Chapter 10

The sun rose slowly over the rose garden, bathing all below it in a gentle yellow glow. The flowers tilted their heads up towards the heavens, begging for the caressing light. There was a figure amongst the blossoms, sitting on his haunches and holding a single blossom in his hands.

"Rose," murmured the Beast softly, remembering how his young daughter had loved playing in these very arbors. It had been four months since she had disappeared and they hadn't seen hide or hair of her with only Joshua's word that she was still alive. He shivered, his fur ruffling

as if from a wind. He trusted his brother-in-law, but how long could he possibly wait?

The sounds of an argument stirred him from his reverie. There were two voices nearby and his sensitive bestial hearing told the Beast that Joshua and Lizzie were in the middle of a vicious sounding altercation. Ever curious and glad for the distraction, the Beast rose up to investigate.

"No!" Joshua yelled, raking his fingers through his hair with exasperation.

"Then what do you expect me to do?" Lizzie rejoined. "Just sit around and wait for you to get yourself killed?"

"I'm not going to die," he said, his voice lowering to a harsh whisper. "You, on the other hand-"

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"

"And when Andrew has you back in his bed with his hands all over you, will you be feeling the same way?" Joshua stared at her, watching with a morbid satisfaction as her face turned deathly pale.

"You little-" she began before stopping and staring down at the ground. Joshua, knowing that he had won, tilted her head up and pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth.

"I love you," he said, amazed at how easily those words now came to his lips.

"So I've heard," Lizzie muttered, purposely not responding to his affection.

"This isn't up for discussion," he told her severely. "I'm not letting you get hurt again!"

"But I'm supposed to let you go?" Lizzie replied, the heart of the matter coming to the surface. "You've been with me for what, eight hours now? And I'm just supposed to let you go and die?"

"I won't be killed," he repeated, his eyes fixed seriously on hers.

"Can you promise that?" she challenged. He didn't reply; he couldn't.

"Lizzie," he began, not really knowing what he was trying to say. She shrugged and started walking away. "Lizzie!" he called again.

She turned around, looked at him with a beautiful but sad eyed gaze, and reentered the castle. Joshua swore in about four different languages as he stared at her retreating back.

"What was that about?" asked a nearby voice. Joshua spun around, and then visibly relaxed as he identified the intruder as his brother-in-law.

"An argument," Joshua answered shortly, not really wanting to delve into the affair.

"I gathered," drawled the Beast dryly. "Since when have you two had such virulent lover's spats?"

"Since last night when I asked her to marry me," Joshua answered nonchalantly. The dumbfounded stare he received was rather gratifying. "What, Vincent, are you that surprised?"

"Not surprised," came the correction. "Pleased. It certainly took you two long enough. But why would you want to leave?"

Joshua sighed. "Do you want the long answer or the short?"

"Short please," replied Vincent.

"We've found your daughter."

"What?" Joshua waited for his brother-in-law to say something to which he could actually reply and the torrent of questions that followed could not have served better. "Where is she? Is she safe? When can I see her? When can she come home? Who took her? Why did her take her?

How-"

"Slow down!" Joshua said, resting a hand on Vincent's shoulder. "She's safe for now and I'll have her home soon, I promise. I just need to 'discuss' something with her abductor?"

"Who is?" Vincent pressed.

"Lord Andrew Gilld, my father." Vincent stared blankly at him. "I'm not actually Maurice's son," Joshua said with a sigh, sick of this story. "I'm the product of an illicit affair between his wife and brother, Andrew."

"You're Gilld's heir?" he breathed, unable to believe what he saw.

"I'm Gilld's heir," Joshua agreed, "Loathe though I am to admit it. And Andrew has your daughter as bait for his brother and me. So I'm going to negotiate with him about kidnapping family members of mine."

"Which is why your fiancée is so upset," Vincent finished. "I must say, Joshua, I see her point."

Joshua stared at him. "Did you miss the part about your daughter?" he practically yelled.

"Of course not," said the Beast, his voice a low growl that testified to his emotions. "But I have absolute faith in you that she'll return unharmed."

"Thank you," said Joshua. "Now could you tell that to Lizzie."

"I wasn't finished," Vincent replied. "You'd give up your own life for this and she'll never forgive you for it."

"True, but I won't be around to deal with it," was Joshua's bitter reply.

Vincent smiled and rested a gentle paw on Joshua's shoulder. "Take it from someone who knows. Duty is the easiest way to lose someone you love. Even if it's the only way, don't push her away. She obviously wants to be a part of your life, God help me if I know why, so you'd be an idiot to isolate her already."

"She thinks I'm going to get myself killed if I go," Joshua grumbled half-heartedly, surprised that he was having such a brotherly talk with Vincent.

"Is she right?" Vincent asked, his eyes fixed on Joshua's.

"I hope not," he forced himself to admit.

"Then I suggest you talk to her about it, not an argument, a real conversation. She deserves it."

"I know," Joshua whispered. He refused to be maudlin, however, so he grinned at Vincent. "Thanks, I'm glad someone has some sense around here."

"Good, so once you've spoken to Lizzie, we'll discuss when we leave for Andrew."

Joshua glared at him. "Not we, me."

"This is my daughter."

"I'm his target, I'm the only one with the power to deal with him," Joshua retorted angrily.

"I'm coming along, if only to keep you company until you get there. We'll decide if you attack alone later."

Joshua paused. "We'll finish this later, I have to speak to Lizzie."

"Yes, you do." Joshua stalked off and Vincent hid a fanged smile. He knew Joshua too well to panic about Rose; she would be safe soon. But he liked that brave young girl they had found to help out and the thought of Joshua finally in love was definitely worthwhile. No, all in all, he had no reasons to fear. They did.

