A/N: Hey peeps!!! Are you guys surprised that I updated this early? :P Oddly enough, this is the only chapter that has only one scene, so sorry I didn't get to talk about much of the other characters... anyway, getting on with the story, *grins sheepishly* you guys know the usual, enjoy, don't forget to review, thanx for all the reviews, and no, I do not own the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast... I do, however, own Aglaia and everyone else *laughs gleefuly*.. so anyway, on with the story!!!
Chapter Twenty
Aglaia rolled over, rubbing her cheek against the smooth silk covers of her pillow. She frowned. The pillow in her room wasn't this soft. She woke up with a start, realizing at once where she was. The beast. Leo. Everything came flashing back to her.
Again that nagging voice in the back of her head that told her there was something missing. It was like she had a locked box and had the key, only she forgot where she put it. She closed her eyes, trying to remember where she put the key. But there was nothing. She felt as if something was missing, as if she should know something. Her head started hurting again, so Aglaia shook her head and sat up on her bed.
She looked around the room. The different shades of green were comforting. It was almost like being in the forest. Aglaia sat up on her bed, looking out the window. What shall she do today? She looked at the door, expecting Leo to come in at any moment.
When no one came, Aglaia sighed and stood up. She looked for her dress from yesterday, but a new one was laid out on a chair pushed beside her bed. It was deep green, and the skirt parted in front to reveal a white petticoat. A silk green ribbon was wrapped around the waist and tied in the back into a large bow. Long white gloves lay on top of the dress.
After dressing herself, Aglaia looked at the gloves. She didn't want to wear it since she wasn't going out. Aglaia walked towards the door and opened it. She stepped outside and looked around. The hallway was lit with candles placed on stands beside every door.
She headed straight for the next door to her left—the library. Remembering the story she read the last time, she opened the magnificent doors and headed for the section where she found the book last night. She took the old book out of its place on the shelf and settled down on one of the chairs by the windows.
Aglaia opened the book and turned each page gently, finding the place where she left off. She reached the page with the painting of the evil fairy in Sleeping Beauty and shook her head. The story of the sleeping princess was a legend in her land. It was nothing at all like the romantic notion of the princess sleeping and the inhabitants of the castle sleeping with her until her prince woke her up.
In the legend, the princess slept for more than a hundred years. When she was awakened by her prince, her family–everyone she knew and loved was dead. Aglaia shuddered. She didn't want to know how the princess felt when she woke up only to find out that everyone she loved–her family and friends were gone. To be awakened by a complete stranger, even if he was a prince, and to find out everything you knew–all the traditions and values that you grew up around was gone... Aglaia didn't even want to think of herself in that position. How dreadful it must've been for the princess.
As for the evil fairy... Aglaia shuddered. She looked at the painting of the fairy in the book. That was exactly how she pictured her. She knew that the fairy was probably more frightening in person, with malice and greed reeking from her. The legend never said what happened to the evil fairy. She just disappeared into thin air. Nothing was mentioned of her again.
Trying to put it out of her mind, Aglaia shook her head and turned the pages to the next story. Cinderwench. Aglaia laughed. Fairy tale indeed. Most of what humans call Fairy Tales, they just make up. Reading on, Aglaia shook her head. Fairy godmother. Who ever heard of fairy godmothers? Aglaia smiled and immersed herself into the book, reading story after story.
When she finished the last story, Aglaia closed the book and held it against her chest. She sighed, thinking of the stories. When she opened her eyes, she realized two things. First, it was afternoon. She didn't eat lunch or breakfast at all! The second thing was that Leo was standing by the door, staring at her.
Aglaia stood up hastily, smoothing away the creases on her dress and placed the book on her chair. Leo walked towards her, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Do you always do that when you finish reading a book?"
Forgetting that she was talking to a beast, Aglaia put her hands on her waist haughtily. "Do what?," she asked defensively. Leo laughed, a low rumble that echoed in the huge library. She could feel his laugh reverberate through her, feeling strangely comforted.
"Hug the book and sigh. You get this faraway look to your eyes." Leo answered, daring her to deny it. Instead, she took the book from her chair and sat down. "I do?"
