Chapter 1 - What Lies Within

The bright summer sun was beating down on the young prince and his mother as they walked through the garden, passing along several hedge rows and admiring the array of colourful flowers, all of which were in full bloom. The garden was where his mother often dwelled. It was her place. His father disproved of his wife getting hands on with the gardening, mucking around in the soil, as that was the gardener's job, but every so often she would help with planting and was heavily involved with the placement of the flowers.

"What type of flower is that?" The young prince asked curiously, pointing out the specific flower he was looking at.

"That's a tulip." His mother replied. "They were only planted this year."

"Tulip." He repeated out loud, listening to his own voice speak the word. "What about that one?" He asked, pointing at another flower.

"That's a daffodil." She told him.

The two walked through an arch way, which had a group of hunting dog statues placed upon it, all perusing a single, wounded deer. The stone monument had vines growing and spiralling around every column, and from those thorn covered vines grew some pure white flowers.

His mother sat down on the stone bench in the middle and the young prince stood in front of her, glancing around at the flowers. "Oh, oh, I know what type of flower that is, I've seen it before!" He exclaimed excitedly.

"What is it?" His mother asked.

"They're roses!" He shouted.

"That's right!" She replied gleefully. "You're such a clever boy." She said, tickling his stomach. The rose garden was something she took full ownership of, as he was later told, as she was responsible for making it into a rose garden, as it had originally only been a stone structure. If you ever wanted to find his mother, then you would often find her there. Oddly enough, roses weren't her favourite type of flower, in fact, she didn't actually have a favourite, as she had once told him that it was hard for her to pick just one.

He giggled with delight and squirmed as she grabbed hold of him and set him down on her lap. "You know, if you give someone a bouquet of roses, it means that you love them." She explained.

"Has father ever given you a rose?" He asked.

His mother avoided looking at him "No. He hasn't actually given me any flowers." She admitted "But that doesn't matter, because your father loves you and me very much." She quickly added.

"Can I go get one of the roses?" He requested.

"Of course, honey." She replied, letting go of him and allowing him to move away. "Make sure to pick out one that's in full bloom, some of them are starting to wither."

"The petals are turning brown." He stated, commenting on one of the roses.

"That happens to flowers. The gardener will have to come and sort out any that are losing their colour. Or I'll just do it myself." She told him. "Oh, and watch out for thorns." She added.

The young prince approached a rose at the far end of the stone structure, and as carefully as he could possibly be, he wrapped his tiny fingers around the area of the stalk that wasn't covered in thorns and pulled the flower free from the vines.

Clutching the white rose in his hands, he rushed back to his mother. "That is a very lovely rose you have there." She commented. "Who are you going to give that to?"

"You, silly!" He replied, presenting the rose to her.

"Oh, why thank you, kind sir." She responded, putting on a posh voice and pretending that he was a suitor as she took the rose from him. She sniffed the flower and then smiled warmly at him.

"I love you, mother." He whispered softly, embracing her in a hug.

She kissed him on the head "And I love you too." She responded, hugging him tightly, still clutching the white rose.

He had known love once. The love for he had for his mother was powerful, but did not last the test of time. His love died along with her.


It was time.

The Prince entered the ballroom, adoring an outfit that was riddled with thousands of sparkling sequins that shone brightly in contrast to his attire's black colour, although the stitches and buttons were gold. His eyes were covered with makeup, showing off his features, and his lips had a rosy red tint to them. To finish off his regal look, he had a powdered wig placed atop his head, and the fake hair ran down his back.

He strode across the ballroom confidently and sat down on his throne. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he waited with baited breath for the maidens to come in, so that he could see them for the first time. He could barely contain his excitement. Tonight, he would not only find his bride to be, but he would also fill a void in his life. He had so much, and yet, for the longest time, he felt like he had been missing something. What else could he fill this void with aside from a beautiful woman?

The doors to the ballroom flew open and the maidens shuffled in. The amount of them seemed endless, just when he thought the last one had come in, another followed behind her. Eventually, the last one arrived, and the entire room was filled with three dozen maidens, and the doors to the ballroom were shut.

The Prince admired them for a moment, examined their faces, their pure white dresses, their figures... Such thin waists... And fine curves. He smiled to himself. Did he really have to choose just one?

