Beauty and the Beast

style='font-size:10.0pt'>“More meat?” Seana was asked that night by one of the
band of rebels.

Seana shook her head and recalled the events after
she escaped the castle. After she was dragged deeper in the forest, she spied a
mounted and armed knight go by where she was just standing.

“I am thinking you’re trying to avoid men like that”
the man whispered.

Seana nodded “If I get caught, my head will be on a
platter.”

The man nodded, “Come on, I’ll take you to my camp.”

She was led to the deepest part of the forest where
about twenty ragtag man and their families greeted them.

“Found this girl running from the lord’s castle.” the
man Seana was with told the group.

“Poor child” another said.

“Well, you’re in luck” the man told Seana. “I’m Grey
and this is my band of rebels.”

“Seana” she replied, “I didn’t think anyone would
have the nerve to go against Jared”.

Grey snorted, “He may torcher us and kill us men but
he goes too far when he does this to our sisters, wives and daughters.”

The crowd cheered.

“You ought to have seen what he did today.” Seana
muttered.

“And what’s that, girl?” Grey asked.

“Had a spider slowly eat a man alive” she answered
with a shudder.

Even Grey shuddered, “I’m betting you ran cause you
were next.”

“No” Seana replied. “He would have dragged me to
breakfast. Like I could eat after seeing that.”

Grey seemed a bit shocked along with his rebels.

He immediately recovered, “That’s a surprise.”

Seana shrugged, “You would know.”

She spent the rest of the day gathering berries and
helping the other women with dinner.

“Too stuffed from all those berries?” Grey asked and
chuckled snapping her back to the present.

Seana smirked “They were good.”

“Grey!” someone shouted running up to the campfire.
“Lord Jared sent out a proclamation!”

“What is it?” Grey demanded.

“For every half of day that passes, he’s gonna hang
the first person he sees if a particular female of his isn’t returned” the
person told.

All eyes fell to Seana who groaned.

“I can’t believe this.” she muttered standing. “I’ll
save everyone the trouble and go back.”

Grey jumped up, “You can’t.”

“I can and will” Seana replied, “You’ve been real
nice and I know if Jared’s men find me with you, everyone here will be
slaughtered. I can stop it before it happens.”

“Besides, I can stop the hangings too.” she added.

Grey reluctantly nodded, “Alright Seana. Go.”

Seana gave Grey a hug and left for the castle. The
village was dark and quite as a graveyard. As Seana crept through the only
sound she heard was her thundering heart as twenty armed horsemen knights
surrounded her.

“Where have you been” one demanded.

“Taking a moonlit walk.” she snapped piercing every
man with a hateful glare.

Another horse rode up and the knights parted to
reveal their lord.

“Again with childishness?” Jared asked softly,
looking down at Seana from his mount.

“I found your declaration kinda
childish.” she snapped before a booted foot caught her in the face.

Seana went down hard on her side and bounced her head
off the ground.

“No one calls me names.” Jared snapped as Seana sat
up, blood oozing from her mouth.

“I think I just did” she replied standing only to be
booted in the face once more.

This time Seana stayed down, in too much pain to sit
up, let alone spar with Jared. She felt herself lifted up in front of the dark
lord and passed out nestled underneath his cloak as they rode away.