"Once upon a time-"
"Oh no... Not story time..." Rin complained.
"Step father, we are no longer children. We don't need old stories." Maya sighed shaking her pretty little head. Rin and Maya were sisters. Both were average height and were very slim. Rin, the oldest of the two had long perfectly straight bright blond hair. Her eye color matched her younger sister's with bright sky blue. Maya had shoulder length hair a few shades darker than Rin's with rippling waves down her long neck. They had long eyelashes, slightly tanned skin and perfect complexion. Both young women were images of perfection. Every man in town agreed that Rin and Maya were the most beautiful creatures they had ever seen. And the sisters knew it.
"Please, humor your step father, girls. I hate knowing you are all growing up. Let an old man pretend." Dobry pleaded with the young women. Dinner had just been put away, the dishes washed and the kitchen cleaned courtesy of Lina, Dobry's only biological daughter. Rin sat on the carpet in front of the fireplace with a small wooden box on her lap. It was filled with jewelry that she was carefully cleaning and placing back in the box. Maya sat next to her sister, lazily combing her beautiful blond hair. Near them sat Dobry in his rickety, old, wooden rocking chair. He had dull green eyes that always seemed to smile and his once black hair was now more gray then its original shade. He had a tobacco pipe in one hand and his other draped around his wife, Stalina's shoulders.
Stalina sat next to her husband looking content in her expensive silk gown and a cushioned wooden chair fit for royalty. She looked very much like her two daughters, having their same body type and complexion that seemed to run in their family. Her pale blond hair curled slightly as it trailed down her back and stopped at her waist her blue eyes were darker than her daughters' and if she had been crossed, would suddenly become as cold and hard as steel. She watched as her daughters sighed in resignation.
"Yes, step father." They moaned in union, causing the old man to laugh as his own daughter finally made her appearance. "Lina, step father is going to tell us one of his stories we've heard a hundred times." Maya whined as her step sister sat next to her. Lina did not have the beauty her step sisters had been born with. Instead, Lina was short and not slim as the other women of the house were. She had her father's dark green eyes and her mother's straight, shoulder length, Chocolate brown hair. Her skin was pale and she loved to wear the old ragged blue gown her mother had worn before she passed away.
"Which story is it, father? Maybe we can change it around a bit to please my step sisters better?" Asked Lina, always respectful to her family, for she had nothing without them. Her suggestion caught Maya's attention and even Rin found herself listening as she rubbed the silver band of her favorite ring. Dobry smiled down at his daughters and glanced at his wife before answering.
"Tonight it is the story of the beast and his beautiful prisoner." He announced and took a puff of his wooden pipe as he rocked slowly back and forth. Rin could not stifle a quiet snort. The beast was his favorite story to tell and she could recite it by memory. Lina, however, smiled up at her father from where she sat on the carpet.
"Ah! That one has been changed several times already... We may as well change it again, if it pleases Rin and Maya." She suggested and her father thought for a moment, still smiling.
"Ah, dear Lina... I'm afraid I've used the last of my imagination with the last changes I made to the tale, years ago... You have plenty of imagination to spare, though... I shall tell you the story I made and you stop me when you want to make a change." He said and the two youngest girls scooted a little closer to Dobry's rocking chair. Stalina seemed not to be paying attention and instead stared into the fire.
"Now, then... Once upon a time, there was an old merchant who lived with his only daughter, Rose. Rose was a very beautiful young woman, in fact, her beauty was only equal to her kindness-" Dobry was cut off when Lina tapped her father's knee. "Already, child?" He asked. Lina only smiled up at her father.
"Why must Rose be so pretty, father?" She asked innocently, almost the same tone as a young child would use.
"She is so beautiful because she falls in love with the beast. It is to show that she does not let her good looks cloud her judgment or make her Believe she is better than others, she is still humble." He explained, but Lina spoke again.
"You already show that she is humble when she saves her father from the beast. By emphasizing that she is so beautiful, maybe the beast loves her for her beauty instead of her kindness. Why not change her to be... average?" She asked. Rin snorted again.
"Perhaps you are right, Lina." Dobry said and continued. "The merchants daughter had the face of any other young woman in the town, but her kindness was equaled by none. One day, the merchant received a message that the three huge shipments he was meant to receive had been lost at sea. The merchant had lost a great deal of money and was forced to sell their fine house and fine items for a cheaper residence. Rose never minded in the least. Finally, soon after they had their new home, the merchant received word that some of the ships' cargo may have been found and he set off on horseback leaving Rose alone- Go ahead child." He softly said.
"Father would it not be safer for Rose to travel WITH her father than for him to leave her all alone?" She asked. Dobry slowly nodded.
"I suppose it would."
"And when Rose decides to take her father's place, would it not compel her more to go in his stead if there were others in the house that he had to look after?" She asked. Dobry's smile widened.
