A Beauty and the Beast Reimagining

Aiden

          Aiden ran a hand through his thick, red hair and released a drawn-out sigh. He sat in the window, one of his booted legs hanging over the edge, and leaned back against the stone wall of his manor as he stared out over his land. A previous king had granted it to one of his ancestors over two centuries ago for saving his life during a war. His ancestors may have appreciated the wealth, power, and authority over the local villages that had come with the land and title, but it had only ever caused trouble for him.

He rested his elbow on his knee and propped his chin on his fist. He was so tired of people trying to take advantage of him for his fortune. Of fake fathers pushing their fake daughters at him. Of fake people living fake lives trying to gain his favor. Is there no one in this world who lives good, honest lives anymore?! I won’t continue to suffer through society's fabricated sincerity. I’ll live out the rest of my limited days in solitude. No more balls or dinners or functions. He shook his head. I did wish to have an heir to leave the family fortune to, but I will donate it to a mission, I suppose. If only I had been as blessed as my parents to find someone to love as they had. 

“Master Aiden?” 

“Yes?” Aiden continued to stare out the window.

“There’s a situation in the courtyard.” 

Aiden groaned, climbed from the window, and followed the servant. “What situation?”

His servant hesitated. “Trespassers,” he finally answered. “They picked some roses.”

Fierce anger gripped him, and Aiden saw red for a moment. Trespassers. Thieves! Mother’s roses... He stalked through his manor towards the courtyard. How dare they come onto my property and pick my mother’s roses?! Aiden paused at the door and took a breath to try to temper his anger. He knew of the rumors that he was a hard, bitter man. And it was true. But he did not care anymore. I will get justice. Perhaps, if I am harsh and take one of their lives as punishment, other criminals will think twice before breaking the law. 

His stomach roiled at the thought. The death penalty is extreme. He scowled at the door. It is within my rights to execute one of them, though. Besides, I will rid the world of at least one criminal. That is a worthy thing to do, right? Decision made, he shoved the door open. 

Two guards held a man slightly younger than himself on his knees. A bouquet of roses lay on the ground in front of him. A few paces away from the man, other guards blocked a small group of villagers from advancing.

“What’s going on?” a newer servant whispered behind him. 

“Someone picked his mother's roses. He is the only one who may give the order to pick them,” another answered.

I will not draw this out. "Give me your sword." He held his hand out to a guard. 

“Master Aiden?”

“Give it to me.”

The guard drew his sword, and Aiden wrapped his fingers tightly around the grip. He looked down at the man, who looked back in shock. He didn’t strike him as being a criminal. His eyes appeared innocent enough, but criminals could be deceiving. 

“Revenge is mine, says the Lord. It is for us to show mercy.” His stomach twisted again. He could hear his parents’ voices as if they had just spoken the words. He growled deep in his throat and shook the words off.

"For your crimes of trespassing and thievery, you shall be executed." Aiden raised the sword.

"NO!" The cry tore through the courtyard. 

He froze and glanced at the group of villagers. A young woman broke past the guards and rushed forward. She fell to her knees at his feet and grabbed the fabric of his trousers. "No, please, my lord, have mercy!" She stared up at him with desperate, tear-filled eyes. Deep hazel eyes set in a slightly darker face that he had seen before.

Memories flashed through his mind of a young girl who had come with her parents to walk through the rose maze his mother had cultivated. He clearly remembered her excitement as his mother let her help them trim the bushes.

He had seen her a few other times and had enjoyed each other's company as children. It had seemed as though they’d always known each other. Like they could have been siblings. He had even seen her a few times during the awkward period between boyhood and manhood, but he hadn’t been able to talk with her because he had been in class with his tutor. After that, he hadn’t seen her again until a little under five years ago, when his father had died. 

He had taken refuge in the maze to mourn on his own. She had wandered in and seen him curled on the ground. She’d joined him as he cried and prayed for comfort for him. When he had finally been able to speak and told her his father had died, she rested a hand on his shoulder and said nothing. She’d sat with him that day until well after sundown, as he imagined a sister would have, and they told each other stories of their parents. She must have told him her name at some point, but he could not remember it.

He blinked at the unexpectedness of her arrival now, then scowled down at her. If she remembered him, she did not show it. "You want me to show mercy to a thief caught in the act? What kind of message would that send to other criminals?" The glance she threw at the young man tore at his heart. His parents had looked at each other that way. She’s in love with this man.

"Please," she begged. “We were only out for a picnic and wanted to see the maze." 

He shook his head. A woman would say anything to save the man she loves. “The maze has been closed to the public for five years.” He raised the sword again.

           "No, wait!" The woman's grip on his trouser legs tightened.

Aiden growled again as irritation filled him. He just wanted to get this over with and go rest. He drew his brows together harder. "What?"

Her hands clinging to his trousers trembled. "E… execute me instead."

"Isobel, no!"

Her plea must have loosened the man's tongue. It certainly shocked Aiden. She ignored the man and continued with a tremor in her voice. “It was my idea to come close to the maze. I knew it was closed, but I wanted to get as close as we could. He knows I love roses, so he picked them for me. Take my life instead.”

He studied her. Her innocent eyes pleaded with him. "Regardless of the reason, he is the one at fault. I will not execute an innocent woman." 

“My lord, please.” Her tone dropped, and desperation permeated every word. “I will do anything.”

“Bell!” 

The man continued talking, but Aiden ignored him. Recognition, despair, and a fierce conviction flashed in her eyes as he stared at the woman and she stared back. Is there someone who does have a good heart left in the world after all? Guilt pricked at him. The whole thing was an innocent mistake, and his reaction, irrational. He shook his head. Either way, there still has to be a punishment for the crime committed. Before he knew he had decided, he lowered the sword. “Very well. It’s your choice. His execution or life imprisonment for you.”

Her eyes widened, and her hands dropped to her sides. She glanced back at the group of townspeople, then at the man. She raised her eyes to his and swallowed as determination filled her small features. “Life imprisonment.” 

“So be it.” Aiden dropped the sword. 

The woman scrambled over to the man. He could not tell what they whispered. She shook her head and threw her arms around him as he wrapped her in his arms.

Aiden gestured to the guards. “Get these people out of here and take her to the tower.” He waited only long enough to see the guards pull the couple apart before he headed back inside. Marie, the woman who had helped raise him, and her reproachful gaze met him at the door. Aiden ran a hand over his face. Her look chastised him as thoroughly as it had when she or his mother had scolded him as a boy. He glanced over to see his guard, whose sword he had used, looked at him with almost the same expression as Marie.

Aiden pushed out a breath. “What is it?” 

“Aiden…” Marie shook her head and gestured at the woman, who walked between two of his guards toward the side entrance to the tower.

“Master Aiden, the poor girl,” the guard added.

Aiden watched as she disappeared through the door. “What do you want me to do?” he asked.

“Not this, my boy,” Marie said quietly.

Heat flared in Aiden’s cheeks. He averted his gaze from Marie’s and his guard’s righteous condemnation, clenched his teeth, and strode past them to his room.