The one emotion he recalled clearly was the repulsion. It is an expression obvious on any face. He remembered the twisting frown his parents wore as they looked down upon him in his youth. The servants, his siblings, they all wore the same expression.
" He must be cursed. "
" What did we do to deserve this ?"
" God, I can't bear to look at him ."
He was at a loss as to what he could do. His deformed features were simply what he was born with. It was out of his control and nothing he did could help. He would end up doing everything in his power to appeal to them; to change their minds. From facial expressions to makeup, medicine, and exercise...nothing worked.
It didn't take long for him to mimic their expressions when he saw his reflection.
Every mirror in his room was destroyed and he stopped trying to appeal to them. Being a prince would be impossible - he could at least try to be a traveling hero or knight, at least then he could do good and use armor to hide his features.
Then there came a storm - one that rattled the shutters and glass of the castle with frightful rage.
Over the cacophony of thunder and rain, a knock resounded from the large entrance doors that could be heard throughout the hall.
The servants scuttled to open the door and were greeted by the sight of a haggardly old woman. She was clad in rags, leaning heavily on her cane, her grey hair whipping in the wind.
"Call the masters of the house," her voice rang out over the storm.
The servants relayed the scene to the king and queen who scoffed and gestured to their son standing unobtrusively in the corner, "A beggar demanding our presence? Beaut, go and give her the company she seeks."
Long used to such jabs, Beaut bowed to his parents before leaving to go to the entrance of the castle some distance away. When he reached the doors he saw that the woman was still left outside, no doubt entirely soaked.
"Let her in, please." he motioned to the servants and the doors were opened to let the woman in. She carried a staff with her but did not seem to rely on it much, briskly passing the servants to stand before Beaut.
She gave him a look over, "Hmmm, not so much a King eh? Beggars can't be choosers I suppose." She inclined her head slightly, "I am called Tatsumaki," she said, reaching into her robe. "I request shelter for the night in exchange for this," in her hands she presented a beautiful rose.
Beaut was shocked into silence by her straightforwardness. Even with his appearance his cloth should have indicated his status. At second glance the rose was indeed beautiful, not wilting or bruised from her travels. But a flower was worthless when compared to the treasures that the castle held. Their highnesses would undoubtedly see it the same way.
Nevertheless, Beaut felt compelled to let her in as she shivered in her soaked clothing, "Very well," he turned to the servants, "Let her in. Grab towels and a spare set of clothing. Please light a fire in the parlor."
The servants seemed hesitant, but closed the door anyway and bustled away to comply.
Beaut cleared his throat, "Please, follow me." he said and started his way toward the parlor.
Beaut could hear Tatsumaki follow behind him by the scrape of her staff and the drip of water off her soaked cloak. His skin crawled as Beaut felt the eyes of the beggar woman boring into him from behind. Ordinarily he avoided meeting guests at the castle. He hated the stares. Now he regretted not bringing his armor and helmet.
"You want to be a hero don't you?"
"Uh...yeah," Beaut touched the sword at his side, "Someday."
The woman clicked her tongue, "Take it from me, kid. Give it up, no one wants your kind of hero."
Beaut's face fell, "Oh. Alright," by now he was used to hearing such talk anyway from his family.
"Don't get me wrong, it has everything and nothing to do with your looks - no one cares for true altruism. Aesthetics is all people care for nowadays, not true heroics."
His hand unconsciously went to touch his face," Oh…"
They reached the parlor, a healthy fire crackled in the massive fireplace. In one of the two gigantic chairs facing the fireplace lay a stack of fluffy towels and a folded set of clothing. There were no servants in sight.
Tatsumaki shuffled over to the towels and took off her cloak. As Beaut had suspected, the shabby dress she wore under it was soaked as well.
"I will leave you to get more comfortable." Beaut stated before turning to leave but felt a tug at his tunic.
Startled he turned quickly, but the woman was still a distance away, standing by the chair, clasping her rose to her chest, "I am hungry. Let me dine at your table."
