It was long minutes before the witch finally came out of her basement with a bulky book in her hand and she noticed only the beast remained in the cottage.
"Where has the Duke gone?" She inquired, not directly talking to the beast because she still feared him. She just asked the question out loud in hopes that he would give her a response.
"He hath matters to which he must attend." The beast spoke. "Hast thou found what thou sought?" He asked and his manner of speech made a chuckle almost slip out of her mouth as she'd seen such speech only in books.
"Aye," She said and paused as the ghastly smell that surrounded him was too unpleasant to bear yet she could not bring herself to say it in fear of provoking such a beast.
"To lift the curse, I must first discern the gravity and manner of curse that was placed upon you. Do I have your permission to come closer?" She asked even though getting closer to him and his smell was the least she wanted to do.
"Aye."
Taking a long deep breath, she took bold steps towards him and placed the book on the bed next to him.
Standing so close to him, she was once again reminded of how horribly big he was. She was fairly tall for a lady, standing at a full height of 5ft7, yet this beast made her feel everlastingly small.
And dear gods, the horrible smell!
She opened the book which had ancient writings on every page and when she reached the page she searched for, she stopped.
She reads the things written in the book and turns her attention back to him, "Can I have your hand?" With his eyes still closed, he nodded. And she took his right hand in her left hand. "Do I have permission to touch your head?" again, he nods and warily, she lifts her right hand and places it upon his head.
Her eyelids fell over her eyes and as she breathed out, she began to chant some incantations. Words that she'd read from the book. The longer she chanted the tighter her grip on his hand became. And soon the aura from him began to flow around and into her, causing her to shake vehemently, her lashes blinked consistently like the flapping feathers of a bird, and her lips didn't stop chanting.
And then, "Heh!!" She tore her hand away from his own, staggering away from him dragging in air as though it had almost been stolen from her.
"It cannot be reversed!" She screams as she falls to the ground still fighting to drag in air. And at those words, the beast's eyes that had been shut close flew open and his gold eye glowed with wicked intent as he glared at her.
"It cannot be reversed! It cannot be reversed! It cannot be reversed!" She screamed for she had fallen into a trance. Even the wind blew differently now. It was more violent now. "Thou shall live as a beast from now until the end of time! I curse you!!" She screamed and the beast could tell that at that moment, it was no longer Lydia the witch that spoke to him… But the one who had placed the curse on him. Those words were words he could never forget. Words he had thought of as mere gibberish, words he had believed would have no effect on him.
Words that had turned him into the beast he was today.
Those were the words of the witch who cursed him.
"It cannot be reversed!!" Lydia screamed one last time before falling face flat to the ground.
Almost immediately she opened her eyes again and before she could regain herself, the hand of the beast was upon her neck, throttling her.
"S-Sire," She choked while clawing at his hand that held her neck firmly. His eyes were bloodthirsty and she feared for her life.
"Wretched witch!" He growled. "Useless witch!" He continued, "Thou would dare deceive me! Thou said that thou wouldst lift my curse, but now thou speakest of it being irreversible! I shall—"
"I-It can be done." She managed to choke out the words. "Allow me to explain."
"Thou would continue to deceive—"
"Nay! Please Sire, I—" She coughed and gasped, as he released her, dropping her to the ground. Fearfully, she scurried away from him. Dragging in long breaths while thinking that she could really lose her life if she wasn't careful.
"Speak now." He ordered.
"I-It cannot be reversed." He moves towards her and she throws both her hands up in the air, gesturing that he exhibits a little patience and he halts, "It cannot be reversed because it was a blood curse and I do not know what witch had cursed you but it was almost as though she were the moon goddess herself. Her blood curse is stronger than any I've ever encountered."
"Thy words are not things I wish to hear." He growls, indicating that she was running out of time.
"I cannot reverse it, but I can dilute it."
"Dilute it?"
"Aye. I can dilute it."
"Explain."
"You wish to become a man again, but the curse will never leave you, there is nothing that can be done about that. All I can do is to reduce the potency of the curse, and that will allow you to revert back to your human body. However, you shall still be a beast for it cannot be erased. The good thing is, you shall be able to conceal the beast inside you although it might be harder to hide on nights of full moon, but it can be done and you shall have control over when to be man and when to be beast."
"In other words, my physical appearance shall be that of a man, but the beast shall abide in me and I can transform into this beast at will."
"Aye."
"I shall be able to switch between man and beast whenever I please."
"Aye."
"Then do it. This instant. Make me half man and half beast, that I be able to remain man for as long as I want and beast when I choose."
"Forgive me Sire, but" She finally rose to her feet, "The ritual cannot be done until I gather everything needed and that will take around a week."
"So you mean to confine me here for a week?!"
"Forgive me." She simply says with her head bowed.
Silently the beast stared at her… He'd been held in one place for almost four hundred years… what was a week that he couldn't wait.
"Fine. A week." He says and walks back towards the bed and as he's about to sit, she speaks.
"Uhm, one more thing Sire,"
"What?"
"I— I think you need a bath."
If he was going to take her neck for this then so be it. But she could not for anything continue breathing in such disgusting stench!