Kill his belle

Chapter five

Ryder couldn't stop thinking, lhis heartbeat has suddenly skyrocketed.

How did Belle know who he was?

He lets go of her immediately but he couldn't get his eyes off her, "How?" Even the words seem so difficult for him to say.

Belle smiles, "I'm your wife after all. I'm supposed to be able to recognize you," she laughs but Ryder's gaze was still demanding a specific explanation, "But well, you were naked and so close to the marketplace. And, no one has ever escaped the beast. So," she looks away, " I just had to place the pieces together and the reason that you must be the beast yourself."

Ryder blink once, then twice, he felt amazed, firstly because the girl had recognized her when no one did. It shows how intelligent she is. And then, he wonders why she didn't say anything to the boy that came over the other time," You are not going to tell your friends?"

Belle looks up, surprised as she shakes her head negatively, "I'm not going to tell on my husband."

Ryder hisses and finally looks away, " You are too young to even get married."

" No! I'm not!" She whines annoyingly, " My friends think I reason like an adult."

Surely, Ryder supports that too and nods slightly.

" But," he looks back at her. Now, all he felt was guilt and peace of mind. Everyone had hated him for being the beast but Belle was talking freely with him even after knowing he's the beast, "Why do you think you are my wife?"

Belle blush slightly, "Because I'm the Belle that will save the beast. Beauty and the beast, that's me and you," she seems so happy about the illustration.

Ryder blink once, then twice, stunned before bursting out laughing really hard, " You are not even making any sense," he sobers and looks at the bewildered face of Belle, " Can you fight? Do you know martial arts?"

Belle stares for a while before she shakes her head slightly.

" See," Ryder shrugs slightly, " How then do you think you can help me?"

Belle gathers her wrinkles, " The sorcerer told me I'm the one that can conquer the beast in you. He wouldn't have lied about it," she rattles off.

" What did you just say? What sorcerer?"

Belle looks up at him again, " I met a sorcerer that told me I should look for you and I will be helpful to you. According to him, I will be the one to conquer the beast in you."

Ryder couldn't believe his ears. Why will the sorcerer think the girl can help him? Why would a girl help him to begin with? Something so huge that he couldn't even help himself, how the heck would the young girl help him.

It seems like balderdash to him.

Ryder turns away and walks to the fireplace. He takes a seat and stares at the pot on the fire. Belle rushes to sit beside him.

"Why were you at the market yesterday?"

Ryder thought for a while, "I wanted to break free from the hole I was. I felt I was enclosed," he sighs, " I only wanted to take in some fresh breeze. I didn't mean for what happened."

Belle smiles up at him, " Guess the beast also wanted to take in some fresh breeze. You shouldn't be thinking, knowing the beast might hear you. You should say it aloud since he's not around to hear you," Belle laughs and Ryder joins in.

Ryder becomes sober and looks at Belle. He didn't know what it was but he felt some kind of feeling rush through him. It warmed his heart and makes him feel alive again.

And because Ryder has never laughed or smiled, it was a surprise he did all this just a day of meeting Belle.

Perhaps she was his bride. Can the sorcerer be right?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Belle's beautiful and wide eyes watch him in surprise.

Ryder smile and play with her hair, "You are kind and cheerful," he says and makes sure her hair falls back behind her.

"And beautiful, say the word," Belle whines and pouts out amazingly.

Ryder chuckles softly and stood up, " I need to get back to the palace. Everyone will be looking for me now."

Belle stands too and looks up at him sadly, " Will you be back?"

Ryder thinks for a while and shrugs briefly, "I don't know."

Belle smiles suddenly, she stands on her toes and brushes her lips over Ryder's quickly, "Think of me and come back," she smiles again and continues to watch the shocked expression on his face.

Ryder stood still for what seemed like an eternity. There was something about Belle he's unable to fathom.

The fact that her kiss seems to set something on fire in him. Something hurts so deep in him and the funny part is that he felt no pain.

He felt the urge to kiss her again but his head wouldn't allow it. How would he explain kissing a sixteen years old girl? She's just too young to even think of dating talkless of marrying.

But how would he explain what he had just experienced?

Ryder started away before he would change his mind and follow his mind by kissing Belle.

He walks for a while until he arrives at the gate of the palace. The anguish of the previous day crept in.

Every inch of the palace always reminds him of the ghastly incidents with the beast.

"Who goes there!" A thick voice says from above.

Ryder looks up and realizes it's one of the guards, "it's me, Ryder Kingston."

The gate opens and the guards take their bow as Ryder walks past him towards his villa.

His villa stretch far inside because he was the only prince and well, the rightful heir to the throne. He enjoyed the luxury of being the crown prince.

