Beauty and the Beast. What if the Young Prince had accepted the Old Woman into his Castle? What if she had never turned him into a Beast? What if Belle never met him? Will the Prince find her?
Disclaimer: - All Characters belong to Disney.
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything a person could want, he had no love in his heart.
One winter's night, an old woman came to the castle begging the prince for shelter from the cold. In return for this kindness, she offered him a single, perfect rose.
The Prince felt compassion rise in him, and his heart grew warm. He accepted her into the Castle, giving her food and shelter and some clean clothes, but refused the rose. She pleaded him to accept it, and he shook his head.
"No, I have no use of it, Madam. I have no wife, no lover that I could give it to. You may sell the Rose for some bread whence you feel you may set off from the Castle."
Then, in a flash, the woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a lovely enchantress!
"You have a generous heart," The enchantress told him. "You deserve to find love."
She gave him a small ornate mirror gilded with gold round the edges. "In this mirror, you will see your true love. You have to find her. You only have until the last petals of the Rose drops off by your 21st Birthday, and after that, your efforts will be futile. She will be gone from you forever." the Enchantress looked at him, then vanished.
The Prince went to his Chamber, and called for all his Servants. He bade them to forgive him for any wrong he had done them, and they were amazed by his change of heart, and accepted his plea.
After his Servants had gone, the Prince set the Rose in a bell jar. He set the Mirror down next to the Rose, and looked into it. He saw a vision of a lovely young girl, and knew that this was his Love, who was destined to be with him for all Eternity.
So the Prince set off on his Journey. He packed his Bags, leaving the castle in charge of his servants; ad set off thorough the forest. He encountered the Wolves, but fought them ruthlessly and managed to get to the Village he had been seeking, which was close to his Castle.
He asked everywhere if anyone had seen a girl of the description he had seen in the Mirror. Finally, one washerwoman told him it was "Young Belle you be seeking? She be in the Cottage by the edge."
He thanked the old woman, and knocked on the door. The girl's father, Maurice, answered, and was startled to see it was a Prince.
The Prince asked to see his daughter, and Maurice agreed, leading him inside.
Belle was setting the table, and had a bowl of steaming soup in her hand when the Prince entered. She was so startled, she almost dropped it, and the Prince caught her hand, steadying the bowl. Up close, he could see that it was the girl in his Mirror.
Turning to the girl's father, he asked "Sir, May I ask permission to marry your daughter? I have travelled far and wide to find this village. I am rather infatuated by her, and I wish to wed her instantly, if she agrees."
Belle nodded, and Maurice gave them his blessings. The wedding took place in the village square, and then the Prince set off for his castle, leading Belle on his horse.
Gaston watched them go, silently seething that he could not have Belle, but there was nothing he could do. He sighed, and set out to find a wife. He finally married a lovely girl called Amanita, who thawed the ice in his heart and taught him to love, to truly love, again.
The Prince and Belle had a joyous time learning to love each other, and no secrets were kept to themselves. They were truly destined to be together, and they all lived Happily Ever After.
