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Chapter X- A Mistake

It was a castle, almost as wide as it was tall with windows reflecting back the grey sky high above. Thomas looked at the structure in shock, wondering how he could have missed such a large building from further away. A place like this, with its high towers and spiraling battlements should have been spotted from miles around and yet he'd almost run into the very gates of the place before noticing it at all. Hands still wrapped around the iron bars he pushed ever so slightly and to his surprise the gate opened with ease. He pushed it open a little further so that his horse might also be able to slip through but, tugging on the reins the horse set his hooves into the dirt and refused to move an inch inside the gate. For all his pulling and goading the horse refused to go.

"Stupid animal." Thomas muttered while he tied the reins to the gate before closing it behind him. "If you want to stay out here all day, fine, but I'm going in." And he set off down towards the castle.

As he walked it seemed as if his footsteps were being magnified, the whole place was deathly still. Looking around at the various trees and foliage made him shiver involuntarily, it was all dead, the trees were dry and skeletal and more ivy, this time brown, wrapped around different statues littering the grounds. One of the sculptures, with its upturned face and reaching hands clawing the sky looked as if it were drowning, being tugged back into the earth by the veins of the plant wrapped around its body. He was starting to wonder if it was such a good idea to be in this abandoned place and might it just be better to take his chances out in the forest? But by then he was at the front doors of the place. It would be a waste of time to walk all the way back without at least going inside, maybe there was some sort of water pump in the kitchens he could use. And even if the place was deserted, something Thomas felt was more and more likely with each passing second, then at least he could climb up to one of those towers and get a feel as to which way he should go or, at the very least, grab a few blankets and rest in an actual bed for before starting up once more.

Walking into the great hall he marveled at the huge size of the place. Their old home in the city could have fit comfortably inside just this space alone.

"Hello?" He called out, he waited for a few moments but the only voice that answered him was the echo of his own. Taking a few steps forward he caught sight of a door off to his right that was slightly ajar and decided that it was as good a place as any to explore first. Cracking it open a bit more before peeking inside he couldn't believe what he was seeing and actually had to blink a few times to assure his mind that this was real. Walking inside the dining room he was met with a huge fireplace, the large fire crackled merrily as some of the burning logs shifted slightly inside. Roughly, he sat down at one of the seats at the long table and looked around himself. If he hadn't been sure he was hallucinating before he knew it now. The whole table was filled to breaking point with food enough to appease a giant army. Roasted chicken glistening with fat and herbs, butter melting in a small pool on top of a bowl of mashed potatoes, rolls that, when Thomas bit into one, were filled with warm sauces, meats, and vegetables, gooseberry pie, thick cold milk, warm spiced wine, delicate pastries and ripe red apples. Without a second thought he had loaded his plate with whatever he could reach and began to stifle the hunger that had been tearing through his stomach for the past ten hours. Leaning back in his chair he sighed and closed his eyes. He was asleep in seconds.

Thomas awoke hours later to the sound of birds chirping. Yawning he stretched his arms and looked to see that all the uneaten food from the night before had disappeared and was replaced by cinnamon rolls, so warm that steam was still emanating from them as well as a platter of sausage links, bacon, and fresh fruit. Finding that his hunger had returned but was not as glaring as it had been the night before Thomas looked around at his surroundings as he ate his breakfast. Sitting with his back to the fire, he looked out at the gardens. As dead as they were the inside of the castle was clean and seemed lived in. He hoped that whoever owned this land wouldn't be too angry at his intrusion. The thought that an unseen someone might stumble upon him trespassing where he was not wanted suddenly made him hasty to leave and a little guilty that he had arrived at all. Walking back out into the dead gardens Thom made his way towards the gate, a few of the apples from last night in his jacket for the horse. But as he walked away from the castle he saw a flash of red and turned to see what it was. Moving towards the color he saw that he had been wrong. Not everything in the garden had withered away for before him stood a large bower of roses. Moving closer he bent his head to get a whiff of their scent before pulling back, contemplating. He had so hoped that when he'd received the ship cargo he would be able to surprise everyone with a gift or two when he came back but since that was impossible… taking out a small penknife he moved to cut a few roses for his sister. At least he wouldn't be coming back completely empty handed. But no sooner had he cut the first rose from its stem then a horrible voice spoke.

What do you think you're doing?" The voice whispered, it was the most terrible thing Thom had ever heard, a man's voice overlaid with the growls of some kind of wild animal. Feeling as if he had suddenly been thrust into a waking nightmare Thomas turned slowly around and saw a monster standing not five feet from where he stood. He gasped and the rose he'd just cut dropped from his hand

"I- I." Thom stuttered, but he couldn't seem to speak. The sight of the wild animal was too much for him. It was dressed like a man, in fine clothes of the darkest shade but no amount of fabric could disguise what it was. Everything from its claws and fangs to its slitted eyes screamed 'predator'.

