Three people turned to her as she entered the room. In her initial confusion, she hadn't taken notice of the two other people besides Clara, Charlotte's mom. Charlotte's dad, Daniel, had a similar air to Clara: confident and proper. He was assured of himself and his position, or at least he wanted it to seem that way. His dirty blond hair and brown eyes washed out his features a bit, but otherwise, he was a fairly handsome man.
The other man, however, was magnetic. Now with a clear mind, it was impossible for Beatrix to look away from him in the moment. It was a miracle she didn't notice him when she arrived. His presence was indomitable, something impossible to ignore. As if he were the only important person in the room, as if it was natural for all eyes to be on him. Yet it didn't seem he was aware of his mesmerizing presence. His uncomfortable gaze betrayed just how awkward he felt in this new environment.
The god of time and space was right. As soon as she met him, she knew. This was him.
This was the man she had to kill.
River had lightly tousled brown hair and deep brown eyes, almost black. Such eyes were now fashioned on her, and it felt impossible to look away. It was the gaze of an otherworldly being. He locked eyes with hers, clearly waiting for her to initiate the introduction, but she was stricken still.
She was terrified. She could instantly tell this was a dangerous man. She no longer doubted the god's words. She had no doubt this man was capable of his accused crimes, whether she knew what they were or not. Both fear and enchantment coursed through her veins.
Yet it seemed she was alone in such feelings. Clara and Daniel didn't seem perturbed by their new charge. It's likely that since she was exposed to a god and his powers, she had a sense for these things.
River, who seemed a bit put off at this time due to Beatrix's strange reaction, took the initiative.
"I'm River, it's nice to meet you. I'm sure your parents have already told you, but I'll be staying with you for a bit." He was upbeat and polite, but to Beatrix, who knew his true personality, he seemed sinister.
"...I'm Charlotte, it's nice to meet you."
Her parents looked at her concerningly. She was nervous and had trouble hiding it.
But of course she was nervous; she would have to kill this man. It didn't matter if he was just a fragment of a whole soul; she didn't have the guts to kill someone, book character or not.
The only thing keeping her going was her family's faces, constantly flashing in her mind.
"Well, okay… Let's get you settled in!" Clara turned towards River, trying to lift the awkward atmosphere.
-
Beatrix fell onto the luxurious bed with a thump, exhausted. But she knew she
couldn't sleep. As soon as she closed her eyes, the burnt faces of her parents haunted her.
She would have to live with the visage forever.
She has to start thinking about how to kill River.
The idea made her nauseous, but she pushed the feeling away. She had to gather her courage and follow through with the choice she made. She knew what to expect when she agreed to the deal.
She painstakingly removed herself from her bed and started looking for Charlotte's parents. When she found Clara, she did her best to look like a normal, healthy, energetic 17-year-old.
"Hey, just wanted to let you know I'm going to the grocery store, anything you need?"
"Are you sure you're feeling well enough? I thought you were gonna pass out earlier." Clara looked at her concerningly. And there was also a bit of doubt hiding in her eyes. Charlotte never made random trips to the grocery store, she had everything she needed at the tips of her fingers.
"Yeah, I just want a small snack, plus I think some fresh air will be good." Beatrix displayed a strained smile.
"Okay, that might be good. But we're all good here, Lucy has us covered." Lucy was the house's cook and maid.
"Would you mind if I come with?" A voice characteristic of someone close to adulthood sounded from behind Beatrix. It was deep, yet slightly immature. Beatrix spun around.
River stood there, the same fake, perfect smile on his face. He looked at her innocently, free of any hidden intentions. At least, that's what he wanted her to think.
"There's a couple of things I need to get. Y'know, for daily living."
"That's a great idea! You guys should get to know each other!" Clara was excited about the idea. Clearly, Beatrix's and River's first meeting had left a bad taste in her mouth, she didn't want them to have a bad relationship.
"...Okay." Beatrix squeezed out the words through clenched teeth.
-
The walk to the grocery store was very awkward.
River did his best to lighten the mood and get closer to Beatrix, but her stiff demeanor made it difficult to get along.
That didn't mean he stopped trying, though. He was aware of his good looks, and a sheltered, rich girl was the most likely to fall for them. He was determined to get what he wanted, regardless of Beatrix's strange attitude.
There were many reasons why Beatrix found herself unable to calm down around River, among them the biggest reason was what she had to do to him.
Getting close to him, becoming friends, would only make killing him harder.
Besides, it was a bit difficult to relax around someone she knew had ill intentions towards her.
She walked a far distance ahead of him and responded in simple noises of acknowledgement to his futile attempts at conversation.
She wouldn't lie; she felt a bit bad for him, in a strange way. Maybe because of the unfortunate ending he had in the book.