Laurent never allowed his pace to quicken past a walk, but that was difficult, steps wanting to match to the pounding of his heart. He hurried back to his room, moving a wardrobe in front of the door, though he knew that would only slow the beast down, at best. He curled up in the enormous, luxurious bed, and did not sleep.

In the morning, a new garment had appeared, just as sumptuous. It was a deep emerald green, trimmed with gold, with a twining laurel of emeralds and gold for his hair. Laurent put it on, considering it a product of the castle rather than the tempestuous, cruel beast, and went out into the grounds to explore.

His horse was well-cared for in the stables, with oats and apples aplenty. Laurent equipped the creature with the finest saddle he'd ever seen, and rode out, riding hard through the lands of the Beast. The farthest point was a two hour ride, where cliffs or chasms or twining briars rose up, preventing all passage beyond. There was still the temptation of the way he'd come, but Laurent was not yet that desperate.

He stayed out until dark, and did not even need to hunger. Fruit trees speckled the landscape, and when Laurent thought to glance inside the empty saddle bags, he found an elegant repast tidily packed in a linen cloth. As the stars speckled the sky above, Laurent made his way up the steps, heart pounding with fear that the Beast would catch him before he could retire to the relative safety of his room.