The Beast Prince (The Fairy Tale Series Book 1) (3 page)

They left the inn just as the sun was beginning to rise over the distant hills. This time, Sharden placed Lisa in front of him. He told her it was to help keep her warm, but in truth, he enjoyed holding her.

The innkeeper’s wife had packed them a lunch of fruit, bread, and cheeses. They would stop midday to rest his mount and refresh themselves. Setting off at a steady pace, he kept one arm wrapped protectively around Lisa as they rode down the wide lane.

“Your family, tell me about them,” he instructed almost a half hour later.

Lisa shrugged. “I have my mom, dad, grandparents on both sides, and a ton of cousins, aunts, uncles, you name it,” she said. “My parents adopted me when I was about three. I don’t remember much before that. They already had five kids, but took me on as well. My great-grandmother supposedly found me wandering in her garden. My mom and dad were living near here at the time and were given custody of me until one or both of my parents were found. After a two years of searching for my biological parents and no one coming forward to claim me, they were able to adopt me. I was lucky, I had three big brothers and two older sisters who doted on me.”

“It sounds like an amazing family,” Sharden replied.

Lisa nodded. “Loud, noisy, always something going on,” she laughed. “Holidays and get-togethers can be dangerous for the unwary. What about you? Do you have a large family? How did you get cursed?”

“Nay, I am an only child,” Sharden said. “My parents were not so welcoming as yours. The kingdom was a dangerous place many years ago and my parents were untrusting of strangers. One stormy night, a young woman came to the palace asking for shelter. The guards took pity on her, but not my father. He ordered her to leave. When she begged my mother to intervene, to at least let her stay the night, she refused. In anger, the woman swore that they would pay for their selfishness. She curse that one day they would know what it was like to want to protect their child and be denied it as she was led outside the gates.”

“But, why blame a baby for something the parents did?” Lisa asked, glancing over her shoulder at him. “I mean, I can understand her being pissed at your parents, but you? You didn’t have anything to do with their decision.”

Sharden shrugged. “A parent wishes to protect their child,” he replied. “Perhaps since she felt they were threatening her babe by casting her out into the storm, she thought they should know what it felt like to be powerless. I don’t know, and I really don’t care. All I know is that for three days each month for the past ten years, I have been cursed to live in dungeons below the palace as a beast.”

He could feel Lisa’s sympathy. He wasn’t looking for pity. He received enough of that each month as his father locked him in the bowels below the castle, a single window and candles his only light for the duration of his change.

“Well, it could be worse,” she suddenly said.

Sharden raised an eyebrow in doubt. “How?” He asked.

“You could be sick with a terrible disease that there wasn’t a cure for or a million and one other horrible things,” she explained, leaning back against him and wrapping her hands over his. “Sure, you change, but only for a few days each month and you still have your parents and a palace and a whole host of other things to be grateful for.”

A low chuckle escaped him. He did not know anyone who had ever explained his situation in such a positive way. Bending forward, he pressed his lip against the side of her head.

“Thank you, Lisa,” he murmured next to her ear. “It will be interesting to see if you feel the same way tomorrow night.”

It was almost nine that night before they arrived at the palace. Lisa was glad that Sharden had better night vision than her. Then again, she was glad she didn’t when she saw the dark shadows of animals cutting through the trees. She had ridden behind Sharden as it grew darker so he could hold onto the sword that was strapped to the saddle. He said that he would need both hands if it came to a fight.

Fortunately, it hadn’t. A tired, relieved sigh escaped Lisa as they rode through the entrance to the palace. Her butt was sore and the inside muscles of her thighs were screaming in protest. She was used to going horseback riding. It was one of her favorite pastimes. In fact, she went just about every weekend back home, but she had never spent the entire day on one.

“Thank you,” she muttered with a wince as Sharden helped her off the horse-like creature. “Ugh! I’m going to be sore tonight.”

“That is a shame,” Sharden whispered before straightening as an elegant looking man and woman came down the steps.

