The Beast of Rose Castle

-= 24 =-

She was missing and it was as if the castle around them was falling apart. At first, it was just the shocking nature of it all that stunned the servants into a stony silence that was seemingly unending. Then, it became the realization of everything they had feared for the girl behind closed doors in the darkest of hallways.

She was dying.

The words were whispered through the hallways once they had regained their abilities to speak.

She was dying.

It was a haunting thought that struck them again and again.

She was dying.

There was nothing anyone could do except hope that she would be able to be found. Yet, they couldn't leave unless they decided to risk themselves to the angry thorns that suddenly would sharpen at anyone's approach. Only the Beast, the master of the house, Vardan, would be able to leave and even then the thorns threatened him silently.

She was dying.

If he left, he would end up with the same fate. There was no doubt in the minds of the servants what tragedy would befall him on his leave of the castle's grounds. The curse had been so specific, nearly too specific to leave them any room to wonder.

She was dying.

Annelie, the girl that made the master of the house smile for the first time in years and the same girl that warmed the hearts of all who she came across was dying. With her, there would undoubtedly be a light that would fade from the world with another kind soul lost to a void that no one could comprehend.

The mood about the castle was dark with the coldness that the castle had escaped from for years. It was as if it suddenly came back in waves, freezing the very soul of whoever walked there.

The master was lost within his mind somewhere on the grounds and the servants carefully moved in the shadows, so they would not be seen.

His wrath was overwhelming. He practically spat fire when Liyor had tried to approach him, to calm him. For the first time in many years the master slapped a servant across the face with the back of his hand. The harsh snarl that had echoed in the halls only added to the harsh echoing whisper of the hit. Then, there was just the rumble coming from the master's chest and Liyor's words bouncing off of the stone walls beside him.

"I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you, sir," then, Liyor disappeared into the hallway, not daring to touch the red mark of a hand that was visible on his cheek. Instead, the servant held his head high with not a single emotion escaping his mask.

His lover, the one who wished to be his wife, found him cleaning. Her hand had caressed his face, thumb gently stroking the red, aching mark. She murmured soft words, words that were too quiet to carry. In response, he only laughed and shook his head. "Darling, nothing is wrong. We are nothing but lowly servants and he is our master. There is nothing wrong with what has happened," he had exclaimed, though his voice lacked the normal emotion it usually held.

It was as if he was empty, too tired to actually deal with his own emotions. With Annelie dying and the master going crazy from it, there was no time for him to be thinking about anything other than doing his job. So, Liyor continued to clean, even after the servant girl walked off, tears staining her cheeks and a longing in her eyes for the man he could be.

The castle was in disarray, and the servants, piece by piece, lost their ability to look upon their situation brightly. It was as if a shadow had descended on everything around them and was slowly sapping away their energy, their courage.

Navini traveled out of the castle, into the harsh cold of the castle grounds. Instead of grabbing something to shield herself from the frosty breeze, she moved through the snow. Her bare feet pressed into the snow, causing them to grow numb underneath her. Each movement became forced and an exhaustion hung over her.