by Susan Kohler
“That was no beating, not really. It was just a little spanking. It was more in jest than serious, and you know that’s all it was. Anyway I didn’t hang you, did I? And one more thing, your sister is no whore and I have never thought of her or treated her as one.” The Beast’s temper threatened to explode even though on one level he secretly admired the man’s nerve. “Go on man, what other grievances do you have against me?”
“I might as well have my say, for if I’ve angered you, I’m already dead,” Tom smiled wryly. He took a deep breath before continuing, “Ever since your King invaded our land, things have not been right for the peasants. There is no law or justice anymore, just blind force. My family has suffered greatly under your rule, just as others have. Even if you do not consider Beauty as a whore, how do you think the villagers see her? What will become of her once you tire of her? And another thing, the lass I would have married, Molly, was beaten so badly she was crippled for life. Now she’s dead because of you. Many girls have been found brutally murdered after having been taken to the castle. Taken by your orders and against their will.”
Tom knew the risk he was taking but the words had been held in check for far too long. They now flew from his mouth, heedless of the danger.
“In God’s truth, Tom, I swear I did not beat or cripple the lass Molly. I did not murder any of the women. I have never done that kind of injury to any woman,” the Beast avowed, still reining in his temper. “As for the lass Molly, God’s truth, I don’t even remember if I took her to my bed or not.”
Tom looked the Beast in the eye and saw the truth there. Not the whole truth, some of the answers Tom wanted were missing, so it wasn’t all he needed to know, but he believed the Beast when he claimed not to have crippled Molly.
“And about your family’s suffering, I know naught about it but I do know this: joining the guards will bring more income to your family and give them some security. It would make things much easier for them.” The Beast paused before adding smugly, “I will reassure you on one thing Tom: I give you my word of honour, here and now, that what ever happens between Beauty and myself, she will never suffer from my neglect. I will make sure she is always well cared for and that she always has everything she needs. God’s truth, Tom, I think your sister’s got precious few complaints with her situation.”
“Excuse me, M’lord, but would she tell you if she had?” Tom countered brusquely.
Deep inside, he was both shaken and touched by the Beast’s reassurance that Beauty would always be well cared for. For some reason, as yet unknown even to himself, he believed the Beast.
“Trust me, Tom. If your sister was unhappy or upset with me, she’d let me know,” the Beast laughed, “in thousands of ways.”
Reluctantly, Tom joined the Beast in his laughter. “Knowing Beauty, I’m sure she would.”
“So you’ll begin the training?” the Beast asked again. “I know you have no loyalty to me but if you give your word to serve me, I know you’ll keep it. At least you will if you are anything at all like your sister. Could you swear fealty to me?”
“Yea, M’lord. You honour me,” Tom replied. “I’ll join the guards, if not out of loyalty to you, then to get a chance to see Beauty sometimes. I swear I will strive to live up to the honour you do me.”
The Beast thought aloud, “Now all I need to do is to find another stable boy. Someone as hardworking as you are.”
“M’lord, if I might venture, my brother Nate is young and mischievous but he’s also strong and hardworking. He might be good for the job.” Tom volunteered the lad before he thought.
“Mischievous is he? It must run in your family,” the Beast mused aloud. He then asked, “How old is the lad?”
“Thirteen, nay, fourteen now.” Tom hesitated then thought of something. “It wouldn’t work though, he needs to be home to tend to our mother. She’s been in poor health for several years.”
“That’s too bad,” the Beast said slowly, trying to ignore that last bit of information. “Still, I’ll think on it, mayhap I can find a workable solution.”
What the Beast was thinking of however, when he made his way back to the castle, was that Beauty had a young brother and a very ill mother that she hadn’t seen in a long time because of him. He tried to remember his reasons for disallowing Beauty any contact with her family, but his mind refused to come up with any.
A softer man might feel guilty for denying her the right to visit her family, he mused, so it’s a good thing I’m not a weakling like that. Still, deep inside him there was an uncomfortable feeling; it felt uncommonly like guilt.
