Long ago, in a grand castle hidden by trees, lived a king and queen. They loved each other, and when their first-born son came into the world, the king and queen threw a magnificent ball in his honor. The whole kingdom was there, gaily enjoying the festivities, swirling across the polished floor. The little prince watched this, cooing gleefully. His parents gazed down at him, smiles across both their faces.

The festivities halted suddenly when the door slammed open, a little child seeking shelter from the bitter cold. The king dismissed the child, angered with their intrusion. The child offered the king a rose for a bed to sleep on, pleading for help. The king dismissed the child again, turning his back.

In a flash, the form of the child melted away, revealing a powerful sorceress. She glared down at the king with disgust and shock, that he, a father, would turn his back on a poor child. She placed a curse on him and the castle's residents, transforming him into a hideous beast. Taking the prince from his mother's arms, she said that if the king could learn to be loving like a father should be, the curse would be broken. He had until the last petal on the rose the child had offered wilted and fell. The rose was truly enchanted, as it would bloom until the prince's 16th birthday, when it would be dead, and the castle and all who lived there would remain cursed forever.

In his anger, the king turned on his wife, angrily shouting at her for supposedly 'letting their son get away', the queen backing away. She found herself against the wall, fear clouding her eyes. Stone surrounded her body, trapping her in a fearful position, her stone eyes looking right at the beastly king.

The enchantress lifted her free hand, revealing their true surroundings; the West Wing. Before she left, she placed an enchanted mirror next to the rose, allowing the Beast to see the outside world. Taking the crying prince, she whisked him away, leaving the king alone.

Many years passed, and the king fell into despair, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

The village was quiet, serene. Adrien liked it this way. He could get from one end to the other quite easily. He saw the townspeople every day, waking up to the new dawn's colors.

"Little town, it's a quiet village…"

Adrien's moccasins made a dull thwack on the cobblestones leading into the village square as he walked, basket in hand.

"Every day, like the one before…"

The town stood still, window shutters closed, doors to shops locked.

"Little town, full of little people, waking up to say…"

"Bonjour!"

"Bonjour!"

The village sprung to life, women hanging laundry out windows, shop keeps sweeping dust out onto the path, the smell of fresh bread wafting through the air.

Tom DuPain opened the door to the bakery, his daughter, Marinette, carrying a tray of baguettes and rolls. "Good luck selling today, Papa!"

The baker let out a hearty chuckle. "Merci, mon petit. You'll watch after the shop while I'm gone?"

Marinette grinned. "You can count on me, Papa!" She waved to him as he walked down the path, offering the baked goods to passerby.

Adrien smiled. "Good morning, Mari!"

Marinette squeaked, blushing. "G-good m-morning, Adrien! How are you?"

Adrien, still smiling, took her hand. "Better now that you're here, mademoiselle." He kissed her knuckles, grinning.

Rolling her eyes, Marinette shoved a basket of croissants in his hands. "You forget, the only reason Papa lets you near the bakery is because you're a diligent delivery boy."

Adrien sighed. "I know, I know… who are these delicious treats going to?"

Marinette pointed out the door. "Madame Delacroix, the seamstress."

"I'm on my way then, cherie."

On his way to the seamstress shop, Adrien caught tidbits of people's conversations.

"Good day, how is your family?"

"I need six eggs!"

"That's too expensive."

The other villagers watched him go, making remarks. Adrien wasn't exactly 'cookie-cutter' or 'by-the-book'. He loved to read, he happily made deliveries, and was a big dreamer. He was beautiful by their standards, though. Round cheeks, sharp jawline, bright green eyes, blinding smile. His slightly askew blonde hair gave him a windblown, handsome look.

It certainly attracted many women's attention, especially one in particular. The mayor's daughter, Chloe Bourgeois, had admired him since he arrived in town. Her plan? Win Adrien's affections, of course.

Many people admired Chloe as well, including Sabrina Raincomprix, her partner-in-crime, and three particular suitors: Nathanael Kurtzberg, LeChien Kim, and Lila Rossi. They followed Chloe everywhere, trying to get her attention.

"Look at him, Sabrina. Isn't he amazing?"

Sabrina nodded. "He's pretty cute, I guess."

Chloe sighed. "He's the man I'm going to marry. Count on it."

Adrien, oblivious at the moment to Chloe's antics, happily sat down at the town's fountain, opening the book at the bottom of his basket. He read it aloud to anyone who would listen, mostly sheep that were passing through. The whole village stopped to stare at him, whispering to each other.

