The lord of the forest
#1 of Thirty days; Thirty stories
A slightly different take on "The beauty and the beast" and similar tales.
A young woman seeking employment goes to the nearby castle, where she meets its ruler. However, not everything is what it seems.
Once upon a time, there was a castle in the middle of the forest and next to this castle was a small village. The villagers always wondered about the identity of their ruler.
Who was he?
What did he look like?
And, perhaps most important of all, what would happen to his fortune when he died?
They did it not because they had never met him, but rather because they had never actually seen him before.
The castle's master usually liked to stay alone by himself and the few times he came to town, a long black mantle covered his body. The only thing that could be seen from under it was the glint of his teeth when he spoke, something he did rarely. In fact, it almost seemed that he liked more the company of his hounds than he did of people.
When he talked, it was almost as if he was addressing a dog: short and simple. He also imitated their growls and barks when he talked. Not to mention that wherever he went, a smell of dog followed him.
Some even said that he was a wizard and could command animals at will. Others thought that he was a demon in human form. The rest couldn't care less. It was thanks to him that they could live their lives, and that was enough for them.
One day, a fair maiden decided to approach the castle. She knocked on the door several times, but no one answered. She then tried to push it open, and the door gave away. For such a rich man, it didn't seem that he had any servants.
The maiden walked in a looked around the castle. The kitchens were covered in a layer of dust as if they had never been used. The stables were devoid of living animals. And the chambers were all locked. Except for one.
The maiden entered the unlocked room. The furniture had been torn to shreds, with the only things remaining intact being a small dog bed in the corner and a chair facing the fireplace.
-"What are you doing here? Leave!"
It was the master. The maiden kneeled where she stood and begged for employment. Her father was sick and she needed money for his medicine and food. Moreover, the only thing she knew how to do was cleaning and thought the ruler could use a servant.
A silence followed as the master thought about her proposition. Finally, he agreed to let her stay and serve him under one condition: she could never go back to the village of see her father again. The master would see for her father to get what he needed, but if she ever tried to escape, she'd be killed on the spot. The maiden agreed.
The master stood up from his chair and faced his servant before taking of his mantle. The maiden cried in fear when she saw his true form. It was a wolf standing as if he were a man.
The wolf remembered the maiden of the promise she had made, and how they were stuck together until one of them died. She appeared to be calmed down by his words, but the question remained of why he looked this way. Her master obliged her request and told her his story.
A long time ago, he and his companions noticed something weird going on in the forest and decided to investigate. As they looked around, they found a small group of caravans in their turf. Something which they didn't like. Thus, they attacked the invaders without knowing who they were.
The battle was fierce and there were heavy casualties in both sides. The gypsies were stronger than they looked and their weapons gave them an unfair advantage, but master and his pack had won in the end. However, just as they were about to leave, a woman pointed at him and cursed him.
From that day on, he would wander in that form, not human, nor beast; until a woman willingly offered herself to him and lifted his curse.
Thus, he left his family and friends and came to live in the castle. With time, several humans appeared nearby and started a town next to his abode. A thing he had to learn to live with.
The maiden came up with an idea.
-"Why not me?" She asked, "I could help you lift your curse if you like."
-"If you were to do me that favor," he said, "everything in this castle and everything I own would be yours. However, I must warn you that time will take its toll on me once I'm back to being myself."
The maiden got closer to the wolf and kissed his snout. Being married to a rich lord wouldn't be that bad and, besides, how badly could he be affected by a few years.
The wolf led her to what was left of the bed and licked her tenderly. First, he licked under her chin and proceed to lick her nose and eyelids. Then, he smelled her butt before moving to her sex. He licked and licked as much as he could to get her ready for the mounting. The maiden laid on her back as the wolf lubed her, but he later shoved her with his nose until she rested on her belly.
The master got behind her servant and got over her. He rested his paws on her shoulders and bit her neck as if to stop her from getting away. Then, he took his sex and shoved it inside her. Not the position she wanted, but she would honor his wish this time. Bound to the wolf by his knot, the maiden endured her trial and waited to see her prize.
Once morning came, the maiden woke up and opened her eyes. She was now the mistress of the castle. Happy, she looked at her side to greet her new husband but the only thing she saw was the dead body of a wolf next to her. One that had died of old age a long time ago.