Extra Scenes for/related to Merchant's Daughter (Patreon)

  HALLO PATRONS! Since you've been sticking with me for the entirety of 'The Merchant's Daughter' I thought I'd offer you some additional scenes I've written that correspond directly to the story. They're not exactly deleted scenes but I guess you'll see what I mean when you read them :)

Our first "scene" has to do with the children mentioned in the epilogue. I always sort of had ideas on what Beauty went through during each of her pregnancies and decided to try and get it all down without writing full on scenes with dialogue etc. This was written much the same as the epilogue was without that.

Beauty’s first pregnancy with her daughter Rose went considerably well. She felt blessed and relieved that she had carried her firstborn without any issues arising and that the birth had been the same granting her and her husband a beautiful and healthy daughter to love and cherish.

But things were different when she became pregnant for a second time. Beauty was often ill and tired and as a result she became worried over time. Beast, who now often went by Henry, did his best to reassure his wife and ease her tensions and fears. “You will be fine and so will our child,” he told her with hopeful eyes on a number of different occasions. His encouragement that she drink their rose petal tea seemed to assuage the symptoms but whenever they’d return Beauty’s worries would too.

To help, her husband eventually brought a midwife to live with them at the castle to help care for them and help the pregnancy along. She too reassured Beauty that some pregnancies were more difficult than others but that it was nothing to become deeply concerned with for her symptoms did not show any signs of pain which might indicate a serious problem.

Little Dunstan of Greycastle came two weeks earlier than expected but further to everyone’s surprise Beauty’s labour was quick and almost painless. As she held her son in her arms, she easily felt that all of the fatigue and nausea she’d gone through while carrying him was worth being able to hold this healthy little boy and know he was their own.

Yet Beauty still hadn’t forgotten the fear and discomfort she’d gone through and she was nervous about whether to have another child as years passed. Her husband supported her although she knew he was such a wonderful and loving father and did still want to extend their family by at least one more member. So when she found out she was with child for the third time emotions swirled.

When it came time for the child to be born, Beauty felt a heightened sense of panic and fear. Although her son’s birth had gone rather quickly, she still had the memories of the fears of having a difficult birth; one that could result in tragedy.

Henry was an amazing support and comfort to her. He reassured her and encouraged her that she could do this and that she need not worry. He kept affirming their love for one another and for their children. And then he helpfully distracted her fears from her by discussing their choice of names for their youngest. Both had chosen names during the pregnancy for both a son and a daughter and he decided to tease her and announce his wish for a new name instead for each! Instead of the agreed names both after Beauty’s mother of Therin for a son or Catherine for a daughter, Henry announced that he wished to name a son ‘Thorne’ and a daughter ‘Leif’ to go with the theme of their rosebushes.

Although Beauty was surprised and didn’t quite like the names, she could see how the spellings were still rather pretty and didn’t directly imply the actual things they referenced. So she reluctantly agreed to them. This sent her husband into surprise and the two had a light conversation about why she’d agreed after he informed her he was simply joking. Then as a final jest, her husband tried one last set of names: Candlewick and Barkney both for daughter or son. “I suppose those are out then?” They were.

The two welcomed their second daughter and as previously desired happily named her Catherine to honour the child’s grandmother; Beauty’s mother who none of them sadly ever got to meet but treasured the memory of deeply nevertheless.

Their third child would be their last –in keeping with Beauty’s previously expressed fears to her Beast over a decade before of being terrified to die at childbirth with a fourth child as her mother had done with her. It was Henry who brought this up and told her he had always known their family would extend no more than three children and he wanted nothing more than to honour that. “Besides,” he went on, “we are now outnumbered and additionally I don’t think I could take the stress of having not three but four eventually move away from us in pursuit of their own lives... Furthermore family picnics would be harder to organize come those times. Also, I fear it would be difficult to choose any new names that would be as perfect as the ones we have now for our children. That is unless you’re still fond of Candlewick then that argument and point is moot,” he chuckled earning a laugh too from his wife. Despite all of the fooling around and the explanations on why he wanted to remain with three Beauty treasured the fact that he was so easily eager to recall and acknowledge her lifelong fear and to promise that it need not come true for they needn’t have any more children as she’d always wanted.

And as the years passed and their children all grew, neither found themselves in regret or desire to change that decision between them. They were the most happy and always remained so.

