Winter's Rose ~A Beauty and the Beast Retelling~

The Wish

They arrive at the castle after the mob. Rosalind could hear their chants and calls for William's death. She felt sick with dread. The villagers were yet to breech the castle walls. Silas led Rosalind to the servant's entrance--a small door on the far side of the grounds. They burst into the kitchen, which had been abandoned when the mob entered the castle grounds--Rosalind took off running in search of William. Silas and Jasper were attempting to barricade the door. Selene and Cassandra were locking and boarding up windows as fast as they could. She called out to him--running to his study. Her feet pounded against the carpeted floors. She threw open the door, but he wasn't there. Rosalind cried out in frustration. She ran to his room next--only to find it as empty as his study had been. Where was he? She was so frustrated! Tears streamed down her face as she sought him out. By the grace of God, she checked her old room. She could hear his breathing--she could smell his scent of pine and linens. She stood in the doorway catching her breath.

"Leave me be Selene." He sounded exhausted. She knew he was watching the mob from the window.

"Will," She gasped.

"Rose? This is impossible." He said softly in disbelief, she shook her head. She moved towards the window seat where he resided. She touched his face gently. "You're real."

He hugged her torso tightly, before pulling her down to his level. He cupped her face in his hands studying her. He kissed her with such fierce intensity she feared she'd break. He was her home; her family; her everything; he was all she had left in the world. She gripped his shirt pulling him closer to her.

"Astra-- she's been playing tricks--making me see you everywhere. But you're here; you're real." He said kissing the corners of her mouth and her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Will." She cried. He pulled her closer.

"It is all right," He whispered into her hair.

"I showed them the letter; they didn't believe it!" She told him, her entire body shaking. "They killed him! They killed my father!"

"I'm so sorry Rose, this is all my fault." Will told her. "None of this would have ever happened if I wasn't the monster that Astra created me to be."

"No! You're not a monster! They are the monsters!" She said gesturing to the crowd accumulating outside. "If you weren't who you were--I would have never met you. You would be a prince and I would be the blind girl; our paths would have never crossed."

"When you first came here, Silas said something about fate and I didn't believe him. He was right fate is what brought you to me," He said caressing her cheek. "I'm just thankful it brought you back to me one last time."

"This isn't the last time," She swore. "This can't be the last time. No, no, we can run away--the servant's entrance we can go!"

"No, we can't, Rose. I can't. I have hidden away too long." Will whispered to her.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded. "We can go, we can be happy, Will!"

"We could. We could run away, but the curse would still be on me. We would be happy for a time, but I would still turn into the beast. I couldn't live with myself Rose--if anything happened to you because of me--I couldn't."

"No matter what you become, I will be by your side till the end." She sobbed. She kissed him; willing him to flee with her. He pulled away cupping her face in his hands. Tears fell down her face. "Please Will, I can't let them hurt you. I can't lose you too."

"And I can't lose you," He whispered. "Here what's going to happen. You are going to leave-- you are going to walk out and you're not going to look back. You're going to go live your life; you're going to live it well. Be stubborn, be brave, be all the things that make you who you are. Move on; have a family. But you have to be happy."