“Sharden, your journey was successful?” The man asked, looking at Lisa with a curious gaze.

“Father, mother, I would like to introduce Lisa…,” Sharden started to say before turning to look at her with a frown.

“Tootle,” Lisa responded to his questioning look. “Lisa Tootle. As you can imagine, I took a lot of ribbing from the kids at school with a last name like that.”

“Welcome, Lady Tootle, to Castle Brighten,” the king replied.

“It’s nice,” Lisa responded awkwardly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Lisa is sore and weary after our journey,” Sharden said, wrapping his arm around her waist. “We are also hungry.”

“I will see her to her room,” his mother said, stepping forward. “Go clean up and I’ll have a meal prepared for you both.”

Sharden paused long enough to brush a kiss along his mother’s cheek. “Thank you, mother,” he whispered, smiling down when she looked up at him with an anxious expression. “All will be well.”

She briefly glanced at Lisa before returning Sharden’s smile with a tentative one of her own. “I will see that she is escorted to the family dining room when she has finished freshening up.”

Lisa sighed again when Sharden reluctantly released her to walk down a separate corridor from her own. Focusing on where she was walking, she studied the long hallway. Both sides were filled with portraits of men, women, and families. It reminded her of some of the museums back home. She couldn’t imagine growing up in a place like this. If her family played manhunt here, they would never find everyone!

“Where are you from, Lisa?” The queen asked in a quiet voice.

“Outside of Bath, England,” she said, staring at a display of armor. She jumped when it moved. “My dad is from America, though, the Boston area. Is there really someone in there?”

The queen glanced at the guard. “Yes,” she replied.

Lisa turned to look at the guard again. “Must make it a pain if you have to go to the bathroom in a hurry,” she mumbled.

The queen looked surprised and glanced over her shoulder at the guard. “Yes, I suppose it would,” she remarked with a small, amused smile. “Can you help my son?” She suddenly asked, pausing outside a large set of doors on the left side of the corridor.

Lisa turned to look at her with a serious expression. “I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m still trying to figure out if I’m dreaming all of this.”

“You’re not,” the queen replied with a heavy sigh. “I hope that you can help us… him,” she added, looking carefully at Lisa. “I fear you are our only hope.”

Lisa shook her head. “No, there is always hope,” she said. “You just have to believe. That’s what my mom always says. She said if you believe hard enough, anything is possible. Of course, she also writes books for kids and works at The Renaissance Adventures dressed as the Fairy Queen, so who knows if it really works or not.”

“She sounds like a wonderful woman,” the queen responded.

“Yeah, she is,” Lisa replied, stepping into the room after a servant appeared out of the shadows and opened the door.

The room was huge, bigger than most of their house back home. There was a large, four poster bed set against the far wall in a room attached to the one they were standing in. This room held a long, narrow couch, two chairs and several low tables. In front of it was a fireplace large enough for her to stand up in. A row of glass doors lined the far side of the room and led out onto a covered balcony.

“Nice,” Lisa said, shifting again.

“I will leave you to freshen up,” the queen replied, turning back toward the door before she paused. “I will have someone escort you to the family’s private dining room in half an hour.”

“Thank you,” Lisa whispered, suddenly feeling both exhausted and overwhelmed at the same time.

The queen didn’t reply as the door opened again for her and she stepped out. Lisa walked through to the bedroom once she was alone, staring at all the finery. She paused a moment before releasing a tired breath and walked into the bathroom. She was surprised to see a gown that actually looked like it might fit her hanging on a hook just inside the door. Deciding that was a subtle hint to dress in something nicer than jeans and a T-shirt, she quickly shed her clothes and showered. She felt refreshed after the warmth of the water soothed her aching muscles. Drying off, she quickly dressed in the clean clothes that had been laid out for her.

