The doctor insisted that the Beast remain in bed for another week. I suspected that he would have liked it to be longer, but he must have recognized that such a span was already a small miracle. My voice was hoarse from the hours I had spent reading aloud, and my mind strained from trying to think of ways to pacify a man who usually spent his days on horseback.
I tried to keep him talking about the systems of governance in Palinar, and I surprised myself at my interest in the differences between his kingdom and my own Arcadia. He often seemed impatient with me, but I kept reminding him that I had not been raised to rule Arcadia as he had Palinar. And if there were gaps in my education, I couldn’t blame my family. I had been the one sneaking fairy tales into my lessons to read instead.
At Dominic’s insistence, I visited Chestnut and his stallion, who turned out to be called Spitfire. His love for his horse seemed like the least beastly thing about him and, as I entered the stable, thoughts of him filled my mind. Perhaps I could gain some insight into him here.
I took the animals handfuls of treats, pleased when Matthew emerged not long after I arrived and settled in for a long conversation.
I hear you’ve got things well in hand up there in the big house, he said at one point, a hint of humor behind his placid words.
“I’m doing my best.” I sighed. “But it isn’t easy.”
No, he said. The young master has never been what I would call easy.
“It must have been difficult for him,” I said, as I brushed Chestnut’s mane, “with a father like that.”
Matthew remained silent for a long time, and I held my breath, hoping I hadn’t silenced him.
I used to be a senior groom in the capital stables, he said at last. I was tasked with teaching the young prince to ride. When he first started spending time out here at his own castle, he brought me with him and installed me as the stable master.
He was silent for another moment, and I kept quiet, as well.
When the prince is with the horses, I see a true ruler in him. Firm but gentle, authoritative but loving. I have been waiting many years to see him learn to view other people in such a manner. But perhaps such a day will never come. Still…we cannot live without hope.
“No,” I murmured. “We all of us need hope.”
I put down the brush with a sigh. “I should be returning. The prince will be anxious to hear news of Spitfire.”
One day you must return and tell me how he looked in action. He is one of the most magnificent stallions I have ever had the care of.
I agreed, hiding a smile. I hadn’t expected to hear the calm old stable master sound so much like Gordon. Apparently, the boy never quite disappeared, no matter how many years passed.
But as I left the stables, my smile dropped away. The smell of horses reminded me so forcefully of Lily, it felt like an actual pain in my chest. We had spent so many hours with our ponies and then our horses over the years. I couldn’t even see one without thinking of her. And my new-found independence didn’t change how much I missed her, both in person and in my head. She would have kept me laughing throughout the trying hours of the Beast’s recuperation.
On the first day that Henshaw permitted him to leave his bed, the prince insisted that he visit the gardens. Henshaw hemmed and hawed but eventually agreed. I could tell he would have preferred the prince restrict himself to his sitting room, but I could understand his desire for fresh air. I felt it myself.
When I went to leave the room so that Henshaw could get him up and help him dress, the prince held out a hand to stop me. I looked at him inquiringly, noticing that he looked a little pained.
Would you…would you like to come to the gardens with me?
“Is that a request, Beast, rather than an order? I’m shocked.”
I can rephrase it if you’d prefer. He glared at me, and I laughed.
“No, indeed. It suits you better than I would have supposed.”
He growled deep in his throat as I chuckled my way out of the room, but I decided to overlook it. I couldn’t expect miracles, after all.
We met half an hour later in the entrance hall, and the prince offered me his arm. I accepted it, remembering the only other time we had walked that way. So much had changed between us since then. I had spent so many hours gazing at him on his sick bed that his features no longer shocked me, for one. And for another, I had discovered that we unexpectedly shared some interests—I would never have predicted he could love gardens as I did.
But some things had not changed. He still asked me every evening if I would marry him the next morning, a question that had started to seem more ridiculous than insulting while he lay ill in bed.
The Beast walked slowly, his breath more labored than usual, but he did not lean on me. I marveled at the strength that had allowed such a quick recovery after such significant wounds and such a prolonged illness.
He led the way, and I followed silently, both of us apparently happy just to be free from the sick room. When we turned the corner of a tall hedge, I gasped. He looked down at me with a look of satisfaction. It is beautiful is it not? I thought you might like to see it, since you mentioned that you love roses.
I dropped his arm and ran forward, both hands pressed against my heart. The rose garden, which I had previously only glimpsed from afar, was unlike any I had seen before. Snow covered the ground, as it did everywhere in the castle grounds, and the deep colors of the roses stood out against the stark white. The bushes had been arranged in two concentric spirals, twisting around each other without touching, leading me deeper and deeper into the roses until they entwined in the center. On one of the spirals, the roses darkened as it coiled inward, on the other they lightened, so that in the center, brilliant crimson blossoms coiled around pure white ones.
I stood staring at them, overwhelmed by the beauty of the design and the color of the roses, complimented by the dark green of the leaves and stems and set against such a pristine backdrop. I heard the Beast approach more slowly behind me.
So, you like them?
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. Truly.”
