A Rose for the Beast

Mysterious Intruders

Without a moment's hesitation, Rosalie slammed the large door closed with all her might. The green cloaked figures had no time to react as the door shut in their faces accompanied by a loud bang. She shoved the nearby table and bench in front of the doors, forming a pitiful excuse for reinforcement.

Turning and sprinting back around the stairway, Rosalie entered the dining area, completely filled with dread. Michel had moved to sit back in his chair at the end of the table. His head lay buried in his hands. He looked up when she came in and immediately stood, alerted by the distress plastered on her face.

"What's going on?"

She heard the front door crash open. In a rush, she pulled the dining room doors closed, grabbing a candelebra to put between the knobs. She knew it wouldn't do much to stop them. Rosalie ran over and grabbed Michel's arm.

"Some men in green hunter's gear are outside. They have murderous intent."

He pulled a hidden blade from his waistband just as the green bandits shoved the dining room doors open.

"Ah, look boys! The queen will be pleased that her wild animal is back in his cage," said one of the masked men.

"She'll be happier after we punish him for running off," another hunter chimed in.

Michel lifted his arm and pushed her back slightly, sheilding her from the intruders. She waited for him to engage in battle or at least call on his staff or wolves to help. He didn't move at all and noone came to rescue them.

A much larger hunter entered the dining area, dragging something behind him. He drew his mask down to reveal a plump face and sunken brown eyes. The hunter pulled a leg from a baked turkey on the table and bit into the meat, sucking the juices as he gnawed on it. When he turned, Rosalie saw the feathered end of a bird hanging from the hunter's grip. Michel tensed as Rosalie gasped.

"Michel...," she whispered as her fingers dug into his arm, but he ignored her.

The hunter tossed the crane's limp body onto the table. Rosalie covered her mouth with her hands, tears gleaming in her eyes. When Ms. Plume weakly flapped one wing, Rosalie was relieved that the motherly bird hadn't been killed by those green tyrants.

"Enough. Release my staff and cause no harm to my guest. I'll accept my punishment willingly."

The husky hunter laughed, spewing chunks of food in every direction and making his giant belly bounce up and down.

"Loose ends wouldn't settle well with the Queen, as you well know, Duchesne. She's grown bored with you and your household."

"Magda is no queen and I don't give a shit what she thinks," Michel spat out.

The atmosphere shifted into a dangerous climate with just that one insult. The tension thickened when the hunters displayed their weapons and formed two lines on either side of the table. That's when Michel made his move.

He threw his dagger high in the air to hit the base of the chandelier. With a loud crack, it fell onto the hard oak and shattered, shooting glass shards in all directions. Michel covered Rosalie with his body, scooping up one of the large platters he had knocked off the table earlier.

"Stay down and don't move until I tell you to," he breathed into her ear.

When the broken glass stopped raining down, he jumped up onto the table and flung the platter at the left group of men. The heavy metal clanged as it rebounded off one hooded head to another, knocking the men unconscious as it went. Michel pulled the carving knife from the turkey and tossed it into the one hunter remaining on that side. The blade embedded in the man's leg, forcing him to fall with a pain-filled groan to the ground.

Rosalie peeked over the table to watch, fascinated by Michel's agility and strength. She winced as he jumped up and tackled the hunters on the right side. He managed to hold his own as he blocked every strike while pummeling those around him.

"Useless!," the fat hunter yelled as he pulled a small horn from his cloak.

Michel cursed as the hunter blew into the instrument to call in reinforcements. She looked on in amazement as Michel lifted one of the men and tossed him at the big hunter, sending them plummeting to the floor.

He climbed over the fallen bodies to Rosalie, pulling her to a corner. Reaching behind one of the beverage tables, she heard something click when he touched it. Then, the corner wall slid open to a hidden spiral staircase.

"This leads to a safe room in the West Wing. Stay there, no matter what. My staff will find you when it's safe," he rapidly explained while pushing her up the stairs.

"Wait!," she protested, spinning to look down at him, "What about you?"

After his huge tantrum, she shouldn't be concerned with him. But he hadn't tried to chase her down when she wanted to leave. Nor had he attempted to harm her. In fact, every one of his actions seemed to be intended to protect her. She didn't want to see him hurt.

Michel gave her a forced smile, placing his head against hers.

"Don't fret for me, chére. Your safety is of the highest priority," he said softly.

The unexpected shared intimacy scared her. Why did they want to kill him? What if he didn't come back? He stunned her further by gently placing a chaste kiss upon her lips.

"Go," he said quietly, then pulled away and activated the mechanism to close the hidden passage.

The wall sealed her inside, stealing the light and shrouding her in shadows. Rosalie listened in complete darkness for a moment to the muffled groans and sounds of fighting. Had Michel challenged the big hunter? The walls vibrated when impacted by something large and heavy. Dust trickled down, forming a dark cloud around her.

She held tightly onto the hope that Michel would be fine as she turned and carefully followed the stairs upward. A single door waited for her at the top. Rosalie entered the room and closed the door behind her, shadows closing in on her instantly.

After feeling her way around the room, she found no windows or any source of light. She didn't feel any kind of handles or knobs leading to an exit.

Placing her back against one wall, she slid to the floor. She had wanted an adventure and she'd gotten one; a very dangerous and frightful journey that she could never have imagined. Plagued by despair and doubts that Michel might not return because of her, she wished she had never run into the forest.

She yearned to be back in her modest home, reading a book while her father tinkered with his inventions, away from the violence and uncertainty.

Surrounded by darkness, Rosalie cried silently, her quiet sobs softly echoing around the empty space.