“No!” he growled despairingly. “You are not my Beauty!”
Holly stood, petrified with fear.
“Trespasser!” the beast roared. He marched down the slope and, picking her up as easily as if she was a doll, threw her over his shoulder.
Holly heard the peacock screech again. “My love! Peregrine will save you!”
He flew at the beast, but as he did so, the beast muttered a word.
For a moment, Holly thought she saw a flash of white fur behind the peacock, but then, in a swirl of light, she and the beast were whisked away…
Holly was dropped with a thud on to a hard floor. The beast who had whisked her away was standing before her, his lion-like face furious. She scrambled to her feet. She was in a bedroom. There were big windows with stone windowsills, a blue rug and a pretty patchwork quilt on the bed.
“How dare you trespass in my garden, child!” the beast roared. “You will stay here until you have learned your lesson!”
Walking out, he slammed the door and turned the key in the lock.
Holly took a trembling breath. She’d had some strange adventures in Enchantia, but this seemed the strangest of the lot. First the love-struck peacock and now being locked in this room by a beast! What was going on?
She stared at the door, remembering the beast’s shout in the garden when he’d first seen her. “Beauty!” he’d said. Holly’s forehead furrowed. Could he be from the story of Beauty and the Beast? She’d watched the DVD lots when she was little and she knew there was a ballet of it too.
If he is the Beast from Beauty and the Beast then he isn’t really bad, she comforted herself by thinking.
When she looked out of the window, she could see she was in a castle. The room was in one of the towers and beneath her were roofs and turrets. From her viewpoint, she could see the gardens. Being so high up made her feel a bit wobbly, but as she started to move away from the window, she heard her name being called.
“Holly!”
She gasped. The White Cat was climbing over one of the small roofs below, looking up at her. As usual, he was wearing his golden waistcoat and had his hat on his head.
“Cat!” cried Holly, her heart leaping.
The White Cat waved anxiously. “Oh, my glittering whiskers! I am glad to have found you. Hang on. I’ll be with you in two shakes of a mouse’s tail – I hope!” His voice shook nervously.
“Be careful!” Holly cried. She knew he didn’t like heights any more than she did.
Holly watched with her heart in her mouth, as her friend jumped on to a small ledge and started to climb rapidly up the tower. Reaching the window ledge, he scrambled over and landed in a heap on the floor.
“Phew!” he said, taking a deep, shaky breath. Holly rushed to help him up. But the White Cat was already leaping to his feet.
Now he was inside, his fear seemed to have vanished. He spun round and jumped into the air, his arms above his head, his legs thrown back. On landing, he held out his front paw to Holly.
She took it in delight and, giggling, they curtsied and bowed to each other before hugging.
“Are you OK?” Holly asked. “It must have been really scary to climb up all that way.”
“It was, but I had to do it. I couldn’t leave you up here alone,” said the cat. “Oh, my shimmering tail, are you all right, Holly? You must have been terrified when the Beast grabbed you like that. I arrived in the rose garden just as he whisked you away.”
“It was scary,” Holly admitted. “Is he the Beast from Beauty and the Beast?”
“The very same,” the White Cat told her. “Poor creature. He’s having a hard time. Please forgive him for scaring you. Come and sit down and I’ll tell you what’s been going on.”
They sat down on the bed together. “So, you know the story of Beauty and the Beast?” the cat asked.
Holly nodded. “Beauty’s father is travelling home from market and he stops and picks a rose from a garden, because Beauty’s asked for one, and the Beast, who is really an enchanted prince, sees him and gets angry. He only lets Beauty’s father go because he promises that he will send his youngest daughter to stay with the Beast.”
“Exactly so!” declared the White Cat. “Beauty comes to the castle and the Beast falls in love with her. She seems to have fallen in love with him too, so we thought it would only be a matter of time before the enchantment on the Prince would be broken. They were getting on brilliantly—”
“But then Beauty’s father gets ill and she gets called to go back home!” Holly interrupted, remembering the story.
“Yes, that’s exactly where we’re at,” said the White Cat. “Beauty hasn’t returned to the Beast like she said she would and he is really unhappy. He’s decided that she doesn’t love him after all. That’s why he’s in such a miserable mood.”
“Can’t someone just go to her father’s and tell Beauty how much the Beast is missing her?” Holly suggested.
“That’s the problem,” said the White Cat. “Beauty never got to her father’s! When she left the castle, she just disappeared. I’ve been trying to use my magic to see where she is now, but it isn’t working.”
He looked anxious. “If I can’t use my magic to see her, it must mean she’s been captured by someone using strong powers to stop us from finding her. Wherever she is, we have to find her and bring her back. The longer the Beast is away from Beauty, the more his heart breaks. He could even die.”
“What can I do to help?” said Holly quickly. “Maybe I could try to find Beauty?”
The cat shook his head. “The King has sent people out all over the land to do that. What would be a help, is if you could keep the Beast busy until Beauty comes back. Talk to him, amuse him, take his mind off her if you can.”
Holly wasn’t sure she liked the thought of looking after the Beast, but if that’s what the White Cat needed her to do, then so be it. “Of course,” she said.
