Steel Roses

The Rose Room

"The East Wing will belong to you," The Beast said as they slowly made their way down a shadowed hall, cold moonlight illuminating the roses that snaked the walls yet still cast shadows over the towering cloaked figure who walked in front of Beldon. "You may go anywhere you so choose there. The same applies to the rest of the castle less the doors are locked."

"Does anyone else live here with you?" Beldon asked, looking out of a window. They were so high up yet were only on the second floor. They were in the wing that looked out over forest and orchards.

"There are the servants," The Beast said, "You may perhaps see them around."

"What about your family?'

"Your rooms were decked out for that of a lady – as you were not expected – they will be altered if you should choose it. Clothes will be provided."

"What will I do all day?"

"Whate'er you so desire."

"What do you do all day?"

"You shall join me for dinner at seven o'clock each night, that is your only duty, and do not be late, I do not care for lack of punctuality. Tonight a meal will be in your room, from then on you will find our dining hall in the West Wing."

They turned a corner and there was nothing but a large double door at the end, roses hanging about it.

The Beast opened the door and stepped back into the shadows.

Beldon glanced up at him, then walked through.

"You may walk the grounds, but you never again walk beyond the edge of the forest and leave my land," The Beast said.

Beldon's eyes widened. "Wait!" he said, whirling around and the door closed on him. He wrenched it open and froze. The corridor was empty, moonlight filtering through where there had been none before, illuminating the cold motionless hall.

Beldon let out a breath, gripping the doorframe. "You can't make me a prisoner!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the halls, before he slammed the door closed again, glaring at the floor. "I could just leave," he hissed, "You couldn't stop me."

"Oh but he could, my dear."

Beldon shot a foot in the air as he looked up at the voice. Candle lights flared into life around the room and he stared. It was huge, with arching marble pillars throughout the room, splitting it into sections, and more rooms branched off from it, out onto balconies, into small gardens, into moonlit pools that glowed an eerie blue in the darkness, mirrors hanging or leaning about the different rooms – surely more then needed. The windows looked down on the forest and the orchard. There was a dining area with a large silvered lidded platter in the centre of one of the tables and the bed was like nothing he had ever seen before. It was huge, easily fitting four or five people, with drapes of silk hanging about it. And roses, so many roses in vases around the room.

"Who's there?" Beldon said, his eyes narrowing.

The soft female voice sounded again, a laugh this time. "Just a servant," she said, "You'll find me in the dressing room."

Inching forwards, Beldon looked through three different rooms first before he found the dressing room.

He sighed.

His sisters would have killed for the chance to wear the dresses that lined the walls. The envy of the courts, these dresses would have been a godsend to any lady attending the next season.

And what exactly was he supposed to do with them?

"Pretty one, aren't you?"

Beldon jumped and looked around the room, but there were just dresses and mirrors.