Beast - a retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 5

It's been a month since I last saw the rude man from the rose garden. When I told the Beast about him he told me that his name was Aidan, and that he was the keeper of the rose garden.

"You'll have to forgive him, Beauty. He's not used to having beautiful women visiting the rose garden." He'd said.

But luckily I haven't seen Aidan around since that night one month ago. On the other hand the dreams I've had about someone kissing me has grown more and more intense. So much so that I wake up in the morning feeling oddly frustrated. It's like my body's craving something but I don't know what it is. And frankly I'm beginning to question if I'm dreaming these encounters or not. They feel so real that I'm beginning to hope against hope that maybe they are real.

Deep down in my heart of hearts I can't help but hope that my nightly visitor is the Beast and that it isn't just something I'm dreaming. Because yes, as much as I know I'm not worthy of him, I must admit that I've grown to love the Beast. I just can't ever tell him that, because he deserves so much better than me.

Anyway it's another full moon and once again I can't sleep and once again I'm alone in bed. I decide to go to the library this time so as not to risk running into Aidan in the rose garden again.

But luck isn't with me this evening, because who do I run into as I enter the library but Aidan?

"Well well, if it isn't the Beauty from the rose garden," he says as he look up from the book he's been reading.

"I'm allowed by the Beast King to be here," I say defensively, "and my name is Manon."

I only want the Beast to call me Beauty, because he actually sounds like he means it when he say it.

"Forgive me, Manon," Aidan says and he honestly looks sad, "you surprised me in the rose garden and I'm afraid I behaved badly."

I nod, feeling oddly self-conscious around this beautiful man.

"How about I read you a story as a way to make it up to you?" He asks.

"That would be all right I guess," I say reluctantly.

"Very well," Aidan smiles a smile at me that takes my breath away. It really isn't fair how beautiful he is. I feel like a troll that just emmerged from under a bridge when I'm with him.

"The story I'm going to tell you is the story about the Cursed Prince." Aidan continue, oblivious to my distressing line of thoughts.

He settles back in the chair before he starts reading:

"Once upon a time there was a handsome prince who had everything his heart desired; gold and gems, a prosperous kingdom and a new woman on his arm every night. Yet the prince was shallow and selfish and solely judged people based on their appearance."

"One day a fairy had enough of the prince's shallow ways, so she turned the prince and all his friends into beasts and the women into roses..."

"What happened to the prince then?" I ask.

"No one knows what happened to the prince next. For all we know he's still roaming these lands right now as we speak." Aidan explains.

"That's a terrible story, Aidan. I wish you hadn't told me," I say sadly, feeling sorry for the prince and suddenly missing my Beast.

"I'm sorry, Manon," Aidan says regretfully, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Well, you did," I say. "I'm going back to bed."

That night the dream came back and it was more vivid than ever before.

Autor's note!

The next chapter is going to be chapter 7. Chapter 6 is a restricted chapter and you can read it in "Beast - Restricted Chapters" which you can find on my profile page @evamadison