Beauty Behind the Mask Part 2

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All night long, you stared at the ceiling. The sheets were scratchy. The room had a musty smell to it. Being anywhere but in the comfort of your own bed was guaranteed to ruin your sleep. You had gotten up to peek outside the casement, which was too high from the ground. Even if you had the exact length of rope you needed, you faced a greater chance of falling and breaking your neck than escaping.

Realizing there was no way out, you returned to bed and waited until the rays of the sun broke through the heavy curtains that covered the window. The sunlight, as glorious as it was, did little to allay your fear of staying in this castle.

"No! No! You can't do this!"

Your pulse shot up. Hearing your friend's scream beyond the door, you got up and ran over to it. You pressed your ear against the wood, straining to hear what she was yelling.

"I'm not leaving without her! Let me go, you wretched creatures!"

In the foyer, Donna was fighting, biting, and scratching at Cassandra and Bela as they tried to force her out of Castle Dimitrescu. Meanwhile, the masked woman stood by, glowering at her daughters. "You are making this too difficult, girls. Throw her out!"

"No!" Donna shouted again, becoming a dead weight so they couldn't propel her forward without more exertion. "Let her go! She's done nothing wrong!"

Lady Dimitrescu sneered at her. "By her volition, she has taken your place. I'd be grateful if I were you, thief. Now, leave my castle, and do not come back. If you do, your friend dies."

"How are you this heartless?" Donna bawled. "You won't even let me say goodbye to her!"

"Enough!" The giantess had no compassion in heart. She grabbed Donna's neck collar and dragged her out the rest of the way herself. She tossed the milliner out into the cold like disposable trash. "Get out of my sight!"

"Wait!" The fortified castle doors were shut in Donna's face. She got up and banged on them with her fists. "No!" Tirelessly, she kept hitting them until her hands hurt. The frost was getting to her, and the trek to the village was long. With much hesitancy, she dragged her feet away from the castle, determined to rescue you as soon as she could.

Frantically, you jiggled the knob and threw your weight against the door to get someone's attention. "Let me out of here! Donna? Donna!"

After you kicked it with your foot, somebody unlocked it. Upon it being opened, the smiley girl from last evening was chewing on a half-eaten muffin in her hand. "Hey! Quit kicking the door! Sheesh. You have to be careful with this woodwork, you know."

You shoved past her and headed to the main floor to find your friend. Daniela chased after you, yelling at you not to interfere, but you paid no heed to her words. You quickened your pace down the staircase and saw the woman talking to those two girls by the entrance. Their discussion died at your sudden entry. "Donna! Where is she? What have you done to her?" Neither Bela nor Cassandra uttered a word to you in the presence of their mother.

Lady Dimitrescu's tone was flat. "Gone. I told you your friend could return to the village in the morning."

You cast a sorrowful glance at the doors. "I didn't get to say goodbye to her."

The dark-haired woman grumbled under her breath before she unclasped her cloak, revealing her majestic white dress from underneath. "Return to your room."

Daniela huffed and puffed from behind you. "Mother!" She then coughed from the bits of muffin stuck in her throat. "What about her horse?"

Your eyes widened in abject horror. "My horse!" Your poor old horse. You had tied him to a tree near the courtyard, thinking you'd come back to him with Donna by your side. "Where's my horse?"

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