No one deserves to be called a beast.

Well, I proved that wrong.

I shook my head in disgust at myself.

Why on earth did I go off like that?

She was trying to help, and I lost it. That just wasn't like me, it was like a--a--

I froze, one foot in the air, panic starting to run through me as realization struck.

"It was like a monster," I mumbled, petrified at the thought.

I started moving again, this time more briskly than before. It couldn't be progressing this quickly. It couldn't. I had been stuck in the castle for so many years I had lost track, and nothing had changed since that day.

Why now?

Because she can stop it.

I paused again, surprised at myself. I actually had allowed that thought to surface, didn't I? Why did that happen?

Because it's true.

I gave a small laugh and pressed my thumb and forefinger against the bridge of my nose. "Now I'm talking to myself. What next? Wait, no, don't answer that."

Great. I'm going nuts.

I leaned against the stone entrance- way I stopped under, trying to calm the nerves I didn't know I had wound up. I looked down at my hand that held my cane and almost laughed. It was shaking so much that the cane was bouncing up and down, very lightly touching the gravel underneath me and then bounding back up like a nervous grasshopper. I closed my eyes, trying to think of something that could calm me. The magic. Teaching how to simply move a pebble. A smile pulled on my lips, pinching my skin around the edges of mask.

I kept telling myself I didn't like that. I didn't like teaching again, I didn't like our mini rock fight. I held back a chuckle. Pridurok. It's funny how no one believes that another can speak their language. It took a lot of self-control to not respond back to her with an insult in the same language she had spoken. The flash of fear in her eyes when I turned around was priceless. I think the main reason that it was so funny is because it wasn't all fear. It was playful.

The ground beneath me suddenly seemed to spin. My knees buckled under me and I slid down the wall I had been leaning against. I weakly tried to thrust out my hand to stop myself from falling, but it was too late. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. Sudden cold came over me and I shivered.

Stupid.

I knew what this was. The magic I used. I knew I'm not supposed to use as much as I did that soon after a change like last night, but I did anyway. I let my head roll to the side, unable to stop the sleep-trance that took me into memories.

************************************

"Go, Rosalie!"

I ran down the stairs in front of my wife and son, trying to get them away from the battlefield as quickly as I could. I drew my sword from its scabbard and immediately started clearing a path through all of the Duke's men. It was hard to believe that only an hour ago I was in the piano room, listening to Rosalie play music with Henry Scott. I winced every time my sword sliced someone, even though I purposely aimed for their shoulder so I wouldn't kill them, just stop them. I turned to look back at my wife. She held Henry Scott in one arm, and a pistol in the other, firing at those who charged at her. A mini explosion went off and the man that had charged at her fell to the ground, crying out in pain. I met her eyes and shared a laugh. This was one of the reasons I loved her so much. A sharp stabbing pain in my shoulder tore my attention away from Rosalie and to the person in front of me.

"Go on, Rose," I called back to her.

I looked at her once more, taking in her auburn hair and green eyes one last time. Then, I looked to the man in front of me--no, not man-- he was no more than fifteen. The boy had sweat dripping from his brow; his dark hair was plastered to his forehead like it was painted there. Every breath he took was labored from fighting. I straightened to my full height and stared at the top of his head. Blood glistened from the tip of the boy's sword. The man he was fighting before lied on the ground with a pool of blood creeping out from underneath his neck, staining the cobblestones a deep crimson. I turned to find Rosalie in the crowd, but the kid's sword sliced at my leg.

"I would pay more attention to me, old prince," taunted the cocky voice.

I turned my head and grinned, taking up the challenge.

"I wouldn't call me old, boy. I'm maybe, what, six years ahead of you?"

The boy stiffened at being called 'boy.' I laughed, only angering him further.

He straightened and stuck his nose in the air proudly. "Then I am no mere 'boy', old man."

He thrusts his sword in front of himself, into the position of attention. I took my ready position also.

"Are you sure you wish to do this?" I asked. I didn't want to hurt this child, but I would if I must.

"Are you, Gramps?" The kid lunged first, and I nimbly stepped out of the way, swinging my sword as I did, so that the flat end smacked him in the buttocks. The kid looked at me with fury and lunged again. This time, I hit him in the shoulder.

I shook my head. "Compose yourself, kid. If you don't, you'll get yourself killed."

I stepped back and waited a moment for him to settle down. He took two deep breaths while I scanned the fighting for Rosalie. Momentary panic gripped me when I couldn't find her. A sting alerted me back to the boy.

"I suppose you're ready then, boy?"

The boy smiled, sure of himself.

"Oh yeah."

