The Beast by The Bard

Negotiation

Thank you WiccanMethuselah for being understanding and allowing me to repost this story! I am forever grateful! This story is based off of Beauty and the Beast, since I am obsessed with fairytales.

Warning: This story is not for minors, which is why it's rated MA. This story also contains slave/master situations and if you don't like that, then this story isn't for you. 

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Kagome felt exhaustion from her three day travel wash over her as she sagged in her saddle. She brightened up slightly as her destination rose before her, still out of reach but finally visible. She had heard horror stories of this kingdom that would deter anyone with a brain from going near it. It was said that a beastly warlord locked himself in this castle, away from all civilization. He had not ever been seen outside of his lands but had been spotted by the few men who dared to travel across the warlord’s lands to see if the rumors were true. Some of those men never returned and some others would return injured and on the brink of death saying their ‘insignificant’ lives have been spared so that they might tell others to never trespass onto the beast’s lands.

Looming in the distance was a castle that sat on top of the hill, surrounded by masses of dark clouds and swirling snow that came out of nowhere and fell directly into Kagome’s face, making her nearly blind. She caught glimpses of the old rough looking castle as she peered her head up from the shawl she had donned to hide her face from the relentless snow. The castle itself looked as if it had been there for a very long time remain for centuries more. It had enormous towers that disappeared beyond the clouds, which swirled around the castle in a threatening manner.

Tucking her head back into her shawl to keep her face from going numb, Kagome hissed at her horse to move faster. The horse let out a breezy, tired whine as it started to slow down from its walk and then it stopped moving altogether. She felt herself tremble and she knew part of it was because she was cold but also from the horse shaking from exhaustion. Kagome let out a yell as the horse started to stagger and then fell into the knee high snow, bringing her down with it. Letting out yet another yelp from the cold wet snow that engulfed most of her body, Kagome struggled to get up and brush as much snow from her soaked clothes as possible. The wind beat at her body and whistled in her ears so loudly that she feared she would go deaf. 

Once she got her bearing, Kagome reached down with her gloved hands and stroked her black mare’s neck knowing she would have to leave the horse here and hope to find her when she returned from her visit. “I’m sorry Missy. I pushed you too hard, but I have to continue on foot. Take care of yourself.” She whispered to her mare gently. Kagome straightened up and then started on foot towards the ominous castle in the distance, pushing hard against the wind that tried to get her to turn around and go back where she came from.

I have to get to the castle and see if my brother really is there. I have to get my brother back.

Kagome shivered as another strong gust of wind battered her numb body still relentless on trying to push her away from her destination, but only made her push back harder.

It felt like hours had passed for Kagome as she continued to fight against the wind and the cold. She peered up to see how close she was to getting to the castle only to find it still taunting her far off in the distance. Kagome felt her heart drop and she choked back a cry. She knew that she had been walking for a long time and yet somehow the castle seemed no closer. She stopped in her tracks and looked around to confirm how far she had traveled. Behind her there was nothing but her sunken boot prints in the snow, and a forest surrounded her on all sides.

Further in the distance Kagome could see nothing but snow and hills, and she hoped that her horse had wandered off to a more sheltered location. Satisfied that she had indeed traveled far, Kagome turned her eyes back to the castle and tucked her face back into her shawl. For a moment she hesitated, wondering whether she turn back around and give up, or keep moving forward and die trying to find her brother. She took one step forward and then another, and resolved that she would rather die trying to save someone she loved than take the coward’s way out by giving up.

As Kagome finally drew closer to the castle the wind blew much harsher against her already frail body and the howling and whistles in her ears never ceased. Trying to keep her mind off of the numbing pain of the cold, she thought of her family back at home in their small town. The sun was starting to go down leaving the sky orange, pink and purple so she knew her family was probably preparing for dinner. Her mouth watered as she thought of her mother’s cooking. She thought of having a sweet honeyed ham with sweet potatoes and greens, followed by a glass of red wine. Kagome’s stomach growled in anticipation of the food she imagined she could be eating at this moment, but she knew she would have to disappoint herself another night and settle for the stale bread she had brought on her journey. 