"I-I am...I have no issue with this, however I must discuss the matter with my parents, their royal highnesses."
Her frown deepened and Beaut watched as she crossed her arms. He raised a hand before she could say anything further, "I assure you that you will not go hungry tonight."
"Hmmph, fine. If they give you trouble I will speak with them myself."
Beaut was taken aback by the statement and nodded slowly, "Ok, I will send a servant to let you know where to dine." Before she could utter another offense he started making his way to the chamber where his parents were lounging before dinner.
He walked into the room and it was just as he left it. His father sat reading some papers at the desk, while his mother was perched primly in a chair immersed in her embroidery. Meanwhile his two brothers were chatting between themselves in the corner. They hardly looked up as Beaut walked in, "The beggar has been taken care of?" the queen asked from her seat.
Beaut hesitated, "Yes, she asked for hospitality and brought a rose as payment. She was cold and soaked so I let her in. She is getting dry by the fire."
Two sharp eyes looked up at him from the desk, "Benevolence does not excuse your lack of propriety, Beaut," his father admonishes, "Do not be as stupid as you are ugly; if we let every wet beggar in the castle we will be overrun with every hermit and vagabond in the land."
"She brought some form of payment and she was very...adamant, your highness."
Beaut flinched at the sound of a pen hitting the desk with some force. The king stood and walked over to Beaut, looking down his nose at his son, "A flower as payment? Do we run an inn or a castle? Have the servants remove her from the castle, let her return to the hovel she crawled out of."
"She requests to dine with us. Please...father, let us at least provide her a meal."
The king sneered as he stared down at Beaut - he could see his eyes scanning over every feature he found repugnant on him, "Fine . Shall I also bow to her as well?" He leaned toward Beaut, "We will give her a meal, it will be your meal. You will give your chair to this beggar tonight and serve her as you are so inclined ."
Beaut bowed his head respectfully, "Thank you, your Highness." He heard his brothers hardly containing their laughter from the other side of the room.
"No backbone at all…" his father muttered then snapped his fingers at the servants at the wait, "Prepare a servants outfit for him, and send someone to get the beggar to show her her seat at Supper. Make sure that she is….tolerable at the table. I would like our food to be palatable after removing her personally."
Beaut shifted uncomfortably in his place standing by the wall, looking over the elaborately laid table filled with food and drink. The king sat at the head of the table, the queen at his side with Beaut's older brothers. On the opposite end of the table an empty plate and silverware was laid out for the guest.
"Alright, let's' get this over with," The king sighed, "Let the beggar in."
The servants opened the doors and the beggar woman hobbled slowly over to the table, rose in hand. Beaut was not surprised to see the blatant disgust in the King and Queen's faces, they harbored no love towards anyone who looked...different. Beaut watched the woman cross the room with some apprehension. Her piercing green eyes looked swiftly around the room and settled on him for a moment. His heart skipped a beat - thoughts of possible ways to shelter the woman after she was kicked from the castle swirling in his mind.
Just as quickly her eyes left him and looked to the King and Queen.
She paused by the chair and Beaut's heart dropped when she did not bow.
Aghast, the King and Queen started to protest.
Then she sat down.
There was a blinding green light and as it faded the old woman was no longer there but a very young looking woman - maybe even a girl, with glowing green floating hair and eyes that shined with power. Even her robes changed magically into something impossibly exquisite and detailed, the cloth so light that it floated around her.
Everyone in the room had matching stupefied faces while Tatsumaki grinned rather smugly as she looked at the royalty sitting across from her.
"Ah , how refreshing. As someone of higher status you must understand what it's like to traverse in such a way to not call too much attention to oneself, King Aneas."
The King sputtered in his effort to reply, "Ah, yes, indeed! How could I have mistaken you for anyone but the famed Enchantress? Your reputation truly does not speak to your powers of disguise."
She smiled but Beaut could tell a fake one anywhere and had no doubt that the King and Queen could see it too, "Oh yes! Thankfully, even with my impeccable disguise I have been treated so...amiably since I have arrived at your castle." Her eyes filtted to Beaut in the corner.
