Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Belle. She was well liked in her small village, and she loved her life. However, she had a secret that would cost her life if anyone were to find out. She was a witch. She wasn't evil, and she didn't want to hurt anyone, but the villagers would look past that if they were to find out. One day, as she was finishing a chapter of a book on transformation spells, her father, Maurice walked into the library. Startled, she quickly closed the book, which had a fake cover on it. She smiled as he walked up to her.
"Hello father," she said "How are you this morning?"
Staring at Belle's book for a second, he looked up at her, and excitedly stated,"I have wonderful news!" Belle looked up at him curiously.
"Merchants have come into the shores, and they carry great wealth!" He said happily.
Belle hugged her Father, his clothes cold from being outside. "That's splendid!"
"Would you want anything, Belle?" He asked earnestly. Belle's father loved her very much. He wished for her to be happy, and would do anything for her. Belle thought back to a powerful transformation spell she had read about. She had no idea what she would use it for, but she did know that she could perform it with one more item: a red rose.
"Could you bring me a red rose? I am very fond of them, but they do not grow in our area." She explained. Though she felt guilt for lying to him, she knew that he could not understand her practice.
"Of course, Belle, but are you sure that's all you want?" Maurice asked. Belle understood that he thought she would want wealth and expensive jewels, but Belle found no value in these things. She wanted nothing to do with riches, but simply to connect with the world around her.
"I have no desire for anything but the rose I have requested." she replied. Her father nodded, complying with her wishes.
The next day Maurice set off for the merchant he had heard about. As he arrived at the merchant, he saw that they had nothing. They didn't even have a red rose to bring home to his daughter. After questioning what had happened, Maurice found that not only were the rumors exaggerated, but also that the things that they had arrived with were no longer there because people from all over had come and eagerly took whatever they could get.
The next day Maurice sent himself back home, accepting that the trip he made was fruitless. As dusk set over the horizon, Belle's father was still miles away from home, and an awful blizzard had come in. In the distance, her father had seen a small but beautiful castle. He had never seen it before, but that would not deter him. A young prince saw him, and ran out in the storm to take Maurice in. As they walked inside, the prince could not help but wonder about him.
"What were you doing out there?" the prince inquired. Maurice sighed, thinking about how worried Belle would be that he hasn't returned home by now. He was supposed to arrive home at some point during that day.
"I was traveling home to my daughter," Maurice explained, "but I won't be able to make it home tonight. She will be awfully worried about me." The prince looked at him empathetically, his blue-green eyes soft. Stay here tonight, I will give you supplies so that you may leave early tomorrow morning." The prince offered. Maurice smiled, nodding. The two stayed silent as the prince led Maurice to a guest's room.
When dawn came, Maurice prepared himself to leave, and as he packed the supplies to travel through the snow, which the prince had so kindly offered him, Maurice spotted a small bouquet of roses. He immediately thought of Belle, who he very much wished not to disappoint. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Maurice took an average sized red rose from the beautiful arrangement of flowers.
"What are you doing? You dare steal from me after I have shown you such kindness?" The prince bellowed, filled with anger.
"Please, let me explain, sir!" Maurice begged.
"Fine," the prince said, "explain yourself."
Letting out a breath, Maurice began to explain. "I have a young daughter. Just sixteen years of age. I set off originally to find riches in the merchant that came in a few days ago, I'm sure you've heard of him. I was too late though, the merchant had nothing left. All my daughter requested was a red rose, but I could not bring it to her. When I saw your beautiful flowers, I wanted to take one so that my humble daughter could have her wish." The prince silently considered. If he wished, the prince could kill Maurice in an instant. Or he could throw him into the cold with no supplies, and let him freeze. However, what the prince said next shocked Maurice more than either of those things.
"You say you have a daughter." The prince said.
"Yes, sir"
"Bring her to me." The prince demanded. Maurice felt his heart drop.
"What?" Maurice asked. He thought surely he had misheard the prince.
"I am lonely here in my castle. I wish to have company," The prince explained, and with a smile he continued, "You may even bring her that rose which you so rudely tried to steal." Maurice began to weep. He had no other choice. He planned to go to his daughter and explain what the prince said, but not to carry out this insane plan. He would sacrifice himself, but he wanted to see his daughter again.
"I agree with these conditions" Maurice said, composing himself. Smiling, the prince shook his hand in agreement.
"Good!" the prince affirmed, "be off now." Maurice complied, leaving the castle.
Maurice arrived home that evening with a melancholy look on his face, a sad rose in his hand. Belle ran to him.
"Father! You're home! I was mortified that you had died out in the storm." Belle cried. She saw the look on his face, and the rose in his hand.
"You brought the rose for me, but you do not have anything else with you. Is this what troubles you, father?" Belle asked. She hoped that he did not sacrifice his wants for this sad rose.
"No, Belle. I have to tell you something." Taking a deep breath, he explained what had happened to him, and what the prince made him promise, but that he would not comply.
"No, father. I do not wish for you to sacrifice yourself for me. If you were to die for me, I may be physically free, but mentally I would never be the same living with guilt. I wish to go, and you can not stop me." Though her father did not want her to go, he understood her reasons.
"I see. I wish you would not leave, but I understand.You will depart tomorrow." He said, tears streaming down his face.
