Acceptance

Chapter Four: Bars and Dungeons

One Year Ago- Flashback of that night:

There was no wind. It was disturbing. The air itself seemed too quiet and it unnerved him. He looked at Kori. Her bright red hair was reflecting beautifully in the moonlight, and her green eyes seemed like stars shinning. However her beauty wasn't making his heart thunder in his chest. She was a noble, something forbidden to a peasant, but there wasn't an attraction to her for him anymore. He needed to explain this to her. He needed to stop this before he wrecked this poor girl's heart.

Lately he had found that while she was beautiful and full of life and joy she was just too… over the top for him. She was naïve and trusting, and he found it bothersome to have to always look out for her when he took her out. She could pack a mean punch but that didn't mean anything if a gang of robber's grabbed her because she willingly followed them to camp because they said they wanted to be friends. He sighed which caused Kori to look up at him. Her eyes searching his for something, he wasn't quite sure what.

"Look Kori I wanted to talk to you alone because-"

He blushed when she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. He might have good intentions to save her heart from heart break but he was a male. He couldn't help but let her kiss him but he restrained himself. He didn't kiss her back, he wanted patiently for her to pull herself away, trying his hardest to fight the blush and the sheepish feeling he felt. She wasn't bad at that.

"I know Richard. I feel the same way," she beamed. Her own blush covered her face and her eyes were light and happy.

Oh shit. Oh double shit. This was not what he wanted to happen. She obviously thought he felt some type of feeling for her when he just wanted them to go back to being friends.

"Kori, what I meant was-"

"Good evening," a deep voice said from behind them.

Out of instinct Richard jumped in front of Kori and placed his arm out protectively. That was just being a gentleman wasn't it? He did drag her out here to talk to him. He felt Kori grab the fabric of his tunic as she pressed herself closer to his back. Her breath ghosted against his ear causing him to shiver slightly.

"Who's there?" he called out demandingly.

There was a shuffling noise in the trees before a shadow was shown.

"Who's there?" he called out again. He felt frustration starting to mount. Was this a friend or a foe?

"Malchior!"

It was the girl that was always keeping Kori inside doing something so that she wasn't with him. He felt a flash of irritation come as she bounded up the path towards them. Her weird purple hued hair pulled back from her face. She looked worried and she hadn't yet spotted them. She had just called out that name, as if she was searching for that person. A person that might be stepping out of the shadows to glare daggers at her as she approached. This situation just screamed off. Wasn't Malchior, Kori's cousin, and in charge of the farm? And this girl, Raven, wasn't she one of Kori's tenants?

The man stepped out of the shadows and let out an audible sigh.

"Raven," he answered back coolly so that she stopped in her tracks. It took her a second to register that there were three people before her, not just one. Two of the people were less than three feet from her.

"I was so worried," she breathed out, but an easy smile now splayed on her lips as she stretched out a hand to Kori. "Come on Kori. We should head back. You shouldn't be out here with him."

Why was it that no matter what he did she seemed to look down on him? Kori wasn't that way and she was a noble. Raven was just a hired hand. He stopped Kori from stepping forward with an easy tug on her wrist. This just seemed off. Something was screaming danger, and he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Boy. Let the girl go."

Calm, cool and collected. That was everything that Malchior was, but there was an edge to his voice one that sent the hairs on the back of his neck standing.

As it was now he would risk hurting Kori's feelings than this potentially dangerous situation where she would literally get hurt. It wasn't unheard of for hires to kill their nobles and take all their money and belongings and head for the hills. He had been in such a situation back when he was a child. He felt his eyes narrow with mistrust, a feature he could never keep under control no matter how well he could keep his face clear of emotion. His eyes always gave him away.

"No," he whispered defiantly. "You can't have her just yet."

Raven seemed to be trying to piece things together. Her face pulled into a scowl as she sensed the tense air all around, feeling that something was off as well. The wheels in her head spinning rapidly. He could practically see it. Kori however, just looked flat out confused.

