‘What am I?’ Beast repeated the question.

Beast felt his mind going blank. He wasn’t expecting such a question. Never he had to explain what he was. He was many things and none at the same time. The enigma of his existence was incomprehensible.

‘How much she knows?’ He asked himself. ‘What Ancient One told her about my heritage? Does she know the reality of my life?’

“Beast?”

She was demanding an answer.

“I am a human.” He took his sweet time to answer. “Half-human.”

“And what is your other half?”

Beast didn’t want her to know. He didn’t want anyone to know. Duval was an exception. Ancient One and spirits already knew. That redhead beauty doesn’t need to understand what he was, he convinced himself.

“A shifter?” She implored.

Raven cawed loudly as if laughing at him.

Beast sighed and moved his head in naught.

“Children of Moon?” A term for Lycans. “or Night?” Another term for a vampyri. She kept guessing.

Beast lost his control. He grasped her thin shoulders and hissed.

“I am not!” His grip tightened.

He saw fear in her eyes. He had scared her. He quickly let her go.

“I am human enough, woman. That’s all you need to know.”

She was about to speak up when out of nowhere Duval appeared out of the thin air, surprising both of them with his appearance.He was drenched in slush. Mud, snow, and water made him look distraught.

“Duval, welcome back.”  Beast's voice was tender towards him. He patted Duval's head.

“Oh, Master! When will you ever stop treating me as a child?” Duval brushed his hair back. “ And in front of a lady?” Duval put down his huge bag.

“It is snowing at this time of the year down the valley.  Can you believe that!?” he was getting water out of his cloak. 

“Oh milady Milah!” he gave a smile. “long time no see.”

Beast suppressed his laughter as he saw a girl moving her face away from Duval.

‘so her name is Milah’ he made sure to memorize it.

“You stay away from me, you dirty mage!  she shouted.

“Charmed! Lady's wrath is beauty on its own!” Duval toyed.

“Uhh!” Milah threw her hands up in the air. “ Your servant makes me sick!” Milah declared to the beast.

“He teases me as well.” He assured her, hoping his words be of comfort.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Master. I adore you but I don’t flirt with you, ever.”  Duval was being cocky.

“Let me help you, brat.” Beast took the bag from Duval. He had noticed how much his servant shivered from cold. A strong wind was making it harder for Duval to keep his teeth from cluttering.

“I believe you have bought what I asked for?” Beast was quite interested in the contents of the bag. He waited for many days for his supplies.

“Books are getting rather expensive, still I traded few medicinal herbs for them. I could only buy three, Master.”

Duval took Milah's hand in his, making Milah shrieked as her private space was invaded. He kissed it loudly.

“And for you, my fair maiden, the art supplies you requested.”

“Let go of my hand, you oaf!” Milah looked ready to kill him. Beast watched the interaction in amusement.

“Feisty as ever."

“I will kill you with my hand.”  Milah couldn’t hold her anger.

“Unfitting words for the lady of your status.”

“You insolent…”

Beast watched the banter as they walked towards the castle. How his domain had survived with just him and his servant? Duval has always been talkative and Beast with his millennia of solitude never had anything to say. So he used to listen to Duval's tales. His endeavors in the outside world, his flirtatious inclinations, and how the world was changing over time.

The bloodline of Freed was given the task to keep an eye on him a millennium ago. They faithfully did their duty. As Mages, they were powerful enough to bore duties to serve the cursed being like him. But Duval had never been a servant to him. When there were only two of them in the castle. They easily disregard their relationship of master and servant. Beast could never forget the wide-eyed kid who came one day with his former servant Bail Freed only to be trained to live with him as a servant. A lively little thing who wasn’t afraid of him being a monster. They amused himself by tracing cursed marks on his limbs and often pulling his hood back to reveal his non-human markers. His laugh was contagious.

“Master? Master!” Beast came out of his reminiscent of the past upon hearing Duval’s words. Duval Freed, the bravest and kind but also the arrogant brat, too conscious of his good looks.

“Lady Milah disapproves of your art collection.” Duval’s words put a smile on his face.

“It is understandable. Too grotesque for the lady's taste, I assume.” He found himself saying.

Milah mumbled something.

“What is that, milady?” Duval once again was in her personal space.

“I said, not the picture of the scarred lady.”

Beast hadn’t felt such turmoil in centuries. Has she discovered his reality? Has she found Nuala’s journal?

“Apart from Lady Naula’s painting, the artwork is not refreshing in the castle." Duval whispered  incantation which rapidly dried his clothes and removed all the filth and mud.

“I think I shall buy some sensual paintings that caught my eyes in the brothels. They will surely light up that gloomy castle." Duval's cheekiness knew no bounds. “Oh how they portrayed the arching back of the women, oh how fair the complexions of…”

Beast knew he had crossed the boundaries of being considerate of the delicate gender that walked beside them.

Milah's eyes went up in horror and disgust. Beast smacked Duval on his head.

“You will have to forgive him. I don’t know from where this fool picks up ideas like that. He certainly wasn’t raised like that.”

“Pfft.” Duval scoffed.

“Duval!” Beast raised his voice a notch. “Be thoughtful!”

“If I followed outdated rules and regulations of the chivalry Master tried to teach me, I would’ve been thrown rocks at by the children on a neighboring town.”

Milah's face showed a variety of emotions and Duval's eyes shown in excitement. Beast was mesmerized by such a display. He watched both of his companions with longing. The long-forgotten humanity, the companionship. Millennia lived in solitude. He was surely outdated on social customs.

The castle was Duval's home as well. He was at peace. Beast felt the tides turning in his former quiet and systematic life. Though it was a refreshing change.

But for the man who lived in the same routine for more than almost a millennial his heart trembled from the anticipation for what the future might hold.