A/N: sorry guys, the story got kind of weird again, so I had to change a few facts... I changed some scenes in chapters: 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 16, mostly scenes with Leopold in it. Thanks! Don't forget to review!
Chapter Twelve
Leo frowned. What just happened? He was surprised when the stranger had suddenly screamed for help. He wasn't even able to explain before the man started babbling and begging him not to eat him. What Leo caught from his babbling was that he had a daughter. He guessed that the daughter must be the one that wanted the rose that the man picked.
He shook his head. At first he had wanted to comfort the poor man and reassure him that everything was fine, but then he saw the greed in the stranger's eyes. He even offered his daughter in his place! How shameful! What father would offer his daughter to a monster? Leo cringed at the word monster.
The stranger just dug deeper and deeper until he found himself a problem. In the end, Leo just agreed. It's not as if he was going to eat the girl or anything. Perhaps this woman could be the one to help him break the spell. After all, Aglaia has more or less abandoned him.
She has been gone for almost three months already with no word. She didn't even show up for their meeting. He never got to see her true self. She said so herself that whoever sees her true self is the person that she loves and she never came. This obviously meant something. She didn't love him. Why should he wait for her then?
~~~
Sophronia flew wearily towards the now empty house. Aglaia has been gone for almost three months now. Akakios was still trying to cover up her absence. She shook her head. Aglaia was gone for good. She probably went ahead and married that prince. She reached up to touch her head, remembering the pain.
She was in her room deciding how to tell Aglaia that her father was dead when the door opened. Before she could turn around to see who it was, something hit her on the head and everything went black.
Sophronia furrowed her brow. She still didn't know what truly happened that day, only that when she woke up, Akakios had something to announce to the city. He seemed very agitated and declared that he and Aglaia were finally getting married, but according to Gennadius' wishes, they would take a trip first before they exchanged vows. She didn't believe this. Gennadius never mentioned anything to her and it didn't seem like something he would do.
A few weeks after the shocking announcement rumors started flying around. It was told that Akakios had lost his bride. Aglaia was said to have run away when she discovered that Akakios intended to marry her that night. No one could blame them for feeling doubt. In those weeks that Aglaia was gone, though Akakios himself exhibited nonchalance, his personal servant, Thais skittered around like a frightened animal.
After a week or so more, Akakios himself disappeared, supposedly to meet Aglaia as planned. Akakios' departure silenced the gossip a little, and the rumors dwindled down. Then a month ago Akakios came back, claiming that he was finding another bride. As much as this shocked the fairies, his next statement shocked them even more. Akakios claimed that he is finding his future bride beyond the barrier.
Imagine that! Akakios desiring a human to be his bride! It was impossible. Akakios was one of the fairies that detested humans. This was a known fact to every fairy. But he claimed that this human was to be beautiful enough to make up for her humanity. He decided to make his future bride a fairy when she marries him.
Shaking her head, Sophronia flew over to the window, peering out the pink-tinted skies. What really happened to Aglaia?
~~~
Mario sat on the horse, tired from the long journey. He could hear Catarina shouting for him and running towards him. He looked up just as Catarina reached him, slowing down. Aglaia and Alessia soon followed.
Catarina, seeing the nearly empty saddlebags, frowned and stopped. Alessia paid no heed to this, however and started to lead the horse to the house.
"How was your journey papa?" Alessia looked behind her shoulder at Mario.
Catarina followed with her hands on her hips, pouting. "What happened to our riches? You said you would bring me gowns! You promised!" She stopped and stamped her foot on the ground angrily.
Ignoring Catarina, Mario sighed and shook his head. "Alas, I come back a man as poor as I was before, perhaps even more of a pauper than before."
They reached the house, where Adela hurried out of the kitchen to greet them. "Mario! Goodness, what clothes are you wearing? Where did you get these? These are clothes of the finest silk!"
This was when everyone noticed the clothes for the first time. Mario was wearing clothes fit for a king, no doubt taken from the palace of the beast.
They helped him down the horse and walked inside the cottage. Aglaia hurriedly tied the horse and walked in the house to catch up to them.
Adela was making tea in the kitchen. Catarina, still pouting from the gowns, or lack thereof, sat in the couch with her arms crossed. Alessia sat on the table beside Mario who was shaking his head.
Handing the steaming mug of tea to Mario, Adela wiped her hands on her apron and sat down on the chair in front of him. "What happened Mario? Tell us."
"I do not know where to start. I-I was heading for Kirmal when I got lost in the woods. I saw light somewhere and headed towards it. The light came from a castle. The castle seemed abandoned-there was no one there, not a single soul. As I walked into a room, fire blazed up in the fireplace out of nowhere." Mario noticed everyone's hesitation and nodded his head with conviction. Even Catarina stopped her pouting and pulled up a seat in the table to hear the story.
Mario continued. "At this point I noticed that there was a great table in the room and in the blink of an eye, a banquet appeared. A feast especially laid out for me. I was ravenous. After eating, I went upstairs to explore and possibly to find a bedroom to sleep in. The first door I opened revealed a bedroom with the a fire ablaze in the fireplace and nightclothes I assumed were laid out for me. And so I entered the bedchamber and slept."
"I awoke the next morning refreshed and, after finding the best route to Kirmal, prepared to leave. As I was leaving the gardens, I came across this rose bush and remembered Charites's request." Mario looked up at Aglaia with burning eyes of hatred.
"After picking a rose, a beast came out from behind me and demanded my life in repayment for the rose. When I–he found out that I had daughters, he offered a reprieve. If I were to bring back one of my daughters to him, he would forgive my debt. He has given me a fortnight to make my decision. Whoever is to be offered to him–be it me or one of my daughters, will go back to his castle in a fortnight."
