Chapter 10

"What are you doing here? Get out, get out!" Father shouted. He found me sleeping on my old bed and dragged me to the front door. My boots scuffed the floor. I had managed to grab my things before he shoved me out the door. "Go back from where you came from, out!"

Father slammed the door as hard as anyone could. I was startled at first not being treated as such for a long time. It felt different. It felt odd. I picked up my things and headed to the village square. Walking to the village was like turning back time. Nothing changed. The school house still had a window missing. The tailor's shop still was streaming with noise. The butchers still had meat in it that the flies hovered around. The bakery looked cheerier than ever. I saw a woman in her late twenties early thirties. Then I realized it was Madelyn carrying a baby that was crying.

She looked like she aged twenty years. She had dark circles under her eyes. Madelyn's beautiful black hair had lost its luster and had streak of silver. As Madelyn hushed her child with a lullaby her voice was raspy and worn out. Her skin stayed the same but I could tell she worked too hard. It was darker from the dirt or the sun.

"Madelyn! Madelyn! I'm back! I'm back!" I called. Madelyn lifted her head. Her eyes began to glow and sparkle.

"Rose is that you? It can't be, can it?"

"Yes it is. How are you?" I asked.

"Great! I have a family now. This little one is named Lily. She's my little angel. And Jack came back. I thought I would never see him again. He even got me this hair piece." She picked the silver hair piece and I saw it was a feather. Madelyn was happier than she had ever been. But she didn't stop talking there. "Now my best friend is back. But look at you. Rose you have lived up to your name."

"What are you talking about?" I asked "I haven't changed that much, have I?" Madelyn then led me through the bakery into her house. Jack was busy working with a customer. He had a noticeable scar on his right cheek.

She had led me all the way up stairs to her room. We finally stopped in front of her full mirror. I saw Madelyn standing next to a beautiful girl with chestnut hair with a blue dress on. The girl's eyes were big and pretty. Her eyes were a hazel green with amber specs. The one thing that I recognized were my lips and nose that looked wonderful on the girl in the mirror's face. I finally realized that I was the girl in the mirror. I looked like an older version of the rose from my dreams. I looked down. Now I had curves like my sister's. My eyes drifted down my feet. I smiled, they were still were elf size but that was okay.

"See I told you." Madelyn said in a matter-of-factly tone.

…

"Stay the night." Madelyn begged. I smiled nodding. The front door opened with a bang. A tall figure stood in the door way. His sliver beard was grizzly and matted. It stuck out this way and that. The small stubs of hair stood straight up. His torn brown cape was dusty. The way he looked he resembled a bear. The bear man nodded to Madelyn. As he saw me he scowled. I felt like I was being considered his dinner guest or his dinner.

I felt his hands on my shoulders as he studied me. I jolted upward. I barely moved. Sweat rolled down my forehead. I felt all the color drain from my face. His eyebrow raised in surprise to my reaction. He moved forward and wrapped his long strong hairy arms around me.

"Rose it's been sometime. Look how you've grown. Still a little jittery I see." He let go and looked at my arm and hands "And a little small on the other hand. But nothing a good month in the forest can't fix."

I laughed to myself. The forest doesn't do you that much good. I was just there for more than a month and I still look like this. The look on his face if I had said that would have been priceless.

"Father Rose will be staying with us for a day or two." Madelyn explained to her father. She walked over and picked up Lily. She smiled her dazzling smile to us.

"Is that so? Well good to hear it. Jack get up here and give me my fiddle there are two gorgeous women who would like to dance!"

And that started the night. Madelyn's father played his fiddle while Jack and Madelyn danced. I sat in the rocking chair holding Lily. She was just like her mother. I rocked her to a slow song. I imagined that I was here with the man in the shadows. He looked like an older version of Peter. He was kneeling next to the chair. He looked at the child then at me. He smiled. I looked back down at the baby rocking it. Then the man leaned in and.

"Rose? Are you alright?" Madelyn's voice slapped me back into to reality. I looked around the man was gone. I was still sitting in the rocking chair with Lily and she was fast asleep. I laid her down in her crib.

"Yeah, I am just tired. I will see you in the morning." And I went to the guest bedroom and slept a sleepless dream. I realized I always wanted to have a family like this. I liked this excitement.

…

I left Madelyn's house and family the day after. I didn't want to leave but I had to say goodbye. So I went into the square. Children were running around with their friends and pets.

I turned to go back to Madelyn's house I saw the man in the shadows. He looked so much like Peter that he had to be. I walked up slowly to him. He barely moved. His eyes were now a dark blue. As I stood in front of him he raised his hand and curled a piece of my hair between his fingers. I held my breath. He leaned down, his lips barely touching mine when he whispered:

"Wait for me." Then he disappeared. I looked down the alley and he was gone. I didn't find him. He just vanished.

