BRIDE OF THE BEAST: Trapped In Misery

RAMONA'S AGONY

DOVE FOREST

Mandela ran into the house with the almost-dead boy and the cat in hand.

Mikaela was walking behind him, looking unremorseful and carefree.

Arthur was meditating in his room, sitting on his bed with his eyes closed and legs crossed, when Mandela rushed in.

“Arthur! She did it again!” he said breathlessly, and Arthur’s eyes flew open.

He quickly got down from the bed and took the boy from him, then placed him on the bed.

“She broke a bone in his body,” he said immediately.

He could feel it.

“His backbone,” Mandela replied, and Arthur looked at Mikaela before taking a deep breath. He then extended his right hand, and golden sparkles started streaming from it.

He gently placed his hand on the boy’s back, then closed his eyes as the bones started resetting.

It only took one minute, and the boy slowly opened his eyes.

He looked around, and his eyes widened when he saw Mikaela.

He sprang up and started running out of the room, but Mandela blocked him. When he saw the dead cat, he started crying.

“My cat!!!”

“It’s really dead,” Mandela said to Arthur.

Arthur looked at Mikaela angrily before walking to the boy.

He squatted in front of him and placed a hand on his head, erasing all the memories of what Mikaela had done to him.

By the time he removed his hand, the boy blinked.

“Why am I here? I need to go home,” he said and ran out of the house.

Arthur stood with a sigh.

“Go bury the cat,” he told Mandela, and Mandela left to do that.

“Why did you hurt him and even go as far as killing his cat?” He faced Mikaela, and she frowned.

“He refused to give me the cat when I asked gently.”

“Like you bought the cat for him?” Arthur glared hotly.

“I wanted it. How dare a mere human turn me down?” she replied stubbornly.

“He’s the third human you’ve hurt in the woods this week, Mikaela!”

“I don’t care! Why do humans keep coming into this forest when they know fully well that you’re the guardian? I always feel the urge to kill humans when I see them!” she shouted back, and Arthur’s eyes flashed deep gold immediately.

“Father…” She blinked.

He made to attack her, but Mandela came in and stood between them.

“Calm down, Arthur, please,” he said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

His eyes calmed, and Mandela faced Mikaela.

“What exactly do you want?” he asked.

“I want him to go to the king-choosing festival and become king. I want to become a princess,” she replied.

“You know how I am. How do I manage myself in the palace?” Arthur yelled.

“We’ll settle that once you become king. All I know is that I won’t stop hurting humans if you refuse to become king!” she yelled back and stormed out of the room angrily.

“You know she never jokes. What are you gonna do?” Mandela asked, and Arthur sat on his bed gently.

“Send my participation letter to the kingmakers,” he said after a minute, and Mandela’s eyes widened.

“You’ll attend the festival?”

“I have no choice. Blame my witch of a daughter,” he replied, and Mandela smiled before bowing.

“I’ll go send the letter,” he said and left the room.

Arthur looked at the chains on the floor and sighed, closing his eyes.

NIGHT

Mikaela was grunting as Mandela tied Arthur to a chair in his room. He made use of the strongest metal chains he found, and the chair was just as strong.

He finished tying Arthur and sighed. Mikaela grunted again.

“Why the annoying grunts?” Arthur asked.

“I can just kill a human for you, and you’ll drink the blood instead of having to go through the pains again tonight,” she said.

“I’ll never drink human blood to suppress my pains. Get out, Mika,” Arthur replied, and Mandela pulled her out.

She was looking back until they went out, and Mandela shut the door.

Arthur slowly closed his eyes, expecting the pain, and almost immediately, the moon started coming out from behind the dark clouds.

The light came dimly at first, but it suddenly became bright. It slipped in through the windows, and the veins in his body started rising one by one until the last one.

His body started trembling, and smoke started emanating from him. He unfolded his fists, and his nails grew long like a vulture’s.

Two long fangs grew among his teeth.

His hair turned completely white, and when he opened his eyes, they were bloodshot, full of pain.

All the noises in the world started entering his head, and his red eyes widened as he faced the sky.

“Argghhhhh!!!!!!!!” He screamed agonizingly, struggling to break the chains he was tied with.

Right now, he’s out of his senses. All he wants is human blood to drink.

He’s actually under a curse.

He was cursed from birth that every moonlit night like this, he’d transform into a beast and experience pains that only human blood could ease, and that’s why he gets tied up like this whenever the moon comes out, so he won’t go wild.

The redness in his eyes grew thicker, and sweat covered his whole body as more smoke came out.

The chains were making clattering sounds as he tried to break them.

“Argghhhhh!!!!!!!!!!” He screamed agonizingly again, and the room walls started cracking.

NEXT MORNING: BAAL PALACE: QUEEN BETH’S SUITE

Jonathan opened his eyes slowly, and his eyes widened when he saw that he was still alive.

He sat up quickly, but he felt pain in his neck.

He touched his neck and felt plaster on it.

