[Beauty and the Beast] Rose Castle

"...You may not believe it, but I often dream about this castle. There is a voice in the dream telling me that as long as I can save the owner of this castle, I can gain untold wealth and supreme status..."

Another nightmare.

However, to dream of her, even a nightmare is a sweet dream.

The candlelight was dim, shrouded in her dark chestnut curly hair, her eyes were also dark chestnut, like fruit wine that was too mellow, and her lips were plump and full of rose color.He couldn't help but stepped forward and clasped her wrist.Her skin was so real, so delicate, it seemed to be really clinging to his palm.His heart couldn't help but a sharp colic.

At the same time, she said the words that terrified him deeply: "...I was born for you."

After the words fell, her whole body was gradually dyed by the air, integrated with the dungeon, and turned into a lingering, lingering breeze, drifting to a place that he couldn't hold and couldn't find.

After the curse was broken, Lambert lived in the castle for half a year, reading the books related to witchcraft in the library day and night, trying to recall Rosalind's soul.He taught himself witchcraft, sorcery, and divination, and even found the mysterious Ibibio people and met the black witches they called.

It was a strong, dark-skinned man with short, thick hair and three lines of red, white, and black tattooed on his cheeks.He wears a robe made of leopard skin, and holds a staff lingering with dark green magic in his hand.It is said that the powerful black witch can turn into a beast on a full moon night and guide people to find the souls of the dead.

Lambert lived in the Ibibio tribe, ate and lived with them for half a month, and finally waited until the night of the full moon.On that day, everyone gathered together, held torches, and threw them into the bonfire in the middle.The black witch chanted a spell in a low voice, threw the dark green staff into the air, and walked towards the hot and bright red bonfire.With every step he took, his body changed drastically, his limbs shortened, his skin grew thick and thick with hair, his face became shorter, and his white cat-like whiskers protruded.In the end, he turned into a muscular black panther.

The Ibibio people held hands, sang simple and ancient songs, and looked into the distance with the black panther.They told Lambert that when the singing stopped, the spirits of the dead would come out of the fire and come to him.

After a while, the chanting stopped, and the staff released a dark green light as powerful as the sun in the air.However, there was nothing in the campfire.

Rosa didn't show up.

She didn't come.

Lambert stood by the fiery bonfire, looking calm, but in fact his whole body began to tremble like chills.

she didn't come...

why?

At the end of the ceremony, the black witch returned to a human form, and caught the fallen green staff: "There are two possibilities, one is that her soul disappeared and went to a place where I can't summon; the other is that she is unwilling meet you."

The last sentence was a sharp blade, which opened the old wound in his heart.Lambert was silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Can't she be forced to recall her soul?"

The black witch shook his head: "The premise of summoning the soul is that the soul is still in this world. If her soul goes to an unknown place, even the gods will not be able to find her." Speaking of this, the black witch conjured up a The small wooden box was opened with one hand, and there was a thumb-sized crystal ball lying inside, bewitchingly said, "If you really miss her, you can see her with this. However, you can only see a speechless phantom."

Lambert took the crystal ball, and at almost the same moment, a woman with dark chestnut hair appeared in front of his eyes.Her eyes were the scent of sorrel wine, and her lips were thick rose petals.This phantom is so unbelievably real that even the fine hairs on the woman's face can be clearly seen.

People around were secretly surprised when they saw it. It turned out that this man's sweetheart was so beautiful... No wonder he wanted to see her soul like crazy.They all thought that he would buy this crystal ball with a lot of money, and then, every night, he would never leave this illusion again.They have seen too many lovers bewitched by illusions.Unexpectedly, Lambert stared at the phantom for a while, then put the crystal ball back.

He rubbed the center of his eyebrows, his voice was low and tired: "It's not her."

Nothing can replace her.

Lambert finally gave up looking for Rosa's soul and returned to the Northland.

In the past two years, he has been wandering in other countries, traveling all over Europe and even remote tribes in Africa.The various forces in the northern kingdom have already undergone a major cleansing. Many people no longer recognize his identity as a prince, and even question his authenticity as a son of God.

Lambert did not respond to those queries.Two months later, he directly held a grand return ceremony, inviting all the people in the capital.That day, it was sunny and sunny, but after Lambert stepped onto the high platform, a strong wind suddenly blew up and rang the sacred and heavy bell of the cathedral.People panicked, thinking that a natural disaster was about to come. The next second, the strong wind disappeared, and the sun broke through the thick dark clouds, shining on Lambert on the high platform.

Yes, the sun did not shine on the earth, but on Lambert alone.People were either confused, panicked, or curiously looking at the high platform.In a crowded place, someone yelled, "The Son of God is back!"

Someone recalled the archbishop's prophecy, and hurriedly knelt down in fear, folded his hands, and prayed for the Son of God to grant him peace.As more and more people knelt on the ground, some people who had never heard of the prophecy also knelt for no reason.

From the beginning to the end, Lambert didn't say a word, and the God stood on the stage like a sculpture, but it made people believe in the existence of the Son of God.Of course, this is thanks to the king's prophecy.If there is no king's arrangement, no matter how much witchcraft he uses, no matter how much silver coins he spends to hire people to shout slogans, it will be useless.

Soon after, the king abdicated.No one knows why this strong king suddenly abdicated, but the people don't care because the person who inherits the throne is the "Son of God".No one can defy the will of God, not even the once supreme king.

