Chris Shino: I'm not sure whether an 'avalanche' is the kind of effect I was aiming for, but the last chapter was indeed meant to be a barrage of events because I was trying my hand in using the method of unreliable narration. In this case, since the narrator is following Reine and reflecting her thoughts, the seemingly snowstorm of events (using your metaphorical snow imagery) appears because Reine is experiencing a lapse of memory, which will be addressed in this chapter. Chapter 19 and 20 is meant to be a back-to-back chapter (I mean, chapter 20 will straighten out the events in chapter 19, told from a more reliable narrator as Reine is regaining her composure). However, since you find it to be unenjoyable, maybe I shouldn't use this method ever again. Sorry about this, maybe I should have posted the two chapters simultaneously to counter the avalanche in Chapter 19.

As for Zach, no, he doesn't know anything of what happened in the prison (which will be discussed further in this chapter as well). In the Disney's version, it is implied that Monsieur D'Arque (a mental asylum owner in that version) is a sadist, so I try to apply that characteristic to his counterpart here. To keep Zach in dark while getting his own amusement is the primary reason why waterboarding is used as the torture method (thanks for this term, I was looking for the word in my head in vain) since it doesn't leave any physical marks on the victim.

The original La Belle et la Bête is not really rosy as well, with the sisters wishing Beast to get angry at Belle (even eating her alive) by holding her back. Let's just say I'm trying to balance the lightness of Disney with the darker tone taken by the orginal counterpart ^^"

Again, I'm sorry that you didn't enjoy the last chapter and I really hope this chapter, slow-paced for obvious reasons, will somehow pull you out from the snow burial the last chapter left you in. :(

And thanks for the reminder! I will be conscious of that! ^^

Gwen insisted that she should be the one holding onto Thor's reins. Reine, not having enough energy as well as willingness to argue, allowed Gwen to do as she wished. Besides, they didn't have the luxury of time.

They set off, and the rhythmic, regular beating of the hooves seemed to help Reine to adjust her own frantic heartbeat. Reaching her mental equilibrium once more, Reine began to set things back into a better perspective. And it all began with: time.

How long had she been incarcerated? Only now she realized she didn't really keep track of time. She remembered the dead butterfly, the water torture, Gwen's visit, and the witch, but other than that, there seemed to be a dark void in her head, eating away the rest of her memories. She didn't even remember what was the last thing she ate—or when was the last time she ate, after all.

Subconsciously, Reine took the silver bow on her back and brought it to her chest, pressing it hard against her own skin as if trying to recall the feel of holding it close. The bow was cold in her hand, but ignited a kind of warmth in her chest.

When she left the castle, she abhorred the thought of ever coming back. Granted, she had tried twice to leave. However, now she realized, the thought of coming back to the enchanted castle was actually… heart-warming.

Gwen rode with her mouth shut, but her mind switching furiously between the castle under siege and her shaken sister. The only visible change in Reine was that she seemed to be slightly thinner and much paler, but one look and Gwen knew something was destroyed inside her sister. During the two weeks Reine had been away, Gwen had locked the door and retreated from the society; not so much because of the knowledge that people would stare and whisper and judge, but more because she was concocting a plan to free her sister—which culminated in valerian-seasoned dough, although she had to accelerate the execution once she learned about the angry mob.

If there had been more time, Gwen knew she would totally exact her revenge on the old Monsieur D'Arque. She was almost sure beyond unreasonable doubt that the torture, psychological or physical, was entirely his idea. Gwen knew for all the despicable attitude Zach had, the man had adored Reine sincerely; Gwen even thought of telling him of what the old man had done to his desired betrothed and was rather assured that Zach would really do something about it (most probably including beating the wrinkled sadistic old man, but she didn't care), but she finally refrained from doing that mainly because of two reasons: she knew Reine wouldn't want to feel indebted to anyone, particularly him, as well as the lingering small possibility, however unlikely, that Zach knew and let it be.

Gwen had wanted the plan to be perfect—with every factor accounted for. She had even prepared everything they would need to move out from the town, for there was nothing left here for them. The thought of leaving the farm they grew up in was heart-breaking, yes, but Gwen would rather do that than watching her sister being mistreated for trying to look out her own family. She had no choice—they had no choice. Yet, there were so many other things that had weighed her mind that she didn't realize the time passage.

