The Enchanted Kingdoms (Haunting Fairytales Series Book 1)

by Becca Alexandra

  He reached the door to the guest room and hoped she would be inside. He pushed down the handle and threw open the door. A startled Belle who was reading on the futon sat up straight and looked at him.

  Everything slowed down. Edward opened his mouth, waiting to stay something charming, but words failed him. It appeared he had forgotten how to speak. He must have looked confused because Belle smiled broadly at him and walked over to the door. Her quick footsteps matched his heart beats. He could see his scared reflection in her silky brown eyes and felt ashamed. Her heart-shaped face was petite and perfectly symmetrical. Her big eyes and small button nose looked perfect. Her skin was so smooth and clear, it looked like porcelain. Her hair was pushed to one side, tumbling down past her chest in warm ringlets. Her voice brought him back to reality. ‘You must be Edward.’ Her voice was so unique. Incredibly well-spoken yet she did not sound snobby like the women he was used to meeting. There was a unique softness to her words. Her smile was dazzling. He could understand why his staff seemed to be so taken with her. Her cupid bow lips formed the perfect princess smile. He opened his mouth again, but nothing came out. ‘Are you mute?’ she asked. He ground his teeth and stormed out of the room, leaving behind a confused Belle.

  ‘Edward,’ Caleb called. He had followed Edward and watched the moment with Edward and Belle with amusement. He shouldn’t have found it funny, but to see Edward speechless was an unlikely event he was sure he’d never see again. He followed Edward into one of the castle’s many living rooms.

  Edward poured himself a drink and stood in front of a fire, lighting it with his magic. ‘Shut the door,’ he ordered without looking at Caleb. He continued to look into the fire, the flames dancing in his grey eyes. ‘I don’t know what happened,’ he admitted.

  ‘I do,’ Caleb teased, feeling his lips curl into a smirk. ‘You liked her.’

  Edward scoffed. ‘She’s attractive, but I do not know her. I do not like her.’

  ‘Denial,’ Caleb said and laughed. ‘Wait, does this mean that you’re experiencing love at first sight?’

  Caleb jumped as Edward shattered the glass onto the marble floor. He watched the broken pieces of glass skid toward him and moved over to the door. Edward looked at him with eyes colder than snow and growled. ‘Do not mock me! It was a hiccup and will not happen again.’

  Caleb gulped and nodded. ‘Of course.’

  ‘We need a plan,’ Edward said, absentmindedly sweeping the glass with magic. It fused back together, forming back into the glass again as if nothing had happened. ‘Invite her to dinner tonight.’

  Caleb nodded and hurried out of the room. Edward sat in the stretched-out leather armchair and sighed. Why couldn’t he get those honey brown eyes out of his mind?

  ***

  Edward dressed in a black tux and scowled at his reflection in the long oval mirror. He traced his fingers along the deep scars and over his pointy nose. The grey slush colour of his eyes was made to look worse by the dark circles and crow’s feet. The tux was slightly too big. His muscles now sagged and he could vomit looking at himself. Pushing back his grey hair, which made him look older than his twenty-nine years, he decided this was the best it was going to get. He strutted out of the room and down to dinner. Yet as he drew closer to the ballroom, a strange, unexperienced feeling crept into his stomach. Like a million moths were flapping their wings. He felt incredibly nauseous, clammy, yet weirdly excited. ‘Hope I’m not getting ill,’ he said under his breath.

  When he walked into the ballroom, the feeling in his stomach exploded to the point where he was unsure to how he was still standing up. Belle was dressed in a champagne-coloured dress. He had told Caleb to give Belle the dresses that he had ordered Stilt to make, yet never did he expect the dress to look so exquisite. Or was it her? No, it had to be the dress, he decided and sat down at the head of the table. Belle’s mouth formed into a perfect smile. Edward felt his mouth go dry. Why was she smiling at him? Could she not see how ugly he was? He pondered these thoughts while remaining fixated on her smile. He noticed how she had a slight scar on her top lip. It wasn’t noticeable when she smiled, but he could see it when her smile dropped. There was a certain sadness in her expression masked by sweetness that to anyone, it wouldn’t have been apparent. He shook himself out of his trance-like state when he saw that she was talking and to him. ‘So do you?’