Another howl rang in Kagome’s ears and snapped her out of her reverie. Her eyes went wide as she lifted her head and looked around herself as she stopped walking. The other howls had sounded like the cries of the wind, but this one sounded more like an animal.

“That was close…” She whispered to herself as she continued to scan her surroundings. Her hair whipped around her face and into her sore eyes, only irritating her vision further. She quickly brushed it away, but her efforts were fruitless; strands of hair continued to escape from Kagome’s shawl and obscure her vision. Her breathing began to quicken as another howl sounded, much closer to her, in response to a call in the distance. 

Kagome began to walk again and tried to pick up the pace the knee high snow made her movements frustratingly sluggish, as if she were walking through wet cement. She let out a loud gasp as she heard a rustling over the wind that came from her right. She turned her head towards the direction where the sound came from as she pressed forward, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“Please, please, Kami just let me make it to the castle,” Kagome chanted softly to herself as she continued to walk and scan her surroundings. She walked for a good ten minutes without any more distractions but then a snarl sounded immediately to her right and she whipped her whole body toward the sound. A scream left Kagome’s body as she came face to face with a huge white dog about the size of a horse. Its lips were curled back over its sharp teeth, its blood red eyes staring right at her. The dog snarled at her and licked at its teeth, showing her that it was prepared to completely ravage her body.

Kagome’s azure eyes were wide with fright as screams left her mouth of their own accord. She stood frozen in place staring at the dog that was still growling and had drool dropping from its thin black lips down to the pure white snow with a hiss. She swallowed hard and took one step back before bolting towards the castle, screaming the whole way. Heavy stomps pounded behind her that let her know the creature was in hot pursuit and in no hurry to give up its prey.

After what seemed like ages of screaming Kagome’s voice cracked and that pause in noise broke the spell terror had placed on her. She took no more time to take in the demon dog’s presence and instead bolted toward the castle as quickly as her legs could carry her through the thick snow. Her shawl whipped about her face once before the wind tore it completely from her person and claimed it as a prize.

Please Kami, I swear I will give blessings every day from now on so as long as you let me live and not become dog food!, Kagome screamed in her head as she ran. The pounding behind her got closer and closer and a sinking feeling engulfed her as she realized there was no way she could outrun the dog. Kagome heard a growl and felt hot breath warming the exposed skin of her neck, followed by a snap of jaws that only missed her because she tripped over her feet and fell sliding in the snow. The large dog hurdled past her as she fell, propelled forward by the momentum from its strike.

Despite her narrow escape from death, Kagome had no time to rest. The dog let out a snarl of displeasure at its miss as it turned around and started back towards her while she scrambled to get to her feet. She ducked past the vicious dog and her heart leapt as she saw that she was no more than ten feet away from the front doors of the castle. She almost cried in relief at the sight of the imposing structure and ran with all the strength she could muster to the front doors. She heard the snarls closing in quickly behind her as she opened the doors and threw herself inside, slamming them shut the moment she was through.

Kagome backed away from the doors slowly, afraid that any sudden movement on her part would allow the dog to break through. After some time the pounding ceased and the only sound Kagome could hear was her heavy breathing and the wind lashing at the window panes and the subtle creaking of the castle. Turning around she faced the open room that was dark and dusty from a lack of housekeeping. As she calmed her breathing she started to move slowly through the room towards a hallway, taking in her surroundings with nervous wonder. 

“Hello? I’m looking for my brother. I was told that he would be here…” she called out hoping someone would answer. She looked into a room to her left that was dark and showed no signs of ever being occupied, and then continued her exploration of the castle.

A soft ting from the winding staircase made her jump, but she followed the sound in the hopes of spotting a servant or anyone who could tell her where her brother might be. “Hello?” she repeated softly as she made her way up the staircase. She could now see that it was lit by candles that were almost burned out, with the wax melted down and hanging over the candle sticks.

