Prince Alexandre sat in his room, which he very rarely left. He did not hear the footsteps approach behind him, though he did not jump when he heard his name.
"Alexandre," said a female voice. Alexandre slowly turned, though he already knew who it was. He saw a woman with mousy brown hair with a few grays, a slightly wrinkling face, and soft, light brown eyes.
"You do know, Therese, that it was a request of Mother and Father that I be treated with the respect of someone of my title," said Alexandre.
"To everyone else, that might be true," said the woman, Therese, "but to to me, you shall always be the little boy I looked after when his parents couldn't."
"I am not your son, Therese," Alexandre snarled. "I never was. I know you are only kind to me because you were paid."
"Caroline was cruel to tell you that," said Therese. "You are like a son to me. You do know that, don't you, sweet boy?"
"Show Mother some respect," said Alexandre in a growl, his eyes flaring with anger. "She is still a queen."
"Alexandre-" Therese started gently, but she was cut off by Alexandre jumping out of his sear, his chair falling to the ground.
"There is a man," Alexandre snarled angrier than Therese had ever heard him. He sounded "He seems to picking my roses."
Therese looked out the window and indeed saw a middle-aged man picking roses from the rose bush that lined the pathway to the entrance of the palace.
"Alexandre, dear, please calm down," said Therese soothingly, turning to Alexandre. "I am sure he means no harm."
Alexandre did not listen to her. He began runinning down to the front of the palace, grabbing the man, who looked terrified.
"What do you think you're doing?" Alexandre snarled in his rough voice. "These roses are my property!"
"I, I apologize, Monsieur," the man said fearfully. "I was only going to take one for my youngest daughter."
"Your youngest daughter?" Alexandre questioned. He sounded threatening, but also curious. "How many do you have?"
"Three," said the man, still sounding terrified. "Rosalie, the youngest has never asked for anything. I have finally persuaded her to let me get her a present, and all she asked for was a rose."
"How about I make you a deal?" Alexandre asked after a moment. "I will allow you to go home and give your Rosalie her present. In one months time, I shall send a carriage for you. You will come back either alone or with one of your daughters. Any of them will do."
"One of my daughters?" the man asked, sounding even more fearful. He shouted "Just kill me!"
"I will not," said Alexandre. "Now go! Take your rose and be gone, I shall see you and one of your daughters in one months time."
The man, looking horrified, went back to his horse and cart, the rose for his daughter in his hand. Alexandre did not wait for him to be out of sight before he walked back into the palace, where he was greated by Therese.
"Alexandre!" Therese scolded. "How dare you? Are you really going to force that poor man to give up one of his daughters! Why, if I had children-"
"But you don't have children, do you, Therese?" Alexandre growled, making a look of sadness cross Therese's face. "Now, instead of continuing to babysit someone who is to old for it, go tell Camille she has a knew job. She's going to be the personal maid of whichever poor girl gets stuck here."
"Very well," said Therese. She gave a slight curtsy before walking off. She went to find a young woman with long golden hair tied in a braid and pale grey eyes. "Camille, there will be a new girl coming here in a month. Alexandre would like you to be her servant."
"Some girl?" the young woman, Camille, asked, laughing slightly. "She going to break the monster's curse?"
"Camille!" Therese scolded. "Show your master some respect. But I do hope she will be. He only has one year left."