A/N: Here's the start of our story...
Ch.1: Six years later…
The months and seasons came. Soon six years had pass, the castle looking dark and eerie, abandon as if no one had been there. However, the town beyond the old road prospered to become a trading center in the trading market. Traders traveled into town often with shipments with them. Besides it being a trader's town, it was a gambler's town too. The traders would gamble and some of the townsfolk.
One gambler was Arthur; he was consider by society a poor man and a cheapskate. His brown hair showed bald spots forming, he had tentative hazel eyes but were clouded by his very poor judgment, and was skinny than a hungry coyote and with the temper of one too. This man gambled more than the average person, placing money and if he lost all of it in a game, he put his one and only daughter to get it back.
His daughter's name was Gabriella. She was a complete opposite of her father, she had long, wavy brown hair, her eyes were an emerald green that showed great interest in life, and a smile that seemed to brighten everyone's day even if hers was awful. She showed such immense beauty that every bachelor would try to win her heart but
Gabriella was an interesting person to win enjoyed many things and her personality was very abnormal in her town. She was independent and lived in her depths of life, and saw the whole picture of life. She had no friends but, one best friend who she knew since she was a little girl, yet she was consider trustworthy to many people in town but very cautious around strangers, especially when she was trying to get money back for her father from the other gamblers. Many consider her beautiful, reasons for why many bachelors came and yet, she never cared about it herself. She showed no want of attracting men since all she did was watch over her father, who did not reciprocate this.
Simply Gabriella learned to be independent without anyone watching out for her.
It was a beautiful summer day; Gabriella sat outside with her best friend, Lucille watching the citizens walked past the gate. "I'm telling you, Gabriella. One day, the right guy will come and..."
"And that one day, my father will still never let me go," Gabriella interrupted. Lucille sighed as she slid down a step. "Lu, you know my father will never let me go because of his own issues."
"Gabby, sooner or later, you will have to go."
"I know," she agreed then turned her attention to a bush filled with roses. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful in your life?"
Lucille looked toward her direction; in it was an old man. "I hope he's not the right guy," she said in disgust.
Gabriella hit her playfully on the shoulder and pointed toward the roses, "No silly. The roses, I'm talking about them."
"Oh," Lucille looked at them then continued, "Well, I guess if you like them but I've seen better."
"Referring to men you are," Gabriella replied as she stood up and began to walk to them. Lucille stood and followed her friend.
"Any ways what's wrong with the other men who've asked you out," Lucille asked. Gabriella bent down to one of the roses and smelt it.
"What's wrong is that they only like me for my looks which I don't care about. They don't go off personality," Gabriella inhaled.
"Gabby, it's hard though with you because you're so..."
"Odd?"
"Unique! For goodness sake, you are not odd. You just want more in a guy than others," Lucille explained. Gabriella sighed and held the delicate rose with her index and middle finger.
I just want someone who sees me for me, she thought to herself.
Soon Lucille left her friend and Gabriella was by herself with her thoughts. She took out her sketchbook and smiled at it; she had a gift at art; she sketched when she had the chance.
She looked thoughtfully at the scene; she decided to sit at the fountain that stood in the center of town. Many people came for reading and to trade as usual and soon she began to sketch what was happening on the streets. She watched as kids ran, people talk, and one obnoxious man she unfortunately knew heading toward her direction. "Great," she sighed, "what does he want now?"She placed her pencil down as the man came.
He was a very attractive man, he wore black pants and a white shirt with a vest, he had short, dark blond hair, and a smile that was white as snow. However, he was also a narcissus man. "Hello Gabriella," he smoothly greeted, stepping in front of her.
Gabriella looked up at him who was giving his award-winning smile as she forcibly smiled back, "Hello Brandon."
"So when can I get to court with you?"
"Not anytime soon," she replied.
"Now Gabby..."
"Gabriella to you, Brandon," she snapped at him. He put his hands up in a kidding way and sat down.
"It wouldn't be bad. Dinner at the tavern and later..." his hand slowly touched her leg. Gabriella jumped up and quickly slapped his face.
"Never touch me like that ever again," she hissed.
He gave a devilish grin and began to walk away. "Maybe if your father loses the poker match tonight then I could get what I want," he commented.
"My father won't give me up to someone with your demeanor," she snapped at him. However, all he did was laugh as he disappeared into the crowd. Gabriella suddenly sighed as she sat back down and looked down at the sketch she had drawn.
It looked so normal; nothing extraordinary or different then she noticed something odd. A cape figure was in her picture with a face of a beautiful and handsome man. "I don't remember drawing you," she told the drawing.