She jumped when she stepped back into the living room area and saw Sharden standing in front of the long row of windows. He was staring out over the gardens that were lit by a series of torches. She couldn’t help but admire him. His hair was a dark blonde and cut short. His shoulders were wide and his hips… She swallowed. He had a really cute butt. He stood at least a head taller than her own five feet seven foot frame. She liked that. He had a chiseled jaw, a nose that looked like it might have been broken at least once, and light gray eyes that brimmed with intelligence. She also found him to be reflective, mature, and she really loved his quirky, dry sense of humor.

Deciding she had gawked long enough, she cleared her throat to let him know that she was there. A self-conscious smile curved her lips as she held out the soft blue gown she was wearing. She felt like she was going to the prom all over again. Personally, she thought twice in one lifetime had been enough, though she had to admit the appreciative look that came into his eyes was worth it.

“You look lovely,” he said, walking toward her.

Lisa could feel the blush rising in her cheeks and grinned. “I feel like I’m ready for my High School Homecoming dance again,” she admitted, fingering the material with her right hand. “I thought she was sending someone to escort me to the dining room.”

“I sent them away,” he murmured, stepping closer.

Lisa’s breath caught in her throat when he reached up and ran his fingers lightly along her cheek. Instinctively, her head turned closer to his touch. She wanted more.

“Lisa,” he whispered before his hand slid along her jaw.

Lisa stepped closer at the same time as he did. Their lips connected in a soft kiss that quickly grew heated. She ran her hands up his chest and around his shoulders as his own arms quickly slid down to wrap around her waist. Her lips parted and her fingers threaded through his hair as she responded to his passion.

A soft moan escaped her when he reluctantly pulled back. She hadn’t realized that her eyes had closed during their kiss. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment before she stared up at him with a slightly dazed expression.

“I shouldn’t have…,” he started to say before stopping and releasing a deep breath. “Yes, I should. I want you to know that even though we’ve just met, you make me feel things that I have never felt before. I want you to know how much it means to me before…”

Lisa lifted her left hand off his shoulder and tenderly brushed his cheek when she saw the sad look that came into his eyes. She stroked the lines at the corner of his mouth with her thumb, a look of concern in her eyes when he closed his eyes. There was something he wasn’t telling her; something very important.

“What is wrong?” She asked.

“Tomorrow,” he began, opening his eyes to stare down at her again before his voice faded and he shook his head. “Tomorrow, I would like to take you out to see the kingdom.”

“I’d love that,” she replied. “Sharden, everything will be alright. You’ll see. We’ll figure out how to break the stupid curse. You have to believe that.”

He leaned forward and pressed another hard kiss to her mouth just as a knock sounded at the door. “You make me want to believe,” he said in a low voice. “Come, my parents are waiting for us. They are curious about you.”

“Great!” Lisa replied with a roll of her eyes. “Only the second day in a strange world and I’m entertaining royalty. Who would’ve thought?!”

Sharden chuckled. “They will love you as much as I do,” he teased, sliding his arm around her when the door opened.

A warm glow swept through Lisa at Sharden’s teasing comment. Walking beside him, she felt more like she was floating. Deep in her heart, she knew that things would work out. For the first time in her life, she finally felt like she had found her place in the world.

Late the following afternoon, Sharden laughed as Lisa discussed the different seasonings the Breadmaker used in his breads. She had fallen in love with the hot, crusty rolls and sweet cream butter combined with a spicy cheese. The smile on his face died as he glanced up at the sky. It would be dark in a couple of hours. Regret poured through him. He only had a few hours left to spend with Lisa. He quickly discovered this morning that the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted.

He knew he should have told her the whole truth, but deep down, he had hoped that she was right, that everything would work out for the best. Suddenly, he wanted to spend the last few hours alone with Lisa. Those precious hours would have to hold him for the rest of his life. Stepping forward, he wrapped a possessive arm around Lisa and gave the Breadmaker a stiff smile.

“I apologize for cutting your conversation short, but we must leave,” Sharden interrupted the Breadmaker. “Thank you for your delicious meal.”