Well, there was no point wasting time with pleasantries. That would have to come later. He lifted his arm and snapped his fingers, signalling for Madame Garderobe and Maestro Cadenza to start performing. Straight away, the Maestro began planning the piano, and the maidens curtsied to him. He swayed his head to the piano music for a moment, itching to get up and start dancing. He could no longer hold himself back, and got up from his throne, taking slow steps towards the nearest two maidens, as they linked up with each other, lifting their arms and putting their hands together as they moved around in a circle.

The Prince joined hands with the two girls and moved along with them as Madame Garderobe began to sing. He took in their faces, their wide, toothy smiles and shimmering eyes, glistening with hope, perhaps, thinking that they would be the lucky one? How foolish and naive these two were. He still had to make his way round all the girls before he made a decision, and he was already looking elsewhere. They were quite beautiful though, both of them. Maybe he would return later on.

Oh, how divine

Glamour, music, and magic combine

He parted from them, kissing one of the two's hand before slipping away, and joining up with another girl. She wasn't exactly a sight to behold, in fact he barely even looked at her before he moved away once more, and linking up with a third or fourth maiden. He had already lost track.

He grabbed her waist, but he moved his hand ever so slightly downwards, feeling her dress, but also what was hidden beneath it. Their faces were inches apart, he could feel her hot breath as it escaped her lips. Her eyes were wide, but she did not object to being touched in such a way.

See the maidens so anxious to shine

Look for a sign that enhances chances

She'll be his special one

He was in the middle now, surrounded by all of them. He had never been around so many women before, the whole experience was rather... Invigorating. As for which one he would choose, he was still none the wiser. Why did he have to pick one?

He wished he could have all of them. Maybe not permanently, perhaps just for one night. Spend some quality time with a handful up in the west wing... Get to explore a little more.

What a display

What a breathtaking, thrilling array

Every prince, every dog has his day

The maidens swirled around him, each one coming up to him, catching a brief glimpse of their face before they disappeared into the sea of white. He spun round as they kept dancing around him, approaching him, with rosy cheeks and beaming smiles. One second before another showed up, yearning for his attention, hungry for his eyes to land on her, to acknowledge her. Their faces barely stayed with him, he couldn't hang on to the memory for long, as each moment was so short, if he were to blink, he would surely miss one.

They were like doves, flocking around an attractive male, wanting to mate.

He had grown tired of being in the middle. He moved to the edge and moved along it as the maidens passed by, dancing round the room.

It was starting to get a little overwhelming. How could he find his princess if he barely saw any of them?

So far, he had not even felt a single spark. He thought that is what would happen, that he would feel something, perhaps when he touched hands, or stated into their eyes. But he didn't feel anything.

And I'll sing with passion, gusto, fit to bust

Oh, not a care in the world!

Suddenly, there was a loud, almost rheumatic banging, that startled everyone in the room. The music stopped and the girls paused. He spun around just as the double glass doors burst open, and the wind howled, extinguishing the candles and plunging them into darkness.

Damp, autumn leaves blew in, scattering across the floor, as a hunched over figure hobbled passed his throne, draped in a tattered cloak and carrying a worn, wooden stick.

The maidens screamed and retreated to the other end of the room in fear as the figure seemed to collapse in front of his throne, perhaps in exhaustion.

There didn't seem like there was much to be scared of, the intruder was probably just one of the peasants from the nearby village, who thought that it was their right to come to his party. How could the guards have let someone barge in? They had one job, and they couldn't even do that. Not only that, but no one dared to venture near the mysterious figure. He rolled his eyes. If you want something doing, you have to do it yourself.

He snapped his fingers and Lumiere brought him a lit candle. With the candlestick in hand, the Prince approached the intruder and held the flame close to them, near enough to illuminate their face. Underneath the hood was a withered, wrinkled, ugly old hag.

He grimaced at her hideous appearance.

"Please..." She croaked, her voice feeble and trembling "Please, will you let me stay here... Just for one night... There's a terrible storm, and I will catch my death out there."

He scoffed "And why would I let someone like you stay here?" He questioned.

"I don't have any money but... I have this rose. Will you take this in exchange for shelter?" She asked, presenting a red rose to him.

He stared at the rose for a moment, and then at her face, her sorrowful eyes, and the wisps of grey hair that weren't covered by the hood.

And then he burst out laughing.

He turned to the maidens, he also started to laugh. They cackled and screeched, snorted and chuckled at the old woman. But not a single one of them understood why it was even funny. They were probably only doing it to impress him.

He turned back to the old woman and snatched the rose off of her. He examined it more closely, admiring its blood red petals that were in full bloom. He had seen many roses just like it, it was nothing special, certainly not worth letting her stay.

