Andrea's story
Chapter 1: Meeting the Beast
Andrea's heart thundered in her chest as she faced the magnificent Beast, king of Atlantis.
As legends claimed, he had a great mane, like a lions, and he stood an impressive eight feet tall, his great black mane of hair impressive. His talons- black as night and as long as knives shot in and out of his hands. He looked at her once, a look of slight curiosity and overall disinterest, like she was a course of unappetizing dinner.
"Yes?" The great Beast asked, standing up. His crown didn't sit well on his head- it interfered with his horns.
She must be crazy. Andrea swallowed hard and bowed low before her king as she asked the stupidest question of her life. "Can I experiment on you, your majesty?"
"What?" Roared the Beast once known as King Richard, second in line to get the now famous curse of the Beast. He had been suffering from this curse for over a year, looking for a maiden willing to fall in love with his Beastly self and break the curse. Many had come trying to fall in love with him to become queen, but so far none had succeeded. "You want to what?"
Andrea swallowed hard. She felt fear rising up, but swallowed it back down as she faced the Beast. She knew he wasn't a Beast on the inside, as did everyone. The curse had worked differently this time, only affecting the king himself, and not the palace or the kingdom. But that didn't mean he wasn't a king, and could very well send her to jail for suggesting that she, a student, come and experiment on him, the king.
"I want to experiment on you, your majesty. I believe I can find a cure for your curse through science, and I wish to be able to do so. Besides," She added boldy, "You don't seem to be having much luck through normal means."
He narrowed his eyes. "You are suggesting turning me into a common lab rat."
"No." I wish I could do that. She thought, thinking wistfully of the things she could do to him if he was a common lab rat. "I would do this only with your co=operation, sire. Every step of the way would be with your agreement. We could find a way to cure this without you needing to marry someone."
"I wouldn't need to get married?" He rubbed his great mane with one hand, thankfully, there weren't any talons on them. His sharp black eyes grew thoughtful, and dare she say it? Hopeful perhaps too. "And you aren't here to try to win my heart? You are of a marriable age."
Andrea laughed. The idea of getting married seemed ridicouls. She was only eighteen, and she had no plans of getting married- ever. Besides, her father had been in love, and now look at him. A broken, sniveling slip of a person who couldn't get up if his life was on the line.
Even though people did say she was getting to be beautiful, with her ice blue eyes and blond hair, not to mention interesting enough curves, she was already married to science. She loved to way science and magic worked together, and it fascinated her.
Even though she had no magic of her own, so she couldn't do potions, she was determined to succeed in science. And her latest idea had haunted her for an entire year: To cure the Beast's curse, but through science! With magic mixed in, of course, but still!
If the effects of true love could be mixed into a bottle… of course such a thing would interest her! Andrea had been thinking of ways to cure the king for months, and now that she had finally come, she was ready to begin. IF he would only let her.
"NO, I have no plans to get married." She wanted to laugh again at the idea, but the way the Beast had looked sad stopped her. Did King Richard, trapped inside the Beast's body, really want to get married? Perhaps some of the reason he was still a Beast was his own fault. Well, if it was, all the better she was trying to find a cure. "And I don't think you want to get married, either. If I find a cure, you won't be as pressured to get married. You will be human again. And I will have finally solved the mystery."
"So you want fame and fortune that you will get by solving the mystery of the curse of the Beast." The king sat down again, leaning back on his throne. "ISn't it easier to get fame and fortune by becoming the next queen?"
"Your majesty, marrigge… is not something I can see myself doing. Not now, not ever. I don't believe in love. MY mother, she abandonded my father when I was young, and he never recovered." Andrea bit the inside of her cheek to wash away the sting of pain she still felt at the betrayal of her mother, and what was left of her father. She still remembered, as a little girl, going out of her room to see her father crying, unable to piece himself back together. She was never going to let that happen to her.
The Beast grinned, his fangs white against the stark blackness of his coat. He looked amused. "I'm not offering to marry you. I have no interest in women who are more interested in science than ruling a kingdom. I'm just trying to figure you out. I don't want to try to find a cure with you only to have you declare your love for me with the crown in your sight."
Andrea pursed her lips. She was insulted, but she could see the King's reasoning. He had probably met many women who came to meet him because of his crown. "Your majesty, I am a scientist. You have my word I am not interested in any romance. I just want to undo the curse using science and magic mixed together. I believe I can do so, and I have many notes on the matter." She pulled out her tattered notebook, which contained many of her notes and theories. "MY father is- well was- a scientist, and I learned a lot of what I know from him. I would not dishonor his work by reaching for a crown when all I want is to cure you."
The King took the journal, his claws shot inward as he carefully turned the pages, looking at her diagrams. She had been researching the curse for months, and Andrea believed she now had a significant amount of data to begin. Please believe me. She begged silently, watching the king. His gaze was unreadable. I truly want to figure out this, not for fame or fortune.
The king handed her the journal back carefully, and their hands, well, her hands and his paw, touched for a moment. His fur was silky, very soft. Yet she sensed he could rip apart men with the strength bestowed upon him from the Gods.
"These calculations are very good. But they need more than a touch of magic. Do you have a significant amount of magic?" He raised his eyebrows as if he doubted it.
Andrea bowed her head in shame. "I have no magic at all, your majesty. But I heard you have a great deal of it. Perhaps we could use your magic." She held her breath, knowing she was pushing it. But she had to try.
"Fine. You will create the calculations and do your science thing, and I will be your test subject and use my magic. Anything to get me out of marrying some of those horrible women here. One tried to get me to kiss her when we met!" He shuddered, and she remembered that he was just barley twenty. Barley a man, and already expected to marry. Poor guy.
Her body moved of its own accord as she reached out and patted one of his great black paws. "Don't worry." She met his gaze, seeing his shock and feeling shocked herself. "I promise you won't have to marry anyone. I'll set you free."
Andrea blushed and moved back, unsure of what inspired that reckless behavior. The king also seemed shocked, but his eyes crinkled at the corners, almost as if he were… grateful? He nodded at her. "I'll hold you to that, Andrea Bennes."
Andrea swallowed hard as she bowed and left the king's room, to be escorted to her new chambers. What had she just promised? And what horrors awaited her if she couldn't fulfill that promise? Those thoughts kept her up all night.
