While Annelie rested, Vardan dwelled on what he had almost done in his rage. It was unacceptable, his actions. He knew it more than he would ever show, but he was disappointed in himself for acting out of anger rather than listening to Annelie. Yet, there had been that moment where she had said his name, told him that it wasn't really him who was in control. In that moment, he knew that it hadn't been him, but the Beast he had tried to make of himself all those years ago.
His parents... that was a topic that brought him agony in the worst of ways. They had been sweethearts, the truest of romantic couplings. He remembered how his father told him of their tale that had swept him away when he had been young.
Once, there was a woman, as fair and beautiful as the stars in the sky. Her dark hair was swept back in a long braid and she was the youngest princess. Her father was harsh, to the point of being cruel. Years before she had lost her mother in the process of her trying to give birth to what would have been her younger brother.
Yet, she did not mourn for the woman, as their father had been horrible to her for all the years in which they had been together. It had probably been relieving to escape such punishment as to be locked in a castle with a man who did not love. So, she thought of her mother in fondness, in a sweet way, and almost in longing. Part of the youngest princess wanted to be with her mother, wrapped in her arms, spirited away from the castle in which she had grown chained to.
That is what made her wander. She would travel to the babbling brook, her golden hazel eyes sweeping over the ground in search of something pretty to add to her collection. At times she would grab a rare jewel, and other times, a sparkling rock.
What she found one day changed her life.
The young princess was kneeling by the river, her hands covered in mud as she searched, the water quickly becoming murky, when a shadow descended upon her form. It was dark and blocked what little light she had been using to search for another gem.
She tilted her head up, eyes flaring, when she noticed the most handsome of men. He stood beside a pearly white stallion, a smirk curling his lips. He wore armor, the kind that shone in the dim light that filtered through the leaves of the trees above. Even his teeth sparkled in the light, making him, somehow, all the more appealing to the young princess.
Both were relative in age, on the cusp of becoming adults. He bent down to the ground next to her, taking strands of her hair in his hand and letting it slowly slip through his fingers. "Like silk..." he commented.
The young princess moved back, confused at the man's actions. "It is most uncourteous of you to talk so freely when we do not yet know even my last name. Your actions are most reproachable," the young princess exclaimed, her hand traveling to rest over her heart.
This caused the man to pause and to stare consideringly at the princess. "Terribly sorry, fair maiden. If we are to give our surnames, mine is not so simple. I am first Prince Aidan Sulvier of the great kingdom of Ardaigh. You are..." he explained with a low bow, before taking her hand in his, despite the mud that coated it. The smirk was once more on the Prince's face and she found herself bristling.
"I am Princess Lilian Beux of the grand kingdom of Xaveu," the young princess stated with her eyebrows rising.
For a moment, both went silent. Suddenly, the prince seemed to look at her in a more considering manner. He nodded his head slowly, before trying to bring up the back of her dirty hand to his lips. Lilian pulled away with a hushed, unintentional exclamation.
Her heel dug into the soft soil next to the bank. Before she knew it, she was sliding down into the waiting brook. Water splashed at the small stones that outlined the bank, and the young princess found herself soaking wet in the middle of the cloudy brook.
She blinked owlishly as water dripped from one of the pieces of her hair. It hung by her face, having escaped her braid in the sudden fall into the water. From on the bank in front of her, she heard the starting of a man chuckling. Slowly, the sound grew, gaining momentum, until it exploded into full out laughing. Aidan grabbed at his stomach, eyes closed and tears drifting from the corners of his eyes.
A huff left Lilian, and she pushed herself up, careful not to let herself fall again. There was no need to further embarrass herself. When Lilian's attitude towards him changed, he stepped forward, grabbing her hand, and tugged her onto the bank next to him with little to no effort. He smirked, almost a full-blown smile, and brushed away a leaf from in her hair gently. "We must get you to somewhere dry, I believe," he finally spoke, humor coating his deep voice.
"I can just return to-" she started before he began to lead her away from her castle. She tried to jerk out of his grip to no avail.
Aidan led her on until they arrive at a small cottage that had been repaired for someone to stay in. She found herself swept inside to a cooing motherly old woman who quickly took care of her.
In a whirlwind of motion, she was dressed, dried off, and given a filling meal of something delicious. It had been some sort of stew, warm and welcoming at the woman there.
From there, she got to know the prince of Ardaigh, and piece by piece she fell in love. The prince himself already had fallen for Lilian, having seen her over the course of a week before approaching her by the brook. With just one moment of bravery to talk to the beautiful girl, he had found the woman he would love for the rest of his life...
The Beast blinked back to reality as a knock sounded at his door. A long, harsh growl left him as he strode forward, yanking it open in a vicious tug. "What?" he snapped out, eyes flaring with irritation.
