beyond the beanstalk part eight
(one/two/three/four/five/six/seven/eight/nine/ten/eleven/twelve/thirteen)
It had taken Beatrice all day to cut down the beanstalk, and so after the work was done, she had taken a full day of rest. Then, when she woke in the morning, she felt refreshed and ready to sell the pieces at the market. After loading what she could into her rickety old cart, she hauled it into town. She smiled when she realized that people were whispering about her as she passed their stalls. The idea of being set for life after chopping up a magical plant enthralled her, especially now that she wouldn’t have to share this gift with her useless son. When she finally made it to her favorite buyer, she paused to wipe her brow of sweat.
“Bea, you’re positively glowing!” He noted, smiling at her. “What’s got you in such a good mood?” Beatrice moved her cart to show off the massive leaves and chunks of stalk in her cart. She had to cut them into cubes to even get them to fit, and even then, this was hardly any of the stalk.
“Well, my son claimed that he had gotten some magic beans in exchange for my cow.” She explained from the beginning. “I threw them out into my garden, and by morning, I had this massive beanstalk in my yard. So I cut it down, and now I want to sell it to you!” She exclaimed, still feeling the same giddiness she had felt while chopping the tree down. The buyer’s face flickered.
“...What?” He replied after a moment, clearly confused by her story.
“It’s a magic plant, dammit! This’ll probably make you a lot of money.” She replied, still trying to keep her cool. It was then she noticed that far more people were whispering about her, and she began to feel warm.
“Bea, I-I’m not sure what, um, happened to you, but magic isn’t real.” The buy explained in the same way one would explain it to a child or a crazy person. But Beatrice knew she wasn’t crazy, nor was she a child. She was a loyal customer and had been for years, and it really ticked her off that she was facing this treatment.
“This is a magic plant. I know what I saw!” She snapped at him. “Fine. If you won’t take it, I’ll sell it to someone else.” She huffed, snatching up the handles of the cart and dragging it away. Her ears picked up on the tone of the whispers around her, but not the words. It was starting to get to her as she searched for another buyer. But as she approached other stands, the workers gave her strange looks or closed their shutters. Beatrice just grumbled to herself and kept walking. She only stopped when one of the guards at the market walked in front of her.
“Ma’am, the kind man at that stand over there asked me to come check on you. Are you feeling alright?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “Said that you spoke of… some sort of magic plant?”
“Yes!” She stressed, exasperated that nobody else saw this as the same boon that she did. “Are you going to buy some?” She asked.
“No, but ma’am-”
“Then you are of no use to me.” She huffed, and strolled past him. Beatrice kept on walking until she spotted a stand she had never seen before. There was an old man running it, and beside him stood a cow that looked an awful lot like her old one. She picked up the pace, and then stopped right in front of his cart.
“Can I help you?” He asked, petting the cow’s head.
“Yes. Do you have any use for magical wares? I’ve just cut down this magic beanstalk that grew in my yard, and I’m looking for a buyer.” She said, irritated. The old man looked her in the eyes with a raised eyebrow. He stared at her for a moment before drawing back from her.
“You are a woman driven by greed and gluttony, Beatrice.” He said, and before she could protest or ask how he knew her name, he continued. “I had hoped that you might see the error in your ways after Jack had left you. I see now that I was mistaken in thinking so. You will not turn a profit from stolen wishes.” He said promptly, and closed his stands shutters. Beatrice stood there, still reeling from the audacity the old man had to speak to her that way. She growled.
“If you think that I’m some stupid-” She ripped open his shutters and found him and the cow to be missing. She stomped past the stand to see if he had run away, and couldn’t spot him anywhere. She looked around the crowd for him, but still couldn’t find him. Then, someone tapped her shoulder. She grabbed their arm, assuming it was the old man from before. “Listen here you ungrateful bastard-” Her voice caught in her throat when she realized it was the guard from earlier.