Gregory seethed with rage. How dare this man steal from him? I allow him in and what does he do? He steals from me. Staring down at this tall man with gold in his hair and fear in his eyes he was suddenly struck with how familiar the face was and he wondered why, then it came to him. Richard. That's who he reminded him of. And his rage increased. It wasn't going to happen, not again. He wasn't going to let another person take from him the one thing he had left.

"You- what?" He barked and the stranger cringed. "Decided the best payment you could give for my assistance was to steal the one thing I still care about? You'd be dead in those woods if it wasn't for me!" A part of Gregory told him he was being ridiculous, that there were many other roses. That this shouldn't matter. But he pushed the thought aside.

"No." The man gulped. "I'm sorry, I never thought anybody would care. I-."

"It doesn't matter what you thought, it doesn't change what I'm going to do to you." Gregory replied, taking a step towards him.

"Please." The stranger gasped, dropping to his knees. "Please, I'm sorry. Please." Gregory felt like he'd hit a wall and he remembered his last words to Richard all those years ago. Please Richard. Please don't leave me like this.

"It was only a gift. Please, it was only meant as a gift." Thomas muttered as he knelt at the monster's feet, wishing as hard as he could that this was some sort of fevered dream.

"A gift?" The thing repeated suspiciously. "A gift for whom?"

Thomas looked up suddenly, maybe he still had a chance to convince it to show him some mercy. "My sister, my sister Anne." And he told the monster his story; how they had become bankrupt and forced to leave their home, that even now their last glimmer of hope had faded with the loss of the returning ship's cargo. "I just wanted to give her something that wasn't practical, or had some sort of purpose to it. She used to have rooms full of fine jewels and beautiful dresses and now she doesn't even have the smallest trinket to call her own. I didn't mean to anger you." He said, glancing quickly up at the beast before looking away again. "I only wanted to give her something that she would enjoy, so I wouldn't come back empty handed."

The animal stayed silent and Thomas added quickly. "But it doesn't matter. Here." He scooped up the rose and held it out towards the beast to take.

But this appeared to be the wrong thing to have done for the monster's eyes flashed and he said. "What do I want with it now? It's dead and broken, you've seen to that."

"I can pay you then." Thomas answered, fumbling with the bag of coins in his jacket, praying he had enough to appease the creature.

"I don't want your money."

"Then what do you want?" Thom cried.

The words the beast spoke next chilled him to his very core. "Your sister."

Thomas was on his feet in seconds, completely dumbstruck. "What?"

"Bring your sister to me…" But Thomas wouldn't let him finish.

"No, you cannot have her!" He yelled.

"EITHER SHE COMES OR YOU DIE!" The monster roared. But Thomas wouldn't back down, this wasn't his life they were talking of anymore it was Anne's. In his mind he saw her on the ground, hands raised for protection, begging for mercy while the beast stood over her, teeth bared ready to strike.

"Then you might as well kill me now." And if anything his voice sounded more dangerous in that moment than the beast's had. "For I will not let my sister sacrifice her life for something she did not do."

The monster didn't speak for a few moments, obviously shocked that this fragile human was defying him in the face of death. But then said, "If she decides…"

But Thomas refused to let him win. "She will not-"

"If she does." The beast thundered on. "She must do so from her own choosing, no one must force her. I'll give both you and her a month to decide. But if that time comes and neither of you has arrived, I will find you and I will kill you."

"Now go." He said, waving one clawed hand. "And do not forget."

"Then I will see you in a month." Thomas replied simply before slipping the rose into his belt. He watched the beast turn and walk away and only then did he sprint back towards the gate and his horse. Faster than he'd ever moved Thomas had the horse's reins untied and they both were racing back through the forest at a breakneck speed before finally coming out into open air once more.

But if Thomas hadn't run quite so fast he would've seen the beast walk a little distance before leaning heavily against a giant oak, running a hand over his face; and if his heart hadn't been drumming so hard in his ears that it blocked out all other sounds he might have heard the creature whisper to himself, "What have I done?"

A/N: We're getting down to the nitty gritty! I kind of wanted to up the ante with this scene. In the traditional story it's Beauty's father that goes and gets lost before finding the castle. I felt like it was more likely that Thomas, being younger and more inexperienced would've gotten lost on his way back, plus he's closer to Anne. Also, you'll notice that Gregory never explicitly states that he will/won't hurt Anne if she does come. He wouldn't of course but Thomas doesn't know that and it's going to fuel his resolve even more to go back himself.