by Susan Kohler
“No, M’lord. You have always treated me as if I was your honoured lady,” Beauty replied.
“I once asked you if you would leave me if I ever released you from the bargain and you said you would, for decency’s sake. Now I ask you another question. Would you want to go, to leave me if I released you from the bargain? Are you here with me because it’s where you want to be?” The Beast held her eyes as he asked her the question.
“Nay, M’lord,” Beauty whispered softly, “I would not want to leave you even if I could. I truly want to be by your side.”
“Then don’t let others turn you from me, I beg of you.” The Beast met her lips in a soft, gentle kiss and Beauty’s passions flared.
They made slow, satisfying love on the riverbank. Afterwards they lay entwined in each other’s arms.
“Now tell me what else is troubling you, M’lord,” Beauty gently prompted.
“Well, actually there are three things that trouble me. The least of which is your family, especially your mother. She hates me and she causes my own servants to treat me with a large degree of disrespect. Beauty, how can I get her to hold her tongue and stop her ceaseless haranguing?” The Beast looked bewildered. “I think the girl, Claire, would mayhap have grown to know me by now were it not for your mother.”
“Poor man, to be so harshly put upon by a mere woman,” Beauty teased gently. “Take ease, mighty beast. I pray that she’ll soon cease her nagging when she learns what a fine man you really are and how caring you’ve become. So will Claire when her mind recovers from the horrors she’s seen. Right now you are tied, in her mind, to the awful death of her grandmother and the brutal attack upon herself. One day soon, I promise, she’ll learn to trust you and come to realize that it was indeed you who saved her. Simply be patient, mighty beast. I will also talk to them of course, and try to show them what a fine man you have become. What’s your next trouble?”
“Nate!” the Beast snarled. “He’s constantly underfoot and causing trouble. He fixed a bucket of water so that it fell on my head as I entered the stables.” He glanced over and saw that Beauty was struggling not to laugh. “The water did no harm, but the bucket almost knocked me unconscious. He pushed straw from the loft down on me and almost hit me with his pitchfork. Harmless but annoying pranks, but then he put a burr under my saddle the other day. If I were a lesser rider I might have been killed.”
“He’s a boy,” Beauty pointed out calmly. “You’re a man and lord of the castle. Can you not control one small lad?”
“How?” the Beast shouted.
“Were I you, I’d give him a quick tour of the dungeon, M’lord, followed by taking off your belt and giving him a good harsh strapping. That ought to put some fear and respect for you back into him!” Beauty told him sternly, before asking, “Or does M’lord only like to use the strap on helpless women?”
“Helpless hah! It seems I’ve not used it on you in a good long while, my Beauty,” the Beast muttered as he stared at her with his eyes narrowed.
When she shivered he continued, “I held my temper because I thought you’d be angry with me if I beat your brother.”
“I’d be angrier still if he killed you, my fine idiot,” she snapped at him. “I never told you to stop all forms of discipline. Regardless of what you seem to think, I’ve never wanted you to be overly soft or weak. I only begged you to be fair, to show some compassion and wisdom in your judgments. If the lad is truly guilty of wrongdoing, then take care of it. If you feel he needs to be punished, do it. Now, what’s the third problem?”
“I caught one of the kitchen lads stealing food and some silver.” The Beast paused. “There’s no mistake this time, lass, I caught him myself.”
Beauty paled, “Will you hang him?”
“I should,” the Beast said wearily. “Else there will be others.”
“Do you know why he stole the things?” Beauty asked. “Was he too lazy to work hard enough to feed his family? Or was there another reason?”
“He works here, and his wife and four children try to work the fields. His wife was ill and the children had to work the fields without any supervision. Although they tried hard, they did a poor job of it. With the crops so low this year there was not enough food to keep his family alive,” the Beast smiled sadly at Beauty. “I knew you’d ask.”
Beauty thought long and hard. Finally she spoke softly, “You can’t let him off without any punishment, that’s obvious. Were I you, I’d have him publicly whipped, with enough force that no one watching would want to be treated likewise, then I’d send him away to tend his fields and find another man to work in the kitchen. Someone with less mouths to feed waiting at home.”
