The Dying Rose (Completed)

Chapter 17: Time Flies When You're Being Frentic

For the next week, it was all Beast could do to pry me away from the mirror, even when it came to helping him learn. He was sympathetic, once he understood why I started crying and hyperventilating.

"Belle, what's wrong?" he had asked, very concerned.

I had glared at the mirror, and then growled in frustration. Beast's eyes were huge, and I think he was frightened for my sanity.

"What is it?" he asked again, grabbing me by my shoulders and giving me a gentle shake.

And then, I said quite a few things that weren't very lady like. Things a lady shouldn't even know of. And Beast's expression of shock only got worse.

"What is the matter? I don't understand?" he said, grabbing my face between his furry paws, and forcing me to look him in the eye.

His blue grey eyes were now filled with concern, and the expression in them made me want to run sobbing into his arms.

"How could this have happened? My little sister is married to a monster!" I exclaimed, my thoughts and words a jumbled mess.

"Who did she marry?" Beast asked, his voice full of frustration and confusion.

"Henri Faure!" I exclaimed, looking at him, waiting for him to realize how terrible this was.

Realization surged across his face, and he mumbled, "Oh."

"Why would Papa let this happen? Why would Oriabelle marry that beast of a man! Oh in the name of the Realm, this can not be happening!"

I remained frantic for the rest of the week; so much so that Beast had me write Rixenda a letter. He planned to take it to her himself, but I wouldn't let him.

"What if someone saw you?" I asked, shocked that he hadn't thought about the risks of him leaving the castle.

"If it would calm you down, it would be worth it. Belle, you're scaring me. You're hysterical, and you don't even realize it. I almost regret giving you that mirror. Almost. I thought it would make you happy," he said with a sigh.

The whole castle realized that something was wrong with me. Montrell gave me a wide berth, but I always heard him tutting his tongue at my slightly disheveled appearance. I had been wearing the same dress for three days when Beast finally said something. Thea started cooking warm broths as foods, and always had an ample supply of chocolate on her tea tray.

Finally, I started to calm back down. I still checked the mirror daily, but all I saw were scenes of happiness from Oriabelle and scenes of Petronille's exhaustion. I didn't bother to check on Rixenda anymore. At least I knew she could take care of herself.

But, after that first week, things got back to normal in the castle. Although I didn't like Henri, he wasn't treating my sister poorly, from what I could tell. Beast and I were already trying to figure out how we wanted to spend this full moon; I thought he was planning a little early, but as he said, "Well, time flies when you're being frantic. And, you've been excelling at that lately, no offense."

I told him to decide, and I went back to focusing on his lesson. We had moved into economics. I thought it was pointless to learn something so boring and complicated for no reason, but Beast insisted. He wanted to learn everything he could, just in case.

I had no idea what just in case meant, but my mind was so focused on other things that I didn't think to ask.

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A few more days passed by, faster than an arrow, when I realized just how right Beast had been. Even though I was still checking the mirror daily, my days were the same as they had been before the mirror came into my possession. And for some reason, my life in the castle seemed to fly by. I mentioned it to Beast one day, and he awkwardly shrugged, as though trying to avoid my question.