Chapter 1: New and a Bit Alarming
All castles have ghosts, the boy decided. They are drawn to the shadows and bloody past.
His castle, deep in the secluded woods, was no different, and he knew he was never completely alone within its thick walls and darkened rooms.
A presence was always with him, following him. A being that caused the hair on his arms to spike and his breath to catch in his throat. It was as real as the moonbeams streaming through the tower windows. Adam couldn't see it. He couldn't name it. He merely hoped. Could it be? Was it them?
Never a fearful child, he sought it out. On the darkest nights he would wander. A single flame lit his way through the endless corridors and empty chambers.
He searched for the souls of his parents.
If it was dark enough he believed he might feel them graze his skin as he made his way, room after room.
Ghosts always come home, the boy told himself as he searched all of the obvious spots for a haunting.
He scoured the inside of his castle first; the red study with the animal heads on the walls, the enormous library with its infinite corners and stairways. Then he traveled outdoors, stumbling in the night through the leafy overgrown hedge maze of the greensward.
The boy had no success.
Finally, in desperation, he decided to go directly to the place he had always avoided. He ventured into the far edges of the castle to the west wing and the private rooms of his parents.
The forbidden apartments had not been disturbed for eleven years. The air in the space was dense and heavy. No footprints spoiled the perfect layer of dust upon the cold marble floor. The boy shivered and pulled the sash tighter on his long gold robe.
In the center of the room stood an enormous four post bed shielded by heavy velvet drapes. A forgotten waistcoat lay flung over a brown leather chair and a vase holding a single dead rose sat on a table by the balcony.
Adam held his breath and stepped into the sacred space. His feet rubbed silently across the dusty marble and left a trail behind him. He scanned the room with hungry eyes.
It had been theirs, he thought, awestruck. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what they looked like. He try to conjure up their faces but it didn't work. Giving up, Adam opened his eyes.
A gown hanging by an armoire caught his attention and his fingers itched to touch its softness. Reaching over, Adam let his small palm slide down the front of the voluminousness skirt. It was smooth and stiff. The green satin fabric glimmered in the candlelight. He closed his eyes and pulled it closer, burying his face in its folds. He inhaled the faint, lingering scent of time. The moldy fragrance tickled his nose and Adam began to pick up another aroma. It was subtle, like a gentle breeze from the gardens. He couldn't place it. He had never learned it. Her scent, he guessed. He tried to name it. Flowers? A spice, perhaps? It evaded him. His chest tightened threateningly and the boy pushed the gown away.
She wasn't here. She would never be here. He was a stupid boy chasing ghosts when all that was left were things. More things. His thoughts raced. He yanked at the dress and dropped it to the floor.
Heaving deep shaky breaths, Adam spun around the room. Things everywhere, his mind screamed. A black flame of anger built within his small body and he exploded in a fury of grief.
Even as an adult Adam would not remember what happened next. The child found himself standing in the wake of chaos. It appeared that nothing had survived his temper.
Paintings were thrown and shredded. Fabrics were torn into pieces. Bottles of strongly smelling perfumes pooled on the marble. The furniture lay broken and the kerosene lamps were smashed. All were destroyed. As Adam's anger left him, he fell to his knees, careless of the glass that dug into his skin.
Time passed unnoticed. When he finally lifted his head the morning light was streaming through the window. Adam blinked as something caught his eye. Despite all the devastation of the room, the table by the balcony still stood. He climbed to his feet and he stumbled over to it. There, in a ray of sunlight, standing proudly were the queen had left it, was the rose.
The boy's fingers trembled as he reached for it. Then he quickly pulled back. He no longer trusted his own hands. Adam placed his palms on the table and let his chin drop to his chest. He didn't weep again. He never would. He had cried his last tear that night.
Instead, he began to speak. Not to his parents, they were gone. It was clear they had never come back to the son they had known so briefly.
No, he whispered to the thing that was there.
He still felt the being hovering around him. It was the thing that had always been there, watching his steps, counting his breaths. The thing that he spoke to in his dreams and in his lonely waking hours.
In a voice that held little evidence of his tender age, Adam growled, "You are no longer welcome here. Leave now." And when he still sensed the presence, like a humming vibration, he roared at the top of his lungs, "Get out!"