On the day of Lambert's enthronement, a breeze composed of countless rose petals suddenly blew in the square in front of the cathedral.Those rose petals did not know where they came from, and they did not know how many petals they had. They suddenly floated in front of the sacred and solemn cathedral, turning the magnificent pure white building into a frivolous rose color.

People prostrated themselves on the ground with different ideas. Most people thought that the new king would be furious because of this strange sight. However, after half an hour, the new king didn't say a word.A bold person raised his head quietly, and saw a rather strange and ambiguous scene: rose petals seemed to have life and consciousness, forming a slim and beautiful female figure.The woman walked slowly from the air in front of the new king wearing the crown, lowered her head and kissed his lips.

In the eyes of everyone, Xin Wang is synonymous with rationality and calmness. His mind is as rigorous and precise as a superbly crafted clock, with gears tightly biting another gear, and he speaks and does things without the slightest emotion.But at this moment, he was staring at the woman made of petals, his eyes were filled with scarlet scarlet, as if his soul was taken away by those strange petals, he staggered and almost fell from the high platform.

After that day, all the people who witnessed this scene were secretly silenced.However, various rumors still circulated.Some people say that the king once fell in love with a powerful witch, but the witch didn't love the king, so she turned him into a beast, but the king still fell in love with her, the witch couldn't bear it, and lifted the curse on him, but never again. Willing to meet him.Some people say that those rose petals are a kind-hearted commoner woman who gave her life to help the king break the witch's curse, and just came to bid him farewell.It is also said that rose petals are the goddess in charge of spring. Seeing the young and handsome king in the sky, she couldn't help but come on the breeze and offer a kiss lingering in the fragrance of roses.

Most people believe the last statement.

The king was indeed the Chosen Son.

Half a year later, people began to respect and fear the young king, not knowing how to evaluate his achievements.His style of acting was cruel and iron-blooded, and his wrist was strong. Somehow, he persuaded the Minister of Internal Affairs to restart the Ministry of Witchcraft and recruited many talents in witchcraft.At the same time, he prohibited folks from learning witchcraft, vigorously encouraged farming and trade, organized fortune tellers to predict the time suitable for farming, and prevented natural disasters.Soon, those abandoned farmlands were planted with crops.

However, he also has a scary and confusing side.He ordered the gardener of the capital to plant bright red roses in every corner of the capital.Roses are not the national flower, nor do they have sacred meanings, and the price is not cheap... Even the most loyal supporters of the king can't understand why the king wastes manpower and financial resources on such a meaningless thing.What makes people even more confused is that after the roses are planted, he forbids people to pick and trample them. Anyone who damages the roses will be punished as an insult to the royal family.

People are talking about it.But because the king only did such a ridiculous thing, there were no public complaints.Gradually, they got used to the sight of roses everywhere in the capital, and also got used to the rose color of the whole city as magnificent as a flame.Soon, the king issued another ridiculous order, prohibiting people from taking the name "rose", including derivatives of "rose".People were talking about it again, but because the king was otherwise savvy enough, these little absurdities gradually became romantic love stories.

Year after year, two and a half years flew by.It has been five years since Rosa passed away.People in other countries have forgotten that there used to be a "Wu Kingdom" in the north of the mainland. Now, everyone who passes by this country calls it the "Rose Kingdom".Because there are too many roses here, the low houses of the residents, the magnificent churches, the resplendent palace...the flaming roses are everywhere, and the sky of the whole country is a fiery rose color.

Today, late at night.A four-horse carriage stopped in front of the palace square, and Ophelia lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.The young maid looked at her curiously and enviously.No woman can approach the king except Ophelia.Oddly enough, Ophelia was already married to another duke and had a child.They were all curious about how Ophelia, who was already a married woman, caught the king's heart.

Ophelia took off her heavy cloak, took the candle from the female officer, and walked through the long corridor into a remote but bright hall.There are no candles here, only night pearls the size of goose eggs, and the whole hall is illuminated by them as bright as day.

Ophelia knew very well that she could still see him because she had seen Rosalind.

That beautiful, innocent, kind and brave girl.

She never thought that Rosa would sacrifice herself for Lambert, let alone that Lambert's love for her would be so deep... Five years later, she has fallen in love with other men, but he is still waiting for her, Waiting for a dead person.

In the golden hall, portraits of women with dark chestnut hair can be seen everywhere, and each one is lifelike.Even knowing that these portraits were made by Lambert himself, Ophelia still felt a chill in her heart.

Such a hot, terrifying love... I am afraid that only the dead can bear it.

She touched her chest with one hand and bowed: "Your Majesty."

Lambert wears a robe that falls to his knees and a crown with a huge ruby ​​on his head.Tonight, his expression changed from his previous inhumanity, and became extraordinarily gentle, as if a stingy person finally found a rare and valuable treasure.

He quietly looked at the ruby ​​ring in his hand. A few strands of black hair fell down, blocking his protruding brow bone, which weakened his unattainable temperament.

"I dreamed of her again."

Ophelia was silent.

A king needs only to listen, not to answer.

"I know that one day, she will come back to me." Lambert twirled the ring, his voice was low and filled with indescribable nostalgia and madness, "This time, no matter what price I pay, I will put Her soul stays by my side. No one can live and die together, but as long as she comes back, from now on, my destiny and her will be closely linked...we will never be separated."

Who would have thought that every absurd order of the king - planting roses all over the city, prohibiting the same name as "rose"... Even he has never married is because of his lost love?

And who would have thought that the seemingly rational, calm, wise and mighty emperor had already...been completely insane.