THE MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER -Chapter Eighteen (Patreon)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

After an anxious day filled with waiting for Beast’s return, she finally heard the front doors to the castle open and Beauty rushed out to greet him in the entranceway.

She was thankful he did not look worn down or exhausted by any means.

“All has been done,” he announced to her. “Your letter is on its way to your father.”

“Thank you,” she smiled. “Why don’t you come into the sitting room? I’ve got some food and drink waiting...” She helped remove his cloak and went to take his gloves but saw he was not wearing any. Then she noticed them bulging out of the pocket of the cloak. He had obviously been on all fours on his way home; a quick glance at his paws revealed the same conclusion.

“Thank you Beauty,” he told her gently as she helped him.

“You are welcome. I’ll fetch some water so that you may wash up before we eat,” she told him.

“That would be most kind.”

Just over a quarter of an hour later, the two sat together in the drawing room sharing the large plate of bread, cheese and meat that she had arranged for them.

“This is very good; thank you most kindly.”

“You are again welcome Beast. It was the least I could do after your long journey.”

He merely smiled and lowered his head in response.

“I was thinking, while you were away,” she began and he looked at her with interest as she continued, “We should arrange for a nice supper for when Father is to arrive. And then the next day he and I can set off upon our journey well fed and well rested.”

“I think that is a marvelous idea,” he responded with a smile. “We shall make the arrangements together.”

The two threw themselves into concentrating on what they would prepare for her father’s arrival. They found it helped them ignore facing their own feelings upon the situation of Beauty’s imminent departure.

Once all was in place; food gathered and plans made, the two spent the majority of the two days following sitting in an upstairs room that had a window overlooking the entrance to the castle grounds from the forest so that they might see her father’s arrival before he knocked upon the door.

It was during this time the two began to strike up conversations about any topic they could think about to pass the time.

Some conversation lent its way towards some of the stories they had read together in her time there. However, they also found topics a bit more personal to discuss as well.

“What are you afraid of most in this world?”

The topic caught Beauty a little off-guard but upon a brief reflection the answer was an easy one. Perhaps though, easy to admit to herself but not as easily confessed to her friend. It took her a moment to admit the truth to him, “I’m afraid of... having four children.” When Beast did not stir or change his expression in response, she decided she might as well go on with further explanation –partially out of her own nervousness of having admitted something so personal and private so honestly to him, “I’m afraid of giving birth to my fourth child and then dying...as my mother did with me.

What are you afraid of?” she asked quickly before he could react to her declarations.

He frowned and answered her, “Nothing.”

This was a surprise. “Surely something in this world has to scare you. Could be small...perhaps...perhaps bees or afraid of earthworms or...”

Beast let out a slight chuckle. “Beauty my greatest joy lies in my garden. Neither of those things would be plausible.”

Her cheeks blushed slightly. “Yes of course! Of course. You are right; they are but... You have to be afraid of something; even just a little...”

Beast sat back in his chair a bit and looked out of the window rather absently in reflection. “Well... I suppose... I am afraid of...leaving the forest,” he answered slowly; tentatively some seconds later.

“How so?” she inquired gently.

“I don’t know. Before you came here I never had any desire to leave my castle grounds. I would not journey far into the forest; only to places I knew. And each of those places is not far from the castle; not–not truly. Perhaps,” he went on slowly, “less than half a day’s walk in any direction. But even then I was comfortable even being what I am.”

“Oh I see.”

“Yet now I find myself thinking about what cities and towns are like and although I have no large desire to visit them, I... I should think that if I were to follow the path as you and your father did to arrive here, I would not be so uncomfortable to witness a city. I would never stay there for any length of time though.”

“And yet you took my letter to be delivered to my father.”

“Yes,” he replied plainly.

“I... I am grateful,” she murmured softly.

“I did it out of necessity and besides all of those things I knew I would not be within the place for long. And, as I understand it, that place was not a city but a town.”

“Correct,” she murmured with a slow nod of her head.

“So I can assume with my previous knowledge from my books that entering within a city is not so much the same as a town.”

Beauty considered this. “In many ways I suppose it is not and yet there are ways in which it is much the same.”

“I see.”

“And yet I should think that spending time in a city would be quite an experience for you.”

His head inclined slightly. “I can certainly imagine that it would be, yes,” he agreed wistfully.

Beauty smiled warmly at him. “Perhaps someday you can have that adventure,” she posed.

He returned the smile gently and bowed his head to that. “Perhaps...”

And then at long last, on the following afternoon, Beauty’s father was spotted at the gate. Without a word, the two made their way to the front doors as quickly as they could and greeted him.

Beauty could not recall her father ever hugging her more tightly to him in the entirety of her life. She for her part embraced him back with equal vigour.

“Let me see you my darling; let me see you,” her father whispered desperately a moment later as he stepped back to look her over.

She felt herself blushing. “I am fine, Father. I am quite well.”

Dunstan could see that for himself now and he felt a huge weight lift from his heart at the sight of his daughter who looked healthier than he remembered and whose eyes shone brightly back at him with tears brimming at seeing his face again.

“It is a pleasure to see you once more,” Beast spoke up gently bowing a little at the man, “Naturally, I wish it were under different circumstances...” he mumbled shyly.

Dunstan removed his cap and bowed his head in response and for the first time, Beauty saw that his hair had greyed considerably since she’d last seen him.

“Please come inside Father. Come inside and rest from your journey,” Beauty told him.

“It is alright. I will be fine to ride.”

