Beauty's Beast

One

Raina sucked in a deep breath pulling her stomach in. She stood taller and puffed out her chest. For a moment the image in the mirror looked almost half decent, but then the need for air kicked in. She exhaled relaxing her stomach muscles.

            "Raina dear, what on earth are you doing?" Her mother, queen Angela, asked.

            Raina turned around to see her mother standing in her door way. She wore long golden gown the complemented her honey brown skin. She gave her daughter a soft smile.

            "Nothing I was just..." Raina trailed off, too embraced to continue. Her mother was a petite woman with a thin waist. She would never understand.

            Raina looked down at rounded belly and thick thighs. If only they could be just a bit smaller. If her belly was just a bit tighter then maybe...

            "You are a beautiful princess of Soni. There isn't an inch of you that wasn't blessed by gods." Angela said lifting Raina's chin. She looked into he daughter beautiful brown eyes. There was so much of her father in her face. They had the same nose and curly eyelashes. She loved all her children, which is why she'd almost killed her husband when he told her what he had done.

            "Oh momma, you say that because I am your daughter." Raina said pulling away from her mother.

            "I say that because it is true."

            "If that is true than why am I your only unwed child?"

            "Not for long."

            Raina looked back at her mother. She could see in her eyes that there was something she wasn't telling her. Raina frowned.

            "Momma? What is it?" Raina asked.

            "You know of our struggles against the Anthos Kingdom. Last night we finally reached a treaty of peace."

            "Really? That's wonderful news." Raina said. Her kingdom had been at war since before she was born. Countless innocent lives had been lost to the fight. Rimy, had been injured in the last battle. She was happy to see the bloodshed finally over.

            "Yes but there's more. We lost some land during the trade and after so many years of strife, tensions are high. Your father feels- we feel- that a marriage between our two lands might be the next step toward peace." Angela said.

            "Momma, what are you saying?" Raina said taking a step back. She already had an ideal but she didn't want to believe it.

            "Raina don't look like that. I assure you this marriage is for every ones best interest. Prince Zulo is a strong prince and will make a great ruler someday."

            "Prince Zulo?!" Raina exclaimed.

            Prince Zulo was a beast of a man. He was renewed for be a ruthless killer. His skills on the battlefield were unmatched. He'd been the one to injure Rimy.

            "Mother how could you? Please, tell me this is a joke. It has to be a joke."

            Raina paced around the room. She always dreamed of her wedding. She hopped and prayed that one day someone would love her the way a man love a woman. If Zulo was to be her husband she'd rather give herself to the faith. She'd die an old lonely woman before she let him near her.

            "Raina, sweetheart, please calm down." Angela said watching her daughter. It was just as she expected. Her daughter was a dreamer who spent way too much time in her father's library. An arranged marriage was something she'd never agree to. Angela had told her husband that but they didn't have much a choice.

            "You want me to be calm when you're sending me to the wolves!"

            Raina had slipped into full panic mood. She kept picturing a man with black eyes and fangs. She'd never seen the prince before but the rumors were beyond horrifying.

            "Oh come now, Raina. You can't actually believe that. You're too smart to believe in myths." Angela waved off her daughters concerns. She'd heard people whispering about the princes alleged connections with the beast. It was the delusional teals of men who'd seen too much strife on the field, nothing more.

            "Fine, then lets talk about the facts. You've seen what the prince can do. You saw what he did to your son. He is a monster who only hungers for blood, but still you wish me to marry him." Rain said.

            "He would never harm you. You are to be his wife. He has given us his word that he will cherish you as such."

            "His word? His word? Oh, thank the gods we have his word. For a moment I was in real danger. But now everything will be perfectly fine all because we have his word." Raina said sarcastically.

            "Raina, do not take that tone with me."

            Raina gritted her teeth but held her tongue. Her anger boiled inside of her. This was impossible. How could her mother do this to her?

            Angela sighed. Her daughter's anger was understandable. The last thing she wanted was the Prince near any of her children but he'd insisted.

            "Raina, I know that this is hard for you but if you do not marry the prince we can not have peace. More people will die. We've lost so much to this war and if it continues chances are we will not survive."

            Tears started to swell in Raina's eyes. There was no way out. If she didn't agree her people would die. She was the sacrificial lamb in the quest for peace.

            "How long?" Raina asked.

            "Raina."

            "How long until the wedding?" Raina wanted to know how many days of freedom she had left.

            "Tomorrow. The wedding will happen tomorrow."

            Raina sat down on her bed. Her legs refused to hold her up any longer. She stared at her mother in horror. Her heart filled with dread.

            "Raina, please do not look like that. I promise you everything will work out for the better. You are a child of Soni. The gods will not abandon you." Angela said sitting down next to her daughter.

            Raina turned to her mother. She wrapped her arms around her mother and buried her face in her chest. Tears fell from her face as she wept. Raina knew that the gods had abandoned her the moment they saw fit to tie her fate to a demon.