Love Is Never Ugly

Chapter 19

Meanwhile back at the farm house Lucifer was sitting in his chair while hanging his head in grief. Ever since that morning he had awakened to find Charlotte gone and deduced that she had left to take his place, he had felt nothing except misery. Miserable that his dearest and most favored daughter, the only thing that remained of his first wife whom he had loved so much, had been savagely eaten by a beast. The thought of Charlotte suffering that fate made it nearly impossible for him to eat or sleep. It was unbearable.

His other daughter however shed no tears over losing Charlotte. In fact Helsa was utterly pleased that her rival for both beauty and suitors was seemingly gone for good. Of course she would play the role of the grief stricken sister in front of her father and the villagers but the wicked girl was by no means in mourning. Her pleasure was even furthered when all suitors who had desired Charlotte began to court her and because her father was much too overcome with heartache to care, she was able to sell some of his belongings and swipe his earnings to use as dowry. In no time at all she became engaged to a well off winery owner.

"Only a few more days and I can say farewell to this hell hole." Helsa said gazing at her reflection in the mirror, modeling off one of the expensive dresses her fiance had bought for her.

"Helsa you are truly a repulsive creature."  Scoffed the voice of her half brother. "How can you even smile knowing that Charlotte is in the clutches of a monster?"

"Oh Seviathan spare me with your lectures." She replied. "I've never made it a secret to you how I truly felt about Charlotte. So you can't really be surprised by my recent actions."

"And what does your father think of this?"

"He along with everyone else thinks that this marriage is just what I need to help me cope with the loss of my sainted sister."

"You don't know for certain that she's dead."

"Father made it perfectly clear that whoever would take his place was to be eaten by this beast. I think we can assume that Charlotte no longer lives."

"A beast." Seviathan chuckled. "Just what kind of beast did the old fool see? A bear or something?"

"Father never described him in detail. All he's told me is that the creature was ugly as sin and reeked of blood. But I'm curious brother dear, now that Charlotte is gone who are you going to pick to be your replacement bride?"

"No one from this village. I mean the females I've met here are willing to become my wife but they're all either too plain or too ugly. My father told me that men in our family will only accept the fairest of the fair. Mother for all her wretchedness was quite a prize in the looks department. That's why my father married her but he made one fatal mistake in choosing her."

"And what was that?"

"Mother was beautiful but crafty and defiant. She would not submit to Father's whim, she tried to dominate him, and steal his wealth. That's why their marriage fell apart."

"Well that and your father's infidelity. How many mistresses did he have again?"

"If Mother had only submitted then he would have had no need to seek comfort in other women. But I have learned from my father's mistake. I made sure that my bride would be beautiful yet submissive. Charlotte was perfect. Obeys every wish that your father gives her without one complaint and the same would go for me if she had become my wife."

"Didn't she reject you?"

"Yes." He seethed in humiliation. "But I am not defeated."

"Considering that she's dead now, you kind of are."

"Perhaps however we don't know if she's a hundred percent dead which opens a possible opportunity for me."

"I don't follow."