He was true to his word. About an hour later, Cirillo returned. He unlocked my door and held out his hand for me. I stood on shaky feet and grabbed his hand. He took me to a small room in the back wing of the palace.
"It's not much but it's better than the prison. You'll have better food and warm clothes. You' ll be able to bathe. But you can't leave the room."
He kissed my forehead. "I'll get us out of this."
He turned to leave. "I'm going to send up the doctor. To make sure you both are alright."
Three days passed. The doctor examined me and said that I just needed more nutrients and less stress. The nutrients part could be achieved, the stress part, not so much.
A guard came to escort me to the throne room. They hadn't touched me since the first time in the throne room and I was thankful.
When I entered, I walked to the front and Cirillo stood, seeing me enter.
"Queen Aracelli, would you mind telling us what Madame Currade said to you?"
I noticed Madame Currade in the corner of the room, her hands in shackles.
"I asked her how to break the curse. She told me that only I could break it and the only way to break it was to fall in love with you. And then kill you." I looked at my feet. I can't believe I fell for her lies.
"Madame Currade has found to be in cohorts with the humans that rebelled earlier this year. It is believed that she tried to murder the king through tricking you."
I was stunned. Even Cirillo looked pained at this statement. He sighed.
"Madame Currade will be executed as a traitor. My wife will be excused. She was tricked by someone she trusts."
I was embarrass and ashamed to have been tricked. But I was thankful that I was safe.
Cirillo led me to our room.
"Are you alright?" He smoothed my hair back away from my face.
"Yes. I'm just embarrassed and ashamed."
He nodded. "I understand."
"The actually way to break the curse was so anticlimactic."
"I know. Especially after what you thought!"
He took my face in his hands and kissed me.
"I love you, you know." He whispered, his lips a hairs-width away.m
"I know. I love you too." My heart warmed in my chest.
He smiled against my lips.
Then he kissed me like we were never going to get to touch each other ever again.
YOU ARE READING
Waiting in the Dark
RomanceA Beauty and the Beast retelling. Of sorts. For as long as, Aracelli can remember a girl from her village is chosen to wed the Beast of the Wood in order to appease him and keep him from destroying the wood. He is a wild, savage creature who kills h...
