Seven Beasts (Haremworld)

“She’s beautiful.” Anabelle smiled and put her arm around Randall’s waist as the scene widened and we saw Randall’s daughter in the middle of a kitchen. “She’s a chef!”

“Maybe she didn’t grow up hating me.” Randall put his hand to his cheek and I could see a tear in his eye.

“Anyone you want to check on, Shane?” Braden looked to his brother.

“No, I don’t want to see everyone we knew having a good time while we’re trapped here.” Shane shook his head.

“Yeah...” Braden nodded in understanding.

“I should try to check on my father.” Anabelle pushed her finger into the surface of another mirror.

The mirror showed a man that looked ten years older than the one I had imprisoned in the castle, yet I could tell it was grief that aged him instead of time. He was sitting alone in a room surrounded by books. In his right hand was a glass that appeared to be filled with whiskey and in his left hand was a smoldering cigarette. He looked disheveled with a thick beard on his face that hadn’t seen a razor in a while. He lifted the cigarette to his lips and I saw tears in his eyes as he exhaled smoke. The smoke had barely left his lips before he emptied the glass into his mouth and filled it with more liquor from the bottle sitting next to him. I could see pain on Anabelle’s face as she stared at him. He certainly didn’t look well.

Her finger moved to another mirror and I saw a woman that looked similar to Anabelle appear. She was dancing in the middle of lights that hurt my eyes. Anabelle’s finger moved to another mirror and I saw another woman appear. She was sitting on a long slender cushioned object with a man holding her close while the two of them watched a magic mirror in front of them. I didn’t quite understand the sight, and it seemed to illicit curiosity from some of the others, but Shane and Braden didn’t seem impressed by what they saw.

“My father is wallowing in despair.” Anabelle pulled her hands free from the mirrors. “And my sisters have abandoned him.”

“Maybe he drove them away.” I tried to provide some glimmer of hope, but I could see that she was broken up by what she saw. “It couldn’t have been easy to lose you.”

“He’s drinking—he’s smoking again. He needs me.” Anabelle let out a sigh and I could see she was fighting back tears.

“Arthur, is there any way to get word to the outside world? Is there any way we could let him know Anabelle is okay?” I turned towards the illustrious king.

“I wish there was.” Arthur shook his head and sighed. “I watched everyone I loved grieve and eventually die while I sat in this room.”

“Are there other items here with Merlin’s magic in them? Surely he had more than mirrors and the useless sword in the stone.” I looked around the room.

“Most of them stopped working when he drew his last breath. That was a terrible thing to see. I didn’t think the wizard would ever die.” Arthur looked around the room. “I wonder if these would work...”

“What are those?” Anabelle turned towards him.

“Our wedding rings. Guinevere left her ring here when she cursed me, but there was a time when they could be used to draw the other person to them in an instant.” He slid one of the rings onto his left hand.

“How do they work?” Anabelle took the other one from him.

“They’re magic...” Arthur shrugged.

“I mean, what will they do—how are they used?” Anabelle held the ring in front of her face.

“They would allow me to close my fist.” He demonstrated the motion. “And I would be with Guinevere in an instant. They also allowed me to communicate with her. I could think what I wanted her to know and she would have that thought.”

“She could do the same for you?” Anabelle pushed the ring onto her left hand.

“Yes.” Arthur nodded. “She never wore it when she was with Lancelot or I would have known about their betrayal a lot earlier.”

“If this works...” I put my hand to my chin. “Anabelle could leave the castle and if she gets in trouble, she could return.”

“I wouldn’t have to fear the wolves.” Anabelle stared at the ring. “This ring would allow me to escape.”

“Perhaps this would allow her to bring you out of the castle and escape the curse.” I tilted my head in contemplation.

“One by one...” Braden’s eyes lit up.

“The roses would still make it complicated.” Shane shook his head back and forth. “We don’t need to think about escape right now, we just need to help Anabelle get to her father.”

“If this works,” Arthur put his hands on Anabelle’s shoulders, you don’t have to come back. If you are free, you are under no obligation to return.”

“I need to go to my father, but I won’t stay. I will return, regardless of the situation.” Anabelle looked up at Arthur and then shifted her focus to the room. “You have my word.”