Chapter 14
By Lady Gato

The next morning the Beast presented himself at breakfast, looking very dapper. Candice, who had just arrived minutes before, had to do a double take.

"Good morning, my Lady..." the Beast said, mellifluously in his gruff Lion's voice "Are thee well today?"

"Why...yes..." she murmured in reply. The Beast was the most handsome looking Lion she had ever seen.

"Is something amiss?" he asked nonchalant.

"Oh...well...you seem...I can't quite say it..." she gasped. If she didn't know any better, she was attracted to him in a way that only...

No! What lunacy am I entertaining...he's a beast!

"You are looking very well put together...it looks good..." she finally managed to say.

The Beast's eyes shone in grateful appreciation. They went ahead and breakfasted, talking amiably. As it was the routine, they decided to go into the gardens. Candice thought the gardens of the castle were quite spectacular...she had never seen anything like them before. He seemed to take great pride in it and this morning he was cheerfully pointing out favorite trees, fountains to her. She was so upbeat and happy, he was astounded to see that they were laughing gaily together...when was the last time he had laughed?

Finally they came to a part where even though it seemed unkempt, the roses were growing in profusion.

"Oh! What a lovely disaster!" she sighed.

"Disaster?" His left leonine brow raised, perplexed.

"Yes...well...it's clear you are not keeping the rosebushes manicured...but the way they are growing, a natural state...it is somehow prettier!" she admired.

The Beast felt very happy when all of a sudden he caught her gaze. It was focused on a rose not far from her...her wondrous gaze had suddenly turned so grey and sad that he felt his heart twinge.

"What is it...Candice?" he murmured.

"This rose...where...where did you get it?" she murmured, her voice almost breaking.

The Beast looked over to where the pure white rose with the hint of green was.

"This rose? I had this commissioned from a very famous botanist...I had asked him to create something for me that evoked pure, innocent beauty...because there has always been so little to none of it in my life...and this is what was sent to me...I must admit that he surpassed my wildest dreams...because the minute I saw the blooms and took in its fragrance, that is what I saw in my mind's eye...beauty in its highest, purest form..."

Candice's tears were streaming out at this point.

"Candice...what's the matter..." the Beast said, concerned and took her in his great paws as gently as he could...why was she so upset.

Suddenly, because of the sudden closeness with her, her own scent came wafting over to him...

He took it in, almost intoxicated and transported to such a plane of existence that he never thought existed...then...he realized...

THE ROSE AND CANDICE HAD THE SAME SCENT!

Shocked he separated himself from her. "This rose...oh Beast...if you only knew..." her voice was barely a sad whisper.

The Beast couldn't understand what was happening to him...he felt sad, sorry, wanting to comfort her, yet at the same time a burning flame lapped at him with such intensity that he could not contain himself.

"That sissyfuss botanist was your love!" he almost roared indignantly.

"Oh, please...don't call him that..." she wailed, heartbroken. "He has done you no harm, and he's passed on...

"HE'S DOING ENOUGH, IF ALL YOU CAN DO IS WEEP UNCONTROLLABLY OVER HIM AT THE VERY THOUGHT OF HIM!" the Beast was so jealous he could barely see straight. "I TOLD YOU ONCE, AND I'LL TELL YOU AGAIN...HE'S DEAD!"

This last had barely escaped his mouth when he felt the pain of her slap on his face. It wasn't that it was hard enough to hurt him, it was the fact that she did it...it hurt him in his deepest psyche.

"YOU ARE A Beast...WHY CAN'T YOU BE MORE UNDERSTANDING! YOU MISERABLE WRETCH! THAT FANCY GET UP WON'T FOOL ME!" she cried, tears streaming, as she ran away.

The Beast roared behind her...the sound blasting through the garden...he roared at himself, because he realized he had just about ruined everything that he had gained with her...ruined it because he couldn't leave well enough alone.