Her Romanian Beast

Her Romanian Beast- Chapter Nine

Nine



    A couple of weeks passed. I’ve still helped Calista when I could. When the moon wasn’t full and at its peak. She was sad when I went missing for those three days. But I was a true beast during that time. No help to her anyways.

    Wandering through the halls of the palace, I wondered which room she was cleaning this time. she had been methodically working the rooms in order. But when I entered the one room I thought she’d be in, it was untouched and empty. Now I’m peeking into every room.

    Passing the chapel, I stumbled before I looked through the stain glass. Calista was kneeling next to the queen’s grave. A few flowers in her hand. She reached forward and placed them next to my own.

    I slipped in as quietly as I could. She never looked over so I must have done it. I used the columns to hide me from her view. I slipped from one to the other watching her.

    Her finger lightly traced the letters on the stone marker. “My mom loved roses too. Beastly told me they were your favorites. I wish I had enough money to buy some for you.” She sounded affectionate towards the queen.

    I stopped behind the closest column and placed my hands as I listened more to her. She sat with her legs tucked under her where she sat next to the stone marker. What she didn’t know was that that was really a grave marker. The old King and Queen were buried here in the chapel. It was what they had wanted. To be together within these beautiful walls.

    “I miss her. I miss her playing the cello.” My eyes went wide at that. “I miss her cooking. I miss her most of all.”

    My hands clenched around the column hearing her pain. My beast whimpered. He didn’t like it either.

    Calista laid down beside the stone marker. “I hope you don’t mind your majesty if I visit you.” She turned her head toward the stone. “You’re the closest to my mom I can get here.”

    A tear fell from her eye and she wiped it away. “She died a year ago today. The ground was coated with snow more than it is outside right now. A storm was passing through. Dad was trapped at work for a time because of it.”

    I slid against the column as I listened to her story. My beast wanted to rush over the sea and hunt those men down. I wanted to rush over to her and hold her. Tell her that I wanted to take it all away. That I was there for her if she let me.

    Movement caught my eyes and she rose from the alter. She looked one last time to the stone marker before she started to move down the center aisle. I rose swiftly as rushed over her. At least one of us should get to do something for our beauty.

    I turned her around and held her. She jumped slightly in my arms, but then wrapped her arms around my waist. She rested her cheek against my chest. My arms around her shoulders.

    “I’m sorry.” Her voice drifted up to me and I held her a little tighter.

    “I should apologize. I should have never yelled at you like I had that day. Forgive me.”

    She just nodded and she held on tighter too. My beast liked that. Liked how strong she held us. That she didn’t push us away but held on. Accepting our comfort and us for what we were even if she didn’t know the extent.

    We stayed like that for a little. I rubbed one of her shoulder blades swaying from side to side slightly. Then her foot moved and I moved too. Soon I realized we were turning with our feet moving for a waltz.

    Calista stopped moving and unwound her arms from me. I looked down at her as she moved away. Her head was down and her eyes were down on the ground. I lifted my hand and tilted her chin up to me. Her eyes followed. I frowned at how red they were.