“Ma’am, I’m afraid I’ll have to escort you away from the market.” His tone was even, and all hints of concern from before had disappeared. He grabbed her arm with his free hand and pulled her off. “Come with me. Don’t resist, I don’t want to have to apprehend you.” Beatrice followed him as he led her towards the local jailhouse. She knew she would probably be held there until someone came to spring her. But without her son, who did she have? She had no idea where her brother was now that the war had ended, and her parents and husband were dead. Beatrice had no one left to help her. As she was led into the cell, she stood there looking at the ground, thinking about what the old man had told her. Hours passed as she thought about it, puzzled by what he had said about a stolen wish. That was, until the door to her cell was opened.
“Bea, what the hell happened?” Her head jerked up. She knew that voice anywhere.
“Hendrick?” She replied. Tears formed in her eyes. “Oh my lord, Hendrick!” She lunged at him, hugging him. He didn’t hug back. He still had a scabbard around his waist, and the crest of his house on his chest. She knew he had become a knight, but she wasn’t expecting him to ever return to her.
“What the hell have you done? You assaulted an officer? What the hell were you thinking?!” He took a step back from her, his face angry.
“I was just trying to sell this magic beanstalk that sprouted in my yard. This is all my son's fault. He traded my cow for those beans and now look at me.” Hendrick’s eyes widened.
“A beanstalk you say?” He eyed her quickly, looking for something.
“Yes! Finally, someone believes me!” Beatrice noted, finally relieved that someone seemingly understood her.
“Have you seen Jack since this happened?” He questioned, clearly thinking about something.
“No, thank the lord.” She replied, rolling her eyes. This was all his fault. She had half a mind to go find him and beat him until he knew better than to do it again.
“Beatrice. How long has it been since you’ve seen him?” Hendrick’s voice sounded more serious.
“Why does that matter? You haven’t been home in years and the first thing you’re worried about is my good-for-nothing bastard son?” She spat, her temper turning again. Hendrick’s eyes hardened.
“Beatrice, how long has it been?” He repeated, grabbing her by the shoulders. She shoved him, throwing herself backward into the cell.
“Lord forbid you ever take my side, Hendrick! No! You can’t even write after abandoning me!” She yelled at him, trying to change the subject. “Besides, you’ve only met Jack once, how can you care about him more than me?” She accused, jabbing her finger into his chest. Hendrick backed up, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“I’ll get you out of here, sister. But you have to answer me.”
“Three days.” She huffed, agreeing to his demands. She approached him again, trying to walk out of the cell but he blocked her.
“Three days?” Hendrick stressed, sounding angry.
“Yes, have you gone deaf?” Beatrice spat, narrowing her eyes. “I’ve left him on his own for longer before anyway, he’s probably fine.” Hendrick’s eyes widened again.
“Beatrice, what the hell?!”
“I’ve only done what father did for us! Every child requires punishment!” Beatrice replied with as much anger in her voice. Hendrick stepped back.
“You didn’t. You wouldn’t.” He sounded in disbelief. He looked disgusted with her, and it only enraged her.
“What? What are you so afraid that I would do?” She took another step towards him.
“Tell me that you didn’t beat him. Promise me you didn’t.” His voice was quiet and even.
“...I’ve never been a liar, Hendrick.” She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Only when he deserved it. I’m not exactly like father, I at least always had a reason. He had to learn somehow.” She replied, like it was nothing. Hendrick stared at her.
“Get out.” He commanded, stepping aside. Beatrice obeyed, exiting the cell.
“Are you done yelling at me over nothing?” She replied, feeling snippy.
“Get out of here.” He replied.
“Wh-”
“Get the hell out of this town. You are no longer my sister. Jack is no longer your son. You haven’t the faintest idea the danger you’ve just put him in, and I doubt you’ll care even if I tell you. So leave, Beatrice.” Hendrick said, placing a hand on his sword. His voice was even as he made the demands. “Don’t make me march you out of here.” Beatrice stared at his sword.
“Fine. Have it your way. I’ve been on my own since my husband died, who needs you anyways!” She shouted, throwing her hands up in the air with frustration. But just as she turned, she remembered the old man's words again.
