Love Is Never Ugly

Chapter 9

When Charlotte could finally bring herself to eat she expected her meal to be cold due to it being left to cool much longer than what was required but once she took a bite of the venison she found to her surprise that it was still hot, of course not so hot that it would burn her lip. Just right for human consumption. Same for the vegetables. The whole meal was cooked and seasoned to perfection, it reminded her of the many exquisite dinners she used to enjoy when her father was still a fortunate man. However she only drank a little of the wine out of fear that someone or something would take advantage of her should she fall into a tipsy state.

As soon as she finished dining she stood up from the table and moved to search for the kitchen with the intention of cleaning her dishes once she found it. When she failed to locate the kitchen and she returned to the dining room she discovered that the dishes used for her meal were gone and that the table had already been cleaned off. Curious, she called out for someone to answer her if they were there but she wasn't given a reply.

"Sir?" She had called. "Sir is that you?"

No answer.

"Sir if you are there please answer me. The silence here is making me very unsettled."

But still no answer.

When she took a brief glance out the nearby window she realized that it had now become dark and her dinner had been very satisfying so she decided to return to her new bedroom to sleep.

She found a nightdress already laid out for her on the bed. She changed into it and took a few minutes to brush her hair out. Then she said her prayers, snuffed out the lantern hanging from the wall, and crawled into bed. The mattress was as soft as a cloud, the coverings were very warm, and the silk pillow cradle her head soothingly. She had never laid on a bed so comfortable. It was indescribable and almost unbelievable. She might have fallen asleep right away had a terrible noise not suddenly pierce itself into the night, followed by the unmistakable sounds of footsteps running rapidly down the halls along several voices of concern going back and forth with each other.

"Oh no he's at it again!" She heard one say.

"But we just fixed him up from the last time he did this." She heard second voice respond.

"I saw this coming. He always does this whenever he sees something that he finds to be beautiful." Came a third voice.

"Alright we all know the drill. Just stay out of his way until he's finished and hope that he doesn't do as much damage as he did last time." Said a fourth one.

"Oh I truly hate it when he does this to himself." The last voice said with deep worry.

There were others here? Oh that's right, Alastor had mentioned having servants although she had not seen a single one since she arrived. Why was that? But she didn't have time to dwell on it because once again that wretched sound was released.

It was a most dreadful noise, one that was like a twisted medley of howls and shrieks. She could hear it echoing all throughout the castle and it frightened her to her very core. She quickly got out of bed and rushed to push the chair by her vanity up against the bedroom door. She didn't think it would really keep anyone out but hopefully if someone tried to get in then the sound of chair being moved across the floor would wake her up.

The voices and footsteps soon became quiet and for most of the night all she could do was lie awake in bed, listening to that noise, too afraid to sleep. Afraid that whatever was making that sound would come into her room and do God only knows what to her. She couldn't recall a time where she had ever been so scared and what made it all the more scary was the fact that she was all alone. She began to cry. She cried and cried and cried until the exhaustion of her tears forced her to sleep.

...

Once again she dreamt as she slept. In this dream a woman came to her in her room. She had hair like fire, her eyes an emerald sheen, and she was clad in raiment of ferns and silver. She said softly to the terrified maiden,

"Dearest Charlotte have no fear. In this castle there is no danger that threatens you."

"What do you mean?" She asked confused. "Am I not to die for the loss of a rose?"

"You are too innocent, too loving, and too beautiful for anyone with a moral heart to harm."

"And..." Charlotte paused. "And the master of the castle has a moral heart?"

"He believes that he does not possess one but he does." The woman said. "And because of the fact that he possesses one and you shall not only be spared from his wrath but pampered, catered to, and treated as you so deserve."

"I do not understand. Treated as I so deserve?"

"For years you have burdened yourself to serving and pleasing your family, ignoring your own wants and desires, putting aside your happiness. But here you shall be the one served and waited on. For once your happiness will come first and any wish you make will be granted without complaint."

"I wish only to be with my family again. To go home to my father and sister."

"I'm afraid that is the one thing that must denied to you. For now."

"For now? Does that mean I will be able to go home?" She asked hopefully.

"In time, yes. But until then rest assured that you will not be miserable here."

"I can be nothing but miserable without my family."

"That is what you have told yourself for many years."

"What?"

"I mean not to offend you Charlotte but you are very mistaken about how you truly feel about your home life. In actuality, you were very unhappy."

"That's not true."

"Silly girl." She chuckled. "You have fooled yourself quite well but do not attempt to fool the likes of me. For I know the difference between a false smile and a true one. I know the difference because I have watched someone wear false smile throughout most of their life."

"I beg your pardon but you know nothing of my life or how I feel. I was perfectly content to spend the rest of my life tending to my father and sister."

"My, my, my." The woman said shaking her head with an amused grin. "You and Alastor are a lot more similar than I thought."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh you will find out eventually. But for now just remain courageous, pious, kind, and loving. Let your heart and your dreams guide you to true happiness." She advised her. "And to someone who will love you more dearly than any other that you have known."

The woman said no more after that and then she was gone.

"No wait!" Charlotte cried. "Please come back! Please! I'm so confused and afraid! I don't understand what's happening! What does this all mean? What does he want of me?"

But once again no one answered her cries and she was left alone in the darkness of her own mind. Not to see or hear anyone else until she had awakened the next morning.