I don't own Digimon nor do I own the original "Beauty and the Beast". Warning to my readers: this is not the Disney version of the story. There will be no magical roses, no talking teapots, no lions dressed in flowery waistcoats and no dancing candlesticks. Enjoy!
So It Begins
Prince Takeru Takaishi strolled to the royal gardens slowly, perfectly aware of the giggling girls that were ogling at him from the other side of the hedge; the heady perfume of the roses hung thickly in the air, their sweet cloying scent clinging onto everything. He smiled, a polished expression calculated to make any female heart stop and ran his hand through his carefully arranged hair.
He grinned at his older brother Yamato Ishida, the Crown Prince, who was sitting under a nearby tree, artfully strumming a lyre. The clear notes hung in the still air, unmoving, as there wasn't even the slightest zephyr to help with the noonday heat. Yamato, too, had a cluster of simpering females standing by, hanging on his every word, or rather, note. The brothers exchanged a grin and a wink, and Yamato went back to his music, pointedly ignoring the girls seated around him. The corner of TK's mouth twitched as he suppressed a smile, and he turned to walk back to the palace.
To his surprise, he found his path blocked by a girl. He brown hair was pulled back messily and stuck out like a bush that badly needed trimming; she was tall and lank; she was more his brother's age than his own. He searched his memory for a name…Jane? Jordan? Then he remembered: Jun Motomiya, the eldest daughter of a duke. She had a younger brother his age if he remembered correctly, Daisuke. Their father was the duke of the Silver Lake duchy, making their family one of the oldest families in the kingdom; it was also known for beautiful women, although that particular trait seemed to have passed Jun over. There were rumors that Jun dabbled in the dark arts, but Takeru never really paid much attention to rumors. He silently wondered to himself what she was doing; after all, she had been hot on his brother's tail for the past few months. "Prince TK" she purred, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
TK gave her a look of disgust and tried to go around her, but to no avail; he found his path blocked again and again. "Yes, Lady Jun?" he finally asked, practically choking on her title, knowing that she wouldn't let him pass until she had her say.
"I was wondering…" she started as she twirled a loose strand of hair around a finger in attempt, no doubt, to appear flirtatious; however, her plan fell short of her intentions as TK tried not to turn away in disgust.
"Yes?" TK asked impatiently, wanting to get away.
"What does Yamato think of me?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.
TK raised an eyebrow. He thinks you're a disgusting, simpering fool. Furthermore, he has confided to me that he would be a perfectly happy man if he never had to see you again. Instead of saying what he was thinking, Takeru put on his most charming smile and winked at her, "You, milady? He believes you to be one of the most exquisite flowers at court, of course."
TK lavished praise upon praise on her, hoping flattery will buy his escape –never mind what his brother's going to think of this exchange. Matt is going to kill me when he finds out about this.
Finally, half an hour later, Lady Jun decided to go hunt her prey in person as TK convinced her that Matt was crazy about her but just need some…encouragement. TK ran towards the palace, hoping to find somewhere nice and cool to hide when his brother came hunting for him.
~*~*~
A/N: Thoughts? Suggestions? Critiques? Please review!