fic: Out of Wilting Petals, Love Blooms [Prologue]
Masterpost
Prologue
Rain fell in sheets, pounding heavily upon the barrier she’d placed over them beside the stables, protecting them while she waited for him to calm. There were still matters to discuss, the conditions he’d yet to hear, before she left him to either learn or stay forever the same.
Her eyes bored into the creature that stood before her, entirely unafraid as he raged - much like the storm, thunderous and loud and yet ultimately harmless within their bubble - at her, snarling out insult after insult, threat after threat. But he had done this to himself, with no small amount of help from her magic. Even if he'd had any power he could use against her that she could not defend herself from, her own magic would not be used to cause her any harm. The beast that stood before her, though, did not take kindly to her words as she relayed exactly this to him as he tried lashing out at her.
"Put me back, you witch! You had no right to do this to me. Put me back or I will -"
She waved her hand, effectively cutting off any further threat that might have made her react rashly. Shaking her head sadly, the woman - the witch - stepped forward and placed a delicate hand on the creature's massive shoulder; she felt the muscles slowly relax under her touch, felt how much he wished they wouldn't. But she wasn't here to grant him wishes. Her purpose had been to find out the type of man within, and he'd shown her without a doubt just what he was the first time he'd turned her away. And now he'd have to live with the consequences.
"I gave you a chance. It is of no fault of mine if you refuse to look past the appearance of things. And now, I'm afraid, you are paying the price for such judgments."
Her voice carried over the storm raging around them; the storm they remained untouched by as her magic shielded them both from the water pouring from dark clouds overhead. Finally the woman stepped back, letting her hand fall from what was once a man and now a Beast as she continued to stare at him, piercing blue eyes holding furious, amber ones with her gaze.
"I only wish to show you what kind of man you have let yourself become in a way you will understand. Now your outer appearance matches the beastly way in which you treated me. It is to teach you how to change. Because of this, know that this does not have to remain permanent; you need only let yourself grow."
Wind howled outside of the barrier around them, but the soft snap of her fingers was heard as though the world was silent around them. A rose appeared in her grasp and she held it out for the creature to see, "Keep this safe, and it will continue to grow until your twenty-first birthday. You have until the last petal falls to change. If you can learn to love another and earn their love in return before then, the spell will be broken. If not, then you will be doomed to live out the rest of your life as you are now."
A flick of her hand sent waves of glittering light pulsing over the castle; she watched with a professionally detached eye and a heavy heart. This man, this creature needed to be taught this lesson, but it never failed to make her feel for those others who got caught in the middle through their associations.
"Keep the rose safe. Open yourself up to others. And remember why this has happened."
With that, she snapped her fingers and shimmered brightly before fading out of the creature's sight - though not away from the castle just yet. A quick flick of her wrist and the rose floated gently into his line of vision. She watched as he carefully took it into his claws, looking as though he would prefer to crush the flower rather than cradle it. But the Beast at least listened to her enough to keep that ever-present temper in check and she allowed herself a small, approving smile when he took it into the castle before the storm - her shield having faded with her - could cause it any devastating damage.
Part One
Prologue
Rain fell in sheets, pounding heavily upon the barrier she’d placed over them beside the stables, protecting them while she waited for him to calm. There were still matters to discuss, the conditions he’d yet to hear, before she left him to either learn or stay forever the same.
Her eyes bored into the creature that stood before her, entirely unafraid as he raged - much like the storm, thunderous and loud and yet ultimately harmless within their bubble - at her, snarling out insult after insult, threat after threat. But he had done this to himself, with no small amount of help from her magic. Even if he'd had any power he could use against her that she could not defend herself from, her own magic would not be used to cause her any harm. The beast that stood before her, though, did not take kindly to her words as she relayed exactly this to him as he tried lashing out at her.
"Put me back, you witch! You had no right to do this to me. Put me back or I will -"
She waved her hand, effectively cutting off any further threat that might have made her react rashly. Shaking her head sadly, the woman - the witch - stepped forward and placed a delicate hand on the creature's massive shoulder; she felt the muscles slowly relax under her touch, felt how much he wished they wouldn't. But she wasn't here to grant him wishes. Her purpose had been to find out the type of man within, and he'd shown her without a doubt just what he was the first time he'd turned her away. And now he'd have to live with the consequences.
"I gave you a chance. It is of no fault of mine if you refuse to look past the appearance of things. And now, I'm afraid, you are paying the price for such judgments."
Her voice carried over the storm raging around them; the storm they remained untouched by as her magic shielded them both from the water pouring from dark clouds overhead. Finally the woman stepped back, letting her hand fall from what was once a man and now a Beast as she continued to stare at him, piercing blue eyes holding furious, amber ones with her gaze.
"I only wish to show you what kind of man you have let yourself become in a way you will understand. Now your outer appearance matches the beastly way in which you treated me. It is to teach you how to change. Because of this, know that this does not have to remain permanent; you need only let yourself grow."
Wind howled outside of the barrier around them, but the soft snap of her fingers was heard as though the world was silent around them. A rose appeared in her grasp and she held it out for the creature to see, "Keep this safe, and it will continue to grow until your twenty-first birthday. You have until the last petal falls to change. If you can learn to love another and earn their love in return before then, the spell will be broken. If not, then you will be doomed to live out the rest of your life as you are now."
A flick of her hand sent waves of glittering light pulsing over the castle; she watched with a professionally detached eye and a heavy heart. This man, this creature needed to be taught this lesson, but it never failed to make her feel for those others who got caught in the middle through their associations.
"Keep the rose safe. Open yourself up to others. And remember why this has happened."
With that, she snapped her fingers and shimmered brightly before fading out of the creature's sight - though not away from the castle just yet. A quick flick of her wrist and the rose floated gently into his line of vision. She watched as he carefully took it into his claws, looking as though he would prefer to crush the flower rather than cradle it. But the Beast at least listened to her enough to keep that ever-present temper in check and she allowed herself a small, approving smile when he took it into the castle before the storm - her shield having faded with her - could cause it any devastating damage.
Part One