The Eye of the Beholder (45 page)

How I loved the sound of that laugh! It made me kiss him even more passionately and when we finally did part, I could feel the imprint of his kisses on my lips. He rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed. His breathing was rapid, but not as rapid as the beating of his heart, which pounded against the hand I had lowered to it.

"I want to sweep you into my arms and carry you off," he said in a voice that made the heat rise to my cheeks once again.

"I wish you would," I confessed in a whisper.

He lowered his mouth to mine once again, kissing me slowly, tantalizingly. "I cannot possibly describe to you how desperately I longed to be able to do this. I knew no will when it came to you. My heart was yours before I knew what had overcome me."

"You are the only person who has ever truly understood me." I caressed his cheek, my fingers trembling at the texture of his skin. "I felt as if your soul was a twin to mine."

"It is," he assured me, lowering one of his hands to cover mine. He kissed his way from my mouth across my cheek. Slowly, softly, he trailed kisses over my entire face. "I cannot ever be parted from you again," he whispered, as his lips slowly made their way back to mine.

There was no talking for some time after that. Every sensation was new and almost painfully exquisite to me and, as I moved my fingers over the contours of his face, I felt as though I was experiencing the sense of touch for the first time. It must have been even more acute for my beloved Edward, who had not had human senses for a very long time.

"Are you truly hundreds of years old?" I asked, when we paused to breathe.

"Indeed I am. No jests about my age, please."

I laughed softly, but sobered quickly. "How lonely you must have been."

"I scarcely remember the loneliness for I am happy now, happier than I ever imagined I could be, happier than I have any right to be. I would live another three hundred years of solitude just to be with you."

His words again brought me to tears, and he softly kissed them all away. "Three hundred years," I marveled.

"I had lost hope. I was almost out of time when your father somehow stumbled upon the castle."

"But why did you allow me to leave?" I asked incredulously. It dawned on me just how much he had sacrificed by setting me free.

"I could not keep you here against your will. I loved you too well. I had no right to make you my prisoner in the first place," he said, eyes flashing, showing me that he was angry at himself.

"I was never your prisoner. I was your friend, just as you were mine."

He pulled me close to him for an embrace and I reveled in the feeling of utter security. I rested my head against his shoulder, his cheek pillowed against my hair as he stroked it gently, soothingly. I wanted the moment to stretch on into eternity.

"What will happen now?" I asked.

"The enchantment is broken. I suppose my kingdom will live on, though I hardly know of what I will be king. As you said, you were unaware of the existence of Organdy."

"Well, we can live alone in the castle--the better to hide you away so that I may claim you for myself and myself only," I teased.

"That appeals to me greatly," he said, his voice deepening. He kissed me lightly and I shivered.

"Did you mean what you said? That you never again want to be parted from me?"

"I am yours Mira. Will you be mine?"

"Yours and yours alone," I said, gently pulling his face down to mine and tracing its contours with my lips.

"I wish you to be mine forevermore," he said quietly. He sank to one knee and took my left hand in his. "Mirabelle, I am a changed man because of you, and I swear I shall be true to you. Will you allow me to spend the rest of my life providing you with every happiness imaginable? Will you make me the happiest man ever to have lived? Will you be my wife?"

"Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes!" I both laughed and cried. I threw my arms around him and he rose, gathering me in his arms and spinning me around dizzyingly.

"She will be my wife!" he shouted, startling several birds in a nearby tree to flight.

We both laughed for joy, kissing over and over. I was to be his wife! "I shall be queen of our empty castle," I laughed.

"Queen of my world," he said.

Faintly, I heard a noise in the distance. Edward must have heard it too, for he drew away from me, turning to face its source. His hand clasped mine, squeezing it as his eyes scanned the horizon. Somehow, the day had slipped away from us and the sun was disappearing, the gardens aflame with the pink-orange glow of dusk
.

"It is the servants!" I gasped.

"It is!" Edward cried.

They rushed toward us, their eyes no longer sightless. Color lit their faces, and they seemed nearly as radiant as Oriantha. Their joy was luminous as they called out to Edward.