Joshua didn't know where Lizzie had gone, but there weren't very many places where she would be and so, after checking her room and the abandoned breakfast table, he found her curled up on a chair in the library. His face brightened just at seeing her and he walked slowly to her side.

"Lizzie my love?" he said softly, touching her shoulder.

She sighed. "You know, up until those three words, I was preparing to scream at you."

"I'm good at defending myself," he answered, pulling over an ottoman and sitting down on it. She turned to face him.

"But are you good enough?" He knew he had to be honest with her, knew that she deserved better than lies. But he didn't want to hurt her. "This isn't some fairy tale," she said, leaning forward and gazing earnestly at him. "There's no promised happy ending, Joshua. I don't know if everything will work out perfectly; I'm at fortune's behest and if I lose you?" She trailed off, afraid to voice the words.

He rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms; the joy of embrace had yet to fade and this was still the easiest way to assuage all fears. When they held one another, they were invulnerable. "You won't lose me," Joshua promised. "I'll always be here."

"Physically?"

"I hope."

"If you can't give me a definite yes, I'm not letting you go."

Joshua kissed her pale cheek. "If only it was that easy," he replied. "I wish your command was enough to pull me back."

"And why isn't it?"

"Because if I don't go, Rose will die. Enough innocents have died because I didn't stand up to Andrew. I can't let my niece go that way as well."

She pressed her face against the folds of his shirt, holding on to him as if he was the only thing in her world. And, at that time, perhaps she was. "Bring her home," she whispered, the first tear sliding out from under her eyelids.

"Come," Joshua breathed, sitting down on one of the couches and kissing her. "I love you so much."

"More than anything," she replied, clinging to him.

Lizzie stayed in his lap, curled up against him. Joshua smiled and stroked her hair tenderly, enjoying their newfound intimacy.

"Lizzie?" Joshua murmured. There was no reply. He looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep. He smiled, she had had a long night and he was willing to bet she hadn't slept while he had.

There was a soft knock on the door. Joshua sighed and called quietly for the newcomer to enter. Lizzie stirred but didn't awaken.

"Well?" Maurice asked, staring pointedly at the couple on the couch.

"Well what?" Joshua replied. "And you should be lying down, knife wounds don't heal well if you don't let them."

"I'm not here to discuss my wounds," Maurice said in a tight, angry voice.

"Then what are you here to discuss?" he answered pleasantly, enjoying the power he had over the older man.

"You know full well what," Maurice answered.

"Your granddaughter's perfectly safe," Joshua said with a yawn. "And I'll probably get myself killed in the process, are you happy now?"

"I doubt you'll be harmed," muttered Maurice,

"I'll send you a limb for proof then, shall I?"

"Stop acting like a petulant child," Maurice reprimanded him.

Joshua looked at him, his eyes dark with rage and slowly removed the mask covering his face. Maurice blanched. "A petulant child?" Joshua asked softly, glaring at Maurice with green eyes that practically shone with anger. "You never did understand me, did you? You either saw me as a waste of time or as a copy of my father. You have no idea what I'm going through or what I have to give up for my niece. What I will give up for her. But never forget what you see now. Not all is how it appears on the surface." Their eyes locked and, one second later, Maurice left the room all atremble.

Joshua sighed and got to his feet. Lizzie slipped off his lap and onto the couch. She was awakened by that small movement, though Joshua didn't notice. He was already halfway across the room, standing in front of a small mirror.

"Hideous," he murmured, reaching up to touch his cheeks. "And yet I still don't see it. Why didn't you give me the power to see my own torment?" The mask hung limply from his hand.

Lizzie crept to her feet, seeing the glint of gold clutched in her fiancé's hand. She twisted her head to try and see his reflection; she was so curious to know what he tried so hard to hide from her.

She tiptoed across the room, her slippered feet making no noise on the carpets. Her silken dressing gown whisked noiselessly around her feet and she drew ever closer to Joshua, craning her neck to see beyond his head and gaze at the reflection in the glass.

"Don't even think about it," said a soft voice. Lizzie froze. Joshua's hand brought the mask back up to his face and affixed it so that it was once again covering all his features from brow to mouth. He turned around to look at her, gazing with lazy lidded eyes at the young woman. "Well?"

"Umm," Lizzie stuttered, not quite sure what to say.

"Don't you think I wear this for a reason?" Joshua asked in a calm, reasonable voice.

"Yes," Lizzie answered with a sigh, knowing where this conversation was going. "The reason is so that no one can see your face, I know. But can you blame me for being curious?"

"Curiosity killed the cat," he pointed out with a small grin.

"But satisfaction brought it back," was the prompt reply. She smiled and Joshua, never able to resist that impish grin, wrapped her in his arms and pulled her into a hug.

"I'll make a deal with you," Joshua murmured. "When I get back from this, I'll let you look behind the mask, alright?"

"When?" Lizzie asked pointedly.

"When," Joshua repeated, gazing earnestly into her eyes. She nodded, then took his hand.

"Let's go get you ready," she said softly. Joshua smiled and followed her out of the room. If all went well, his face would be healed when he killed Andrew. And if it didn't, he was far more likely to end up a small pile of ashes than any discernable human being. But he was damned if he was going to let Lizzie see him with his own features replaced by those of Lord Andrew Adam Gilld.

T.B.C

A/N – Thank you all who have read so far and I'm sorry this took longer than the past two (although, I'm pleased to say, I haven't been stalling six months between updates anymore). But I'm on vacation now so, oddly enough, I seem to have less time to write than I had. Oh well. More soon if I can produce it.

Levana (Damian)