Beauty X Beast ~ Five!

Danielle's eyes burned from the strain of poring over the dense, convoluted laws of Verdelune. The language of the text was a labyrinth of legal jargon seemingly designed to confuse, deter, and be impenetrable to the common reader—and it certainly might have been to someone less determined. 

Luckily, the Enchantress had a solid foundation learning how to parse blueprints, technical manuals, and philosophical debates, thanks to her long years of attempting to persuade the system to give her an intellectually focused class. While that hadn't worked out as she had hoped, she was determined to use that experience as fuel for her efforts to get as far away from the baron as possible. 

Even so, a heavy knot of anxiety began to form in her stomach as the minutes passed without finding anything relevant to this particular situation. Her hands were clammy and shaking as she turned the pages, the gold-gilded edges sometimes slipping from her fingers as she grew sleepier. “Come on… there's got to be something. He can't just walk up to me and tell me I have to work for him; I'm not a conscript. I’m… oh. In fact, I'm not even… hmm.”

There was something there, she just knew it. Though her body was aching from sitting hunched over a table all day and now all night, the still air was broken by the rustle of pages being rapidly flipped as she looked for a few keywords. Even with the small hint provided by the signing of the conscription documents, the sheer volume of information threatened to overwhelm her. As Danielle realized she may have already passed the section she needed, she felt the prickling sting of tears at the corner of her eyes. “Take a breath… I just need to slow down and make sure I don't make more work for myself by passing the section on conscription law.”

Taking out a blank piece of parchment, she took small, detailed notes on each section she found, trying to build an index she would be able to reference in case she needed to cross-reference something later. As she got more absorbed in her work, her breathing slowed down, and her nerves became as numb as her thoughts.

Midnight had come and gone, and Danielle slowly blinked, her quill hovering over her parchment, almost catatonic as she tried to understand why she had stopped progressing through the tome. She reread the words twice more, mumbling them out loud before they finally sank in. “On conscription and recruitment. Chapter three-nineteen, subsection ninety-one.”

Reading the entire chapter took another two hours, but any hint of tiredness fled as she pieced together the puzzle of the legal argument she needed for a clean escape. 

Finally, she’d written out all the laws which would affect her current situation, and there she found it: the loophole. “Father!”

Henri startled awake, having gone to bed hours previously. Despite his initial confusion, as Danielle explained that she needed his opinion on her work, he happily hauled himself out of his slumber and came over to inspect the document. 

Raising an eyebrow, her father read through each of the laws she had cited, annotated, and put together in a clear synopsis. “Since Baron Gasteel has refused your initial enlistment, he would need the approval of a higher-ranked noble to overturn this decision and force you into the military. As you had volunteered, only to be turned away, he cannot in good faith make you work for him in any capacity. If he does so, this will not only damage his reputation among his peers but also highlight his inability to read. As a newly raised baron, this would be a source of ridicule and possibly be enough to strip him of his new title.” 

Henri nodded several times then turned to his daughter with his face crinkled into a smile. “Very impressive. Everything you wrote down is likely exactly correct. I also hope you know that you can't hand this over to him. In fact… burn this one after you’ve made one we can use. No… now.”

“Burn it? Why?” Even as her father lifted the parchment and waved it over the candle, Danielle didn't move to stop him—though her heart was pounding with anger that her work had just been destroyed so casually. Still, very rarely did Henri do something without a good reason, so she simply waited for a very good explanation.

After tossing the flaming parchment into the fireplace, Henri limped over and sat into the chair opposite her and let out a deep sigh. “Sometimes you forget, because your skills smooth over the rough edges the rest of us feel, but most people don't like to be confronted with absolute truth. If you hand over only hard truths, people will enjoy speaking to you exactly as much as they do a habitual liar. Truth can be painful. Sometimes, even the most flawless design requires a touch of beauty to truly come to life and function as intended.”

“You’re saying…” Danielle tried to still her whirling thoughts and understand his meaning, her lips pursed as her mind sluggishly tried to catch up, “This would hurt his pride, so I shouldn’t use it? Who cares about his pride? I don't want him in a position to control me!”

“It sounds like he cares about his pride. If you go at his sore points like this, especially with as public, as it will end up being, it's likely he will fight to the death rather than lose.” Henri nodded along as he spoke, his expression softening with approval at her quick uptake. “Why don't we put something together… together?”

By the time the sun rose, Danielle and Henri had spent the night poring over the legal text and formulating a plan of action. A clear letter had been written, with all the legal jargon necessary, as well as plenty of additions in an attempt to assuage Gasteel’s need to win. Danielle could only hope it would be enough. 

