"La Bella Luna et la Bête" (Part 2 of 4)
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine.
Title: La Bella Luna et la Bête
Characters: Luna and whoever the beast turns out to be
Summary: Based on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.
Rating: G
The thestral landed, light as a thistle, in front of a great castle. Luna thanked it for its efforts and walked curiously up the steps, and through the open door that was waiting for her. Inside she found a banquet table, set with all her favorite things. There was root soup and braided bread, and a white wheel of Swiss cheese, the kind her father used to tell her came from the moon. Best of all, there was a shiny red cup full of hot chocolate, which Luna appreciated after her ride through the chilly skies. There was a note at her plate telling her to enjoy the meal, and if she wanted for anything, all she had to do was ask.
So Luna ate and drank, while taking in all the details of the ornate castle, and wondering when she was going to get to meet her host. Who would come if she requested anything, she wondered.
“May I have some more hot chocolate, please?” she requested to the general air. After a moment, a pitcher floated in, came to a stop just over her cup, and poured in a generous splash of steamy chocolate.
“I always thought there was such a thing as magic,” Luna said to the pitcher earnestly. “My sisters said that I was fey, but I always thought there had to be something to account for all those stories.” The pitcher seemed to nod at her as it tipped in another splash.
After she could drink no more, Luna got up and followed a series of opening doors, which led her to a beautiful chamber, fit for a princess. There was a swan-down duvet turned down and waiting for her, and a claw foot bathtub already full of warm, fragrant water. By the time Luna was finished with her bath, her patched and mended robes were gone, and in their place was a fine white nightdress. Luna climbed into the bed and watched the beautiful moon through the window. Her last thought before she fell asleep was for her father. She hoped her sisters were looking after him properly.
In the morning, Luna found a very grand gown waiting for her. It looked like something designed for royalty, made of pale gray and blue silks. She felt very silly, to be dressing in such finery, but as her day robes were nowhere to be seen and she wanted to explore the grounds, Luna put the gown on. Just as she was wondering how she was ever going to do up all the pearl buttons in the back, she felt unseen hands drawing them through the buttonholes.
“Are you an invisible person?” Luna asked, “or a Translucent Findelay? I read about them in a book in Father’s study once, apparently they can’t abide to have anything left undone. The best way to catch one is said to be filling a room with hook-and-eyelets.”
She got no answer, so Luna shrugged and went on her way. Outside, she found her friend the thestral waiting for her, and a basket of peaches and croissants on the railing.
She spent the day riding around the grounds, because no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get the creature to fly for her again. She supposed it was on instruction of the Beast, but she didn’t really mind. There was no end of things to look at, or places to explore, she was sure she wouldn’t be through half of it before the year had passed. There were statues and gardens, fountains and forests, and everywhere she looked there were birds, and animals, and insects that shimmered through the air.
Enchanting as it all was, Luna was anxious to meet the infamous Beast. She had a million questions for him. Four days went by, then five, then six. Luna by now had tracked down a library, a ballroom, an astronomy tower, several greenhouses, and a lake to the east that seemed to be the home of some kind of sea monster, much to her delight.
On the seventh night, just as Luna was beginning her evening meal, the door slowly opened.
“Bella Luna,” growled a low voice from the darkness in the hall.
“Beast,” she replied pleasantly. “The venison is most tender this evening, I hope you’ll be joining me. Oh, and I hope you don’t mind that I’ve saved some of it in a napkin for Howard.”
“Howard?” came the puzzled reply.
“My thestral. Well, I suppose he’s your thestral, of course, but I’ve grown quite fond of him. He is a thestral, isn’t he? I found a book in your library that had an illustration that looked rather like him, although I don’t think he’s quite as scary as the illustrator made him out to be. He hardly ever bares his fangs like the one in the picture.”
“Er…um… yes, he’s a thestral. ‘Howard’ you say?” As the beast stepped uncertainly forward into the light, Luna saw a figure dressed in clothes as fine and rich as hers, but his face and hands were that of a beast. He had black flowing fur and golden eyes, ears like a lion, and long curling claws.
“Please… I know I am hideous…” he began in his deep low voice. “Do not fear me…”
“Do you have a tail?” she inquired curiously.
