The cool night breeze danced upon her naked skin. Alone, in the darkness,
Serena stood overlooking the night. Above her, there was no moon tonight.
As always, she stood up staring at the sky, thinking of her mother and her
kingdom. The clouds wisped by like ghosts, passing her in the nights sky,
always free. A tear rolled down her cheek and splashed onto the cold stones
below, she too wished that she were free. She had been alone for too long
now, hiding in her room, hiding in the darkness. Her milky skin had since
turned paler from the shadows, she longed for fresh air, for the warmth of
touch. The hours turned into days, the days turned into weeks, and tonight,
was officially a month since she had seen Fick. She had been alone since
the day Fick was banished, alone for her safety, for her own protection.
Softly, she sighed as she contemplated her life. He changed too drastically, too often. One moment, he was a soul gentler then her own, and the next, he was an animal, a beast. Nothing more. He was a mystery, a puzzle. A puzzle so twisted, that just when she thought she had solved him, she only found herself getting farther and farther away from the answer
"Maybe the problem is me?" She said softly, whispering her thoughts to the frosty breeze. She thought of the way that she treated him, the way that she always turned her emotions on and off like a tap. Could she be what brings out the beast in him? "No. It is not me, he was a beast long before I arrived."
She stared silently into the night, listening to the wind dancing around her. It was then she noticed something stirring in the garden below. The shadows of the night kept him well hidden, but she knew exactly who it was. A tender smile crept upon her lips, she was glad to see him, to see anyone. Thought her spirit had been broken, the fire inside of her still burned strong. Being left alone in her room for so long had left her longing for a campaigning, for anyone. Even for him.
"Prince," She called, standing at the stone railings of the balcony. "Prince, will you ever permit me to leave this castle?" She asked him, "My jail." She muttered the last under her breath.
He looked up at her, his body still cloaked in the darkness, but she could feel his eyes upon her. "Come to me, my princess." His longing for her surfaced in his voice, though the chill still laced his words.
She had noticed the change once again; there was no harm in his tone. No malice or sin, just loneliness.
"You are free to leave your quarters, but please, I ask that you come to me."
Serena flared her nostrils in suspicion, an automatic reaction nowadays. 'Is he just playing with me again?' The thoughts ran through her mind, 'Will he try to hurt me, like he did before?' She looked down onto him, standing in the shadows in the middle of the rose garden.
He could feel her uncertainty. "Princess, I will do you no harm. Come to me, I wish only to show you something." And with that, he threw up a brass key, the key to her freedom, even if it was only temporarily. The twisted metal fell at her feet making a pinging sound. For a moment, she stood and stared at it, unsure whether to touch it or not. Weighing up her choices: Freedom, with a beast, or a prisoner, forever alone.
Her mind had already made the decision for her.
With a slight nod of her head, she bent down to pick up the key and hurried over to the door.
In the garden her waited, staring at a single rose. It's petals as red as blood, its scent sweeter then honey. He was mesmerised by its beauty, but her knew that this flower was a weed compared to her. He had waited almost a month for this night; he had kept her under lock and key for her own protection. Protection from him. But tonight, tonight was finally the night where he knew he could not harm her. The one night in the month when he was himself, truly himself. It was the night of the new moon. The night when the beast inside was dormant, where his soul was free. He could hear her footsteps coming closer. Their gentle clip-claps sounded like heavenly drumming.
"Princess," He said, and extended out his hand. She paused. "Please, I wish to show you something."
Hesitantly, she stepped forward into the darkness with him, taking his hand in hers. This felt right, for some strange reason to her. She felt like she belonged here, even if it was only for this moment.
"It's dark," She said, trying to look at him. "I fear I cannot see a thing."
"Shhh, don't be afraid." He beckoned. "It will not be for much longer. They will come out soon."
"What?" She whispered, trying to keep her voice down for a reason unknown to her. "What is going to come out?"
He pointed into the darkness of the tree line. "They are."
Coming out of the woods was a light, a silvery glowing.
"What are they?" She asked, mesmerised by the beauty of the twinkling.
"Fireflies." He whispered into her ear softly. "They come here every night under the new moon, they like the roses."
Slowly, the thousands of sparkling lights made their way close and closer, weaving in and out of the roses. In an elegant ballet they danced around the beast and his beauty, their gentle humming playing a melodic tune.
She gazed up at him with stars in her eyes, it seamed the night was weaving its own magic. Suddenly, she gasped; for the first time, he looked different. His eyes were no longer like pools of black oil, instead, they were as beautiful as the morning sky. Blue sparkling diamonds, filled with love, hope, and beauty. She blushed momentarily as she stared at him, captivated by the soul within.
As timid as a kitten, he extended his hand. "Would you like to dance?" He asked, their two eyes lost in each other's. With a gentle nod of her head, she placed her hand in his.