My mother designed it many years ago, when my grandfather was still alive, and my father was the crown prince. She was fascinated by the tower staircases.
I watched him out of the corner of my eye. So, the roses reminded him of his mother, then. Did he have the same feeling of comfort and security here in the garden that I felt inside a library?
“They are very beautiful,” I repeated, not knowing how to put my feelings into words.
We strolled slowly from bush to bush, and the Beast told me the names of the different species, many of them ones I had never encountered before. My head gardener here is very skilled. He has adapted remarkably well to the…unusual conditions.
I snorted. Unusual conditions, indeed.
Rather than growing more tired, the Beast seemed to be energized by the walk and the cold air. His stride grew surer and his breathing easier. He looked incongruous amid the beauty of the garden. A monster who had wandered from his territory.
Looking at him standing there among the roses, I had a sudden flashback to my time in the carriage traveling here. I had been unable to imagine the Beast surrounded by flowers, and yet here he was. What would I have thought if I had known then what I knew now?
He looked back at me quizzically, and I shrugged at him.
We can come again tomorrow, if you’d like.
“I would like that, very much,” I said, surprising myself by the truth of my words.
We went to the rose garden every day for two weeks, and every day the Beast gained strength. He still had not thanked me for nursing him, or keeping him company, but sometimes I thought I could read gratitude in his eyes. He had become almost mellow as a patient, although the servants reported that he was more restless whenever I was gone. I was merely relieved that he had stopped haranguing them constantly.
By the end of the second week he seemed back to full health, and I marvele
d at his recuperative powers. Lily would have found him a fascinating patient, I was sure. I mentioned it to Henshaw, but he said the prince had always been like that, even as a young boy. Hearing that made me even more impressed since I had assumed it was a side effect of the curse.
We can all be glad of it, Henshaw had said. He might well not have made it if not for his strong constitution.
I longed to ask him why that would be such a terrible thing for the servants, but couldn’t think of a way to phrase it that didn’t sound awful.
As the Beast regained his physical strength, I had been afraid he would also resume the full force of his arrogance, but on the day that Henshaw declared him able to return to regular activity, he seemed unusually genial.
Eventually I couldn’t resist commenting on it. “Should I ask Henshaw to give you another examination?”
What do you mean?
“I think that was your second joke. Have you ever joked before…in your life? Maybe your fever has returned.”
The Beast growled, somehow turning the sound playful, and bent over a rose bush.
“What are you doing?” I asked, warily.
He glanced up at me, and I realized he had pulled the bush back and was about to release it, catapulting the snow covering it in my direction.
“Oh no. Oh no, you don’t.” I backed up, almost tripping in my hurry.
He grinned at me, exposing his fangs, as he took time to draw it even further back. I squealed and ran for it, my skirts tangling around my legs in my hurry. I didn’t quite make it around one of the bushes when icy shards exploded across my back, some of them managing to slip down the back of my neck.
I groaned and whipped the rest of the way out of sight in case he had a second bush already prepared.
You can’t hide forever, he taunted, a laugh sounding in his voice. You’re surrounded by snow covered bushes on every side.
“But I can hide a pretty long time,” I called back, before creeping behind a different bush. I peered through the leaves, and when he strode over to where I had disappeared, I quickly wove through another two bushes, keeping myself out of sight.
He didn’t seem to be in any hurry, and after watching him for a moment from behind yet another bush, I realized he was following my footprints. I grabbed a whole armful of snow and began to run, crouched low so as to stay out of sight. I used the spirals of the garden to curve back around and come up behind him.
I must have made enough noise to give myself away because he began to turn. But before he could get fully around, I flung my snow into the air, dumping it over his head. He growled and shook himself, ice flying in all directions, but enough of it stuck to his hair to start dripping down his neck. I crowed in triumph.
He looked over at me, his eyes narrowing. Oh ho! You think you just won, don’t you?
I saw his intentions in his eyes a moment too late. Scooping up a handful of snow, he grabbed my arm and pulled me close. Taking his time, he placed the ice on my head and began to crush it into my hair.
I squealed again. “Dominic!”
He froze, a look of shock crossing his face, and then he dropped his hand, allowing most of the snow to fall away. A single icy trickle down my back made me shiver, and he grabbed my other arm and pulled me closer to him, as if to warm me.
You’ve never used my name before.
I flushed and wished I could tear my eyes away from his. But something in their blue depths seemed to hold me in a different sort of captivity. I remembered the way his mere presence used to unsettle me when I first arrived—the raw power and intensity so different from anything I had encountered before.
And then, suddenly, he was the one to break away, striding away from me without a word. I watched him disappear between two hedges and took a deep breath. Because my heart was pounding as if I had just run through the garden, and I couldn’t quite convince myself it was from fear.
Chapter 19
We had been eating the evening meal in Dominic’s room while he was still recuperating, but that night we were back in the dining hall. The prince made no mention of our interaction in the garden, talking calmly throughout the meal about our latest book. But I noticed his eyes seemed to hold additional warmth whenever they rested on me.
