A/N: Thank you everyone for such great support! I really appreciate all the reviews and everyone who is reading this story! I appologize for such a late update, since so much has been going on lately. I also appologize for any grammar errors, because it's not my forte, and I've been writing just for fun :D
Enjoy! We will learn more of Edward's past...
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight (unfortunately...) nor do I own The Bride and the Beast.
Chapter 6
- VI -
The Black Dragon kicked the wooden chest on the floor violently. The iron lock on it rattled in response. The Black Dragon growled in the back of his throat in annoyance.
He stroked his hair back with both of his hands as he was attempting to calm himself from his fit of anger.
He was in his bed chamber, standing still in the stone room. There was little light in the chamber, because of the heavy curtains covering the narrow stone arch windows. There were several lit candles burning, casting poor, but tolerable lighting. Regardless, the chamber was awfully dusky due to the countless heavy dark tapestries adorning the walls. They all looked haunting. The worn out images and recurring faces woven in the thick fabric traced events of long ago.
The Black Dragon backed up against the wall, breathing in and out heavily. He was trying to control himself. He tore off his vambraces from his arms and flung them to the stone floor. He furiously unfastened the black leather chest plate and let it fall to the floor. He stood there with a loose black shirt, with leather straps tying the fabric together. He closed his eyes tightly and flashes of images lingered in his mind. Memories were branded in his mind that couldn't be expelled. They were like ghosts - haunting him every day and night without pause. As if they wanted to drag him to his grave and bury him using his own sins as the soil.
He growled and slid his back down the stone wall until he finally reached the floor. He closed his eyes and with all his effort tried to ignore the stabbing memories.
He thought of her.
Bella stood standing in front of the wooden door in her chamber. She was staring at the door handle only an arm's reach from where she stood. Her hand remained outstretched as if to pull the door lever.
She had tried opening the door countless of times. She knew quite well it was locked. Each time she tried tugging and pulling at the door she somehow imagined it would magically unlock.
Yet, if it was unlocked…What would she do?
Run?
Bella sighed and lowered her hand back to her side and knelt down to the floor giving up her endeavor.
She couldn't escape. Fleeing wasn't an option for Bella. She distinctly remembered the events of last night… Bella never saw someone die before, and especially not murdered right in front of her very eyes. She wanted to run right there, but was unable to move from her captor's embrace. All she could do was shed tears and stare at the limp body. Oh how she wished to run far away!
However… she couldn't force herself to run…in fear of what would become of others because of her actions. It was a horrid bargain. Her freedom in exchange for precious lives…
She was afraid that if she dared escape her father would meet the same fate as the man in the dungeon. The Black Dragon knew Bella's father was her weakness and promised he would suffer in Bella's stead.
She was scared and terrified of her captor, The Black Dragon. How cold blooded he was…like the serpent creature he calls himself.
A chill ran down Bella's spine thinking of him.
It frightened Bella how well her captor knew her, whereas, she knew nothing about him. She had no clue to what he looked like or to the reason why he decided not to kill her, but take her prisoner.
Bella firmly clenched her hands in the folds of her dress as she was trying to suppress a cry. She had already shed many tears through out the night after what she saw. Her façade was breaking. She had to be strong…she can't allow him to break her, no matter how terrible it may be. She can't break to him.
Her situation was uncompromising. She was a helpless mouse caught in between the cat's paws, dangling by the tail… only a whisker away from the cat's mouth.
This mouse wasn't dim-witted though.
Bella sighed and stood up from her kneeling position. She patted out her dress, casting the dust off and straightening out the winkles.
She looked over her small bed chamber. It looked quite different from when it was bathed in darkness when she first awoke the day before. There was a small window in the chamber, allowing fresh air to fill the room and some natural light. There was the four poster mahogany bed, with the bedpost up against the wall. The curtains on it were a velvety crimson colour. A fireplace was on the wall opposite of the bed. There was a wooden chair and a small table near the window. The room was not overly garish, but quite simple and plain. The only articles that were luxurious were the carpet in the center of the room, which was with no doubt Persian. It felt heavenly underneath her feet when she dared to take off her shoes to feel its texture. Then there were the silk sheets on the bed that were no doubt quite expensive and felt like a sin to brush up against it.