"Your Majesty! You have broken it! You have broken the spell!" they cried.

I could see that the small crowd approaching us was short of the full number of servants that had been in the castle. Some of them must have slipped away as soon as their transformation was complete.

As if he had read my thoughts, Edward said, "I only wish they had stayed so that I might have provided for them. I would have ensured they were well equipped to begin a new life."

I brought his hand to my lips and brushed a kiss across his knuckles. His expression was sad, but he had a small smile for me, and he squeezed my hand. The servants came to within a few feet of us and began to kneel before Edward.

"I cannot possibly repay what I owe to all of you, but know this: you shall lead your lives as you see fit. Those who wish to remain in the service of me and my future queen may do so with my gratitude. Those who wish to leave and begin lives of their own may do so with my deepest thanks. Whatever your choice, I promise you that I am a changed man. I was a harsh, unforgiving master many hundreds of years ago, but now I will strive to be just and generous, and I vow to you that my generosity shall begin with each of you."

A new sound began to rise from the forest and, as we all turned our heads toward the trees, I was startled to see that they were teeming with life once more. The forest was verdant and lush, nothing like it had been only hours ago, when I had torn through it in desperation. I turned to glance at the castle and it, too, had been transformed. Every window gleamed in the weakening light, every stone seemed new. The garden was in perfect order, full and beautiful and trimmed into neat, geometric patterns. There were pools and fountains, adding the soothing music of water to the air.

Most beautiful of all, though, were the roses. They climbed the walls as they had before the transformation, but now they seemed even brighter and more beautiful. Their scent suffused the air, and it was a scent I knew would always fill me with memories. Everything was perfect, utterly perfect, and I felt immeasurable happiness.

Within minutes, carriages and people on foot began streaming up the castle drive. The first to arrive were my father and sisters. Papa wept when he saw me and, as he bowed to Edward, Edward bowed to him in return. My sisters studied my beloved with wide eyes filled with awe and envy, and they stumbled as they attempted to curtsy before him.

"But how did you..." I began.

"We just knew," Papa said, his eyes wide and shining with tears. I threw my arms around him and embraced him, overcome that he was there to share in my joy. Silently, I thanked Oriantha.

More and more people arrived: lords and ladies, servants for the castle, gamekeepers for the forest, subjects with petitions for their king--a seemingly endless flood of people. The breaking of the spell must have led to the dispelling of some sort of enchantment over the people, for they knew Edward as their king and spoke as if he had never been missing, not even for a day. It soon became apparent to us that only the original servants, my family, and Edward and I knew the true tale of the past three hundred years of the kingdom of Organdy.

When Edward and I finally managed to steal a few moments to ourselves again, I hid myself in his arms, overwhelmed.

"I do not know how to be a queen," I said, my voice trembling.

"You do," Edward contradicted me, his voice firm. He tilted my head so that our gazes met. "You know far more about being a good sovereign than I did. You have taught me compassion and I will teach you protocol. Before you, I was only half a king but, with you at my side, I shall finally be a true ruler."

My fear faded, for I knew his words were the truth. We were a perfect match, both of us bringing out the best in the other. Together, there was nothing we could not conquer.

About the Author

Elizabeth Darcy is a pen name for Nicole Ciacchella, who has always dearly loved the Beauty and the Beast tale.

Nicole has had a lifelong passion for the written word. As a child, one of her most treasured Christmas gifts was an electric typewriter, which enabled her to crank out her stories even more quickly than she could with a pen. Naturally, the personal computer is one of her favorite inventions. When she isn't writing, Nicole can usually be found curled up in a chair, whiling away the hours with a good book.

One of Nicole's other great passions is travel, and she has visited Europe, as well as traveling to many of the fifty states. Her favorite trips include visits to Paris, Maui, and various parts of Belgium. She feels fortunate that she is married to a native Belgian, as it gives her plenty of reasons to visit Europe as often as possible. Also, it gives her an excuse to eat Belgian waffles regularly.

Born and raised in Michigan, Nicole lives there still with her husband and two beautiful children. She thinks Michigan is the greatest state in the country, and Michigan State University is the greatest university in the world.

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