Beasts Of Blackcastle

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten: Away Into The Night Right Into The Forbidden

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Prince Eclix looked rather sullen and his brothers looked to be bored out of their minds and their heads were elsewhere. The royal court had assembled and the last to join the meeting was Princess Venia. When she did announce her entry, Prince Eclix perked up and quickly rose to his feet to greet and her and pull out the deluxe seat for her. For his efforts princess Venia rewarded him with a tender kiss on the cheek and gave him a knowing look. They communicated with their eyes and his relayed a daunting message to her; in those seconds she got to know that this meeting was about her and she was not going to like the aftermath of it.

"My dear, it is quite lovely to see you in such open spaces," king Thorton gazed at his daughter lovingly, his tone gentle at the introduction, "now that you have joined us, we may begin. As you know, darling, there is an urgency for you to marry and because of this I had invited all suitors to a Full Moon Ball and you had a chance to mingle with them. Dear, know I would like to know who out of the many suitors has captured your interest?"

Princess Venia was expecting such a question but the gravity of the situation made her annoyed. This is not how she envisioned her first marriage coming to being. Where was the mystery or the romance? Where were the lingering gazes and silent longings? Would she experience any of that in this arranged, quick marriage of convenience?

Again, no amount of words, no matter how aggressive could describe just how much she resented that rotten Beast King. It was because of him that she found herself in this situation.

She had a man in mind. A man she had made a deal with, a man who knew exactly what his role in her life will be. A man who will not give her any problems. A man who will allow her her freedom.

"I have taken a liking to Minister Rydrin, he seems a perfect match for me." His father's face was a remark on its own before he could even word his disapproval.

"He is just a Minister, you are a princess and the future queen of Derchuen. You have to make another selection, dear. This time one of more worthy rank and nobility."

The princess took a deep sigh, her eyes meeting those of Esgar who looked at her with pity. She did not have any other selection. It had to be Rydrin.

"He is the one I chooose, I cannot think of any other. You asked who caught my interest, he's the one who managed more than a few lines of conversation with me."

King Thorton nodded his head musingly, "I see. He is not worthy. The Dragon king Hearst made a very dazzzling proposal. He is a king and a very established one at that. You will accept King Hearst's proposal and soon marry him, dear."

Marriage to the despicable Dragon king Hearst was no better than an infinite destiny as the Beast King's Slave. Vye had never left her unaware of just what being in that god forsaken forest will mean for anyone and she was very precise in her haunting recalls of the viciousness she had heard to be the nature of the evil forest that devours any and all that so dare to wander into it.

"They never make it past the boundary, I'm sure of it." Vye's haunting voice filled her head and chilled her to the bone. "I believe that there is an entity or some sort of spell that lures you inside as soon as you're close enough. Many think that as soon as you're within the Forest's atmosphere you will feel all sorts of chills and it will frighten you to death with how appallingly hideous it is in appearance but I have always wondered if it is the opposite. What if you are struck by beauty instead? I don't think any man or woman cowardly or not would walk into something terrifying instead of run away from it and that is why I think at the entrance of the Forest is something beautiful and stupefying. An enchantment maybe that makes you lose complete control of your body by manipulating your mind. I think that is what makes it dangerous; not the monsters that lurk within it, but the magic that might be tied to it. Don't you think any of those people wanted to change their mind and run away? It has been centuries and they have never been a survivor of that Forest and I don't believe that the monsters are that inescapable. What if once you're lured in you're made incapable of leaving? We are only as good as our minds and if that is manipulated, then all is lost. The magic strengthening that forest is very strong, I fear it a lot. That is why I dread even having to talk about that wicked forest. I have not heard of any more reports of it having devoured another one of our own. Maybe people are finally respecting the Beast's Den and respect is all that it needs. Princess, I know you are curious about the legend and it is a huge relief to me that you will never get anywhere close to that forest… so long as we protect you from the Beast king. Which we will, till the very end of time."

Of all things that Vye had said and taught her over the years, she considered especially her opinion of the forest. That forest sounded far more terrifying than the Beast king to her but she was cornered and she had to make a very tough decision.

Meeting king Hearst once was enough to convince her that this time she had to run. Princess Venia had told herself that she would never run or hide ever again, that she would from now on and forever will be seen and heard. She still had so many aspirations and so many feats of freedom she wanted to conquer and something about King Hearst told her that free would be the last thing she is if she gives herself to him as a wife. She recalled their first interaction clearly as though it was yesterday; which it wasn't even, she had only known the king of dragons for a few hours and the distinguishably distasteful character he was failed dismally at charming her. The man must be the monster who wears skin like Allura had mentioned.

The princess was not scared of him, no, but she feared finding herself in another prison. Although she was very confident in her abilities and her power, she was not very confident she would be lucky enough to

The silence was cold and gripping, she could feel it latch onto her bones and set off a chain of tremors from deep within her. The night was unforgivingly dark, it had long warned her to stop, warned her to go no further but she almost blindly trudged on through the most dangerous forest in all the North. The distant cries of beasts echoed in her ear and she felt her heart pound against her chest like it is trying to bang its way out of her ribcage.

"Don't be afraid, they can smell fear." She recalled her lady- in- waiting's words with a shuddering exhale. Such words were uttered in fright and she had had every reason to be frightened. They were here. Dangerous animals, unnatural beasts of a terrifying, predatory nature were said to roam this forest at free will. It belonged to them. It was their playground. They could smell her, they could see her. She knew that they were watching her and they desired to do so much more than just stare from the shadows.

Princess Venia increased her pace as the voices of doubt filled her head. She should have taken the other turn, but it was too late. She could not turn back and risk getting captured by those sick, depraved assholes again. At least here, in this horror- movie of a forest, she had her freedom.