Chapter Twelve
Leo frowned. What just happened? He was surprised when the stranger had suddenly screamed for help. He wasn't even able to explain before the man started babbling and begging him not to eat him. What Leo caught from his babbling was that he had a daughter. He guessed that the daughter must be the one that wanted the rose that the man picked.
He shook his head. At first he had wanted to comfort the poor man and reassure him that everything was fine, but then he saw the greed in the stranger's eyes. He even offered his daughter in his place! How shameful! What father would offer his daughter to a monster? Leo cringed at the word monster.
The stranger just dug deeper and deeper until he found himself a problem. In the end, Leo just agreed. It's not as if he was going to eat the girl or anything. Perhaps this woman could be the one to help him break the spell. After all, Aglaia has more or less abandoned him.
She has been gone for almost three months already with no word. She didn't even show up for their meeting. He never got to see her true self. She said so herself that whoever sees her true self is the person that she loves and she never came. This obviously meant something. She didn't love him. Why should he wait for her then?
~~~
Sophronia flew wearily towards the now empty house. Aglaia has been gone for almost three months now. Akakios was still trying to cover up her absence. She shook her head. Aglaia was gone for good. She probably went ahead and married that prince. She reached up to touch her head, remembering the pain.
She was in her room deciding how to tell Aglaia that her father was dead when the door opened. Before she could turn around to see who it was, something hit her on the head and everything went black.
Sophronia furrowed her brow. She still didn't know what truly happened that day, only that when she woke up, Akakios had something to announce to the city. He seemed very agitated and declared that he and Aglaia were finally getting married, but according to Gennadius' wishes, they would take a trip first before they exchanged vows. She didn't believe this. Gennadius never mentioned anything to her and it didn't seem like something he would do.
A few weeks after the shocking announcement rumors started flying around. It was told that Akakios had lost his bride. Aglaia was said to have run away when she discovered that Akakios intended to marry her that night. No one could blame them for feeling doubt. In those weeks that Aglaia was gone, though Akakios himself exhibited nonchalance, his personal servant, Thais skittered around like a frightened animal.
After a week or so more, Akakios himself disappeared, supposedly to meet Aglaia as planned. Akakios' departure silenced the gossip a little, and the rumors dwindled down. Then a month ago Akakios came back, claiming that he was finding another bride. As much as this shocked the fairies, his next statement shocked them even more. Akakios claimed that he is finding his future bride beyond the barrier.
Imagine that! Akakios desiring a human to be his bride! It was impossible. Akakios was one of the fairies that detested humans. This was a known fact to every fairy. But he claimed that this human was to be beautiful enough to make up for her humanity. He decided to make his future bride a fairy when she marries him.
Shaking her head, Sophronia flew over to the window, peering out the pink-tinted skies. What really happened to Aglaia?
~~~
Mario sat on the horse, tired from the long journey. He could hear Catarina shouting for him and running towards him. He looked up just as Catarina reached him, slowing down. Aglaia and Alessia soon followed.
Catarina, seeing the nearly empty saddlebags, frowned and stopped. Alessia paid no heed to this, however and started to lead the horse to the house.
"How was your journey papa?" Alessia looked behind her shoulder at Mario.
Catarina followed with her hands on her hips, pouting. "What happened to our riches? You said you would bring me gowns! You promised!" She stopped and stamped her foot on the ground angrily.
Ignoring Catarina, Mario sighed and shook his head. "Alas, I come back a man as poor as I was before, perhaps even more of a pauper than before."
They reached the house, where Adela hurried out of the kitchen to greet them. "Mario! Goodness, what clothes are you wearing? Where did you get these? These are clothes of the finest silk!"
This was when everyone noticed the clothes for the first time. Mario was wearing clothes fit for a king, no doubt taken from the palace of the beast.
They helped him down the horse and walked inside the cottage. Aglaia hurriedly tied the horse and walked in the house to catch up to them.
Adela was making tea in the kitchen. Catarina, still pouting from the gowns, or lack thereof, sat in the couch with her arms crossed. Alessia sat on the table beside Mario who was shaking his head.
Handing the steaming mug of tea to Mario, Adela wiped her hands on her apron and sat down on the chair in front of him. "What happened Mario? Tell us."
"I do not know where to start. I-I was heading for Kirmal when I got lost in the woods. I saw light somewhere and headed towards it. The light came from a castle. The castle seemed abandoned-there was no one there, not a single soul. As I walked into a room, fire blazed up in the fireplace out of nowhere." Mario noticed everyone's hesitation and nodded his head with conviction. Even Catarina stopped her pouting and pulled up a seat in the table to hear the story.
Mario continued. "At this point I noticed that there was a great table in the room and in the blink of an eye, a banquet appeared. A feast especially laid out for me. I was ravenous. After eating, I went upstairs to explore and possibly to find a bedroom to sleep in. The first door I opened revealed a bedroom with the a fire ablaze in the fireplace and nightclothes I assumed were laid out for me. And so I entered the bedchamber and slept."
"I awoke the next morning refreshed and, after finding the best route to Kirmal, prepared to leave. As I was leaving the gardens, I came across this rose bush and remembered Charites's request." Mario looked up at Aglaia with burning eyes of hatred.
"After picking a rose, a beast came out from behind me and demanded my life in repayment for the rose. When I–he found out that I had daughters, he offered a reprieve. If I were to bring back one of my daughters to him, he would forgive my debt. He has given me a fortnight to make my decision. Whoever is to be offered to him–be it me or one of my daughters, will go back to his castle in a fortnight."