The king finally came to her bedroom, Grace heard the relief in his voice and turned to face him with a slight smile. Though he looked at her sternly and started to scold her for going into the forest, Grace’s smile was wiped from her face and she hung her head slightly. She didn’t want to worry her father…she simply wanted to prove that those silly songs and rumors where false, now she was in deeper water than even she realized. [b]”I know father, I am sorry that I had frightened you. But the castle is utterly boring”[/b] She said softly as he looked out of her window, the princess kept her eyes to the floor and her hands folded in her lap, she knew that if he wanted to he could lock her in her bedroom. 

Her father’s words about killing and skinning the beast, made Grace physically cringe. Why did her father think killing everything was needed? He had wiped out two kinds of animal out already. The princess didn’t want to answer her father, she didn’t want the beast killed and skinned, but he said it was for the good of the kingdom. Was it really? Sure people were scared of the wolf, but was that such a bad thing? There were clearly other things in the forest that were just as frightening and powerful, the beast never was said to leave the woods, but could the same be said about the other things?

[i]The good of the kingdom….what a load of crap![/i]

The thought surprised her, but it was right. Perhaps other people being afraid to go into the forest was what was really for the best. [b]”I am afraid I cannot help you father if you are after the beast of these silly rumors in town. That wasn’t what attacked me.”[/b] She answered him as she turned to get the citrine studded hair clip and started to fix her maroon hair into a half ponytail. It was odd really, normally she was a horrible liar, she would stutter and refuse to look at whom she was talking to but this time. She kept eye contact with her father as she told him that her dagger got stuck in a tree and she still went further into the woods. Grace told him that it was a Minotaur that attacked her and the only reason she got away was something else attacked it, though she didn’t see what.

The rest of her day went as usual, Grace was still made to go to her lessons, which a proper lady should do, as her sister Rose pointed out when she tried to get out of it. Her lessons were in art, music, proper etiquette, and a few others that her mother had insisted in. Most of the lessons were really useless though the only one of the few Grace cared for was the art, as she was a painter. She listened to the proper etiquette lessons as well, though she found them boring, everything that was fun and entertaining, was deemed improper. If they had their way she would be the same level as boring and mean as her sister Rose.

When the night came Grace snuck out of the castle yet again, wearing a black cloak lined with gold thread the inside of the cloak being golden colored as well, it was easier to blend into the shadows in black. If her father would not get her dagger for her, than she would go and get it herself. That dagger belonged to her great grandfather. Grace quietly snuck through the cracks in the grounds wall of the castle and into the woods, she was watching her surroundings much more carefully now. As well as trying to hide herself and be quieter this time, not really being as brave as the night before, she just wanted the dagger back and then she would go back home. Putting her foot against the tree as she started pulling on the dagger, at the same time she was listening for the wolf.