Bella walked over to the window and stared out of the window. Her chamber was located quite high up, because whenever she looked down below it made her dizzy. Her captor's stone keep castle was without a doubt vast and located somewhere where there was precipitous terrain with the sight of the sea quite near. Bella hated to admit it, but it was quite lovely to be able to view the sea. She had never seen the sea before, until now. The sunlight shimmered over the waters. She could faintly hear the caw of the seagulls in the distance. She wished to feel the water and walk its shores. It looked beautiful, yet a weird and wonderful sense of danger. The white caps of the waves crashed heavily on the rocks. The waves swayed back and forth in a sensual rhythm. Bella bit her lip thinking of it she would ever be able to go to the seashore.
She exhaled angrily and turned her face away from the sea and back into her bedchamber – her cage. Many emotions were bottled up inside of Bella. There was fear, anger, sadness, and being immeasurably bored.
She was trapped in her stone cage as if she was a bird. What was she expected to do? Stay here and be a best-mannered lady?
She ran up to the wooden door and pounded on it hard with the palm of her hand. Bella then groaned and placed her forehead on the wooden door. She closed her eyes and thought better of her actions.
She whispered a desperate prayer against the door,
"Please, Dear Lord, save me from this Hell and from the demon who binds me here."
The Black Dragon stared straight ahead of him to across the bedchamber. A wry smile formed at the corner of his mouth. He was staring directly at one particular tapestry of what little candlelight flickered on, which appeared to set this tapestry from the other ones emerged in shadow.
The tapestry was nevertheless quite unusual from the rest. The others adorning the room where illustrations of battles and documented events, whereas this one didn't depict either. It had a swan intricately woven in the fabric. Yet, with the swan, there was a dragon; they were both connected to one another. Their necks circled each other- their heads meeting face to face of each other, almost as if to lock each others jaws in a death kiss.
The Black Dragon stood up straight from his crouching position against the wall and walked slowly trailing the wall towards the tapestry. His hand trailed against the stone wall and the tapestries as he continued to stare at the tapestry.
Once he was in front of the unusual tapestry, the Black Dragon ran his hand over the dusty cloth and stroked the swan with the back of his hand gently, as if he was petting it in fear it would unravel at the slightest touch. His hand had upset the dust clinging to the fabric, bringing the true white colour out. The result had made the swan contrast heavily against the black dragon encircling it. The candlelight flickering on the tapestry gave a sense of it being drowned in an ember flame breathed by the sewn dragon.
The Black Dragon took a step back, gazing at the two beasts entwined together. It was essentially a formal attachment of the two families being tied together… It was a marriage contract.
"You will pure me of my sins, Lady Swan… my Isabella," The Black Dragon murmured to himself, enjoying the pleasure of uttering her name. Just whispering her name seemed like a sweet honey on his tongue.
His hand hovered over the swan etched in the fabric, and he abruptly clenched his hand into a fist.
Images flashed in his mind of bloodshed… destruction….death.
The Black Dragon closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth.
In one quick furious moment, he snatched the tapestry and jerked it down.
His mind was elsewhere, back to eight years ago...
Eight Years Ago
In the King's chambers
A loud knocking came on the large wooden door.
"Enter," the king said distractedly while he was looking over parchment in his hand. He was sitting down at a large wooden table overlooking deeds and various documents. He sighed as he scrawled away with his quill. The room was filled with the scratching of the feather nib on parchment.
The wooden doors opened quite slowly, with it creaking at the hinges, making the king blot the parchment on which he was writing on.
"For God's sake don't make such noise!" The king groaned as he crumpled the blotted parchment.
A tall man stood in the doorway and lazily leaned his body against the wooden frame. He had an uneven grin drawn on his face. His blonde hair was tied behind with a thin piece of string. His attire was that of wealthy standing. He cleared his throat, attempting to catch the king's attention.
"Good evening, uncle," The man bowed mockingly, bringing his body low, but keeping his eyes firmly locked on the king.
The King looked over to the man standing there and sat up promptly from his chair.
"James? What brings you here!" The King questioned hastily, taken aback with the sudden appearance.
"You don't seem so happy, uncle. Why is that? I haven't seen you for years and this is the welcome I receive? Cold and inhospitable?" James made a sardonic pouting face.
"You are not welcome here!" the king barked with his brows furrowed. "Guards! Take this man away! This man is no friend of the kingdom!"
No one came. Only a chuckle escaped James' devilish mouth.
James clucked his tongue in annoyance and sighed. "Oh no…It seems to appear that your guards have left you….Maybe they no longer wish to protect their king?"
"What is this, James…?" The king cautiously spoke, slowly backing away from James with narrowed eyes.