"Malchior. What is going on?" Kori asked looking back and forth between the two men.

Richard felt his hand slide down and tangle it within hers. He sent a gentle squeeze, one he hoped she wouldn't misinterpret.

"Well I was hoping Raven would take more time with Terra so I'd have a good alibi," he answered shrugging as he rolled up his sleeves. "Looks like I'll just have to kill all of you," he finished nonchalantly.

He could literally hear Raven grinded her teeth together and practically feel the searing heat that her eyes gave off. Was it just the moonlight or did she look like some sort of ethereal being?

"What do you mean kill us all, and alibi?" her voice was low, but the woods were deadly quiet. As if it expected some type of disturbance at any second. Most likely it would come from this girl who was radiating death at the moment, like she could kill with a simple utter of a word. He felt his own heart still in his chest in anticipation. This wasn't good.

"I'm selling off Kori of course. I set you up. Used you," Malchior was chuckling darkly as he took a steep forward causing Richard to step back. He was almost level with Raven now and Kori was safely behind them both.

He knew she was about to break. There was something going on here that was obviously a deep form of betrayal but he hadn't the slightest clue. All he knew was that it was pointless to give in to taunts and that was exactly what this man was trying to do to her. He was trying to set her into a frenzy, before she could think straight and make a plan. Without even realizing he did it his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist just as she was about to charge.

"Wait," he hissed lowly. Not sure why he was trying to keep his voice down, but he did anyways. It seemed like it had the desired effect on Raven, although she was still shaking with what he could only assume was blind rage. "It's what he wants. Think. Figure out all the details," he continued whispering as her muscles relaxed next to him.

"So you made both Terra and I believe that you loved us. Fed us lies about each other and then took a merry stroll by yourself waiting for the victor. Knowing that whoever won out would be your alibi that Kori was stolen… or something."

The man just nodded and he heard Raven give a slight 'Tsk' of annoyance. Her eyes reflecting the moonlight were narrowed. It was an odd assortment. To see the violet eyes narrowed with vicious intent, and the dark starry sky as her background. Her eyes seemed to shine out in the darkness, like some sort of beacon. Again she didn't look human; he couldn't help that thought as it popped up again. Was she some type of demon? Or maybe an angel?

"Can't have you guys telling the whole Kingdom that I sold her off to Slade and while I was at it have one of you kill the other one off. Possibly frame the kidnapping on you while you were carted off to jail for two serious charges. You didn't have the heart to kill her though, did you?" he said calmly but at the end he gave a slight chuckle.

Malchior seemed to be trying to taunt her even more like this was some type of weakness. He thought it was admirable, given the situation, that and Raven was too sweet of a person to do that, despite her cold demeanor. Maybe he hadn't looked at her closely enough before. There was something different about her, something special. Not everyone could be so noble, and he did know that was what had happened. She had been noble, it was clear now, the situation had called for her to kill the other girl but she had found some way to spare her. This man though was feeding into the fact that she hadn't done enough. He wanted to say something to encourage her but that could be saved for later. Something else had them all frozen staring at the man with disbelief.

Slade. The name seemed to send shivers down all their spines. The man of a thousand plots, schemes, slave trade, and murders. He was a rumored madman, a force that even the Kingdom had problems reckoning with. Kori gasped behind them and he found the sudden urge to protect her even more. He couldn't help but look at Raven though. A girl he knew would be hurting on the inside. She looked collected despite the fact that her fists were shaking again.

"I hate you," she snarled as she dashed out of Richard's reach to restrain her. He had a choice. Run and make sure Kori was safe, or fight and make sure that Raven won against this twisted man who was obviously playing on her emotions. Either way he looked at it he was helping them both. He never was much of a runner when it came down to it.

()()()()()()()()()()

Present Day -In the bar in town

He slumped over his drink feeling the alcohol slowly starting to take effect. His thoughts slurring back to the first night when he finally saw Raven as something else besides an annoyance. He sighed and took another deep swing from his mug. Enjoying the burning sensation the liquid offered as it slid down his throat.

