I bolted upright in the tiny metal cot as sweat dripped from my forehead and across my chest. Just a dream. Or was it? And where was I?
The tiny room slowly came into focus. The peaked roof loomed above my head and the stark white walls stood bare except for a small hand-stitched sign that read ‘to know one’s mind is to know one’s self’. The temple. I rubbed my face with my hands, the memories of the last few days and my nightmare swirled and merged into a dark play, acting out over and over in my mind. But I was safe here. Wasn’t I?
I lay back on the cot and rested my head on the soft pillow. The lumpy mattress beat sleeping on the ground, even though being closer to Alizeh would have soothed my nerves a bit more. Even with the serene peacefulness of the temple surrounding me, I still didn’t completely trust Edwin. He seemed to be hiding something from me. But everyone was hiding something from me. Maybe I just didn’t like him much? Either way, the faster I heard his story, the faster I could get off this mountain and go home to send the guards to my father’s rescue.
I rolled onto my side and stared at the pyramid of light cutting through the narrow opening of the nearly closed door. Sun or lantern light? I couldn’t tell. A tiny ornately-carved table sat across from my face with a glass of water and two stalks of prickly aloe vera placed neatly on top. A note written in meticulous handwriting read ‘for the sunburn’.
I swung my feet to the floor and sat up, letting my mind recalibrate for a moment before grabbing the glass. The water went down in one gulp, my dry throat craving more as soon as the last drop disappeared, the search mission taking its toll. I squeezed the sticky ointment from the aloe and rubbed it over my arms and face, the coolness instantly feeling better against my scorched skin. Finally, I dared to stand up, but my head ached and the room spun. I grabbed the side of the table until the dizziness faded, then took a deep breath before staggering out of the room.
Outside, the rich scent of baking bread wafted from down the hall. My stomach rumbled and saliva built on my tongue, as my feet followed my nose.
"Good morning, Your Majesty. Sleep well?” Edwin asked as I entered the quaint and simple kitchen of the temple.
I blinked. The clean starkness of the room too bright for my half-asleep brain to process.
"Already morning?” I rustled my hand through my hair as a yawn stretched my face. I'd only intended to sleep an hour, maybe two, but clearly my body had other ideas.
"Not quite. It’s nearly two in the afternoon.” Edwin grabbed a metal teapot from the stove and set it on the small dining table, already set for two. "Jasmine tea? It'll help clear your mind."
I lumbered across the kitchen, nearly collapsing in the empty chair across from him. He offered a basket of fresh buns, my mouth already salivating from the delicious smell. I gazed at Edwin carefully, scanning his face and looking for a hidden agenda. He caught my scrutiny and grinned as if he would’ve done the same in my position, then nudged the breadbasket closer. I kept my eyes locked on him, but accepted the soft bun and let the fresh from the oven warmth seep into my palm.
"So I hear you want to know the full story. How I ended up leaving the castle, and the real truth about your parents,” Edwin said.
“Yes, please," I mumbled through a mouthful of bread and fresh blackberry jam. The tart fruit melted against my tongue. Maybe Edwin wasn’t so bad.
"Well, I guess the best place to start is the beginning. I’ve known your father since we were children. I grew up in the castle by his side and we were the best of friends. Until, of course, we weren’t. He always had a charmed life. Handsome. Wealthy. The ladies loved him. But he was often selfish and stubborn if he didn't get his way. His father was a harsh and stubborn man, who fortunately wasn’t around much, but he loved his mother with all his heart. She doted on him and spoiled him every way she could until she died when he was just a young boy. After that, his arrogance grew worse. Ezra grew up in the castle raised mainly by servants and given any of his heart's desire, which changed almost daily. With no one around to keep him in line, he had no consequences for anything he did. No responsibility or ownership of his actions."
I cringed, the story sounding more like mine then my father’s, except I was lucky to have two wonderful parents. "But he isn't like that."
Edwin smirked and tented his fingers on the table. "Not now. But it wasn't always so. And unfortunately, as with most things, major changes do not come easily. One day a forest fairy visited your father in disguise. Disgusted at what she saw of the future king, she placed a curse on him and the rest of the castle, so that his unreasonable obsession with beauty and perfection became his downfall. The fairy's curse insisted that until he learned to see past the material and obvious aesthetics, he would remain hideous to everyone else. He would be a —"
“Beast." I took a sip of the hot tea, the warm flow of it down my throat soothing against the horrible image in my brain. I shook my head. The story sounded so fantastic, if I didn’t know my father was locked up outside I’d think it was a hoax.
"Exactly.
