The Beauty in the Beast

Chapter Three- Kindness

The sound of scraped metal slipping beneath the small section of the open gate intended for this very purpose was enough to awaken the wounded and starving young woman who could feel her body weaken with a lack of proper sustenance. The sight of this goblet offered to her was touched only slightly by the fading sun, enough for her to eye the sight of natural herbs floating upon its surface. But it would not be this questionable concoction of nature and water to frighten her, but the subject who had lowered themselves to those jagged steps in deliverance. This was the same woman responsible for her sole reason of imminent incarceration for without her hand, she may have been able to escape.

“You should drink, if you do not find a means for nutrition soon, you will undoubtedly meet your end.” She spoke, a light cadence of British dialect having filled the otherwise silent space around them both as the injured of the two remained silent as she did not wish to touch, let alone drink, this odd mixture presented to her.

“Your hesitance is expected, but I must admit that your obstiance is disappointing considering your existence is only possible by pure magic itself; similar to this brew here...However, your life will find a quick end before the next daybreak unless you drink.” As this woman, one wrapped in an emerald cloak and ivory skin, her strawberry blonde hair arranged in an intricate design and accented with sprigs of nature; baby's breath and ivy, came to notice this lingering apprehension, she then took the goblet back into her possession and took a drink.

“It is not touched by poison if that is your worry...Have I not proven this?” The imprisoned would find the goblet set between them once more, this time, the water appearing heavenly to her dried tongue as she would take its bowled top with both hands and down it in a single breath before wiping her lips with relief. Although the taste was something between dirt and sage, it was more welcoming than the sour blood set within her teeth of victims days prior.

“I have been sent here by the King to ensure you are cleansed and fed. He understood it best that you would only come to trust a figure as myself...a fellow woman. I am sure you are quite eager to leave these confines...however, you are to remain bound as I am sure this is understood.” The woman would rise slowly, a sense of trust built between them since this shared chalice, before the door would come open and the prisoner was led back up the steps and into the direction of the long corridor she was escorted to prior to her tournament for survival. Only now, they would not venture to the rear exit. Instead, they would follow a black carpet bordered in gold until coming to a room made up entirely of limestone with two large pits of fire creating a deep smoke that made up this enclosed sauna.

“You will find everything needed to cleanse yourself...But I must push you to make haste as the King is awaiting you.”

“Whatever for?” The words left her throat in a weak whimper made raspy by the abandonment of self care as the woman looked to her with a pleased contentment across her face.

“To feast. He has arranged from foods of the more culinarily inclined lands to be sent here to celebrate your...You are expected forthwith...There will be a clean gown waiting for you at this door...I do hope you do not remain narrow minded in believing you can escape these walls...For even if you managed to, you would not survive not a day-”

“If there is no fear of my escape, why was he so adamant to ensure it wasn’t successful?”

“He is not imprisoning you here...he is keeping you save from Shadow Isle itself...This island was forsaken by all religious deities and forgotten for thousands of years-nothing can grow nor live here that is not within these walls or illuminated by the flame offered by the land itself...It is a cursed ground...and even if you do not know it...He and I both spared you from enduring a painful end at its clutches. “ The woman moved to leave before turning back in one final moment.

“If I would have allowed you to escape, they would have beheaded or quartered you before you could fathom your end to be near...I see something in you...something the others never had…”

“Others? What of the others?” But she would be unable to receive an answer to this question, instead, she would be a prisoner to yet another room made of stone. Although she held no interest in being punctual for a man she wished to see die a thousand different ways in her dreams; that turned her nightmares into fantastical alternate realities, she also wished for nothing more than to tear the last days’ events from her skin.

Her fingers unlaced the strings of her cheap corset until she left only her white shift, which would be removed last and joined the fabric at her feet in abandonment. Using the pumice stone offered, she would move to the bucket of water warmed by his embracing fire, watching as the stone would collect dirt in its pores, leaving her skin exfoliated within this cleanse. She would hesitate when her fingers would try the shackles upon her wrists, wishing for them to be absent from her skin for the sole purpose to remove the blood held beneath its cold iron-when this was not granted, she simply retreated to a secondary action of continuing her detergence.

