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 Eighteen
"What will we do? She will surely tell him. After all, he is her son." A fairy standing by the side of the group looked around fearfully, as if Akakios will jump out from the middle of nowhere and attack him. He looked at the other fairies then at Phaedrus, his eyes asking him to deny it.
Phaedrus shook his head grimly. "She wouldn't do that."
Another fairy standing beside Phaedrus spoke up. "Besides, didn't she tell you that she was thinking about it?"
Phaedrus looked down. From what he remembered of their conversation, Selene was as devastated as he was of her response to their plight. She told him that she cannot help them, but he didn't want the others to know, lest they panic. Besides, Selene doesn't know about the others, even if she told her son, only he would take the fall.
"I can't Phaedrus. I cannot betray my own son, even though he is as you say. I believe what you say about him. He is, in fact, every bit as stubborn and proud as everyone says. But he is still my son." Phaedrus had stood up and turned away, too overwhelmed by fear to talk. The queen mother that he and everyone else knew would stand up for her people no matter what. The Selene he knew wouldn't simply stand by and let the king destroy their land, even if the king is her son. It was as if he never really knew her. Who knows what she will do next? She might tell Akakios everything. Phaedrus breathed a sigh of relief that he did not mention the other fairies. At least they would be safe. Or as safe as they could be with Akakios as king.
Seeing him turn away from her, Selene had reached out hesitantly and took his hand. The very contact had sent shivers up Phaedrus' spine and he had pulled his hand away. "Phaedrus, understand my plight. My people want me to fight for them. But the fight is against my son. I know that Akakios and I have never been close what with me attending to state matters while he grew up, but he is still my son. I could never turn my back on him."
"She won't tell Akakios. She isn't like that, right Phaedrus?" The question brought Phaedrus tumbling back into the present. He shook his head, "No. She won't abandon us." He certainly hoped so.
~~~
Leo looked out the window from Beauty's room, thinking to himself. There was no way that she would marry him. There was no hope for him. Who could love a beast? A beast. That was what he was. He wasn't Prince Leopold to his subjects or Leo to Aglaia anymore. He was just a beast. He was nothing. And he would always be nothing for no woman in her right mind could love him.
A moan came from the bed, and Leo was beside Beauty's bed in an instant. For a moment he forgot what he was, concern etched in his face as he looked at the shivering woman in front of him. Her skin that had been paler than usual now had a healthy rose tint. Her thick eyelashes fluttered and she opened her eyes, revealing beautiful gray eyes. Her eyes widened and she sat up and back away to the corner of her bed.
"What's going on? What's happening to me?" Leo retreated to the side of the room, trying to avoid her surprised gaze. Beauty was shaking and hugging her legs to her body, rocking back and forth on her bed.
"I..." Leo started. But Beauty wasn't listening anymore. Her eyes were closed and she was shaking her head. Leo looked at the floor and then at the open door. He walked towards the door, his padded feet making no noise. Leo looked back at Beauty before leaving. She was frowning and touching her temples, as if having a headache.
"I'm sorry." Leo whispered to the closing door.
~~~
Aglaia shook her head, trying to shake away the nagging feeling that there was something wrong. Something wasn't...right. She could feel it. There was a part of her missing. It was as if someone took away a piece of her soul. Her headache subsiding, Aglaia looked up to talk to the beast. After looking for him in the castle, he was the one that found her in the end. He was the one who caught her when she fainted.
The beast wasn't there. Aglaia frowned. When did he leave? He probably left when she was having those headaches. Not sleepy anymore, Aglaia stood up and walked towards the door, determined to find the beast before the night was over.
It turned out that she didn't have to look very far. The beast was still outside her room when she opened the door. They both stepped back, surprised at the sight of each other. Before the beast could leave, Aglaia stepped forward hesitantly.
"Wait!" The beast looked at Aglaia, obviously surprised by the instant change in her mood. Somehow feeling the need to explain, Aglaia waved her hand in the general direction of her room. "I...I had a headache."
"Are...you okay?" The beast took a step in Aglaia's direction and she tried not to tremble. After all, she has seen more menacing monsters than him. She could convince him not to eat her. And besides, she was a fairy. She could just fly away if he tries anything. Aglaia squared her shoulders and nodded. "Y-yes. I'm fine now."
"I'm Aglaia." She held out her hand for the beast to shake, but he was too astonished to do anything but gape at her. "A-Aglaia? Did you say your name is Aglaia?" Frowning slightly with confusion, Aglaia nodded slowly.
The beast was shaking his head, as if refusing to believe her. He took a step forward and looked at her, searching her eyes. "Aglaia." He whispered, taking another step forward and hesitantly reaching out with his hand to touch her hair. Aglaia instinctively took a step back, confused and slightly terrified by his odd reaction.
"Don't you know me? It's Leo." The beast--Leo looked at her, his eyes willing her to believe– to accept. He was nodding and looking deep into her eyes, she could almost feel herself being swallowed in those deep blue pools. Aglaia frowned and her mind raced. Leo? Who was Leo?