Continue…
Title: La Bella Luna et la Bête
Characters: Luna and whoever the beast turns out to be
Summary: Based on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.
Rating: G
The thestral landed, light as a thistle, in front of a great castle. Luna thanked it for its efforts and walked curiously up the steps, and through the open door that was waiting for her. Inside she found a banquet table, set with all her favorite things. There was root soup and braided bread, and a white wheel of Swiss cheese, the kind her father used to tell her came from the moon. Best of all, there was a shiny red cup full of hot chocolate, which Luna appreciated after her ride through the chilly skies. There was a note at her plate telling her to enjoy the meal, and if she wanted for anything, all she had to do was ask.
So Luna ate and drank, while taking in all the details of the ornate castle, and wondering when she was going to get to meet her host. Who would come if she requested anything, she wondered.
“May I have some more hot chocolate, please?” she requested to the general air. After a moment, a pitcher floated in, came to a stop just over her cup, and poured in a generous splash of steamy chocolate.
“I always thought there was such a thing as magic,” Luna said to the pitcher earnestly. “My sisters said that I was fey, but I always thought there had to be something to account for all those stories.” The pitcher seemed to nod at her as it tipped in another splash.
After she could drink no more, Luna got up and followed a series of opening doors, which led her to a beautiful chamber, fit for a princess. There was a swan-down duvet turned down and waiting for her, and a claw foot bathtub already full of warm, fragrant water. By the time Luna was finished with her bath, her patched and mended robes were gone, and in their place was a fine white nightdress. Luna climbed into the bed and watched the beautiful moon through the window. Her last thought before she fell asleep was for her father. She hoped her sisters were looking after him properly.
In the morning, Luna found a very grand gown waiting for her. It looked like something designed for royalty, made of pale gray and blue silks. She felt very silly, to be dressing in such finery, but as her day robes were nowhere to be seen and she wanted to explore the grounds, Luna put the gown on. Just as she was wondering how she was ever going to do up all the pearl buttons in the back, she felt unseen hands drawing them through the buttonholes.
“Are you an invisible person?” Luna asked, “or a Translucent Findelay? I read about them in a book in Father’s study once, apparently they can’t abide to have anything left undone. The best way to catch one is said to be filling a room with hook-and-eyelets.”
She got no answer, so Luna shrugged and went on her way. Outside, she found her friend the thestral waiting for her, and a basket of peaches and croissants on the railing.
She spent the day riding around the grounds, because no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get the creature to fly for her again. She supposed it was on instruction of the Beast, but she didn’t really mind. There was no end of things to look at, or places to explore, she was sure she wouldn’t be through half of it before the year had passed. There were statues and gardens, fountains and forests, and everywhere she looked there were birds, and animals, and insects that shimmered through the air.
Enchanting as it all was, Luna was anxious to meet the infamous Beast. She had a million questions for him. Four days went by, then five, then six. Luna by now had tracked down a library, a ballroom, an astronomy tower, several greenhouses, and a lake to the east that seemed to be the home of some kind of sea monster, much to her delight.
On the seventh night, just as Luna was beginning her evening meal, the door slowly opened.
“Bella Luna,” growled a low voice from the darkness in the hall.
“Beast,” she replied pleasantly. “The venison is most tender this evening, I hope you’ll be joining me. Oh, and I hope you don’t mind that I’ve saved some of it in a napkin for Howard.”
“Howard?” came the puzzled reply.
“My thestral. Well, I suppose he’s your thestral, of course, but I’ve grown quite fond of him. He is a thestral, isn’t he? I found a book in your library that had an illustration that looked rather like him, although I don’t think he’s quite as scary as the illustrator made him out to be. He hardly ever bares his fangs like the one in the picture.”
“Er…um… yes, he’s a thestral. ‘Howard’ you say?” As the beast stepped uncertainly forward into the light, Luna saw a figure dressed in clothes as fine and rich as hers, but his face and hands were that of a beast. He had black flowing fur and golden eyes, ears like a lion, and long curling claws.
“Please… I know I am hideous…” he began in his deep low voice. “Do not fear me…”
“Do you have a tail?” she inquired curiously.
Continue…