*Bear

Intro: This is my seventeenth story for NaShoStoMo. I wanted to try my hand at a fairy tale. I hope to expand this at a later time because I think it has some potential.

Gerard couldn't bring himself to kill the bear, but he couldn't say it was the love of his life who he hoped to marry. Gerard lowered his sword, resting the point in the ground, though he knew it wasn't proper. The bear never moved from her spot, instead she lowered her head, closing her eyes. Though Gerard knew he should say something, he worried that if he let on too much, someone else would kill the bear.

"Listen up," Gerard said, leaning forward and cutting the bonds with his knife. "I'll make an agreement with you. You don't kill anyone or destroy property, and you can continue living in the forest."

The minister of state made a choking noise behind Gerard but Gerard ignored him.

"Now, be off with you."

"Your majesty," the minister said as the bear lumbered off. No one tried to stop her. Gerard pulled his sword from the ground and sheathed it. He would meet up with her later, as he always did. He found great comfort in the bear and the companionship she offered.

"This is not a wise decision."

Gerard ignored the minister and walked back towards the horses. Though he knew releasing the bear was risky, he just couldn't justify killing her, especially when no one could bring any solid evidence as to why he should.

"The decision was mine to make, and I trust everyone will support me," Gerard said meeting the gaze of the five soldiers who had escorted him. The bear hunter folded his arms but didn't say anything. He'd already received his pay and Gerard knew the man wouldn't mind earning another small fortune if he needed to catch the bear again.

Back at the castle Gerard had a difficult time focusing. His mind kept straying to the bear. It had been around the forest for years and it hadn't been until recently that members of the town complained out it. When his father passed away from an infection four years earlier, he became king. That day he was to have been married but everything had gone wrong. His father had been injured which resulted in death, and the bear came in place of a bride. The oddest thing of all was no one seemed to care the bride hadn't shown up. Foul things, quite unlike the bear, called the forest home, and caused strange happenings. Gerard did not doubt a witch's hand meddling in his life.

In four years he'd managed to get the kingdom back into the profitability side of things but what everyone saw most was his lack of a queen. His thoughts went back to the bear. The bear hunter claimed the bear walked up to him, and never made a noise as he tied her up. There was something wrong about the whole thing. After his father's death, Gerard often went to the forest. There he met with the bear and their friendship deepened. The idea that the bear would willingly trap herself disturbed him. He wondered if the witch of the forest was behind it.

"Bother this," he said and climbed to his feet. "I need some air."

He climbed out of the window and dropped the five feet to the grass below. There was no one in sight as he jogged across the field, taking in deep breaths of the cool spring air. The sun warmed his back as he hiked towards the forest. Inside the forest felt cold but he enjoyed the sounds of the birds and other wildlife in the trees.

Someone screamed. Gerard turned and looked through the trees. A woman, dressed in a patchwork of red and white hid behind a tree as the bear approached.

"Dash-it-all," Gerard murmured before raising his voice. "Hold up, bear. We had an agreement."

The bear turned at the sound of his voice. She almost got a sheepish look as she back away from the woman.

"Help me," the woman cried.

Gerard absently patted the bear as he walked by. "You don't have to worry; she's not going to hurt you."

"It's a monster," the woman replied. "It tried to eat me."

Gerard replied with a laugh, "Most bears are omnivores but this one is strictly vegetarian. I keep track of everyone. The bear has never killed any kind of animal."

"That you know of," the woman added.

Gerard didn't say anything else. The woman clung to his arm. He flinched as her nails dug in further. He couldn't pull away from her. Her red and white patterned dressed now looked stained from blood. The cut and design of the dress gave him the idea of a wedding gown. Gerard was pulled backwards. The bear stood over him, her teeth bared and growling at the woman.

"The bear is dangerous, it needs to be killed," the woman said raising her hands.

Gerard got to his feet and drew his sword. "So much as touch the bear and I put an end to this dispute immediately."

"It will die," she shrieked. Gerard had just enough time to push the bear away before the dagger plunged into his chest. The woman dropped the knife, as if it burned her.

"You have your proof," another woman said, moving to Gerard's side. "And your power is finished."

The corpse let out one last shriek before exploding into rays of light. The pain in Gerard's chest lightened and he looked up at his bride to be.

"For as I said, this man who has my heart, will love me in any form. Be gone foul witch."

Gerard kept his gaze on the woman, his bride to be, as the witch scuttled back into the depths of the forest. It would be years before she had the power to move against him again.

"And now we get to live happily ever after," Gerard said, taking his betrothed in his arms and heading back to the castle.