Tame the beast

Chapter four

Chapter four

T

he next day, Roseline was in her chamber reading a book when a soft knock was hard and her parents entered, their face looked solemn and Harold immediately rushed to his daughter and put her in his arms, he appeared to be crying and Rose was surprised, she had never seen her father cry, she looked at her mother but she was sniffing as well, what is going on with this two, she thought,

"It’s already night mother, why aren't you asleep? You too father" she said still surprised at their attitude

"Oh my Rose, my poor Rose" Harold whispered in her ear, what is going on, when did she suddenly become poor? She wanted to ask and she thought about her father's warehouse, oh, did it burn down? Her eyes widened

"Father, nothing happened to your warehouse right?" She asked

"Oh I will be much glad if it was it, as least I can manage with the ships" he said and Rose became more worried

"Then if it isn't your warehouse, what is it? What will make a respected man like you cry? What will make me poor?" She asked and Harold chuckled in his tears, ah, his daughter will always be his daughter, just why would fate be so cruel? He thought.

Lady Catherine walked closer to them and patted her husband and he released her, Rose took the opportunity to look at their face, what is happening here and why is Monica not here? She thought

Catherine showed her a glowing pendant, it was round in shape and has something like a globe, it was the globe that was glowing, it has a yellowish color which made it kind of beautiful, Rose was mesmerized at the beauty, she didn't know her parents had such treasure "do you know what this is?" Catherine asked and Rose shook her head, she was still mesmerized by the charm of the pendant, Harold and Catherine looked at her reaction and sighed, it's really is her, for her to find beauty in the pendant means it is her, and they felt another wave of tears coming in

"What is it then mother, can I hold it?" She asked as she reluctantly broke away from the pendant to look at them

"This is the pendant that the powerful sorceress handed to every socialite family back in the days, it has been passed down from generations to generations, it doesn't age" Catherine sniffed. Wait did she say sorceress? Pendant? Could it be...?

"It glows in the family that the beast has chosen his maiden" Catherine rest on her husband's shoulder, she couldn't continue again, but unfortunately she had already said enough, after all Rose had read every book about the beast, if she said she doesn't understand what her mother was trying to say, then she must be a fool right?

"Mother, are you saying..." She swallowed "are you saying, that I'm the chosen maiden?" She asked, in as much she knows that's where the discussion was heading, she still needed confirmation

"Yes" Catherine said "yes my dear, you will be sixteen in a month's time, and today is the day that the pendant should glow if you were the one, you see, it never miss, not for once. During Monica's time, we kept a close watch on it but it didn't do anything, and today, it just started glowing" she said as the tears started pouring like a rain " I can't believe that I'm going to go through the same pain that I went with my sister, why did it suddenly glow, it should have just let it go" Catherine was really beating herself up while Harold tries to comfort her, he too was in a mess, in his two daughters, Roseline was his favorite.

Roseline starred at her parents while her head was in a mess, seven days ago, she was confidently telling Prince Humphrey that it wouldn't be her, then what is happening now?

"But...but...you said... You said it hasn't... Hasn't chosen from us in twenty years?" She asked and her mother nodded

"It hasn't, your father doesn't have a sister, so after my sister, I haven't experienced it again, I didn't know it will come for my daughter. When Monica passed, we were so happy and we thought you will too but now...." She sniffed, this is too much, why her Rose? Why her daughter? Couldn't the curse wait till she was dead, so that she wouldn't go through the pain again, just why?

Roseline found it difficult to process her thought, how could it be? She hasn't achieved her dream yet, just how could this happen? How can she take it

Catherine and Harold put her in their arms and hugged her, Roseline still hadn't shed a tear, it all looks like a dream to her, she still can't believe it, never in her life did she expect this to be her future never.

The parents and child duo, cried until they couldn't anymore, the pain was too much and no amount of tears can take it away

"What about Monica, did she know?" Rose asked and her mother shook her head

"I went to her room to tell her but she was asleep, I didn't want to wake her up just to give her bad news, we will tell her by morning" she said and sniffed while Roseline nodded before she sighed

"Okay mother, I have heard you. Go and sleep now, we will talk by morning" Rose said and Harold shook his head immediately

"We will never let you be alone again Rose, we only have but a month to be..." He couldn't complete his sentence for his voice choked

"It's okay father, I want to be alone, I will see you in the morning, goodnight mother, goodnight father" she said

"You really want us to go?" Catherine asked and she nodded

"I will be fine mother, I just need to think" she said and her parents looked at her, they didn't want to go but if she insist they can't force her

"OK then, you be fine" they said and hugged her again before leaving reluctantly.

Rose sat at the chair in her room and closed her eyes, what is happening? Is this really her fate, to be a food to some beast? How can she take this, no, no, she had to think of something, there has to be a way, she can't let go of her dreams just like that, no, she will take care of this, she just have to wait till morning, with this thought, she blew of the candle and lay on her bed, she slept quite peaceful than someone who has been told that she has not less than a month to live, this is because she believed that she can resolve the matter. So she wasn't that worried.

The next morning Roseline awoken to shrill cry of her sister and just as she sat up to get out of the bed, her door was pushed open and Monica rushed in, she ran to her in the bed and started crying immediately she hugged her, she can't believe it, how can it be? Her beautiful sister, her loving sister, no , no she can't take it, she can't afford to loose her, Roseline looked up to see her parents standing at the door, her mother's eyes were swollen, just like her fathers, wait, why does it seem like she is the only one who had a peaceful sleep?

"Oh sister, no, no sister, I can't you loose you sister no" Monica cried, Roseline tried to comfort her

"Come on sister, I'm I not still here? I'm not going anywhere, you will see" she said and Monica shook her head

"Don't tell me that, don't try to comfort me with lies, no one, absolutely no one has ever escaped the beast, I just don't understand why it has to be you, just why?" She sobbed, who is she going to talk with again, who is going to play with her? who is going to tease her and make her laugh like her sister? Who? Monica can't get the answer to her questions, somehow her cry was infected by her parents and they walked closer to them, Rose couldn't keep calm anymore as the realization of how serious the situation was dawned on her, she finally let her heart opened and cried, How was she able to be so calm last night when in truth her heart was crumbling, this is too much, how can she give up on her dreams like that? Just why her?

The family of four held each other in their arms and wept, one of the maids happen to find out what was happening and she announced it to the rest of the maids in the house, unfortunately Lady Roseline Schick, the fairest lady of all in the kingdom of Avalon happened to be the beast feast of the year, the house of the Schick that was always filled with laughter, suddenly turned to a mourning house. The whole house hold felt it this time, for Lady Rose was a Lady beloved by all.