He missed her. He hadn't seen her in nearly two weeks since Victor left. He didn't really stand a chance until Victor got back. By then he hoped to have a drink with the older brother and maybe beg him to reason with his sister to at least allow them to be friends. He couldn't stand this. This life where no one offered constant bickering reports, quick wit that kept up with his own, insanely wise advice, and company. As much as Raven tried to deny him they did wind up in each other's company a lot more than not. He sighed and felt his body take another sip out of his mug without his will really telling his hands to do anything.

It wasn't like him to drink away his problems. Really it wasn't. He just wasn't sure about how to act on the situation. If he did something too rash he could potentially damage his relationship with Raven forever and where exactly would that leave him? Alone and pathetically heart broken.

He took another deep swing feeling his vision start to rock violently like he was on a ship until it quickly faded to black.

()()()()()()()()()()

The tears were long gone, even the frozen ones that had been stuck to her face. She wasn't sure how long she had been up here. Ever since Victor had been taken away time seemed to temporarily blur together. She could have been up here for days, or it could have been mere hours. She couldn't tell. What was starting to get to her was the fact that there was nothing to do in this musty tower. There was no light despite the open windows, all those things did was let in a dreary breeze and an occasional snow flake from outside. The walls were barren and she tried not to study to closely because she was pretty sure the dark brown stains on the wall was either smeared feces or dried blood. She would prefer the later, for some reason that one was less disgusting to her.

She counted every breath she took, every blink she needed, and every time she thought she heard a distant roar in the castle. Her heart beat was calm and she felt extremely level headed. This was an extreme situation, this was the type of thing she exceled at. She tried to find a triumphant smirk that would scare the Beast when he came back. It was potentially something that would make him think she had an edge. She wasn't really sure what she was bluffing, but it could give her the upper hand to have her opponent over estimate her.

She was starting to plan, to see things clearly, as she sat alone in a cold tower. There would be no allies, no one to offer warmth or a blanket. She wanted to close her eyes but she was scared that if she fell asleep she would never be able to wake up. Whenever she died she did not want to die here. Alone, cramped in a freezing tower next to what she hoped was dried blood. She knew the option of dying surrounded by her friends at a very old age was permanently erased. It was better to never think of it. At the very least she wanted to die fighting. Victor was gone; either the Beast had saved him and sent him on his way or let him die. She didn't have time to be agonizing over it. Although she agreed to keep his place, she had only wanted him to escape. It didn't matter anymore. She wouldn't let her life be ruled by some unknown creature. She simply wouldn't allow it. She would rebel in any way she could until her life was claimed. That was a good strategy, forcing the enemy to kill her when he so badly wanted her to stay.

She heard the unmistakable sound of claws against stones coming from the stairway. She stared at it blankly. How the hell had she missed that sound when Victor was here? It was almost as loud as someone talking in a normal volume, which was still pretty loud since the stairs seemed to magnify everything and make things ten times louder than they really were.

She braced herself when she heard the noise at the top of the stairs and the flickering of the torch came through the door. Time to see what the Master of the castle really wanted with her. It was a pivotal moment of truth.

They stared each other down for a moment once he opened the door. He was standing on his two legs which were hunched over in an attempt to give himself more of a human posture. He had a tail which was swishing behind him in irritation, and his pointy ears were laid flat back against his head. He looked like he had stuffed on a coat to look presentable and it would have been laughable had she not seen the serious look that rested in his pale icy blue eyes.

"Well?" he huffed, his voice seeming louder than she remembered as it vibrated off the walls. She could have sworn a few pebbles that lay loose on the ground next to her shook from it.

"Well what?" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and finally bringing herself to look away. It was now or never. She was sure he would dash across the room and strike her. All criminals hated getting cheek from their captives.

No stinging blow came. She felt herself ever so slightly peek under her eye lids to stare at him. He almost seemed to be smiling. It wasn't a kind smile but a mocking one. She felt herself bristle.

