Thanks to TheStarsAndSky, rowaelinfeyrhys, and SpellCleaver for reviewing!

TheStarsAndSky: Thank you! I love writing those two as well. :) Hope you like this one!

rowaelinfeyrhys: Thank you so much! I tried my best to make it as competitive as possible, so I'm glad it came through! Hope you like this one!

SpellCleaver: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I'm glad it seemed in character! Hope you like this one!

This is... I don't know what this is, honestly. My initial idea for Fairy Tales was to write a Wolflet Beauty and the Beast AU, but when I started writing, it didn't quite work out like that. It's still a Wolflet Beauty and the Beast AU, based on the Disney movie, but Wolf isn't actually in it, so I guess it's Wolflet and CressWolf without the Wolf? I don't know. :| I was going to make some edits today, but that didn't quite work out, so here we are. Thanks to SpellCleaver for reassuring me that Scarlet and Cress weren't too OOC! Anyway, I hope you like it, and please review!

Pairings: Wolflet, CressWolf

Theme: Fairy Tales

"Stop blaming yourself for this tragedy," Scarlet told herself firmly. "It is his fault, through and through. Not mine."

It wasn't like she would have done anything differently. Going after her grand-mére, who had been kidnapped? Trading her own freedom for her grand-mére's? Insulting the vile beast? She would repeat all those actions with no hesitation.

But that didn't change her current plight, and the fact that she was now living with the beast for eternity. She had lost her freedom. She could feel the tears, threatening to pour out, but she refused to give in. Stop it, Scarlet. You have to be strong.

Who was this beast, anyway, and what did he think he was doing? What sort of a twisted being imprisoned people in their own house for eternities? Yes, it was a rather nice prison, with a comfortable bed and bathroom and even a servant, but it was a prison nonetheless. The beast had called himself Wolf, but Scarlet suspected even the meanest wolf was kinder than him.

A knock on the door. She had no intention of getting up to open the door. She was drained of energy, of spirit, of everything. But she heard the creak of the door opening. "What do you want," she spat.

"I - just want to make sure everything is all right." Scarlet turned around to face the door, realizing that the voice did not belong to Wolf. A small blonde girl faced her, trembling. She looked to be about her age, maybe a few years younger than her. She looked… harmless, to say the least. So why was she working for Wolf?

"I'm Cress, Wolf's personal servant," the girl said, biting her lip. "Your wish is my command."

She didn't want anything from this girl, who willingly worked for a monster. She wanted nothing to do with these people. She wanted her farm and her grand-mére and her freedom back. But… an idea occurred to her.

"Answers. I want answers," Scarlet said.

"I - am not at full liberty to disclose everything, but I will do what I can," Cress said, closing the door. Scarlet patted the bed next to her. This Cress seemed innocent enough. She probably wouldn't hurt her, so she might as well sit down.

"Why did Wolf want my grandmother?" Scarlet asked, skipping the small talk. This was what was burning at her. Her grandmother didn't have secrets. She wasn't particularly wealthy. So either Wolf was a sadist for kidnapping her, or else… there was something else.

"He didn't," Cress replied. "He was just asking the questions. His master wanted her, or rather, some information that she had."

Well. That was interesting. "Who is this creep, and why did he want my grandmother?"

Cress gave her a half-smile. "Creep is right," she said. "It's actually a she. Wolf doesn't know why Queen Levana wants your grandmother."

"Queen Levana… holy shit," Scarlet cursed. If Levana, the infamous sorceress queen of France, wanted something, she usually got it. And her intentions were never good.

Something else was bugging her. "You seem to hate Levana as much as I do. So why do you work for someone who works for her?"

"Why do you think I do?" Cress smiled sadly. "Most people who work for her don't have a choice. I was born with nothing. I had no way of resisting her. I guess you could say I'm a damsel in distress."

"Well, I'm sure someday a handsome rogue will rescue you, and you will sweep him off his feet," Scarlet said, without thinking. Surprisingly, she was starting to warm up to Cress. "You know, you're not bad for a servant of Levana's. You have…" She paused, trying to find the words.