Outside was Liyor who didn't seem very bothered with the Beast's harsh manner. Instead, he swept into the room, slipping under the arm the Beast had put on the doorframe unconsciously. The skinny man just chuckled, walking over to the painting that hung on the wall and hummed. It was of the Beast's family, a portrait when the man had been younger.
"You know I believe the mademoiselle is beginning to trust you, master," he murmured aloud. "There is... something about her now. She is far more... how do you say... open." The dark brown eyes of Liyor met the Beast's wide black voids. "You act shocked. Did you not think such things would occur when you were charming her?"
Vardan stared at Liyor for a long moment before snarling. "How do you know of that?" he ground out, taking long steps forward to stand before the skinny man before him, even taller than the twig-like man.
Liyor raised his eyebrows as he stared up at the master of the house. "Why, it was obvious sir. Did you not just walk off with the lovely girl this morning? Did you not wish to keep her in your castle to care for? Did you not kiss her in the hallway in an enchanting and heart racing kiss?" Liyor asked him with a wide toss of his arms.
"I did. How. Do. You. Know. That. We. Kissed." The Beast ground out slowly, the question coming out as a harsh command.
The servant shrugged his shoulders. "Master, these castle walls have eyes and they have mouths that are willing to tell the tales of what goes on," was all Liyor said in response. With a wink, he turned away to look even closer at the painting.
For a long moment, there was just silence. The Beast seethed silently, his hands were clenched fists at his sides and his eyes dark orbs of rage and chaos. Liyor ignored the growls that emanated from the master's chest, rather trying to focus solely on the painting, remembering and wishing he could see the old master and missus just once more.
Vardan finally snarled once more and spun to roughly straighten his bed. Liyor smiled widely at the sound of it.
It seemed that the master of the house was fuming, unable to intimidate and frustrated with everything going on. Yet, the rage that lurked within the man caused Liyor no fear. Rather, he was far too used to the man's outbursts to truly become concerned when the rage was shoved his way. If the master wished to try and scare him, Liyor knew he would have to do something quite terrible.
Finally, Liyor focused once more on the cooling man who had found himself sitting on his bed. "I came to tell you that Annelie's parents are perfectly content. Her mother is a charming gem of a woman, if you could not already tell by her utterly captivating smile. Annelie's father is entranced by this castle and the fact that he is here with every breath. Finally, Annelie is secure in her bedchamber," Liyor reported, his eyes calm and a smile slowly curving his lips upwards.
"Well... what about Annelie. Is there anything more you can report about... her?" the Beast asked, a lot calmer now that he had heard Annelie's name. His Beauty somehow snapped him out of his fits of rage, taming the monster he had become.
Liyor's smile widened further. "Mademoiselle is asleep currently. She was checked on routinely, and she seemed to be enjoying a needed rest," Liyor explained with a nod of his head. With that, he walked to the door of the room.
The Beast nodded before freezing. "Wait! Did someone take my book to her room?" Vardan exclaimed, remembering the reason why he had originally scared Annelie so thoroughly.
With a twist, the servant was staring at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Master, we would never take your things. You know as well as I that there isn't one person that roams these halls that would do such things," Liyor explained calmly, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought about his master's words.
It was inconceivable that someone would take the master's things. He was a well-respected man, despite his temper. No one in the castle would roam so far, just to take a single leather-bound book to Annelie. No one.
The Beast nodded, running a hand through his hair. With only a glance at the look on Liyor's face, he knew that it was impossible. Yet, Annelie hadn't gone to his room to snag the book. She had given no indication that she would ever do something like that to him. Her eyes had been so clear and there was no guilt in them, except for the fact that she had read his private thoughts.
He swallowed, waving Liyor away quickly. He stared down at the ground, his elbows pressing against his knees as he leaned forward. His mind whirled and whirled and whirled. Who could possibly venture so far, for only a book? Merrick wouldn't give such a book to Annelie, rather he would keep it for himself, I believe. Gioia is always at Merrick's side, infatuated with the man. Annelie is innocent...
Who? Who took my book... and why did they want to give it to my Beauty?
The Beast huffed out a breath, knowing that thinking about it would get him nowhere. It was obvious that the culprit wasn't someone he would be able to think did it. Rather, he would just have to live with the fact that Annelie knew him more than many ever got the chance to, and live with the fact that she knew everything.
Yet... she didn't leave me, he thought. Slowly, a grin grew on the man's face, making the darkness on his features fade like the sun clearing the horizon and lighting the world anew.
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A/N ~ Thank you so much for all the support that you readers have given me over the course this story has been up. The amount of support even in the first month is astounding! I cannot thank you all enough!
Now, I have to ask a very serious question... Do you think that Lilian and Aidan should get a story of their own?
I'm uncertain whether or not to do it as my current sequel hasn't been getting too much attention. I don't want to work really hard on something when it isn't appreciated!
That being said, what do you think! Tell me below what your take on the matter is, and whether or not you are liking the direction Annelie and Vardan's story is going!