During the next few days, I found it better to ignore my husband. He was in one those "moods" again, of course after that discussion at breakfast. He appeared to like it that I ignored him, because I still haven't seen him.
But I still wonder. Why on earth did he behave so oddly then? What was it about his back story that was so terrible and sad? There's no point in asking him, since he just goes nearly insane about it, and none of the servants entirely remember. I guess I'll have to find out on my own. Oh, this will be very exciting! There isn't much to do around this big castle anyway.
I started off by doing what I do best. Reading. I poured my little soul like a mad man over the library, looking for journals, history records, anything! I read nearly every title on every spine and skimmed through any book with no titles. There seemed to be nothing on Beast's family or even the castle. This family must not have been good record keepers (and still so now). But eventually I found at least one book stated An overview of The Rose, which I knew must be this castle. And so, there I sat in the library, reading away at this book. It was quite boring at first, being about the history of the royalty that lived here. But near the end (why didn't I think of skipping to the end?) I think I found something about his parents. It seemed very sweet. His parents must have been very lovely people. Reading on, I laughed. Beast's mother delivered him in the rose garden. What a coincidence! Perhaps I'll find a time to bring that up to him. Although it did bother me that his name wasn't mentioned in the story. Why would that be?
But the story went from sweet to sour. Apparently, a war had broken loose long ago by some gang of murderers. Not many people new because the war was fought with stratagem and the forest surrounding the kingdom kept most of it unknown to other people outside. It reads on here:
...There has been a great loss over by city of Amien. Most of the kings men have been slain, and the kingdom has resorted to drafting men from old to young to help fight back these horrible cut-throats. Our beloved King Henry grows weak with worry...
...There will be no fighting today.
King Henry has died at the throne, along with several servants. No one can explain why or how. Only that his heir survives the event. In terrible mourning the kingdom cries with loss. But our dear, wonderful Queen, Catherine stood as if to face her kingdom and cried "do not fear my beloveds! Let us not weep for long! We have work to do here, and Henry would not desire for us to mourn and give up! Come now, let us prepare for greater trials!"
It was later agreed that the welfare of Henry's son was too great to risk. Catherine has sent him to live with the fairy in the Meadow Swamp while she tries to defend her kingdom. We hope the fairy will be of great protection to him.
There was no more writings. The writer must have been to busy with the war to make anymore records. I can only imagine what it must have been like to grow up in a war. Not only that but also be sent to a strange fairy that you've never met. The fairy must have been kindly, otherwise he wouldn't have been sent there.
But this still doesn't answer all of my questions. How exactly did Beast assume such a hideous shape for so long. Why did the evil fairy do it to him?
While I was sitting in my stupor in the library, Elle, one of the maids came by.
"May I inquire what you are doing, My lady?"
Elle! Just the right lady to come by. She might know some secrets. She's terrible at keeping them in.
"Oh, I'm only searching about and reading is all," I answered smoothly.
"What are you searching for?" she asked after some thought.
"Not much really, I just want to know more about this castle, but I'm not finding any luck in this library."
Elle gave a shaky comment and started dusting the books. She glanced at me once with an essence of knowing something, but keeping it "hush hush."
I knew it. I knew she would have something to tell. So carefully thinking, I played along.
"If only there was another place were better records were kept. Maybe even a few journals."
Elle seemed to just want to burst with the desire to tell.
"Well, maybe you could look in the attic."
"The attic?" I replied, surprised. I wasn't playing along anymore. Did we really have an attic?
Elle told me that there was an entrance in the Study. It's were all of the real records and journals are kept. The book I was reading was written by servants.
Now I maybe I can get to the bottom of this mystery! Hurriedly, I thanked Elle--tumbling over my words a little bit--and sped off to the proposed attic...
