Tommy and the Monster

Chapter Seven

  Tommy spent the rest of the day wandering around in the gardens. His mother would have loved it, he thought. They'd never been able to have a garden in their city home. She always said that if she ever moved to the countryside, she would have planted herself a big, beautiful garden.

 By the time the sun began to set, Tommy was hungry from all his outdoor exploring. When he reentered the castle and found the dining room again, it didn't look as dark and cold as it that morning. The fireplace was lit, and there was a multitude of candles. Two places were already set at the table. Lady Floor hadn't arrived yet, so he sat down to wait.

 After he had been waiting a few minutes, Lady Floor gilded into the room and said, "Ah, you're here early. A good first impression." She took her place at the other end of the table. "And you waited for me, too. How polite."

 He nodded and picked up his fork. "Lady Floor, is it all right if I ask any questions?"

 "Of course you may. But the answer I give you will depend on the question."

 "Oh. Well, I was just wondering, does anyone else live here?"

 "I'm afraid not," she answered. "I have lived here alone for a long time."

 "I see. If no one else lives here, would it be all right if I went looking around? I mean, I wouldn't really be intruding if no one's there, would I?"

 "Of course you wouldn't be." She leaned forward. "This is your home now, Tommy. You're free to explore wherever you like. But I do have a private set of rooms in the west wing that I must ask you to stay out of. Other than that, the castle and grounds are yours. Were those your only questions?"

 No, Tommy thought. I must have a thousand questions by now. "Well, I did want to ask: since I'm here, you must have been looking for company, right? Why me? If you wanted company, why didn't you just keep Roy when he came?"

 "I vey easily could have kept him here," she said. "The issue was that he would have never stayed willingly. That man would have done anything he could to escape. I would eventually murdered him just to be rid of him."

 "But how do you know I won't try to escape?" Tommy asked. "How do you know I won't try to murder you in your sleep?"

 "That's simple. I don't know. But in case you have into realized it yet, this castle is an enchanted, mysterious place. It may give you trouble if you attempt to go against it."

 "So...if I tried to escape, something bad could happen?"

 "Something of the sort, I believe," she answered. "In my time, I have learned not to mess with magic. It's a bad idea. Now, is that all of your questions?"

 "For now, I suppose," Tommy answered. "I'm still a little confused as to why we're here at all."

 "Good. I will have questions of my own for you. But first, will you marry me?"

 He stared at her. "What?"

 "I asked, will you marry me?"

 Still staring, he slowly shook his head. "No, I-I couldn't."

 She sighed. "I thought as much. Oh, well. I must ask this of you, then." She held up her hand, and Tommy realized just how long and sharp her fingernails were, more like claws than fingernails. "Whenever I ask you a question, especially one such as that, I want you to answer me honestly."

 He nodded. "Yes, I will."

 "Good. Then I will retire to my rooms for the night. Good night, Tommy. I must tell you, I really hope that, in the end, you will have enjoyed your stay."

 Tommy watched her exit the room as quietly as she had entered. Why would she ask him to marry her? They had only just met, and knew very little of each other besides their names. In fact, he didn't even know if Lady Floor was her real name.

 "What on Earth have I gotten myself into this time?" he wondered aloud.

~~~~~~

 Long after Tommy had gone to bed, Lady Floor was still awake, pacing through her study and her bedroom multiple times. She had been waiting so long for someone to come break this curse, and now she didn't even know what to do with him. How was he supposed to fall in love with her when she was like this? Why had she even bothered asking him to marry her? But at least he was honest.

 Eventually, she went to the mirror and pulled off the cover.

 "If you have lied to me," she said, "I will not take kindly to it. I told you to show me the one who could break my curse!"

 The image in the mirror changed, and there was Tommy, sound asleep in his bed.

 "It is him," she breathed. "Twice, and the same man."

 She slowly put the cover back over the mirror. If she did indeed have the right man, she just needed patience. That was all it took. With the two of them alone in the castle, no distractions, it would have to work eventually.