A/N: I can't believe I'm doing this to myself... but here's a Beauty and the Beast AU... :x We all know the story, but I'll try to make it original enough that you don't think of the movie too much. :) Please enjoy it.
She was the strangest girl in town, her nose constantly stuck in a book. Most often it was the same book that she read over and over again. If she had siblings, she would be the black sheep but she was an only child, just her and her father.
"Papa?" Myka got home from the market where Sam tried once more to get her to marry him. He was a brute, unfeeling and misogynistic pig. She wanted nothing to do with him. "Papa are you home?" An explosion outside got Myka's attention and she ran fast to find her father sitting there covered in ash.
"Myka!"
"Papa what happened? Are you okay?" Myka helped her father up carefully.
"I'm fine Myka, I was just testing out my new invention. I was invited to make a presentation at a college a few towns over."
"Papa that's wonderful!" Myka hugged her father fiercely, and with so much pride. Growing up, Myka and her father didn't have the best relationship, but after her mothers passing, their relationship changed for the better. "When do you leave?"
"This evening.
Myka frowned. "I'll get the horse ready. I'll miss you papa."
"Thank you Myka. I will miss you too, but I'll be back before you know it."
...
Myka's father left that evening and moments later a heavy knocking at her door had her on guard. "Sam?" She said as she opened the door just enough to see who it was. He pushed the door open and walked right in. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to ask you once more if you would marry me." He must have thought the smile he wore was appealing, but Myka instantly felt her stomach turn at the sight. She shook her head. "Myka Myka Myka. Why not? I could have any girl in the world and I chose you."
"Well un-choose me Sam! I don't want to marry you."
"Playing hard to get is not your best trait love."
"I am not your love! Just leave! I said no. Thank you but no." She pushed Sam out of her house, inadvertently causing him to trip up and land face first in the mud. She slammed the door and pushed herself back against it, willing the rest of the world away. When she knew that he was gone, she went up to her bedroom. She read a book, thinking of her father and where he must be now. She always worried for him when he left home, he had health issues and refused to get help from anyone. She was eventually able to get to sleep.
...
A familiar neighing outside of her house caused Myka to bolt out of bed. She ran outside to find her fathers horse, bucking frantically, without her father.
Myka was able to calm the creature down, getting hold of his reigns. She looked around, toward the woods that her father had disappeared into the night before. "Where are you papa?" She ran into the house and changed out of her sleep clothes.
"Come on boy, you're gonna take me to papa." She got up on the horse and led him into the woods. The deeper into the woods they got, the more nervous the horse became. It was still early in the day, but the woods were so dark, the twisted and damp tree trunks stretching up over her, creating a canopy of black leaves. Everything about this forest just screamed turn around and don't return, but she pushed forward.
The horse stopped dead in its tracks and when Myka looked to see what it was, she gasped in awe. A castle. It was as black and depressing as the woods themselves, unkept and isolated. She jumped off the horse. "Is this it?" The horse backing away slowly was confirmation enough. "I'm coming papa."
...
The inside was not as bad as the exterior, but Myka could feel the dust and grime sitting stagnant in the air. "Papa?" She whispered into the large entrance hall. There was no answer. Little did she know other places of the castle were stirring, servants who had been frozen in time, waking from their sleeping state.
She heard some noises coming from deeper inside the castle. She walked forward, never looking back, her only goal was to find her father and get him home. She felt like she had been walking a long time through a never ending maze of stone.
"Help..."
"Papa?" She followed the cry for help to a staircase. She walked up the stairs, still hearing her fathers voice. "I'm here papa!" She started to run, desperate to see him, to make sure he was okay. It was dark, and when she found him, she nearly cried, falling to her knees in front of the old, sick man. "Papa who put you in here?" She grabbed the bars of the cell and shook at it furiously. "Who!?"
"I did." A voice so dark and evil filled her ears. She turned quickly but didn't see anyone. "He was trespassing." It was a voice filled with such hatred and darkness, but Myka could tell it was coming from a woman.
"Please! He didn't mean to, he was just traveling and he... He probably just got lost. Let him out!"
"He's my prisoner now. There's nothing you can do."
"What is wrong with you!? Can't you see he's sick?" Myka hugged the bars, reaching for her fathers hands.
"You should leave while you still can Myka." Her father whispered.
"I'm not leaving you here papa." She hissed back.
"Your father is right... Myka." The evil voice pierced through the shadows.
"A trade..." Myka whispered.
"What?" The mysterious voice and her father asked simultaneously.
"Take me instead. Please."
"Myka no! You don't know what you're asking." Her father pleaded.
The captor ignored him and asked, "why?"
