The real cause of strife

by bluecourage

We all say it's the beast's own fault that he had to endure his life as such, but what if he was just caught on a bad day? What if all fairy tale characters facing stife were just caught on a day? and for that, someone, or something, ruind their lives?

Once upon a time, as is said by all the great tellers of stories, there was a saying, told by mothers and fathers to their children, by strangers to one another, and by the wise to the foolish: Never insult a sorceress, for greater, even more so than the wickedest of kings, is their capacity for vengeance. Of course, over the years, many, mostly the noble and royal, disregarded this vastly valuable piece of knowledge and did just what they were warned against. They insulted, stole from, snubbed and enraged sorceresses. And they paid for it. The first of such people was the Prince of Marila, better known to you and I, as the beast.

The beast did not deserve his trialling life as such. He was understandably rude the night the sorceress in disguise approached his door. You see, he had a love. Her name was Rosa. She was not particularly ravishing, but in the prince's eyes, she was the most beautiful creature ever to be seen. As her name may suggest, she was a great lover of roses, so in her honour, the prince had many rose bushes planted in the palace gardens, so that she could come to admire them. Even when she was not around, he could be reminded of her by walking among the roses. These roses became a constant part of his life, as precious to him as Rosa.

Prince Lucas, for that was his name before he came to be known as the beast, planned to marry Rosa, if only he could find the courage to ask. One day, after walking alone in the rose garden, he felt that if he had to face just one more day without Rosa as his wife, he would surely die. So he asked that she come see him in the rose garden, and when she arrived, though he did not know how exactly to say it, he proposed to her. She said yes. And on that day, Prince Lucas felt joy he would have never thought possible. He was overwhelmed, his heart so full of love for Rosa that his delight radiated to everyone in the palace. Preparations for the wedding that would exceed all weddings began immediately. After what seemed forever, the wedding was only three more days away, and every moment the prince spent away from Rosa seemed to stretch on for an eternity. The custom of the land at that time was that the bride and groom must not see each other for a whole two months leading up to the wedding. No one knew exactly why this tradition was observed, but the people of the land were quite strict in keeping it. The pair had been doing so well, only three more days and they could see each other for the first time in two months, when the prince suddenly felt that he could not bear another moment without Rosa. So he called her to him, and she came. He would never know if it was his disregard for tradition that caused it, but that day, three days before she and he were to be joined forever, Rosa suffered.

It was in the rose garden that it happened. To those who saw it, or heard about it, it was thought that Rosa was insane, that she was just a crazy, depressed girl with a rose, that it was all planned. But the truth that no one knew was that she never wanted it to end like it did. Due to some unknown villain, poison ran through Rosa's veins, filling her with terrible pain. Her blood was literally boiling, and her hurting would not end. Her movement was restricted; life became nearly impossible to deal with, needing constant help. For a whole month prior to that terrible day, she had been victim to the terrible poison. And in that month, the prince never once was told of her suffering. Rosa swore to herself that she would live long enough to see her prince one more, just one more time. The day it happened, he met her in the rose garden, where she had come with much difficulty, needing help from her the many maids who attended to her needs. She sat on the ground, petals all around her. Though the prince did not- could not- know it, this was the last place she would ever sit, for soon after seeing him, Rosa knew she could leave him. She had seen him her one last time now- seeing him gave her the strength to do what she had to do- and as she thought these things, her

pain intensified. Tears spilled out of her eyes as she drew a beautiful, full rose from beside her. Its petals were so red, so beautiful, so perfect, while its thorns, so deadly, so sinister. Before he had realised what was going on, she plunged one especially large thorn into her breast, piercing her tender heart and ceasing her pain at last. She died in his arms that day, and pain, which had been lingering with her for just one month, haunted his heart for an eternity.

It is altogether understandable that the prince would be broken after watching his love die in such a horrible way. No one ever explained to him the truth of why she had done it, but even if they had, it would make no difference. She would still be dead, and he would still be devastated. Those roses, the perfect, beautiful roses that he had loved and cared for so much when Rosa was alive became a reminder of death to him, and it became too hard to look at them, so he ordered that they be set alight and burnt until every last petal was gone. He thought that maybe it would make it hurt less, but nothing could take away his pain. Months passed, and then years, and he became less and less like the joyful, carefree prince he had once been. His mood seemed to become heavier with each passing week. Finally, five years after Rosa's death, his mother died, and another two years later, his father followed. Prince Lucas was crowned as the new King, but his will to be King had died along with Rosa those seven years ago. Without this will the once colourful and lively palace became a grave, dull place.

It was 11 years to the very day after Rosa's death that the sorceress who changed the prince's life came to the door of the palace. Lucas would have given shelter, would have fed and clothed her without objection. He would not have refused her, turned her away. If only she hadn't offered him a rose as payment! He had finally begun to mend of his wounds, but upon seeing that beautiful rose held up in front of his face by that old beggar woman, his heart was torn open once more, and bled now not only for Rosa, but for his parents too. In his pain, far more intense than the pain that had driven Rosa to kill herself, he screamed at the beggar woman, and closed his doors to her. He was hurting deeply; he did not mean to seem so self-centred and rude. But the beggar woman, or the sorceress, whatever you prefer to know her as, did not bother to find out the prince's reasons. All she knew was that he had snubbed her, and that he therefore deserved to be punished.

So you see, on this occasion, the one in the wowas not the beast, who we have wrongly been led to see as a selfish tyrant, but the thoughtless sorceress, who knew well, as did all the kingdom, that thehe was hurting.