Steel Roses

By the North and Southern Wind

Despite the nastiness of the fever, Beldon was lucky. It broke that night and he was only ordered to remain in bed for another day, so two days later he was allowed to get up and go down to the library. He was pretty sure that if Vanessa had been able to psychical touch him without him slipping his hands through the glass; she would have roped him down to the bed to force him to sleep another day. But she couldn't so he didn't and, with Vanessa still fussing over him as he left the room, he headed down to the library, bundled up in a large blanket and curled himself away in a corner with a book, shutting out the world and the fever for a few good hours. 

A crack of thunder woke him hours later, making him jolt, eyes snapping wide as he looked around. He looked out of the window just as the sky was lit by lightning soon followed by another roar of thunder. 

"Master Beldon."

He looked around to see a servant turn the corner, stopping at the sight of him. Beldon didn't know this man but the servant didn't run away so that was a bonus.

"I heard you were ill, Sir, how do you feel?" the servant asked. He was just a floating mist but as Beldon watched, the shape of a man slowly morphed into appearance.

"Better," Beldon said.

"My apologies for bothering you, Sir, but I need to close all the curtains," the servant said, bowing.

"The curtains?" Beldon copied, confused as another fork of lightning lashed out. "Why?" he asked, though moving aside.

"The Master does not like thunder storms," the servant replied, pulling the curtains together, throwing them into darkness, the candles flickering on a few moments later.

Beldon looked at him in surprise. "He's afraid of them?"

"He doesn't like them, Sir; I wouldn't say it's a fear."

"And where is he now?" Beldon asked.

"In his quarters I suspect," the servant said, turning back to Beldon but Beldon was already striding away, dragging his blanket with him. He made his way up through the castle floors until he almost ran into Sebastian. Though he still rarely managed to speak to staff, he had come to sense when they were around — however lightly they trod or softly they spoke he could hear them.

And he knew on this occasion there was no one else but him and Sebastian. So before the valet could notice him, Beldon ducked into a room and slipped into the secret passageways, closing the door behind him and continuing onwards, pushing the mirror wall open when he reached it and slipping in.

Looking around, he checked the usual rooms but didn't find The Beast. The check of the other side rooms, the mirror room, the office and such still showed no sign of him.

Frowning, Beldon stood in the middle of the main room, thinking. Where did The Beast sleep? The last time he had come across him sleeping, he had been on a couch but surely he didn't actually sleep in there on a day to day basis.

The wind brushed past him, making him turn, and it lifted the ends of a torn tapestry from the floor. Beldon had always assumed it just hung against the wall but when it was lifted, he saw there was actually a room beyond it.

Walking forwards, he took hold of the tapestry and discovered it was split down the middle. He pushed it apart and peered in and his jaw dropped.

This was clearly The Beast's bedroom and it was huge. The ceiling towered above him, roses climbing the walls and the bed... the bed was ridiculously big. It didn't matter how big The Beast was, there was no need for a bed that size, it took Beldon almost ten steps to get from the end of the bed to the top of it.