"Beauty and the Beast"

Chapter 4

They are unbelievable. Faith thought as her sisters bombarded their father with requests for new gowns, jewels, and other accessories that were wastes of good money. Her father had announced that morning he planned on leaving to the city for supplies. He worked in the town’s tavern and would often travel to fetch supplies when the merchants stopped coming for winter.

“Faith what would you like?” He asked as he headed toward the door with his bags in hand. Her father was a robust man with graying dull-brown hair and steely blue eyes. Although his appearance was intimidating to most, he was an easy-going man and was more than willing to spoil his daughters, even if it was to ease his guilt for not always being there.

“I don’t need anything, father. Good bye. Be safe.” He nodded and was off. Faith had learned that, while he wouldn’t refuse her, hugs were not warmly accepted.

Faith went to the kitchen and began to work beside Charity, cleaning dishes. Charity was the most willing to show affection in the family aside from Faith. She was cold at times but not nearly as vicious as Patience.  Credit is due to Martin, I think. Martin had begun to court Charity half a year ago. The entire family was expecting a proposal within the month.

Faith’s thoughts drifted to her night.  Was that him? The question plagued her. She knew very well she was probably being silly. There was no way that was the same man that helped her when she was a child. It was far too unlikely. But Faith still found herself hoping it was him.  A loud rapping sounded from the door.

“It’s Victor! I’ll answer it!” Patience squealed racing toward the door. “Victor! What a most pleasant surprise! What can I do for you this beautiful day?” Faith could tell, even in the kitchen, that Patience was hanging on his arm and gazing up at him with her best sultry smile.

“I just dropped in for a visit. I enjoyed your company last night,” Victor replied. Faith couldn’t hold back her snort.

“Oh gracious. If she isn’t careful, people will begin to talk. Comments like that made by him could very well ruin her chances at any respectable husband,” Charity whispered to Faith. Faith knew that nothing had happened but Victor had a reputation and Patience was falling into a bad situation.

“Are your sisters here?” Faith could here Victor walking toward the kitchen. Oh dear, here it comes. “Faith! You are looking stunning this morning.” Victor’s voice was honey sweet but it grated on her nerves all the same. She kept her back to him and didn’t reply. She felt his hand rest on her lower-back. How dare he?!? The audacity.

Quickly moving away from him, Faith replied. “Thank you sir but…”

“Come now why the formality?” he interrupted her. “We are friends, are we not Faith? Perhaps, soon to be more,” he suggested approaching Faith again.

“Victor! Would you like something to drink?” Faith had never been so happy for her sister’s presence before. With clear irritation and reluctance, Victor pulled away from Faith and faced Patience to accept the offered drink.  Quickly and silently, Faith scurried out of the kitchen and left Victor to Patience. Charity had slipped out earlier. Martin, for all his goodness, was a jealous man and had a certain loathing toward Victor, not that Faith disagreed with that opinion.

Knowing Victor would not leave her be, Faith snatched her shawl from its hook and went outside. Patience can have him, Faith thought. She never understood why Victor had chosen her to chase after. I suppose it has to do with always wanting the forbidden fruit. He is only interested because I’m not and he always gets what he wants.

Faith headed to the place she felt most peaceful, the forest. When she was younger, instead of horror stories about the big bad beast, her mother would tell her and her sister about the blessed magic of ‘the Femme Fatale’, a sorceress that lived to keep the world pure of the corrupt and evil.  She lived in the cover of the forest; the beast was her creation so she had no reason to fear it. Grace would tell her daughter’s all of the long forgotten myths of the Femme Fatale and the power she offered to those who asked. It wasn’t until her mother and sister fell ill that Faith ever doubted the truth of her words. She had called out to her to heal her family, but she was never answered. I should have known better. Magic doesn’t exist.

“He is dead. You killed him!” Lenora yelled for the tenth time but Adam still didn’t feel anything. He couldn’t. For the first time in the past two centuries he didn’t care. Killing that servant had finally broken him. Adam had never directly killed anyone before. The people that died in his woods were never directly by his hands, or paws. They were usually scared off the path or injured by him but never had he taken someone’s life the way he just had. Seeing her, talking to her had been the last straw. He couldn’t take wanting what he could never have, wanting her but never being able to show himself to her. She didn’t believe he existed and would never feel safe if she knew he did. “Adam, are you listening to me? What are you thinking?!?”

“Enough!!!” The windows shook with the strength of his bellow. “I don’t need you to lecture me. I’m not a child!” Lenora was blown across the room. She quickly flew back to him at eye level.

“Now you listen to me. I raised you! I have been the closest thing you have ever had to a mother! Don’t think you can bully me! I know you didn’t mean to…” Tear sprang to her eyes. “Please don’t give up. There is still a chance to undo this curse.” Lenora begging was a new thing for Adam. He didn’t know what to say and she took his hesitation as a good sign. “There is still hope. I have faith you will find a way to break this spell.” With that she left the room.

What hope can there be? How do I even know the sorceress is even still alive? Even when he was a child Lenora had more faith in him then anyone else, even his own father. His father was a strict man, never harsh but he loved rules and Adam never did well with rules. “The kingdom needs to be ruled with a firm yet generous hand.” That was King Gilbert’s code. He, like his father before him, had provided a ‘Golden Age’ for their people and ruled till old age took them. I wasn’t king for one day and it was taken from me. ‘When you have proven yourself then you shall be restored to your rightful place as king.’ Proven myself how?!? The Femme Fatale was what she was called, the fatal woman. She has earned that name completely.

 

“Foolish man!” She hissed. She was beginning to grow hopeful that he would actually learn but then he had to go and kill his servant!

“If he hasn’t learned by now I don’t hold out much hope for him.” Another woman murmured beside the first. “Two and a half centuries hasn’t changed him at all. And why the sudden interest in him anyway? You have never cared before. He needed to be taught a lesson, you said so yourself,” she continued. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with his meeting with Faith would it?” She asked suspiciously. The second woman was studying the first carefully.

She knew that she shouldn’t be interfering in Faith’s life but she couldn’t stop herself from checking up on her from time to time. It was one of those times that she realized Adam’s interest. “Yes, if you must know. I am not meddling, just keeping watch. Why should I not be interested? Faith could be the key to breaking his spell. She could be the one to change him.”

“You know better! The laws require us to stay out of it! If you insist on continuing to ‘keep watch’ you could very well ruin his chances at breaking the spell altogether!” The first woman sighed. There must be a way around the rules.

Sorry I took so long to update. Please comment and vote! And no I did not get Femme Fatale from Brittney Spears, I didn't even know that was her new album's title till my friend read it and told me.