A Kind of Beauty and the Beast Story

by Jessica Chapman

  ******

  Another week of work quickly went by for Lila and Daphne, and another gold coin was earned. After work that night they both headed straight to the post man again, ever eager to send home another week's wages.

  Lila paid for another letter to send. She told her father of the past week's experiences and once again assured him all was well; in case the first letter had not put him enough at ease. She also thanked Maryann for her help and said she loved them both very much. But Daphne once again refused to pay for a letter in order to send back as much money as she could. So Lila took the copper coin she had saved in order to treat them both to a desert that night, and gave it to her instead.

  "Here, now you can send them a letter." She said gently.

  Daphne gasped. "Oh Lila, you do not need to do that! You are supposed to treat yourself with this!"

  Lila shook her head. "Come on, deserts and treats are not as important as family. Go ahead and let your siblings know how much you miss them."

  Her friend eyes welled up with tears as she nodded.

  "Thank you Lila! You are far too kind..." She said gratefully.

  "No need to thank me, we are friends after all." Lila replied.

  Daphne smiled and nodded again. Then she paid the post man his fee and wrote out a very long letter on the piece of paper provided. Afterwards the man took their packages and loaded them onto his horse.

  "No need to worry ladies, I can get these back to your homes in about two days if I ride fast." The man said.

  "Thank you so much for your services." Lila said with a small curtsy.

  The man smiled. "Just doing my job. Now go and enjoy what is left of this fine evening. Tomorrow we will have rain."

  "How do you know that?" Daphne asked with surprise.

  The man chuckled. "I can smell it in the air Lass. My father is a fisherman, and for much of my youth so was I."

  "My father used to be a sailor before he married my mother. He used to take me fishing as well when I was a girl." Lila said.

  She remembered fondly the times her father and she went out to the nearby lake to fish. He would rent a small boat, and for hours the two of them would just sit there and enjoy the warm sun and glimmering water.

  The man's smile widened. "Indeed, there is nothing quite like it."

  Lila nodded in agreement. Then he got on his horse, having filled his bags completely for the day, and headed back to the mail stables. As soon as the sun rose the next day he and all the other post man there would head out to deliver their packages.

  For a while Daphne and she wandered around the marketplace again, curious to see what new merchants and trades were here today. The tantalizing aromas once again engulfed them as they passed by one bakery and smoke house after another.

  "Oh Lila, you cannot even buy yourself something tonight even though you have waited all week." Daphne said sadly.

  Lila laughed. "I think I will be just fine. Besides, there is always next time."

  "I think I should buy you something next week then!" Her friend said.

  Lila shook her head. "No, I told you not to worry about it. Your siblings need that money."

  Daphne wanted to protest, but she seemed unable to respond.

  Lila smiled at her. "How about you promise to invite me over to eat when we got home to visit everyone? I am dying to try your brother's cooking."

  Her friend's face lit up. "O-Okay! It is a deal then!"

  They walked around for a bit longer before returning inside the castle. Then they ate their supper and headed to their rooms for the night. But as the two of them entered the hallway that led to their sleeping quarters they met a small group of people who were blocking the walkway. Two of them were maids whom Lila recognized, and three of them were young guards. They were all standing there and talking in what looked to be an inappropriate manner, with one guard even embracing one of the maids closely. But as soon as Daphne and she arrived they all seemed to stop what they were doing to notice them both.

  "Why, hello ladies." One of the men said with a wide smile.

  "Excuse us, we just want to pass." Lila said politely.

  The two maids cast her vicious glares.

  "Go away!" The girl being embraced snapped.

  "Yeah, mind your own business!" The other threatened.

  Lila crossed her arms. "Look we are just tired and want to go to our rooms!"

  Suddenly the smiling guard left the group and came towards them.

  "Why not spend a little time with us first?" He said, gazing at Daphne from head to toe.

  Lila puffed up her chest and glared back at him as her friend hid behind her.

  "We are not interested. Now let us pass." She said with annoyance.

  "Knock it off Daven, you are supposed to be over here speaking with me!" The second maid snapped angrily.

  The man chuckled, and Lila suddenly realized that he smelled like alcohol.

  "Oh come on, if you stay I promise you will both have a good time." He said, yanking her aside and exposing Daphne.

  The other two guards whistled her way and began laughing.

  "She sure is easy on the eyes!" One said.

  "It bet she would make a good wife!" The other who was embracing the other girl said.

  Daphne just stood there frozen in fear as the man came even closer to her. He smiled and suddenly grabbed a lock of her hair.

  "Why not smile for me girl?" He said.

  Lila came over and pushed the man away.

  "Back off you ugly wench!" He snapped.

  Lila flushed with anger. "Leave us alone or I will inform the head guard and head maid of these activities!"

  The man snorted as he grabbed her arm roughly once more.

  "Maybe I will not let you inform them then." He snarled.

  This wasn't good. Lila knew there was little good in trying to reason with a drunkard!

