Emilia sprints away with the guard behind her. She rushes out the garden lawn. A high-class lady takes off her beautiful cloak placing it on the ledge beside the fountain. Emilia slips the cloak on without being noticed hiding her face. The royal guards rush around looking for her.
Emilia’s heart beats heavily, but the sun has yet to rise. She can save herself since no one believes her. And who would? Hugs can’t solve anything. One hug did turn her back into a human. As Emilia circles the fountain, she finds a gorgeous woman crying with a few friends surrounding her. One pats her back. Another holds her hand.
“I miss Borden. I don’t want to live without him!” The crying lady wipes her eyes with a sheer embroidered cloth, and Emilia twitches at Borden’s name. Emilia sits near the group of women with her back to them, “I should’ve run away with him and eloped.”
The guards pass Emilia without concern. A few of them shout orders to protect the palace from the beasts. The sky grows brighter slowly changing colors from blue to dark purple.
Emilia should run and save herself. Emilia stands making her way to the exit. The conversation about Borden was not meant for her to hear anyway, so she should mind her own business and save her own neck. However, if the lady can save Borden, there will be no war.
The women glare at Emilia. She must’ve stopped and stared at them.
“Can I help you?” The one patting the crying lady’s back asks. This woman has thousands of golden bangles on her arms jingling like a song.
“I’m Emilia. Umm, I know Borden.” Emilia announces.
“She doesn’t need to see him. She needs to let him go,” Another friend with henna tattoos plastered on her body says. Since all the eyebrows tell Emilia to go away, Emilia turns to leave.
“Wait?” The crying woman calls out. She stands and makes her way over to Emilia surprising her friends, “How is he?”
“He’s a beast.” Emilia says. The woman falls to her knees crying,
“All is lost.” She cries.
“See Maria, let him go. Find yourself a wealthy husband. Borden is as good as dead.” The bangled friend says. If only this woman knew that Borden is leading an attack against the city with the goal to slaughter all those inside, “He was too poor to give you a decent life anyhow.”
“You can save him.” Emilia says to Maria, the crying lady. Emilia drops to her knees in front of Maria.
“How?”
“When I was a beast, I just needed someone to tell me that I was more than my mistakes. That they loved me. A hug.” Emilia says as all eyes turned stunned. A few stunned faces fill quickly with disgust.
“Once a beast always a beast. Get rid of this barbarian. Let’s go.” Her bangled friend tries to pull her away, but Maria yanks her hand away.
“What if he doesn’t forgive me for not showing up when we were supposed to run away together?” Maria asks.
“If you try, you’ll find out. If you do nothing, you’ll never find out.” Emilia watches the hesitation fill Maria’s eyes, “You have to give him a chance to choose.”
“How do you know I can save him?”
“Because someone saved me.” Emilia stands holding her hand out for Maria to take. Maria takes Emilia’s hand and follows her out of the garden.