Enchanted Beauty

by Marly Mathews

  Adventure had come for her, and she would have to deal with the consequences of it for the rest of her short life.

  “I will not have you unless you are completely sure of your feelings for me.”

  “My feelings are going a bit wild at the moment.”

  “Do not jest, Annabelle. I am serious. I am speaking straight from my heart. I love you, but you know what I am. You know what I look like. My appearance will not change. When you are healed, I shall still look like a beast.”

  They walked over the threshold of their bedchamber.

  “I will not be healed, Malachi. I only have a short time left. I wish to make the most of it.” She stood up on her tiptoes, straining to lightly caress his face with the tip of her fingertips.

  She’d never realized how tall he was until this moment. He was the size of a beast, but even in his true form, he didn’t look like a monster. His face was scarred, and scars she could live with—no matter what.

  He was a human man.

  “You're a man. You have a soul, I have seen the veil lift in your eyes.”

  “I don’t know to what you refer.” Malachi whispered.

  “Don’t you? We all have it. A face we wear for people so they cannot suspect our inner thoughts. We place a guard in our eyes, so that no one can ever see into the true vulnerabilities we all possess.”

  “Annabelle.”

  He had a warning tone in his voice, and yet he didn’t try to stop her, from continuing. “It’s true and you know it, Malachi. You do have your guard up most of the time. You don’t want someone like Katrina to take advantage of you again. When you thought I was just a lowly thief’s daughter you were more than willing to take me into your heart and into your bed.”

  “You are already in my heart. I can’t push you out now, no matter what the future holds for us.”

  “I thank you for that, Malachi. But I am the daughter of a man you revile. He is my father, and though I have never known him, in the depth of your psyche, I think you fear that I will one day become his living shadow.”

  “Never. You are only light. You would never become like him.”

  “I may look beautiful on the outside, but you wonder if I am as fair on the inside.”

  “No.”

  “Yes. Admit it!” her voice rose to a fevered pitch. “I saw it in your eyes, Malachi!”

  He looked away from her, and stormed over to the window.

  “I…do not hold me accountable for that. I can’t help the look I had in my eyes, Annabelle. It wasn’t directed at you. I hate your father. I hate the fact that he is coming for you…and I hate the fact that I might not be able to protect you from him.”

  “Of course you can.” She stopped short. Her heart jumped up into her throat. She swallowed against the lump that was left in her throat. “I—I don’t know why I said that.”

  “You said that because like me, you have confidence in me, just as I have full confidence in you. You have full faith in me. You know that I will die before I let anyone hurt you the way I have been hurt.”

  “I won’t let them manipulate you anymore, Malachi. You are not a beast. You are a man. A good, just and unfailingly kind man.”

  “Unfailingly kind. You must tell that to the hundreds I killed.”

  “Your rage overcame you. And you can’t expect me to believe that you killed innocents.”

  “I killed most of the vast army that Roland had assembled to come through and massacre all of the non-magic kind that live in Thaliana.”

  “I see.” Relief flooded through her. “You stopped us from meeting our doom, my love.”

  “Do you mean that?” he asked anxiously.

  “Of course, I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I was referring to your endearment.”

  “My endearment?”

  “You called me your love.”

  She sat down on the edge of the bed. Her limbs were heavy with fatigue. Maybe her illness was finally taking its toll on her.

  “I feel so lightheaded.”

  “You have been overwhelmed by the last few hours.”

  “I think I’m going to agree with you for once.”

  “We are definitely not going to be making love until you are feeling better.” She laughed. Suddenly, the implications of why they had come here hit her full on.

  “I will not have you thinking I am not up for it,” she said.

  “I would never think that.”

  “Perhaps, I just need to eat. I feel as if something or someone is draining my energy. It just hit me. I felt perfectly fine when I asked you to bring me up here. I don’t know what’s come over me.”

  He walked toward her in few long strides. Kneeling down, he touched her hands that she’d clasped in her lap.

  “You are shaking.”

  “I know. I can’t seem to help it. I feel as if my blood is on fire…and not the way I felt when I wanted to kiss you until I was mad with the glorious feelings you bring out in me!”

  He chuckled softly but when he met his gaze, she could see he was deeply troubled.

  “The potion blew up in my face two years ago. I think my illness has had quite a good amount of time to start wearing me thin,” she concluded shakily.

  “I…” Worry shrouded his eyes.

  “I don’t know what I want anymore, Malachi.” Her nose stung, and tears filled her eyes. “I feel like such a bundle of rattling nerves. One minute, I welcome my death, the next minute, I find myself wanting to live!”

  “Then, live.”

  “I can’t if you don’t find the cure.”

  “I will find the cure.”

  “How sure of that are you?”

  “There is another way. We could enlist Rainbow in our fight for your life.”

  “Rainbow?”

  “You must have heard the tales about the ancient Thalin Elves.”

  “I’ve heard lots of tales.”

  “Then, you know about their extraordinary talent for healing.”

  “Yes.”

