Once upon a rewrite

Untitled Part 9

That month seemed to drag on and on, but also seemed to fly by. The quiet of the Castle was almost buzzing or maybe that was me. Soon I wouldn't be alone. I would have somebody to sit and talk with at the end of the night. Somebody to laugh with and talk with someone who will at least to some extent mourn my death. Sure it was a forced relationship but any relationship was better than not, right? I sat by the window staring out waiting for any chance for that face to show up. After a month I finally saw him somebody followed quickly behind him. She came willingly I could see that at least. no pulling no chain that kept them there I could even hear the tiniest bit of laughter. The door opened with a tentative squeak.

"beast I have come." The man's voice said.

"I can see that. Is she willing to take your place or is she simply here to say goodbye?" I asked.
"I'm here to take his place." A soft feminine voice came out from under the cloak. She removed the hood sending blonde hair tumbling out on her sweet defined features, and she smelled of lilies. My heart skipped a beat and my legs felt as though they were made of Jell-O. Despite looking upon my monstrous form, her eyes were soft, and her lips were pulled up in a gentle smile as though she were looking upon a dog and not a beast.

"You will have one night to say goodbye, I will send your father away," I said.
"I understand." She said, the smile leaving her lips pursing into a displeased snare.
"I will leave you to your goodbye there's dinner on the table," I said marching away I paced my room like a wild animal locked in a cage.

'I could be out there I could be sitting with people. But I won't. I can be patient I was patient for a month I was patient for 10 years I can wait 10 more minutes, 20 more minutes, I can wait the night. goodness knows I need a night to calm down she is far too beautiful to be stuck in a castle with a beast.' I thought

Finally, I laid my head down to rest in hopes that the morning would come quickly but my mind raced over and over I could be talking I can be with people, and even when I tried to silence my mind my heartbeat reminded me that I was still there but there was still time that I had with people.

Bathump
Bathump
Bathump

even with my eyes shut in total complete darkness, I could still feel it when the sun rose. I raced out of my room, my claws digging into the stone beneath, leaving deep grooves behind. I scrambled to the table and sat down but nobody was there. They were still in bed sleeping the day away.

'Nobody but farmers and peasants awakened at the crack of dawn this isn't Christmas morning. you can be patient you can wait.' I scolded.

I sat there on all fours waiting by the fireplace, grabbing a hunk of wood in my mouth and tossing it into the flames. I wanted the woman to be warm when she woke up and didn't want her to ever feel like she's too cold to hungry or too uncomfortable in my presence. I never wanted her to feel any reason to leave. The crackle of the fire was the only sound I could hear.

"Hello there." A woman's voice sounded behind me. Along with the rustling of her dress, she sat down next to me.

"Hello," I grunted out something far more unfriendly than I ever meant to, but the woman didn't flinch. Rather she looked into the flames seeming to be absorbed by the fire.

"What is your name," I asked.

"They call me Beauty." She said it was a fitting name with her glorious locks and sweet-looking features.

"And what is your name?" She asked.

"I have a name, but nobody has called me that for a long time instead, call me Beast," I said
"while aren't we a pair Beauty and the Beast. If it makes you feel any better I haven't been called by the real name since the day I was born." I nodded it did make me feel a little better knowing that I wasn't the only one being called something other than my name.

"Does it hurt to talk?" She asked her eyes glimpsing at mine.

'she is a Kind soul as well as a beauty! more than I could ever ask to sit with me in my final days.' I thought nodding in response my head. forming my muzzle to speak was uncomfortable, unnatural, and in some ways impossible. Every word I chose was carefully curated just to sound almost human.

"I see, don't worry we never have to talk in all honesty I prefer the quiet to the chitter-chatter." She said turning her head back to the fire.

"Don't you want to say goodbye to your father?"

"I said my goodbyes last night I don't expect him to want to say them again." She said I only stared at her quizzically, but father would not want to see his daughter one last time, especially one as kind as her.

"Don't give me that look father loves me. He's just different I'm used to not seeing him for long periods of time. He was a merchant when I was younger but he lost some ships ended up poor he never quite got used to the farm life. In all honesty, nobody in our family did. I didn't come here unwilling. I came as a willing guest. Father sees you as a monster, but I don't think that you are one. A monster wouldn't give gifts to those who hurt him a beast doesn't think of others. Your something else altogether and I intend to figure out what. Beast I have no qualms staying here though I don't understand why." She stood in front of me grasping my muzzle in her hands. If I were truly a beast I would've bitten her, but rather I was fighting the urge to falling in her hands. She didn't realize the power she held over me. 

The first human to show me any kindness in over 10 years it was intoxicating. I wanted to get closer I wanted to feel more of the warmth that she was showing me I wanted to see more of her little smiles. The more I wanted the less I knew I deserved it. A beast shouldn't hope for love for kindness or even respect.

"Thank you for coming," I said just as the sound of the door slamming resounded throughout the Castle her father had left without so much as another goodbye. I hated him. To leave his daughter without even a goodbye for possible slaughter.
I would protect her for that I promise. At the very least better than the man who just left.