"Beauty and the Beast"

Chapter 22

“Let us march on the castle and purge it of the abomination inside!” With that Victor led the men into the shadows of the forlorn trees, oblivious of the two figures traveling contrary to their path.

       

Faith and Martin traveled through the forest slowly, the tight knit trees hindering their progress. There were only a few leagues to go. The scene around her was becoming familiar. Adam… The memory of her savior surfaced once again. It has been so long since I have thought of him…

“Almost home Faith. We had better hurry if we wish to make it back before darkness comes,” Martin suddenly declares. Faith said nothing, only quickened her pace. The day had gone by with little talk and filled with an uncomfortable silence. It was odd for Martin to be so very rigid with Faith but she knew why the sudden change. He was still upset with her decision to remain with ‘Lewis’ instead of her family. However, there was nothing either could do to change the other’s mind.

They walked for not yet half an hour before the trees began to thin and houses dotted the hillside. Not one thing had changed. It was just as simple and tedious as it always had been. The castle had offered such a more audacious life. One of adventure though the forest and pleasurable companionships. Faith could live hold up in that castle for the rest of her life as long as she was able to be with the people that she had grown to love with such an abandon rather then simply exist here where she was surrounded by the past and no promising future. Irony, to prefer a life caged in a castle if that is what must happen to be with a beast rather then live with the freedom of the village and be alone and plagued by the naggings of an arrogant womanizer.

One house stood out among all the rest. Home… No, what used to be home. The castle is my home now, ‘Lewis’ is my home. A vine crawled up the side and red roses bosomed, Grace’s roses. Faith grasped the rose pendent around her neck as the memory of her mother’s laughing face surfaced. With the thought of her doting mother and playful sister, Faith ran to the door and threw it open with Martin close behind.

“Hello! Father? Charity? Patience?” Faith called. The house was eerily silent though, not a buzzing of a fly was heard. “Where are they?” Faith inquired of Martin. He said nothing but turned on his heel and trailed the path to the center of town.

As they approached the Main Street and Market Place the crowds grew thicker.  Mingling with the people, Faith spotted her family at the front of the swarm, with them was an unexpected face.

“Martin, is that Melanie? Who is the gentleman with her?” Martin’s gaze flew to where Faith had seen his sister and grasped Faith’s wrist and pulled her along.

“That must be her husband, Caleb. She married him over a year ago. I was unable to attend. Hurry, I want to know what is going on.”

“Faith?!?! Martin!?!? Is it really you!?!?” Charity ran to them and threw her arms around both of them and held them close. “I can not believe it! I though the worst…” She trailed off with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Everything is fine now. We are safe. It is alright,” Martin soothed his beloved. He held her tightly as Faith broke away and gave a discomfited embrace to her father and other sister.

“Faith, you look so… expensive. Where did you get such beautiful clothes?” Faith was not surprised that her attire was the first thing noticed by her sister. Patience had always wanted the best of everything and ‘Lewis’ made certain to adorn Faith in a gown meant for a queen before she had left, despite her protests and the fact that she would be traveling all day.

“Yes, you do look very well taken care of…” Her father assessed her.

 “My sister! Whatever are you doing here?” Martin cut off any further conversation that could lead to ‘Lewis’ and for once Faith was grateful. Martin turned to Melanie and held her in a tight hug before meeting her husband at long last.