It would take the better part of an hour to remove the grime from her hair and the blood from her nails until she would open the door to find a dress awaiting her as promised. Made of fine silk and a thick corset string, she began to try the string beneath her confines to try and loosen once again, only finding it to catch in a twist of her wrist as the door would open to reveal the same woman who released her from the dungeon.

“The binds are impenetrable...Yet I am rather impressed by your try...I deduced you would need assistance…” The woman offered the nude girl who held herself behind one of the pillars of fire in feeling rather violated in an abrupt presence. “Place the fabric on your body, he is growing impatient…” The woman would turn as she would do as requested, not to please this land’s ‘lord’, but for the vindication of a cover from this woman’s curious eyes. Eventually, the dress would be placed and a set of helpful fingers would lock her corset in a setting placement as she would have those same digits now pull her saturated hair into a long braid made of her now clean locks.

“You have intrigued the King and this can be powerful for a woman possessing the circumstances in which you do...if you hold his interest, wrap him around your finger...bewitch him-you can become a concubine-”

“I will be no such thing! I would ask for death over his touch!” The woman spoke quickly, insulted for such a comment being directed towards her to begin with.

“Whatever your decision, tread carefully, wolf...For you are not in a place of power here…Not yet...” The woman would then motion for the now polished beauty to join the steps of nearby guards as she would obey for the sole purpose of borderline starvation until she was led to a set of gold doors. Before they would even open, the strong scent of salted meat and vegetables enchanted with a light sprinkle of herbs was enough to make her mouth water as her eyes would fall to a display fit for an entire royal court. Squab lined with mint sauce and whole turkeys with vegetable kabobs would give a rather humorous appearance to the deceased creature. But as she could have attacked the table and eaten everything to the bone in a matter of seconds, she would be stilled by the sight of the King emerging from a secondary archway and into her line of sight to make her anxious.

“I trust you are more comfortable? Perhaps enough to give me your name?” She would remain silent and move with a jolt to the large chime of the doors locking at her back.

“Let us feast and you can then tell me your name then.” He would motion for her to sit, watching him pick apart the plates of edibles until she copied his motions, asking for the same foods to ensure they were safe to consume. She would watch as he moaned to the taste of the ham and cursed in appreciation to the flavors while she was quick to follow. There would be a limited sense of conversation as he would watch her tear into the fresh bread and candied strawberries; finally finishing out on her own pieces of ham and taking down a third glass of wine-just enough to keep herself of right mind.

“I am quite impressed by you...I have yet to see any person; man or woman endure what you have. Yet you have done so with agility and strength...Fearlessness and valorous succession...Intriguing...Which is why I wish to show you a sign of my good faith...enclosed freedoms...This would mean you cannot leave the castle walls but you can move about as you wish-make this your home.”

“Why would I ever agree to be here willingly? Why would I come to trust you?” He smiled to himself before motioning for his guards that were hidden at her back until this moment. They would find an unsteady lead of their hands as they feared the reputation she had left for herself of men dead at the simple turn of her neck and parted lips, but once they found the lock, a key would set her free enough to feel the weight of the heavy binds now loose.

“If I wished you dead, you would have been killed before coming here. If I found you displeasing, you would have been ended at my feet within my throne room...And if I wished to have you agree in complacency now, I would have kept those binds intact.” Her fingers would take appreciation in her wrists eaten by the metal, blood and dirt remaining on her skin as she winced to the pain of her touch.

“I believe you could be quite an asset to my kingdom…”

“You will spare my life if I assist you? What reason could possibly exist in which I would agree?”

“If you were to return to Ellemist, you would find unhappiness in need of hiding your true essence to them. Here, you can be free…With understanding, however, you WILL be watched as I cannot have a traitor within my midst-only someone who will learn to trust me as I will with you...”