There was a pause, then he felt the warmth seep from the room and Adam had his first moments of true silence. The creature was gone.
For the first time in his life, Adam was completely alone.
Ten years passed since the day he bid the entity to depart. Adam never felt its presence again. If he missed the company or felt its loss, he never spoke of it. He had become a different creature that morning. His boyhood days were over.
Adam took to his duties proficiently. The kingdom had a strong and powerful ruler again, one like they had not known since the deaths of his parents, their beloved king, and queen.
Adam held a firm hand on all aspects of his domain, from diplomatic dealings with foreign lands to the amount of wheat in the mills. His mind became sharp through constant reading and his wit grew quick. No man, not his generals or council, could better him in strategy or skill.
As a ruler, he was fair yet unsympathetic. His justice was swift and absolute. It spread quickly throughout the land that certain offenses would not be tolerated and whispers were spoken of dungeons in which no one returned. Most villagers avoided the castle if they could. A person did not go to the prince's domain willingly.
Until someone did.
The night was stormy and the rain beat so violently it caused the towering windows to shake. The prince walked the floors in silence.
The wolves were howling in the woods. Sleep escaped Adam on such nights and his body felt more alert and awake than it had in days. Instead of sleeping, the prince paced the palace halls. His staff was down for the night. Even his tireless butler Cogsworth would be asleep. The rooms were empty but outside the windows Adam could see the guards at their post by the gate.
The prince placed a warm palm on the rain-splattered glass and felt it vibrate beneath his fingers. His brow furrowed slightly. Adam shook his head and turned away. A moment later he jerked in surprise as a loud banging beat upon the castle door.
Who would be out on such a night and who could get past his guard? He wondered with a frown.
Prince Adam stalked to the heavy wood and metal door and yanked it open. An old woman, bent and wrinkled, stood before him. She was cloaked in black and leaned weakly on her walking stick. Even in the dark rain, he could sense her weariness.
"Sir, may I sit? May I sit a spell by your fire?" The old crone croaked in a voice worn by age.
The prince paused. There was a slight prickle under his skin, as though his body was warning him that something was amiss. Then he felt an unnatural warmth fill his chest and he instantly, unwillingly, put a hand under the woman's bony arm and guided her inside.
"What is the meaning of this? Old mother, what brings you out on such a night?" Adam pulled her through the door and into the castle's dark hall. The servants had left a fire blazing in foyer and he gently steered her in that direction.
"Come, sit by the fire. Are you hungry?" Adam asked, noting the way the crone swayed on her feet as they passed ornate threshold. The immense room was dark, with only a single fireplace out of four burning, but it was warm and oddly cozy. The prince motioned for the old woman to sit on one of the plush velvet and mahogany seats but she smiled slightly and limped over to the fire.
"I am never hungry, Beast." She waved a wrinkled hand over her shoulder and turned to look upon his face. A light had come into her eyes.
Adam looked down at this name, confused.
"Beast? You know me not..." Began the prince.
"Now a prince, tomorrow a beast, never to tame, always the same." The crone sang-spoke, shaking her stick at him. Her skin stretched across her cheekbones as her smile spread. The prince blinked in surprise as her cracked lips parted over perfect white teeth.
"You are tired. Sleep here for the night. My servants will prepare a room." Adam turned to ring the bell hanging on the wall but the old lady stopped him, again in the strange singing tone.
"Never to sleep, never to weep, never to tame, always the same." She paused and tapped the bewildered prince with her stick. The handle hit the solid muscle of his shoulder and sent a vibrant shock down his arm. His fingers twitched and he flexed them out at his sides. The prince stared hard at the woman.
There was something false about her. The grasp on her stick was too strong. The burning of her eyes were too brilliant. Her cloak, now pushed off of her head, revealed thick blonde hair. All this was strange indeed, but the thing that caught Adam's attention the most was the atmosphere around the woman. It crackled with electricity and made the hair on his arms spike and his breath catch.
A memory began to flutter in the back of his mind and the prince shook his head. Brightly colored images synced to the crashes of the lightning outside and the howling of the wolves grew quieter until they moaned like distant winds.
Adam couldn't stop the images that came to his mind.