The air around them sparkled as the two swirled under the twinkling lights. The rose garden shimmered as the fireflies rested on the petals. Looking like dewdrops that clung to the surface. Their eyes never left each other's, too afraid to look away in case this was all a dream they would wake up from.
"Serena," He whispered, as he moved in closer to her. His arm wrapped around her back, embracing her every movement. A few of the fireflies rested on her head, making her golden hair light up as though it were covered with diamonds.
"Yes." She moved in closer to him, she could feel the muscles under his shirt contract with every nervous breath that he took. She gazed up at him with her big blue eyes and repeated herself. "Yes,"
He was lost for words, but he knew exactly what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her the truth. He wanted to be honest with her, and tell her about the beast inside of him, about how he changes during the day. About how if she kissed him, even just one little kiss, that the spell would be broken, that he could finally be rid of the evil inside of him. He gazed into her glittering eyes. He wanted her to know his sorrow for the war, for the years of torment he put her through. He wanted to explain that it wasn't him that orchestrated it, that it was the beast inside. That the only thing that he had ever wanted in this world, was her. Was her love.
"Yes," She repeated once again. Still she gazed at him with her innocent eyes, she could feel the thousands of thoughts running through his head. She could see the hurt in his eyes, those big, pretty eyes that she had lost herself in. Without thinking, she rose to her tiptoes and touched his lips with hers.
The two embraced each other for what seamed like hours, their smooth lips brushing up against each other. Everything in their past melted from their memories, then suddenly, he pulled away.
"What is it?" She asked innocently, her lips longing for more.
"Sunrise." He whispered and looked over at the horizon.
"It looks beautiful." She sung in his ear and wrapped her hands around his waist, her fingers tracing around his stomach.
"No!" He said pushing her away violently. She fell to the ground, a layer of her china skin scraped off of her hands. "It didn't work." He gasped and looked at his arms. Already they had started to change. "It was supposed to work!" He shouted angrily, stirring the fireflies into a fleeing frenzy, their magic leaving with the night.
Staring up from on the ground, she looked at him. Shocked that he had become a completely different person in a matter of heartbeats.
Suddenly, he dashed back into the castle, cursing to himself with every step he took. He could feel the sunrise, its warm rays burned him, burned inside his heart. The fresh scent of dawn smelt rotten to him. It was the smell of his misery; usually he knew the dawn was coming long before he could see it, but he had failed to feel it this time. Failed to smell it, until it was too late. He ran up the dark flight of stairs and burst into his room. He had to find out, he had to see it for himself. "It had to work." He repeated. "She kissed me, she loves me. I love her, it had to work."
He walked up to the mirror.
"Rahhh!" He yelled and punched it with an abnormally hairy fist. It shattered into a thousand pieces, the shards of glass falling with his blood to the floor. The spell had not been broken. She was not the one.
Softly, she sighed as she contemplated her life. He changed too drastically, too often. One moment, he was a soul gentler then her own, and the next, he was an animal, a beast. Nothing more. He was a mystery, a puzzle. A puzzle so twisted, that just when she thought she had solved him, she only found herself getting farther and farther away from the answer
"Maybe the problem is me?" She said softly, whispering her thoughts to the frosty breeze. She thought of the way that she treated him, the way that she always turned her emotions on and off like a tap. Could she be what brings out the beast in him? "No. It is not me, he was a beast long before I arrived."
She stared silently into the night, listening to the wind dancing around her. It was then she noticed something stirring in the garden below. The shadows of the night kept him well hidden, but she knew exactly who it was. A tender smile crept upon her lips, she was glad to see him, to see anyone. Thought her spirit had been broken, the fire inside of her still burned strong. Being left alone in her room for so long had left her longing for a campaigning, for anyone. Even for him.
"Prince," She called, standing at the stone railings of the balcony. "Prince, will you ever permit me to leave this castle?" She asked him, "My jail." She muttered the last under her breath.
He looked up at her, his body still cloaked in the darkness, but she could feel his eyes upon her. "Come to me, my princess." His longing for her surfaced in his voice, though the chill still laced his words.
She had noticed the change once again; there was no harm in his tone. No malice or sin, just loneliness.
"You are free to leave your quarters, but please, I ask that you come to me."
Serena flared her nostrils in suspicion, an automatic reaction nowadays. 'Is he just playing with me again?' The thoughts ran through her mind, 'Will he try to hurt me, like he did before?' She looked down onto him, standing in the shadows in the middle of the rose garden.
He could feel her uncertainty. "Princess, I will do you no harm. Come to me, I wish only to show you something." And with that, he threw up a brass key, the key to her freedom, even if it was only temporarily. The twisted metal fell at her feet making a pinging sound. For a moment, she stood and stared at it, unsure whether to touch it or not. Weighing up her choices: Freedom, with a beast, or a prisoner, forever alone.
Her mind had already made the decision for her.
