Chapter One: The Prince
Long ago, before even your great-great-grandparents were born, there was a beautiful castle set in the heart of a deep and beautiful wood. The castle contained many servants who were all happy and loyal to their master and mistress, the King and Queen of Ravendron. The towns that bordered the wood also had happy inhabitants who loved their rulers dearly.
One fine spring morning, word was sent out through the towns that the Queen was to have a child at Christmas time. The townspeople rejoiced for a new prince or princess would make the King and Queen even happier than they already were. The women of the town sent in many gifts of fine baby's clothing and other precious gifts for the wee ones. The men sent in pieces of handcrafted furniture to adourn the nursery. The Queen was very pleased with all of the gifts, and was sure to thank as many of the people as she could.
Finally, after nine joyful months, the time of the birth arrived. The Queen had never been a strong woman, so the labour was very intense for her and after the baby was born, she passed away. The King was overcome with grief and could hardly bear to look at his first born child, a son, who they named Adam. Instead of tending to his child, the King locked himself in his quarters and fell into a state of depression.
One of the maids who had once attended to the Queen, Mrs. Potts, took it upon herself to take the baby under her charge. As he grew, all who met him instantly fell in love with him for he was a beautiful child. He had thick blonde hair, and eyes as blue as the ocean on a summers day. When he smiled, two dimples appeared in both of his cheeks and his whole face would light up. However, upon his thirteenth birthday everything changed.
"Master Adam," said Mrs. Potts one morning. It was dreary out so the boy was reading in the castle's massive library. "Your father wishes your presence in the dining room immediately."
"Really?" asked Adam, his eyes lighting up. It had been nearly a year since he last saw his father, so any chance he received to see the man gave him great joy. He jumped up from his chair, dropped his book, and ran down the corridor to the dining room. "You wished to see me, Father?"
"Indeed," replied the man. "Please come closer to me." Adam obliged and took a seat very close to his father. "I am dying, my son and when I am gone you will have to take on many new duties and responsibilities. The first of these being that you must find a bride to be your Queen. You may only take on the role of King whence you have been married, so this is very important less you wish to be a prince forever."
"But-"
"No arguments, son. I know that you are young, but I shan't die for at least another year and by then you'll be somewhat more mature. I have begun negotiations with other Kings to arrange meetings with their daughters, the first of these meetings being tomorrow afternoon. I expect you to be on your best behaviour."
"But Father!" Adam protested. "I do not wish to marry at this age, and I do not wish to have an arranged marriage. I want to marry for love!"
"I'm afraid that you have little say in this particular matter, son," replied the King. "I suggest you grin and bear it."
"Fine," said Adam haughtily. "I will go to the 'meetings' but I cannot promise that I will show any warmth towards our guests. Not that they'll notice," he added, "because they'll think that I take after you!" He shouted these last words and then stormed out of the dining room, up the stairs and into the west wing of the castle where he resided.
After the first meeting, the parade of young noblewomen was endless and tiring for the young man. He showed no hospitality toward anyone, and was quickly becoming a tyrant who cared for no one save himself. When he wasn't meeting a new woman, he was locked in the west wing with a book or out hunting with his horse, Achilles. Christmas came, he turned fourteen and his father grew nearer and nearer to death with each passing day. Adam, however, did not care.
Then, in January the King finally passed on. Adam felt no remorse and was instead only frustrated that he could not claim the title of king until we was wed. Two more years passed, and on the eve of his sixteenth birthday, something peculiar happened.
"Master," said a servant, Lumiere, from the door way of the drawing room where Adam was gazing at the fire. "There is a woman at the door who wishes to speak to you."
"Who is she?" asked Adam, his eyes never straying from the flames.
"I do not know," Lumiere replied. "She simply said that she wished to speak with the master and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."
With a grumble, Adam rose up from his chair and followed Lumiere out to the foyer. He marched up to the massive front doors, pulled one slightly open, and demanded, "What do you want?" His brows were pursed and anger flashed in his marvelous blue eyes. Intruders were not welcome at his castle.
"I just ask for a night's shelter from this bitter cold," replied the woman. She was old, with gnarled fingers and wart upon a pointed nose.
"You could not afford even an hour in this castle," replied the prince. "We don't allow commoners through these doors unless they are willing to pay."
The woman shuffled about through her dark green cloak and then pulled out a single rose. "I offer you this rose in return for shelter."
Adam scoffed at this offer and slammed the door in the woman's face, bidding her a rude farewell. He was halfway across the foyer, when an immense pounding sounded at the door which shook the chandelier that hung high above his head. He growled and ran to the door, flinging it open with a great force. When the door was open though, the old woman was gone and in her stead was a beautiful woman wearing a brilliant green gown. "Who are you?" asked Adam, his knees shaking in shock.
"I am she who you refused to give shelter from the frigidness of the harsh winter night," she replied. She reached into a fold of her gown and pulled out a wand.
"An enchantress!" gasped the servants.
"I have seen that you hold no warmth in your heart, Prince Adam, and for that you shall be punished." She lifted the wand, pointed it straight up to the cloudy sky, and then chanted several words. A bright, green light flashed and the inhabitants of the castle, and the building itself were transformed. Vines crept up the walls and roses sprouted everywhere, depsite it being winter. The beautiful statues and colours of the once grand castle turned dark and hideous. Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and the other servants were all changed into objects who could speak and move. "And for you, young Prince," said the Enchantress.
"Please, do not harm me!" pleaded the young man.
"I will not harm you," she replied. "However, I am laying a load of much pressure upon your shoulders." She aimed her wand at him, and instantly he was transformed into a hideous beast. "I am giving you until your twenty-first birthday to find a woman who you can learn to love, and who can learn to love you in return. To gauge this time," she said, handing him the rose from earlier, "you have until the last petal of this rose falls and wilts. Once this happens you will remain a beast for all of time. If you are able to find love though, the spell will be lifted from you and all else who dwell in this castle. Am I understood?"
"Yes," said the dejected Prince.
"Goodbye!" she said breathily, and then disappeared into a cloud of green smoke.
Prince Adam looked down at his hands, which were now hideous paw with great claws at the end of each finger. He raised his head up to the sky and roared. He roared in agony, for who could ever fall in love with a beast?