Beaut's heart pounded at the realization that he most likely dodged a very very painful death by the most renowned sorceress in the land.
"We are happy to oblige! Ah, please do not misunderstand, Beaut here is not a servant but my son. We find his looks to be not very pleasing and wish to spare you the disgust over the meal. You may go now Beaut-"
Tatsumaki raised her hand and the room went quiet, "No, that's not necessary. In fact I was hoping he would sit by my side."
At once all eyes were on him. Beaut resisted the urge to run out the room. The king cleared his throat, the desperate look not quite gone but Beaut could still see the lingering annoyance at him there, "Beaut, please sit by our guest."
He carefully uncrossed his arms and made his way over to the table at the seat a servant pulled back for him to sit in. Then he heard everyone on the other side of the table gasp as he sat down. He looked confusedly back at them - did he commit some err?
Tatsumaki tutted beside him, "It seems that your issue with your son is purely an aesthetic one."
Beaut turned to her, "What did you-?"
She waved her hand, "Oh, nothing, just a bit of illusory magic. This is to your liking?" she said with a smile toward the king.
"Yes!" The king exclaimed, "Madame Sorceress, please, is there any way to make this a reality?"
"Yes, there is a way. Though are you sure you would want him to look any different?"
Different? Beaut looked down into the empty plate before him - the reflection was distorted but in the reflective gold he saw a beautiful man with smooth skin, long eyelashes and gorgeous eyes with soft looking hair. He brought a hand up to his face and could feel that it was just that...a reflection nothing more.
"Please! We will pay anything, make our son beautiful, as beautiful as us."
Beaut's heart started to pound. Could he really stay like this forever? The thought brought a mix of feelings that he could not fully comprehend.
"Oh it won't cost you a penny," Tatsumaki said as her hand started to glow brighter. Everyone at the table watched in awe as she started to float up into the air and Beaut saw as the green glow started to envelop him.
"I will make him just as beautiful on the outside as you are disgusting on the inside."
Wind started to howl impossibly in the room - and the lights were all blown out until only the glow of the sorceress remained, her eyes white with power and her voice booming magically.
"I come here requesting shelter and you give me nothing but your feigned hospitality. I hear your words, what you've said and what you've harbored in your heart. Do you think I am some sort of idiot snake oil salesman that can be charged for something as lowly as good looks? Here are your looks."
Beaut watched in horror as the King, Queen, and Princes' agonized faces seemed to melt and mold like putty, twisting into grotesque shapes that could barely be described as human.
The sorceress laughed, "Ha! That's more appropriate! Your outsides match your insides now! Now let's see…" She turned to Beaut who was now shaking in his seat, "You can have what you all so desired."
Beaut yelled in pain as he felt the bones in his face crack and grind and his very flesh felt on fire, "Don't worry you will be beautiful - as beautiful as society would demand you to be. But nothing comes without a price. By day you will be the most beautiful man to all but by night you will be the most monstrous beast." Beaut doubled over in pain, tears in his eyes.
"However, I feel some kindness there, you wish - to be at least good on the inside if you are not on the out?"
Through the pain he saw her hold out her hand and floating above her palm was the rose from before, " I will give you a chance to stay beautiful but you will need to find someone who truly loves you before the last petal falls from this rose. If not, you'll just be like your family...a monster."
The pain subsided and Tatsumaki floated toward him, studying his face with some interest, "Ah, yes, good work if I say so myself. Good luck, Beaut."
The wind tore through the room and swirls of light enveloped the sorceress and then just as quickly she was gone.
As the wind settled Beaut became aware of the sounds of his family across the table groaning in pain. He looked down at the plate in front of him and he saw the stranger again in the reflective gold. Tears well in his eyes as he traced the perfect cheekbones and smooth skin.
The rose floated before him silently.
AN: I have about half of this written - will be between 15 and 20 chapters long. Will post chapters depending if there's anyone here who likes it. Reviews are much appreciated!