The Mermaid And The Beast

by Walleye

  Belle looked at her hands. “Which I most assuredly am not.” She looked up at him. “This need for a woman and for her to be a princess tells me that your cure has to involve marriage.” When he started, she knew she had scored a hit. “So, I’m right. It’s really too obvious. I think even your Mother deduced this from your pursuit of marriageable women. Such a thing cannot be kept secret for long.”

  The Beast looked down at the unconscious Maryellen. Damn. This Belle woman was smart. “I can’t confirm that and if you are going to keep asking me questions about the cure that is the only answer I will be allowed to give you.”

  He ignored her smile and stroked his hand across Maryellen’s forehead. “According to wizard Garland this young woman is also under a similar curse by the same Sidhe and her curse is somehow entangled with mine. Does that tell you anything?”

  Belle looked over at Maryellen. “That surprises me. Did her curse happen at the same time as yours?”

  “I’m not sure.” The Prince replied. “Since she showed up nearly three years after I was cursed I suspect, but only suspect that it was much more recent than mine.”

  Belle considered this for a moment before she said. “If that is true, then it would mean that the one who cursed you is still active and trying to reinforce her curse. I would be on my guard for new magic attacks from the curser.”

  It was the Prince’s turn to reflect. “That may be a problem.” He finally replied. As my wizard has been rendered powerless for days if not weeks in curing this young woman. I will have no help there.”

  Belle sighed. “I wish I had some magic device or charm that could protect you, but neither I nor my sisters have such as Ella’s spell is only good for locating things.”

  “I thank you for your concern.” Answered the Prince. “But enough about me. Tell me something about yourself and your family.”

  Belle leaned back as she reflected. “My Father is a merchant and that is all he has ever been. He’s a bit of a braggart which gets us in trouble as I’ve already told you. This never happened while Mama was alive. She was his guiding light and when she died from one of the wasting diseases, the light seemed to go out of his life.”

  “After she died he started bragging about me and my beauty or what he perceived to be my special abilities. It made my sisters angry and jealous and we became estranged for a while. Thank goodness that has ended. Once more we three are good friends again.”

  “Tell me something about yourself.” He asked her. “Have you ever been in love?”

  “That’s very personal, don’t you think?” She replied with a coy smile.

  “So is asking me about my curse.” He replied with a grin.

  “Touché, Sir.” She replied. “No. I’ve never been deeply in love. How about yourself?”

  He felt himself get very cold. He knew he had only himself to blame for the direction this conversation had gone. “Yes. One time I was betrothed to a Spanish princess. Her name was Catalina which means the pure one and she was that and more.”

  “Her very smile could light the darkest room and warmed my heart. She was black of hair and dark brown of skin. She had a voice that the angels had to have loved.” A tear formed at the corner of one of his eyes. “Maybe that was why they came and took her from me. She was carried away when she was just fourteen.”

  “I am so sorry to hear that.” She said as she reached out and patted his paw. She continued. “Like you I once had someone whom I loved. His name was Charles and he worked as an apprentice for the town blacksmith.”

  “He had brown hair and eyes and he always had something nice to say. I found myself dreaming of being the mother of future generations of smiths.” She sighed. “It was not to be. One day when I went to his shop I found it was closed. I discovered that no one knew how or where they had gone. They were just that. Gone, leaving me feeling bereft.”

  She seemed to stare off into the distance. “At night I can still hear his laughter and his teasing voice. I will always remember the kiss he gave me down by the village spring. In some ways absence has just made my heart grow fonder for him.”

  “Like my feelings for Catalina.” He said. For a while they each sat there lost in his or her own thoughts.

  Finally she sighed. “I think that’s enough personal discussions about our love lives for one night.” At his nod she continued. “However I am curious about Lady Maryellen. Since this woman’s curse is tied up with yours maybe when she wakes we could learn more about both curses.”