"You don't have to stay up here," he said calmly.

"I want to stay here," she said firmly. Her stomach growled. She was sure that with his ears he could hear it across the room.

"Then I'll send up some food," his voice seemed to lose that Beastly trait to it. It was odd. He almost sounded human.

"No. I'm not hungry."

For some reason the way he was looking at her made her feel like a child. Maybe she was being childish. She didn't really care. She had just come to terms with the fact that she was going to die, and she was going soon with a bloody fight.

She heard a light rumbling noise until she realized it was coming from the Beast and that he was laughing at her. She felt her cheeks light up in a blush.

"I'm not going to let you starve and freeze. Pick one."

"Starve," she answered back immediately. Something about freezing to death just seemed more unappealing than starving. If she didn't get the opening to launch her little rebellion she would at least prefer to know if her hands and legs were working properly and not frozen stiff.

She heard that rumbling noise again in the back of his throat as he strode forward and lightly tugged her up to her feet. She was surprised and the sudden switch to standing after sitting down for so long had left her legs cramped. She winced and tried not to stumble as he began to lead her down the stairs without another word. She tried to keep herself as far from his body as possible, but the grip he had on her forced her to walk parallel with him down the stairs. She was constantly bumping into his side and feeling his fur brush against any exposed skin she had.

From the look of his fur she would have expected it to be course and unappealing to touch but it felt surprisingly soft and she was tempted to run her fingers through it. She stopped at the last minute thankfully.

She heard the rumble again and blushed. He just would not stop laughing at her.

"You're an interesting little bird," he laughed and again she heard a slightly more human characteristic to his voice.

This was undoubtedly the strangest situation she had ever been in her life. Suddenly the urge to run off and get killed by fighting nobly was less appealing. She wanted to learn more, a weakness that had never interfered with her before. What was going on here? How was it that this beast acted like a man? How come she had never heard or read about this sort of creature anywhere? How did he get Victor up in a tower and why? What were his plans for her?

The last thought gave her pause. In children's books the monster's always wanted to eat the beautiful girl, and she knew that most stories had at least some truth behind it. It was appalling. If she died is that what she would wind up as? Food for this monster? Eating seemed even less appealing now. She wasn't about to fatten herself up just to be eaten. She had to find some way to bring this monster down.

He led her down a few hallways. The ceilings towered above making her feel small, and the statues along the way seemed to be leering at her. The shadows cast by the simple torch in the Beast's hands gave the statues an even more realistic glow. She unconsciously took a step closer to him.

"Don't worry. They won't bite," he reassured. "I might."

The look on her face must've been something between disgust and fury. It must've been an odd mixture because the next thing she knew the Beast was laughing at her again.

"Stop laughing at me," she growled glaring up at him.

"Or else what?" the Beast asked a deep rumble in this throat. He drew himself to his full height and leered over her. As if that would intimidate her. She found a smirk grazing her lips.

"Or else I'll kick your ass," she replied. As easy as that. A statement they both knew she had been thinking from the moment she stepped within those doors. She was going to kick his ass. Hard.

There was a moment of complete silence, where both stared at each other. She wasn't sure who made the first leap into the air at the other. All she knew was that her heart was pounding furiously in her chest and that she was finally doing something useful since she got here. She was fighting. She felt a laugh escape her lips.

A/N: Wow. Your reviews are amazing. You guys rock. It would help if you were signed in to help answer questions. Don't worry, all, if not most of it will be explained in later chapters ;). Thanks to all of the reviews. I hope this answered your question about the bad guy crazynerd, and yes your hunch about that voice is important. Look for it in later chapters ;). I want to thank all of you guys personally and with a reply to all of the reviews but it's about 2 in the morning and my eyes are barely open. I'll just thank you by posting this chapter now. Same blackmail concept as always! 10 and you'll get the next chappie earlier. (although I still haven't reached that goal :P)