"How does it feel to know that your kingdom betrayed you? Ah, that no one loves you anymore? Everything has a price, and what do you suppose, even loyalty has one too." James sneered, slowly walking towards the king, cornering him in.
"What are you getting at?" The king spoke furiously, stopping only a pace away from the wall.
"I want something," James said matter-of-factly.
"You will in no way receive anything from me," The king countered.
James ignored the remark and continued, "I want the throne….power….fear…wealth."
"I won't let you have the crown. You know full well that," the king spoke heatedly.
James' ears pricked up hearing that. James stopped mid-stride and exhaled noisily.
"Now, that isn't what I wanted to hear… Maybe I can make you listen to reason, yes? You are still clinging on to your crown; despite the fact your kingdom is no longer on your side anymore? They no longer love you, but loathe you, can't you see it!
There are those who do not think so high and mighty of you. There are those who wish to see your head brought out on a silver platter…" James said in a low voice, looking closely at the king's reaction.
The king bellowed, "LIES!"
"Aren't I family? You don't trust your fond nephew?" James questioned in a sarcastic surprised and hurt voice.
"I refuse to recognize you as such! You disgrace me with your very presence! You have sullied and humiliated yourself and the family name!" the king yelled with strong distaste on his tongue.
James gritted his teeth and seethed sadistically, "Very well… I guess I'll just have to take it then… from your cold dead hands, won't I?" James said putting a finger to his mouth in thought.
"The Kingdom will pass into Edward's rightful hands. He's the true heir to the throne," The King snapped.
"I suppose I'll have to take his life too," James spoke shrugging with little worry.
"No undeserving person may take the throne through blood and voracity!" The King yelled and unsheathed the sword attached at his belt.
"Oh really? What will the old weak king do to me?" James laughed as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it indolently towards the king. A hateful fury glistened in James' eyes…as if he was a mad man.
James licked his lips and spoke slyly and arrogantly, "Oh, by the way, the Volturi wanted me to send you a message..."
The King's face became deathly pale at the mentioning of those words. He stood eerily still, as if frozen, like if he had seen a ghost.
James enjoyed this reaction and walked closer with his sword drawn. The king remained motionless. James couldn't help to feel more conceited as he saw the king's weak spot.
"So…It's the Volutri behind this," the king whispered in disbelief, his eyes stared off to the other side of the room, as if he was in another place, in another time, recalling something that had happened long ago.
"They decided it was best to dispose of you…tsk tsk tsk, it looks like you have displeased them. What did my poor uncle do to make them so unhappy? Did you cross them in the past?" James inquired as he edged nearer.
"You are playing with fire, fool! As king, you would only be the Volutri's marionette!" The king yelled as he ran towards James with his sword outstretched.
"I'll be more powerful than you, old man!" James growled as he hit his sword hard against the king's blade.
The king staggered back, breathing heavily and spat, "The Volutri will never allow you to rule! You are only their pawn! Can't you see?"
"NO!" James shouted and darted forward. He drove his sword swiftly through the King's stomach, leaving the king wide eyed and in immense pain.
The King was speechless as James held the King upright with his sword. James further drove his sword into the King, so that James was right next to the King's face.
James' grabbed the king's back and leaned his face close to the King's ear. James whispered vehemently,
"The Volutri said to tell you 'Viva il rè!' "
Long live the King…
At that moment, Edward ran into the chamber, taken aback and without words at the scene unfold before him.
"Father!" Edward yelled while James let go of the King and let him fall ungraciously to the floor in his own pool of blood. The sword still wedged in the king's stomach.
"Oh, look Prince Edward has returned from the monastery! Welcome back home, dear cousin," James scoffed, delighted at Edward's arrival.
"What have you done!" Edward hissed as he unsheathed his sword from his belt and ran furiously towards James. Rage boiled in Edward's blood.
"What does it look like? I stabbed your father, but it seems like he's dying a slow and painful death… look at him there….bleeding to death…perhaps I shouldn't have shoved the sword through his stomach, but instead severed his head?" James laughed as he threw over the table in front of Edward to evade his attack. James grabbed a sword off of the wall to defend himself.
"YOU WILL DIE!" Edward barked as he ran towards James and swung his sword at him.
"That will not do, since it is you that will die," James spoke as he hit Edward's sword and swiftly took the hilt of his sword and jabbed it in Edward's stomach, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Edward coughed as the air was knocked out of him.
