The Beast Inside | ✓

6 | So Is My Beastliness

As Richard continued to explore the place, he found a throne room with two thrones, designed to be fit for a King and Queen. Along with that, there was a ballroom, with a magnificent chandelier, and he could only imagine the luxurious balls that had been held there.

When he reached the dining room, Richard frowned. There was a feast laid out on the long dining table, with everything Richard always loved to eat. Roasted chicken, mango pudding, chocolate truffle cake and heaps more.

Closing his eyes, he thought about it for a moment. Was this food for him? After all, there seemed to be no one else in the castle. Then again, who must have made the food? Or perhaps, it was magic, just like the way the candles lit up in every room he went without anyone lighting them up.

With that though in his head, he decided that he would just have a little bit of the feast. If the owner of such a grand place did find him, at least he could say that he only had a small portion of everything.

Contrary to his thoughts, the moment Richard bit into the juicy meat, he could not control his ravenous appetite. By the time he was full, he had consumed almost half the table, food that was enough for at least four healthy adults.

Groaning, he stretched as he wondered how he would explain himself if the owner arrived. Then again, his conscious reprimanded, if the owner wanted to arrive, he would have come by now.

With the thought that nothing bad was going to happen to him, he laid his head on the table, exhausted after such a long day of riding.

He clutched his heavy bag closer to his chest as he dozed off, desperate to keep the items his daughters had asked him to bring back safe, along with the gold coins he earned in this trip.

Little did he know, if anyone in the house had actually aimed to take his belongings, they could have done it the moment he stepped into the house with out even alerting him about it.

When Richard awoke, he felt like a new man. For the first time in months, his belly had been full and he slept like a log. He wondered if there was something enchanting in the air around the castle, making it seem so safe for him.

Cautious to not let his guard down, he walked to one of the many wide windows, shaped like a diamond and bordered with glittering gold, and grinned when he realized the storm had finally passed.

Happy to get back on his way home, he rushed to the front door before whirling around and bowing his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much for your kind generosity," he said, his voice sounding louder as it echoed all of the castle.

With a final glance, Richard left the castle, bringing his horse out the stable which seemed to have been groomed and fed in his absence. He wondered why the people of the castle didn't seem to show themselves but left the matter behind him. He was already leaving, there was no need to think about the castle anymore.

As he walked his horse through the road leading to the huge metal gate that allowed passerbys into the castle, Richard halted.

Throughout his entire journey, he had been unable to find the only thing his daughter, Bella, had wanted; a pure white rose. Yet, standing proudly right in front of him was a rose garden, filled with white roses.

Unable to contain his joy, he shot the castle another look of gratitude, before stepping forward to pluck a single rose from the hundreds adorning the garden.

Immediately, a loud voice boomed around him.

"How dare you steal from my rose garden? I gave you everything and this is how you repay my generosity? Give me a reason why I should not dump you in my dungeons and torture you for betraying my kindness! TELL ME!" the voice demanded.

Richard could not move, both paralyzed by fear and surprised to see thorns about few feet tall growing out of the rose bushes throughout the garden.

"I-I apologize. It was f-for my d-daughter. I-I didn't mean to steal. T-truly," he admitted, shivering with fear.

"Your daughter?" The voice around him turned slightly softer.

"Y-yes. My youngest, Bella. She only wanted a white rose but I couldn't find it anywhere. I didn't want to break her heart by telling her I couldn't find it so w-when I saw it in your garden, I-I couldn't help taking it. I-I'm so sorry," Richard muttered, panting for breath as fear froze his lungs.

"How old is this daughter of yours?"

"T-twenty summers old," he replied, calming down as he thought of Arabella. Oh, his sweet, young Bella. Richard tensed as he heard a loud growl before the voice spoke again.

"I had thought of sending you home but your reason is not good enough! Daughter or not, you should have not stolen from my garden! Put him in the dungeons!" it commanded.

Richard couldn't see them but he could feel two pairs of hands dragging him back to the castle.

"No, wait, please! Just give me three days, I'll go back to my family and say my goodbyes and then, you can keep me. Please!" he begged.

The creature talking to him must have given some kind of silent order because the two invisible people dragging him removed their hands from his person.

"Three days and you will be back! If not, I will find this Bella of yours!" the creature warned.

Richard nodded his head vigorously, clutching the rose tightly in his palm.

"Leave!"

With that being said, Richard didn't need any more invitation to mount his horse and take off, riding far away from the castle.

With fear clouding his mind and apprehension in his every move, he returned home, but not even his beautiful daughters gushing over him and filling him with joy could stop him from dreading the moment he needed to go back to that vile place again.

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Question of the chapter: What was one of your most recent embarrassing moments?

I accidentally sang and danced in front of my new neighbour who was previously unaware of my horrible singing and dancing skills (this probably the millionth time this has happened to me though oOF)

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