BEAUTY AND THE BEAST [RICKY HORROR]

Chapter 3: Oh, Abigail, How Could You Do This To Us?

Dusk's POV

I sat up and stretched, my black silk sheets pooling around my body on the enormous queen bed. I scratched my head and giggled to myself as last night's events came rushing back in a very colorful, very noisy flood.

My mother, without warning, swept into my room in a swirl of heavy Opium perfume, swathes of burgundy velvet, and a few clusters of diamond pinned here and there in various forms of jewlery.

"Well, how was the ball? Did you meet anyone? Anyone special? Did you just hide away like I told you NOT to?" She chattered, hitting me with an enormous barrage of questions before I was even fully awake.

"It was fine mother, yes I met someone, yes he was special, and no, I didn't hide away from everyone like usual." I answered all of her questions at once, one after another.

Her mouth dropped open, and it seemed for a minute that she had forgotten how to close it. Then, the dam broke and another even larger torrent of questions came flooding out of her mouth.

"Who was he? What was his name? Was he anyone important? How did you meet him? When? Where?"

"He was Prince Ricky, yes, he was important, I met him hiding in a balcony above the ballroom, almost right after he got there, and...yeah."

My mother almost couldn't contain herself, bursting with joy.

"DUSK TRUEBLOOD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR US?! YOU MET THE PRINCE! DID HE LIKE YOU!? Well...who would like you anyway?"

Her words hurt. A lot. As if to underscore her statement, a messenger came bursting in without knocking.

"My apologies, Ladies Trueblood," He gasped, bowing hastily. "I have a message from His Royal Majesty the Prince himself. It's addressed to you."

My mother ripped it from his hands. Ripping the blood red ribbon off, she tore it open.

To Lord Alistaire Trueblood and/or Lady Abigail Trueblood,

By order of H.R.M. Prince Richard of Korona, the LADY DUSK TRUEBLOOD is to come to Palace Le Noir for the foreseeable future ALONE for reasons that His Majesty shall explain to LADY DUSK upon her arrival to Palace Le Noir (A/N Noir means black in French. Carry on. Sorry for interrupting.). Lady Dusk shall be the only one who is to come. NO OTHERS/EXCEPTIONS.

Reguards,

Ammon Dresall, Magistrate to His Majesty

I got to deliciously enjoy the look of pure horror, disappointment, anger, and jealousy for about zero seconds before she erupted like a goddamn volcano.

"WHY THE HELL WOULD HIS MAJESTY PICK A STUPID BITCH LIKE YOU?! AT VERY LEAST HE SHOULD LET THE REST OF THE TRUEBLOODS COME ALSO?! NO. I WON'T ALLOW IT! HE'LL LET THE ENTIRETY OF OUR GOOD NAME COME, NOT THE DISGRACEFUL LITTLE WAIF ONLY, OR NO DEAL!"

My mother swept out of the room like an angry tornado, slamming the heavy door behind her.

Well, now I knew exactly what she thought of me. And even though I had enjoyed Ricky's company, I had no designs on returning back to Le Noir. Sure, he had acted like a gentleman at his ball, but the horror (no pun intended) stories had to come from somewhere.

Then, like lightning, it struck me. This was all my Mother's fault. SHE was the one who forced me to go, SHE was the one who practically invited us to the ball, not my often quailing father who just stayed out of her way.

Abigail Trueblood was a fucking witch. And there was nothing I could do about it.

I crept out of bed and wrapped a grey silk robe around me, padding out of my room and down the enormous grand staircase, stopping at one enormous gargoyle that crowned the banister.