  “It’ll be very hard in her case.” He replied. “Part of her curse is that she has been rendered mute.”

  Belle shook her head. “That’s horrible. The Sidhe apparently have a well-earned reputation for cruelty.”

  He held up a paw. “Be careful what you say about them for you never know when one may be listening. That was a mistake I made.”

  He turned back to look at Maryellen. This woman was such an enigma to him. Unlike almost every other woman after he’d become a beast she was the first who had not reacted with revulsion to him. In fact the first time he had met her she had smiled at him like he was her closest friend and possibly even her lover.

  Since a woman had to speak the words ‘I love you.’ out loud to him and mean them he suddenly realized that might be why she had been cursed this way. It might have been done so that she couldn’t free him from his own terrible curse. She had been cursed in turn so that he would without thinking be sure to reject someone who loved him.

  He felt his anger rising at the mean spirit of the Sidhe and throttled it back. Attacking or cursing the Sidhe would solve nothing. At least he tried to tell himself that but for some reason his temper and irritation kept rising. To hurt her was to hurt him in turn.

  Thistledown who was sitting on the pillow by Maryellen’s head went on alert as she detected Sidhe magic wriggling like an invisible snake through the room. She gasped as she saw it take over the Beast.

  Belle continued. “Maybe you could try to appease the Sidhe. Give them something that they want.”

  He felt malignant laughter rising in him. “Fat chance, girl. To appease the Sidhe you would have to be able to talk to them. But that means unfortunately that they are the one who have to want to listen which the damned human-sized fairies never want to do. They just want to see you suffer as that’s where they get their kicks.”

  “It was only a suggestion.” Belle said, giving him an injured look.

  “One that I tried.” He snapped. “And it got the Sidhe princess Elrith even madder at me that I even dared to bargain with her royal highness. So keep your suggestions to yourself.”

  He strode out of the room with Belle staring after him. ‘Where had that all come from?’ She asked herself. ‘Now he really is acting like an ill-mannered beast.’

  Thistledown shook her head. The Sidhe were determined to make things even worse for the Beast and her poor friend. Well fairies with hyperthyroid growth problems such as the Sidhe were not going to overcome a woodland fairy determined to see her friend succeed.

  She watched as Belle checked on the comfort of her patient and tucked the blanket up around her chin. Thistledown found she liked the three Fontaine sisters. Maybe if they didn’t make their fortune in this fairytale she’d helped them do well with another.

  Gwen Fontaine was finishing up her escargot and cooked roots called truffles when something started butting against her legs. “Meeooow.”

  She looked down to see a huge fluffy, green cat looking back at her. Its deep yellow eyes were fixed on her as a paw came out and batted her knee. “Meeooow.”

  I’m sorry, Big Boy, but I don’t think you want snails.” Gwen showed him her plate to indicate she had nothing he’d want.

  Big Boy sniffed the offering and bent his head to take the snail in his mouth. There was a loud crunching sound as the snail vanished. “Well, I guess I was wrong.” Gwen said. “Here. You can finish it for me.” She put the plate with three more snails on the kitchen floor.
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br />   Big Boy padded over, hunched down, and started crunching happily away. He ate the three snails, shells and all. Trolls were not dainty eaters and trolls who had been turned into fuzzy cats even less so.

  Gwen’s father came wandering through the kitchen in his night shirt and holding a lit candle fastened on a drip plate. “I’m ready to call it a night.” He declared before he caught a look of Big Boy.

  “What in the name of the Almighty is that?” He pointed a finger at the big green cat who was now purring happily at Gwen’s feet.

  Gwen chuckled. “A cat of course, Daddy.”

  “But it’s green.” He protested.

  Gwen shrugged. “So it’s an unusual colored cat. I like him.”

  The cat looked up at her and smiled like cats always do. He thought that she’d make a great pet for him. She could keep his food bowl filled every day. The big green cat looked more intently. Just behind the funny old man he could see a hobgoblin spy for the Sidhe standing on a shelf sniffing the air and taking everything in.