  Edward furrowed his brows and grunted. He must have missed half of what she had said. ‘Oh,’ she continued, ‘I forgot. You’re mute. I’m so insensitive!’ She looked down at her plate and mentally kicked herself.

  Edward cleared his throat. ‘Sorry, not mute. What were you saying?’ His voice sounded different, soft even. He cleared his throat again and looked at her shocked expression.

  ‘Sorry.’ She blushed and dabbed at her lips with a napkin. ‘I thought you were. I was just asking about the castle. How long have you lived here?’

  He smiled. She sounded genuinely interested. He wasn’t sure if that was through practice, or if she genuinely did just take an interest in other people. ‘I have been here for a little over a year.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘I see. Do you want to leave?’ she asked, even though she knew he couldn’t.

  Edward chose his words carefully. ‘I guess. Please, excuse me.’ He stood up and walked away from the table, leaving his food untouched. He left the room and walked up to the corridor where the prisoners were in their rooms. He pulled out the small gold master key and unlocked one of the doors. On the door was a green metallic heart. He looked around the corner. The man who had been here since he took over still lay asleep on the bed. He had never woken and probably never would. A green heart meant a sleeping curse, and true love’s kiss would never find him here. From what he could gather from the books that the haggard woman had left behind, the man’s family had taken him to the castle so he could be safe while they tried to find his true love. Clearly, they never had.

  He walked up the corridor some more and almost tripped over a mop. After realising he and Caleb were alone, he knew that he would need some help. He had Caleb do the cooking for them both and had turned a candlestick into a servant. They called him Bronze, and he delivered the meals to the prisoners. Edward then turned a couple of mice that were hiding in the castle into two small mousy women. They cooked the meals for the prisoners and cleaned out the rooms, as well as made his bed each day and cleaned the bathrooms.

  He unlocked each door as he went and checked they were all in there. He hesitated as he reached the last door. On it was a red metallic heart. The love curse. In the room was a man who made Edward feel unintelligent and aggravated, but he was good spinster. He put the key in the door and heard the familiar click then let himself in.

  Inside, the short, pale man with golden straw-like hair that reached down to the bottom of his ears sat at his spinning wheel. Gold straw littered the stony ground. Through the barred window, moonlight seeped in. Stilt always blew the candles out when they maids lit them. He preferred to sit in the dark, alone. ‘Just doing the weekly check,’ Edward said. ‘The dresses were beautiful, thank you.’

  Stilt laughed, maddeningly, and smiled a menacing grin. ‘Oh, I am so glad. So you have a lady friend here. Tell me …’ He walked over to the bed and propped his head onto his hands. Edward noticed that Stilt would be around the same height as Belle’s five-foot-nothing stature. Stilt looked directly at Edward with amber eyes. ‘Does she like you? Will I be getting a new castle master?’ He cackled and glanced over at the spinning wheel. ‘I can make you more dresses. You would never find such beautiful garments, but I would need something from you.’

  Edward scoffed. ‘I will never make a deal with you, and to answer your question, I don’t think she likes me in that way. I don’t care anyway. I only need a kiss.’

  Stilt laughed louder. ‘Oh Eddie, I think you’re lying to me,’ he said snidely. ‘Something has changed already in you. It’s your eyes. I think you like her.’ Stilt’s eyes lit up, but Edward looked a
way.

  ‘Good night,’ Edward managed and walked out the door, locking it behind him. The way Stilt always looked through him almost felt intrusive.

  Edward walked off to his favourite place. The Rose room.

  THE DANCE

  He watched out the window as Belle ran around in the meadow with James and Caleb. They were having a snowball fight. Even the two maids and his servant, Bronze, had joined them. A sadness clutched at his chest. Why hadn’t he been invited? He shook it off. He would not, could not, get jealous. He tried to turn, but he couldn’t take his eyes from them. Off her. His heart pounded in his throat, and his cheeks flushed with warmth.