It was his own face, though younger, with big blue eyes and the damnable gold ringlets his guardians had refused to cut. He saw himself screaming into an empty room. Screaming for something to leave.
He knew instantly who she was.
"Why have you returned?" The prince questioned low. He took a stride forward. The old woman simply watched him as he moved closer.
She smiled at him and let out a soft, girlish laugh as he took another heavy step.
"Your facade is slipping. Show me your true self, creature." Adam demanded deeply.
"Creature, am I?" The old woman chuckled, knocking her stick to the ground with a thump. She lifted her arms and whispered something too low for the prince to hear. When she dropped her hands to her sides, the air burst and sparked. An amber hue lit the room as all four fireplaces flamed to life.
Adam squinted in the sudden light, blinking at the old crone.
But she was no longer there. Gone were the black cloak and wrinkles. Gone was the haunting smile and weak frame. In their place was an angelic, golden robed vision whose beauty was as blinding as the burning fire. The prince blinked in the light that engulfed her. He had never seen such a spectacle and yet instead of feeling awed he felt his broad chest fill with anger.
The woman looked at him with pity.
"I am here to warn you. Another is coming. He tracks your blood." She paused and looked deeply into eyes filled with distrust. "He has for many years. When you no longer allowed me to watch over you, I went to him. To spy. To stand guard. But he sensed me. You beast often do. I could not stay."
Adam cursed under his breath. His temper was barely contained. "We beasts? Why do you persist in this? You know who I am."
"Now a prince, tomorrow a beast, never to tame, always the same." The beautiful woman sang softly in the sad, sweet voice. "I call you your name, Beast, as it shall be." She dropped her head and shook it in regret. "As it is already becoming."
"And what is your name, creature?" The prince asked of her. He felt heat radiate off of her and the large room began to fill with sweltering currents of energy.
"I am just an enchantress. One of the hundreds who has watched over mankind, protecting them from the beings who would harm them. We defend man from Darkness and the servants that follow the treacherous path. We guard against the winged creatures of the sky and the monsters of the sea. We are the last line of defense between man and certain death. Or...", she paused, "we were." The woman's voice trailed off and she looked out of the long, rain-drenched window. Adam watched her intently, crossing his arms at his chest.
"Were?"
The enchantress did not look at him but continued to follow the rain.
"Were. But no longer. The dark beast, a servant of Darkness, destroyed them all, one by one, with his monstrous pack. I alone remain ." She turned to him suddenly, electricity bursting in her eyes. "And you, Beast."
Adam simply stared at her. For a moment no one spoke. The only sound was the storm, the wolves, and a faint buzzing. Then the prince shook his head slowly. The Enchantress turned to him and tilted her head slightly. Her long tendrils of spun gold fell down her shoulders and her expression filled with sadness.
"Yes, you." she spoke, barely above a whisper, "It was always to be you. It is your birthright. You were twice born, once by the blood of your mother and again by the breath of a monster. The creature searches for you still, and it will devour the world to find you, as it has devoured my people." The enchantress flashed her eyes at the prince as lightening struck against the windows. "As it devoured your mother."
The Enchantress was before him in an instant. Before her words could register with the prince, her hand lifted and Adam felt her hot fingertips on his forehead. The light which surrounded her embraced him as well, and he was once again in a vision.
No, not a vision. I am there, he thought as the cold of the snow melted into his house boots. But where? Adam gazed around himself at the bleak forest. He knew the trees. They were from the forest that surrounded his castle. The prince turned his head sharply as the sound of wolves ripped through the silent branches.
A lone coach lay on the white banks. The wheels were askew and it was surrounded. The pack was attacking a tall, finely dressed man who was shaking with fear and wine. Adam knew that man. He had seen his image hanging from the walls of his home every day for the last twenty-one years.
"Father!" The prince called, racing forward. His body slammed hard against an invisible force that sent shocks of electricity through him. Adam sucked in a breath and threw himself against it again. He slammed it with a heavy shoulder and with hard fists. "Please! Please!" He called, but the Enchantress did not appear. The sounds of his father's scream were deafening and the prince fell to his knees in the snow.