"Because I love my father." Myka gripped her fathers hands so tight.
"Love." The dark voice scoffed at her, chuckling menacingly. "There is no such thing." There was a long pause. "No."
Myka sobbed. "Please!"
The door burst open and Myka could feel the person she had been talking to turn around. She heard foot steps and whispering, though she couldn't make out what was being said.
"Peter?" The captor looked upon long lost, but familiar eyes. The man simply bowed. "How are you... You're not supposed to be awake unless..." His eyes looked past her and she followed his gaze to the shadow sitting with her father. "Get the carriage ready. I'm letting him go." He nodded and left.
She returned, still lost to their vision as she stood in the dark. "Deal. You stay and he goes."
"Really?" Myka almost laughed in relief before realizing that she would have to stay with this stranger, this evil monster.
"But you must stay forever. You can never leave."
Myka thought a moment. "Can you come out into the light?"
A while passed, the captor thinking long and hard before inching her way into the light. Myka's breath hitched. Half of the woman's face was scarred as if she were attacked by some sort of animal. Her clothes were torn, her hair wild. It was her eyes though, they were so dark and full of anger, pain and fear.
"I'll stay. You have my word."
Her father protested but before she could justify her decision, he was ripped out of the cell and she was thrown in. "Papa!"
"Myka!" The beastly captor pulled at his arm, yanking him through the castle and out to the carriage.
"Take him back to town." She practically threw the old man in and watched as it went off. When she turned back toward her castle, her servants stood at the door. "You're all awake." They bowed their heads in servitude as she brushed by them. "Good. We have work to do."
"Miss?" A small voice called out behind her. She growled and whipped her head around quickly.
"What!?"
"The girl... Up in the tower. She's staying?"
"Yes she's staying." The woman answered, clearly annoyed.
"Would you like me to make up a room for her?"
"A room? She's my prisoner."
"But she's the one to break the curse! You should make sure she's comfortable Helena." The monsterous woman snarled at the sound of her name. "I apologize, H.G. You should make sure she feels safe here."
"Leena!" The woman shouted, but bit her tongue. The curse had turned her heart black, she was darker than the servant remembered her being and so much more angrier. Frozen in sleep, Leena and the other servants were still conscious enough to witness this woman's loneliness, anger and grief building up inside of her. They knew that any smile or kindness she would show would be false. "Get a room ready. I'll bring her down."
Helena stormed off to the towers and found the woman looking out the window.
"You didn't let me say goodbye." Her knuckles were white, gripping to the bars on the window. "You're a monster."
"I am a monster. But it's better that you didn't say goodbye. It would have been harder for you trust me."
"Trust you?" Now it was Myka's turn to scoff. I don't even know who you are."
"My name is H.G." She stopped when the prisoner turned to her and took in the woman's face for the first time, her eyes a foresty green; hazel in fact, and her skin so pale and delicate as though it had never seen the sun. Her hair was a mess, but beautifully so. She walked over and unlocked the cell. "Follow me." And she turned without a word.
"But... where are we going?"
"To your room."
"My room?"
"Unless you want to stay here." She gestured at the bare tower, musty and dark.
"I don't, I'm sorry." Myka slowly stood, tired from her journey to the castle and followed H.G. out.
They walked for a few minutes in silence, H.G. glancing over her shoulder every once in a while to make sure the woman hadn't left, or been a dream. "I hope you'll be comfortable here."
Myka didn't respond, she just followed in silence knowing that agreeing to stay didn't mean she had to speak or even look in H.G.'s direction. She hadn't even realized that they were stopping until she heard the creaking of a large wooden door.
"This is your room." H.G. held the door open, allowing Myka to venture in. Myka looked around. It was still dark and cold, no light and no life. Everything looked clean though. "One of my servants, Leena made it up for you. She'll be in later to help you get ready for dinner."
"Dinner? I'm not very hungry."
"You will be joining me for dinner Myka." Helena forced the order through gritted teeth.
"No." Myka stood defiantly.
"You will join me for dinner and that's that. You're mine Myka. You belong to me." Helena stepped back and slammed the door before Myka could say anything else.
Myka stumbled back until she hit the bed and fell back in tears. She opened her eyes at the warmth of the blankets, the softness of the pillows and looked once more at the room she was to live in. This was much nicer than the tower she had just been in, but she wasn't fooled. It was still a prison, and she hated it.
I'm so sorry! I can't believe I did this, but if you like it and want it to keep going, please let me know because I had to start this... I don't know why but it was bugging me. I'm sure it'll be another long ass story, but at least this one has a set outline so I should be able to get it out quickly. Anyway, reviews are always welcomed and appreciated. Love you all. XO
