The Beast Inside | ✓

3 | Yet I am a Beast

"So soon? But you only came back two days ago! We still have so much to talk about, so many things to do. How could you leave so quickly?" Arabella complained, giving her father a pained look.

"I'll come back before you know it, love. Jeff sent me a letter. He said there is a lot of trade in Alvania. I cannot afford to miss this opportunity, my dear," her father said, his heart breaking as he saw a tear run down his favorite and youngest daughter's cheek.

She was just like her mother, in looks and thoughts, and watching her cry felt like he was looking at his dear Annabelle cry.

"Now, tell me, dear, is there anything you want from Alvania?"

Jennifer, who was standing there with her arms wrapped around her husband, gasped before delightedly chattering.

"Oh, Bella, there must be something you want from Alvania. They have the most beautiful silk and I heard that the sheep there give golden wool. They also have the most beautiful flowers there, especially the roses, right, Papa? The place is beautiful and I wish we could come with you too, Papa. Bella, you surely should have to get something from there," she stated.

Bella stopped mentally sobbing and her ears perked. "Roses? Papa, is it true that there are roses in Alvania?" she asked with a hopeful heart.

Roses were her favorite flowers and every time she saw one, she was filled with hope and love. The first time she had seen a rose was when her friend from the city, Aurora, had given her as a parting gift.

One look at the rose made her feel that although she lost a dear friend, she should not lose the hope of making more.

Ever since, she had yearned to see more roses, particularly a rose that was completely white, with no spot of pink, red or any other colour. Completely pure and beautiful. If she could ever get such a beautiful rose, her longing will be fulfilled.

"Yes, there are, dear," her father replied.

"Oh, yes," Jennifer chipped in, "there are so many of them. And in so many different colours. Red, yellow, pink, white, so many different colours."

"Could you get me one? Just one completely white rose please, Papa?"

"Are you sure you only want a rose? Nothing else?" Jennifer asked curiously, wondering how her younger sister could be satisfied with getting just a single rose.

Arabella smiled sheepishly. "And maybe some books too?"

Her father chuckled at his bookworm daughter. "Of course, anything for my dear."

----

"A rose? Are you joking?" Diana asked incredulously.

Arabella turned away from the clothes she was placing on the washing line to look at her friend.

At the moment, Diana was supposed to be in her family's bakery but almost knocking the oven over had caused her father to ban her from there. Now, she had come to distract Arabella from her own tasks.

"Why? What's wrong with asking for a rose?" Arabella asked curiously.

"No, nothing is wrong except Alvania has millions of amazing things and you ask for a simple, ordinary rose. You could have asked your Papa for thousands of other things!"

"Yes, but I do not need anything else. Papa, like always, will get me my books and now, I get a rose too. There is nothing else I want or need," Arabella said, shrugging her shoulders and going back to hanging the clothes.

"Honestly, Bella, I am never going to understand how simple you are. On one side there is you, and then there is Jen, who just can't stop asking for things," Diana muttered, making Bella chastise her.

"Don't say that now, Dee! Jen is at home." Casting a look at the cottage, Bella continued, "You must understand, Jen is also Papa's daughter. She has just as much of the right to ask him for things as I do. Plus, she has a child on the way. She needs to get things for the babe too."

"But she acts like she is paying him to get her whatever she wants! She is a spoilt brat who never seemed to have grown up, despite getting married," Dee argued.

Bella frowned. "It is still not right. Also, Jen is my elder sister. As much as I hated her when we were younger and she used to steal my blankets at night because she felt cold, she has done too much for me that I feel guilty talking behind her back. Yes, she may not help out with the chores or act like the mistress of the house but she does much more than that. She brings joy to our family, like in the form of her songs, words, poems and now the beautiful baby.

It may seem small but in a place called home, happiness is important and she gives that to us. That is the most important thing that not even I can do, for only she can. So, please don't say she doesn't do anything, Dee, for she does more for our home than you and I can imagine."

Looking at the glare her best friend was sending her way, she admitted defeat. "Whatever you say, Bella," Diana mumbled, shrugging her shoulders.

Despite that, she still knew that no one could change her opinion of Jennifer.

----

So, what do you think of Chapter 3?

Question of the chapter: If you could go to anywhere in the world, where would you go??

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