During the evening meal, a feast of roasted boar and venison, Beauty asked him casually how fared his day.
“Things went well today,” the Beast told her. “I hired a new man to begin training as one of my guards. Perhaps you know him from the village.”
“Perhaps. Who is he?” Beauty asked, without much interest, as there were few men in the village that she’d had very much contact with.
“One of the men from my stables,” the Beast said straight-faced. “Tom.”
Not daring to even think it, Beauty asked, “Tom? The man we call Tom Two? I mean, the man you almost hung with my brother?”
“Nay, lass,” the Beast said with a straight face, “the other man I almost hung that day.”
“You gave Tom, my brother Tom, a position in the guards?” Beauty was shocked to her soul.
“Why not?” the Beast said off-handed. “He’s a good, strong man and hard working.”
“M’lord, I’m loathe to say this but he hates you,” Beauty pointed out gently. “I doubt that he’ll ever lose his hatred of you.”
“Why ever not? You have,” the Beast stated with a trace of arrogance, rising to pace around the room before he turned to face Beauty. “Besides, we talked for a long time today. We’ve come to an understanding, Tom and I. It seems that we have something of a bond between us.”
“Really?” Beauty asked puzzled and surprised. “What bond could there possibly be between you and Tom?”
“You.” The Beast looked her in the eyes and said simply, “We both care for you.”
This admission shook Beauty to the core. She flashed a brilliant smile at the Beast as she walked around the table to stand in front of him. “Thank you, M’lord.”
She stood on her toes to give him a kiss. It was the not first time she had ever approached him for a kiss but it was the first time she approached him with a kiss so full of joy and passion. Usually the Beast initiated the lovemaking, but not this time. This time the rest of the dinner was pushed aside by Beauty. Plates and goblets hit the floor with a clang and were quickly forgotten as the Beast found himself being pulled down onto the wooden table.
He soon learned that it did not make a man either soft or foolish to do small things to please a woman. To the contrary, pleasing a woman made a man very hard indeed, at least certain parts of him. It was a lesson that continued as the pair staggered up the long staircase on weak legs and together fell onto the soft bed. The lesson Beauty gave the Beast on a woman’s gratitude continued long into the night. The Beast barely crawled out of bed the next day and dragged himself to the training field.
Tom began his training the next day. From the first he seemed to be almost hopeless and totally inept. He was clumsy with the sword and could hardly aim an arrow. His one and only strength was his horsemanship.
Although he was exceedingly tired, the Beast trained Tom personally and he worked him very hard, sometimes taunting him without mercy for his lack of skills. The Beast may just have given up on Tom but for one thing: Even from the first day, on a few occasions, when the Beast worked him real hard and jeered at him enough to loosen his temper, Tom would respond with flashes of brilliance. Once, he came very close to defeating the Beast at archery.
The Beast was not a stupid man; he knew what he saw but kept it to himself. Although he was trying to keep it hidden, sometime in the past Tom had been highly trained in the
use of weapons and fighting skills. The Beast pondered this and added it to the puzzle surrounding Beauty.
On the first day of the second week of Tom’s training, after a particularly nasty taunt from the Beast, Tom’s temper exploded and the Beast soon found himself flat on his back with the point of Tom’s sword at his throat.
Looking up into the irate face of the young man holding the sword, the Beast quietly said, “Tom, you do remember your oath of loyalty to me, don’t you?”
Tom grinned unexpectedly and laughed aloud, “Aye, M’lord, most unfortunately I do.”
“Tom, you aren’t fooling me.” The Beast looked the young man in the eyes. “I won’t ask you where you trained or who trained you. If you want me to know these things you’ll tell them to me, but I do know you are well trained as a warrior. You have had much more training than any other peasant to be found in this village. Use your skills wisely.”
Tom looked down at the Beast and realized how much he’d given away. There was no way for him to know if the Beast fully appreciated the import of his discovery. He extended a hand to the Beast and helped him to his feet. The training session continued and Tom dropped his pretence completely, letting his true skill show through. The Beast made no further comments on Tom’s newfound abilities.