"You look as if you were somewhere else and not in the library." Leo walked closer. Aglaia's face took on that faraway look again, remembering. Leo laughed again and started walking towards the door.
"Come, let us walk in the gardens." Leo behind him to see if Aglaia was following him. She stood up and walked towards the shelf, returning the book with care and followed Leo outside.
They strolled along the gardens in comfortable silence, the ice broken between them. Aglaia looked at the sky and frowned, realizing something for the first time since she came yesterday.
"Leo?" When he looked at her, waiting for her question, Aglaia continued. "Why aren't there any birds around the castle? I haven't seen any at all since I got here." Looking troubled, Leo shook his head. "I—don't know."
Reaching another garden, Aglaia looked around and found, to her delight, roses everywhere. She ran ahead of Leo and turned around slowly, gazing at the roses in the garden.
"This is so beautiful!" Aglaia looked at Leo who was watching her with a thoughtful expression. Suddenly shy, Aglaia stopped spinning around and looked at the ground, then at Leo. "What?," she whispered.
"Nothing." Leo shook his head, a corner of his mouth lifting up in a slight smile. "It's just that... You remind me of someone I used to know." He looked away, a troubled expression on his face.
When he realized that Aglaia was still looking at him with a worried look, Leo shook himself and looked around him. There were roses everywhere––filling the walls till even a spot of gray couldn't be seen. Rose bushes littered the garden, and rose trees lined a path that they were standing on.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Leo smiled wryly. Aglaia–his Aglaia would've loved this place. Again he couldn't get over the fact that they both were so similar in so many ways, and yet... and yet she didn't know him. Aglaia loved reading books too. When she visited him, they used to go to his library and read together. When they finished reading Romeo and Juliet, Aglaia cried over the ending, seeking the comfort of Leo's shoulder (This, of course, was not approached with hesitance in Leo's part).
Aglaia also had a fierce, almost strange attachment with roses. Leo never found out why, but he had a feeling that it had something to do with her being a fairy.
Leo shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. His comparing his Aglaia—no, just Aglaia; she was never his, to Aglaia-Beauty had to stop. Thinking of Aglaia never having loved him sent a sharp pain stabbing his heart, but Leo merely shook it away, determined not to think of Ag—her ever again.
Chapter Twenty
Aglaia rolled over, rubbing her cheek against the smooth silk covers of her pillow. She frowned. The pillow in her room wasn't this soft. She woke up with a start, realizing at once where she was. The beast. Leo. Everything came flashing back to her.
Again that nagging voice in the back of her head that told her there was something missing. It was like she had a locked box and had the key, only she forgot where she put it. She closed her eyes, trying to remember where she put the key. But there was nothing. She felt as if something was missing, as if she should know something. Her head started hurting again, so Aglaia shook her head and sat up on her bed.
She looked around the room. The different shades of green were comforting. It was almost like being in the forest. Aglaia sat up on her bed, looking out the window. What shall she do today? She looked at the door, expecting Leo to come in at any moment.
When no one came, Aglaia sighed and stood up. She looked for her dress from yesterday, but a new one was laid out on a chair pushed beside her bed. It was deep green, and the skirt parted in front to reveal a white petticoat. A silk green ribbon was wrapped around the waist and tied in the back into a large bow. Long white gloves lay on top of the dress.
After dressing herself, Aglaia looked at the gloves. She didn't want to wear it since she wasn't going out. Aglaia walked towards the door and opened it. She stepped outside and looked around. The hallway was lit with candles placed on stands beside every door.
She headed straight for the next door to her left—the library. Remembering the story she read the last time, she opened the magnificent doors and headed for the section where she found the book last night. She took the old book out of its place on the shelf and settled down on one of the chairs by the windows.
Aglaia opened the book and turned each page gently, finding the place where she left off. She reached the page with the painting of the evil fairy in Sleeping Beauty and shook her head. The story of the sleeping princess was a legend in her land. It was nothing at all like the romantic notion of the princess sleeping and the inhabitants of the castle sleeping with her until her prince woke her up.
