The Merchant's Daughter -Epilogue (Patreon)

EPILOGUE:

Beauty remained at the castle for the remainder of spring and when summer began to come over the grounds, she asked if he would accompany her back home to see her family. He, however, still did not feel comfortable leaving the castle grounds for anywhere much further than the nearest town.

Therefore, the two came to a compromise and a letter was sent home to her father in Careth to invite him and Beauty’s sisters to the castle for a visit.

Unable to explain the truth of the situation to her ignorant and judgemental sisters, Beauty told them instead that the man who held them host was a noble she had made acquaintance with shortly after finding the castle abandoned and Beast missing. The two collaborated a story that she had met him as he was passing through the nearby town as Beauty made her way home and they had struck an acquaintance. Finding out where Beauty had come from, he had taken her back to be sure that The Beast had truly vanished and had then laid claim to the castle. They went on to say that the two had returned to one of his other large estates for a short time in which Beauty had been made a guest and then the two decided to return to the castle once he had brought a few of his affairs into order to allow such a thing to pass. Unable to part after such a deep acquaintance had been formed, Beauty decided to invite her family to the castle to meet him and to announce that she would now live away from home under the care of her new suitor. As an inside jest between the two, they were sure to call Beast ‘Henry’ so as not to arouse suspicion and to share a secret between them that only they two knew the meaning behind.

Her sisters’ reactions were ones of absolute positivity. Annaliese had already given birth to a son and she had brought the child and her husband along upon this visit and was much pleased for her youngest sister’s great fortune –even if she was a little jealous at heart. Linnette could not contain her squeals of delight that she and Beauty were now both betrothed and happily to such wealthy suitors. Celene could not contain her joy that her sister seemed to finally be enjoying the benefits of reaping such a wonderful,fortunate happenstance rooted in such abundant assets –wealth that she hoped her kindest sister would no doubt forward onto her family from time to time.

Only Beauty’s father knew the truth of ‘Henry’s’ true identity for both knew Dunstan would understand and would no doubt recognize the similarities between the man and the creature who had resided here previously.

The guise was kept up for another year and a half –almost two whole years—before it no longer became much of a deception any longer.

In that time, Beauty had kept her sisters at somewhat of a distance;only informing her father of the truth of what she and Beast did during all that time. The spring following her family’s first visit to the castle, Beast had finally agreed to travel with her back to Careth. When that had gone rather well, he did not feel so anxious or nervous to the suggestion that they do it again sometime in the future.

Beauty’s family (with the exception of Annaliese who could not spare the time or energy as she was with child again and Linnette who was now living a considerable distance away from Careth) returned for another short visit to the castle early the next autumn. To assist in the deception, Beauty and Beast had used money, fabrics and other fine goods forwarded on by her father to hire on a travelling band of actors to play their small band of serving staff for the duration of the visit. It felt silly at first but they played their parts well and Celene was none the wiser as to the truth that they were not ‘Henry’s’ staff brought to the castle for the occasion. The two also offered varying excuses on why they had not yet arranged their marriage; having first wanted to extend the betrothal then not wishing to exclude certain individuals and finally offering that they wished to have all of the details just right for the occasion and being unable to truly decide had again postponed the event.

That following winter, the two had shared the idea that they could always slowly but surely wean her sisters out of the whole situation they had weaved and if need be could in the future announce they had already arranged the marriage and were simply too busy to see anyone for a long while. It was not as though her sisters would be incredibly disappointed or heartbroken; they had certainly lived their lives without apology and now all married themselves had not once bothered to ask Beauty if they might write her or vice versa.

But when spring came, both Beauty and Beast found their amusement over their impending ‘marriage arrangements’ had sobered considerably. It was not until one bright afternoon that the two were arranged in a picnic near the rosebushes together that suddenly Beast asked Beauty to find the “brightest coloured bud blooming within the bush!” When she found there a ring in amongst the leaves and buds, she turned to him with considerable amusement and it was then that the two discussed things in a more serious manner.

Both easily agreed they had no reason that either could argue that they did not wish to be truthfully betrothed to one another.

At Beast’s further suggestion that they hire on a small staff to live and work within the castle grounds, Beauty happily and easily agreed.

And so, the two were married at the end of the summer out upon the grounds of their home near their beloved rosebushes. Beauty wore a few of the precious flowers in her hair and her groom could only smile as he beheld the two things he treasured most in this world coming together in such perfect harmony.

Beauty also wore the fine maroon gown that she had so stubbornly turned down when her beloved had brought it to her during those early days in her captivity. She informed him now that this occasion; that of their wedding, was deemed appropriate enough for such a fine gown. This only brought laughter to her betrothed’s eyes.

As for the rosebushes, their hidden secret was finally learned. Linnette’s father in-law (now a close friend of Dunstan’s) was in attendance of a feast held in honor of Beauty and her husband’s first year of marriage. Upon a walk in the rose garden, he made mention of the species of rose which composed the bushes and went on to further explain their properties at length. Beast had been correct in the assumption that the thorns were poisonous. This species of rose originated in the far south where Linnette’s father in-law had grown up and although the plant’s stalk gave off a poisonous secretion should any of the thorns be disturbed, the head of the rose itself seemed to have beneficial attributes –all of which were not quite yet known. However, the only known antidote to the slow poison of the thorns was the rose petals themselves.He also told them that the fresher the petal, the more potent its effects. The merchant went on further to note that cultivating these roses was not so dangerous if one used thick gloves and used the roses themselves to compost into the soil at the end of each season as fertilizer. Upon this recommendation, Beauty and Beast’s bushes flourished and within only two short years they bloomed with so many buds the couple found themselves willingly cutting bouquets for their home. In this, they could not be happier.

Beast never regained his full memories of what had happened to him before he’d woken up in his castle. And yet, neither he nor Beauty seemed to mind for the man he was now and forevermore was all that was important.

The two shared in the joy of welcoming three children whom they named Rose, Dunstan and Catherine.

Their son’s namesake retired to live with them in their castle where he died peacefully at the old age of ninety two thanks in part to a particular type of tea he grew fond of shortly after taking up residence there.

Beauty and her husband lived much longer than her father ever had; long enough to see three more generations after their children’s. Both died peacefully together asleep beside their precious rosebushes and were buried there with a monument commemorating them and their legacy. It read:

Here Lies

Beauty;The Kind and Gentle Merchant’s Daughter

and

Her Beloved Husband, Whom Bore The Fierce Heart Of A Beast But The Tender Soul Of A Man.

Rest Tranquilly At Peace In This Most Treasured Spot Filled With Your Love.

                                                                                              THE END

Thank you for your continued support it TRULY means the world to me! <3-Britt xo

Well that's the end of things (for now)! Please comment below about the story what did you like, what did you dislike?

And please feel free to tell me what kind of content you wish to see next! I'm currently considering writing up a short continuation starring one of Beauty and Beast's children. It would only be a post or two long... But after that, what kind of stories and content would you care to read and be patrons of? Comment below and let me know!