  She quickly punched him as hard as she could in the face and let out her loudest scream. He stumbled back, clearly surprised by her sudden and forceful actions. Then Lila grabbed Daphne by the hand and ran back the way they had just come. After a few moments she could tell they were not being followed, probably because the guards themselves had run away in fear of getting caught by someone. After all, a guard was to be severely punished for drinking when he was on the job. Only when he was off duty could he fraternize around the castle.

  Once they made it back towards the kitchen, where plenty of people were still walking around and working, Lila finally stopped to catch her breath.

  "What a bunch of jerks!" She said between pants.

  Daphne suddenly sank to the ground.

  "Oh my...how frightening..." She said, looking to be in a state of shock still.

  Lila let out a long sigh. She supposed Daphne was not used to such inappropriate advances despite being so beautiful. But perhaps that came from have so many brothers around her back home. Lila for her part had a father who would never let any man so much as look at her inappropriately without some kind of confrontation, but she knew how dishonorable men could be at times.

  "Come on Daphne, let us go back the long way." She said.

  Her friend nodded as Lila helped her back to her feet. Then they both went by the opposite hallway to reach the maids quarters. Once they arrived Lila surveyed the area and saw that the coast was indeed clear. Then they quickly made it back to their room and shut the door behind them.

  It was then that Lila realized where she recognized the two maids from earlier from; they were in fact roommates. The two of them were already inside it seemed, talking with all the other girls present. As soon as Daphne and she entered everyone stopped and looked at them. Obviously the current gossip had been about them.

  "Well, well, if it is not the lovely Daphne and her horse faced friend." The girl who had called out to the young guard from earlier and whose name Lila remembered was Tam, said with disdain.

  "Are you here to ruin another party?" The other maid who had been in the emb
race of the other guard, and whose name she thought was Luo, asked.

  All the other girls giggled and watched the scene with interest. Lila just folded her arms and scoffed.

  "None of this would have happened if you had just let us pass earlier!" She snapped.

  Tam scowled and approached them with her hands on her hips.

  "If you or your friend ever go near Daven again you will be sorry!" She declared menacingly.

  Lila rolled her eyes as Daphne whimpered behind her back.

  "I can assure you we have no intention of making advancements on your precious guard friend." She said sarcastically.

  The girl giggled. "Oh Lila, I was not talking to you silly. The only man you could attract is, well, no one actually."

  All the other maids burst out in laughter, and Lila felt herself blush with embarrassment. She knew quite well she was no beauty, but surely such comments were just plain cruel. Not that she was about to let it to get the better of her.

  "If that is the case then you have nothing to fear from me. And Daphne is already spoken for, so you can tell your friend there is nothing to pursue." She said confidently.

  Tam and the other maids were caught off guard by her retort for a moment, and the maid even looked slightly relieved by such news.

  "Good, just make sure it stays that way." She said as she turned and quickly rejoined the group.

  Lila turned and rolled her eyes with frustration. She then saw Daphne gazing at her with shock.

  "I am spoken for?" She whispered.

  Lila smiled. "Yes, well you are dedicated solely on your work and your family, right?"

  Her friend nodded slowly.

  Lila shrugged. "Then you are unavailable for marriage at the moment."

  Daphne smiled and almost let out a laugh.

  "You are so silly Lila!" Her friend said.

  She shrugged. "We do what we must."

  Daphne nodded. "Yes of course. Thank you."

  Then they both got into her night gown and prepared for bed. Lila was far more tired now and definitely wanted nothing more than to get some sleep. Before she got in bed though Daphne tapped her shoulder.

  "Hey, do not listen to what those girls said. I think you are plenty pretty Lila." She said softly.

  Lila blushed and half smiled.

  "Do not worry about me having hurt feelings Daphne. I know very well I am not that lovely, but I tend not to care about such things. I do not need to be beautiful in order to be myself." She said.

  Daphne smiled. "And I like you just the way you are, lovely and all."

  "Thank you, that means a lot to me." Lila replied bashfully.

  She shrugged. "Yes well, beauty can feel more like a curse than anything else sometimes."

  Lila giggled. "It is alright now though, since you are already spoken for."

  Daphne had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing loudly and waking up any already sleeping girls.

  She shushed Daphne through her own giggles and they both quickly got into bed. Just a few minutes later the maids put out the candle and the whole room became quiet. Lila lay awake for a while thinking of many things, but mostly of the mean comments made to her that night. What she had spoken to Daphne was true, and she really did not care about such trivial things like beauty. But still, it was still not easy to hear other people call her ugly. Why did girls who were clearly prettier than her even feel the need to point such details out? She could understand them being threatened by someone gorgeous like Daphne, but someone as plain as her? There could be no motive but to simply injure her feelings! How utterly unnecessary and childish. These maids were lucky she was not inclined to fight back.

  Lila eventually shook such thoughts away. It was not like she planned to stay here with their company forever. From now on she would just have to ignore the girls as best she could and focus on working hard until she could leave.

