The Hissing Beauty (Undergoing Edits)

Chapter 2

Jacque's POV:

I was trying my best to keep everything in order, but it was difficult when you are only a cat and some of the servants were now three or four times my size. I was trying to shout at them all when one of the suits of armor, a guard by the name of Stephen walked up next to me and shouted in a voice that seemed to echo from within his suit....or his body as it were.

"Thank you Stephen. Now everyone we must not panic and we must not lose hope. We all heard the curse." (Jac)

"And a curse it was, she will never find love. Even as beautiful as she was her heart was too hard for such a notion." (Jeffrey)

"It's not too hard dearie, she's just never let herself love anyone not in a long while." (June)

"Yes, quite right, thank you June. And we cannot think of that. She is still our princess, and our boss. Now the breaking of the curse is on her but it does not mean that we cannot help her when the time comes. We must not lose faith. We would not have been included in her curse if the enchanter meant for her to fail." (Jac.)

A low murmuring agreement went through the 40 or so servants turned objects in the hall. I was about to say something else when we all heard a loud crash, followed by breaking glass and another loud hissing yell come from her majesties wing of the castle.

"Jacque, perhaps you should take care of it." (Tricia)

"Quite right. Michelle where are you?"

I called forth the nurse that we kept at the castle at all times and was not that surprised to see a medical kit come rolling towards me with a few tears leaving her eyes as she faced me. The same tears that most of us are wearing right now. I nodded to her before pausing as we heard yet another crashing sound echo from the Princess's room. I sighed already knowing the wreckage we would find, especially since she did the same thing before the curse from time to time as well.

"I feel that she has probably done some damage to herself as well as her room. I will be needing you to come with me to her room but allow me to enter alone and enter only when called."

She seemed frozen for a moment and we both realized she couldn't nod in affirmation and another tear slipped down the front of her face, which was also the front of the kit, as she answered that she would. I slowly stood on my new four legs and made my way to the west wing of the castle where I heard yet another yell and more glass begin shattered just as I reached her door.

I entered to find her staring in front of what was once her largest mirror, though now it was in pieces around the floor. I saw her staring at herself in the last piece of mirror that was still hanging up before I walked any closer to her. There were tears falling from her eyes, and I saw that they and her hair were still the same. Though the tears fell onto a scale covered cheek and a forked tongue slide itself out of her mouth every few moments, the tips of her new fangs visible from her scaly lips.

Her hands with the talon like nails were clenched into fists by her side and I saw blood run down the cuts that were on both of them, knowing now that she broke the mirrors with her own hands. I stepped a bit closer avoiding the glass as best as I could, realizing she didn't even know I was in here with her yet. I cleared my throat but it sounded as if I just purred, good Lord that's different.

"Your majesty."

I paused at the sound of my own voice, still growing accustomed to it coming out more high pitched than I could have ever done before, as she looked up at me with a look of rage and pain rushing through her eyes. I took a step back in case she decided to take her anger out on me, knowing that as a cat I would not stand much chance.

"Your majesty, we must get Michelle to look at your hands. That is a lot of blood."

She said not a word to me as she stared at me, her chest heaving up and down with a visible amount of anger in each movement of her body. I took a step closer to her and was surprised when she took a step back from me.

"Get back."

"Your majesty?"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!?"

I watched as she turned away from me and slammed her fist into another mirror that was a few feet from us. It shattered just as she let out another hissing yell and I wished for hands to cover my ears as I heard it echo on the stone walls. I saw her shoulders heave as she sobbed into her arms, leaning against the dresser where the mirror once hung behind it.

"Amalie, please calm down!"

"STOP IT! Amalie is dead, she is no more! Can't you see that you stupid cat?!?"

"What would you have us call you then?"

I waited for her answer as she only stared at herself in the only piece of mirror still hanging, watching her own tongue act as it has a mind of its own. Her eyes flickered over to a small stack of books on her bedside table, the only thing she ever seemed to truly enjoy was reading. Her eyes flickered back to her image in the mirror before turning to face me.

"Sariff."

"But that means-"

"Snake. Yes. It is what I am now. Now get out!"

"Not until you allow Michelle to look at your hands."

I heard her let out another angry hiss before she turned away from me nodding only once and walking towards the bed. She stopped and kicked a vanity over with yet another mirror on it, seeming satisfied when she heard it shatter into pieces among the room. She sat down on the side of the bed and wiped her tears with her sleeve that wasn't covered in blood before she looked at me.

"Who are you anyway?"

"It's me, Jacque."

I watched as her face morphed into one of disbelief then guilt replaced it as she looked at me. I stepped closer to her and jumped up next to her on the bed. Placing one of my new paws gently on her leg as I looked at my old friend.

"Jacque.....I.......I......."

I saw her struggle with the words that I knew she was not yet ready to utter , so I simply nodded to let her know that I understood her remorse. I called for Michelle to come in and yet another look of remorse and guilt overtook her face before she closed her eyes and looked away from both of us, staring instead at the wall. A few moments later and the princess's hands were doctored and wrapped in bandages while I went down to set the rest of the house in order. We still had jobs to do after all.