"So it would... Let me start from the beginning, now. Once upon a time, there was a merchant named Dobry. He lived in a nice town, comfortably with his beautiful wife, Stalina-" He gave his wife's shoulder a loving squeeze and she smiled, never tearing her blue gaze away from the fire. "And their three daughters, Rin, Maya and Lina." He said. Lina's smile in response to being added in the story was tremendous. Even Maya smiled slightly, but Rin could no longer hold her smart comments back.
"Father, you are not a merchant. And Maya and I are not your true daughters." She pointed out with a hard tone. Dobry's smile faded slightly.
"And we are all too beautiful to be Rose... Even Lina has a certain child-like beauty about her. But I suppose if ONE of us had to be Rose it would be she." Maya said, causing Lina to blush. Maya had always been closer to her than Rin was, but in truth she was still more of Rin's sister than her own.
"I wish we were a true family, though. Must I beg you to let an old man pretend, again?" He asked and no one responded, waiting for him to continue the story. "Dobry's daughter, Rin was a strong willed young woman with a fiery heart and a mind as sharp as a needle." He continued and the oldest daughter could not help but to smirk. "Maya was a graceful young woman with an honest heart and a passion for dreaming." Maya smiled broadly. "And Lina was an innocent young woman with a kind heart and the eyes to look for the good in everyone." Lina blushed again as Maya nodded, still smiling.
"One day, Dobry, the merchant was given the news that three large shipments had been lost and with it went his money. The family was forced to sell their comfortable home and their luxuries for a more affordable house."
"Father, don't even joke about that." Rin mumbled and the old man laughed. Maya had a slightly horrified expression on her face as she drew up her knees and hugged them, rubbing her cheek against the smooth pink silk of the gown she wore.
"Dobry and Lina had lived in such a way before and helped the other women of the house through such a hard time. Finally, a message came, claiming that the lost ships' cargo may had been found. Excited he asked everyone what presents he should bring them. Rin asked for..." He stopped, causing the blond woman to look up from the necklace she was admiring to see why he had stopped. He was looking at her, expectantly.
"What is it, father?" She asked and the man smiled warmly.
"What gift would you ask for, child?" He asked and Rin formed a small 'O' with her mouth.
"I... I suppose I would ask for... sapphire jewelry to match my new dress." She said turning back to her necklace. She had mentioned earlier that the blue silk dress she bought with her mother and sister, was her favorite.
"Good choice." Dobry said with a chuckle. "Maya asked for..."
"A...new... Oh! A new horse, father!" She exclaimed happily.
"Another good choice, Maya. And Lina asked for a single rose, being her favorite flower and being content with her living conditions. Dobry set out on horseback to retrieve the cargo he hoped to find. Sadly, he would be sent away empty handed, dreading the disappointment he would be forced to bring to his daughters. As a storm approached, Dobry knew he should take shelter instead of riding in the rain, but could not see well through the heavy sheets of rain and the already darkening sky that was now coated in think gray clouds. Luckily his horse stumbled upon an old castle in the middle of nowhere and he quickly approached. He knocked several times but no one answered. Finally, figuring it had been abandoned, he entered anyway. Wandering around, he found wall torches lit and called out again. No answer. Walking into another room, he found food set out and a sleeping area, still, no one to be seen. So, Dobry helped himself and quickly fell asleep.
"When he awoke, the plates had been cleared away and he noticed a blanket laying over him, he could not remember covering himself with. He exited the castle and was about the mount his horse when he noticed a rosebush nearby that he could not see through the rain, the night before. Extracting a small knife from his boot he cut the stem of a rose, intending to present it to his daughter, Lina. At least there would be one less daughter he would need to disappoint. Unfortunately the moment he cut the rose, he was startled by a roar from behind him. He spun around and came face to face with a hideous beast. 'You have stolen one of my precious roses and must pay for this crime with your life!' The beast roared, for he adored his roses more than anything else in his life. They were a symbol of the beauty he could not have... Yes, Lina?"
Lina had tapped her father's knee again, ready to replace more of his story.
"Father, why must the beast be cruel and so obsessed with beauty?" Asked the innocent young woman.
"It is not solely because he wishes for beauty, Lina. Because of his beastly form, he is forced into solitude and lonely. Roses are beautiful living things that cannot judge the poor beast... They also symbolize love, which he needs to break his curse." The old man explained and Lina nodded her understanding.
"Thank you father... But why must the beast be so cruel? I remember you changed the story years ago and the beast's personality was changed from the sweet beast to a cold one and Rose had to change him... Forgive me, father, but I do not like Rose changing the beast. If you must change someone to love them, then you can never truly love them at all. Can we change the story back to the kind beast?" She asked and her father thought for a moment before smiling at his daughter.
