A Deceptive Beauty

~ Chapter Two ~

Kaiden groaned when he woke up. He rubbed his eyes and blinked at his surroundings. The candle light near his eyes blinded him momentarily. He shielded away from the light and into a pillow. When he remembered the last thing that happened, he immediately stiffened and jumped up.

He frantically stared at the room he was in and realized it was his own bedroom. His sheets were rumpled and the drapes were closed. The dark room still had lights from the candles that were lit. They looked ghostly, glowing in a dark room.

His heart pounded quickly. How did he get back here? What happened when the Beast was in control?

Kaiden's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock on the bedroom door. His attention turned toward the sound. A hesitant voice called from the other side.

"Your Grace? Are you finally awake?" Kaiden recognized the quiet voice of his head maid.

Mary was one of the few maids that stayed throughout the months of terror. With her stubborn tenderness, she managed to gather the courage to stay. She was also like a surrogate mother to him. They trusted each other. He trusted her enough to tell her about the curse, even though she had scolded him for fooling with the girl in the first place.

Throughout the last two and a half months, they had both learned that the Beast wouldn't reply back to her as Mary. Kaiden needed her to know that he was back in control and that she didn't need to fear the presence of the Beast.

"Mary, how long was I out for?" he groaned. His sudden jump made him a little disoriented, so he laid back down on the bed.

A breath of relief was perfectly heard from the other side of the door. The door opened and an older woman appeared in front. Her greying hair was pulled back to make sure her hair wouldn't be in the way of her vision. Mary was holding a broom in her hand.

Kaiden bitterly wondered whether the broom was for sweeping or for protection. It was likely the latter.

"Two days. It's mid afternoon now," Mary said slowly, not wanting to break the bad news to him.

"Where did he go?" Kaiden asked. Mary knew what he meant but hesitated to start talking.

Kaiden knew it was coming anyways. He gestured for her to hurry up and get it over with. He didn't want to know the extent of the damage, but he had to if he didn't want to agonize by wondering.

"He roamed beyond the castle grounds," she sighed. That was all that needed to be said. Kaiden's fist clenched. He forcibly relaxed it before clutching his head with his hands. He felt like a pail of horror and dread washed over him.

Kaiden could tell that Mary truly worried for him. She had watched him grow up from a child into a dashing young man, and always wanted to help him out. While she did not fear Kaiden, she knew that his other side was dangerous. He knew she wanted to comfort him.

She started to sit down on the chair next to him. But as she moved closer, he flinched. Kaiden was afraid he'd hurt her. He slowly inched away, allowing a bigger gap between them. The further the distance, the more time she could run. Mary realized that and stood up once more, giving Kaiden the space he wanted.

"May I suggest something?" she asked. Kaiden looked wary, wondering what question she'd ask.

"Of course. I need all the help I can get," he said, bitterly. He couldn't even control himself. How pathetic.

Once again, Mary was hesitant, not wanting to hurt Kaiden even more. Especially with what she was going to say.

"You need a witch," she started. He needed control. If witches could cause chaos, they could also control a situation.