A Rose for the Beast

Safety Within The Library

The yells of vendors promoting the goods they hoped to sell and the chatter of villagers filled the cobblestone streets of the marketplace. Wooden stocks lined each path, filled with various foods, wines, linens, and clothing.

Rosalie quickly bought several items; rations for her father's journey, vegetables and pork tenderloin to make a hearty stew for dinner, a few pieces of tanned hide to finish the clothes she'd been making, and a new spindle for her spinning wheel to replace the one she'd broken recently.

After shopping, she made her way through the small crowd to the tiny building on the corner. A sign hanging above the door with elaborate letters read 'Bibliothèque de la Pascal', welcoming all who entered Pascal's Library. She grinned, pulling the book she'd borrowed a few days earlier from the basket she carried.

Just as she went to climb the three steps leading to the library, a rather large gentleman stepped in her way. She tried to ignore his masculine musk and the smell of death coating the hunter's body. Rosalie's green eyes shifted up to a carcass draped over the man's shoulder, blood dripping to the ground steadily. The sight of its majestic antlers bobbing with the man's movements made her sick with grief. Such an animal should never have been killed for sport.

Bastien, the village's number one hunter. He held the same title for his ego. The man could step on a fly and would demand praise for it. She mourned for the animals stacked on his walls, few of which were killed for survival purposes. He did it strictly for entertainment.

"Rosalie, chére. You shouldn't be on these streets without an escort. Allow me to lead you wherever you want to be. Perhaps we could go to my cottage and I could cook you this plump buck," he said as he slapped a hand against the dead animal, causing the head to rock back and forth.

Rosalie almost puked on his leather boots at the thought of going anywhere with him. She always remained civil for her father's sake. They couldn't afford to leave and they relied on the village to sustain a living. If the hunter turned against them, the entire town would, too.

"Bastien, I'm afraid I've already made plans for dinner and my father has his trip soon, so-"

"Right," he said, cutting her off, "Then, I will join you and your father for dinner! Thank you for the invitation."

Rosalie's eyes bulged and her mouth dropped open at his audacity.

"Wait, no. I didn't-," she tried to say, only to be rudely interrupted again.

"Joseph!," he called to his young apprentice, "Come, take my fresh kill and mount those antlers. I want everyone to see the evidence of my manliness."

The scrawny, young man stumbled forward and struggled to take on the massive weight of the dead animal. His jagged red hair shifted to fall over his face. He tossed his head back several times in an unsuccessful and awkward attempt to get the locks to move from his sight.

"And the meat, sir Bastien?," he asked in a huff of breath.

"Toss it into the woods. The wolves will find the scraps eventually."

Rosalie narrowed her gaze on the hunter. Wasteful and Egotistical. She hadn't ever really been one to judge before, but she truly hated that man.

"The woods...As in the dark forest?," Joseph asked shakily, fear evident in his tone.

"Don't be foolish, boy. There are no beasts in there, save for the wolves and bears," Bastien stated.

"But, wolves and bears have sharp teeth and are just as scary," Joseph whined as his eyes darted from his employer to the dark forest.

As Bastien began citing his experience in the woods, a crowd started to gather, listening intently to his tales of adventure. In truth, Rosalie was jealous of some of the hunter's experiences, but she'd never admit it to him. His head was already big enough without her inflating his ego any further.

Rosalie wasn't too keen on sticking around to hear about his escapades. The clouds overhead were getting darker by the hour and she'd had enough of Bastien's overconfident tone.

With everyone distracted, she slipped behind the crowd and snuck into the library without being seen. She could be at ease within the safety of the library. Or, so she thought. Her stomach churned at the sound of his voice.

"I'll see you tonight, chère!," Bastien's called from the street just as the door closed behind her.

She wondered if it was too much to ask that the storm would come and flood his cottage? Any excuse to avoid another interaction with Bastien the Bastard.