Morgana - A Tale of Beauty And The Beast

Chapter Four

Chapter 04

HE arrived in less than half a day, as if he had been magicked there by the horse or the beast itself. He was too distraught to even feel the hunger in his belly or the weariness in his bones. The first to see the silvery white horse approach was his Morgana who had been hanging laundry out upon the limbs of trees to dry. Her sisters who had been lounging in the shaded parts of the yard, saw him next and came running. Morgana knew it was with anticipation over their gifts, not with the urgency to see her father. Morgana on the other hand, missed him and only she had noticed the grave look on his eyes, and the repaired clothing. Above all, she noticed the horse. It was a witch's horse she was sure, or one of the Gytrash (also known as elves). It was not black, but it's color was not ordinary. She knew her sisters would think he swapped their Fae horse for this one – but Morgana knew her father's ties to that horse. It had been her mother's, descended from the first unicorns. Over time the horn on it had been removed as the humans began hunting the treasured and gentle creatures. Now only a few remained.

As her father came nearer she seen there was no food, no flask. Nothing to sustain him, and she immediately went inside to fetch dew water and food. She came back out and found her sisters bombarding her father, one on each arm, with questions about his trip, then about where their things were. The questions turned to accusations, and whines and cries of disappointment. But she noticed there were no questions about the strange horse, or how he was faring.

She shook her head and walked out, and upon handing her father the dew water asked, "Are you all right father? What has happened to you?"

He stopped walking and hung his head, "Forgive me Morgana, I was only able to bring you this – and at a great cost." He took in a deep breath, and recounted his tale again about the trolls, then with an uncomfortable look on his face, and much twisting in the spot, he told her about the Beast. "I must return in three days, daughters. Or else he will come for me, and The Unseen One preserve us, kill me and possibly all of you as well."

"Could he, Father? After all, we are not mere mortals," asked his eldest daughter with a smirk on her face.

He looked at her sternly and said, "Yes, my dear, I really believe he could. He is a cursed beast. A Fae himself, I believe. A high Fae."

The daughters exchanged frightened glances with one another, then both turned on Morgana.

"It's because YOU asked for that stupid rose!"

"Father is going to have to be exiled to some enchanted castle. God knows what that... that THING will make of him!"

"You..."

"You..."

They said the word together and a shout over them from their father silenced them a moment later, "SHUT UP!!! Both of you! I need to take away memories of you in joy, not in harsh words and fierce tempers! Your sister did not know what would happen. That was Vivenne's place."

The mention of their mother silenced them into stupor. Their father hardly ever spoke of her. He shook his head, grabbed the cheese and grapes Morgana was cradling in her hands and strode inside, obviously annoyed. Her sisters gave her a look that could bring the frost of winter to the green hills around them on the spot. Jealousy was a cruel teacher. One that Morgana slowly learned to hate as she grew up. Morgana had always been their father's favorite child. She had also been the only one that Titiana had blessed. Finally, she was also the only one that showed multiple talents – the only one with a chance at being seen in Oberon's court. She knew her sisters would find ways to make her life hell until she left hearth and home to find her own way from now on. Leave, she knew she must.