A long time ago there lived a wealthy merchant called Tom who's first wife a virtuous woman had died of an illness, a few years after her death he remarried a widow who had two daughters from her first marriage. For many years they lived the carefree life of the rich and wealthy until one day Tom's ships were all lost at sea during a storm causing him to lose his entire fortune. To pay for it all he sold his mansion, furniture, and other expensive things and moved his family to a small house in the countryside. His second wife who had only married him for his money abandoned him and her two daughters when this happened but Tom being a good and kind man chose to love and raise his stepdaughters as they were his own children.
Unfortunately Tom's stepdaughters Chloe and Sabrina were two spoiled brats who spent their days lying around the house complaining about how they should be living the life of a queen instead of a peasant. They were wicked creatures who were very ungrateful and cruel to Tom even though he had been compassionate enough to let them continue living with him. Everyday he would listen to the girls bicker and snark at each other or anyone else. It upset him greatly.
But Tom's new life was not all bad for you see he did have one daughter of his own from his first marriage. Her name was Marinette and like her dearly departed mother she was virtuous, kind, and good. She was also by far the most beautiful woman in all of France. No one could measure up to her beauty not even her stepsisters who tried in vain to make themselves look like rich noblewomen while she spent her days cooking, cleaning, and doing house work. But she didn't mind to the contrary she enjoyed it. She enjoyed doing anything that would help her father in his time of loss.
"Sabrina where is my silk scarf!" Chloe screeched one morning.
"I don't know." Sabrina retorted.
"You took it! I know you did!"
"I did not!"
"Yes you did!"
"Did not!"
"Did too! And now thanks to you I have to go to the duchess's gala in these rags without anything lovely to distract the guest from them!"
The two girls, one blonde and one orange haired went outside wearing their best dresses, hats, and feathers while fanning themselves and bickering.
"Must you girls squawk like chickens every morning?" Asked a young red-haired man on a horse. "It's so loud and horrid that you both could put the rooster out of business."
"What are you doing here Nathaniel?" Sabrina asked. "Come to escort us to the gala?"
"No actually, tell me is Marinette home?"
"Marinette?"
"Yes she's inside on her hands and knees, working like the dirty slave she is. " Chloe scoffed.
Nathaniel glared at Chloe but then soften his face.
"Thank you." He got off his horse and made his face inside their house.
"Isn't he handsome?" Sabrina sighed.
"I've seen better." Chloe said.
"I don't get why he wants to marry her so much."
"Come to think of it why does any man want to marry her? All the men in the village come to court her. Why don't they ever want to court us? We're twice as beautiful as she is."
Inside the house, scrubbing and wiping the floors was Marinette. Who despite wearing just an old dress and an apron with a ragged linen kerchief in her hair was still a thousand times more beautiful with hair the could rival the starry night, blue eyes that reflect the heavens, and lips and cheeks that shame the roses. Her beauty was something that many women prayed for and many men looked for. But in her mind she was no pretty thing, just another simple girl.
"Ah so great is your beauty that even the floor longs to be your mirror." Nathaniel admired.
"Oh Nathaniel you startled me." She said standing up. "Is there anything I can get you? Tea? Cake?"
"No thank you. Marinette you were not meant to be a servant. It angers me to see you slaving away for those two brats."
"Nathaniel if I don't work then who will tend to my father?"
"Why do your sisters not work?"
"They are too beautiful."
"You are the most beautiful of all."
"Nathaniel you are a smart man but I doubt your intelligence on this subject."
"Marry me."
"Nathaniel for the last time no."
"But why? Marinette if you were to be my bride I would see to it that you live a life far better than this."
"Nathaniel that's very kind of you but I cannot leave my father, he needs me and besides I...I don't love you."
"But you could learn to love me could you not?"
"I don't know but right now I have no wish to marry right now. So you should find another girl to marry. Now if you'll excuse me
She went into the kitchen to get started on the family dinner. When her father returned from work that day he called his daughter and stepdaughters into the family room because he had big news.
"I have wonderful news girls." He said. "I received a letter today saying that one of my ships might have made it back in one piece."