“Thank you!” The White Cat hugged her. “Just don’t tell the Beast that Beauty has been taken away by someone wicked. He thinks she’s still at her father’s. We’re all worried that if the Beast learns that someone has captured Beauty, he might get so cross, he’ll go on the rampage and hurt himself – or others.”
The White Cat went to the window. “I’ll climb down and explain to the Beast who you are, then I’m sure he’ll let you out.” He took a deep breath. “OK, here I go. See you soon!”
“Bye!” Holly stared for a moment at the space where he had been. Worry flickered through her at the thought of looking after the Beast. Oh, goodness, she thought. What have I let myself in for?
It could only have been a matter of ten minutes later, when Holly heard a key turning in the door and the Beast and the White Cat came in. Holly swallowed. Even though she now knew the Beast was friendly, he still looked pretty scary.
His voice rumbled out. “I am sorry, Holly.”
She could see the unhappiness in his dark eyes.
“I should not have locked you in here. The White Cat has told me who you are.”
“It’s OK.” Holly felt almost shy for once, which was quite unlike her. “You… you must be missing Beauty a lot.”
The Beast nodded heavily.
“I’m sure she’ll be back soon,” said Holly, trying to be as bright as she could. “And while you’re waiting, I can keep you company.”
“I must be off,” said the White Cat, giving Holly a meaningful look. “I have business to attend to. But before I go, the servants are preparing lunch for us. Shall we go down?”
“Oh, yes!” Holly said eagerly.
She followed the White Cat and the Beast out of the bedroom and down the wide sweeping staircase. To her astonishment, she saw plates of cold meats and bowls of fruit moving through the air, as if by magic.
Holly stared as a basket of bread whisked by. “The food is flying about!”
The White Cat saw her face. “Oh, sorry, Holly, I should’ve explained. When the Beast was enchanted all his
servants turned invisible.”
Looking round in wonder, Holly followed the White Cat towards the dining room, where a delicious feast had been laid out on the table. Chairs moved as they approached and were pushed in by invisible hands as they sat down. The fruit punch poured itself into her glass and food started moving down the table towards her.
“You’ll get used to it in the end,” the White Cat grinned, starting to tuck in.
The Beast didn’t seem to want to eat anything. He just paced up and down by the fireplace.
“Music!” the White Cat cried.
A selection of instruments jumped into the air and began to play a lively polka. All around Holly, objects suddenly lifted up – brooms and mops, chairs and small tables. They all twirled around the room, held by the invisible servants, who were using them as partners so the Beast could watch the dancing. It was the strangest thing Holly had ever seen – but she loved it! Her feet started to tap.
“Come on!” said the White Cat. Grabbing her hands, he pulled her into the dance. Holly glanced over at the Beast. Even he was smiling slightly now.
At last, Holly and the White Cat collapsed at the table again. They had ice cream for dessert and then it was time for her friend to leave.
“Bye, Cat,” said Holly, hugging him on the steps of the castle.
“Take care of the Beast,” he whispered into her ears.
“I will,” she promised.
The White Cat swept into an elegant bow. “Goodbye, Your Highness,” he said to the Beast. “Beauty will be back soon. I have no doubt about it.”
He twirled his tail about him in a circle, silver sparks shot into the air and suddenly he was gone.
Holly looked at the empty air. She hoped he’d come back soon, but now she had a job to do too. Fixing a smile on her face, she turned to the Beast. “Will you show me round the castle, please? And then, maybe we could read or talk or play games?”
“As you wish,” the Beast said and, with a sigh, he turned and led the way inside.
The Beast took Holly all round the castle until they finished up in one of the big lounges. Holly found a library of books and tried reading to the Beast, but he simply stared into space and hardly seemed to be listening.
“Why hasn’t she come back?” he sighed. “She said she would only be gone for a day.”
“Would you like me to dance for you?” Holly suggested, remembering how the Beast had seemed to enjoy the dancing at lunchtime. He nodded.
Holly went to find some of the musical instruments still being held by the servants. Soon they were playing the lively music for the dance of the baby swans that Holly was learning at ballet school. Holly danced across the floor. It was easier without having to try and be perfectly in time with the other girls. She kept her movements as light and as fast as possible, trying to feel like she really was a bird.
Pas de chats, pas de chats. She leaped sideways again and again, and then pointed her feet quickly in front of her, one after the other, over and over. Dancing forward, finally, she stopped in an arabesque and finished by kneeling down, perfectly in time with the music.
The Beast clapped. “Very good!” he rumbled. “That was lovely.” And, for a moment, he looked almost happy.
Holly smiled, her cheeks flushed. She went to fetch a glass of water from the side of the room. As she did so, she saw a movement at the large windows that looked out on to the garden. She gasped. It was the peacock she’d met earlier! She’d almost forgotten about him. But now he was tapping on the glass to attract her attention. Holly waved her hand at him. “Go away!” she mouthed.
The peacock seemed to think she was greeting him and waved his fan of feathers, before blowing her a kiss. Now he’d seen her dance like a bird, he looked more love-struck than ever!
Holly turned her back on him. “Shall I dance for you some more?” she asked the Beast.