In the legend, the princess slept for more than a hundred years. When she was awakened by her prince, her family–everyone she knew and loved was dead. Aglaia shuddered. She didn't want to know how the princess felt when she woke up only to find out that everyone she loved–her family and friends were gone. To be awakened by a complete stranger, even if he was a prince, and to find out everything you knew–all the traditions and values that you grew up around was gone... Aglaia didn't even want to think of herself in that position. How dreadful it must've been for the princess.
As for the evil fairy... Aglaia shuddered. She looked at the painting of the fairy in the book. That was exactly how she pictured her. She knew that the fairy was probably more frightening in person, with malice and greed reeking from her. The legend never said what happened to the evil fairy. She just disappeared into thin air. Nothing was mentioned of her again.
Trying to put it out of her mind, Aglaia shook her head and turned the pages to the next story. Cinderwench. Aglaia laughed. Fairy tale indeed. Most of what humans call Fairy Tales, they just make up. Reading on, Aglaia shook her head. Fairy godmother. Who ever heard of fairy godmothers? Aglaia smiled and immersed herself into the book, reading story after story.
When she finished the last story, Aglaia closed the book and held it against her chest. She sighed, thinking of the stories. When she opened her eyes, she realized two things. First, it was afternoon. She didn't eat lunch or breakfast at all! The second thing was that Leo was standing by the door, staring at her.
Aglaia stood up hastily, smoothing away the creases on her dress and placed the book on her chair. Leo walked towards her, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Do you always do that when you finish reading a book?"
Forgetting that she was talking to a beast, Aglaia put her hands on her waist haughtily. "Do what?," she asked defensively. Leo laughed, a low rumble that echoed in the huge library. She could feel his laugh reverberate through her, feeling strangely comforted.
"Hug the book and sigh. You get this faraway look to your eyes." Leo answered, daring her to deny it. Instead, she took the book from her chair and sat down. "I do?"
"You look as if you were somewhere else and not in the library." Leo walked closer. Aglaia's face took on that faraway look again, remembering. Leo laughed again and started walking towards the door.
"Come, let us walk in the gardens." Leo behind him to see if Aglaia was following him. She stood up and walked towards the shelf, returning the book with care and followed Leo outside.
They strolled along the gardens in comfortable silence, the ice broken between them. Aglaia looked at the sky and frowned, realizing something for the first time since she came yesterday.
"Leo?" When he looked at her, waiting for her question, Aglaia continued. "Why aren't there any birds around the castle? I haven't seen any at all since I got here." Looking troubled, Leo shook his head. "I—don't know."
Reaching another garden, Aglaia looked around and found, to her delight, roses everywhere. She ran ahead of Leo and turned around slowly, gazing at the roses in the garden.
"This is so beautiful!" Aglaia looked at Leo who was watching her with a thoughtful expression. Suddenly shy, Aglaia stopped spinning around and looked at the ground, then at Leo. "What?," she whispered.
"Nothing." Leo shook his head, a corner of his mouth lifting up in a slight smile. "It's just that... You remind me of someone I used to know." He looked away, a troubled expression on his face.
When he realized that Aglaia was still looking at him with a worried look, Leo shook himself and looked around him. There were roses everywhere––filling the walls till even a spot of gray couldn't be seen. Rose bushes littered the garden, and rose trees lined a path that they were standing on.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Leo smiled wryly. Aglaia–his Aglaia would've loved this place. Again he couldn't get over the fact that they both were so similar in so many ways, and yet... and yet she didn't know him. Aglaia loved reading books too. When she visited him, they used to go to his library and read together. When they finished reading Romeo and Juliet, Aglaia cried over the ending, seeking the comfort of Leo's shoulder (This, of course, was not approached with hesitance in Leo's part).
Aglaia also had a fierce, almost strange attachment with roses. Leo never found out why, but he had a feeling that it had something to do with her being a fairy.
Leo shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. His comparing his Aglaia—no, just Aglaia; she was never his, to Aglaia-Beauty had to stop. Thinking of Aglaia never having loved him sent a sharp pain stabbing his heart, but Leo merely shook it away, determined not to think of Ag—her ever again.