“Jonathan.”

Queen Beth came in with three maids who were holding trays of food.

They set up his breakfast on the table before leaving.

“How are you feeling?”

Queen Beth sat beside him and made to feel his temperature, but he hit her hand away.

He’s fifteen, but known by everyone in the palace for his stubbornness.

“Why did you marry a man like Father? Why the hell did you become the queen of a monster like him when you’re just a weak human?” he yelled.

“Jonathan…”

He got down from the bed and pushed away the table of breakfast, then faced her.

“I hate you. I hate everyone in this palace!” he yelled before storming out of the room.

KING LOGAN’S SUITE

“I’m in pain!”

“Please!!!”

“AHHH!!!”

It was Ramona’s screams again as Logan abused her that early morning.

Tears escaped her eyes and slipped out from beneath the blindfold every second.

“Please stop!!!”

“I’m sorry!!!”

“I plead for your mercy!!!”

She knew it was useless to cry like this, but that was the only thing she could do as the heartless being abused her heartlessly.

He increased his speed, and she started feeling dizzy.

“No… no, please… my… my eyes…”

Logan was abusing her angrily. The fact that tomorrow was the king-choosing festival was annoying him, so he was pouring all his anger into her.

He’d be handing over the throne tomorrow, but he didn’t even want to do that.

“Your Majesty, the Oracle is here,” Kyle said from the door, and he pulled away from Ramona.

She fell to the ground weakly, and he threw her skirt at her.

She took it and dressed up painfully.

She was sniffing as Kyle took her away.

Logan put on a simple robe and went out to his private room, where a dangerous-looking woman in a long black robe was waiting.

She smelled like death and blood. Her name was Darkness, his Oracle, a powerful shaman.

“And why the hell are you just coming when the festival is tomorrow?” he yelled.

“I know your fear, but it won’t come to pass,” Darkness replied calmly, her black lips looking ominous.

“What do you mean?” Logan sat, and she looked up.

“No man will be able to make it rain tomorrow at the festival, except one,” she said.

“Who?”

“Arthur.”

“Wait… my arrogant brother?” His eyes widened.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Darkness replied, and he laughed.

“He’s not interested in becoming king, so he won’t be at the festival.”

Kyle came in immediately.

“The kingmakers recorded thirty participants, and Arthur is one of them,” he announced, and Logan’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

Kyle bowed and left.

“What’s that bastard coming to do? He hates the throne,” Logan muttered.

“We can stop him,” Darkness said, and he glared hard.

“You think he’s a chicken? That bastard is a demigod, so tell me how you'll stop him from coming!”

“We’ll trap him with what he hates most,” Darkness said, and Logan grimaced.

“Since his wife abandoned him, he hates women.”

“Then we need a virgin woman. I’ll build a barrier on his way with her blood. Trust me, he won’t be able to come, and you’ll reign for another year,” Darkness said, and Logan smiled, resting back.

“Now that this is almost settled, should I play a game with my prisoners tonight?” he smirked.

PRINCESS SHAKIRA’S SUITE

Princess Alice knocked before going in, and she met Shakira in the middle of her numerous maids. They were styling her hair, and some were painting her fingernails and toenails.

“Kira, we need to talk,” Alice said.

“I’m listening,” Shakira replied.

“Privately,” Alice said, and Shakira frowned.

“My maids are busy with me, and you don’t expect me to send them away because of you,” she said arrogantly, and Alice sighed.

“Okay, fine! It’s about Ramona,” Alice said, and Shakira glared.

“What about her?”

“It’s been ten years already. Isn’t it high time we talked to the Queen Dowager? Her punishment should end already. Don’t you pity her?” Alice said, and Shakira stood slowly.

“Did you just say pity? She killed our sister! She poisoned Elena and made her die young! And the worst is that she has been denying for ten years that she did it! How dare you pity her?” Shakira spat.

“She might not even be the killer. Kira, please…”

That was interrupted by a slap from Shakira.

Alice held her stinging cheek, and Shakira sent a sharp blade toward her.

Alice caught the blade before it could enter her eye.

“Out!!!” Shakira yelled, and she left quietly.

KITCHEN

Amy and Felix fell onto their sofas at once after they finished supervising breakfast preparations.

They’re the head chefs in the kitchen. Powerful nine-tailed foxes.

Apart from heading the kitchen, they’re also warriors.

“Should we have a drink?” Amy asked.

“Crazy,” Felix replied, spreading his palm forward.

A maid placed a bottle of liquor on it, then Amy took two cups.

They poured themselves drinks and clinked cups before drinking.

“Sooo refreshing!” Amy licked her lips.

“I’m still wondering how a girl loves liquor so much,” Felix said.

“Don’t blame me. I learnt from you,” she replied, and he smiled handsomely.

“I didn’t kill Princess Elena!!!!”

“Aarrgg!!!!”

“Please!!!!”

Ramona’s screams came from the torture ground, and Amy dropped her cup sadly.