He closed the book suddenly, remembering what he was doing. He ran to Madame Delacroix's studio, panting.

The seamstress chuckled at Adrien's long-winded apology, pinching his cheek and sending him off with two yards of cotton for Marinette.

When he returned to Marinette's parents' bakery, Marinette squealed. "This is perfect! Just enough to finish my fair entry!"

With a few quick stitches and snips, Marinette revealed her finished project. It was a blue dress, with white and purple accents; delicate lace poked out the sleeves and lined the collar.

Adrien let out a gasp. "Mari… it's gorgeous!"

Marinette blushed. "Really?"

Adrien grinned. "You're definitely going to win first prize at the fair tomorrow!"

Tom came back in the bakery, grinning from ear to ear. "Look at you, pumpkin! That looks marvelous!" He laughed. "I think Adrien wouldn't mind seeing you wear it either…"

Adrien flushed red. "Uh, well, I… uh…"

Tom chuckled. "Oh dear, I think I've broke 'im…" He made a sweeping motion with his arms, guiding Adrien out of the back room. "Come on, now, you know Marinette's not ready for you yet…"

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "Sir, you know that's not my intention, I-"

Tom smiled. "Yet, my boy. When my daughter's old enough, then we'll talk."

Adrien smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Departing, Adrien sighed. Then groaned.

"Adrien, my love, my shining sun!"

Chloe flung herself over Adrien's shoulders, giggling. "Did you miss me, mon cher?"

Adrien removed her arms from his shoulders, walking faster. "I don't have time for this, Chloe, I have to get home and… clean."

"Aw, c'mon, Adrien… you, me, a few children… think about it. We could have a big house, a giant feast every night… a rich girl like me and a handsome man like you…"

Adrien pushed her away, opening the door to his house. "Sorry, no thank you, Chloe, I'm much too busy to be thinking about marriage…" He closed the door, sighing in relief.

"Can you imagine, being the husband of that frilly, brainless… Monsieur Bourgeois, can't you just see it? No, sir, not me. I want so much more than what she's got planned…"

Marinette was on the road to the fair, her basket, slung over her back, containing the dress, some food, and her cat, Ladybug. The path she was on led into a dark, cold glenn, Marinette shivering. She wrapped her cloak tightly around her, trying to keep warm.

Wolves began to howl, not too far from where Marinette was. She walked a bit faster, now nervous and cold. Her walk broke into a run as a wolf emerged behind her, snarling and salivating. She ran through an old, ornate gate, slamming it shut so the wolves couldn't reach her. She sighed in relief, turning around.

Behind her was an enormous castle, gargoyles and vines alike adorning its walls. She gasped, taking it all in.

"Um… hello? I'm just a traveler… I would like a place to stay for the night? Hello?"

Wandering into the castle, she noticed a small nook with a roaring fire in the hearth of the grand fireplace. "I'm just going to warm myself up a bit, if you don't mind…"

A cart with a teapot and teacup rolled itself over to her, the teapot smiling. "Hello, dear."

Marinette shrieked, covering her face with her sleeve. She slowly lowered it after a minute, gazing carefully at the cart. "Did… did you just… talk?"

The teacup smiled, nodding. "Yep! We can all talk!"

Marinette poked the teacup gently with a finger, the teacup giggling. "Hee hee! That tickles!"

The teapot smiled. "Would you like a cup of tea, miss?"

Marinette sneezed, then nodded. "I'd love one, um… do you have names?"

"I'm Sabine, dear, and this little one is Manon."

Manon, the teacup, wiggled on her saucer. "It's been so long since we've had company!"

Sabine sighed. "Careful, Manon, dear, don't spill…"

Marinette took a sip, smiling. "It's… lemon-y."

"Lemon balm with sugar. Do you like it?"

"I do!"

Slam. Marinette flinched, spilling tea on herself. Manon hopped back onto her saucer, Sabine looking around nervously.

"WHO DARES ENTER MY CASTLE!?"

Marinette shook with fear. "I-I didn't mean any harm, I-"

Steely blue eyes met her soft blue ones, hot breath spreading across her face. Marinette screamed.

The Beast was lurking above her, the one that was lost to legends and fairy tales. He grabbed Marinette's arm, dragging her to the dungeon.

How long has it been? Too long. Tooooo long.

If you have any critiques/comments/suggestions for furthering plot, let me know! I love reviews!

-Jordan