Beauty and the Beast | Vergil Sparda x reader

Chapter 3 - The Library

Originally written July 2nd, 2019

Rewritten: June 14th, 2021

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There was no time wasted escorting you back to that room. But not by the man, but by that maid. She rushed you back with her arms around you, like she wanted to protect you. when you reached it and stepped inside, she grabbed your hands and whispered. "You stay quiet, I'll be back as soon as possible. Please stay quiet so he doesn't hear you."

Then you were left to your own thoughts. Pacing around a large bedroom, trying to figure out the reason why you had ended up here. The king had said not to even pursue contact with the person here. Ha. Person he said. He has too much respect for that thing.

The day passed, the sun set with beautiful and glowing goodbye. And you were left in the darkness. When the moon rose, the maid came back, with candles and a tray of food. She let you sit on the bed and eat until you couldn't fathom the idea of food anymore. You both didn't speak during this time, choosing to sit in the comforting silence.

There was no reason to fear when she was around, she was warm and comforting. She was safe and made you feel safe.

When you finished, she drew you a hot bath. Sitting beside the tub and helping you clean up your head. "That fall from the gate is a long one, messed your head up pretty bad." You cringe at the feeling of her cleaning the newly dried blood for your hair and tender scalp. "Did they throw me over?" She gives a solemn nod.

"I served all of them, every day. I gave them their bread and pastries. Made the cakes for their celebrations- Only for this." Your voice broke, and so did your toughness of the day. You broke and cried. The woman stopped cleaning your hair and cradled your face in her hands. "Let it all out my lady, this is the utmost betrayal."

When the bath was finished, she cleaned and readied herself to leave. Before you could, you took her hand. "Please, stay a little longer." She gives a firm squeeze to your hand and smiles laced with sadness. "I wish I could lass, but I need to help the others clean up before it counts as slacking. Stay safe, I'll try to check up on you before I retire for the night, yeah?"

With that she was gone, leaving you with your own dwindling self preservation and a few flickering candles. They're tall, but you start to wonder how long it'll take before they burn down completely.

Your hair was able to rest as it usually does now, the wound having scabbed up, but you still needed to be careful. You sit at the vanity, trying your hardest to be as gentle as possible when detangling your hair. With how tender your scalp is, it takes forever to get one mat out. But you work with yourself and use all of the fight you have left, and eventually it's knot free.

Your shoulders relax as you look at yourself in the mirror, you don't fully look like yourself. There's a cavern of dark circles in your under eye, body folded in on itself, and the fullness of your cheeks has lessened. You looked like a ghost of yourself. Could you ever return to your former self, or home for that matter? Would the people of Capulet chase you out, or throw you back here?

An unwelcome knock comes to disrupt your thoughts. For a second, you hope it's the maid, but you were very wrong. That unsettling man opens the door impolitely again. "His highness has requested you." You look at the ornately decorated brush in your hands, very aware of your pout. "I don't have a choice in the matter, do I?"

He only gives a simple and short nod, to which you rise and follow him out. Still barefoot on the cold and harsh stone. God, even his energy is unpleasant. You stay to step behind him at all times, there's no trusting him, seeing as how he takes orders directly from that thing. They could be in close cahoots.

"If I may ask, where exactly am I being taken?" Without looking at you, which you are ever so grateful for, he speaks. "His Majesty's library." Well, he's responsive. The maid was safe yes, but when you asked questions she was fearful to answer and would sometimes dodge giving an answer. You might actually get answers out of him.

"How do you find your way through here? Every hall looks exactly the same." You are once again led to the stairs, and do not receive an answer. So much for that. You go up a floor, and are led around hallways that do not differ from the ones below.

When you reach the oak doors you feel yourself stir internally. The door is pushed open, but only enough so that you only could fit through. Reluctantly, you press past the man. But before you can take one full step inside, his hand lays down on your shoulder. Mouth coming incredibly close to the shell of your ear.

"It wasn't always like this."

You take in a deep fearful gasp, and like that, he's gone and the door is closed. The walkway is implied by the towering bookshelves, and down the hall-like path is an open area with two chairs and a lit fireplace. In the leftmost chair, he sits facing away from you.

You take slow steps onto the now smooth flooring of the library. You don't know why you thought the slow pace would save you, all it did was prolong the horror. You arrive beside it- his? Chair, not knowing how to announce yourself.

He doesn't bother to look up from his book, as nonchalant as saying hello he says "Sit." The shock hits you instantly and you take a step back. "Here, on the ground." He lazily points just in front of the arm of his chair. Words can not express just how much you want to scream, to curse at him and fight. But you're tired, and you can't do that again today.

So you obey. Sitting like a dog, like a pet, at his feet. The warmth of the hearth brings little comfort in a situation like this, your dignity feels as though it has been torn from you and mauled. Closing your eyes, you try to ignore this situation and just focus on the crackling of the fire. But once again, that thing makes it impossible.

His massive hand comes to rest on your crown, slowly starting to play with your hair. He was gentle, like he knew if he pulled a little too hard you would be in serious pain. It begins to remind you, cold winter nights curled up with your smaller siblings against your father. The house would smell of bread and winter treats, and he would switch off every few minutes, playing you and your siblings hair until you all eventually fell asleep.

You hadn't realized that you had started to lean into his touch, but it had felt so familiar, you couldn't help it. "Good to see you are starting to obey, Pet." You slowly open your eyes, turning and coming to meet his. Muscles tensing before you look back at the floor, willing yourself to speak. "I just want to go home."

Feeling embarrassed soon after, your voice sounded broken and weak. There's hesitation from him, but then he speaks when looking back at his book. Pretending like it's nothing. "This is your home now, the sooner you accept that, the easier your life will be."

Your hope for freedom shatters. Even if you managed to escape him and these halls, where would you possibly go? You wouldn't survive the forest alone, not for days. And if you were to go back to Capulet, your neighbors would not be thrilled.

Laying your head against the arm of the chair, you finally relax again. Falling asleep to the heat on your skin.