Evermore [The Beast/The Prince x Reader]

chapter sixteen

In the dusty area of the library, on a table in the center, surrounded by several melted candles and a pile of discarded novels, sat a giant book. It was perched on a golden stand and opened directly in the center.

The Beast had yet to use it, claiming that he had not thought of anywhere pleasant to go. ___, eager to leave, began thinking of a dozen places that she wanted to visit.

"How does this work?" she asked.

He touched the corner of the page and hesitated. "I am not sure," he admitted, "but there was something engraved in the cover page."

He flipped the book to the front. Lifting the intricate, leather bound cover, he revealed a page of aged parchment. Written in old ink, in French, read the message that was his only instruction.

"Think of the one thing you've always wanted," he read aloud. "Find it in your mind's eye, and feel it in your heart."

She flipped the book back. He watched her sure movements as she took his hand. His eyes widened as she laced her fingers with his and carefully placed his hand with hers on the book. She took a deep breath.

"Shall I choose where we will go, your majesty?" she requested, her face serious.

The Beast nodded. "Sure, of course. Anywhere you'd like."

"Anywhere," she breathed, and she closed her eyes.

He did the same, focusing on her steady hand beneath his own. She was so sure, so strong, so imaginative - and then they were moving.

It felt like he was soaring through the sky. And even as they moved, he felt her hand grasping his like a lifeline, and he wondered how he'd ever gone without holding her hand before. She was now his guide through everything, and while he was grateful that it was always she who made the move to hold his hand just by sensing that he would need it, he knew he would soon be reaching for her without thinking.

When they finally landed, it was on a snowy cobblestone street. It was empty, but there was the faint sound of horse hooves against ground and music playing in the distance. In the faint darkness, lit windows could be seen from afar.

The Beast glanced around. "Where did you take us?"

She was grinning ear to ear. "Moscow, I think!"

"Moscow?" he asked, glancing at her. "Oh, I love Moscow."

"Oh, me, too," she said, spinning around to take in the sights. "The parties they throw are wonderful! Masked and anonymous, but dances like you wouldn't believe!"

"I have never been to one of their parties," he said. "My father found them to be repulsive, like most things."

She squeezed his hand. "Well, you can go now!"

He yanked against her hold. Gasping, she let him go. He shook his head and cowered away, shame in his eyes.

"Your majesty-"

"I can't," he cried, clutching the hand she held to his chest. "If they see me-"

"They won't know," she assured him, reaching for his hands again. She smiled and shook her head. "It's all masked. We only need attire, and we can go. I know where there's a party every night. My cousin took me when I turned twenty and we stayed for a week."

"Are you suggesting that we steal clothing?" he asked.

"Borrow," she said. "We will borrow clothing from a clothing store, and then we will bring it back before we go back."

He gulped. "Very well. And it is absolutely a masked event?"

"Yes," she said, taking his hand again. "I wouldn't lie to you, your majesty."

"I know."

She smiled. "Then let's go shop a bit, yeah?"

Twenty minutes later, and ___ had managed to break into a small shop on the corner of a street. It was starting to close. While they were busy counting their thread and their earnings, she snatched an elegant tunic and pant for the Beast and a gown for her.

She had to alter them a bit for the Beast, considering he had a bit of a larger body than usual. She gave him back his cape so that it would trail down to the ground and hide his animal-like feet. As a final touch, she shoved gold gloves on his hands to hide the claws.

He looked regal and more like a man than ever. He must have noticed, for she giggled as she saw his chest puff a bit when he stole a glance in one of the nearby windows. He looked away in embarrassment.

The gown she had stolen was gold with bronze embellishments laced around the corset. The sleeves were pure lace and the skirt had layers upon layers of thin fabrics. She spun in a circle before him, smiling as she felt her skirt lift off of her legs and envelope her in a golden waterfall of clothing.

"You look beautiful," he said.

"And you look incredibly handsome, your majesty," she said.

He held his arm out to her. Grinning, she took it and they walked out into the open street. It took several minutes for the Beast to calm his unsteady heart. He was sure someone would notice the way his talons clicked against the cobblestone or the way his breaths came out more like growls.

___ was almost leaping with excitement. Here eyes were wide and childlike. It had been too long since she'd seen people, and she was so thrilled to finally be in the company of some humans.

They approached a tall, fancy building. They entered without trouble, and, as they stepped inside, were consumed by glorious yellow lights that were brighter than the sun itself.

She gripped tightly to the Beast's arm, and he touched his hand over hers. She glanced at him, and then the dance floor, where dozens of couples were spinning and laughing and singing. They were drunk with vodka and delight, and the atmosphere was most giddy.

He gulped, and then pulled her onto the floor.