"Hope," Cress said, smiling. "Wolf asks me why. It's all I have, though."

"Hope," Scarlet repeated. The word felt foreign to her at the moment. But, then again, she had only been imprisoned for five hours. Cress had been imprisoned for her whole life. Maybe, over time, there would be some hope for her. She gave Cress a real smile. She didn't know why, but she trusted her. Somehow.

"He's not bad, you know," Cress murmured.

"What?" Scarlet said. Surely she wasn't talking about Wolf.

"Wolf… is under an enchantment placed on him by Levana. Hence the wolf-like features… and the less-than-charming attitude. He is forced into obedience, made to terrorize people."

She was stunned. It still didn't excuse what he had taken from her… but stars above, how many lives had Levana ruined?

"So did you know him before the enchantment?" she asked.

"What?"

"You said he wasn't bad. Did you know him before?"

"No, but I've seen him fight it. Underneath all the growling and wolf-like behavior, he… is just a child, like us."

She couldn't speak. A lump was welling up in her throat. "He hurt my grandmother. I didn't see him fight it then." She didn't want to believe that the monster who had taken everything away from her was not, in fact, a monster.

"He has good days and bad days. Like all of us," Cress said softly. "I spoke to him afterwards. He was… very remorseful. He wants to make it up to you, somehow."

"Tell him to set me free," Scarlet whispered, barely able to speak. Damn it, she was not going to start crying now.

Cress bit her lip. "He wants… he wants to ask you to have dinner with him."

"What!" Shocked, Scarlet pushed Cress off the bed. "Oh, sorry," she said. "But he doesn't honestly expect me to do that?"

"I don't know," Cress sighed, picking herself up. "We're all in a bit of a conundrum, you see. Wolf directly disobeyed Levana by letting your grandmother go. He was supposed to kill her. We don't know if and when Levana will find out, and how she will react."

"So why can't he set me free? It's my grandmother she's after," Scarlet said, confused. And where did dinner play into all of this?

"Your grandmother… did not give us the necessary information. Wolf is hoping you can give it to him. If not, well, your choices are the same as your grandmother's; death or house arrest. He would not dare disobey Levana again. Wolf thought you might prefer a pathetic life to no life at all, and maybe grow to enjoy our company."

She didn't want to go to dinner. She didn't. She wanted to storm out of this stupid castle and murder Levana as soon as she possibly could. Turning to Cress, she asked, "Does Wolf like Levana?"

"No, he despises her," Cress said, swinging her legs. "In many ways, Wolf is even more trapped than you or I, since it is his mind which is trapping him."

"I want to murder Levana," Scarlet said calmly, turning to Cress. "She has trapped and enslaved so many people. She forced another man to hurt my grand-mére, all for some stupid selfish reason of hers. She has taken everything, everything away from me."

Cress smiled. "Scarlet, I know you will be heroic one day."

"Thanks," she laughed. She paused, imagining her own dagger in Levana's mutilated face, and smiled. Maybe there would be more to Wolf than she thought. The evil queen had ruined Wolf's life as well. Perhaps they could bond over that. Besides, she had nothing better to do, what with being imprisoned for life. "I… am probably going to regret this… but I'm going to dinner. With Wolf."

Cress' eyes lit up. "Oh, yes!" she said, jumping off the bed. "I'll go tell him so that he can get ready! I promise you, this evening will not disappoint!"

"Just so you know, I'm not changing, so tell Wolf not to show up in a tuxedo or something," Scarlet said. She was already beginning to regret her decision. This was going to be some evening.

"Got it!" Cress exclaimed, turning around to leave the room. She paused, looking Scarlet in the eye. "Scarlet. Don't be afraid of him, okay?"

"Not a problem," she smiled. "I might have many mixed feelings about Wolf right now, but I am not afraid." Yes, he was a beast. Yes, he could be cruel and monstrous at times. But to be afraid of him would go against everything she stood for. So she would not be cowed by him.

"Good luck!" Cress said, and walked out of the door.

She wasn't sure if she would need it, but whatever it was, she knew this evening would somehow change her life.