…

I walked back to my old house. I knew father wouldn't be there. He was probably at the bar with his friends. As I opened the door I saw my mother sitting at the table. She looked up. The sky turned grey and lighting struck. Her eyes were full of furry.

"Where have you been for over a year?" mother's voice sliced through the air like a knife.

"I have found a home in the forest" I said cautiously.

"I thought my pets had taken care of you. Oh well no matter."

"You sent those things." My own mother had tried to kill me!

"Shadow beasts in the west, commonly known as Hell Dogs here. Oh your sister begged me not to send them again. But she had an unexpected vacation" She held up a snow globe. In it I saw my sister banging on the wall of the glass.

"Why mother? What have I done to you?"

"You were born! Belle was supposed to marry the greatest wizard of all time and you were supposed to marry an idiot King far away. But the boy fell in love with you and threatened to take my powers away. And your brother Prince Garret enchanted my dear daughter." She stood up, her wand at hand.

"My plan was to take over this kingdom with the wizard boy as my son in law. Then I thought maybe I could use the prince to my advantage. But no. the pestering wizard boy told the prince to banish me. So I had to take matters in my own hands. So I had to send my pets after you. I sent the prince to his own world and I cursed the wizard boy. Belle stayed under her spell mostly until you came back. I was going to send belle to the castle when she was little over a month. But instead you got there first." I reached into my pocket to hold my present for Beast. I prayed to give me protection.

"I don't have a brother… Wait do you mean Peter is a wizard?" I asked. Had my whole life been a lie?

"You are not my daughter. You are the king's; the granddaughter of the Rose princess and the shadow. The story was wrong she married the man that saved her and had one son, your father." She snapped. My grandmother was the Rose princess!I exclaimed to myself.

"After that boy saved you he thought you would be safer at a villager's house. You had lost your memory. He thought you could start a new life. But he didn't know that it was my husband's house. My lovely daughter treated you like a sister. She adored you." The witch took a step closer. She could hit me any time with magic.

"What happened to my brother?" I looked around to see what I could use to protect myself. I saw Belle's flying broom in arms reach, as well as her wand. I can use them to escape. I thought. I hope I remember watching Belle's lessons.

"Oh he's trapped in his little own world. Don't worry he is quite… occupied at the moment." She chuckled. The witch took one more step further. "But after I'm done with you, you'd have wished that I'd have done the same to you!"

She shot a fireball at me. I grabbed the broom and wand. I flew out the door to the sky. The ball of fire almost hit me. This was the first time I have ever flown. I must have had magic in me. After two flips in the air I reached over the forest a bolt of lightning hit my broom. I fell into the trees. Another fireball was flying at me. I tried protecting myself. Then someone caught me and blocking the ball of fire. I looked up and saw Beast.

Beast ran for some time till we reached a little cave. He set me down. He was panting heavily. Beast had never looked like a beast then he did now. His mane was tangled, matted, and I saw sharp cat like claws before he retracted them. Beast's eyes even looked wild. I saw blood was dripping down from his arm. I reached over to help but Beast just brushed my hand aside away. He looked tired. He tried to stand but fell almost immediately.

He might've not slept since I left. Maybe he hasn't eaten either.I shivered in fear. He must've thought I was cold because he draped his cloak around me. He was so careful not to touch me.

"Rose, don't worry about me. You need to be safe. Are you going to be okay? The witch will be back anytime. I have bought sometime but I don't know how much. I will fight her off and I want you to run as fast as you can." Beast got up again this time only slightly wobbly. I grabbed his furry arm. He paused in alarm. I dug my fingers in to his fur. My head was down looking at the ground. I was on my scratched knees.

"No don't leave me please." I pleaded. Beast kneeled back down. I was closed to tears.

"Rose." He murmured. He took a piece of my hair and twirled it between his fingers. He caressed my cheek. His claws brushed over my lips. He pulled back. I reached down to hold his paw. I took out the pocket watch that I made in to a necklace. I had fixed it. I knew it had magic when I touched it. I put it around Beast's neck. It was supposed to be his Christmas present but I might not be able to give this to him.

"Beast, if I can't go with you, you will come back to me" I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. It was a long beautiful romantic kiss. It was first desperate then sweet and lingering. I didn't have to tell him that I loved him. The kiss told him. He was shocked at first. Then he kissed me back. I melted in to him. He slid his hands around my waist. He pulled me in close crushing me into him. Then the kiss became demanding passionate. I didn't know how I was breathing. Beast reluctantly pulled away. He had a smug look on his face. He looked satisfied.

Moments passed until I said "Then I will marry you because I love you… Peter."