my- previous form.  And now as a beast, I don’t think I would be able to make anything edible.”

            “But then who does cook?”

            “Oh, the- spirits.  I know it sounds strange, but I’m sure you know of the curse that was put on me.”

            “Fayre’s story mentioned it.  Are they the spirits of the women you captured?”

            “Yes, the very same.  When the witch turned them into ghosts, it was to save them from bleak futures.  Most of them had forgotten their families, and they would have had nowhere to go if they’d been set free.  So they stayed and tortured me, and this they truly achieved, just in the memory of my treatment of them.  Thoughts of my horrible past still haunt me even today.  The cruelty I displayed to people who trusted me, what I had been thinking now baffles me.  But these women, or spirits I mean, they stayed and took pity on me.  Even after everything I had done to them, they wished to aid me in my survival as this creature.  I am less of a monster now than I ever was before.”

            His story had opened up an even deeper level to his personality.  It touched me, and I could tell he regretted all that had happened in his life; he realized how evil he’d been.  He seemed almost grateful that the witch had transformed him, so he could see the error in his ways.

            “But why did you act the way you did?  What prompted you?”

            “Nothing, nothing at all.  I was a prince.  I had been spoiled all my life because my parents had everything.  I believed I was entitled to it, and it was not my parents’ fault in any way.  They raised me fine, but I had an attitude that the whole world was mine for the taking.  As I grew older, and I became the ruler, the power went to my head.  I had no one to restrain me; whenever my subjects resisted my will, I would send them to prison or banish them or perform executions if I was angry enough.  My yearly festival was just a show of power, a way to demonstrate my supremacy over everyone in my domain.  I went too far, and I’ve paid the price over the years.  But I’ve also learned my lesson and an important one at that.”

            I thought about this for a moment in silence.  He sounded so sad talking about his past, but I don’t blame him.  There were so many questions I had that I knew I probably shouldn’t ask, but it was so tempting to hear everything.  I could tell he was in the mood to talk and reveal his story.

            “What was your name when you were still a human?”

            “My name?”  he whispered gently.  He waited for a moment and spoke.  “My name was Aidric.  I have not used that name though in hundreds of years.  My parents chose that name especially because of its meaning: ‘blessed ruler.’  But I failed them.”

            I felt such pity for this beast, this man being punished for his evils.  There was no joy left in his life.  Memories of his time as a prince were undoubtedly loathsome.

            “I’m sorry if I have frightened you in any way,” Aidric gently apologized.

            “No, I am not frightened at all.  I enjoy hearing your stories.  Thank you for sharing with me,” I responded.

            “It has felt good letting out some of my secrets.  I have lived alone for so long that I forgot how pleasurable company feels.  I must depart from you now, though.  Please feel free to explore my castle except the hallway you were in this morning.  You will not get lost, I may promise you that.”

            Aidric took his leave, and I was left alone.  He had told me to explore, so explore I would.  I investigated the grounds, the gardens, until dusk arrived much too soon.  The plot that the palace was built upon was huge.  The front gates were not very far from the doors of the palace, but behind the castle, the walls were so far away that they could not be seen. 

            I went back inside, exhausted, and fell into my bed with fatigue.  That was funny, I’d thought of it as my bed.  I was truly beginning to like it here.

 *

            The next morning I awoke refreshed and ready to delve into the palace and Aidric’s mind.  I had learned so much yesterday, but I needed more.  My curiosity would not be sated until my questions were answered.  I found a tray of breakfast laid out in my room, and I ate quickly, eager to look around some more.

            Today I stayed inside.  Rather than going to the right when I exited my room, I turned to the left.  There were so many rooms to explore, so many halls to walk, so many extravagances to see.  I spent the morning taking in everything, distracted by nothing.  Until I heard a roaring sound and realized it was my stomach.  It was nearly lunchtime, so I retraced my steps and found my way to the first floor. 

            I saw Aidric waiting for me.  He had a basket in his hand.

            “I thought you might come down for lunch.  I was going to take mine in the garden; would you like to come as well?” he proposed.

            “I would love to.”

            We spent our time casually chatting together about much less personal topics than yesterday.  I learned a lot about him: what he liked, what he did, his favorite places in the palace.  After we finished talking, he took me inside and showed me to one of the rooms on the second floor.  It was a room of curiosities, all the things he had been given while prince.  I didn’t know what most of them were.  There were heads of creatures, fins of fish, carvings, portraits and paintings.  There was gold and silver jewelry, coins with monarchs, and armor and dress swords.  There were much simpler, homey objects as well like knit clothing and tools.

            “You collected all of this?”

