Steel Roses

When Company Calls

A few days after found Beldon in the rose garden, examining a set of purple roses that were shedding. About ten flower heads had fallen to the ground, stems still attached, and Beldon couldn't understand why.

Was the plant dying? But all the roses looked extremely healthy – they were just no longer attached to the rose bush.

Gathering them up, careful of the thorns, he turned to his horse who had wandered over to see what had his attention.

His horse has been healed. Somehow he had been healed so he was as well as he had been before his attack in the forest.

"What do you think? Any ideas?"

His horse sniffed the flowers, then all but shrugged and shook his head, unconcerned, walking off again. Beldon smiled slightly as his horse walked away, it was like the longer they stayed the more human his horse became.

He looked at the flowers again. He'd move them into the castle, maybe give them to Vanessa. It'd be a shame to waste them when they were still so perfect.

Making his way around to the back of the garden, glancing up at the castle, he looked towards the top towers, where The Beast was.

To his immense surprise, he hasn't seen The Beast at all the last few days.

Alright, that was an exaggeration – the surprise that was. How often did he see The Beast on a general day?

But he hadn't been at dinner either – that was where the surprise was found.

For the first time since he had arrived Beldon had eaten dinner alone.

If this was in reaction to him putting cream on The Beast then he wished he had never gone after the damned cream. Clearly he really didn't have any business concerning himself with The Beast's face.

Beldon sighed as he walked his way around the far side of the garden that backed right onto the forest.

Honestly, what was he supposed to do? Was he never going to narrow that huge gap between himself and The Beast?

The Beast said he didn't hate Beldon, but he didn't really seem to like him either. How could anyone have someone else living in their home and not make an effort to connect with them?

And Beldon had seriously thought they had made progress – The Beast had somewhat opened up to him – but no, rather than opening up more, he'd retreated completely so Beldon didn't even know where he was.

Well, no, that wasn't quite true either.

He could guess where The Beast was, up in those rooms beyond the mirror.

But he wasn't going to go search for him. He hadn't yet been back in the secret hallways.

He stopped in the middle of the path, looking up at the castle, debating on how to spend his evening.

Library? Music? No, he'd go for a ride. Ah that was a point; he had to remember to ask Vanessa for ice skates. Might as well use the frozen lake if that was all he was going to get. And he would have to get back to fencing practice.

Beldon froze.

His breathing started to accelerate, along with his heart rate, tremors shooting through his body.

He closed his eyes as tears pricked the corners, fear stealing away his breath and the colour from his face.

Very, very slowly, he turned to face the forest.

One of those huge dogs stood at the edge of the forest, not yet stepping into the rose garden paths, watching through bright white eyes, head low, hackles raised.