Steel Roses

The Gallery

Beldon considered going back to the mirror over the next week... but he didn't. He had been gone nearly a month, he didn't want to see them quite so happy and settled without him, and that just made him feel guilty. The whole point of coming to the castle was so they could be happy. After giving such grandiose speeches about only wanting their happiness when he arrived, he couldn't well wish for their sadness now.

Instead, he found himself outside the portrait gallery he had found before, armed with candles this time. Pushing open the walls, he lit a candle and stepped in.

His footsteps echoed away into the darkness, giving him an idea of just how big the gallery was.

Holding up the candle, he could see the ends of huge portraits that were so tall, the candle light couldn't illuminate the faces. He looked to the names of the portraits.

They were all of royals and nobles.

He made his way down the hall, noting each name.

Lord Raymond. Lord Joseph. Lady Samantha. Lady Serephina. Prince Antony. Princess Elizabeth. Princess Josephine. Prince Brayden. Prince Luka. Princess Briar. Prince Grey. Duke Hammonton. Baroness Winston. Duchess Naples.

On and on the names went and he was only looking at one wall. There were solo portraits, family portraits, pairs and groups.

He dropped onto one of the sofas that was dispersed through the gallery and was instantly drowned in a cloud of dust that exploded up from the seat, making him choke and gag, waving a hand in front of his face. For goodness sake, this wing needed such a clean! Heck, maybe he should do it; it'd give him something to do with his days! A purpose!

He sneezed about six times in quick succession before the dust finally settled and he could sit without being assaulted. He looked at the portrait he was sat before. Prince Brayden. Prince Luka. Prince Grey. Princess Briar. A group portrait, he was going to assume they were siblings though he couldn't see their faces.

They were the most common names he came across - and for some reason the names rang a bell, though he couldn't place why. They had to have been residents of the castle at some point. There was no date to the portrait but he knew it was from a very, very long time ago because of the bit of fashion that was illuminated by the candle light. The men wore clothes much like his own - men's clothing hadn't changed that drastically over the centuries, but the lady's clothes were from a completely different era, though he couldn't be sure which era, he would need Marie-Fey for that.

He looked up into the darkness, where the faces of the figures were hidden, wondering what they looked like, who they had once been, what had happened to them and how The Beast had come to reside in their castle. Maybe he would find some tools and prise the windows open to let sunlight in again.

He stood up, brushing his fingers across the name plate of a portrait for Prince Brayden, looking up.

"So who are you?" he muttered, "... and why are there no portraits in the rest of the castle?"

His family manor had been filled with paintings of his family and ancestors, and yet in this castle, nothing. That had to add to the empty feeling of the castle; there was no sense of family.

Who were The Beast's family anyway? Surely he had some. Didn't they wonder what had become of him? Weren't they worried?

He thought back to what Vanessa had said, about how long it had been since the curse had befallen them.

Were his family even alive still?

His brow creased at the thought. Such a lonely thought.

In the distance he heard a clock chime and turned away, picking up the candle, he would come back another time and examine things again. Now it was time for dinner.