When he escorted me to the door, I dreaded what I knew would come next. When he asked if I would agree to marry him in the morning, his eyes glowed as they bore into mine. I grimaced.
“I don’t know why you insist on asking a question to which you already know the answer. When you break the curse, we will set a wedding date.”
I expected anger, the curse was a topic we always carefully avoided, but not the flash of pain that crossed his face, as if I had slapped him when he expected a kiss. His face settled into lines of cold anger, and it was the first time I realized how much his usual expression had changed since my arrival. This was like the Beast I had seen then.
I sighed and left the room. There was no point talking to him in such a mood, and I preferred to leave without a fight.
The next morning, he wasn’t in the entryway at our usual meeting time. I waited several minutes and then hurried to his room, afraid he had suffered some sort of relapse. But his chambers were empty.
For a moment, I glanced longingly at the curtain that covered the mirror, but I resolutely turned away. I was determined not to make the same mistakes twice. I returned instead to my room, hoping that I would find Tara still there tidying and could send her out on a reconnaissance mission. I was certain she could find information in much less than half the time it would take me.
But when I reached the room no one answered my calls. Even Gordon had apparently disappeared from his usual post outside my door. I frowned and crossed over to my window, wondering what I should do next. Had Dominic said something about not walking today that I had forgotten? Or was this because of our interactions the day before?
As I gazed outside, not really taking in what I was seeing, I noticed a flash of movement. Looking more closely, I saw a familiar figure riding along the front of the castle on Spitfire. I should have guessed he would go riding, now that the doctor had finally cleared him to do so. But why had he not invited me to join him?
I watched him until he disappeared around the corner of the building. Why did I feel hurt? When had I started desiring Dominic’s company? I stopped, catching myself on his name. When, in fact, had I stopped calling him the Beast in my mind?
After wandering listlessly around my chamber for nearly an hour, I gave myself a good shake. This castle still held many unanswered questions, and I wasn’t going to find any answers here. If the Beast had found other activities to fill his day, I could certainly do the same.
I headed straight for the kitchen, hoping to find Gordon and possibly to requisition a sticky bun. The servants knew by now that I liked them to announce themselves in my presence, so I was greeted with a round of cheery good mornings when I entered.
Princess Sophie, I’m sorry, were you looking for me? Lottie sounded contrite.
We wouldn’t have both come down here except that we thought you meant to spend the morning in the gardens, chimed in Tara.
It was quite thoughtless of us, said Lottie. It won’t happen again.
“Oh no, you’re both fine,” I replied. “There’s no point you sitting around all day in my chamber doing nothing when I’m otherwise occupied. I was actually looking for Gordon. Is he around here somewhere?”
That scamp! Gilda sounded flustered. I hope he hasn’t taken to hiding from you now, Your Highness. I’ll be sure to give him a piece of my mind when I see him next.
“Oh goodness, please don’t do so on my account,” I smiled in her direction. “I dare say I gave him the morning off and then forgot all about it. He has been extremely diligent, I assure you.”
Oh. Well then. In that case, I’m glad to hear it. He’s a well-meaning lad, with a good heart, but he can be mighty thoughtless at times.
He’s probably out regaling the s
table boys yet again with the story of your fight with the wolves. I could almost hear Tara’s eye roll. He’s been getting excellent credit off that one.
Gilda sighed. Those boys! They’re nothing but a bad influence. But I can hardly keep him away, not when they’re the only lads his own age.
“No, indeed,” I agreed. “It seems quite wrong to keep a child of his age locked up in a kitchen.”
It was a fortunate day for us all when you arrived Princess Sophie, said Gilda, apparently overcome by my sentiment. A fortunate day, indeed.
“Well thank you.” I laughed. “But you all seem to have been managing tolerably well without me, so I dare say you would have continued to do so.”
Aye, for now, said a voice I vaguely recognized. But time’s running out, isn’t it?
You hold your tongue, Connor! snapped Gilda, allowing me to place the voice—the surly footman who we all agreed would not do for Lottie.
Tara quickly jumped in. We can help you, Princess Sophie. With whatever you wanted Gordon for.
Oh yes, of course! said Lottie.
I agreed, figuring I would have a better chance of getting an explanation for Connor’s strange comment if I interrogated them alone rather than in a kitchen full of servants. As we all made our way out of the room, I stole a sticky bun from a nearby tray, calling out a thank you to the general hubbub since the staff seemed to have taken my exit as a cue to resume their usual chaos.
I munched as I walked along, following Tara and Lottie’s voices as they debated which part of the castle to show me next. They eventually decided on the theater, and we started off down one of the wings. I licked the last of the sweet icing off my fingers, as I tried to come up with a strategy. No brilliant ideas presented themselves.
“What did Connor mean? About running out of time?” I asked eventually, hoping to surprise them into an answer.
But from their silence, I guessed they had been expecting it.
What does Connor ever mean? said Tara after a long pause. He’s always looking for a reason to be sour.
Beyond the Four Kingdoms Box Set 1: Three Fairytale Retellings (Four Kingdoms and Beyond Box Sets Book 3) Page 44