“We need to leave immediately,” Henri stated with a drawn-out sigh as he got to his feet and stretched for the first time that morning. “It's only a few hours of travel to the border. I think it’d be best if we left Verdelune entirely. I'll pack a few things, put together anything I think will have value to our neighboring kingdoms, then we must leave.”

“No!” Danielle froze halfway into a standing position. “Father, I can't just have you give up everything you've worked on for the last decade! Why do we need to leave? Everything we're doing is completely legal, and just as you wanted, we’re going to be keeping our heads down and being extra polite.”

Henri turned to her with a wry smile. “It won't be enough, Danielle. You’re correct, we're doing nothing wrong. It won't matter. At best, we’ll have a short period of time when they pretend we don't exist before rallying the town against us. We need to use that moment to make our escape. There are worse things than military commitment that can happen to a family in a place like this. Now, quickly, while I pack up, you go and buy any foodstuffs you can that’ll travel well. If you can't get anything, we'll just have to make do. Be back by the eighth bell!”

“You’re… you’re sure?” Danielle questioned him in a soft tone. “You're ready to just drop everything and leave it behind? Just like that?”

“For you, the world.” Henri reached out and gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. “I settled down here so you could have a stable life. That time has passed. Now, let's find ourselves a big city somewhere far away and make the most wondrous toys the world has ever seen. Somewhere with a grand library.”

“You… you’re the best father in the whole world.” Eyes sparkling with happiness and unshed tears at his willingness to drop everything for her, Danielle nodded, scooped up her coin pouch, and hurried out the door. As she raced along the road, the baker suddenly sprinted past her, carrying a large crate and laughing wildly. Moments later, a cursing farmer went by her as well, chasing after the surprisingly spry large man. 

Her mind dull from lack of sleep, yet focused on quickly buying rations, she watched their antics, only to have her attention pulled by a voice calling her name. As was her usual habit, Danielle ignored it as long as she could, only for Lefroupe to suddenly step in her path and bar her way. 

“Good morning, madame! Where might you be off to in such a rush?” The scribe was holding a tray with a chunk of the quiche from the previous night, as well as an enormous cup of coffee. “If you're on your way to accept the baron's marriage proposal, feel free to walk along with me!”

“Ew. No.” The words flew from her mouth before Danielle could clamp her jaw shut, and at Lefroupe’s wince, she realized how he’d taken the casual insult. “No! Lefroupe, walking with you sounds pleasant. I meant that the idea of becoming his wife sounds absolutely disgusting. Stop, don't shake your head at me like that; I want a different life than he’s offering. In fact, here! This letter is for him; it explains everything. I'll… goodbye, Lefroupe. I know we haven't known each other long, but you seem very nice.”

“I am very nice.” Lefroupe readily agreed as Danielle skirted around him and rushed off once more. “I hope you find what you’re looking for. Safe travels, I suppose? See you soon.”

With that, Danielle continued toward the market at speed. “I need supplies. Anything but eggs. At least I know why they've become so overpriced these days. The baron must’ve sent some of his people ahead to arrange their stay. I can't believe how many they must go through on a daily basis.”

Unfortunately, the lackadaisical nature of the locals meant the market was slow to open. The sun rose higher in the sky, and even after cajoling and pleading with the merchants to move faster, it had still taken her the better part of two hours to secure enough supplies to make a short trip—let alone an inter-kingdom escape. With frustration gnawing at her, she rushed home nearly empty handed.

As she approached her home, Danielle's heart sank. 

The door was ajar, the windows in at least the front of the house were shattered, and small bits of metal she recognized from her father's parts bins were strewn across the lawn. With panic surging through her, Danielle walked forward in a daze, feeling as though she were moving incredibly quickly even as she took timid steps. “Father? Where are you? What happened here?”

No answer came from the house, but as she got closer to the door, Danielle felt herself nearly passing out as she saw a writ pinned to the door with a small knife. She blinked several times, the letters on the parchment swimming in her vision and making it impossible to read what it said. At first, she could only focus on the seal, a blob of wax pressed with the signet of House Leiter. The wax was a perfect sanguine, looking for all the world like a wound on the paper.

“To whom it may concern.” Danielle read the paper aloud, shocking herself out of her dizzy spell at the sound of her own voice. “The master of this house, Henri Tinker, has been found guilty of espionage against the Crown of Verdelune. His sentence is to be determined by Baron Gasteel Leiter. All items and the property are now the sole possession of Baron Gasteel Leiter, punishable by incarceration. He… abducted my father?”