"Of course. 'You have stolen one of my precious roses! These roses are my life. Explain yourself!" The hideous beast demanded. Dobry was terrified and it took him a moment to get his mind and mouth to work together and form a response, the beast waited.
'Please, I only wanted to bring a rose home for my daughter. I promised her one, won't you spare me?" The merchant asked, trembling. 'I'm afraid I cannot. I provided you shelter, food and warm place to sleep, yet you steal one of the few things I care about?' The beast hesitated a moment thinking carefully. 'There is a deal to be made, here... Either you will become my prisoner for life, or you will bring me your daughter. I assure you, no lives will be taken, you are to return tomorrow, or I shall hunt you and your family down.' The beast said and dismissed the merchant.
"When Dobry returned home, it was with a heavy heart. He could give Rin and Maya nothing, but he presented Lina with the perfect rose, he had cut. 'Please take care of the rose, daughter, for it has cost me my life.' He said. The women demanded what he meant and eventually he was forced to tell what had happened. Lina tried to persuade her father to let her go, because she asked for the rose, Dobry refused. She tried to persuade her father to let her go because he was more needed with her sisters and mother. He refused. So Lina waited until her father had fallen asleep and stole her fathers horse to go to the beast's castle in her father's stead, taking only the rose with her.
"Once she arrived, she was greeted by nothing and walked inside. Finally she was surprised when she found the beast and began to cry, knowing she would never see her family again. The beast showed her to a very luxuriant room and told her if she wanted anything to ask him and it would be done. In return, she was required to eat dinner with him every night. So when dinner time came, she went to meet him and eat with him. As soon as they were finished, the beast proposed to Lina. Lina was shocked but refused him. Every night they ate together, every night the beast asked Lina to marry him and every night she refused him.
The longer Lina was at the castle the more she began to feel for the sweet beast and she eventually cared for him very much as he cared for her. Finally one night, they had dinner and the beast asked Lina to marry him, once more. Lina said 'Please do not ask me any longer. I do not enjoy hurting you.' But the beast could not stop. He told her the only solution was for her to agree. 'Beast, I will only agree to your proposal if I am allowed to see my family once more.' The beast thought and thought. Finally he said
'I will agree to your deal, but you must only be gone for three days. My heart will not bear not seeing you for more than three days for I love you too much.'
"He gave her a ring that would take her to and from her house by sleeping with it under her pillow and a mirror that would allow her to see him while she was gone. Gratefully, Lina came back home and her family were so delighted to see her. She staid three days but was having so much fun with her family she did not want to return, yet..." Dobry hesitated in his story telling. "Here I will add some new ideas inspired by Lina's. Still, she put the ring under her pillow and went to sleep. Maya, wanting her sister to stay longer took the ring and placed it back on Lina's nightstand and finally, Rin asked what the beast looked like, when Lina woke up, confused, so Lina pulled out the magic mirror to show her sister but was horrified to see the beast laying motionlessly on the ground with a wilted rose in his hand. It was the same rose Dobry had picked for Lina. 'What have I done?' Lina cried and quickly put the magic ring under her pillow and forced herself to sleep.
"When she awoke, she raced through the castle trying to find the beast. When she had, she cried over him. 'I'm sorry, please don't die, I'll marry you.' but it was too late-"
"Father, can we keep the beast alive, please? It's so sad when he dies." Lina asked with the childlike look in her green eyes again.
"I'm sorry, Lina, that's one of the key points in the story. The beast wanted Rose to break his curse and marry him, but instead she was forced to break her promise and because she broke her word, it cost the beast his life. It's a moral to keep promises, child." Dobry explained. Lina nodded sadly and her father smiled the widest, warmest smile, yet. "Lina... you have the best imagination out of the both of us... Make your own version and end it whichever way you please." He advised and the brunette brightened up a bit.
"Okay... Time for bed, girls." Stalina announced and they all stood.
"Tomorrow, I have to go out to the neighboring town, so I'll say goodbye, now. I'll be gone before you wake." Dobry said and hugged all three of his children before sending them to bed. As Dobry and Stalina climbed into bed, the old man sighed.
"What shall I bring back for Lina, my dear?" He asked his wife. The woman could not help but to stare at her husband.
"I thought you were buying Lina a wedding dress, the same as Rin and Maya." She said but Dobry shook his head.
"I'm sorry, dear wife. You may be ready to marry your daughters, they certainly have enough suitors lined up... but I still feel Lina is too young, yet and I'm afraid I am not yet ready to give her up. She doesn't have as many men to choose from as her sisters anyway, lacking their natural beauty. I can't buy her a wedding dress, yet." He explained and Stalina was quiet for a few moments as they lay in darkness.
"I'm sure you'll think of something, dear husband." She said stifling a yawn and they fell asleep.