  With a loud. “Meeooow.” Big Boy leaped onto the table and launched himself at the old man who ducked just like the cat thought he would. He hit the old man’s shoulders and flung himself at the surprised hobgoblin who squealed.

  The hobgoblin never had a chance as the cat opened his mouth, grabbed it and swallowed it whole. The cat leaped down to the grey flagstones and rubbed his chest with his paw and began to lick himself clean.

  Gwen’s father stared at the cat and then at Gwen who was patting the purring green cat’s head. “Bring him up when you come to bed. I think I heard something rustling around in the bedroom.” He toddled off to bed.

  On the way he encountered Prince Johnathan. “Good night, your majesty.” He said as he sketched a hurried bow.

  “Work on your bowing, old fool.” The Beast growled. “That’s the sloppiest one I’ve ever seen.” He stomped off down the hall.

  “Well, I never.” The old man muttered to himself. He looked down at his protruding belly and patted it gently. “Wait until he reaches my age and we’ll see how good he can bow when he has a companion like you to accompany him.” His stomach pleasantly full, growled back, sounding just like the big green cat.

  Johnathan was headed back to his room when he passed Richards in the hall. “Have a good night, Sire.”

  “When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.” The Beast growled and slammed his door shut behind him.

  Richards sighed. “Oh dear. He sounds like he did two years ago. I hope he hasn’t had a relapse.”

  Unfortunately Richards found his master in even worse a mood the next morning. Nothing was right. From the snarl given as a greeting to the shouting at Phillips for his lack of judgment in picking out his wardrobe.

  Johnathan stormed through the castle, leaving consternation and misery in his wake. In one incident he was yelling at the butchers working on the boar carcasses. In another he was shouting at Marshal Falk for having his soldiers looking poorly in their drills. By the end of the day the castle was seething and ready to explode.

  That evening the Beast went to check on his hurt guest. He poked his head in the door. “How is she doing? Are you taking good care of her?” He growled, wanting to find fault and yell at someone some more.

  Gwen who was rocking in her chair with the big green cat lying on its tummy beside her chair ignored his belligerence and said. “Her breathing had changed and when I checked closely I realized she had gone from unconscious to being asleep. This means that she could awaken at any time now. Come in and take a look.”

  She continued. “The wizard suggested that since her sword has magic that is bound up in this fairytale that it be brought here where she could see it when she awakens. He had it brought here a few hours ago.” She gestured towards the sword against the wall by Maryellen.

  As the Beast approached the bed he paused as the glow from the sword leaning against the wall beside the bed washed over him and for the first time that day his rage and irritation left him.

  Johnathan blinked. He looked down at the sleeping woman with her blond hair spread out over the pillow and felt calm come over him.

  He realized that there was something about Maryellen which called to him. She looked so beautiful while she was sleeping. He knelt by her side and took her hand into his paw. “She can’t say a word but by her looks and actions she is beautiful and cares for me. She’s already risked her life for me.”

  “I would say that she loves you then.” Gwen said thoughtfully. “And You? Do you return her love?”

  Johnathan became very thoughtful. “Love is hard for me to give. And because of my curse it can only be love from the heart.”

  “What makes you think it isn’t?” Gwen said as she reached over and scratched the green cat’s ears.

  He couldn’t tell her the conditions of the curse. The words ‘I love you.’ Had to be spoken out loud. “Even if it is true love, the conditions of the curse make sure that it won’t work.” He sighed. “So it will never be.”

  He started to turn away and was arrested by Gwen’s thoughtful voice. “If you love her and she loves you in spite of the curses, then why are you so worried about breaking the curse? Why not just love her back?”

  He turned back and said sadly. “My Mother won’t have a beast as her heir and do you even know what it’s like to be trapped in a form that you dislike?”

