Prologue

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young Prince lived in a shining castle…

The moonlight streaked through the gnarly, dark trees, and painted the forest in silvery stripes. The figure moving through the branches and thorns was panting, the breaths going in and out were the only thing that disturbed the silence. She was wearing a dark cape, and when the hood fell after a jump over a particularly high branch, dark hair spilled over the cloth like a liquid being as it curled and straightened after every step. Her face was concealed within a black handkerchief tied around her mouth, and her silver eyes were shining. The breath puffed the handkerchief from her face, and you could see the flushed state of her cheeks.

Although he had everything his heart desired the Prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. The words kept on repeating in her head, until they were a sort of chant that kept her moving, moving towards her inevitable goal.

But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Her eyes watered, and her heart pounded, but the thrill of excitement from the story was enough to make her forget the pain in her burning legs.

Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the Prince sneered at the gift, and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. Her forehead glistened with sweat and her mouth felt sticky, but she pushed on as her head clouded with images formed by the words.

And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful Enchantress. The fact that she had almost arrived at her destination registered vaguely in her mind, but the story was more gripping, and had she not been running she would still be out of breath because of each riveting word.

The Prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. The dirt path could be seen through the branches, and she dimly thought that centuries of searching had finally led to this single place.

And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The sun wasn't up just yet, and the streets were empty as the entire town slept. She walked slowly and dreamily through, her breath calming, as the words repeated in her head.

The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom for many years. If he could learn to love another and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. She could hear a single bird chirping, too early for the rest of the others to join, but it was though its eagerness could no longer be contained. She felt the same way.

If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope. She spotted the empty cottage which she was destined to walk into, and for once the words playing over in her brain seemed dimmer compared to real life.

For who could ever learn to love a Beast? She smiled, and was surprised that she even knew how, since she hadn't done so in so long. It was by no means a sweet smile, but so sinister that any normal human would have trouble looking her in the eye if they had ever seen it. Before going inside, she withdrew a small, black leather mask that revealed nothing but her silver eyes and slipped it on over her face under her handkerchief.

For who could ever learn to love a Beast? Then she turned the lock with a key strung on a piece of string and wrapped tightly around her thumb.

For who could ever learn to love a Beast? She swung the door shut heavily behind her as she walked in and took in the sight of the old man with a long beard and giant glasses. He didn't look up from staring at his hands.

"What is it that you would like from me, Ceana?"

This time she didn't smile, though her eyes seemed to grow brighter with mirth.

Who indeed.