The next morning, Belle woke early, hugging her father goodbye. Though she was sad, she refused to show it. She knew that if her father knew how scared she was, he would want her to stay. It was a fairly easy trip to the castle, as it had warmed up over the past few days since the storm. When Belle arrived, the prince welcomed her at the door.
"Beauty, welcome!" He exclaimed.
"Hello, sir. What's your name?" She asked politely.
"I'm Prince Adam!" He said, "here, this way to your room!" She was surprised that he already had a room set for her, but followed anyway. As they walked, Adam talked enthusiastically. "Anything you want is here for you, Beauty. You will be very happy!" Adam exclaimed. Adam seemed kind, but Belle felt something off about him, like when the door is just barely creaking open at night and you feel something lurking behind it. Belle didn't ignore it, but she wouldn't show her fear either. The prince led her to a room which said "Beauty's Room" on a sign above it. As she walked in, she saw walls filled with books and a beautiful bed in the center. The room was astonishing.
"I'll let you settle in." Adam said, still smiling. That was one of the things that was off about him. He never stopped smiling, and his smile never wavered. Belle shivered just thinking about it. Adam had gone down the hall, so she laid down in her new bed. She was exhausted, and slept until she was called for dinner.
At dinner, nothing seemed particularly off, except that Belle wondered who had made all of this food. As far as she knew, nobody else even lived in the castle, which was very odd.
"Your chair is right there." The prince announced, pointing to the end of the table opposite to his chair. Belle sat down accordingly.
"Everything looks amazing, Prince Adam," Belle complimented, "did you make it? Belle asked this a bit quieter. She didn't want him to know that she didn't want to be here.
Adam laughed, "No, Beauty. I have a chef and somebody who cleans, but they have been ordered to stay out of sight." Belle didn't understand why he would want that. He said he was lonely, so why would he order his workers to stay away? She knew something was wrong with him, but didn't know what. Aside from these things, the two had a very pleasant conversation at dinner. Belle began to appreciate his company. She thought she had been too fast to judge. They talked well past dinner, and Belle went to sleep wondering if she was ever going to leave, or if she wanted to. Belle loved her village, and even more her father, but life was harder there. Here she could have just about anything she wanted.
Over the next couple of weeks, she began to love the Prince's presence. They would talk late into the night and the prince would provide whatever she desired. One day at dinner Adam walked across the table, coming close to Belle's side.
"Belle," He said, "I have very much enjoyed these past few weeks. I have grown very fond of you, and I would be overjoyed if you would marry me." Belle nearly choked on her wine.
"Oh no, Prince Adam, I can not. I have very much enjoyed our conversations, but I can not marry you!" She exclaimed. Prince Adam went silent.
"I see." He said quietly. He then left the table. Belle ran to her room. It was true that she enjoyed his presence, but Belle had no desire to marry him. She let a single tear escape before telling herself that self-pity would not help. She went to sleep that night thinking of the village. She thought about what her father would say if he heard that she agreed to marry the very man who took her away from him.
Over the next month, Prince Adam would ask Belle to marry him every single day, and every time she rejected him, he just became more obsessed with her, determined to win her over. He wanted her, and he wouldn't stop until he got her. Adam couldn't stand the thought of her with another man. One day, he walked to her side and Belle expected him to ask her to marry him once again, but he didn't ask this time. He demanded.
"You will marry me," he said, "You do not choose any longer. You have made it obvious that you can not make the correct decision on your own. You need help, so I'm making the choice for you."
Belle stood up quickly, stumbling backward.
"Adam, no, I can not marry you" Belle begged. Suddenly, Prince Adam grew angry.
"How can you do this to me? How can you be so cruel? I have done nothing but be kind to you! I have given you everything you ever wanted." He shouted. Belle went silent.
"Kind?" she laughed, "You imprisoned me! I told you I didn't want to marry you but you couldn't respect that! I wasn't being cruel by choosing not to marry you! That's not how it works, Adam!" Feeling herself rage at the very thought of Adam, Belle remembered the most recent chapter she had read before she left home: transformation spells. She pulled a rose from her pocket, the very one she had requested her father to get for her. She thought of her father and her home, which she had not seen in months. She spent many nights dreaming of going home, and she decided that tonight, she would go home. Belle began to chant a spell as she smashed her glass.
"Belle, what are you doing?" Adam stuttered, "stop, I demand you to stop!" Belle didn't care. His words only encouraged her. She grabbed a shard of glass and slashed across his body. His dark red blood crawled out of the cut. She finished the chant and gently placed the rose's stem into the wound. The Prince began to transform into an ugly beast. Messy brown fur replaced his skin. His teeth became fangs. His nails became claws. He was a monster.
"This is your punishment," Belle explained, "you will be human again only when you forget that I ever existed." The beast roared, threatening Belle. She didn't care. Belle knew she was more powerful than the beast which she had created. She walked free of the castle for the first time in months, laughing with her newly gained freedom.
The next morning, she returned to her village, where everybody formed a crowd, asking how she had escaped. Belle didn't know what to say. They would burn her if they knew she was a witch, but they also wouldn't leave without an answer. Then she saw her father, rubbing his eyes as the sun peeked over the horizon. When he saw her, his eyes widened, and he ran to her, hugging her. The townspeople smiled and clapped witnessing this wholesome reunion, and more importantly, forgetting the question which lingered in their minds. Belle widened her eyes as she heard the words her father whispered next.
["That prince really was a beast"]