With a slight nod of her head, she bent down to pick up the key and hurried over to the door.
In the garden her waited, staring at a single rose. It's petals as red as blood, its scent sweeter then honey. He was mesmerised by its beauty, but her knew that this flower was a weed compared to her. He had waited almost a month for this night; he had kept her under lock and key for her own protection. Protection from him. But tonight, tonight was finally the night where he knew he could not harm her. The one night in the month when he was himself, truly himself. It was the night of the new moon. The night when the beast inside was dormant, where his soul was free. He could hear her footsteps coming closer. Their gentle clip-claps sounded like heavenly drumming.
"Princess," He said, and extended out his hand. She paused. "Please, I wish to show you something."
Hesitantly, she stepped forward into the darkness with him, taking his hand in hers. This felt right, for some strange reason to her. She felt like she belonged here, even if it was only for this moment.
"It's dark," She said, trying to look at him. "I fear I cannot see a thing."
"Shhh, don't be afraid." He beckoned. "It will not be for much longer. They will come out soon."
"What?" She whispered, trying to keep her voice down for a reason unknown to her. "What is going to come out?"
He pointed into the darkness of the tree line. "They are."
Coming out of the woods was a light, a silvery glowing.
"What are they?" She asked, mesmerised by the beauty of the twinkling.
"Fireflies." He whispered into her ear softly. "They come here every night under the new moon, they like the roses."
Slowly, the thousands of sparkling lights made their way close and closer, weaving in and out of the roses. In an elegant ballet they danced around the beast and his beauty, their gentle humming playing a melodic tune.
She gazed up at him with stars in her eyes, it seamed the night was weaving its own magic. Suddenly, she gasped; for the first time, he looked different. His eyes were no longer like pools of black oil, instead, they were as beautiful as the morning sky. Blue sparkling diamonds, filled with love, hope, and beauty. She blushed momentarily as she stared at him, captivated by the soul within.
As timid as a kitten, he extended his hand. "Would you like to dance?" He asked, their two eyes lost in each other's. With a gentle nod of her head, she placed her hand in his.
The air around them sparkled as the two swirled under the twinkling lights. The rose garden shimmered as the fireflies rested on the petals. Looking like dewdrops that clung to the surface. Their eyes never left each other's, too afraid to look away in case this was all a dream they would wake up from.
"Serena," He whispered, as he moved in closer to her. His arm wrapped around her back, embracing her every movement. A few of the fireflies rested on her head, making her golden hair light up as though it were covered with diamonds.
"Yes." She moved in closer to him, she could feel the muscles under his shirt contract with every nervous breath that he took. She gazed up at him with her big blue eyes and repeated herself. "Yes,"
He was lost for words, but he knew exactly what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her the truth. He wanted to be honest with her, and tell her about the beast inside of him, about how he changes during the day. About how if she kissed him, even just one little kiss, that the spell would be broken, that he could finally be rid of the evil inside of him. He gazed into her glittering eyes. He wanted her to know his sorrow for the war, for the years of torment he put her through. He wanted to explain that it wasn't him that orchestrated it, that it was the beast inside. That the only thing that he had ever wanted in this world, was her. Was her love.
"Yes," She repeated once again. Still she gazed at him with her innocent eyes, she could feel the thousands of thoughts running through his head. She could see the hurt in his eyes, those big, pretty eyes that she had lost herself in. Without thinking, she rose to her tiptoes and touched his lips with hers.
The two embraced each other for what seamed like hours, their smooth lips brushing up against each other. Everything in their past melted from their memories, then suddenly, he pulled away.
"What is it?" She asked innocently, her lips longing for more.
"Sunrise." He whispered and looked over at the horizon.
"It looks beautiful." She sung in his ear and wrapped her hands around his waist, her fingers tracing around his stomach.
"No!" He said pushing her away violently. She fell to the ground, a layer of her china skin scraped off of her hands. "It didn't work." He gasped and looked at his arms. Already they had started to change. "It was supposed to work!" He shouted angrily, stirring the fireflies into a fleeing frenzy, their magic leaving with the night.
Staring up from on the ground, she looked at him. Shocked that he had become a completely different person in a matter of heartbeats.
Suddenly, he dashed back into the castle, cursing to himself with every step he took. He could feel the sunrise, its warm rays burned him, burned inside his heart. The fresh scent of dawn smelt rotten to him. It was the smell of his misery; usually he knew the dawn was coming long before he could see it, but he had failed to feel it this time. Failed to smell it, until it was too late. He ran up the dark flight of stairs and burst into his room. He had to find out, he had to see it for himself. "It had to work." He repeated. "She kissed me, she loves me. I love her, it had to work."
He walked up to the mirror.
"Rahhh!" He yelled and punched it with an abnormally hairy fist. It shattered into a thousand pieces, the shards of glass falling with his blood to the floor. The spell had not been broken. She was not the one.