Looking at Reine now, Gwen regretted she had taken a long time to plan this. She should have acted sooner, much sooner than this.

It had been slightly more than a month since Reine had left the castle, and everyone in the castle tried to get on their daily lives as if nothing happened, but it was undoubtedly hard. Reine had imparted her lively spirit to the castle so deeply that her departure was almost like plucking the stamens and the pistil from a flower—leaving only the petals behind with nothing within.

Actually, last night was a full moon—and as expected, everyone returned to their human form and the castle back to its former glory. However, there was no more party or dancing or singing. There was only a bitter remembrance of a young, awkward couple; both were just starting to crawl in their journey on the unmapped territories of their hearts. They were so naïve, so awkward, yet so sincere that even Allen—arguably the most experienced gentleman in the arts of pursuing and pleasing a lady in the castle—agreed that his cousin and the archeress would make a lasting couple, no matter what people thought of them.

Allen tried to persuade Neil to go to Lindell and met up with Reine (not knowing the news and the rumours that had been spread), but Neil refused to budge. "There was nothing to be talked about between us," he had reasoned.

"You are too stubborn for your own good." Allen chided, "You will regret it when she is off marrying someone else."

"Good for her, then." Neil shrugged. "She will never have to learn the truth behind this curse."

Little did he know that, as those very words were spoken, the Witch Princess told Reine the very truth he wanted to conceal from her.

Despite appearing to be the least person affected by Reine's departure, plus being the instigator of her leaving, there was no doubt that Neil would be the most affected party in this whole incident. He spent most of his days wandering about the West Wing, never setting his foot on the eastern part of the castle nor the ballroom. At most, he might visit the range, left to be covered in snow as if that might preserve the memories he held so dearly within. In fact, the range was where Neil had been when he saw a rising smoke from the distance. He knew that the curse shrouding the area around his castle had been, more or less during daylight, lifted ever since they could return during full moon, so he wasn't really surprised if there would be some hunters wandering about this area.

However, the smoke move towards the castle, slowly but surely, and Neil's sharpened hearing allowed him to discern that there weren't only one, two or even five people. At least, fifteen—clearly not the kind of hunting party he had imagined before.

Could it be that Reine told the story of a beast in the forest to her townspeople? Maybe not. He felt no resentment towards her even if that was really the case, since she had every right in the world to do so.

In any case…

Neil left the range and looked for the head of guards who was transformed as one of the armours. "There might be some unwanted visitors coming soon."

The armour bowed down respectfully. "Understood, Master."

"Don't let anyone in this castle to be broken. That should be your first priority."

There hadn't been any word from Monsieur D'Arque ever since Reine was taken in. The old man had promised him to persuade the young lady to do as he bade her, and when the joyous occurrence happened, he would be notified post-haste, but there was nothing whatsoever. He thought maybe Reine needed some space alone, out from the influence of her younger sister. True, the way he achieved it might not be the noblest, but desperate times called for desperate measures, did they not?

Zach had hoped that the dark, dingy cell would help Reine to regain her senses as a woman—who was supposed to listen and be agreeable and be trusting towards her man. He waited for a day where Reine would agree to it with bated breaths like a boy waiting for a new toy for Christmas.

He had no idea that he had gotten way more than he had wished. His careless wish-making had paid off in the most unpleasant way, and the ignorant man knew nothing about it for he, in all of his narrow-mindedness, had misjudged and undervalued the old man's taking pleasure in other's sufferings—much like how he had misjudged Reine's dream to be that of a simple homemaker.

However, Zach thought nothing of that at this moment. He thought of the enchanted castle, wondering what kind of a sub-human Reine had fallen for—how could she descend into such shameful fall: what magic, what enchantment, what spells, what gizmos… what did this beast has but he did not?

Maybe defeating this beast would prove to Reine that he was the better man, and Zach thought maybe by defeating what Reine couldn't defeat herself, he might prove to her that he was stronger and was worthy of taming her.

With that kind of misguided motivation, he marched and paved the way to the castle, not knowing what lied before and behind him at all.

The mob is reaching to the castle...

and a clash seems to be inevitable.

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Thanks for reading! Please rate and review! ^^