  Belle laughed as the powdered snow dissipated over her red cloak. Under it, her pink dress was slightly damp. She glanced up at the castle windows and noticed Edward looking out. He quickly moved away from the window. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ Belle said and ran off to the castle doors.

  Edward jumped as his door was thrown open minutes later. Belle stood in the doorway, showing off a mischievous smile. ‘Any good at snowball fights?’

  Edward almost smirked, but then his face dropped. ‘I was when I was a man.’

  Belle furrowed her brows and walked over to him, placing her hand on his forearm. ‘What do you mean when you were a man? You are a man.’

  Edward looked down solemnly. ‘I am a beast.’

  Belle tilted his chin with her hand and looked into his cold eyes. ‘You are only a beast to those who can’t see below the surface. I am not a liar, nor am I delusional. So I won’t pretend to find you attractive.’ The knot in his stomach twisted uncomfortably, but Belle continued to gaze into his eyes. ‘But I will tell you that how you look is not the most important thing to some people. What I don’t like is that you seem like a kind man yet you also seem to be grumpy and selfish. What annoys me the most is that you mope around, feeling sorry for yourself because of how you look, and it’s infuriating.’ She pointed a finger at his chest. ‘There are far worse things that can happen to a person than how they look! I suggest you stop skulking around in this castle and come outside with us!’

  She placed her hands on her hips, and he swallowed hard. A huge part of him wanted to shout, scream at Belle for daring to talk to him like that. Talk to a prince like that. She had no idea how he felt. Yet a small, nagging part of him knew she was right. He hated that part. ‘You know nothing about me!’

  She rolled her eyes. ‘Fine. Sulk.’ She walked out and slammed the door behind her.

  Edward slumped back into his chair and huffed. He couldn’t understand what he said that was so wrong? And he was perfectly within his rights to feel sorry for himself! After all, hadn’t he been cursed by some hysterical woman, which had ruined his chances to get his crown? After spending many years as a frog, he finally becomes free, and then is tricked by another woman and cursed to stay in this forsaken castle, taking care of cursed commoners. He felt rage bubble up. She didn’t know him! She knew nothing! He threw his glass of whiskey at the wall, and this time, he didn’t bother fixing it. He thought of his life back home, back at the palace, and growled. He tipped over the desk in the corner, breaking it into pieces. With each punch, he felt his rage dissipate. The splinters sunk into his knuckles. ‘I am alone!’ he screamed, feeling a whirlwind of sadness. Eventually, he stopped breaking the desk. He did not heal his cuts. The pain was the only reminder he was alive. That he had somehow survived all the obstacles blocking his way to success.

  Belle’s heart thumped loudly on the other side of the door as she listened to his anguished cries. Her stomach twisted as she heard him hit and break things. The words ‘I am alone’ fell on her ears uncomfortably. They had one thing in common. She too, although surrounded by her family for years, always felt alone.

  ***

  That evening, Belle looked down at her bed and opened the white box. Inside lay a golden folded gown. On top of it was a small bit of parchment. On it read Sorry for earlier. I hope you come to dinner – Edward. She read over the note a few times and sighed. He hadn’t realised that she had heard his anger after their conversation, only that he was a little rude beforehand. She decided not to being up that she had heard him and pulled the dress out of the box, shaking it off. She held it up and looked at it in all its glory. The pearl beaded fabric of the dress glinted in the light from the chandelier above. Flecks of champagne shined from the lustrous gold. The corset-style bodice was strapless and looked like it had been spun with real gold. The arms were gold lace that reached down to the elbows.

  One of the maids entered the room to help her dress. She had learned that her name was Lola. She wore a white pinny and a pale blue dress that reached down to her knees. It seemed that the maids had even dressed up. Lola squeaked with excitement when she finished dressing in Belle.