Gabriella looked up from it and looked around the square to see if she would notice the mysterious man in her picture but he wasn't there. She looked back down and noticed that the man was not there anymore. Gabriella blinked and looked in awe for he was there and now was gone.
She then shook the feeling, thinking it was her mind playing games. She then returned to her original thoughts, her father going to gamble again and lose again. It was the same old song and dance, and if his loss to Brandon, he would, trade to get the money backs even his own daughter.
Is it hard to find someone who can listen to me? She fixed her blue dress slightly as she looked down at her sketch again, wondering who the man was. Maybe he would listen, she wondered a bit.
She sighed to herself and suddenly she felt her hand nudged gently, she looked down to see that a gray wolf was looking up at her, sitting there. "Hello," she gently greeted, petting the top of its head. "Don't you have an owner?" The wolf shook his head and Gabriella's jaw slightly drops at the sight, "Aren't you smart? Do you have a name?" The wolf shook his head.
Gabriella could see that this wolf was very smart, particular too. Its eyes were almost human as they looked at her; they were a bluish gray and had almost a soulful look in them as if they understood her. His eyes curiously looked over her shoulder at her sketch and she showed him it. "Do you like it," she asked.
The wolf nodded then sat down beside her, watching the world like she was, patiently and quietly. Gabriella smiled, "I'm going to call you, Shadow."
The wolf simply nodded and resumed watching.
The day slowly passed with Shadow staying close to Gabriella. When she had to go, Gabriella began to walk away but the wolf carefully followed, keeping track with her. "You don't have to come with me," she told him. Shadow looked up at her and she sighed, "You won't listen will you," she then noticed that the light to her house was on. "My father's home," she said quietly to him, "you should go."
Shadow stopped and looked up at her. They seemed to be speaking to her but she didn't know what to say to them. "I'll be fine," she promised as she scratched behind Shadow's ears causing a small whimper. She then stood up and walked away as Shadow remain seated, watching her.
As she disappeared, Shadow slowly began to walk toward the trees that were close by. Slowly he changed from a wolf to a human. He looked a little older; his face hidden by the shadows of the trees as he fixed his clothes and shook his short black hair while his eyes kept watching the house. He had not been out of the area in so long, had not visited the town in so long, and yet nothing had change in six years.
He was force to be an animal due to his curse when he had to come to the town. It was only to protect himself from being attack or caged away because of his face and yet when she looked at him, he felt different.
Gabriella looked alone to him and he wanted to growl and attack the man that touched her. But he was surprise to see that she could hold up her own very well. When he approached, he expected to hear a scream or being told to go away but she did not frighten away. Instead she greeted him with open arms and didn't bother to notice that he had scars on his face, a couple over his eyes while she seemed to overlook them. But it did not matter, she saw him as a wolf, not a man. He looked up and glanced at the house then the road leading the town..
Go that way, Tristan, a voice suddenly whispered in his ear.
He shook his head, "Why would I? My face can not be covered."
You must go, you have to go, the whispered urged to him. Tristan's eyes darted over toward the road and as if by magic, he could feel something almost being sewn on. He let his hand travel and felt a hood, he smirked. He then looked back at Gabriella's house once more.
"I hope our paths cross again, Gabriella," he said to himself as he turned away and resumed walking toward the town with his hood over his face.
Upon entering her house, she could see that papers were spread all over the place. "Father, are you here," she called out in the house. As she continued to walk in, she noticed drawers were open in every table they had. What is he up to, she cautiously thought as she peered into her father's study.
There sitting was her father, Arthur looking at the small pouch of gold in his hand. "Ah Gabby, just the person I was looking for," he greeted happily.
Gabriella walked in, noticing that his study was a mess as well. "Why do you have that," she pointed to the pouch.
Arthur smiled, throwing it up lightly, "I'm going out."
"Papa, you can't."
"Of course, I can," he retorted. His smile dropped as he stood up walking toward her. His clothes were shaggy, dirty as well from the time he searched around the house. "You are not the boss of me but, I need you to be preparing as usual," he ordered.
Gabriella shook her head, "I won't. Papa, you'll lose again and-"
"And if I do, my beautiful daughter will get it back for me." He grabbed his cape and placed the pouch against his hip then grabbed his sword, "I know you will, Gabby. You always do."
"But Brandon is playing and if you lose then," she shook her head again. She knew what Brandon wanted and it was not for her love. Brandon wanted Gabriella in any way form and if that meant, winning in a card game instead of her father giving up money. Her father would accept it in a heartbeat.
Arthur didn't say much but turned away, walking out of the room.
Gabriella watched him as he left but all she hoped now was that he would win this time, for her sake.