As Kagome reached the top of the staircase she noticed that only a faint glimmer of light could be seen, coming from a candle that was burned down to almost nothing and flickering wildly. Her eyes adjusted to the near darkness and gave a little gasp of surprise as she saw that the whole floor was full of cells. Kagome knew this must be one of the many towers she had seen from outside the castle, and this was one tower she didn’t really want to be in. 

“Hello?” She called softly as she took one timid step forward. 

“Kagome! What are you doing here?” A pair of hands stuck out of a cell that was down the hall. She knew that voice to be her brother’s and she almost wept when she heard it. 

“Souta!” Kagome called, relief settling her nerves as she ran towards his cell. She fell to her knees as she took hold of his hands and held onto them for dear life. “Your hands are so cold! What has he done to you?!” She asked angrily. 

“You gotta get out of here, Kagome. This place isn’t safe for you! He will take you too!” Souta’s face was pale and his lips were cracked with dry blood, but his eyes were what really startled Kagome. They were wide with horror and in their depths were an emptiness reserved for only those who had experienced something truly terrifying.

“No I’m not leaving here without you! I didn’t come all this way through a blizzard just to give up when you’re finally in my grasp. “

“What are you doing here wench!?” Kagome started at a deep growl that reverberated throughout the empty cells, and screamed as she felt a hand grab her and pull her away from her little brother.

The man grabbed her by the back of her clothes and threw her to the opposite side of the hallway, causing her body to slam into the bars of an empty cell. She groaned in pain as she slowly righted herself into a sitting position, she squinted her eyes to see the dark figure that now stood before her brother’s prison. The figure moved toward her in two long strides and grabbed her by the hair before she could recover from the shock of his attack.

“You should have known better than to trespass on the master’s lands, little girl! You are one stupid bitch for coming here,” he growled in her face, his rotting breath making her gag involuntarily.

Coughing, Kagome tried to pull her head away from the man’s iron grip. “I didn’t mean any harm! I came to get my little brother back! Please, can’t you see he is ill? Let him go!” She begged, only to receive another growl and more rancid breath in her face.

“He is of none of your concern anymore…” the man snarled, “If I were you, I would be more concerned about yourself.” He then yanked her to her feet and dragged her back down the stairs she had climbed to reach the top of the tower.

The shadowed man pulled Kagome through a maze of hallways with such a long stride that it was impossible for her to use her own feet to walk. She yelled and tried to get out of his grasp but he only shook her and snarled at her as he continued to drag her along. They came to a sudden stop and Kagome was finally able to balance herself and stand steady on her feet. She was in a room that was lit by a fireplace and had two candles on each side of it, which helped to illuminate just a little more of the vast space. 

There were two huge master chairs that were partly in shadow and were placed on top of a fur rug with the head of a tiger. There was a desk off to the left that was neatly organized with papers and pens, and a map that Kagome eyed hopefully. Her attention abruptly shifted from the map to a man as he stood up from the desk and made his way slowly towards them, lingering in the shadows. He stood at least six feet tall and his silhouette was slender. He almost appeared feminine with his long hair that flashed silver as the light of a flickering candle struck it, but Kagome had caught a glimpse of a strong chin and was certain of the stranger’s gender.

Kagome’s captor pushed her towards the shadows where the new figure stood watching. “My Lord, I found this girl sneaking around in the dungeon tower like a rat, talking to the prisoner!”

Kagome stood in place and tried not to let fear overtake her. She felt her knees shaking and her heart rattling around in her chest, and swallowed in a vain attempt to appear calm. Kagome still couldn’t see the Lord’s face but his eyes were fixed on her and she could see that they were a striking golden color that couldn’t possibly be real.

“Leave.” The Lord’s soft baritone voice broke through the silence and startled Kagome even further. She turned her head to the shuffling behind her and saw her captor give a low bow then quickly leave the room, closing the door behind him. 

