The Beauty Within

The Castle and a Beast

Keith rolled his eyes and went back to his reading. Lotor hopped over the stone fence in front of the house and stood in Keith's path.

"Hello, Keith," Lotor said and stepped behind him.

"Hello, Lotor," Keith said as he continued to walk by the man, though was stopped when Lotor grabbed his book out of his hands. "Lotor, can I have book back?" Keith asked with a soft glare to the man.

"How can you read this? There's no pictures!" Lotor said as he flipped through the pages of the book.

"Well, some people use their imagination," Keith answered as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Keith, it's about time you got your head out of those books and paid attention to more important things," Lotor said as he tossed the book away. The book landing in a mud puddle a few feet away. Keith went to grab the book but was stopped by Lotor in his path. "Like me!"

Keith turned at the sound of sighing and saw Shay, Nyma, and Florona standing a few feet away. Their gazes locked on Lotor with dreamy eyes.

"The whole town's talking about it," Lotor commented as Keith plucked the book from the mud and stood up. "It's not right for men like us to read."

"Lotor, you are positively primeval," Keith said with a roll of his eyes. He pulled a white cloth out from his pant pocket and started to wipe away the mud off the book.

"Why thank you Keith," Lotor said brushing the comment away and wrapping an arm around Keith's waist. " Hey, whaddya say you and me take a walk over to the tavern and have a look at my hunting trophies?" Lotor said as he started to pull the other boy in the direction of the tavern, pulling his book out of his grip once more.

"Maybe some other time," Keith said as he went to reach for his book.

"What's wrong with him?" Florona asked as the pair walked by.

""Hee's crazy!" Nyma commented.

"He's gorgeous!" Shay added as she let out a sigh.

"Please, Lotor. I can't. I have to get home and help my uncle," Keith said as he pulled his book out of Lotor's grasp and backed out of his hold.

"Ha ha ha, that crazy old loon, he need all the help he can get!" Varkon commented as he walked up to Lotor's side. The pair laughing at his comment.

"Don't you talk about my uncle that way!" Keith snapped with a heated glare to the pair.

"Yeah, don't talk about her uncle that way!" Lotor snapped and conked Varkon on the top of his head.

"My uncle's not crazy! He's a genius!" Keith said as he placed his book into his basket and glared at the two. An explosion from the cottage directed the trio's attention behind them. Keith quickly ran back over the bride. Lotor and Varkon's laughter fading behind him.

_______________________________________________________

Smoke was coming out of the basement of the cottage. Keith quickly opened the wooden doros of the basement and winced at the smoke. Keith coughed at the amount of smoke and headed down the stairs.

"Uncle Coran?" Keith called out as the smoke slowly started to clear.

"How on earth did that happen? Quiznak!" Coran yelled out as he stood himself back up as the some finally cleared up.

Coran was a man in his early thirties with lightly tanned skin, ginger hair that was tied into a ponytail, purple eyes, and a moustache. He was dressed in a pair of black pants, a white shirt, a blue jacket, and brown boots. Overtop he wore his work apron.