One day during the third week of Tom’s training, Nate showed up at the castle. The lad begged admittance and asked to see Beauty. When his request was refused, he pleaded to see Tom instead. Through sheer stubbornness, his request was granted.
He was directed to the training fields. There he saw Tom and another man duelling furiously. As he approached, he saw it was the Beast.
“Don’t you hurt my brother!” the lad yelled, running to hurl himself at the Beast. “Don’t you dare! I’ll kill you!”
He started pummelling the fierce warrior with all the strength in his slender body. The Beast was startled and beginning to get angry but Tom quickly stepped in to grab Nate, pulling the boy away.
“Sorry M’lord!” Tom hurried to get the words out, fearing reprisals on the lad. “This is my younger brother Nate. He must have thought our practice fight was in earnest. Forgive him, I pray, he did but seek to defend me.”
“I’m sorry, M’lord,” Nate muttered, his eyes downcast as he realized just what he had done. “I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to defend Tom.”
It was a long, tense moment waiting for the Beast’s reaction. The Beast looked at the pair, weighing the affection between the two, and knowing that their obvious bond included Beauty. The boy, Nate, was slender with Beauty’s colouring of golden blond hair and bright blue eyes. His face and body were just beginning to show traces of manhood.
Tom still held the boy, his hands resting on the boy’s shoulders. He could feel a faint shiver travel through the boy’s body as they waited. Finally the Beast’s nearly dormant sense of humour broke through and he met Tom’s eyes and laughed aloud.
“Mayhap I should have hired him for my guard,” the Beast teased Tom. “He might even be better at hand to hand combat than you are.”
“It’s possible, M’lord,” Tom laughed too, in relief.
“What brings you here, Nate?” Tom asked turning his attention to his brother.
“It’s our mother,” Nate blurted, trying to prevent tears from coming to his eyes in front of this fierce warrior. “She’s much worse. She feels hot to the touch and she’s coughing all the time. She keeps asking for Beauty. I’m scared, Tom. I think she may be dying.” At this last his voice lowered and threatened to break. “I don’t know what to do for her.”
“M’lord, can I please take Beauty to see her? She’s quite gifted in the healing arts,” Tom asked quietly. “I give you my oath to return Beauty to you as soon as it’s possible.”
“Nay, Tom. Go saddle four horses and bring them to the castle. Quickly,” the Beast ordered. “I’ll fetch Beauty.”
“You’ll be coming with us, M’lord?” Tom asked quickly, surprised. His question went unanswered as the Beast had already left in a hurry to get Beauty.
Striding back to the castle, the Beast finally felt the true weight of his thoughtless cruelty as he realized for the first time what it meant to keep Beauty from her mother. Please God, he thought, don’t let the old woman die before I can get Beauty to her. He knew instantly that Beauty would be lost to him forever if that happened.
The Beast stormed into the great hall and bellowed with all his might, “Beauty!”
She appeared instantly, pale and fearful at his tone. “M’lord, What’s wrong? Have I angered you?”
The Beast reined himself in and spoke tenderly, “Nay, never fear my love.”
Beauty’s eyes widened with pleasure at the Beast’s rare use of the endearment as the Beast continued, “I want to take you to the village. Your mother is very ill. She’s been asking for you and Tom said you’re skilled as a healer.”
Beauty was surprised to find Tom and Nate mounted and waiting outside the castle door. Her joy at seeing her younger brother again was quickly tempered by the news of her mother’s illness. Still, she managed, somehow, to lean over from the back of her horse and hug the lad tightly and enthusiastically, almost unseating him.
“Beauty!” The lad blushed at being hugged by a mere woman in front of the legendary Beast.
“Don’t worry, lad,” the Beast told the boy, before kicking his great horse into a gallop. “Tis better to have a woman hug you than hit you, and your sister’s done both to me many times.”