He steps feet inside and sees Lucas talking with some of the guards.

Ryder walks forward and touches Lucas on his shoulder.

Lucas whirls to look at him, his face registering shock as he watches him, "How are you, your highness?" He walks around him, checking everywhere on his body, " You are not hurt anywhere, or are you?"

Ryder sighs and pushes him off, " You are not even worried about the dead. The only thing you are worried about is if I'm hurt or not?"

Lucas laughs, " Well, you are the only prince and the only heir. If anything happens to you, the kingdom will have no king after your father has passed away."

Ryder sighs noisily and walks into her chamber. Lucas stood behind and continue his discussion with the guards.

Ryder wondered what he was so obsessed with but nothing bothers him other than the fact that he met a girl that claimed to be his wife.

Well, normally, the prince is of age to marry but because of the curse, his father is scared to even pronounce it.

Aside from that, he doubts if there would be any maiden that would volunteer to be the wife of the beast, well, except for Belle.

He suddenly feels like seeing her again. Maybe he should have kissed her and confirmed what he wanted to the other time.

Well, he had to go and appreciate her. He needs to get some silver and money so he would express his gratitude with it for saving his life.

He would use that medium to see her again. He just couldn't wait. He couldn't wait to exchange words with her.

Ryder walk out of his room again but twenty of his men were suddenly obstructing him.

Lucas walks nearer, "Your highness, is something wrong?"

Ryder watches him for a moment, " Tell the men to move away, I need to go somewhere."

Lucas nods briefly, " I'm afraid we can't allow that. The king warned us never to let you leave your room."

Ryder raises a brow amazingly, " The King? My father?" He seems so surprised that his father would even want to have anything to do with him.

He has always avoided him like plague.

"Well, the news of what you did in the marketplace yesterday night is everywhere like fire in the harmattan."

Ryder sighs, he expected it the moment the boy told Belle of what the people have discovered.

But he needs to see Belle that instant.

"Leave the way!"

"No, we can't," Lucas says firmly.

Ryder stares at him for a moment, " Will you lose your head then? I'm trying so hard not to get angry. Should I get angry then? Do you think you will be able to handle the consequences?" He teases and nearly laughs watching him.

Lucas sighs defeatedly, "Leave the way!"

The men responded by moving away and allowing Ryder to step out.

"I have someone I need to meet. Get me some silvers and a huge amount of money from the treasury. We will move immediately," he says and walks away, leaving Lucas to curse him secretly.

Ryder walks out of his villa. The palace doesn't seem as busy as it should be today. Even though he was supposed to be sad especially because of what he did yesterday night, yet he couldn't stop feeling happy.

He felt so different, very different.

Lucas walks to him, "We are ready your highness."

One thing he was grateful for was the fact that his father granted him the power to touch everything in the palace. And he could go anywhere he wishes. The only place he wasn't allowed to go was his father's villa.

And well, he has never seen his father for the twenty-eight years of his life. He doesn't even know what he looks like.

Yes, that was how much his father hated him. Or the beast in him.

Ryder looks behind Lucas, at the palace maids carrying baskets full of silvers and money. They were ten maids in total.

Ryder smiles and walks to his horse. He gets on the horse and rides out, follow quickly by Lucas and the maids walking behind them as swiftly as they can.

They took the bush side because Ryder didn't want the people to see him. He felt they would pray for hails to kill him at that moment, especially with what he did the night before.

They arrived at Belle's hut but it was empty. There was no one in sight.

"Check around," Ryder tells them. The men disperse to look for Belle or her father.

Ryder moves to the fireplace and discovers that the pot of steak is still on fire. Though now, it has gone cold and the firewood was out.

Did Belle go somewhere?

"Someone help!" A soft voice scream, then it was getting nearer.

Ryder looks up and recognizes the boy to be the one from earlier. The boy swore to kill the prince and also warned Belle to stop saying she was the prince's bride.

The boy veers in the direction immediately and starts running towards Ryder. He stops before him and struggles to catch a breath, "it Belle. The witches. His father. About to kill," the boy wasn't able to place the words normally but Ryder got what he meant by the words he had uttered.

He took to his heel, without even waiting for the boy to finish his words, racing towards where the boy was running out of.

Lucas caught him running and call the guards, so they would follow. The maidens were asked to stay behind. Not that they could help.

Ryder runs to a clearing. At first, he couldn't see anyone but when he moves his eyes to his left, he could see them now.

Belle was stretched out in the sky by a woman in a black hood.

Ryder could only see Belle's face as she struggles to breathe. Her eyes were closing at an interval as if the breath was almost out of her.

Ryder's fists clench involuntarily at his side. His headbang and a familiar feeling course through him.

He raises his head and screams into the air.