   The second "scene" here takes place many years later and involves Beauty and Beast's second child; their son. I don't remember why exactly I imagined it but it came to me about 2 years ago after writing the first draft of 'Merchant's Daughter' and I guess in a way just brought about thoughts of what it would be like to meet someone outside the castle and introduce yourself. I picture the person he's talking to to perhaps be around the age of 20 with brown hair while he too is in his twenties. This scene carried on quite a bit past the initial idea of the simple introduction but I like that!

“And what’s your name?”

“It’s Dunstan of Greycastle.”

“Greycastle? I’ve never heard of it...”

“Oh it’s located in the forest two days’ ride from Careth and three days from Agorathné. Our castle is less than half a day’s walk through the forest to the road.”

“So...it is actually a castle?”

Dunstan nodded. “Indeed.”

She stared at him with surprise. “Who are your parents?” she asked incredulously.

“My mother is Beauty of Careth daughter of Dunstan of Careth the merchant. And my father is Henry of Greycastle.”

“Is he a lord? A...noble of high esteem? Or does he work for the castle?”

“Oh no the castle is indeed his!” Dunstan confirmed. “He does not remember if he was raised there but he knows no other home to his memory...”

She stared at him skeptically. “Wh-what does that...mean?” she inquired slowly; unsure.

But Dunstan was not put off or uncomfortable by the question. He had a ready answer for his parents had always been forthcoming: “My father had memory loss. He lived with it in the castle for a few years before he met my mother. And he knows no one now who knew him before. Sometimes bits and pieces of memories surface to him but they are never enough to piece together a complete history. But he is okay with that. Mother and Grandfather are as well. My father’s character and demeanor are noble and kind and whoever he was before his amnesia whether the same or different makes little difference to the here and now. ‘It does not do well to look back through blank or torn pages when the story now is so lovely’,” Dunstan quoted.

This put a soft smile to her face. “Indeed. That is rather wise,” she had to agree. “So...are you of noble blood then?”

Dunstan shrugged his shoulders. “Mother’s family was common by blood at least paternally. As Father does not know his past or his ancestry, it is difficult to say.”

“Yet he is the owner of a castle. Only great nobles or royalty have those!” she surmised.

He chuckled softly and shrugged one shoulder slowly. “We have lived a fairly modest lifestyle either way. My family is very grounded and humble. What we have we have never sought to gain beyond and we’ve not boasted as others might do. We are very fortunate. Grandfather was the son of a miller. He became a merchant however instead and that is what brought about wealth. Yet, he did suffer losses which is actually why he met my father. He got lost in a storm on his return home from trying to regain a business deal as he had fallen to hard times and poverty. Grandfather came across Greycastle and took refuge. Luckily some time later Grandfather was able to regain his prestige but we’ve always lived our lives with the knowledge that the next day may not promise the same rewards. 

Actually my father and mother lived for years at Greycastle without outside help from Grandfather or anyone else so we’ve always known that we can have all we need without having material wealth. I feel it has really...well, shaped our upbringing. 

I apologize if this all sounds...sententious or sermonizing to you—” he told her suddenly.

She had to laugh at his sudden alarm. “Ehm what does ‘sententious’ mean?” she asked slowly trying her best to pronounce the word correctly.

“Oh uh well it means... pompous or self-righteous,” he defined.

“And wherever did you learn such a word?”

He suddenly looked a bit shy as though he felt awkward for speaking in a way that his companion did not understand. “I...read a lot. Or our family did growing up at least. We never formally went to school but Mother and Father taught my sisters and I to read and write and Father has so many books in the library and he’d often read to us. We were always encouraged to pick up our own books for leisure. I sometimes did... You pick up words and meanings through...what is it? Context...” he explained.

“Really? You never went to school? You were never formally educated?”

“Well no. We had a tutor here and there that came to our home because our parents wanted us to experience different things and teachers of varied life experiences. But coming to know what I do about others who live in cities and towns we did not have the same type of formal consistent education. My cousins however did. Sometimes it is to advantage. And sometimes not. But I cannot judge. It is simply the way things are. If I don’t like it, I can always change it and learn more. ‘Tis the joy of life to learn. We learn every day whether we like it or not right up until the day we pass on.”

Dunstan’s companion stared at him with a look of reverence and some surprise. She found him to be wise beyond his years and incredibly intelligent and tuned in. She had never met anyone like him and certainly not anyone like him at his young age. It was impressing.

Well I hope you enjoyed these two pieces of additional content for 'The Merchant's Daughter'! Please leave me some feedback in the form of a comment or message coz I'd love to hear from you!

-Britt xoxo