Danielle's blood ran cold as her hands began shaking. “This is my fault. Why’d I give Lefroupe that letter before I was ready to leave? He even told me he was on the way to see Gasteel! Of course they’d act immediately. This is a warrior, not a pampered noble. I'm a system-cursed fool!”

Without any further hesitation, she turned and stepped off of her father's lawn and onto the cobblestone streets once more. Though she moved with purpose, and her tired mind was racing, she still felt as though she were dragging her feet, perhaps walking to her doom. Over and over, her thoughts went to the cold, callous way Gasteel had lifted her onto his horse, only to ignore her until he was prepared to make a point for the crowd. “He doesn't care about me. Why would he? He only just met me! But if that's true, how can I convince him to give up my father without a fight? I can't go directly on the attack; he'll only fight harder. So…”

Before she could put all of her thoughts in order, Danielle had arrived at the town square. A crowd was milling around, excitedly speaking yet going silent whenever they laid eyes on her. Clearly, they knew something about what was going on. Gathering her courage, Danielle pushed forward through the murmuring crowd, marching onward until she spotted Baron Gasteel himself coming out of the town's only tavern. Before she could stop herself, Danielle’s voice rang out with a clarity that silenced all other voices and drew every eye. 

“Baron Gasteel! I demand to know the whereabouts of my father!”

The crowd around her shifted away as if a school of fish had just realized a shark was among them. Their eyes were wide at the audacity of her confrontation, and many went to great lengths to make themselves look small so as to not draw the attention of the powerful new noble. For his part, Gasteel’s eyes narrowed, but he kept his composure as he turned and allowed a handsome smile to spread across his face.

“Ah, there's my Enchantress! I’m delighted you would seek me out. Why are you standing so far away? Yesterday, you practically sprinted to my side as soon as I made my presence known.” Gasteel held his arms out wide, “Well? What are you waiting for? We all know how this ends. Fear not, fair maiden! I wouldn't put my father-in-law to death without properly reviewing his case, now would I? That’d be a terrible way to begin our marriage.”

“I have no need to go to such lengths, Baron.” Danielle cursed herself as her words faltered slightly under the combined weight of the town staring at her. “What you're doing is illegal, and I can prove it!”

Gasteel’s smile curled fractionally, and he waved a hand as if encouraging a favored pet. “You seem to think you know the law. Well… enlighten all of us.”

“You're using him to get to me, because I informed you that not only can you not make me work for you, it would be illegal for me to do so!” Danielle's voice strengthened as she drew on her newfound knowledge. “By refusing my initial enlistment, you barred me from the ward structure of the kingdom of Verdelune. I was trying to do you a favor by not working for you—were I to do so, you’d begin accruing demerits!”

A susurration spread through the crowd as Gasteel’s smile lost some of its intensity. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly. “How kind of you to take me into consideration. Also, surprising… you actually read through that table-bender of a book, didn’t you? Beauty, brains, and the means to bring it all together. What a fine wife you'll make for me! Imagine using your skills and what the system granted you for a useful purpose. However, I've done nothing to attempt to force your hand. I didn't arrest you nor haul you in for avoiding duty. As much as it may pain you to realize this, Belle, not everything in the world revolves around you.” 

Danielle struggled with her thoughts for a long moment, her lack of sleep causing her normally sharp wit to be dulled. “What are you talking about?” 

“What am I talking about…?” He paused leadingly, waving his hand forward and back in a ‘come-hither’ motion.

“What are you talking about, Baron Gasteel?” Danielle hissed out the words, her hands clenching into fists.

“Mmm. I would’ve also accepted ‘husband’ or ‘my love’.” Gasteel smirked as the crowd chuckled, and his eyes flicked from side to side as he swept his gaze over the audience. “For anyone who doesn't know, this morning, Henri Tinker was arrested on charges of espionage against the kingdom of Verdelune. Yesterday, he avoided the mandatory assembly. We started looking into him and found that he came here from outside of our kingdom years ago, attempting to ingrain himself in our society.” 

He paused for a moment to allow the crowd to chatter but then simply spoke over them when it became apparent they would not be quieting themselves. “From there, it took almost no time for us to learn that he’s been sending messages outside of our borders every month since his arrival. Clearly, he was placed here by some foreign power to keep an eye on our people, to warn the enemies of Verdelune we were planning to expand our glorious kingdom once more!”

By the end of his speech, he was practically shouting, joined by dozens of people in the square who pumped their fists and howled with anger. Danielle's heart skipped a beat as she saw the people she’d grown up around turn against her and her father with only a few words.

Gasteel turned his full attention to her once more, his tongue flicking out to gently lick his lower lip before he continued speaking. “So, no, Belle, this has nothing to do with you.”