A Rose for the Beast

Leap Of Faith

Rosalie slipped to the side, flattening herself against the wall just as the guards barreled straight for her. They ran head first into the doors leading to Michel's bedchamber, narrowly missing her. The wood splintered open and the two men fell limp onto the broken pieces of oak.

Climbing through the opening, Rosalie spotted the covered object in the corner. She crossed the blanket of roses covering the center of the room, bypassing the various debris scattered around. As she drew near, the light seeping from underneath the cloth grew in intensity. She swallowed back her apprehension, reaching her hand out to grab the top edge of the covering.

She yanked the cover away, tossing it behind her carelessly while her eyes stayed on the mirror before her. Red mahogany framed the glass oval. The carved picture at the top showed a magnificent waterfall, the wood sweeping down in waves on the sides. The fine details were intriguing, but not as much as her reflection.

Instead of the torn clothes, dirty skin, and unkept hair, Rosalie saw herself as someone completely different.

Or rather, herself in a different life.

Her reflection appeared majestic with her brown hair curled and pinned up high, cradled by a shimmering ruby and diamond tiara that matched the necklace draped around her neck. A pair of red rose buds hung from each ear. An emerald encrusted band wrapped around her wrist, shaped like a thorny stem with a single rose blooming at the center.

The reflection wore a yellow gown that had a sheer golden lace covering the satin material. Several red roses adorned the flowing skirts, adding to the floral ensemble. She twisted a few times, watching the mirror image of herself in amazement.

The sound of a door crashing open came from the hallway, distracting Rosalie from the mirror. She looked back and heard Magda screeching orders incoherently, then a stampede of footsteps emerged from further down the hall.

She backed up, rounding the mirror so it was at her front and she could just see over the top. Though confused and enthralled, she didn't dare gaze at the reflection again, no matter how alluring the magic was.

Someone kicked down the remaining pieces of door still attached to the frame. The destruction cracked throughout the room, startling Rosalie. The person stepped through, slight surprise coming over their face when they saw her. She scowled in return.

"Chére! You're more cunning than I gave you credit for."

"Go to hell, Bastien," she said, glancing behind him at the numerous guards waiting to pounce.

Bastien raised his brow and looked behind him. He turned back with a smile.

"Don't worry about them," he said with a wave of his hand. The cloaked men retreated, leaving Rosalie alone with him.

"You see, her majesty has determined the perfect punishment for you, Chére. You'll be mine after she and the beast are wed. Our ceremony will be tomorrow evening, the final night of the full moon. Isn't it romantic?"

The sinister smirk and narrowed gaze betrayed his light tone. She forced back the urge to gag.

"You're delirious if you think I would ever agree to that!," she spat out.

"No, I suspect you wouldn't. But, with the Queen marrying Michel, she becomes ruler of BelleMontagne. She will have the power to make our marriage official, with or without your consent. We'll live out our days in the forest happily, forevermore," he said as he started moving toward her.

Rosalie searched for anything within reach, but the only thing around her was the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed it on both sides. Bastien stopped with a wary glance at the tall object.

"Don't!," he warned.

"Give me one good reason why not," she challenged.

Bastien glared at her and she noticed his jaw tick. He tensed as if he were about to make a move. She feigned pushing the mirror, tilting it just enough to stop him. He raised his hands up rapidly in surrender.

"Wait! Okay! All I know is that it binds Michel's beast to the full moon."

She squinted skeptically, "Bind's him how?"

He reached back and rubbed his neck nervously, "I don't know. It has something to do with her magic. If you break it, Michel will lose control and you'll unleash the beast on us all."

The information shocked Rosalie. She didn't understand how she was supposed to use the mirror to defeat Magda when it was the only thing keeping Michel relatively human. She bit her lip and gripped the mirror tightly. Comprehension dawned on her at the same time that Bastien lunged toward her.

She shoved the mirror at him. He twisted to try to dodge it, but it hit his elbow with enough force to shatter the glass. The shards rained down on him as he threw his arms up to shelter the back of his head. An eerie green smoke evaporated into the air as the broken pieces settled on the floor. Rosalie snatched up the biggest shard she could find, then turned toward the doorway.

Several hunters blocked off the hallway, slowly entering the room. She glanced down to see Bastien quickly recovering to stand up.

Rosalie took several steps backward until she felt the cold air wrap around her. She peered back and realized she had reached the balcony. Taking a quick glance over the edge, she figured a two or three storey drop lay beyond the snow covered banister at her back.

Her heart rate increased as the men started coming closer. She carefully put the broken mirror into the folds of her dress and climbed on top of the handrail, glaring at the cloaked hunters. Most of them just sneered at her actions. Only Bastien seemed concerned, but she knew it wasn't out of affection.

Snowflakes fell onto her hair and face, chilling her skin and making her shiver. The song of morning birds echoed through the forest. The light of dawn painted the frozen trees in hues of pink and purple.

A pain-filled roar exploded from deep inside the castle, shattering the tranquil scenery. Rosalie nearly cried out in response to his discovery of her betrayal. If she didn't find a way out of there and break the curse, she will have made him a permanent monster.

Bastien took the first step out onto the balcony, booted foot crunching into the snow. The sound tore her from her thoughts. She silently begged Michel for forgiveness. Squeezing her eyes shut, she jumped back and off the balcony.

Rosalie heard Bastien yell her name, then another crazed bellow from the beast as she plunged down into the wintery depths below.