“Beauty, you shock me,” the Beast gaped at her. “You want me to whip not only your young brother but also some poor, starving thief?”
“It’s not what I want, you know that, as the very idea sickens me,” Beauty said sadly while inside she reflected on how much humanity this warrior had gained. “It’s the least you can do without losing the respect of my brother, the villagers and even the men who must follow you into battle. You must exercise your right of judgment to keep their respect and to remain effective as a leader.”
“However, I do have another idea, if M’lord wishes to hear it.” Beauty gazed at him and seeing his silent nod continued, “I know you have a fine herd of young warhorses, many ready to train; in fact, some of them have already been started. Soon you and your guards will have many new mounts and you will even have several spare horses to sell to other knights. The villagers have no horses in the village at all, M’lord. Couldn’t you spare an old mount or two? To help them in their ploughing and mayhap pull an old wagon?”
“Yea, mayhap I could,” the Beast muttered. “I’ll think about it.”
Mustering her courage, Beauty continued, “And is there any way you could make sure the villagers had enough seed to plant?” she grinned. “Without seeming too soft?”
“Yea.” The Beast’s reply was without force and sounding very noncommittal. He seemed preoccupied but still she pressed on.
“Also, I’ve heard that in the land where you were born, they have methods to bring water to thirsty fields and also to drain off the excess if there is too much rain,” Beauty smiled at him. “Think, M’lord, how much more food there would be for all of us, the serfs, the guards and even yourself if you were to share that secret with the people of the village.”
“You mean to have me dig in the dirt like a commoner?” the Beast snarled. “Now you go too far, woman!”
“Nay, of course not, M’lord dolt. I mean you to teach the commoners how to dig in the dirt with more success,” Beauty shook her head, smiling.
“I’ll think on it later. Stop pestering me, woman.” The Beast rose. “First I have to deal with a thief and a young prankster.”
“Beast?” Beauty said softly. “Take care my mother doesn’t hear of how you deal with the prankster, else you’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I’ll take that warning to heart. Beauty, will you stand by my side whilst I deal with the thief? I know you’re tender-hearted and with your gentle nature it would be hard for you to view the whipping of the peasant, but it would show your support for me before the rest of the people.” The Beast made his request with quiet dignity.
Beauty’s stomach roiled at the very idea but she kept her head high and her smile calm. “Yea, M’lord.”
Then she gave a small smile. “But it would make it easier to watch if I knew that after you finished punishing this thief, you were also going to try some of the things I mentioned to help the rest of the vassals earn a better living.”
“Okay, beautiful nag, it’s a bargain.” The Beast kissed her quickly but with passion. “Let’s finish this.”
They mounted their horses and returned to the castle. Beauty was true to her word. She stood near him on a high platform; her face impassive while the Beast himself whipped the thief for all to see. When he stopped, the man’s back w
as a mass of bloody stripes.
“Did you have to do that yourself?” Beauty whispered aside to him, her hands still clenched into tight fists.
“Either myself or Gerrin, my chief guard,” the Beast replied, stroking her hands and coaxing her fingers apart. “And Gerrin would have enjoyed beating the man to death.”
“Gerrin! I hate the man, he’s nothing but a brute,” Beauty snarled forcefully.
“Isn’t that what you once thought of me?” the Beast asked softly. “Once upon a time?”
“Mayhap I was wrong in your case, I’ve yet to decide.” She teased before asking, “M’lord? If I can do it without making you seem too weak or soft-hearted, may I get someone to tend this man’s wounds? I could mayhap send my mother to the village to tend the man.”
“Yea,” the Beast relied softly, “it would be a good idea to send your mother. ’Twould give me plenty of time to deal with the prankster.”
Beauty paled even more at the reminder of the impending punishment of her unsuspecting brother, but she trusted the Beast to handle the matter well. She knew the lad would be more scared than injured by the Beast’s punishment.
