CHAPTER 1: THE CURSE

Long ago there lived a handsome prince in a beautiful castle. The Prince was young, barely having lived twenty-one years of life, and he was spoiled. Raised by his servants and waited on hand and foot, the Prince was accustomed to getting his way.

While his mother was kind and warm, the Prince could hardly remember her. He was no longer the sweet and caring boy she had raised him to be. The young mother knew that the king would send for her son the moment he came of age, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

The Prince was the result of an affair between the King and the beautiful peasant woman. Unbeknownst to the King's current wife - who had never bared any children - the bastard child was born.

The King of the land was a cold man. When the Queen had perished from illness and the young Prince had reached the age of ten, the King commanded his soldiers to retrieve the only living heir to his throne. The child was ripped from his mother's arms, and despite her pleas, was brought back to the castle. Ensuring that the peasant woman would pose no threat in the future, the cruel King had her exiled from the land.

The Prince grew up in the enormous castle, never knowing love or friendship. Only service. It was on the night of his twenty-first birthday that his cruel father passed - much to the young Prince's relief. He had long since tired of the King's heartless ways and wanted nothing more to do with him.

In honor of the King's passing, the Prince held a fantastic ball. Since he was soon to become King, he knew that he must take a wife. All the beautiful maidens of the land, as well as surrounding kingdoms, were invited to attend. Only the most beautiful women would be allowed the great honor of dancing with him.

The ballroom was bustling with Dukes, Princesses, Lords, and Ladies, as well as the staff who were well in over their heads. Music filled the large room and the dancefloor was crowded with the swaying bodies that occupied it. The Prince sat upon his father's thrown - the throne that would soon be his - and watched the crowd with mild interest.

None of the women had yet to catch his eye. The Prince felt a twinge of disappointment, but then quickly reminded himself it was unlikely for a woman that matched his beauty to exist. He was a handsome Prince indeed. With perfect, golden skin and noble features - it was no wonder so many women had thrown themselves at him this evening.

His piercing blue eyes and rich, blonde hair complimented the strong, sharp edges of his defined jaw and straight nose. His build was lean but powerful - combining nicely with his height. At six-foot-four, the Prince towered over every woman and even most of the men.

The hours ticked by and the Prince was becoming increasingly bored. He sighed with open annoyance and waved a hand to dismiss the group of women that had crowded themselves at the platform, swaying their hips seductively and begging him to dance. He had no interest in such women.

Thunder clapped loudly and the sound of rain splashing against the castle could be easily heard over the orchestra. A strong gust of wind burst the front doors of the castle open, taking with it the candlelight that lit the ballroom. Darkness descended and silence befell the room as wide, concerned eyes turned to him. The orchestra fell silent - the sound of the violent storm the only thing that could be heard.

The Prince frowned when a dark figure filled the doorway, and the loud clicking sound of a cane assaulted his royal ears. Standing abruptly, he descended from the platform and walked across the ballroom - the guests clearing a path for him as he passed them by.

Closing the distance between himself and the strange newcomer, the Prince was shocked to see a haggard woman crouching before him. She looked up at him with ethereal, cobalt eyes and offered him a slight smile. The Prince curled his lip in disgust, for the woman was filthy and unattractive.

"What is the meaning of this?" he boomed, anger evident in his dark tone.

"Oh, Your Highness," the woman croaked, bowing her head in what he guessed was a sign of respect, "I seek shelter from this bitter storm. I am very old, you see, and have nowhere else to turn. Would Your Grace be so kind as to allow me to stay the night in your beautiful castle?"

The Prince scoffed. How dare a woman of her lowly status ask to stay within his royal walls? He could hardly believe what he was hearing. The sound of hushed whispers from behind fell on his ears, and he turned quickly to glare at the crowd behind him. His cold look shocked them into silence, and he returned his focus to the unknown woman. He lifted a brow when the woman extended a bony hand to him - held within it a single, red rose.

"I know it isn't worthy of Your Grace's acceptance, but I offer you this rose as a symbol of my gratitude - should you accept my request."

His eyes widened in disbelief. Not only had this woman dared to ask that he give her stay within his walls, but now she offered him a flower? Of all things? Squaring his shoulder, the Prince took the rose from the hag and lifted it to his eyes. He spun it around between his fingers before flicking it onto the ground. The crowd behind him gasped in unison, and a dark smile crept across his lips.

"Guards," he almost yawned the word out, "remove this disgusting woman from my sight. And somebody get these candles lit! I wish to resume my party." Turning on one heel and feeling quite satisfied with himself, the Prince stepped back toward his throne.

A sudden burst of white light stopped him in his tracks, followed by a disembodied voice which shook the walls of the castle.

"You are cruel, young Prince," the voice shrilled, and he slowly turned to face the source of it.

The people in the ballroom shook with fear and it was suddenly clear to him why. In the very spot where the old woman had been, stood a beautiful young woman dressed in white. The skirt of her dress rippled through the air slowly, as though she were floating under water. Her long, blonde hair cascaded down her back - a few loose strands caught in the mysterious wind that seemed only to surround her.

"Who are you?" the Prince asked, trepidation lacing his tone.

"I am an Enchantress. It is clear to me that you have no heart, and for this, you will pay greatly."

The Prince fell to his knees, quickly realizing his mistake. He begged for her forgiveness, but all of his attempts were made in vain. It was too late.

"I curse you, handsome Prince. For while you are beautiful on the outside, ugliness stains your soul. This castle and all who live within its walls will suffer for your cruelty."

The Prince shook his head fervently, begging the enchantress to have mercy on him. She would not be swayed.

"Where once stood a Prince, now will there be a BEAST!" She shouted the words and streaks of white light shot from her body, wrapping themselves around the Prince and lifting him off the ground. He cried out in agony when he felt his bones break and distort, and he fell to the ground in a heap.

When he rose, his guests screamed in fear and the crowd rushed past the enchantress and out the front doors. He felt weak and turned to face the enchantress once more.

"When you learn to love another, and she loves you in return, the curse shall be lifted." The Prince frowned, not understanding what the enchantress could possibly be referring to. It would be all too easy for him to woo a woman, and he'd have her professing her love to him in no time.

The discarded rose lifted itself from the ground, and appearing beside it was a beautiful, gold mirror. Both items floated toward him, stopping only a few feet away from his face. The Prince flicked his gaze between the two objects and the enchantress, who stood watching him closely. He reached a hand toward the mirror and gasped when he saw the large, hairy arm and animal paw that now replaced it. Fear coursed through his veins and he snatched the mirror from the air, bringing it to his face.

Looking back at the Prince was a hideous, deformed creature - its species unknown to him. He opened his mouth to scream, but instead, a loud roar fell from his lips - shaking the castle walls as it rumbled through his chest.

"You have until the last rose petal falls," the enchantress spoke as she slowly began to fade away, "if you cannot learn to love before then, you shall remain a beast forever."

Hey guys! I just want to thank you all for the support you showed me and my first fanfiction. I couldn't believe it when it reached 8K reads! My emails have been blowing up steadily with new followers and PMs requesting more! While my other B&B fanfiction was more a Belle and Prince Adam after the curse kind of story, I've received a lot of requests for a multichapter story retelling the original tale. So, here it is! I will retell the story with of course steamy and dark twists, and I really do hope you all enjoy it!

Happy Reading!