  Chapter 06- As Fate Would Have It

  Westan looked out the window and scowled. It was still raining, and quite heavy too. He had been hoping all morning that the sky would clear and that the sun would come out before his studies were scheduled, but it seemed it was not meant to be. He would just have to face the fact that he would be cooped up in the library instead of being out in the garden today. Although he supposed all was not bad since his lessons did not have to be canceled. At least he could meet with Bartholomew and Mr. Jameson still and enjoy their company during such dreary weather. These lessons were the only thing he looked forward to anymore, besides seeing them both at supper.

  The progress made during his lessons had been quite nice too. He could almost read whole paragraphs now! In his spare time Westan had been busying himself with reading the storybooks that his father had read to him as a child. He had nearly forgotten some of the stories, so it was nice to reacquaint himself with them. Right now he was reading his very favorite book, the one his father had read to him the mos. It gave him a strange confidence and warm feeling in his heart to read the words he remembered his father saying to him so many years ago.

  Just then a knock came at the door and interrupted his privacy.

  "My Lord, your tutors await your arrival!" A servant outside his door announced.

  Westan smiled. He put down the book, put on his crown, and then left his room and headed for the library.

  ******

  That morning when Lila awoke, it was unseasonably rainy for mid-summer, just like the post man had said it would be. The air was a bit chilly and the sky was very dark. Lila personally liked days like this, as she always felt that rain was quite relaxing. Daphne for her part though did not enjoy the dark sky or loud thunder. Most of the maids also shared her friend's opinion and found the day to be a bit depressing. But Lila enjoyed the soothing sound of the rain echoing throughout the whole castle, and even in the library where they were working at that moment. From the tall glass windows she also watched the heavy downpour outside.

  Most everyone else had moved onto another part of the castle while Daphne and she took their sweet time finishing up. But they were almost done now, having just a few more bookshelves to dust. Suddenly though, her friend stopped dusting and turned to Lila anxiously.

  "Do you think it is true that the King likes to throw girls with blonde hair into the dungeon? I heard Tam say that earlier." She asked from out of nowhere.

  Lila was stunned for a moment. Then she could not help but laugh at her friend's very serious face.

  "I am inclined to believe that the King has better reasons for punishing people than because of their looks." She said.

  Daphne nodded seriously, letting her words sink in.

  "I suppose you are right. Perhaps she was just trying to scare me again." She said with relief.

  Lila shook her head. Those girls were really getting on her nerves. If only there was a way to shut them up already! Things were getting worse ever since Daven, the guard from before, had stopped meeting with Tam after work. He had probably been caught drinking and punished for it, but the other maids seemed to blame the two of them.

  "You should not listen to them. What do they know about the King anyways? Honestly, all these rumors are quite tiresome to deal with." She said with a sigh.

  "Yes, I am sure you are quite right Lila." Daphne said, calming down a bit.

  Honestly, how silly! Lila had seen neither hide nor hair of the King since their arrival, and was unsure he ever roamed about his own castle at this point. Yet these ridiculous rumors never failed to disrupt her days. She really just wanted this all to end already.

  Lila let out a sigh as she continued to dust. But just then, a sudden loud noise from a few bookshelves down, similar to the sound a book being shoved back onto a shelf, made them both jump in surprise. Lila was very startled for a moment, because she had not known anyone else was still here. Although she supposed one of the librarians may have come back from their break already.

  "Who is to say the King does not do such things?" A voice suddenly said f
rom the same direction the noise had come from.

  Lila was a little offended that someone had obviously been rudely eavesdropping on their conversation. But she was not about to be made afraid by whoever this was.

  "I suppose it is possible that he does. But I have never seen such a thing for myself, so why should I believe in such a ridiculous rumor?" She asked.

  "It is just thought to be the wisest course of action in most people's minds." He replied.

  "Only a silly person believes every word others say." Lila stated.

  The voice suddenly burst out in laughter. "Well, well, I must say that you are quite outspoken, for a servant girl."

  Servant girl? Lila suddenly got a strange feeling that she was not talking with a mere librarian after all. She quickly walked out from behind the bookshelf, wondering just who they were dealing with. She saw young man was waiting around the shelf to meet her, standing there with a small book in his hand. He was very handsome, with dark hair and dark eyes, light skin and a good build. He wore a regal blue silk shirt and dark pants, along with a jewel studded crown. Four guards stood nearby him clad in full armor, each watching her warily. This boy was obviously the King, and he was staring at her with a cold smirk.

  Lila's heart began to race nervously and she felt her breath catch. Daphne whimpered beside her and held onto her arm tightly and the air became tense. Lila noticed there were also two additional men standing next to the King, an older man and what looked to be his young son. Both of them had curly blonde hair in pony tails, blue eyes, and each wore green tutor clothes. They were quite good looking, especially the son. But the terrified expressions they were wearing reminded Lila of the dire situation she had gotten herself into. She turned back to the King, knowing she had better talk quickly while she still had the chance.