The Beast Prince (The Fairy Tale Series Book 1) (5 page)

“You are…,” she started to say, mesmerized by the beauty of him.

“I’m what? A beast? A monster?” He snarled, turning his face away from her to stare at the fire.

Lisa’s heart melted at the tortured grief that was twisted in his words. Walking silently toward him, she lifted her right hand and tenderly touched his jaw. Her fingers feathered along the soft fur, caressing and exploring him as she threaded them into the fur and pulling his face toward her.

“No, the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” she breathed, slowly moving closer until she was standing as close as she could without him holding her. Staring up at him, her lips curved into a small smile. “I love you, Sharden. I love you, beast or man. I love all of you,” she whispered, refusing to let him look or move away from her.

Sharden’s eyes closed at the sweet feel of Lisa’s touch. He knew it was her coming down the steps. A part of him wanted to roar out in triumph even as the other part of him wanted to chase her away. A soft purr escaped him when she rubbed her thumb along his cheek. Without thinking, his rough, sandpaper tongue swept out and ran along her wrist.

His eyes snapped open at her smothered giggle. In the darkness, he could see her eyes shining with delight. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, pressing his face against the curve of her neck and shoulder. He loved her so much.

“Today…, “ he began before pausing and raising his head. “I love you. I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“I know,” she whispered. “Everything will work out.”

Sharden reluctantly released her. Turning his back to her, he stared at the flames. No, everything would not be alright. This was the last time he would change. This… This was who he was now. Tomorrow he would be twenty-five and the curse would be permanent.

“There’s something I should have told you,” he said in a quiet voice. “Tomorrow….” He turned to look at her with regret. “Tomorrow I will be twenty-five. The curse… This time will be different. I will remain a beast. The witch….”

Lisa reached out and touched his arm. “I know what the witch did,” she said, silencing him. “I don’t care. I love you, Sharden, whether you are a man or a beast or an irritating prince. I fell in love with you, the person inside.” She placed her hand over his heart.

Sharden reached down and tenderly cupped her hand in his paw. Lifting it, he pressed the back of it to his mouth. As much as it hurt, he had to make her understand that their being together was impossible now. He started to release her hand, but her fingers curled around his thick paw and she held on to him.

“There can be no future,” he insisted.

“On the contrary,” she interrupted. “There is nothing but the future.”

“Lisa, you don’t understand,” he growled softly. “It is not safe to live above! The villagers already fear me and they have never seen me in this form. I must spend the rest of my life locked away.”

He watched as Lisa looked around the converted cells of the dungeon with a critical look. Her lips twisted and she pressed them together as she turned in a tight circle. When she turned back to stare at him, he knew she was going to twist his words into something positive. The determined light in her eyes and the way she was trying to hide the grin were his first warning.

“This isn’t so bad,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “It’s actually quite cozy. A little creative lighting, a few more throw rugs and some pictures would do marvels with the place. If we had a nice kitchen over there, your folks could come for dinner on Saturday nights.”

Sharden’s lip twitched and he shook his head. “Why I thought you’d have a problem with this situation is beyond me,” he muttered in exasperation. “Lisa, you must think about this.”

“I have,” she said with a suddenly serious expression, dropping her arms and stepping close to him again. “I never would have made love with you this afternoon if I’d had any doubts. I’m in this with you, Sharden. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death rips us apart or I strangle you for being so hard-headed.”

Sharden reached out and pulled her into his arms. This time, he didn’t bother to hide the sharp-tooth grin. “Until you strangle me?” He repeated with a slightly raised eyebrow.

She snorted at him even as her hands rose to cup his cheeks. “If you ever disappear on me like you did earlier, you bet your ass I will,” she growled, rising up on her toes to press a kiss to his nose.

Sharden groaned and leaned down and rubbed his cheek against her neck. “I love you, Lisa,” he whispered, closing his eyes as a strange dizziness swept over him. “Lisa….”

“Sharden!” Lisa cried out in alarm when she felt him sway. Her arms moved down to wrap around his waist when his knees suddenly collapsed. She steadied him as he sank down to the floor. “Sharden, what’s wrong?”

“I… don’t know,” he muttered as he fell backwards and stared up at her. “I… feel strange.”

“Sharden,” she whispered his name again, frantically touching his face. “I’ll get help. I’ll call your father.”

“No,” he choked. “Don’t… leave me.”

“I love you,” she whispered, stroking his face tenderly with her hands.

A wave of heat rose up in him. He tried to imagine it was Lisa’s love causing the heat, but he feared it was something else. Perhaps there had been a part of the curse he was unaware of. His body arched as the moonlight from the windows washed over him. Turning his head, he stared at the shimmering beams. It felt as if it was sucking the life out of him. He weakly raised his hand to catch the tear on Lisa’s cheek. His hand froze midway. It was glowing.

