Roses in the Dark: A Beauty and the Beast Romance

by Sophie Stern

  “Why did my father borrow money from you?” My words hang in the air, though, and Forwal doesn’t answer me right away. This makes me think that when he does answer me, his words are going to cut me to my core. This makes me think that whatever business my father has gotten himself wrapped up in, it’s nothing good.

  It’s nothing proper.

  “Someone saw something they weren’t supposed to see,” he says slowly, carefully. “Someone discover some…information…about your father and they threatened him. He needed to pay them for their silence, but he didn’t have the money.”

  “So he came to you,” I say.

  “He came to me,” Forwal agrees.

  “What did they see?” I ask the question even though I know Forwal won’t tell me. If he wanted me to know my father’s sins, he would have already shared them. I’ve been with him long enough to know when I should remain silent, but my curiosity has bested me tonight.

  “We all have our secrets, Evelyn,” is all he says. “Now go to sleep.” Forwal wraps me up in his arms and closes his eyes. He does this every night and I’m not sure whether it’s to keep me safe or to keep me from running away, but I close my eyes, too, and sleep comes to me.

  When I wake, he’s already gone for the day. I clean my face and change into a dress. He’s provided many for me. Forwal has been nothing if not considerate of my needs. Before I can even anticipate what I might want or have need of, he seems to have it covered.

  Mrs. Paughts is in the kitchen baking bread when I prance into the room. I look around, but there are no other servants. She seems to be doing everything by herself today.

  “Good morning, child,” she says. She always calls me child, although I am quite obviously a woman. An adult. Only, there’s a part of me that doesn’t feel that way anymore. Forwal has made it very clear what I am.

  His.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Paughts. Need a hand?”

  “Always. Here,” she hands me a rolling pin and directs me toward some dough. “Get to work,” she says, and I do. Luckily, when I was growing up, I cooked for my father. I may not have had a mama, but I had Papa, and he taught me everything I know about how to prepare a meal.

  Mrs. Paughts and I work side-by-side for nearly an hour. By the time we’re finished with the breads, it’s mid-morning.

  “Mrs. Paughts,” I say slowly. “It’s such a lovely morning. Might I go for a walk outdoors?”

  She looks at me warily. “You know what the Master said,” she tells me. “You’re to stay indoors until such a time as you can be trusted not to leave.”

  “Surely it’s all right for me to go now,” I tell her. “I’ve been here for awhile now, and I haven’t tried to leave. I know my place,” I say seriously. “I won’t run away.”

  She hesitates for a few seconds, trying to make up her mind. I know I’m putting her in a difficult position, but I’ve been cooped up much more than any proper girl should be, and I’m anxious. I’m ready to get out and see my new world. I’m ready to explore, even if it’s only the yard.

  “You have to stay close to the house,” she lowers her voice. “There are…creatures in the forest. It’s not just a story, dear. There are monsters, and they will come for you.”

  “I won’t go in the woods,” I promise solemnly.

  She sighs, and then nods curtly. “Only for half an hour. Then you come right back. You hear?”

  “Oh, thank you!” I wrap my arms around Mrs. Paughts and she stiffens in surprise, but then relaxes. “I’ll come back. I swear it.”

  I hurry out the back before she has a chance to change her mind, and as soon as the door closes behind me, I sigh in relief.

  I’m alone.

  Finally.

  For far too long, I’ve been indoors, carefully guarded by watchful eyes, and now I’m outside.

  And I’m alone.

  I’m still barefoot, which I know is part of Forwal’s plan to keep me close to him. He doesn’t let me wear shoes because he thinks if my feet are protected, I’ll brave going in the forest.

  He doesn’t realize that I like being here.

  I like being with him.

  I like this world far more than I should.

  There’s something comfortable about being here, something that makes me feel safe in a way I never have before. It’s a strange feeling, this safety, and sometimes I wonder if it’s wrong.

  Shouldn’t I have felt safe with my father?

  Shouldn’t I have felt comfortable in the village?

  I walk around the exterior of the mansion. The grass is soft and lush beneath my feet, and as I walk, I can’t help but feel amazement at this place I’ve been taken. There are flowers everywhere. When Forwal brought me here, it was night, and I couldn’t see very much. The mansion looked terrifying and dangerous. In the sunshine, though, it looks beautiful, and sweet.

  It looks like a home.

  There are a few people walking around outside working in the yard. One man is gardening and another is painting an outside building, but they seem to ignore me as I wander around the grounds.

  How does Forwal manage to live here so peacefully?

  So calmly?

  How does he manage this incredible life, yet still seem like a monster in so many ways?

  My father was terrified of him. There’s no doubt in my mind about that.

  He was horrified, and I’ve never seen Papa scared before. Not of anything. Even when my Mama died, Papa was brave, and bold, and ferocious. He didn’t let anything scare him, but things have changed.

  When Forwal came, my papa was trying everything he could to raise the money he needed in time, but it just wasn’t enough. Papa tried to save me, but now that I’ve been here awhile, I have to wonder if Forwal was the one who saved me.

  It’s a strange thought, but it’s been lurking in my mind ever since I arrived.