  Belle couldn’t help but smile at her excitement and couldn’t wait to look in the mirror. She was never one for fashion but loved a beautiful dress. Belle gasped when she looked at the mirror. Her hair was half up, half down in silky chocolate curls. A glistening white gold hairpiece held part of hair up and shone as brightly as her dress. The silk band wrapped around the top of the bodice. The arms didn’t start until the bottom of her petite shoulders and reached down just past her elbows. Her nails had been buffed and covered with a shiny, clear liquid. The dress showed off her collarbone and slender neck. The corset cinched in at her already small waist and flared out at the bottom. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. She lifted the skirt and looked at her shoes. Champagne coloured with pearls on them to match the dress. Smiling, she walked over to the door but stopped before opening it. She felt strange flutters in her stomach and was oddly a little nervous about dinner.

  Shrugging off the feeling, she walked down the steps with the help of Lola and entered the ballroom. The table stood centred, and she swore it was twice the length than usual. It was covered with a glistening silver tablecloth, gold runners, gold and silver candlesticks, and gold embroidered cloth napkins. Shock pulsated through her as she saw around twenty guests heading down the three staircases. Caleb walked in with James and Edward. Edward stopped and looked Belle up and down. She was breathtaking. Caleb grinned as Belle and Edward looked each other, and James looked cautious.

  The guests all took their seats at the table. Caleb, Edward, and James reached Belle. Belle smiled her princess smile. ‘The dress is beautiful, thank you.’

  Edward opened his mouth to speak, but it was another strange voice from the table that answered. The same voice with madness attached to the words as a warning.

  ‘Thank you.’ Stilt smiled broadly and did a little dance before returning to his seat.

  Belle looked at him, unsure of how to take him. She guessed he was the man who had spoken to her through the door, yet for some reason, she had expected him to look more threatening. She curtseyed to Caleb, James, and Edward and walked over to the table. Everyone looked at her with sagging faces, yet they all looked pleased to be there. She addressed Stilt. ‘You have quite the talent.’

  Stilt giggled, which sounded forced. ‘You have quite the infectious smile, sweet lady. What is your name?’

  ‘Belle,’ she replied.

  He laughed again. ‘Sit with me.’ He gestured to seat next to him and smiled, showing off his blackened teeth. She nodded and took the seat. Edward ground his teeth and took the seat at the head of the table. Caleb sat next to him and James sat across from his mother.

  Edward knocked his fork against his glass and cleared his throat. Everyone looked up at him. ‘Thank you for being here.’ He had invited everyone—all except the few known to be dangerous and those with the sleeping curse.

  One guest, a man with green eyes, auburn long hair, and a thick moustache, stood up. ‘Why tonight? This is the first time we have left our rooms for a long time.’ The man’s voice was hoarse. Belle guessed he would be from a northern kingdom.

  Edward smiled in return and glanced at Belle. ‘You can thank Belle, our guest. She felt s
orry for you all being stuck in your rooms like prisoners. I spoke to Caleb this morning, and we decided that you should be allowed to leave your rooms. You are not a danger to anyone here, and I am powerful enough to stop anything from happening if you were.’

  The guests raised their glasses which magically filled with red wine. They all cheered and toasted to Belle. She blushed and looked at Edward. He looked at her with his glass raised and grinned. She felt warmth flush her face and quickly looked away and at James. Even James was smiling, for once. The castle seemed to be good for him.

  Stilt glugged down his wine quicker than anyone else, and it refilled straight away. Belle guessed that Edward was using his magic.

  Once the maids and Bronze had finished bringing the food, they sat at the table too. Bronze was flirting with one of the maids, Lola. He pushed back his auburn hair and smiled, showing off his white teeth. His skin was a luscious shade of mahogany, and Lola kept blushing. Belle looked at them and smiled.

  Edward looked out at the table. Everyone was smiling, laughing, and just generally enjoying themselves, and that was infectious. This was, of course, just an elaborate plan to get Belle to kiss him after getting some helpful pointers given begrudgingly by Caleb. However, he found himself enjoying everyone’s company. The commoners kept talking to him, and they had some amusing stories. He ate until he felt bloated and drank wine until he felt tipsy. Lola got up to clear the plates, but he waved her down. Instead, he got up and used his magic to send the plates whizzing out of the room, which dazzled his guests. Edward glanced at Belle and found her looking at him. He quickly looked away but couldn’t help but look back again. When he did, she was looking away.