************************************

I sat on the floor, my arms and legs in shackles. A man in black robes paced back and forth in front of me; the only sound heard in the room full of people is that of his boots clunking on the stone floor. He stopped and leaned down over me, his black hair falling in front of his face so that he had to push it back. His cold, dark eyes stared into mine with hatred. I glared back with equal emotion.

"Do you know why you are here?" he asked, as if I didn't.

I didn't look away. "Yes."

He crossed his arms in pride. "Then you admit to killing those in your castle."

I rolled my eyes. I didn't kill all of them, a few were already dead by the time I got around to it.

"Yes," I admitted. I just wanted this over as soon as possible.

The man looked out to the court, gesturing to all of them with his hand.
"You see? The man admits to what he did."

The room started to buzz with excitement.

I smiled."Why don't you ask your Duke, good people, what he did? Are you that sure that he is innocent?"

The room immediately quieted. The duke looked at me with so much rage that his beard was shaking. I smirked, only angering him further. There was no way I would get out of this unpunished. The duke came over to me and grabbed me underneath my chin, hoisting my head up.

He whispered in a calm rage so no one else could hear us."You killed my son, you ba--"

I cut him off, whispering back to him harshly. "You killed my wife and my two-year-old child, Duke. Tell me, who should be sitting here right now?"

He sneered and let go of my chin, knowing what I said has a point. "Has the council reached a verdict?"

An older man stood up and nodded. "His punishment will be Ferae Incarceratur. You may begin it now, Sir." The man bowed deeply to the Duke.

The duke bowed back and walked up toward me, reaching underneath his black robe for something. He took out a silver cross necklace and waved it in front of my face. "You will always know my family tree, Prince. This will be passed down through generations, always showing you me, the man who cursed you." He tucked the necklace back under his robe and spoke loudly, still looking at me.

"Because of your transgressions against the state, I hereby punish you to a life of torment. A life where you cannot die by your own hand, nor happily age to an old man and die in your sleep. A life where you can feel nothing without consequence, no anger, no fear, and no love."

He grabbed a small vial of liquid, opened it, then poured it onto my head. Agonizing pain ripped through my body and I let out a scream, writhing in my seat. It felt like fire running through my veins.

The Duke's face loomed in front of me. "I'll see you around, Beast."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sir?"

My eyes snapped open, taking in my surroundings. I looked around frantically to find the voice that spoke.

"Sir?"

A hand gently rested itself on my shoulder. I flinched and jerk away, then calmed myself as I realized who it was.

"Yes, Raul?" I tried to sound as unflustered as possible as I scanned the ground for my cane. It was lying almost directly under my leg. I grabbed the smooth handle and forced myself onto my knees, placing my hand against the stone column for balance.

"Are you alright, Sir? It's been--" Raul glanced at the quickly darkening sky, "you've been out here a while."

I stumbled to my feet, trying not to breathe heavily. My heart pumped quicker than usual, trying to keep up with my huffs. I shook my head and growled softly. "Stupid magic."

Raul smiled knowingly and grabbed my arm, slowly leading me back to the castle. When we reached my room, he stopped before unlocking the door.

"I thought that you weren't going to use magic, Sir."

He said it like a statement, not a question.

I sighed. "I thought so too, but there's only a certain amount of time that someone can yell a word so loud and so wrong."

Raul laughed, something that I hadn't seen him do in many, many years. I scowled at him as he unlocked my door, but he couldn't tell.

"Help me get the mask off, will you?" It pinched my face so horribly I could barely stand it. I hated the thing, but I had to wear it.

Raul obediently came over and I turned my back to him. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as his nimble fingers unclasped the hook at the back of my head, hidden underneath my hair. The heavy weight of the mask is lifted as it fell from my face and onto my lap. I took a deep breath in, savoring the feel of cool air instead of the warmness and almost-dampness that I had been breathing all day. I took the mask by the strap and handed it to Raul. He immediately walked away and placed it on my desk, where it always goes. I stood longer, waiting for Raul to leave.

"Anything else, Sir?"

I shook my head, back still turned to Raul. "I think that's everything. Goodnight, Raul."

He stopped at my door. It dawned on me why he stopped. I hadn't said goodnight in a long time.

"Goodnight...my Prince."

I sat on my bed and absentmindedly ran my fingers over the deep scars that traveled up and down my face.

My Prince.

I took the one thing that I swore never to look at--my golden, cross-shaped necklace. I twirled the last gift from my wife in my fingers.

"Goodnight, Rose," I whispered sadly. "I--" a little voice in the back of my mind screamed at me. Love? You can't love.

"I miss you."

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Noa