  “No, I don’t and I’m so sorry for you.” Gwen said softly. “But I’m also sorrier for this young woman and the curse she’s under. I think she’s in even worse a state as she can’t even complain about it.”

  A small fairy had watched the behavior of the Beast all day and she had noted one thing. It was only when the Beast was near Maryellen’s bed that he seemed to act normal. This seemed to indicate some counter magic was in effect, but where was it coming from?

  As she thought about this she realized there was a very powerful source of magic right there near Maryellen. She looked over at the glowing sword. “Of course.” She exclaimed.

  Prince Johnathan sighed, laid Maryellen’s hand back beside her and got to his feet. “Good night, Gwen.”

  “I do have one more thing I need to tell you.” Gwen said as he headed towards the door. The anger was rising in him again and so was the rage. He whirled to face her.

  “What is it?” The growl was coming back as he stepped away from the sword.

  “I don’t know why but my sister Belle likes you. If you want to break the curse, I’d pay attention to her.” She frowned. “But without the bad attitude. It doesn’t help you any you know.”

  “Mind your own business.” The Beast snarled as he went out the door.

  “Well.” Gwen felt like growling herself. She didn’t see the little fairy speeding out the door after him as she was invisible to her.

  Prince Johnathan was really getting worried. Time was getting short before the curse became permanent and he remained a beast forever. Maybe he should take Gwen’s advice. If Belle had feelings for him, then maybe he could woo her even if his Mother wanted him to marry a princess.

  He stopped to look out through the bars on a castle window which kept magical creatures who could fly from entering the castle. A full moon was rising over the mountains that fed the river and he could see ripples in the moon’s reflection from the river waters.

  Thistledown hovered behind him. She was about to get involved again but this time with another of the main players in this fairytale and not just her friend Maryellen. She wasn’t sure how her Superintendent Lark would like it. But she was something like a fairy godmother for Maryellen and fairy godmothers did get involved in their fairytales.

  As the Beast watched the shimmering river something roared deep in the woods. He frowned. The only time he’d heard a roar like that had been when a dragon had invaded his kingdom. Had it landed on the ground? He’d have to have this checked out in the morning.

  Part of his duties were protecting the peasants who owed loyalty to him
. The wizard Garland had established magic wards so they could safely work in their fields during the day. Their homes were also spell guarded at night by the same wizard. But if something big was out there hunting he might have to go and kill it and that meant he needed a wizard which at the moment he didn’t have.

  “You look like you could use some help, my friend.” A sweet feminine voice said from just behind him.

  “Go away.” He growled. “I’ve got enough on my mind without a pest butting in where she doesn’t belong.”

  “Part of your problem is that you’re acting like a child instead of a grownup.” The voice admonished him.

  With a snarl he whirled around ready to attack but he saw nothing. “Where are you?” He growled as he swung his head from side to side trying to locate the pest.

  “Right up here.” She told him from above his head.

  He looked up and saw a small, glowing fairy floating there in a sitting position, regarding him with concern. She had her legs crossed and was tapping her wand held in one hand against the palm of her other hand.

  “Who are you?” He snarled. “I’ve never seen the likes of you before.”

  “I guess you could call me a fairy godmother.” She said with a smile. “And I’m here to offer you some help.”

  “Can you lift the curse?” He asked hopefully.

  She shook her head. “Now did you ever hear of a fairy godmother doing that? The rules won’t allow it. What type of fairytale would you have if the fairy godmother solved all of Cinderella’s problems in the first minutes?” She smiled ruefully. “A very short and boring tale.”

  “Then what good are you, shorty?” He snapped. “Did anyone ever ask Cinderella if she wanted to go on suffering just to amuse people? I bet she would have voted for the quick ending.”

  The fairy sighed. “Sadly that is just why she and you don’t get votes in how the story goes. I think it’s called dramatic license and you don’t have one.”

  “You’re giving me a splitting headache.” He growled. “What can you do?”