He leaned closer to her, and caught a whiff of her filth. The smell almost made his eyes water and make him physically gag. "I wouldn't let someone as hideous as you stay here no matter what you offered me." He whispered, before throwing the rose back at her.

The old woman stared at the rose, and then looked up at him, her brow knitted with anger. "You shouldn't be deceived by appearances... For beauty is found within." She warned. Her voice sounded stronger now.

"What are you babbling about? Why are you even still here? You're not welcome." He dismissed her. "Now leave, before I order my guards to drag you out of here."

A light breeze rushed over his shoulder, moving his wig and snuffing out the candle. He glanced at the wick, a trail of smoke beginning to rise. He then glanced back at the old woman. Did she do that? But how could she?

She lowered her head, the hood casting a shadow over her face as she picked up the rose. A bright, golden glow emerged from the cloak as the old woman began to rise, whilst a strong wind began to whip up and swirl around the room.

The cloak fell to the ground and the old woman's haggard appearance melted away to reveal a beautiful, young woman, surrounded by a golden aura. She looked like an angel.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. His jaw dropped and fell to his knees in front of her. He heard the maidens scream, and he glanced over his shoulder to see them running out of the ballroom as fast as they could, fleeing for their lives.

He was awe struck. He could barely speak. "M-my apologies for my earlier behaviour, I- I did not realise that you were so... Incredibly beautiful."

"It's too late to ask for forgiveness, for I have seen you for who you truly are." She responded. "It would seem that you have lost your way. You have become selfish, cruel and unkind. There is no love in your heart."

She paused for a moment, her gaze cold and menacing "You have fooled many people with your beauty, the same way that I fooled you. I think the best punishment for what you have done, not just for tonight, would be to change your appearance to match the ugliness that lies within you."

"Wait-" he began, but the words became lodged in his throat, with only air escaping his lips. He couldn't speak, like the ability had been ripped from him.

She lifted the rose and pointed it at him, almost as if she were flicking a wand.

It was barely noticeable at first. He could feel a sort of tingling sensation on his face. But then it grew worse, it felt like his face was made of clay, being moulded and reshape by invisible hands.

A surge of immense pain rushed through him. Every fibre of his being felt like it was on fire, from his feet, all the way up to behind his eyes. He heard a crack and a snap as his body began to contort and change, bones moving and snapping, being locked into new places, muscles expanding.

He screamed in agony as another surge of pain rushed through him, even worse than the last. There was something inside his head, two somethings in fact, trying to force their way to the surface, burst out of the skin, but he didn't know what they were. He had the same feeling down at his lower back.

He heard fabric rip and tare. His body was trembling violently, as wave after wave of pain crashed on top of him. Everything was spiralling out of control, he could barely think, barely focus, barely even keep his eyes open. His mind was screaming, telling himself to close his eyes and will the whole experience to be over. He had never wished death upon himself until now. The only thought that he could muster was that death would be less painful than this.

His screams were replaced by that of a wounded animals' cry. But where was it coming from? Was it... No, it wasn't possible.

And then it stopped. For a moment, the pain washed away, and he felt weightless, like he was floating on a body of water.

He looked at the what he now knew was an enchantress. Her mouth was moving, but what she was saying didn't seem to register. His ears were ringing, a loud noise was blaring inside his mind. He opened his mouth to say something but the only thing that escaped his lips was a croak.

The exhaustion and strain consumed him and he fell face down. The last thing he remembered was colliding with the floor before he blacked out.


A/N - I hope you liked the inclusion of the prologue scene from the movie. I had to do most of it from memory. It took a while of consulting the internet to make sure I got it generally right, beside my own additions. I made the Prince a sort of playboy as that was where the movie seemed to be going with him before they completely dropped it. Treating women like objects, wanting to have 'his way' with a few of them. Helps to lead up to his downfall.

I also hope you liked the description of the transformation. As the story is mostly his perspective, so the narrator isn't all knowing and only really knows what he is thinking, I decided to go in the direction of avoiding describing the transformation from an outside perspective, but rather his own. There are hints towards the growth of the horns and tail in there, of course, and you can gather what is going on. I like leaving it up to the imagination, as that is what the movie did, and I really liked that direction.

Next chapter we'll be getting into the what happened during the time skip. I won't be covering the full ten or so years or however long it was, as that will take a very long time to get to when Belle arrives at the castle. Instead, they'll be time skips, within the time skip. The time skips will be varying, some will be days, some can be a year or two. It's all about progression of story.

Anyway, I shall see you all in a week!