18

The walk back to her room was a silent one. One that she was grateful for since it allowed her to think. After their talk in the rose garden, Sonya’s opinion of Beast had begun to change. In that brief moment where he opened up to her, she had seen traces of the man he might have been. There was no doubt in her mind that he had once been human; it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the old and tattered picture that she had seen was of him and Camren.

As she continued to walk hand in claw with Beast down the never-ending hallways of the castle, a small smile appeared on her face. She couldn’t help but wonder what he had been like as a child. Had he been cheerful and full of life? Or had he been isolated and withdrawn from others? Although, when she thought about his personality and the frown he had worn in the painting, she figured it was the latter of the two.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.