Chapter 2
Michaela’s POV
I chose to stay in my human form.
I still had to honour my mother’s wish to hide my true identity as the beast lord.
I balled my hands into fists when the man was a few feet away from me, and squared up my chin.
“You miserable excuse for a human.” I spat and took the man aback. “Is this how you treat ordinary people? You look down on them and talk to them like they are trash?”
The man glared at me, before his eyes went wide, and he looked like he was about to have an outburst.
“Who do you think you are?! How can a lowlife like you talk to me this way? You’re so dirty! Your very presence is stinking up
this whole castle!”
He spat out his words like an insult, expecting me to cower.
But I knew his kind. Men like this were all talk when they had to deal with someone they thought was weaker than them.
How dare someone under my command treat ordinary commoners with such insolence.. But I was going to teach him a lesson. To never again look down on anyone.
“You asked for it.” I spat and as though taking my words as a challenge, he came forward and raised his hand to strike me.
I grabbed his neck before he could hit me, and watched his eyes grow wide with actual fear when I called forth a great gust of wind that lifted him off the ground.
“Ehh!!” He cried out when he was several feet above the ground and just as he was about to flick his hand and try to save himself, I pushed at the wind and tossed him across the courtyard.
He fell like he weighed nothing and landed with a hard, painful thud.
I heard him moan with pain as he tried to stir.
At that moment, the sorcerer stepped out of the castle and quickly rushed to stand between us.
He took one look at me and then turned to the servant who tried to attack me.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” The sorcerer roared and the man coughed again, holding his chest with pain.
“That freak!” The servant shrieked. “Imagine a common maid stepping on the dignified ground of this castle and having the audacity of attacking me with dark magic!”
“What?” The sorcerer spat, took one look at me and shook his head apologetically.
“I’m sorry, he clearly has no sense of what is pure magic and what is tainted. I’ll fix this immediately.”
He said and I just nodded.
Then he turned to his subordinate and shook his head.
“You’ve always been impulsive, but today you’ve done too much.” The sorcerer spat and turned to the other servants who walked out into the courtyard just then.
“But look at her! She’s tainting these castle grounds with her presence!”
“Enough!” The sorcerer roared and motioned for the other servants. “Take him away to the dungeons! That should give him enough time to reflect on his poor decisions!”
“What?! No! Let me go!” The young man cried, sending out weak flames of fire as he struggled against the servants who dragged him away. One of the servants dragging him struck him with a metal gong that weakened the senses, and he fell limp against them. Then they began to drag him away again.
Then the sorcerer walked toward me with an apologetic smile.
“I’m really sorry about him. These youngsters clearly don’t know their playmates anymore.”
I smiled.
“It’s okay. I was just more pissed to realise that this is probably the way he looks down on ordinary maidens. It’s good that he has been set as an example.” I said calmly and then shrugged. “But that’s not why I’m here, right?”
The sorcerer smiled.
“Yes. We have much to discuss.” He replied and started to reach into his pocket.
I watched as he brought a blue amulet with a jaded red stone at the center. Then he handed it to me.
“For me?” I asked as I slowly received it.
“Just a small token. The green stone is a protective stone. Consider it my way of rewarding you for all your years of safeguarding the world… and my family.”
I studied the stone and smiled up at him.
“Thank you so much. It’s been a great joy to do the things I've done these past years.”
The sorcerer nodded calmly and then gestured for me to go in with him.
“Come on then.” He said and led me into the castle.
When he walked in, he stopped at the center of the throne room and looked at me with a much more serious expression than he had earlier.
“You know…” he began softly, “a long time ago, I served under your father.”
I looked at him with surprise.
“I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t. You were still really young. But I did and one time I was fortunate enough to even save his life.”
“You-“
The sorcerer nodded calmly.
“It was a little conspiracy against him, I got wind of it and managed to warn him. We became good friends after that and I did my best to look out for him… and your family.”
“That’s a story I never knew. I guess it’s why my mother has always asked me to keep my identity a secret. Not just so I could live an ordinary life, but also to watch over your household in peace.”
Simon the sorcerer nodded solemnly.
“And speaking of your mother… did she tell you why you had to come here today?”
I shrugged. “Some parts of it. I’m sure you will tell me the rest?”
“I will.” He replied and looked at me with much more seriousness. “I’m afraid I must ask you for something really grave and I hope you will agree to it.”
“If it’s in my power,” I said softly.
“Then I must earnestly implore you to marry my grandson.”
I was stunned.
“I-“ I began, already ready to refuse. I thought I was just here for a blind date. Not to be asked to be married.
But I saw the plea in the sorcerer’s aged eyes and instantly hesitated.
“Please, Beast Queen . It doesn’t have to be a lifetime thing. Three years is enough. I believe that will give my grandson enough time to stand on his two feet. To be stronger. That will also ensure the safety of my household. Please.”
I let out a deep sigh at how desperate he seemed.
How could I tell him no when he implored me this way?
“Just three years?” I asked, trying to be firm.
“Just three years. I promise. After that, you can leave and never look back.”
I slowly began to nod.
Three years wasn’t so much. In fact, it was the little I could do after just discovering what Simon did for my father all those years ago.
“Fine.” I finally said and watched Simon’s eyes light up. “I’ll marry your grandson.”