But he had turned away. “Maybe later,” he said grouchily, back to his old self. “I’m going to rest now until supper.”
Still, he did give a slight smile. “My heart feels easier after watching you dance. Thank you, Holly.”
Holly breathed a sigh of relief as he left the room. She was glad she had made a little difference to him, but how long could she go on like this? She couldn’t dance all day!
Behind her, she heard a screech and saw the peacock dancing from one leg to the other. She groaned under her breath. If it wasn’t enough that she had to keep the Beast amused, she also seemed to have attracted the attentions of a mad peacock!
Oh, White Cat, she thought. I hope you come back soon!
All that evening, Holly entertained the Beast. She danced and talked and read. It was exhausting, and she was very glad when he decided to go to bed and she was able to turn in for the night too. She snuggled down under the patchwork quilt. Outside, she was sure she heard the peacock screech. He’d been walking round the castle gardens all day and whenever she came to a window, he’d dashed forward eagerly. I’d better talk to him in the morning, Holly decided. I really do need to convince him that I’m not actually a bird!
The next day, the Beast’s mood didn’t seem to have improved. As he sat down despondently at the breakfast table, he sighed and pushed his bacon and eggs around his plate, not trying even a mouthful. “I dreamed that Beauty was here this morning,” he said mournfully. “But she still hasn’t come back.”
“She’s probably just staying with her father a little longer,” said Holly as she crossed her fingers under the table.
The Beast’s head drooped. “Or maybe she’s just forgotten me. Oh, if only I had the magic mirror. The person holding it can see whoever they love, wherever they are in it, but Beauty took it with her.”
Holly felt very glad the Beast didn’t have this magic mirror or he would soon realise that Beauty wasn’t at her father’s after all!
Quickly, she changed the subject. “Will you take me out into the garden after breakfast?” she asked the Beast. “I’d love to see around the grounds.”
The Beast nodded. “Very well.”
When Holly had finished breakfast, they walked out into the sunny gardens. Almost immediately there was a loud screech of delight and the peacock stepped out from behind a bush. “Good morrow, my sweetest songbird!” he exclaimed. “You look truly divine this morning – as beautiful as a juicy brown worm peeping out of the grass, as delicious as an insect buzzing through the—”
The Beast’s growl cut him off. “Be quiet, peacock, and go away!”
“Such coarseness!” The peacock looked haughty. He turned his back on the Beast. “Tarry here no longer, my sugar swan,” he said to Holly. “Flutter your feathers. Let us fly away together. What do you say?”
“Go away,” the Beast repeated through gritted teeth.
The peacock opened his mouth.
“NOW!” the Beast roared in an enormous voice.
Even the peacock didn’t dare to disobey this time. He flew off in a huff. Holly’s heart sank. She’d have to explain to him later. But now she had to help the Beast, who was looking very sad.
“My sweet-natured Beauty likes everyone she comes across, even that irritating bird,” he said.
“You’ve got some beautiful roses in the garden,” Holly said, trying to distract him. She ran forward to a bush that had flowers the colour of a pink satin ballet shoe. “This one is lovely.”
“I know. I used to place one of those roses outside Beauty’s bedroom door every morning.” The Beast clutched his chest and shut his eyes. “Oh, it hurts, Holly.”
“Your heart?” she said anxiously.
He nodded.
“Look, sit down.” Holly guided him over to a bench. “It’ll be OK.”
Hesitantly, she touched his shaggy mane.
The Beast closed his eyes. Holly stroked his fur and gradually, he began to go to sleep. When his breathing deepened and he started to snore slightly, she buried her head in her hands. How was she going to keep him occupied all day?
“
Holly!” She heard a whisper and looked up with a start. The White Cat was peeping out from behind a red rosebush. “Over here!” he hissed.
Holly ran as fast as she could to him.
“Have you found Beauty?” she asked.
The White Cat shook his head despondently. “No. Oh, if only we had the Beast’s magic mirror.”
“But isn’t it good we haven’t got the mirror?” said Holly. “Otherwise, the Beast would look in it, but not be able to see Beauty, and then he’d realise she was being kept somewhere by magic.”
The cat shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t work like that. The mirror would always show him where Beauty is because it links them through love.”
“Ah, love! Sweet love,” cried Peregrine the peacock, suddenly returning and overhearing the conversation. He looked adoringly at Holly, who tried to ignore him.
“What do you mean?” she asked the White Cat.
“Love is more powerful than even the strongest magic,” the cat replied. “It reaches across the miles, no matter how far apart two people are or what barriers are in the way. But we’re wasting our time discussing this. It is of no use to us, because Beauty took the mirror with her.”
At that point, Peregrine strode forward. “If you need a mirror, you can borrow mine, my sweet.”
“Thank you, but what we need is a magic mirror,” said Holly. “It’s—”
“It’s that one!” the White Cat exclaimed, as the peacock pulled his mirror out from under his wing. “I’d know it anywhere. Oh, my glittering whiskers!”
He jumped to his feet. “The peacock’s got the magic mirror!”
The peacock squawked in surprise.
“That’s really the magic mirror?” said Holly, gazing at the looking glass in the peacock’s claw.
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