Chapter Eighteen
"What will we do? She will surely tell him. After all, he is her son." A fairy standing by the side of the group looked around fearfully, as if Akakios will jump out from the middle of nowhere and attack him. He looked at the other fairies then at Phaedrus, his eyes asking him to deny it.
Phaedrus shook his head grimly. "She wouldn't do that."
Another fairy standing beside Phaedrus spoke up. "Besides, didn't she tell you that she was thinking about it?"
Phaedrus looked down. From what he remembered of their conversation, Selene was as devastated as he was of her response to their plight. She told him that she cannot help them, but he didn't want the others to know, lest they panic. Besides, Selene doesn't know about the others, even if she told her son, only he would take the fall.
"I can't Phaedrus. I cannot betray my own son, even though he is as you say. I believe what you say about him. He is, in fact, every bit as stubborn and proud as everyone says. But he is still my son." Phaedrus had stood up and turned away, too overwhelmed by fear to talk. The queen mother that he and everyone else knew would stand up for her people no matter what. The Selene he knew wouldn't simply stand by and let the king destroy their land, even if the king is her son. It was as if he never really knew her. Who knows what she will do next? She might tell Akakios everything. Phaedrus breathed a sigh of relief that he did not mention the other fairies. At least they would be safe. Or as safe as they could be with Akakios as king.
Seeing him turn away from her, Selene had reached out hesitantly and took his hand. The very contact had sent shivers up Phaedrus' spine and he had pulled his hand away. "Phaedrus, understand my plight. My people want me to fight for them. But the fight is against my son. I know that Akakios and I have never been close what with me attending to state matters while he grew up, but he is still my son. I could never turn my back on him."
"She won't tell Akakios. She isn't like that, right Phaedrus?" The question brought Phaedrus tumbling back into the present. He shook his head, "No. She won't abandon us." He certainly hoped so.
~~~
Leo looked out the window from Beauty's room, thinking to himself. There was no way that she would marry him. There was no hope for him. Who could love a beast? A beast. That was what he was. He wasn't Prince Leopold to his subjects or Leo to Aglaia anymore. He was just a beast. He was nothing. And he would always be nothing for no woman in her right mind could love him.
A moan came from the bed, and Leo was beside Beauty's bed in an instant. For a moment he forgot what he was, concern etched in his face as he looked at the shivering woman in front of him. Her skin that had been paler than usual now had a healthy rose tint. Her thick eyelashes fluttered and she opened her eyes, revealing beautiful gray eyes. Her eyes widened and she sat up and back away to the corner of her bed.
"What's going on? What's happening to me?" Leo retreated to the side of the room, trying to avoid her surprised gaze. Beauty was shaking and hugging her legs to her body, rocking back and forth on her bed.
"I..." Leo started. But Beauty wasn't listening anymore. Her eyes were closed and she was shaking her head. Leo looked at the floor and then at the open door. He walked towards the door, his padded feet making no noise. Leo looked back at Beauty before leaving. She was frowning and touching her temples, as if having a headache.
"I'm sorry." Leo whispered to the closing door.
~~~
Aglaia shook her head, trying to shake away the nagging feeling that there was something wrong. Something wasn't...right. She could feel it. There was a part of her missing. It was as if someone took away a piece of her soul. Her headache subsiding, Aglaia looked up to talk to the beast. After looking for him in the castle, he was the one that found her in the end. He was the one who caught her when she fainted.
The beast wasn't there. Aglaia frowned. When did he leave? He probably left when she was having those headaches. Not sleepy anymore, Aglaia stood up and walked towards the door, determined to find the beast before the night was over.
It turned out that she didn't have to look very far. The beast was still outside her room when she opened the door. They both stepped back, surprised at the sight of each other. Before the beast could leave, Aglaia stepped forward hesitantly.
"Wait!" The beast looked at Aglaia, obviously surprised by the instant change in her mood. Somehow feeling the need to explain, Aglaia waved her hand in the general direction of her room. "I...I had a headache."
"Are...you okay?" The beast took a step in Aglaia's direction and she tried not to tremble. After all, she has seen more menacing monsters than him. She could convince him not to eat her. And besides, she was a fairy. She could just fly away if he tries anything. Aglaia squared her shoulders and nodded. "Y-yes. I'm fine now."
"I'm Aglaia." She held out her hand for the beast to shake, but he was too astonished to do anything but gape at her. "A-Aglaia? Did you say your name is Aglaia?" Frowning slightly with confusion, Aglaia nodded slowly.
The beast was shaking his head, as if refusing to believe her. He took a step forward and looked at her, searching her eyes. "Aglaia." He whispered, taking another step forward and hesitantly reaching out with his hand to touch her hair. Aglaia instinctively took a step back, confused and slightly terrified by his odd reaction.
"Don't you know me? It's Leo." The beast--Leo looked at her, his eyes willing her to believe– to accept. He was nodding and looking deep into her eyes, she could almost feel herself being swallowed in those deep blue pools. Aglaia frowned and her mind raced. Leo? Who was Leo?