A.N: I'm sorry for taking so long getting the next chapter of Cinderella written but I hope to have it done by the end of the week. Until then please enjoy the first chapter of Beauty and the Beast. If I get enough requests I will post the rest of the story but please note that I will be rewriting this one at some point.
Beauty and the Beast Chapter One
Beauty and the Beast is one of the best love stories of all time. In the original story Beauty went to live with the beast in exchange of her father who took a rose from the Beast's garden.
This tale however is different; the heroines name is not Beauty, Its Susan.
Susan lives with her father, Henry and her two sisters, Claire and Danielle in a house in the country a short distance from a town. Although Susan's father is a wealthy man she doesn't like to spend money and party all the time like Claire and Danielle. Every other day Susan goes for a walk with her horse. During these walks she explores the surrounding woods of her home. She has very dark brown hair, sky blue eyes and is twenty two years old. Danielle is twenty four, two years older than Susan, has Golden blonde hair and hazel eyes. Claire is twenty six, has mucky blonde hair and brown eyes. Despite their age none of the sisters are married although Susan has received many offers, each of which she has declined saying that she is not yet ready to marry. Claire and Danielle are all too ready to marry. The only problem is that no one wants to marry them because of their spitefulness to people.
Our story begins on a fine summer's day. It is Thursday. Susan is in the garden tending the vegetables. It is the middle of summer and very warm. Susan is wearing a knee length black dress with long sleeves and a bodice that matches I colour. On her feet is a simple pair of matching shoes. The bodice is grey with black ribbon. She hears a knock on the door and stands up straight. Susan is tall for a female while her sisters are short. Her father is short for a male. She hears her father walk out of his study to answer the door. She wonders who is calling and decides to investigate.
As she gets closer to the door she can hear the voice more clearly but doesn't recognize the voice. She moves closer and hears a voice that she knows all too well.
"Oh no, not him again" she thinks, groaning to herself. She sneaks into the room nearest the front door, the kitchen and eave drops on the conversation.
"Henry, I'd like to talk to you about your daughters" the man says.
"What about them?" Henry asks.
"My two friends and I are looking to find a wife and settle down. We would like to ask for your daughters hand in marriage" the man explains. Susan stands back from the door when she hears this. After a minute she presses her ear back on the kitchen door.
"How about you and your friends come to dinner tonight, you can meet my daughters there and decide which one you each want to marry" Henry suggests.
"On behalf of my friends, we gratefully accept your offer" the man says, "good day". Susan hears the door close and rushes back to the garden.
A moment later she hears her father call hers and her sister's names. She goes to where he is and sees Claire and Danielle walk down the stairs.
"You called father" Claire says when they reach him.
"Yes I did, we're having a formal dinner tonight" he says.
"What is the occasion?" Danielle asks.
"I have found each of you a husband and they are joining us for dinner" their father replies. Claire and Danielle's faces light up with joy while Susan's face becomes grim and unhappy. She looks at her father about to say something.
"And before you ask Susan, you may not sit in the kitchen and hide like the last time, it is high time you married" he says.
"But father, I've told you several times, I don't want to be married" Susan protests.
"I know but once you are, your husband will treat you like royalty" he says.
"But that's not what I want, I want to help poor people" Susan explains to her father.
"I'll here mo more of this helping poor people out business, they don't need help; they chose to be poor so it's their problem" he says. Susan gives up; she knows there's no way of persuading her father to change his mind once he's made a decision.
Hours later the man from earlier is back with his two friends. Henry opens the door when they knock on it and lets them in. he then shows them into the study. After that he goes to the bottom of the stairs and calls Claire, Danielle and Susan down. Claire is the first down the stairs. She is wearing a pale blue sleeveless full length dress with matching shoes. Next to come down the stairs is Danielle. She is wearing a strapless lilac dress that is almost identical to Claire's dress. A few minutes and Susan has still not gone down the stairs.
"Susan, hurry up, we haven't go all night" he yells. Susan hears her father yell for her for the second time. She sighs and stands up.
"Better get this over and done with" she thinks. She walks out of her room and down the stairs.
"It's about time, they are in the study" he says. Susan is wearing a black full length dress with off the shoulder straps. Under the skirt of her dress there are several layers of black petticoats. The top of her dress is bodice style without the ribbons.
Henry leads the way to the study with Danielle, Claire and Susan Following in that order. He opens the door and they walk in. The three men stand up when they enter the room, all of them wearing dinner jackets with tailcoats, white shirts, black trousers and shoes.
"Henry, these are my two friends, James and Steven" he says pointing to the two people respectively. James has brown hair, brown eyes and is twenty six. Steven is also twenty six but has ginger hair and green eyes. William however has blonde hair, blue eyes and is twenty five.
"Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to my three daughters, Claire the eldest" he says, pointing to her, "Danielle he continues while pointing to Danielle "and Susan, the youngest" he finishes while pointing at Susan. Claire and Danielle both curtsy but Susan stands where she is with her arms crossed. All of the men bow to the ladies. Susan still does nothing.
"Good evening Susan, it's lovely to see you again" William says.
"William, how many times has it been now? Twenty? Thirty? No matter how many times you ask me, I'm still going to give you the same answer. No I will not marry you, I wouldn't marry you even if we were the last two people on earth" Susan says. Just then Susan hears her sisters giggle. She looks at her sisters and sees James kissing Claire's hand as well as Steven kissing Danielle's hand. She turns to face William.
"But I don't need to ask you for your hand in marriage, I've asked your father and I think he approves the idea" William says slyly. Before Susan can say anything there is a knock on the study door. A servant walks in.
"Dinner is served" the servant says. He then leaves again. James leads Claire and Steven leads Danielle into the dining room. Susan looks around and realizes that she and William are the only two people in the study.
"May I escort you into the dining room?" William asks.
"William, your charm isn't going to work on me; I already know what you're like; selfish, arrogant and pigheaded. Susan replies.
"So, no, you may not escort me, I can get there myself" Susan continues. She then goes to the dining room with William following her.
The meal is eaten in silence. After the meal Steven a ring to Danielle while James does the same to Claire. The two of them squeal in delight and each of them accepts the offer. Henry then looks at Susan who looks at her lap.
"Now, Susan, William has asked me for your hand in marriage and I'm going to let him have it" he says.
"But" Susan begins.
"No buts, now put the ring on that William has" he says. William holds a gold ring out for her finger, her finger gates closer and closer to the ring. While this happens she thinks of what to do to get out of her current situation. After a minute she has it. She stands up quickly and bolts out of the dining room, grabs her cloak from the bottom of the staircase and ties the ribbon around her neck while leaving the house. She then climbs on her horse and rides away into the forest night.
Meanwhile back at the house everyone is silent and shocked by what has just happened. After a minute Henry stands up.
"She's probably just gone to her room" he says.
"Father, she's left the house, didn't you hear the front door slam?" Claire says.
Henry stops in his tracks.
"Oh" he says, "that changes things, I'm going after her, everyone, wait here until I get back" he grabs his coat and leaves the house. He gets on his horse and leaves.