The light swirled and twisted, sparkling as it floated upward. In the transparency of the moonbeam, he could see the magic of the witch’s spell as it floated upward, as if held a prisoner in the shaft of light as it moved away from his body. Lisa’s hand reached out and wrapped around his, threading her fingers through his.

“Lisa!” He exclaimed in a hoarse voice.

“Hold on to me,” she choked out. “Don’t you dare let go.”

Shimmering waves floated upward from his body, lifting him off the cold stone floor. They watched together as the threadlike filaments rose, swirled and disappeared through the open window above. Sharden gasped as the last thread snapped and his body sank back to the ground. Shaken, he gazed up at Lisa’s stunned face.

“What…?” He whispered, pushing past his fear.

“I see you,” she said softly, lifting his hand and pressing it against her cheek. “I see you, Sharden.”

Sharden’s eyes moved to where his hand was pressed against her cheek. His hand… not that of the beast. His fingers trembled as he pulled them free. He turned it staring at it in wonder before looking back at Lisa with a growing smile. Their laughter erupted as his arms swept out to wrap around her. Rolling, he stared down at her for a moment before pressing his lips to her in a kiss that held all his love for her in it.

“Forever,” he whispered when he pulled back several breathless minutes later.

Lisa smiled up at him. “You bet your ass forever,” she swore, wrapping her fingers around his neck. “I still think you were gorgeous before, too.”

Sharden laughed, pushing up off the ground with her still holding onto his neck. He rose, pulling her up into his arms as he did. Holding her tightly, his eyes flickered to the moon high above.

“We have the rest of the night for you to tell me how much,” he teased.

Lisa sighed and rested her head against his chest. “We have the rest of our lives,” she corrected.

Sharden closed his eyes for a brief moment as he hugged her to him. He didn’t know if it was her love for him or his for her or the combination of the two that broke the curse. He didn’t care. As long as Lisa was with him, they could face anything together. Opening his eyes, he carried her to his bed. Tomorrow would come soon enough to let his parents know the curse had been broken. Tonight was all theirs.

Lowering Lisa down onto the covers, he pressed another kiss to her lips even as his fingers worked on the ribbons holding her dress on. Her fingers were making short work of his shirt. Soon, they were wrapped around each other, dressed in nothing more than the glow of the moonlight and their love.

“Lisa, hurry! It’s time,” the queen said with a laugh.

Lisa smooth the white silk down over her stomach one more time before she turned and picked up the bouquet of flowers. Swallowing, she nodded. Today was her wedding day. It had been almost two months since that night in the dungeon. Two months that had sped by at an amazing rate. The palace had been open to any and all who wished to attend the wedding of Prince Sharden and Lady Lisa Tootle. The only ones missing were Lisa’s adopted family.

“I’m ready,” Lisa said, turning and freezing when she saw the queen frozen like a statue by the door. Next to her was a middle aged woman that looked vaguely familiar. “Who are you? What have you done?”

The woman stared at Lisa with wide brown eyes that shimmered with tears. Stepping closer, she raised a trembling hand and touched Lisa’s rosy cheek. It took a minute for Lisa to realize why the woman looked so familiar. She looked just like her, only older.

“My beautiful, beautiful little girl,” the woman whispered. “For so long, all I could do was watch you from afar.”

“Who are you?” Lisa whispered again, this time in a slightly choked voice.

The woman smiled tenderly at Lisa. “I’m your mother,” she said in a voice filled with emotion. “Gestasia.”

“My mother!” Lisa choked, stepping backwards several feet. “How? Why?”

A sad smile curved Gestasia’s lips. “I was a foolish young witch who allowed her anger and bitterness to control her. You were ripped from my arms and cast to the other side of the doorway. I could see you, but never touch.”

Lisa frowned as she studied Gestasia’s face. The frown cleared as more pieces to the puzzle came together. She had seen this woman once before – at the small hut in the meadow. Only that time, she had been old and wrinkled.

“It was you,” she began with a shake of her head.

“Yes,” Gestasia said, twisting her hands together and looking away. “I met your young prince shortly after his first change. He wasn’t like his parents. He helped me and asked nothing in return. I sent him to the valley where I had planned to raise you. A few months ago, I found hope that there might be a way to break the curse I had cast and bring you home. The young prince came to me again.”

“You were old… and you took his gold,” Lisa accused, raising her eyebrow at Gestasia.

Gestasia chuckled and nodded. “Even a witch needs money to survive. The first spell ripped you away from me. In anger, I placed another curse on young Sharden. The cost of that spell was my youth,” she explained with a sigh.

“Why are you young again?” Lisa asked, puzzled.

“You broke the spell,” Gestasia said. “You are from this world, so you could return through the doorway. But, it would take your love for Sharden, no matter what he looked like, to break the spell. With the curse broken, I was also freed.”