  “I am going to ask Rainbow to travel to her ancestral lands, and ask her father to send their best healers. If I can’t find a way to heal you, they most certainly will able to.”

  “I will ask her,” she murmured.

  “I don’t think you should…”

  “No. This is my life. I will ask Rainbow, and I will tell her of my true history.”

  “She might already know.”

  “If she does, then, she’ll hear it again.”

  He looked up at her. She loved the way that he was kneeling in front of her, it was a very romantic moment for her.

  “I just want to say that I found myself again, when I found you. We never would have met if my father, I mean if Delbert, hadn’t been so keen on stealing every valuable possession you have. You have to admire his tenacity and his penchant for trouble.”

  He smiled. “Delbert is not evil. I do believe that he might have thought he could have found something to help you.”

  “What about the Hawthorne Wishing Jewel, would it help me?” she inquired.

  “No.”

  “Oh.”

  “You misunderstand. The Wishing Jewel can’t heal. It can bring you other things, but it can’t extend your life, or heal an ailment. If it could, my castle would be teeming with Hawthorne ancestors. We would be immortal.”

  “And you aren’t?”

  He laughed. “We live extraordinarily long lives, but our heart can be stopped by unbelievable grief or a mortal wound.”

  His eyes grew distant. “I must leave you, Annabelle. There is a matter of great importance that is calling my attention. Rest, and perhaps we can spend more time together tonight.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  “When I leave just call to Rainbow. She would never come in here when we are both together unless it was an emergency. But she will hear your call when I leave.”

  “Thank you, Malachi. Not for just telling me about Rainbow and her family, but also for falling
in love with me when you first saw me. If you hadn’t, I don’t know where I would be right now…if Roland had hired the changeling, then he knew I was somewhere to be found. Without my magic, he couldn’t pinpoint me. But as you said, it’s been released, and it’s waking will draw him. You will have a fight on your hands for me, Malachi.”

  “I will fight Roland’s entire armies for you, if it comes to it. Even I don’t think Roland is so lost as to want your death.”

  “Perhaps, but he will have no compunction when it comes to destroying you.”

  “I won’t let him.”

  “When it comes to the final battle, just remember that I will always stay true to you. I will always stay true to Thaliana.”

  “He will try to sway your judgment.”

  “This I know. But I have seen what his armies did to Thaliana when they first swept through here. They never reached my village thanks to you, unfortunately, others were not as blessed. Thousands of Thales lost their lives during the siege, and hundreds more are dying as we speak in order to protect our lands. I won’t let Roland destroy what I love…no matter how silver tongued he might prove to be.”

  “Thank the Graces for that. You have a keen and cunning mind, Annabelle. Your beauty is not the only thing that shines on you. I must depart now. Ardal and Gabriel need my counsel.”

  She wanted to ask him what required his attention, but since he didn’t willingly offer her the information she suspected he had a good reason for keeping it from her for the time being. As soon as he had left the room, she stood up. “Rainbow, I have need of you.”

  In a bright flash of light, the Elf appeared. Rainbow’s eyes brimmed with concern. “What might I do for you, Annabelle?”

  “First off, I want to ask you a few questions. Do you know who I am?”

  “You are Lady Markham, wife to Lord Markham.”

  “Yes…but do you know where I came from?”

  Rainbow sighed. Suddenly, the brightness in her eyes dimmed. “I feared you would find out when the changeling came into the castle. I knew you would start digging.”

  “I found the truth. I found out who I am.”

  “I’m sorry, Annabelle. I can just imagine what is going through your mind right now.”

  “I don’t know what to think. I’m just holding on to what I know. I know that Malachi cares deeply for me.”

  “No…he loves you,” Rainbow proclaimed.

  “Do you think I will turn out like my father?”

  “I don’t see you eyeing the silver—so no.” Rainbow laughed nervously.

  “I refer to my true father.”

  “Roland has never been your true father, has he? He only seeks you out to ensure his power. Through you, he has a rightful claim to the throne of Thaliana. He has always lusted for dominion over Thaliana. Thaliana is a rich country, we have everything that he wants and needs. You will give all of it to him. If you allow yourself to be bewitched by him.”

  “I could never be bewitched by him.”

  “I would watch your words, Annabelle. Your father still commands the love of your mother. Why do you think she stays away from him? He is in her blood. She keeps thinking she can save him, and she believes she still has the chance to change him, but unlike the changeling that Malachi recently destroyed, your father will never change his ways. He is being controlled by Blackburn, yes, but even if Blackburn did not exist he would still want sole control over Thaliana.”

  “He put my mother in the tower. How could she still love him?”

  “He never beat your mother as the tales would have you know. He never harmed her in any way, and the tower was not as horrific as the stories would have you believe. The tower was gilded with the finest riches, so he never robbed her of any comfort. He did, however, limit her freedom. She was the proverbial bird in a gilded cage. When she discovered she was pregnant with you, she knew she had to get you away from him. She knew he would do far worse to you than he did to her. He would mold you to his very image, and through you, he would rule Thaliana.”

