Chapter Four: Hopeless
Meanwhile, in a tavern back in Eraklyon, Valtor sat depressed, sipping root beer and sulking.
"How dare Bloom reject me. I was humiliated in front of the entire town." he replied.
"Do you want some more root beer, Valtor?" Darcy asked him.
"Why, it won't help. I'm a failure." Valtor sighed.
"Come on, you need to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again." she encouraged him. Suddenly, Mike ran into the tavern, waving her arms like crazy.
"Bloom, my sweet young daughter has been captured!" he cried out.
"Mike?" one of the men in the tavern asked in surprise.
"Whoa, slow down Mike, who captured Bloom?" Valtor asked.
"A big horrible, ferocious beast! He's got her locked up in the dungeon. You have to help me!" Mike explained in horror, but all the other men in the tavern began laughing hysterically. Mike began to get frustrated that no one believed him.
"Yeah Mike, we'll help you out." Valtor laughed as men from the tavern throw him out in the snow bank.
"Good old Mike, he always makes us laugh." a man chuckled, passing Valtor. He sat next to Darcy, beginning to thing.
"Good old Mike…" he thought, "I've been thinking Darcy, and Mike is Bloom's father?"
"Yes." answered Darcy, "so?"
"So, I thought of a plan." Valtor continued.
"Tell me about it." she replied, then he whispered in her ear. After hearing his plan, the both began to cackle. Outside, Mike brushed himself off from the snow.
"Oh, my poor Bloom! Why won't anyone help rescue her!" Mike called out!
Bloom had continued to sob for hours, until she heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" she asked in tears.
"It's me, sweetheart. Ms Faragonda." a grandmotherly voice answered her warmly. As Bloom opened the door, the tea pot bounced in the room, followed by Lockette the tea cup.
"I thought you might like some tea." Ms Faragonda replied.
"But you… you're a-" Bloom stuttered, amazed that Ms Faragonda was actually a tea pot. She backed up in surprise and accidentally bumped into, and work up, a sleeping wardrobe.
"Careful there, darling." the wardrobe replied cheerfully.
"This… this is impossible." Bloom continued to stutter.
"Yeah, it my seem impossible, but here we are." the wardrobe answer.
"She's so pretty." Lockette whispered.
"Yes she definitely is." Ms Faragonda agreed, pouring hot tea into Lockette, "Easy now, don't spill."
"Thank you." Bloom replied, wiping her tears away, then she sipped slowly from Lockette's rim.
"Wanna see a trick?" Lockette asked excitedly, then she blow bubbles from the tea within her. All Bloom could do was smile at the young tea cup.
"You are so cute." Bloom replied, now happier.
"Lockette, that's a waste of good tea." Ms Faragonda scolded her.
"Sorry Grandma." Lockette sighed.
"You were so brave, sweetheart." Ms Faragonda told Bloom.
"We all agree." the wardrobe added.
"I've lost everything, my dad… my freedom, and my dreams." Bloom began to sob once again.
"Oh, come now sweetheart. Everything will turn out for the better." Ms Faragonda tried to encourage her with her warm smile, "Oh listen to me, yapping away while you have dinner waiting." So, Ms Faragonda and Lockette left so the wardrobe could help Bloom get ready.
"Now, my name is Stella, the mistress of fashion." the wardrobe introduced herself, "Let's pick you out a stunning dress to wear to dinner. Oh, this one is perfect." she used her drawers to grab it.
"Thank you Stella, but I'm not going to dinner." Bloom replied softly.
"Oh, you have to!" Stella protested. Then, Saladin opened the door nervously
"Dinner is ready." He stammered.
Fifteen minutes later, Sky paced by the fire place uncontrollably.
"I told her to come, why hasn't she came yet!" he snapped.
"Please be patient, she's lost her father and her freedom so fast." Ms Faragonda replied.
"Master, if I may interrupt… have you considered the fact that she might be the one to break our curse?" Palladium asked nervously.
"Yes I have!" Sky snapped.
"Good, now if you fall in love with her, she'll fall in love with you. Then, poof, we'll be human by morning." Palladium added.
"It's not that simple." Ms Faragonda whispered to Palladium, "it takes time."
"But the enchanted rose is wilting." Palladium protested, "We don't have that much time."
"Why bother, she's gorgeous, and I'm… well look!" Sky exclaimed.
"You got to help her look past appearances." Ms Faragonda told him.
"I wouldn't know how." Sky retorted.
"Well first of all you have to look presentable, straighten up, look like a gentlemen." she began.
"And when she comes in, give her a dashing smile." Palladium added, "Come on, show me." He smiled, but all his fangs showed when he tried.
"Now, now, don't frighten her," Ms Faragonda continued.
"Show her your skills." Palladium added.
"But be gentle to her." Faragonda insisted.
"Compliment her." Palladium told him.
"But sincerely." Ms Faragonda added.
"And above all matters," Palladium began.
"Control your temper!" they both shouted. Then, they turned to the doorway, where they thought Bloom was about to enter.
"Here she is." Palladium whispered. Then Saladin peeked himself through the door.
"Where is she?" Sky asked, seeing his nervous expression.
"Well… she is… she is… she's not coming." Saladin stammered.
"What!" Sky's roar echoed throughout the castle as he stormed up the stairs,
"Wait… wait master!" Saladin, Palladium and Ms Faragonda called after him. He marched up to the bedroom where Bloom was staying, and banged harshly on the door.
"I thought I told you, come to dinner!" he snapped.
"I'm not going!" Bloom shouted from within the room.
"Come out or I'll bust down that door!" Sky threatened.
"That is not the way to win the young girl's heart." Palladium whispered.
"Please, just attempt to be nicer." Saladin added.
"But she's being so difficult!" Sky snapped.
"Master Sky, gentle." Ms Faragonda scolded him.
"Will you come down?" Sky asked softly.
"No." Bloom answered, Sky was about to snap again, but Saladin coughed scoldingly.
"Gentle." he reminded him.
"It would be my honour if you would join my for dinner." Sky tried once more, "Please."
"No thank you!" Bloom shouted.
"You can't lock yourself in there forever!" Sky snapped.
"Want a bet?" Bloom called out.
"Fine." Sky continued to snap, "Then starve!" his roar echoed in every part of the castle.
"Master?" Ms Faragonda protested.
"No, if she isn't going to eat with me, she won't eat at all!" Sky snapped, rushing off to his quarters.
"That was horrible." Ms Faragonda sighed.
"Palladium, watch the door, and tell us if there is any sign of her whatsoever." Saladin ordered.
"Yes sure." Palladium saluted him. Saladin and Ms Faragonda went back downstairs.
Sky burst open the doors to his room on the west side of the castle, and pushed over a table
"I asked her nicely, but she still refused! What does she want me to do, gravel on my knees?" Sky mumbled as he picked up his magical mirror.
"The girl, show her to me." he ordered it. The refection of his beastly form disappeared to reveal Bloom and Stella talking.
"Sky's really not bad once you get to know him, just give him a chance." Stella tried to encourage Bloom.
"I don't want to give him a chance. I don't want anything to do with that beast!" Bloom cried out and Sky's heart sank.
"I'm kidding myself." he replied softly, "she'll never see me as anything else… but a beast." he watched the enchanted rose wilt one more petal.
"It's hopeless." He whispered.
