The Beastly Warrior

Chapter One - Her Birthday

So the first chapter :) well, I think it's going okay but I'm still not so sure about it as I'm also still working on The Forsaken Hunter and Sarah's Misery. So bear with me as this will be slow in updating.

Please enjoy :)

Oh and if anyone can help me with covers for The Forsaken Hunter and The Beastly Warrior (as The Beastly Warrior is book 2 from The Forsaken Hunter I'd like them to be similar) please let me know :) I need some help.

Chapter One

Her Birthday

 

Brushing her hair to a smooth, wavy shine, Annabelle Deaverix - or Belle as she prefers - smiles into the mirror as she sat by her dressing table preparing for a wonderful party tonight. Today is her birthday, twenty years of her life that seemed to have flown by like nothing, and she awaits for her dear family - mostly just her old father and three brothers, her two sisters not so much - to come to her to celebrate this day with her. She inwardly sighed at the thought of her sisters. Belle is the youngest out of six children and it was because of her birth that her mother died. Her sisters blame Belle for their mothers death and are jealous as their father treats Belle as fragile as a flower. Belle could not help it. She wished every day of her life that she could have met her mother, known if the stories her brothers and her father would tell her are true. Her father tells her she is the spitting image of her mother, beautiful, soft, kind and selfless.

Belle sighed softly as a heavy knock interrupted her thoughts, she placed the brush down and stood to open the door. Belle smiled gleefully as her three older brothers stood at her bedroom doorway with gifts. Belle hugged her oldest brother, Edmond. Edmond was thirty, already ten years her senior and although her and Edmond never truly spend so much time together, they loved each other. He was always there for her and protected her when she needed him to. He kissed her upon the forehead and then passed her a small pink box and a bigger pink box. She opened the big box first and gasped. A pearl necklace rested on red velvet, Belle smiled at Edmond happily. "Oh, Eddy! It's beautiful!" Belle gleamed as she placed the box with the necklace down delicately and have her brother another hug.

"Open the small one," Edmond said as he smiled proudly at his baby sister.

She opened the lid and smiled. Pearl earrings to match. "Eddy, thank you." She placed the earrings next to the necklace as Edmond moved out of the way for her middle brother, Theodor. Theodor was twenty-seven and though there is not much age gap between the two, he always gave her trouble as children. Pulling her hair and hiding her toys, Theodor was always making sure she knew she was the baby of the family. However, through all the trouble he has caused, never has he turned away from her when she needed him. Especially when her sisters would tease her, Theodor would always pull through. Even if it were to be her one and only troublemaker! Theodor grumbled a 'happy birthday, brat' of some sort and shoved a hard gift at her, covered in a purple cloth. When she unravelled the cloth she gasped and hugged her brother tightly. "Oh Teddy! Thank you! I knew you would remember!" In her hands was Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in a novel, her favourite play writer! Theodor briefly hugged her back before shrugging her off and blushing as he have her a kiss upon the cheek before leaving. Belle smiled after him as the youngest of her older brothers stepped forward. Andrew, or Drew, as he liked to be called, gave her a big white box with golden ribbon. He gave her a knowing smile as she placed the box upon her bed and slowly unravelled the ribbon. As the silky ribbon fell apart, Belle lifted the lid and gasped. Inside the box was a beautiful ball gown, made of white silk with a golden ribbon tied to the waist of the dress. She lifted up the dress and pressed it to her light blue gown against her body. "Perfect fit? How did you know my size?"

Andrew smiled sheepishly however said nothing. Belle smiled and shook her head as she placed the beautiful gown gently on her bed. "Thank you all dearly," she hugged her brothers tightly before Andrew pulled away.

"Oh, and Father wishes to see you in his study." Andrew noted and Belle nodded as she made her way passed her brother and through the long, empty hallway to her fathers study. Many paintings hung upon the walls in the hallway, many are of her great great grandparents - whom owned this house many years ago, which has been passed down from every third son of the Deaverix family - and by the door of her fathers study on the left side of the wall, were two paintings side by side. The first one, a painting of their family a year before she was born, they did look happy, especially her sisters. Her mother was sitting down with her brothers on the left side of her and her sisters on the right. Their father stood behind their mother with his hands upon her shoulders. Belle stood for a moment and stared at the painted picture of her mother, the only image she knew yet had neglected to memorise it. Her mother had long, brown hair and a beautiful lavender coloured gown, her pale hands resting in her lap, a shining ring on her finger. In the second painting, it was Edmond whom sat down holding a baby Belle tightly and safely in his arms with her two other brothers on the left and her very upset sisters on the right. Her father took his place behind them with a bitter sweet smile upon his lips.

With a heavy heart, Belle knocked on the door to her fathers study and awaited for his call. "Come," a deep voice resonated and Belle opened the door and saw her father standing there with his hands behind his back and a warm smile. "Oh look at you, Belle, you look beautiful. Just like your mother."

Belle returned his smile with one of her own. "Thank you, Father. This is a bitter sweet day."

"Why say such a thing?" Her father asked worriedly, his brown eyes filled with love.

"Today is also Mothers death..." Belle could say no more, she did not have to for her father understood and smiled sadly.

"Yes, death happened on this day." He stepped forward and took a small gift from behind his back. "However, life was also on this day. Your mother gave her life for you so that you could live. Yes, I miss her, but I do not regret that day twenty years ago when I was able to hold your fragile body in my hands. You were such a tiny babe, and still are!" Belle laughed a little as her father placed the very small gift in her palm and stroked her cheek. "Belle, your mother gave you a very special gift and so you must not be remorseful on this day. Be thankful, for you are loved and you live because of her. Now, open your gift."

Belle opened the lid and her breath left her lips in a gasp. It was her mothers ring, the very ring in which she wore in the painting. "Oh, Father! Is this Mothers wedding ring?" He nodded. "Oh Father, I simply couldn't-"

"Nonsense, my dear. Your mother would have wanted you to have it. And besides, you will need it." Her father smiled as she asked what he had meant. He pointed to a chair facing away from her and when she began to approach it, a man stood up an bowed to her. Belle smiled happily as she hugged him tightly.

It was William Harrington, a wonderful man whom has been courting her for two years now. He came from a foreign country to live and when they saw each other it was almost love at first sight.

"Belle," William whispered in her ear. She smiled as his warm breath tickled her ear.

"William, it is wonderful to see you. Why are you here?"

William took the ring from her and knelt on one knee. Belle placed a hand over her mouth as her eyes began to water.

"Annabelle Deaverix, will you do me the greatest of honour, and be my wife?"