  “I still can’t understand why she loved him.”

  “Love is not something you can define or understand easily. When it comes as it did for your mother for your father, it can be the greatest spell, one that we with powerful magic can’t even break.”

  Annabelle sighed. “Love seems to be a burden in some cases.”

  “You might think that now, but give it time. That’s not why you summoned me here though, is it?”

  “Am I that transparent?” Annabelle asked.

  “For one such as I, yes.” She sat down on the window seat and gave her a questioning look. “This concerns your illness, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes. Malachi tells me he fears he won’t be able to heal me before …before…”

  “Before you die.” Rainbow sighed heavily. “I thought you didn’t want to be saved.”

  “I’ve rethought that stance. I can’t leave this world without knowing that Blackburn has been stopped.”

  “Is that really your true motivation? I think you want to stay so you can love Malachi. It seems to me that the two of you are well suited, that your match was predestined. You still haven’t explained why you need me.”

  “You probably can already guess.”

  “I probably could, but sometimes, it’s nice to hear it aloud from the people that need you.”

  “I don’t …that is, I…” she sighed. “Who am I kidding? I shouldn’t scoff or jest at this …I do need you. Malachi told me that your kind can heal even the most grievous wounds.”

  “He’s been researching my people more in depth than even I expected. I know he wonders if he we can restore his native appearance. I could try, but his scars were made by both dark magic and by his own magic backfiring and mingling, the resulting curses were both severe and quite effective, their scars have a lasting power to them.”

  “I know. Malachi didn’t want me to ask you to help him, though on second consideration, if you can do something for him, I wish you would try.”

  “I’m not the one that can do something for him. That task I shall leave to you,” Rainbow said, smiling at her.

  “You’re putting a lot of expectation on my shoulders. Your kind is wiser and older than we are, why can’t you just guide us?”

  “Why do you think I’m here? I am guiding, but I can’t interfere any further, to do so would be completely against the point.”

  “Point be damned!”

  “There you go again, you are giving into your hotheaded nature once more.” Rainbow shook her head in disappointment.

  “No. I…” Annabelle stopped. “You are right. I should learn to control my temper, I am too impetuous and given to releasing my emotions without proper justification.”

  “You want me to return to my father, to ask for his assistance,” Rainbow concluded.

  “If you would.”

  “You could come with me. My people would understand. You are the Princess of Light.”

  “Princess of Light?” Annabelle asked. This was something she hadn’t expected.

  “Yes. It is the name my people have given to the one that will banish the dark ones.”

  “Again, they expect too much of me.”

  “I don’t think you believe in yourself. You need to find the ability to have faith in yourself in order for you to help your people.”

  “I can’t leave Malachi.”

  “You won’t leave Malachi. You are already dealing with the unknown, to traverse into my ancestral lands would be too much for you. I understand. You are used to staying in one spot …change is something you are not accustomed to.”

  “I’m sorry. I am not a heroine. I know that now. I can’t even fathom why anyone would think I could save them from Blackburn. I’m having enough problems trying to deal with the knowledge that has recently been presented to me. I’m still reeling with the news.”

  “Reeling or not, you have the ability for great courage inside of you. Whether you think it or not rig
ht now, you are not a selfish, self-centered woman.”

  “I feel so foolish.” Annabelle sighed.

  “Don’t. You are dealing with great upheaval. I will go to my father alone. He will still listen to my concerns even though you are not with me. I’m certain he will send a contingent of healing elves with me…and perhaps I’ll even be able to convince him to send with me a legion of his best warriors.”

  “You have my deepest gratitude.”

  “All I need in return from you is to know that you have given Malachi your solemn vow of loyalty.”

  “Loyalty?”

  “He needs it along with your love. Do not presume to think you can leave Malachi without first giving him that.”

  “I am not going anywhere. I told you that already.”

  Rainbow narrowed her eyes. They looked like they were violet coloured now. “I love this family, Annabelle. Had I not seen for myself how infatuated Malachi is with you, I would hesitate in leaving you with him.”

  “I will not betray him if that’s what you suddenly believe of me.”

  “I do not believe that you will betray him, I do however, believe that given the chance, you will accept temptation in order to get the answers about your birth family that you so desperately crave.”

  “I don’t crave knowledge about my birth family,” Annabelle insisted.

  “Do not deny what I can see beating inside of you. You must heed my words. Come what may, you belong with Malachi.”

  “You have no idea what is beating inside of me. I will not betray Malachi.” Her heart started to pound loudly in her chest. Clenching her hands into fists, she started pacing. “I care for him deeply…I know I’m falling in love with him, and I would never hurt him. No matter what sort of temptation comes my way.”

  “I hope you remember that when the time of reckoning for you arrives.”

  “I will,” Annabelle vowed.

  “I must prepare for my journey back home. I should be gone less than a fortnight. I hope I make it back it time. You can’t strain yourself, your health is weakening. Remember, you can take your strength from Malachi.”