“You’ve struck the Beast?” Nate looked over at Beauty, his eyes wide with astonishment.
Beauty merely shrugged, “He’s not so fierce.”
After that, the group rode to the village quickly and silently. They pulled their horses up at the small hut. Entering, they found it almost bare. There were almost no furnishings and very little food was to be seen. Beauty ran to her mother’s side but her joy at seeing her was tempered by the sight that greeted her. Her mother was indeed very ill, feverish, coughing and painfully thin.
“Why does no one make sure she has enough food?” the Beast asked in a loud voice.
“How am I to do that, M’lord?” Beauty pointed out. “I’ve been forbidden to come here.”
“What about Tom?” The Beast fought to ignore a quick surge of guilt by accusing others.
“M’lord fool, Tom was almost hung when he was falsely accused of stealing a small amount of grain. What chance would he have if he really did steal food from you?” Beauty raged before Tom could utter a word.
“Women!” The Beast shook his head. “I did not mean to suggest that either you or Tom should steal from me. You could have asked me for some food for your brother and mother, Beauty. I’m not a monster.”
“I’m truly sorry, M’lord,” Beauty apologized softly, realizing that she’d actually hurt this proud man’s feelings. Then she requested softly, “M’lord, I beg you to let me stay with her a few days. I feel mayhap I can nurse her back to some health.”
“Nay woman,” the Beast paused then continued quietly before she could protest, “we’ll take her to the castle and care for her there. Gwyneth can help you as she’s good at these things too. Bundle up anything she might need. Nate, gather your things too.”
The Beast turned to Tom, “I guess Nate will get the job in the stables after all.”
“What about our hut? And the fields?” Nate demanded, puzzled at this turn of events.
“Ease your mind, lad,” the Beast told the boy. “You won’t be coming back here.”
“You’re taking my whole family in? To care for them?” Beauty was astonished. “I’ll be able to see Nate and my mother whenever I want to?”
“Tis naught,” the Beast replied off-handed, “it’s a big castle. I don’t know why you never suggested it before.”
“Tis a great deal, it means the world to me. Thank you, M’lord,” Beauty whispered, kissing his cheek. “But you know well why I never suggested it to you. You forbid me to see my family. My
promise, remember?”
The Beast grinned wickedly and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You can thank me later, mayhap tonight in bed.”
The group rode back to the castle, the Beast carrying Beauty’s mother in his arms. Nate and Tom both had their hands full trying to ride while holding onto their meagre possessions. Beauty had stuffed her mother’s collection of herbs and healing medicines into a rough bag and carried them herself.
Back at the castle, the Beast had Tom help Nate get his things settled into the shed in the barn before joining them in the castle. The Beast carried the older woman up the stairs to a small sleeping chamber in the castle. He sent for Seth and had him help Beauty and Gwyneth while they quickly readied the room, lit a fire, made up the bed with fresh linens and placed Beauty’s mother into it.
The three of them, Beauty, Gwyneth and Seth, tended to Beauty’s mother. Beauty quickly brewed a foul smelling herbal tea and forced it down her mother’s throat. By then, Tom and Nate joined them in the small room. Beauty then made a poultice, and put cool, damp cloths on her mother’s head. Only then did she feel free to turn her attentions to Nate.
“I love you Nate.” Beauty hugged the lad, tears freely streaming down her face. “I’ve missed you so much. I’m glad you’ll be living here so that I can see you.”
“I’m glad we’ll be here too, Beauty.” Nate hugged her back, whispering, “But I swear I will never like that man.”
“Give it time, Nate,” Beauty smiled. “He’s truly a better man than even he knows.”
She sat by the bed with Gwyneth and the servant, Seth. She stroked her mother’s forehead, talking softly to her without even knowing if her words were being heard. She kept changing the damp, cool cloths when they began to warm up. Soon one of the other servants brought her a tray with clear broth for her mother and a dinner of roast pork, savoury vegetables and warm bread for herself, Seth and Gwyneth.