“You are a woman driven by greed and gluttony, Beatrice.” Her mind echoed the words as she walked out of the jailhouse. The sun was setting, and she would just barely make it to the next town over before it was too dark to see in front of her. She walked on, spiteful and unaware that her brother was watching her leave with watery eyes.
----
“Did you see that?” Roger mentioned once he had made it outside. “He offered me the other half! I mean, I barely felt anything, but I even picked it up without grabbing him!” Roger exclaimed with excitement. Mabel smiled up at him, feeling his infectious joy.
“I saw, dear.” She laughed at him a little, happy that he was happy. “We can just take a walk, if you don’t mind. I just wanted to give Jack some time to rest,” she said. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t exactly the whole truth. She wanted Jack to be the one to explain his needs to Roger, as she hoped it would lead to a little more trust between the two of them. But she still feared that Jack would never warm up to Roger.
“He’s warming up to me faster than I thought he would, May. It’s just… it’s so wonderful.” He sighed happily. Mabel didn’t want to rain on his parade by telling him about the fact that Jack had confessed to having a fear of him, so she just smiled at him.
“How are Edmund and Alice, by the way?” Mabel asked. She liked hearing about the two of them, as they were the first giants aside from Roger she had befriended.
“They’re both good. I had to sort of deflect Edmund from finding out about Jack though.”
“You’ve always been a pretty terrible liar.”
“Really? I thought I was good at it.”
“Maybe to other giants, but your face is the biggest thing around for me. I can read you better than I can read a book, dear.” She laughed at his pouty frown. He chuckled at her for a moment, rubbing the back of his head. There was a beat of silence for a moment.
“Mabel, I… are you alright?” He asked, looking right at her.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” She sputtered, waving him off.
“I just can’t help but feel as though you’ve been comforting me this whole time… but you’ve never really told me how you feel about all of this.” Roger noted. Mabel paused for a moment, then brushed imaginary dirt off of her skirt. “Well, you’ve always been a little afraid of yourself, so I know that’s important.” She explained, starting to play with her hair. It was harder to do when it was up, but her restless fingers always found a way.
“May, you’re, um… how do I put this…” Roger trailed off. “You’re doing the thing you always do when you get nervous or try to deflect.” Mabel let go of her hair, face flushing with embarrassment. “I know you’re not always comfortable talking about emotion, but… your feelings matter to me.” Roger said honestly, leaning in closer.
“Roger, I love you so much.” She murmured, stepping closer on his hand. She knew the possibility of him hearing what she had said was low, but she meant it anyway.
“I know I was always the one pushing for a child, but I… I never really knew if you wanted it as badly as I did.”
“I… Well, I worked with kids for a while, and I enjoyed it.” Mabel paused, steeling herself. She knew that what she was about to say next probably wasn’t something he would be happy to hear. “But when I thought about having a kid of my own… It filled me with dread.” She admitted, looking at Roger. Like always, she had his full attention. “You make it feel a lot easier, but I’m still terrified of screwing it all up.” She finished, hating feeling vulnerable. Roger moved his hand closer to him, gently kissing her on the forehead, even if his lower lip covered almost her entire face.
“I think you’re doing a good job so far. Jack seems to like you.” Roger commented. Mabel tucked her loose hair behind her ear.
“You flatter me.” She blushed. Roger kissed her again.
“I speak only the truth, songbird. You yourself said that I’m a terrible liar.” He said sweetly. Mabel blushed even deeper.
“Oh, stop it!” She waved him off, looking away with a smile on her face. He kissed her two more times before she pushed him off of her. Her face was now incredibly hot and she took a moment to calm down. “I… know now isn’t really the time, but I should go and visit my parents. Maybe I can get some things for Jack.” Roger’s smile faltered for a moment, but he put it back up. “Do you think you can watch Jack on your own for a couple days? I’ll come back as soon as I can, I just don’t want to leave him here alone and-”
“I know, you can’t take him with you.” Roger sighed. “If you think I can handle it, then I’m sure I can.” He smiled softer. “I’ve got it handled, songbird. I’ll take care of him.”