  I try not to think too much about it. I know that when someone is stolen away, they eventually form an unusual bond with their captor. That’s normal. I read about it once, long ago, in a book I found.

  Still, I can’t deny that life is much more interesting here at the mansion, much more fascinating. Forwal is a mystery even I can’t seem to solve. I’m not sure where he goes during the day or what his businesses are, but I do know that when he comes back at the end of each day and I get to wrap myself up in his arms, I feel complete.

  I feel whole.

  I feel good.

  My mind wanders as I explore the yard, careful to stay away from the tree line. There’s no fence around the property, but I notice the other workers are also careful to stay away from the trees.

  What monsters lurk in there?

  Are they worse than the ones I’ve already seen?

  Are they worse than Forwal?

  Perhaps it’s because I was promised he was a monster that I don’t feel as frightened as I should right now. That’s the entire problem. Ever since he took me, I’ve been feeling things very, very deeply, but none of the emotions I’m experiencing are the ones I ought to be feeling.

  Instead, I’m feeling things like excitement, curiosity, arousal.

  Each feeling that fills me is the wrong one, and I’m not really sure what to do about it.

  I’m so wrapped up in my thoughts, though, that I don’t realize I’m getting closer and closer to the tree line.

  I don’t realize that I’m walking farther and farther from the house.

  I don’t realize there’s a creature watching me from the darkness.

  I don’t realize I’m being taken until it’s too late.

  Before I can even scream, it grabs me and pulls me into the darkness of the forest, and the last real thought I have is that I should have listened to Forwal.

  I should have stayed away from the forest.

  Chapter 9

  I open my mouth to scream, but the creature covers my mouth with a furry paw. It’s big, and standing on his hinders like a bear or a human, but it doesn’t look like anything I’v
e ever seen before. I try to bite it with my teeth, but it’s holding onto me way too tightly. My back is to its front, so I can’t get a clear view of what it is, exactly, but I realize suddenly that this is it.

  This is the end.

  This is how I die.

  It’s a funny thing, really. This realization that the end has come isn’t what I thought it would be. I thought that memories of my father would flash through my head, that visions of what life could have been like would flame through my heart, but that’s not what happens.

  That’s not what happens at all.

  Instead, I think of Forwal.

  I think of his face, and the way he smiles when he thinks no one is looking.

  I think of how fierce he is with me.

  I think of how tender he is.

  And I think of how no matter what happens, I will never regret being his.

  There is no doubt in my heart that I am totally, completely his. I shouldn’t be. I know that just as well, just as much, but I didn’t have a choice in this. I didn’t have a choice about falling in love with the monster, yet I have.

  And now that I’m about to perish in the forest, just yards away from the house where we live together, I can’t help but wish for just a little more time with him.

  I can’t help but wish things could have lasted a little bit longer.

  I should have told him how I felt.

  The creature drags me deeper into the forest. I continue to struggle. He won’t take me without a fight. I know that much. He can be as big and mean and scary as he wants, but I’m Forwal’s girl, and I won’t go down without a fight.

  I’ll make him proud.

  Later, when they notice I’m gone, they’ll see my heel prints in the dirt from where I dug them into the ground. They’ll see the broken branches and crushed grass from where I shook, kicking and fighting as much as I could. They’ll see the evidence that I wasn’t taken of my own free will.

  I fought, and I fought hard.

  The creature loosens its grip on my mouth slightly, and I take advantage of the moment by opening my mouth wide and biting down on its hand. It squeals: a terrible, shrill shriek, and I begin to scream.

  “Help me! Help! I’ve been taken! Help me!”

  Before I know what’s happening, the creature pushes me to the ground and kicks me in the head. Pain shoots through my whole body, and I start to see double. My vision is blurry and the world is spinning, but I scream again, and again, and again.

  I scream, and it kicks me in the stomach. My body threatens to vomit, but I manage to hold my stomach together as I yell for help.

  Someone has to come.

  They have to save me.

  Forwal.

  I don’t know if he’ll be able to find me. I don’t know if he’ll make it in time, but I know that if he’s nearby, he’ll hear me, and he’ll come for me. He will always save me. I just know it.

  Suddenly, the creature growls loudly, and I open my eyes. It looms over me and I get my first clear look at it. I can’t tell what it is. It looks like a mixture of a wolf and a bear, and it looks angry.

  It’s going to kill me. We both know it’s only a matter of seconds, and as the creature raises one furry paw, I can see its claws glinting in the afternoon rays of light.

  One swipe, and it’ll all be over.

  I close my eyes, ready for the inevitable, but then I hear it.

  Voices in the forest.

  “She’s over here!”

  “I can see her!”

  “It’s got her!”

  “Move!”

  I close my eyes, squeezing them shut. I still feel dizzy, and everything hurts. There’s no way I can move, even if I wanted to, but I don’t have to.

  Someone has come for me. Someone has come to save me.

  Forwal.

  It has to be him. I know he’s come. He wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me. He’ll do anything in his power to protect me. I know this more than I know anything else.

  The pain grows and worsens, threatening to force me into sleep, and I struggle to stay awake. The creature is screaming, and someone else is yelling. Several someone’s. They’ve come for me.