            “Yes, I demanded this entire collection in less than ten years.  I now often revisit my objects as they symbolize my greed and lust.  And my cruelty.”

 *

            The next several days went nearly the same as this.  I would wake up in the morning and explore on my own wherever I wanted.  When noontime came I’d go downstairs for lunch, and Aidric and I would walk outside.  Then, after we completed our picnic, he would show me some of his personally significant rooms in the palace.  We were becoming very good friends, and I felt like I had known him almost forever.  He smiled nearly all the time now, and I’d even gotten him to laugh two or three times.  Very rarely would the sad look pass over his face that I had seen the first couple of days I was here.  He was the closest thing to a best friend I’ve ever had.

            When I had been at the palace for a week and a half our conversation became much more personal.  I had been thinking about the doors of his bedroom with the carvings of Fayre, and I could not get her off my mind.  We’d been walking outside, and the conversation came to a hiatus.  I wasn’t sure that I wanted to ask my question, but I did anyway, murmuring gently, “Aidric?”

            “Yes?”

            “What exactly happened between you and Fayre?”

            He paused and then inquired, “You have read about her coming here?”

            “Yes, that’s what was in her journal.  I also found a page here about the rose and when her brother left.  But other than that, I don’t know anything about her.”

            “Well I suppose I should start when she arrived here.  She came in the winter, many years after I had become a beast.  By that time I no longer felt punished by this form, and I had realized my past wrongdoings.  Yet I had not had contact with humans since I had been human, and I welcomed Fayre and Drury as warmly as I could when they arrived.  At first, neither knew what to think of me.  Fayre was hesitant but saw something in me that was worth getting to know.  Drury, on the other hand, was a much different matter.  From the start he did not trust me and was very wary of what he said when I was around.  He did not want Fayre to talk to me when he was not there.

“Nonetheless, she and I became close friends, and I learned what love was, something I had never truly felt before.  We would often escape Drury’s near constant monitoring and walk in the gardens.  It was one of those days that I gave her the rose you found.  She treasured that rose, always bringing it with her anywhere she went while in the palace. 

“It was only a few days after this that Drury decided they would depart from my presence.  He had told me that Fayre only loved me because I was enchanting her with an evil spell.  He insisted they leave, but when Fayre refused he left, and she stayed.  We had only a few more weeks together before Drury returned again.  Fayre had known he would come to his senses, and she was overjoyed when he came back.

“Neither of us knew his real motive for returning.  But he left again, and this time he was not leaving without Fayre.  I remember the event so vividly in my mind, even now.  In the middle of the night, he woke her up and dragged her through the halls and chambers.  I did not hear her cries until they had exited through the main doors of the palace.  By the time I reached them, he was at the gate, and I could not leave these grounds.  Drury and Fayre were over the boundary in an instant, and there was nothing I could do to help her.  Drury held her as she struggled to run to me.  She tried to shout something, he muffled her mouth, and then he knocked her out with a rock.  I remember falling to my knees, sorrow coursed through my veins, I did not know what would happen to me.  After Drury grabbed Fayre’s rose from the ground and slung her over his back, I passed out for a long time. 

“I would have been content to die, but the spirits here had different ideas.  They came to me and woke me.  They spoke to me, telling me to be strong and live, and I did.  I fought through the next years, thinking of the immense love I had learned to feel.  Fayre had changed me for the better, this much I cannot deny.  I have never been happy since that awful day, but I am better off now than I was before I met her.  Yet I still wonder…”

I waited for Aidric to complete his thought, but it never came.  Together we had wandered to the gate, and here he dropped to his knees, much as I imagined he had the day he lost Fayre.  It reminded me so much of the carving; I wondered what the fourth picture had been.

“This was the last place I saw her until…” he murmured, glancing up at me.  “Before you arrived, I often came here and sat, hoping, praying, even, that she would return.  Immortality is something that came with this form, something of which humans only dream.  But I know this is the true curse.  That I must live on forever without her, with only her memory, is the hardest thing from day to day.  Yet I wish anyway, wish that she will appear.  If I love hard enough maybe she will come back to me.  And I still believe she will.”

Maybe that was the last picture, the reunion of Aidric and Fayre.  But a happy conclusion didn’t seem to fit.  It had to be something else.  And tomorrow I would discover what it was. 

“I think it is time we go inside now,” Aidric announced. 

“Yes, I agree,” I responded.

We walked together back to the main door.  We separated from there, Aidric ascending to the room with the carved doors, I presumed, while I explored more of the main floor.  The rooms were stunning, decorated with the finest carpets, chandeliers, carvings, furniture.  They were all beautiful, but I was so distracted by thoughts of Aidric and Fayre that I barely even noticed.