Kagome refocused on the imposing warlord, who stood silent and staring, and found herself wishing the other man had stayed.

After a few uncomfortable and very silent minutes, Kagome decided that perhaps she was expected to speak. The man had continued to stare at her, unabashed, and his golden eyes chilled her more than the blizzard outside had. “I didn’t mean any harm coming here,” she said timidly, “I only came to find my brother and return him home. Please understand,” she begged softly. 

“Hn,” was all the response she got, but the warlord finally moved, morphing into the darkness with a few short strides. In a matter of seconds she could no longer see his silhouette. 

“He is sick and looks like death! You have to let him go!” Kagome continued to beg. 

“Why should I care about the welfare of a human boy?” A deep baritone voice echoed from the darkness and then the warlord’s golden eyes were once again fixed on Kagome with an unnerving steadiness.

Kagome’s brave face began to slip as she realized things weren’t going her way. She thought the Lord of this castle would at least have some consideration for someone’s health, but perhaps he was not a reasonable man after all. “If you don’t care about him, then release him! He doesn’t need to be here. He did nothing wrong.” Kagome knew she was grasping at straws, but maybe this man would at least be willing to throw her and Souta out into the blizzard rather than deal with her protests.

However, the Lord remained silent and Kagome found her fear turning to frustration. “Please I will do anything! Just release him so he can go home and heal.” 

“Hn.” Kagome heard the Lord take a few steps and then his silhouette materialized again. His body was now exposed to the light but his face was still hidden in the darkness, aside from those golden eyes which seemed more like an animal’s than a person’s. He was wearing an all-white outfit made for only royal blood. His pants were loose, but not loose enough to completely conceal the definition of strong, muscled thighs. His feet were adorned in black boots that covered the bottom part of his white pants. Around his shoulder hung a red cape and a golden breast plate clung to his chest, covering the white jacket beneath it almost entirely. “You. For the boy.” 

Kagome’s eyes widened in surprise at this stranger’s words, but when her blue eyes met his golden ones she quickly averted her gaze. “You promise to send him back home safely?” she whispered, not quite sure why she wasn’t making a bigger deal about the man’s proposal. How could she just accept such a dim fate without further complaint? Was it truly all for the sake of her brother?

“Hn,” was the Lord’s only response, and Kagome chose to take it as an affirmative.

Letting out a shaky breath, she nodded, “Very well,” she whispered as she fixed her eyes on her feet. She was suddenly terrified again, wondering what possible use this powerful man could have for a girl like her. Outside a blizzard raged and wild demon dogs roamed free. In her mind Kagome vowed to see her brother off as he left this place. She needed to see with her own eyes that he would be accompanied by someone who would keep him safe on his journey back home: after all, Kagome had nearly died coming here herself.

“You may stay in your brother’s place under one condition…” she heard his voice come closer to her but her eyes stayed frozen to her feet. “You will do everything I bid you to do, is that understood?”

Kagome slowly looked up and locked eyes with the devil she had just struck a deal with. She let out a little yelp and scrambled backwards, nearly tripping over her own feet as she saw the face of the man before her. His eyes were wide and red, and took up too much of his face, and his mouth was slightly elongated into a snout. His teeth were pointed fangs, all of them, and his silver hair seemed to float about him as if electricity was crackling through it. He had two magenta stripes that were jagged on each cheek that framed the corners of his thin lips and a blue crescent moon in the middle of his forehead. His hands were tipped with claws that glowed a sinister green, and his overall appearance was that of the worst kind of demon. 

Kagome blinked and suddenly the man standing before her was beautiful. His eyes were golden and his mouth was perfect and very sensuous. The stripes on each cheek started from his hairline and stopped at the bottom of his cheek bone and his claws were normal hands. For a moment Kagome questioned her sanity and wondered why she had seen a monster in the place of this beautiful man. “I understand,” she replied.

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