Tame the beast

Chapter five

Chapter five

T

he kingdom of Avalon was in deep mourning, the beast has chosen a maiden...again. This is always a mourning period because the whole kingdom always sympathized with the family for their loss. The young Lords feel this year the most, for the Lady in question is the one everyone wants for a wife, just why is it that the beast always go for the fairest? Lady Ann that was chosen last year was also a beauty herself, though not to be compared to Lady Roseline, but she was a beauty nonetheless. Admirers feel bad while some Ladies who believed that Lady Roseline was an obstacle to attracting the eyes of the handsome Lords were happy she was chosen.

The Ladies Schick were on their carriage to visit their governess, she was supposed to take them on a lesson today but unfortunately her daughter fell from the stairs and was wounded badly, they were going to see her.

As their carriage pass, those who recognize it feel bad for Lady Monica because soon she will be riding in it alone, something that has never happened before. The two sisters noticed that everyone keeps starring at their carriage and this brought more tears to Monica, Roseline has to comfort her...again.

"We are here my Ladies" the coach said as he got down to open the door for them

"Thank you Mr. Lan" Rose said as she held her sister and they got down from the carriage, a little girl rushed to them immediately, her name is Lear, she was seven, her mother is a trader, Lady Roseline was the reason why she had a governess, after seeing her watching them as they learned, she had told her father and he got her a governess, since then, Lear had seen her as her goddess and just hearing that she was the chosen one shattered the little girl's heart.

"Lear, have you been well?" She asked the little girl who was hugging her waist, the girl looked so thin and that bothers Rose

"Is it true Lady Rose? Is that beast going to eat you?" She asked and Rose squat to look at her face, she sighed as she caressed the little girl's hair

"They are things in life that we don't have the power to change, I am but a Lady, what strength will I have against a mighty beast?" She asked her and Lear sighed

"My governess read me a book one time, she said that the beast only wakes up on the day of the chosen one's birthday, does that mean he is asleep now?" Lear asked and Rose frowned

"Which book is that Lear? I have read all the books about the beast and never for once did I come across that" she said

"It's 'the becoming of the beast' by Munson Black" Lear said

"Munson Black? I haven't read his version" Rose said "say, aren't you too small for the book to be read to you?" Rose asked and Lear looked down at her feet

"Actually Lady Rose, Ms. Alexa never read it to me, I saw it in her dresser and I took it" the girl said looking solemn for she was sure Rose will scold her

"But why would you do that? It is called stealing" Rose said

"But I put it back, she didn't notice I took it, I just want to know about the beast and the name of the book mesmerized me" the little girl said, while Rose starred at her, how can a girl her age be so smart?

"Don't do that again Lear, no Lord will like to marry a Lady that steals OK? If Ms. Alexa didn't read it to you, it means you are not of age OK" she said and Lear nodded

"I will not to do it again, I promise Lady Rose" she said and she smiled

"Now go back to your mother OK?"

"Lady Rose, please visit me before your birthday OK?"

"Of cause my darling, you have my word" Rose said and the girl smiled

"Farewell Lady Rose, Lady Monica" she said and Monica nodded, she wasn't in the mood to join in the discussion, she just stood there and watched them talk. They walked to their governess apartment and knocked, the door was opened by her son called Eric, he was a year older than Rose and had always admired her, but he never tried asking her out, this is because he believed that if she turned down the young Lords that match her class, then is it him, that she will accept?