A short time later Beauty’s mother slipped out of the castle and into town accompanied by Seth. Margaret thought her departure was unnoticed and in defiance of the Beast’s wishes. She knew not that he had planned the mission of mercy she was on. With her she carried the herbs and potions that she had taught Beauty to use so well. While she was gone, the Beast took her youngest son into the dungeon.
Nate was very scared and trying very hard not to show it as the Beast took him on a bizarre tour of some of the more macabre places in the castle. The boy showed his defiance at the opening to the dungeon, covering his fear with his usual bravado, “You wouldn’t dare put me in there, M’lord. Beauty would take your head from your shoulders.”
“Beauty would be angered but soon she would bend to my will,” the Beast told him coldly, “as she always has before.”
“Funny, M’lord, I thought you had bent to hers,” the boy muttered before a glare from the Beast convinced him to hold his tongue.
Finally the Beast took him into the dungeon itself and showed him the various implements of punishment and torture kept there. The lad tried to maintain his show of defiance but it was a losing battle. The Beast made the boy place himself on the rack, in the iron maiden, and then in the chains and shackles mounted in the dungeon wall.
The boy was afraid but stoic almost until the end of the tour. He finally broke down completely and burst into tears when the Beast pointed without a word to the chopping block while he casually hefted a headman’s axe,
“I don’t like burrs under my saddle, lad,” the Beast said coldly.
“I... I’m sorry, M’lord. Please... ” Nate blubbered, falling to the straw floor.
“Bend over the block, boy. I don’t want to hear it.” The Beast was implacable.
Putting down the axe, the Beast dragged the petrified boy to the block and strapped him down tightly.
“Comfortable, lad?” he asked almost gently, ruffling the lad’s hair as the boy cried openly.
The Beast considered touching the blade to the boy’s neck as if measuring his stroke but deemed it unnecessary and overly harsh.
Standing behind the boy so that he couldn’t be seen or heard, he removed his belt. He jerked down the boy’s pants and began to beat the lad with the belt. In truth, it wasn’t really a very fierce beating. It didn’t need to be harsh. The boy was already broken without the Beast being excessively severe. Besides, at that point, the lad realized that for now his head was safe on his shoulders. He was happy to be able to feel anything at all, even the sharp kiss of the belt on his backside.
The Beast left the boy still sobbing and wearing a few welts, but relatively uninjured, tied to the block. He walked away and stood in the shadows to give the lad time to compose himself and think about his future behaviour.
The guard, Gerrin, had been looking all over the castle grounds for the Beast. He was told by one of the guardsmen to check the dungeon. He came into the dungeon and saw the lad tied over the block. He noted the few bruises and dark welts on the boy’s bare buttocks and the tears in the lad’s eyes. A dark thought came to him.
“Trussed you up all helpless and left you here all alone, didn’t he, me lad?” Gerrin whispered crudely into the boy’s ear. “Don’t seem like he beat you half enough though. Not half enough for a pest like you. I’ve felt the effects of your pranks meself.”
Gerrin moved around to the boy’s face and grinned a malevolent grin before whispering, “Maybe I should take advantage of having you trussed up like this. There’s ways I could take some pleasure of you even though you’re a lad. Hell’s fire, you’re almost pretty enough to be a lass anyway. Your face resembles that slut of a sister of yours. I could use you like a lass then I could take your head and everyone would blame the Beast.”
“No one would believe you!” Nate cried, filled with terror. “The Beast would have your head!”
“But it’d be too late to save you, wouldn’t it lad? Besides, they all know the Beast brought you down here so they’ll think he did the deed. Some of them might even approve, you being such a pest and all, and if they don’t there will be a revolt. I don’t care a whit which side I’d be on. I just love a good fight. I’d really enjoy killing a few mangy peasants.” Gerrin still spoke softly and his words were a mystery to the Beast as he watched from the dark shadows. “Almost as much as I’d enjoy killing the Beast and that whore sister of yours.”
Nate screamed, “No!”
The guard moved to pick up the axe. “I’d best skip my pleasure and just take your head.”