  They’ve come to save me from the monster.

  I hear a loud thump, and I know without opening my eyes that they’ve killed it. It’s dead. I just know it, and I don’t care. I should be sad that something has died today, but I’m not. I’m relieved, and overwhelmed, and I’m so very, very tired.

  “Open your eyes, Evelyn,” I hear his voice, and I have no choice but to obey. No matter what happens to me, I know that I must obey Forwal. There are some times I have options, but this is not one of those times. Even though it hurts, and I feel nauseous, I open my eyes.

  And I see him.

  He looks so strong, so fierce, but there’s something else there in his eyes.

  Fear.

  Why is Forwal afraid?

  He’s never afraid.

  He’s my brave, brave monster.

  He’ll never let anything happen to me.

  “Can you understand what I’m saying?” He asks. “Did he hurt you?”

  “Yes,” I whisper. “He kicked my head.”

  Forwal curses, but lifts me into his arms. The motion is fast and my stomach turns, but I manage to keep from vomiting. I can see the monster lying on the ground: an arrow sticking out of its left eye.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispers. “I’m taking you home, Evelyn.”

  “I don’t want to go back to the village,” I say, surprising myself. The idea of returning to my father sickens me and I don’t know why. I can’t imagine leaving Forwal. I can’t imagine leaving this life we have here together. I just can’t.

  I don’t want a world without him in it.

  I only want him.

  He pauses and stops walking. I can feel him looking down at me, so I open my eyes and reach for his face.

  “Please let me stay here with you,” I whisper.

  After a long minute, he nods. “That’s what I meant, love. This is your home now. You belong here with me.”

  Relief fills me, and I close my eyes as he moves out of the forest, back to the house, and upstairs to our room. I hear Mrs. Paughts and some other people come into the room, and soon people are touching me, prodding me, making sure I’m okay.

  I barely move as they touch me, instead choosing to keep my eyes closed as they check me over.

  “She’s going to be fine,” I hear a male voice say with authority. A doctor. He must be a doctor.

  “You’re sure?” Forwal says.

  “I’m positive,” the man assures him, and then I hear him leave the room, along with several other people. The bed shifts, and I know Forwal is sitting with me now.

  “You saved me,” I whisper.

  “Evelyn, how did you end up in the woods? I told you not to go there.” I can’t tell if he’s angry or scared. I force my eyes open despite the pain, despite the inevitable swelling of my face, and I reach for him.

  “I didn’t try to run away. I was just walking outside. I promise, I wasn’t trying to leave.”

  He looks at me for awhile, as if he’s trying to determine whether or not I’m lying. I’m not lying to him. I’m being perfectly honest. The truth is that I can’t imagine not being with him.

  I can’t imagine going back to my own world.

  I’m not missing anything. The butcher’s daughter didn’t exactly have a raging social life. I wasn’t popular and I wasn’t interesting and I didn’t do anything. I was just me. I was just ordinary.

  Granted, I’m still the same girl, but being here feels different somehow. I feel a bit bolder, braver. I feel stronger than I’ve ever felt before. It’s a bit ironic since Forwal took my virginity and has been molding me into a woman. I should feel weak, taken advantage of.

  I don’t.

  “I believe you,” he says finally. “But in the future, be more careful, love. I don’t know what I’d do if something ever happened
to you.”

  His voice is quiet: a whisper, a promise.

  Then he kisses me softly, and once again, everything else fades away.

  Chapter 10

  Time passes slowly at the mansion and as it does, Forwal and I grow closer. He teaches me how to please him, how to touch him in different ways. He shows me how to use my body in ways that delight him, in ways that bring him the utmost pleasure.

  When we’re not playing in his room, we sometimes go to the library together and read. Forwal’s deep voice has a way of bringing the characters from my favorite stories to life. His words have a way of making me forget that I am a kidnapped girl, that I was taken against my will. His words make me forget that I should be upset to be here, but that I’m not. His words make me feel safe.

  His words make me feel like I am finally home.

  I am finally at peace.

  I am finally comfortable.

  And then the three moons align and everything changes.

  It’s an ordinary day like any other, but somehow, I think I should have known. I think I should have realized that this momentary reprieve from the rest of the world couldn’t last. I should have recognized that sometimes, we don’t always get what we want.

  Sometimes the monsters that find us are not the ones we expected.

  I’m in the kitchen when I hear the shouts, the cries. I’m with Mrs. Paughts when we hear the disturbance from outside.

  “Get Forwal,” she says quickly, harshly. “Run, girl, run!” I drop the pot I’m cleaning and take off down the hallway and up the stairs. I can’t find Forwal anywhere, though. He should be in his office or in the library. In just a few hours, he’s supposed to go to the village and collect the debts owed him. Why can’t I find him?

  I search the second floor and the third, and finally I realize the only place I haven’t looked for him is the dungeon.

  The only place I haven’t looked is that room.

  I don’t think he’s in there, but there’s something happening outside and I need to find him before it’s too late. I need to warn him that someone is coming, that something is happening. I need to find him and tell him.