"My Ladies, we weren't expecting you" Eric said

"Mrs. Maria was supposed to take us on a lesson today but we didn't see her and then we received news that little Mercy got hurt" Monica said and Eric sighed

"Aye, she really did get hurt, she fell down from the stair's in the neighbor's home" he said

"Is she alright? She didn't hurt too much did she?" Rose asked

"Nah my Lady, she only but broke her leg" Eric said

"Broke her leg? poor girl" Monica said

"Is she feeling better now?" Rose asked

"Aye my Lady, the physician is attending to her now, do you want to see her?" He asked

"Do please" they said and he led them into the room she was lying with the physician bent on her leg, their governess was there and on seeing them, she stood up, she was a lady in her early thirties, with short brown hair and light brown eyes

"My Ladies, forgive me for disappointing you, but Mercy had to go hurt herself" Mrs. Maria said

"Oh it's okay Mrs. Maria, hope she is feeling better now?" Rose asked

"Yes, she is better but she is asleep now" she said

"I can see that" Rose said as the physician stood up

"When she awake, give her this" he said handing a medicine to Mrs. Maria "it will reduce the pain and also help her sleep well" he said

"Oh thank you so much, how can I ever repay you?" She asked and he smiled

"It is my duty and moreover you are teaching my daughter quite well, it's all I can do" he said and then turned to the Ladies "ah, my Ladies Schick, I trust you've been well?" He asked

"Why thank you Mr. O'Brian, we are doing quite well" Monica said and Mr. O'Brian smiled

"Very good, then greet your father for me" he said

"By all means" Monica said and he raised his hat and bowed to them before leaving.

"Oh poor Mercy, the pain the poor child must be going through" Rose said and Mrs. Maria looked at her and remembering her own situation sighed

"She will be better in due time" she sighed and then sighed again "I shall miss you Lady Rose, the whole town will" she said looking at her and Rose sighed

"Thank you Mrs. Maria but I will like not to be reminded of it" she said and the woman nodded

"Ah yes, of cause" she said, this is the pain that only the aristocratic families go through and any time they fail, then them the poor will suffer because the beast will raid the whole town for it and so they never tried.

After sharing their sympathy with the little girl, The two sisters left for their carriage, Rose visited little Lear mother's shop and greeted her before leaving to meet her sister at the carriage

"Please stop us at the town's library Mr. Lan, I want to pick a book" Rose said

"Yes my Lady" Mr. Lan said as Rose got into the carriage, Monica was starring at her until she sat down

" you are not planning on buying that book little Lear said right?" She asked and Rose sighed

"I want to know what she is talking about, maybe the answer I'm looking for is in that book" she said and Monica sighed

"Sister I don't want to loose you but I have to tell you that there is no way, nobody has ever escaped the beast, you must know the story about Lady O'Malley half a century ago right?" Monica asked

"Yes, the beast raided her family" Rose said and Monica shook her head

"Not just that sister, there was a reason" she said and Rose looked at her

"What reason sister?" She asked

"According to the tale, Lady Belinda O'Malley was the chosen one that year and on her sixteenth birthday, her family refused to let her go, they tied her up in her room and after twelve midnight, they thought as the time has passed nothing will happen again, but at the stroke of one am, the beast came, he killed the father, the mother, the little brother and Lady Belinda as well as every servants in the household. It was a tragic ending for the O'Malley's, then Mr. O'Malley's brother, Lord John O'Malley who had travelled to the nearby kingdom was the one to inherit the O'Malley's possessions and also the pendant" Monica explained and Rose was looking at her shocked

"Why sister, how do you come to know of this?" She asked

"Grandmother told me when I was approaching sixteen, she told me in case if I was the chosen one, that I should not allow mother and father to restrain me to avoid killing everyone including you, so I had it in mind, but then my birthday came and pass and nothing happened and then grandmother died, I'm sure if she was alive, she would have told you now that you are the chosen one" she said and Rose frowned

"Why didn't you tell me this since sister?" She asked

"I didn't want to worry you then, I didn't want to make you cry, I wanted to go peacefully so that you will not know" she said as she sniffed

"Oh sister, you wanted to do that for me?" She asked and Monica nodded, Roseline was touched, she couldn't believe that, that's what Monica planned

"Then I shall promise you that I shall no longer address Lord Lugars as a shrimp again" she said and Monica laughed, she then told the coach to take them straight home and forget the library.