I realized my wanderings were aimless, so I went to my room after eating a meal laid out in the dining room.  I wanted to thank the spirits serving me, but it seemed too strange.

I went up to my room, and as soon as I collapsed on the bed, I fell asleep, not waking until the next morning.

* 

Something felt wrong when I opened my eyes.  It was as if a loose thread had been pulled from a skirt, and the whole thing unraveled.  I stood up, dazed and confused.  But I had a mission today and was determined to carry it out.

I smoothed out my rumpled clothing while I briskly walked down the long hallway.  As I reached the windowless section, all the lanterns were out.  I soon saw a glow at the end of the corridor and hurried to reach it.

It was not the lanterns flanking the doors as I had expected but came from inside the room, the immense double doors thrown wide open.  I slowly wandered in, worried Aidric might be angry with me.  But then I saw him lying on the floor of the room, a scrap of paper in one hand and a knife in the other.  I ran to him and saw he wasn’t breathing.  Then I saw the large gash in his chest and the steaming crimson puddle, and tears began streaming down my cheeks in rivulets. 

I picked up the piece of paper through the blur in my eyes; I rubbed them until I could read.  The note was in messy scrawl and crooked lines, I assumed the writing of the Beast.

Dear Jade,

You are the spitting image of Fayre, in beauty, courage, intelligence, everything.  I realized how I could not survive when you finally decide to leave.  Losing someone I loved once was nearly impossible for me; losing someone I still love a second time would be a fate worse than death.  My immortality has helped me in no way in the past, and living for hundreds of more years would only intensify my grief.  I feel as if the witch has taught me my lesson, and my debt has been paid.  I hope at least you will forgive me for my crimes and for your roses.

~Aidric

 

I dropped the note in disgust; he had killed himself because of me, because of my coming here and the strange coincidence that I reminded him of Fayre.  But I realized it wasn’t just a resemblance: he truly believed that I was Fayre returned to him.  I ran from that accursed palace, sprinted and did not look back.  I’d never seen what the fourth carving was, but I could guess.

            I ran through the woods, along the path, among the trees.  I did not know where I was going, yet I still found my way home.  My family’s little cottage sat there, almost too good to be true.  As I stumbled closer I saw Father, Sapphire, and Garnet in my garden staring at where I had planted the mystery seeds.  Father heard me first and motioned me over.

            I fell into his arms crying whilst he patted my head and asked where I had been, but I could not answer.  When I finally looked up, I saw that all my flowers were black, roses that had withered and died.

            “What happened?”  I hiccupped in sorrow and disbelief.

            “We don’t know, love.  Your roses had bloomed beautifully.  They have been flowering brightly for the past week or so.  But this morning we woke up and found them all dead.”

            I hope at least you will forgive me for my crimes and for your roses.           

Author's Note

Comment freely, positively or negatively.

Reviews

[DaughterNature]

Right off the bat, I want to like Jade, but the narration style feels a little rickety -- perhaps choose a different tense? Also, I want more development in the father character: his speech is a little unbelievable, and why would he have allowed 2 of the girls to grow up that way? How old are the girls? Would the characters really talk the way you've written, or do they talk the way you write? Also, Fayre's journal and Jade's thoughts sounds very similar -- are they the same person, or do they talk differently? Who is Jade telling her story to, and why? And when? I like the basic idea of the story, but too many things happen that just seem to easy or too predictable -- remember that tension brings the reader along! I can see that you love thick description, just like me; try to incorporate it into the action rather than having your speaker just list off details -- do normal people tell stories where they describe all of the furniture in the room, or only the details important to the plot they're sharing? And the conclusion feels a little strange. I think you have some great ideas, but the middle of the story felt long and drawn out, while the end happened so fast that I think I may have gotten lost. Lots to think about, I'm excited to see a revision!

[Gracie G]

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Past tense tends to be my go-to, so I'll definitely test out writing differently. In regards to the father, when I first started writing this, I had meant for it to be about 10 or 15 pages. It ended up being much longer than that (like you mentioned, I do tend to go a little overboard in my descriptions), so I had to take out the things I didn't deem important enough to stay. I had a little bit more on the father, so I may have to put that back into the story. I tend to have trouble varying voice unless the characters are really different like Aidric and Jade. I agree with you, the middle is drawn out. Definitely something I'll have to revise. Did you understand the ending, because a few of my friends didn't, and I was just wondering if it made sense. Again, thanks for the review, very constructive!

[DaughterNature]

I mean, as far as the ending goes I think the rose seeds were from Aidric, but not sure how he gave them to her before he knew her, and so the flowers died when he died, but I'm not sure what else to "get" from it unless you're trying to imply that Jade really IS Fayre?