Chapter 1: Golden Girlhood

Once upon a time, in a land of magic spells and enchanted forests, two merchants built their homes at the edge of a wood.

Henry Tremaine and Maurice Beaumont had worked together in their trading company since they were young boys. They had become good friends during the long voyages that merchants must take. After many years of work, they had amassed enough fortune that they could afford a family and a comfortable home. They decided they would build their homes right next to each other in their home kingdom of Aminelle and raise their families together. They settled at the edge of a wood on the border of the kingdom that the locals believed to be enchanted. Rumors and stories of moving trees and changing paths kept most people away. These silly stories didn't bother the two men so they built large, stunning houses less than a mile apart with a large meadow separating them.

Both men were fortunate to find beautiful, kind wives who they loved very much. They were very happy and were made even happier as their family grew. Maurice and his wife Amelia were blessed with one boy and three girls- Sebastian, Emmeline, Georgiana, and Belle.

Henry and his wife Elaina were not as lucky. For many years they tried to have children but to no avail. Amelia and Elaina- who had become fast friends seeing as how theirs were the only houses nearby for miles- grieved together for Elaina's lack of children. They came up with every possible remedy to help Elaina have a child, but nothing seemed to work.

Finally, just as Henry and Elaina were giving up hope, Elaina discovered she was with child. Amelia also became pregnant with Belle soon after and was overjoyed that she would be able to share the experience with her dearest friend. It would seem like their lives were perfect. Both women had wonderful husbands who they loved dearly and who loved them in return. They lived in two beautiful houses and were wealthy enough to live a comfortable life. Now, they also had beautiful children to share it with. They had everything they could ever want.

But fate isn't always so kind.

Elaina was able to deliver a healthy young girl. She was named Ella after her mother. After years of waiting, Henry and Elaina could not have loved their daughter more if they tried. Amelia also delivered another girl just months after Elaina. Belle was healthy and hearty at the time of her birth, but her mother had already been through many births and the labor was difficult for her. Within hours of Belle's birth, Amelia died.

Maurice was distraught at his wife's death. As he held little Belle he felt his heart swell at the sight of her. Already she had the same dark locks and fair skin of her mother. Belle was the last living piece he had of his dear Amelia and she quickly became his favorite. Of course he loved his other children, but none looked more like their mother than young Belle.

Soon the grief turned to distant pain which turned to bad memories. Years past and the children grew, as children tend to do. Elaina helped Maurice with his household and children as much as she could. However, with no mother and a father often gone on business, the oldest children grew up spoiled and rotten. Whenever Henry and Maurice were gone on their trading routes Sebastian, Emmeline, and Georgiana would torment young Belle. They knew she was their father's favorite and they resented her for it. When the nanny wasn't looking they would trip or pinch her and laugh at her pain. Belle didn't let it bother her. She didn't need her siblings to like her, she had Ella.

Most people were surprised that Ella and Belle grew up to be such great friends. Both girls were extraordinarily beautiful, polite, and kind, but in entirely different ways. Ella had loose golden curls that seemed to radiate sunshine. Her piercing blue eyes would disarm anyone who caught her gaze. Belle on the other hand had the dark curls that provided a shocking contrast to her creamy skin. Her brown eyes would get so dark that one could get lost in them. While Ella grew tall and lean, Belle was shorter and curvier as she became a woman. But the differences didn't stop there. Ella was calm and patient with everyone. Everyone she met called her the sweetest girl in the world. She was kind and compassionate to every creature and had the tenderest of hearts. Some called her naïve but Ella insisted on seeing the world not as it is, but as it could be. Belle on the other hand possessed a strength and confidence not seen in most girls of the time. She was quick to speak her mind and could have a temper on a rare occasion. She had a sharp mind that allowed her to see people for who they truly were instead of who they appeared to be. Unfortunately that mind was often engrossed in books with her imagination running wild instead of in the real world around her. Most people saw her lovely but unusual and withdrawn. As you can see, they were as different as night and day.

Nevertheless, Ella and Belle grew up inseparable from each other. Hardly a day went by that they didn't meet in the meadow to play or at Ella's house (where Belle was always welcome). Amelia doted on Belle like she would her own daughter because she saw the strength and goodness in Belle that her siblings lacked. No matter how hard Amelia tried to reach out to the other Beaumont siblings, her kindness was met with disdain and indifference. So Amelia poured her love into Ella and Belle. Belle even joined Ella in her lessons instead of studying with the tutor her own father hired. Amelia insisted that the girls would grow up to be educated and cultured ladies.

Although they often missed their fathers terribly when they were away, the girls were happy. Their childhood was spent exploring every nook of the house, daydreaming, and observing the wildlife that inhabited the meadow. Their favorite friends were four little field mice that they named Jacque, Mary, Perla, and GusGus (who actually was not that "little" of a mouse). In fact, they loved them so much that they snuck them in the house and hid them in the attic. They would leave food and play with the mice who eventually got used to the company of the two young girls.

When their fathers returned, they did so with a shower of affection for their dear children as well as gifts and stories from exotic places. Maurice always brought Belle a new book and Belle quickly became an avid reader. Ella would love to curl up on her father's lap and listen to his adventures as they were warmed by the fireplace with her mother sewing nearby.

Ella and Belle were two of the happiest young girls in the kingdom. But once again fate had other plans…