"Does that mean we'll be rich again?" Chloe asked excitedly.
"Yes."
"Finally! After years of living in poverty I shall return to living like the queen I am." Chloe cheered.
"Parties, banquets, and dancing! It's the good life for us again!" Sabrina cheered as well.
"Now then girls should I arrive there and the ship has indeed returned what gifts would you like?"
"Jewelry. All kind of expensive and precious stones to cover myself with." Chloe requested.
"Gowns, dresses, all the finest silks imaginable." Sabrina requested.
"You have enough dresses! But I have no jewelry!"
"Well you always steal my dresses!"
"That's enough." Tom cried. "You'll have your requests and more."
He then turned to Marinette, his only daughter and child who he loved more than anything in the world.
"Marinette is there anything I can bring you?"
"I just want you to come home Father." She said.
"Surely there must be something. It upsets me that I always bring Chloe and Sabrina gifts but nothing for you. Please I really want to bring you a present."
"Alright, I would love for you to bring me a rose. They don't grow around here and do love the way they smell."
"A rose? But I wanted to give you something special."
"But Father that would be special."
"Alright."
Tom had made it to the town on the other but unfortunately the person who had written the letter had made a mistake and that all of his ships were lost. With a heavy heart he made his way back home through the forest. But when night fell a terrible winter storm appeared, the poor man couldn't see where he was going and he lost his horse. Tom was sure that he would freeze to the death. Then he spotted a light in the distance, he walked toward the light to see it was a gate. Using his strength he opened gate and went inside.
Behind the gate was a marble castle surrounded by snow and ice but also by flowers, trees, and other plantlife. It seemed that half of the castle was in winter while the other half was in summer. He made his way to the castle door and politely knocked, the door opened by itself to show a corridor of lit candles leading to a dining room. Following the candles to the room, he sat at a table where a delicious super was laid out for him. He waited patiently for someone to show up but no one did. Finally he gave in to his hunger and ate. When he was finished with his meal he found a chair nearby a lit fireplace. He sat in the chair and warmed himself by the fire soon he fell asleep. When he awoke the next morning he saw that the storm had cleared.
"Thank you for your kind hospitality." He called.
He went outside to go home when he noticed a garden of roses. There were red ones, white ones, pink ones, yellow ones, and many others of different colors and fragrances. Remembering Marinette's request for a rose he went into the garden and chose the prettiest one to give her. It was a red one that seemed to shimmer in the light.
"At least I can bring a smile to Marinette's face." He thought. Tom pulled out his knife and cut the rose. But as soon as the flower was removed from it's place the world around him began to darken and a roar that made Tom shake and shiver was heard. Then out of no where something feral and vicious like a wild animal jumped from the trees and pinned him to the ground. It was much too dark for him to see anything, anything except two burning green eyes and razor fangs. He felt a clawed hand go to his throats but it didn't choke him.
"You are most ungrateful!" It hissed in his ear. "I offer you food and shelter from the cold and this is how you repay me? By stealing one of my beloved roses which are the only things I care for in this world?!"
"Please my lord! I meant no harm! I am truly grateful for what you've done and I promise you that if I had known how dear those roses were to you I would not even have considered taking one!" Tom cried.
"Why steal it in the first place?!"
"Before leaving for my journey I promised my daughter and my stepdaughters riches but my fortune is ruined. When I saw your beautiful garden I thought the least I could do was grant my daughter's simple wish for a rose."
"You love your daughter greatly do you not?"
"I love her more than anything in the world."
"I see. Nevertheless you must be punished, to pay for the rose you've stolen you shall live out your days as my slave. You shall work day and night and you will only rest when I say so."
"But-"
"Silence! Or I shall make you do the harshest work that anyone could ever think of! Now I shall allow you to return home and say goodbye to your family but only for one day after that you must return. If you do not I shall hunt you all down and make your entire family my slaves understand?"
"I understand."
The creature then released him and stood up.
"The morning after your last day I shall send a horse to bring you back. Do not stay for any longer than one day."
The creature then disappeared back into his castle and that was the last thing Tom saw before he blacked out.
