"It shall be done."
With those four words from the mouth of the beast, it was settled. Lydia would lift the curse placed upon the beast and he when emperor would lift the ban on witches and bring her to abide in the palace.
In her head, all she had to do was give her all to lift his curse, and then her days in the forest would be a thing of the past.
She was certain that if she could prove to be of use to the beast now and lift his curse, then most definitely, he would see her worth and keep her by his side for if ever he might be in need of a witch again.
If only she knew what ran behind the treacherous eyes of the beast who gave her his word.
"Sire, I must beg you to reconsider," Festus spoke to the beast when it was just the two of them alone, for the witch had gone down into the basement of her cottage in search of only the witch and the devil knows what.
"These witches are all the same. But this one is even worse." He spoke with clear distaste as he imagined her in his head once again.
"Bringing her along with you to the palace is unimaginable. Have you not seen her face, her skin, her hair and her eyes? From the hair on her head to the toes on her feet, she's whiter than snow." He spat on the ground with much hatred and disgust after saying those words.
The beast on the other hand remained seated upon the bed with his eyes closed, just as he had been for centuries buried in the deepest darkest part of a cave. A place where darkness had become his very bosom friend for it was all he knew.
Other than that darkness, Silence was his next friend.
And that was why for the first time, he was silently learning how heightened his sense of hearing had become.
Other than the man endlessly talking in whispers before him, he could also hear the witch in her basement, rummaging around and murmuring to herself, wondering where her late mother had kept something.
Beyond the witch's chaos, he could hear the wind blowing outside the cottage. Could hear the leaves on the trees create a quite melodious tune as they brushed against each other.
He could hear a wolf cub somewhere in the woods, whimpering.
He could hear things.
The endless silence he had been made to endure for centuries was finally over. He had been released.
"Bringing such an accursed being into the palace would only bring bad luck to you sire." The beast's hearing once again focused on the man before him.
"If you give in to her demands now, she shall soon seek for more, and more. That is why you must not give in to her demand sire. and pray we not that she ends up seeking a position as the empress and—Ack"
Festus shrieked and winced as the beast's hand was suddenly wrapped around his neck, and the life was quickly being drained out of him
"Thou hath told me that thy name was Festus from the old family of Obadiah and thou art a Duke."
"A—Aye, Sire." He choked out the response.
"Dost all Dukes now lacketh grace?" The question was calm to the point where it was frightening, and the odd gray and gold eyes that stared into Festus' brown eyes held no care at all. "So much so that they know not how to bridle their tongues." He brings the man closer to his face, and says, "The last Obadiah descendant that served me knew better than to question me." With those words, his hands unwound from his neck and Festus fell to his knees coughing and gasping, trying to hold back his soul that had almost left him.
"F-Forgive me, Sire." He pleads with his head pressed upon the ground.
Once again, the eyes of the beast were shut and he continued to speak, "She said tales have been told of me. In all the tales told, what gave thee the impression that I was a man to keep a promise made to a foolish child?"
The reddened eyes of Festus moved from the ground and rested upon the face of his Lord, "Sire? D-Does that mean—"
"The hour my humanity is restored, she will cease to be in the land of the living. For now… Allow the witch do her business in false hope."
With a maniacal and proud grin upon his face, Festus looked up at the beast with more admiration than he had previously done. He had been hearing tales of the beast since he was a little boy. He'd long admired the warrior he was and seeing him exhibit great characteristics made the Duke more excited.
It was hard for him to believe that he was working with the Almighty Cassius from the stories. He had said it as a child that he was going to find the cursed Emperor someday. He had sworn he would and they had laughed at him for many had tried and many had failed.
But here he was today, victorious.
"As expected of the great Emperor Cassius. My short-sightedness hindered me from seeing things in your light. I knew finding you and setting you free would prove to be the wisest decision I ever made. I exalt you or great Emperor and I congratulate for you will soon become a man again."
Festus now couldn't wait for that hour to come. When the beast would become man and take back what was rightfully his own.
And the beast himself could only look forward to it.