Then he saw the creature. It was not a wolf or any other animal he had ever seen. It was a monster. Its long body moved like black tar. Every muscle rippled with strength. So shocked was Adam that he barely noticed they were both instantly transported to the inside of the carriage.
Looking over, he saw that a bloody woman had stabbed the creature. The massive beast stopped to stare at her quizzically. Then it pounced, teeth bared. Adam felt his heart stop. No. No! He thought wildly. Not her!
No effort could reach her. Though the prince tried, he could only watch and fight against an invisible wall as his mother was devoured. Finally, his body beaten and exhausted, Adam slid to the blood-soaked carriage floor.
The beast then turned to a bundle in the corner. He stood over it, blood dripping from his snout, and pushed it forward roughly. A child, the prince thought, barely seeing the scene before him. "Me."
The evil creature growled and blow hot air into the infant's face. The baby within the bundle cried and swung its fist. The dark beast paused for a moment and examine the babe, then he flashed his massive teeth and prepared to bite. Instantly the image was gone. The enchantress had removed her touch and Adam stood immobilized. The Prince trembled with fury and shock. His body was clean of blood and snow, but his heart was drenched it.
"Your parents. Never to sleep, never to weep." The enchantress whispered.
After a long pause, Adam asked in a deep and deadly voice, "Where is this beast, enchantress?"
The enchantress examined the steel in the prince's startlingly blue eyes. She breathed out a sigh. Her gaze was filled with pity.
"You will meet him. He will come for you. For you all. There is no one left to stop him."
"I will stop him. My men and I will stop him." The prince had inherited the massive height of his father and the aristocratic beauty of his mother. With his tawny hair about his shoulders and his muscular frame pulled tight in barely restrained rage, his strength was evident.
"No." The enchantress shook her lovely head in sadness. "Perhaps once they might have. But he has tasted enchanted blood. No blade can harm him, no spear can pierce him. We have but one hope. You, Beast. "
He ignored the title and nodded in agreement.
"Tell me what must be done."
"You must finish what has started. The beast within must come forth. To defeat a creature you must become one."
Adam did not speak. The beast within? He felt the darkness rise throughout his body as his mind acknowledged the disturbing truth. The anger, the black spots in his memory. He saw again the dark beast breathe against his face as a babe. What was he?
"Can this be done?" he asked aloud.
"Yes, but it is not without risks. And you cannot do this alone. There is another." The enchantress gave a small hopeful smile.
"Another?" the prince gazed at her sharply. "Who?"
"You will know your savior when the time comes."
"My savior? From what? I don't understand."
The enchantress stepped forward and grasped him by his arms. The darkness within him pulled back and Adam had to force himself to remain still. "I cannot say much, or the spell will fail. But I will say this. Hold on to her, Beast, when the darkness begins to overtake you. Let her mind guide you. Let her goodness mend you. Let her remind you of your human self." The enchantress looked at him earnestly. "Are you ready?"
The prince nodded to her, then paused. "What will happen to my kingdom?"
"I cannot protect them all, but I can protect those within these walls. A spell, to hide them if danger comes to call. Never to see, ever to be. They will be transformed with you until the dark beast is defeated and your enchantment is broken. Now, you must prepare."
Adam stood, feet wide and arms crossed. The enchantress looked upon him noting the determined look on his gorgeous face and nodded.
Picking up her stick she smiled. "Find the savior, defeat the beast and have hope."
With this, she struck the stick to the ground and a burst of light hit the prince, knocking him backward. Sparks exploded around him, spreading across the room and down the hall, covering every inch of the castle with flashes. Then, as soon as it started, it stopped. There was nothing but darkness within the castle and the howling of wolves outside.
A.N. : I don't own any of this, all characters are the property of Disney.
Well, hello Prince Adam, and hello beautiful readers! Welcome! This is a new twist on our favorite fairy tale. Hope it doesn't shock anyone too much! I have adored hearing your thoughts so far. To answer one of your questions, no this isn't a straight Gaston /Belle, or Belle/ Prince Adam story. You will have to stay with me to find out where this is going? Now, here's a question for you...what are your thoughts on our handsome Prince? Tell me and I promise nobody will turn you into a hairy beast! Thank you so much pinkdynomite for being my first reviewer. I can't wait to hear from more of you! As always, thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and/or favoriting!- S.