“My pleasure, Prince Sharden,” the Breadmaker said with a pleased smile. “I will send a basket of fresh bread, cream, and cheese to Lady Lisa tomorrow morning.”

“Awesome!” Lisa said, pulling away from Sharden long enough to hug the Breadmaker. “Thank you so much!”

Sharden chuckled again at Lisa’s enthusiasm and the Breadmaker’s suddenly red face. Reaching out again, he wrapped his arm around her waist once more, this time holding on with a firmer grip, and turned them away. They quickly stepped out of the roomy shop and onto the bustling sidewalk outside.

“Where are we going now?” Lisa asked as Sharden helped her onto his mount.

Sharden quickly slid into the saddle behind Lisa. “There is one last place I would like to take you before we return to the palace,” he said in a husky voice. “It is the one place I go when I need time alone.”

Lisa glanced over her shoulder at him and wrapped her hands over the one he had wound protectively around her waist. He saw the question in her gaze, but he ignored it. He wasn’t ready for the magic of the day to end and the nightmare that would be the rest of his life to begin.

Pressing his heels to the side of the beast under him, they quickly traveled out of the village at the base of the hill leading up to the palace and into the countryside. It was a little further than he would have liked to have gone, but he wanted her to see the one place he thought was special before…

“Where are we going?” Lisa asked, bringing him back to the present.

“To the one place I find peace,” he murmured, reining the huge animal under them to the left and down a long, tree-covered path. “I found it shortly after my fifteenth year.”

The path narrowed and appeared to disappear at the base of a large rock cropping. Sharden dismounted and helped Lisa down. He tightly held her hand and led her to the thick vines covering the front of the rock. Reaching out with his free hand, he pulled the curtain of green vines to the side to reveal a narrow opening. He stepped inside, pulling Lisa through the entrance behind him.

He knew the path by heart as he came here right before and shortly after the ‘change’. He stepped lightly through the inky darkness, weaving his way by memory. Soon, the glimmer of light from the other side lit their way.

Stepping out of the cave, he drew Lisa to his side and waited for the magic of this hidden valley to wash over her. It wasn’t very large, less than a mile long. In the center was a small hut that he had found and rebuilt. The hut sat near a crystal clear lake that was fed by the waterfall at the other end of the valley. A scattering of trees and tall, golden grass swayed in the light breeze that blew down from the mountain.

“It’s so beautiful,” Lisa whispered, staring around her with wide eyes. “How did you ever find it?”

“I was scared after the first time I changed,” he admitted, turning to look down at her upturned face. “My parents told me about the curse and how they’d hoped it wouldn’t come true. I was furious with them. I didn’t understand why I should be punished for a deed that was no fault of my own.”

“I don’t blame you,” Lisa whispered, touching his face. “I would have been upset, too.”

Sharden turned his face just enough to press a kiss to the palm of her hand. “I ran, thinking if I put enough distance between my parents that it would change things,” he continued, turning to stare down at the small hut. “I discovered you cannot run from who you are. I met an old woman along the road. One of the wheels on her cart had broken, spilling the vegetables she was taking to the market to sell. She asked if I would help her. I fixed the wheel and helped her pick up the vegetables, she gave me a few pieces of food and told me to take this path. I did and came to the cliff. I tried to climb it, but the walls were too steep. I finally discovered the entrance hidden behind the vines and it led me here.”

“Well, if you think of it,” she murmured, gazing down at the valley. “If you hadn’t changed, then you wouldn’t have run away and you wouldn’t have met the woman who told you about the path.”

Sharden shook his head. “And if the cliff hadn’t been so steep, I would have missed the cave,” he added with a chuckle. “You always look at things from a strange perspective, Lisa.”

“I know,” she replied with a shrug. “Can we go down to the hut?”

“Of course,” he replied in a husky voice. “That is why I brought you here.”

A light flush rose in her cheeks, but she didn’t resist when he began guiding her down the path. The remaining daylight hours were theirs. He planned on making every second they had together, one that neither of them would ever forget.