"You are weak, Edward, your skills are lacking! That's what happens, I suppose, when you've been studying at a monastery for years, eh?" James remarked as he walked to Edward and kicked his sword out of his hand. James tilted his blade under Edward's chin, drawing blood with the sharp iron blade.
Edward shot his hand out to grab the blade, which drew blood from his palm. He stared straight up at James with eyes tainted with fury and hatred. James, in that fleeting moment, felt something close to fear, staring into those eyes… James quickly withdrew his sword, making a nasty gash in Edward's hand. Edward yelled in pain as blood spilled down his hand.
James resumed his sword's position beneath Edward's chin.
"You aren't very bright, are you?" James chuckled seeing Edward's pain. He walked to Edward's side and kicked him in the ribs.
"And you know, Edward?" James continued to smile, ignoring Edward's pained cries. "No one will ever know that it was I who killed you and your precious family."
"I. Will. Kill. You. James," Edward gritted through his teeth. James kicked Edward powerfully again in the ribs, breaking a few rib bones.
"That will be impossible if you are already dead…" James whispered as he bent over to smile in Edward's face.
Edward spat in James' face, which cause him to curse in irritation.
"Die here with your father!" James yelled as he stabbed Edward's shoulder in annoyance. Edward cried out and clasped his hand to the wound. Edward struggled as James dragged him over to the king's limpid body huddled on the floor.
"I hope you enjoy fire…" James sneered as he shoved Edward down by the king. He then shoved his sword through Edward's leg, driving it to the floor, so he couldn't move from the spot. Edward screamed loud at the horrid pain.
"Now, if you excuse me, I think I'll have to pay a visit to dear family…" James laughed as he walked away to the other end of the chamber. He grabbed one of the torches off of its handle on the wall and went around the room, lighting the wooden furnishings, curtains and walls aflame. He dropped the torch to the floor and walked passively out of the room, shutting and locking the door behind him.
"James!" Edward yelled furiously, his hatred growing more potent and more dangerous.
Edward groaned and braced himself; with his uncut hand, he pried the sword from the floor. He cried out and grinded his teeth at the seething pain throbbing in his leg.
Edward crawled over using his unharmed arm to drive him to face his father.
"Father?" Edward cried out shaking his father's shoulder.
"Edward…?" The king muttered in pain. He slowly opened his eyes to search for Edward.
"Yes, I am here. I will take care of you. I won't allow you to die," Edward assured his father, trying to hold back the pain in his voice.
"I only have but moments left-" The king choked as he closed his eyes in agony.
"No! I will find a way!" Edward yelled. The room was beginning to have a thick heavy smoke. The crackle of smoldering wood became louder and the heat grew.
"Edward…" The king grabbed Edward's arm and continued, "The dragon will spread its wings and take flight, but will come back again..."
"I don't understand what you speak," Edward said hurriedly, hearing the falling debris come down from the ceiling around him.
"You can't die," The king said, and with that he feebly unfastened the family crest ring from his finger and placed it in Edward's hand. He then grabbed the hilt of the sword that was wedged in him and tugged it out in a swift motion.
"No!" Edward yelled, but it was too late. The king cringed and held onto Edward's arm firmly to brace himself. The grip soon became weak…then the hand loosened itself from Edward's arm.
Edward lowered his face onto his father's shoulder. The fire was spreading quickly around the chamber. Edward tightened the grip of the ring in the palm of his hand. The flames continued to grow and created a veil around Edward and the body of the king.
"I will become the beast…" Edward murmered, staring at his father's lifeless face.
Edward's eyes became dark with unwavering hatred- a flame ignited within him of undying revenge.
...
He was no longer Edward.
The Black Dragon snapped out of his memories by the knocking at the door. His body was drenched in sweat and his breathing was ragged.
He reclined his head back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to clear his mind.
A muffled fearful voice came from the other side of the wooden door, "M'lord, supper is ready."
"Very well," The Black Dragon barked out. He then added, "Tonight, let it be held in the dining hall."
"As you wish, m'lord," The maid mumbled on the other side of the door.
"Lady Swan shall be joining me as well." The Black Dragon commanded. He lowered his head, staring at the torn tapestry on the stone floor.
"Aye, m'lord, I will fetch her then," the maid squeaked in surprise.
The Black Dragon knelt down on his knees to the torn tapestry and gently lifted it with his hands.
It had torn right down the center- severing apart the Swan from the Dragon...
A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews are always welcome and please continue to read! Thanks! :D