Her eyes took hold of the fork beside her, slipping it stealthily into her touch as he awaited eagerly for her response.

“I would rather welcome death than trust a devil like you!” She explained, forcing the fork upwards behind her head until it would root in his shoulder as he let out a groan. But an attempt to escape would be futile once again as she would be captured immediately by the soldiers at her sides. Her frenzied hands would knock one man to the floor as she held another to the wall, her arm against his neck to apply enough pressure for him to release the grasp he held on her arms. However, she would then feel the pull of Adrian’s hand bring her by her waist into the wall in a sudden jolt as a knife was set to her throat.

“Leave us.” He ordered his guards as they rose to their feet and looked at him with confusion.

“Sire-”

“LEAVE US!” He now repeated his command in anger, not breaking his eyes from hers as she stilled, surprised at how strong he was and how she could not remove herself from his mundane grasp while in her lycan form now shown to him in her usual display of sharpened claws, matching teeth, and luminescent eyes.

“If you insist on claiming me, I ask if there is a single morsel of decency within your wretched heart that you would kill me so I would not have to feel you.” His eyes narrowed for a moment, enough to witness a tear fall from the corner of her eye as he noted the harsh grip he held to the skirt of this gifted dress; one that could be misconstrued as s****l aggression.

“Do I strike you as the type of man who would need to force a woman to his bed?” His knife left her throat as he would keep her placed against the wall with the use of his own body and intense gaze that acted as dangerous as that removed blade.

“I will you to decide on your own when your longing for me is too much to bear. For it will be this relinquishment of your acknowledged freewill that will bring you to me much sweeter than if I were to take you now… Only then will I allow you to know the pleasure I can give...Until then, I intend to learn what I can of you…I am not asking for your hand or your maidenhead...” She blushed at the mention of her virginity as it was a sacred notion prior to now with the vulgarity of his mention leading the converastion erotic as her virginal anxiety was seen by her reddened expression.

“Then what is it you want from me? What is it I can give you that you cannot seek out in another woman?”

He would now move from her entirely, taking his time in a lap around the table, returning with a wrapped satchel that was then handed to her. He motioned for her to open it as he began to pick at the remaining items of food set upon the table. Pulling apart the leather straps, she came to witness a symbol she had only noticed once prior; a sign of the cursed-she held her origin story within her fingertips until the sight of a moonstone stilled her in fear. As he watched her eyes analyze this gift presented to her, he saw something in her that was more than woman but less than human; something both demonic and even angelic-something extraordinary.

“I speak truth in you intriguing me, but I have my own reasons for wishing to learn what I can of you...For now, I will keep them to myself, but I have a library of research, an alchemist, Ingram, whom you have met, and a man well versed in all things ‘magick’ at your extent-all I ask is your agreement to try and the answers I know you have craved are at the tips of your fingers…”

He would now withdraw his hands and return to the table, picking a grape from its sturdy vine, only to return to her. He would offer her this grape, pressing it softly to her mouth as his eyes would follow her long enough as she parted her mouth, signaling she would agree to him. But her eyes would analyze him in confusion at this sudden attention made up of his sudden care that struck her as both erotic and terrifying as his eyes were haunting and intimidating; a reflection he saw within her own.

“I have searched for you...not to claim you to my bed or to my guillotine; although both lay in ready...I simply wish to know more...You have my word as long as you assist in this venture, you will be safe within these walls. I cannot guarantee it elsewhere...For if you broaden your step so much as the beach...you will come to know you are isolated on this isle and damned along with me.”

“I will ensure you are cared for as it appears we have only each other now...Sienna…” It would terrify her with the thought alone to trust someone like him. And yet, the only other man she had come to know to share this curse of the moon was the very man who left her a widow as well as the reason she was trembling now; not in fear of Adrian but of men in general-yet he was the first man to deny her in a legion of lascivious contenders who saw her as nothing more than a conquest.

Just as he saw something worth keeping alive in her, she saw something worth remaining for in him; far from shared lust, it was something that piqued her curiosity enough to not try for an escape again-at least for now...