Cursed

13. Daurien's Frustration

That night I dreamt I tore apart an entire village with my claws and fangs. I woke up panting and noticed the shredded sheets around me. I was a monster. A hideous, terrible beast. How could I have thought for even a second that keeping her here could be a good idea.

…

“Good morning, Master,” said Coat Hanger as he parted the curtains above my bed to let in what dim light was available. The night before might have been clear but the clouds had now returned along with their good friend the rain. I couldn't see what was so good about this morning that he felt the need to comment on it being so.

“Has she left her room?” I asked point blank.

“Oh, well...no,” he was obviously hiding something and I would have been able to tell even if I hadn't known exactly what it was.

“So why was everyone so busy last night?” I looked at him suspiciously, “Just to keep me from my dreams?” He sighed, understanding that I knew.

“I know you said that she would not eat if not with you, sir, but she was so hungry last night, we just wanted to make her feel welcome.”

“Will she be joining me for breakfast?” I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope spring in my chest.

“Well...no.” I gave a disappointed grunt.

“Have my breakfast brought to me in bed.” Coat Hanger seemed to look at me regretfully and I remembered that I was lying in a pile of shreds.

“Oh,” I stood from the bed and scratched the fur on my left arm, “have something take care of those.” I went to my comfy chair beside the fire that had been built while I slept. I picked up a book that lay beside it, slightly ashamed with myself for having neglected it since she had arrived. My breakfast was brought and hours later my lunch and soon enough I realized that I hadn't an inkling of what I had been reading for half the day.

I knew exactly what had me so distracted. There was a beautiful girl in my house. She hated me so much that she would not face me. I had ruined her life. Yet I couldn't seem to convince myself to let her go. I called for something to bring me my enchanted mirror.

“Here you are, Master,” bowed Candleholder as he held up the looking glass that rested on the tip of two of his unlit candles. As soon as I took it from him, the two candles lit themselves on the third which held the only flame and then Coat Hanger helped him hop onto the small coffee table beside me.

“Show me the girl,” I commanded the mirror. She was in her room as she had been all day, and was reading a book in a comfy chair by the fire just as I had been doing. She had a thin blanket draped across her lap and was sitting in a somewhat curled up way with her knees bent and her feet tucked in between the cushions of the chair.

“Where did she get the book?” I asked the room in general.

“Something retrieved it for her from the library, surely. It's an Agatha Christie.”

“Poirot?” I asked, immediately interested in anything that interested her.

“No, it is And Then There Were None.” It was one of my favorites. I returned my attention to the mirror and saw that she was no longer alone. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that she now held open the door as Teapot and her posse of teacups and the such glided into the room on a trolley that pushed itself. A large bathtub wobbled its way in after them and made itself comfortable a couple of meters from her bed.

A cauldron filled itself with water and was helped carefully onto the fire as Teapot poured the girl some tea. She sat back into the plushy chair and sipped her tea tentatively, testing the heat with the tip of her little finger and then again with her bottom lip before making any bolder decisions. The candleholder in her room hobbled to the fire and helped the cauldron pour its contents into the large white tub. The girl finished her tea and Teapot rushed everything that was male out of the room.

Her hand went to the thin strap of the nightgown she was wearing and I held my breath in anticipation.

“Don't you think you should give the girl some privacy?” Belle's room had disappeared and I found myself staring into the enchanting green eyes of yet another impeccable beauty. I stuttered in surprise.

“M–Miranda, what a pleasant surprise,” I choked.

“Your tone implies otherwise, Daurien,” she smirked.

“I–I wasn't going to... you know, eh...well I–” Miranda cut me off, though not unkindly.

“Of course you were, you could hardly help yourself. Not very many men could.” I looked at her shamefully and waited for her to continue. “However, if you want to have any kind of friendship with this girl, you must first respect her. Every relationship is first founded on respect and then on trust, both virtues are most tediously and difficultly earned, though can be lost in an instant. If I were in your position, I would do my best not to lose either of those virtues as pertaining to the girl before you have even earned them.”

“Yes, I know, you are absolutely correct.”

“Well,” chuckled Miranda, “What do you think of the lovely girl I have brought you?”

“What do you mean, you brought her?” I looked at her suspiciously. She certainly seemed far too happy with herself at the moment. Witches were never known to be humble creatures.

“Did you really think it a coincidence that the father of the girl you had been admiring for the past few days just happens to wander into Evernight Forest and find himself lost by Rose Manor?” she said rhetorically.

“Why?”

“You know I have grown fond of you, Daurien,” she mused, “You are not the cruel man I cursed so many years ago. I see no small amount of good in you, though you have scarcely had occasion to show it. I can feel it through your every breath.” I pursed my lips. I hated when Miranda spoke of witchcraft. I was traumatized.

“Miranda,” I pleaded, “I don't know what to do. She refuses to leave her room. I fear I have ruined any chance you have given me to get to know her.”

“I do not.” Miranda disappeared and I placed the enchanted mirror on the coffee table. I did not bother to call after her, as exasperated as I was that she would leave without even explaining herself, let alone reassuring me that I was wrong. That was her nature however, to come and go as she wished without warning of either. I had long ago learned that once she was gone, she was gone until she wished to return. She had her own secret agenda and no one could thwart her from it. Certainly not I.

I called for my dinner and tea to be brought to me, had my fill, took my bath, and went to sleep. Only to be woken up by the soft patter of feet outside my chamber.

I stepped into a fresh pair of trousers and slipped eagerly to the door. I pressed my ear against the cool wood and listened. The sound was unmistakeably coming from human feet. There was only one human residing in the manor.

I waited for the steps to pass, not wanting to startle her back to her room, but listened for the direction in which they went. When the sound had faded enough so that even my predator's ears could barely hear it, I stepped through the door and slipped down the corridor.

The steps ceased completely and I deduced that she had gone into a room. I checked every room that was in the direction she had gone, short of the west wing but she was in none of them. I began to worry as I approached the door to the west wing. I tried the knob and it twisted easily. The girl had picked the lock! I was angry though not enough to let my temper show, and truthfully I was slightly impressed. She was pretty, intelligent and resourceful. What more could a man ask for?

I opened the door, stepped through the doorframe and–

“Oh, crap!” hissed the girl to the sound of shattering glass and a terrible feeling of dread overwhelmed me.