“Father please come inside. We will bring the horse to food and drink as no doubt he shall require some rest as well. Please, you are tired from your journey and even if we set out now we would not make it to a town by nightfall. Come inside and warm yourself. We’ve thought perhaps the three of us could take supper together this evening and in the morning when we are fully rested, you and I may then set off upon our journey.”

He looked at her with a wary expression and slowly glanced at The Beast.

Beauty came in close to speak to her father intimately, “Father do not be afraid. I am well. You are a guest here as well as I now. It is alright.”

This seemed to reassure him enough and he agreed to the proposals they had set before him.

Before long, they had her father at ease in front of a warm fire with a goblet of water at his disposal.

“Why don’t I take my leave of you now?” Beast suggested with a respectful bow of his head. “No doubt you’ve much to discuss.”

“Oh Beast it is alright!” Beauty assured.

“I shall prepare our supper and you both may have your moments alone together,” he went on.

“But I thought I would assist you...”

He shook his head; the mane of hair around his face moving at odd angles as he did so. “You have helped with preparation. Let me take over the execution of the task and you and your father may be reacquainted before we all take our meal together.”

She bowed her head. “Alright. Thank you kindly.”

He lowered his head humbly. “I will fetch you when all is finished.” With one final bow, he left the room.

Her father waited until he was certain the creature was gone before he turned to his daughter; his hand gripping hers tightly. “Are you truly alright my darling?” he whispered.

“Yes Father. I have lived safely and fairly treated here and I assure you that Beast has been nothing but a perfect gentleman.”

“Yet he is not a gentleman;” he stressed, “he is an animal.”

“Only in appearance Father. I believe you will find tonight that his looks are incredibly deceiving. In everything but his physical appearance he is absolutely a gentleman; quite more-so than any actual man I have ever met outside of this place.”

“Beauty you can tell me the truth,” her father whispered, “I promise you I will not despair or reveal in any way what I know when he is before us once more.”

She gently stroked his hand. “I can understand your concern Father but I must assure you truthfully that he upheld his word and more. The Beast and I have become friends and companions over the duration of my stay here. I have been nothing but happy and content.

And I can also assure you I am under no spell or enchantment. I speak these words freely of my own will.”

Her father nodded slowly in acceptance of this.

Before they knew it, Beast had returned and with a bow of his head he announced that dinner was ready to be served.

The three assembled somewhat awkwardly in the dining room and Beauty explained a little as she and Beast helped serve her father the meal how the two had come to a habitual preparation and sharing of their meals together. Her father was interested to hear of it and was grateful to them for the hospitality –although he expressed discomfort at his daughter being the one to serve him. She assured him that she was comfortable to do so and that as a guest in the castle he should not serve himself at any rate. “I am merely taking care of you Father. True, this is not my home but it has been for the past several months and as such I feel no chagrin in assisting Beast in providing you hospitality here this evening.”

Her father could not quite argue that point.

Though the meal started off silent and a little awkward, soon Beauty got them all engaged in a little conversation. She and Beast described a little more of their daily lives together to Dunstan and he likewise offered slowly a few details about his life and the life of her sisters since he had returned home again. Beauty learned that her father had finally found a bit of repute again with several merchants and traders and as a result her family had once again gained a bit of wealth and status. Apparently his trip to Agorathné and his letter to Holland of Rothbarr had not been in vain. The wealthy merchant had soon contacted Dunstan and arranged a business transaction which then led to further arrangements for commerce and further repute for the formerly ruined merchant of Careth.

Beauty learned that her family had moved into a manor again –though it was not as large as the one they once had. However she was happy to hear of it and she could see the relief in her father’s eyes as he spoke of not needing to worry any longer whether the family would spend the upcoming winter in hardship once more.

At the conclusion of dinner, the atmosphere was much relaxed and when Beast offered that they all take a short walk together before retiring to their chambers for the night, Beauty was happy to see her father easily approve of the suggestion.

Later that evening, Beast graciously showed the merchant to the room he and Beauty had prepared for her father’s arrival which was located right next to hers. Then, he bid the two goodnight and left down the corridor.

Beauty spent much of her evening in her father’s chamber with him; speaking of the kindness and graciousness of The Beast during her confinement. She admitted that she had thought he would be a bit cruel and difficult at first, but that she had used her persuasion to bring about a more formal arrangement as to where she would reside and carry out her days. She did not mention, however, that Beast sought to keep her in the dungeons at first nor her trickery to make him believe she could magically get herself out of the shackles. She did not think her father would be at ease to hear of that. He did, however, praise her for using her talents of speech and charm to bring about her own happiness in what had begun as a dismal situation.

But soon both grew too tired to talk into the evening and so they bid one another goodnight.

When Beauty finally laid her head on her pillow to sleep, it suddenly overcame her that this was possibly the last night she would spend in this bed. The thought made her melancholy. She had grown quite accustomed to it and although she recalled that Beast had told her to keep the blanket that she had created using the embroidered scene of the dragon that now lay atop her comforter, she still felt as though were she to lay it upon a new bed, things would not be the same.

She had washed the blanket two days ago and resolved now lying here that she would give it to Beast as a gift tomorrow. It somehow did not seem right to bring it with her –and perhaps it was due to the memories she knew the blanket would surface for her once she returned to her family. She knew he would appreciate it as he had done for all of her other embroidery which he had seen to make use of around the castle in some fashion.

With a sigh, Beauty closed her eyes and ignored the feeling in her chest as she forced herself to fall asleep.