Lisa looked skeptically at Gestasia. “So, are you expecting some ‘Thank you, all’s well in the world’ hug or acceptance from me or something? I have to tell you, I’m a little upset about the things you’ve done,” Lisa retorted dryly. “Not to mention why didn’t you mention any of this before, instead of waiting until my wedding day; which, by the way, I’m late for!”

Gestasia shook her head. “No, I don’t expect you to forgive me,” she replied with a sad smile. “I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry and that – I love you. I always have.”

Lisa shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. Her lips twisted in sardonic amusement. She had to admit, if she looked at the positive side of things, she might not have met Sharden if not for all the misadventures. Glancing at Gestasia under her eyelashes, she finally released an exasperated sigh. She had never been good at holding a grudge.

“How would you like to go to a wedding today? I know this witch’s daughter who met this really cool prince,” Lisa finally said with a crooked grin. “He might like to meet his mother-in-law. After all, she is the one that turned him into this really gorgeous beast.”

“He
was
rather cute, wasn’t he?” Gestasia responded with a hopeful smile.

“Yeah, he was,” Lisa said. “I think it might be best if you unfroze the queen if we are going to make it in time.”

Gestasia nodded. “I have one more gift for you,” she said.

“What?” Lisa asked, looking suspiciously at her newly discovered mother.

Gestasia snapped her fingers and a large mirror appeared on the other side with Lisa’s adopted family. They were staring at the mirror in awe. All of them erupted into one loud, boisterous group when they saw her.

“Lisa!” Her adopted mom shouted above all the others.

“Mom!” Lisa cried in delight, stepping closer to the mirror. “Mom, I’m getting married!” She twirled around, holding out her arms. “To a prince!”

“We know,” her mom laughed, wiping at her tears.

“I couldn’t bring them here in the flesh, but I knew you would want them to know that you are happy and safe,” Gestasia said, quietly reaching out and touching Lisa’s arm in compassion.

Lisa nodded, wiping at the tears threatening to escape. “Do they know? About Sharden? About this world?” She asked, turning to look at her mom and dad. “I love you, guys.”

“We know. We love you, too, honey,” her dad said. “I’m proud to be called your dad.”

“We’ll be there watching, luv,” her mom promised. “Go knock them out.”

“You rock, sis!” Her youngest brother called out from the back. “Send me a sword or something.”

“I will if I can,” Lisa laughed.

“Time to go,” Gestasia replied. “I’ll send the mirror to the wedding hall.”

Lisa nodded, waving at her adopted family before they disappeared. “By the way, who is my real father?” She asked with a sniff.

Gestasia grinned. “The Breadmaker,” she chuckled. “I absolutely love his bread with sweet cream butter.”

“Oh!” Lisa whispered in shock.

With a snap of her fingers, the queen resumed moving toward the door as if nothing had happened. The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur for Lisa. She knew her adoptive family was there from the hoots and hollers coming from both sides of the mirror. The Breadmaker walked her down the aisle and gave her hand to Sharden. A huge smile of pride lit his face when he wasn’t searching for Gestasia.

She barely remembered exchanging vows with Sharden, but she did remember his kiss and those that followed. It was late evening by the time they were able to sneak away. The sounds of laughter echoed behind them as Sharden lifted her up onto his mount.

“Where are we going?” She asked breathlessly as he settled behind her.

“I know this amazing little valley with a secluded hut that I wanted to take you to,” Sharden whispered in her ear before brushing a kiss to her neck.

“What about your parents?” She asked as he tapped his heels to his mount.

“I believe they were going to have a long talk with your mother and father,” he said as they rode out the gate.

“What about clothes?” She added when she realized that she was still wearing her wedding dress.

Sharden’s husky chuckle echoed through the cool night air. “You won’t be needing any if I have anything to do with it,” he promised.

Lisa tilted her head back against his shoulder and laughed. The light of the full moon lit their way as they passed through the village and down along the narrow path. It even streamed into the dark recesses of the cave, lighting their way all the way down to the hut. Inside, a nice fire burned in the fireplace and a large selection of fruits, breads, cheeses, and sweet cream butter sat on the table with a large note that said ‘In case of emergency’.

“I think I might like having two additional parents,” she whispered as Sharden carried her into their bedroom.

“I know I will love their daughter,” Sharden replied, laying her down on the bed before covering her lips with his in a long, passion-filled kiss. “Forever.”

The End

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Additional Books by S.E. Smith

YA Books

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Excerpts of S. E. Smith Books

If you would like to read more S. E. Smith stories, she recommends
Abducting Abby
, the first in her Dragon Lords of Valdier Series. Or if you prefer a Paranormal or Time Travel with a twist, you can check out
Lily’s Cowboys
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Indiana Wild
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