The Beast emerged from the shadows in a terrible rage. He shouted, “Gerrin, damn your black traitorous soul to hell! Don’t you dare touch the boy. He’s a part of my family and I’ll see you drawn and quartered if you don’t put that blade down and leave now.”
“Do you really think you can stop me, M’lord?” Gerrin roared back. “Without your guards to save you? You’re alone and unarmed. I’ll kill the boy and lay the blame at your feet. You think you’re better than anyone else because you are so high born, but lately you’ve turned weak.”
In a blind fury, the Beast attacked Gerrin. Ignoring the blade Gerrin held, he charged the man so fast and hard that Gerrin was slammed into the wall. Gerrin was stunned but he still reacted instantly, swinging the blade with all his might. Gerrin was a well-trained and highly experienced warrior and he outweighed the Beast by quite a bit, all of it muscle. Worst of all he had a horrible, deadly weapon in his hands.
The battle was long and furious. Tied down as he was, Nate couldn’t really see the action but the sounds of battle filled the ears of the terrified boy. He heard grunts and groans, the thump of fists hitting flesh, the whistle of the axe blade cutting through the air and the clash of the axe hitting the stone walls and castle floor. Several times he felt the swish of the blade in the air around him. Once the blade hit the edge of the block, barely missing his head.
The Beast finally forced the guard to run for his life, defeating the man by the sheer weight of his wrath, but not without sustaining a serious cut to his side from the axe blade.
As Gerrin ran from the dungeon the Beast untied a shaking, white-faced Nate. Nate quickly pulled on his pants, then tore his shirt into a makeshift bandage to stem the blood flowing much too freely from the wound on the Beast’s side.
Slowly, Nate supported the Beast as much as he could, and the two of them made their way out of the dungeon. Together they negotiated the winding stairs and made their way into the great hall of the castle before the Beast, weakened from the loss of blood, finally collapsed on the hard, stone floor.
Chapter Nine
“Beauty!” Nate shouted at the top of his lungs, sobbing at the same time. “Beauty! Guards! Somebody! Anybody! Come quick! Help! The Beast is injured!”
Suddenly Beauty appeared at the top of the stone s
tairs. She looked down and saw the Beast lying on the cold stone floor, a pool of blood surrounding him with her brother by his side. Her heart seemed to stop at the sight. A servant appeared behind her.
“What happened?” Beauty gasped as she went pale, shocked at the sight of the Beast prone in a slowly spreading pool of blood.
“That guard, the mean one, attacked me.” Nate knelt on the stone floor and cradled the Beast’s head and shoulders in his arms, tears streaming freely down his face.
His voice was strained and choked, “The Beast was injured defending me. Beauty, you have to save him.”
“You mean Gerrin?” Beauty blanched even as she called for the servant to fetch more help. She couldn’t help remembering her doubts about the head guard’s character. “The Beast’s own head guard did this to him?”
“He attacked me with an axe while I was tied down across the chopping block. I was totally helpless.” Nate swallowed several times before he continued, his eyes red from his tears of fright. “The Beast saved me. He attacked Gerrin barehanded but the guard had an axe, the headsman’s axe. After all the trouble I’ve caused the Beast, he risks his life and gets hurt defending me. Please, Beauty, don’t let him die.”
Gwyneth and Margaret had arrived in time to hear Nate’s brief account of the attack. Gwyneth was instantly ready to do anything she could, to move heaven and earth to save her master. Margaret took a little longer to come to the aid of the Beast. Finally two things helped her to put aside the fierce antagonism she normally felt towards the Beast, at least temporarily, to help Beauty and Gwyneth save his life: That the Beast had been injured defending her boy, Nate, and the look of despair on Beauty’s face.
There was no mistaking that look. It was the look of a woman in love, facing the death of her lover and determined to do anything possible to save him. Fortunes had been squandered, men’s souls had been lost, and wars had been fought over just that look of love on a woman’s face. The strange thing was, Margaret was sure Beauty had not yet realized how much she loved the Beast.