Beau and the Beastess

Chapter Three - Annabelle

The Driver left as soon as his payment hit his greedy little hands. Excited, and unsure how to approach this new predicament, Annabelle had taken a little time to calm her temper, and her nerves, before meeting with her newest guest.

Usually, meeting a new victim was wrought with humiliation and pain, both of which caused her beast to rage within her, but the fact that this man was blind, meant that he wouldn't have the initial reaction that the other men had.

Disgust.

Terror.

And sometimes, pity.

Annabelle could admit to herself that for the first time since the beginning, she was hopeful that The Driver had potentially found her someone that could actually love her. She'd been groomed for love at a young age, but, unfortunately, since she'd been in this place, The Beast had been quite successful in beating back all of her innocent sensibilities. She'd learned the hard way just how cruel people could be and had learned that it felt better to inflict pain then be on the receiving end of it.

When she was ready, Annabelle made her way down the dark, musty stairwell that lead to the dungeon. She could tell that her captive heard her approach, because his head lifted from the cot and turned in her direction.

"Why am I here?" the man asked as she walked closer.

"What is your name?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"Beau," he answered, sitting up on the cot then prodded, "Why am I here?"

Annabelle put the key in the door and unlocked it, pushing the door so it squeaked as it opened slightly.

"You can have free reign of my home," she began as she entered the cage. "There are three stories, a kitchen, a music room, and a library. All of which you can use. The house is on one-hundred wooded acres of land, so even if you got it in your head to run away, you'd never escape." Her tone lowered and she promised, "I'd find you, no matter where you hid."

"I may be blind, but I'm not stupid," Beau responded. "I know I'd never be able to get away on foot."

"Don't bother to ask any of the servants to help you escape. They'd never betray me for you."

"Why am I here?"

"I'll tell you everything at dinner. Be in the dining room at six o'clock sharp."

"How will I find my way, or know the time?" he asked, never moving from his seated position.

"You were taken walking alone on a busy street when The Driver found you, I'm sure you can find your way to dinner."

Without waiting for a response, Annabelle took one last look at the handsome stranger, hope sparking within her, before turning to return upstairs and see the cook about dinner.

She'd decided that honesty was the best policy when dealing with her captives. They usually didn't believe her, and those who did, found it impossible to see past The Beast to love what was inside of her. Still, Annabelle found it was easier for her just to tell them the real story.

And maybe with Beau, since he could get to know her without the distraction of her outward appearance, she finally found someone who could learn to love her in time to break the spell.

When she'd first arrived in this land, Annabelle had tried going to town to meet a man the normal way, but she'd learned quickly that men didn't take kindly to The Beast. After an embarrassing scene in the town square, where a man had told her to leave him alone and pushed her bodily away from him, she'd come up with the idea of bringing men to her.

Realizing that she needed to play things differently with Beau if she wanted what was probably her last chance at happiness, Annabelle dug deep inside herself and tried to bring her softer side to the surface.

She could feel The Beast writhing within her, but did her best to stomp it down by thinking about her parents and her kingdom.

"I'm trying to come home," she whisperedsoftly, pain ripping through her at the thought of her family, which caused TheBeast within to whine audibly.