Author's Note: Hello again, my dears! I do apologize for not updating this sooner (college is quite the time suck), but now you can expect regular updates! Now that we've met our beast, let us meet our leading lady, shall we?

o.0.o

Our story, as I have told you before, dear reader, is a tale of love. I have now told you his story. But before I can tell you their story, I must tell yet another tale, her story.

Not far from the castle where the prince met his dark fate, there lay a small, quaint little village by the name of Heart's Valley. A tiny, but close-knit community, with a master of every trade: the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, and so on. This village had its heroes and its outcasts, its triumphs and tragedies, its births and deaths. This ordinary village differed from every other village in only one way: it was home to a very special young woman, although she didn't know it yet.

You might ask if this young woman had a name. Of course she had a name! Everyone has a name! This young woman's name was Isabella Leroux, and some would say that her beauty could put Aphrodite to shame, although, being the humble creature she was, she certainly didn't think so, as she was quick to shyly blush at any compliment she received and give a timid, humbling response. Long, chocolate curls feel to her slender waist. Her pale, heart-shaped face was accented with a dainty nose, ruby lips, and chocolate colored eyes. Her voice was light and musical. Her spunk and cheeriness were often contagious.

She lived in a quaint little house near the edge of the village with her father, who was a widowed farmer. Her father made a decent living selling a percentage of their harvests and whatever eggs or milk their livestock produced to the local grocer. Their house was small, with little more than the necessities, and yet Isabella and her father were very happy with their lives together.

Now Isabella was a curious person. Ever since she was a little girl, she would see the castle on the mountain, looming over the surrounding forest and river. She would notice that there were dark clouds surrounding the castle, but nowhere else. She found it odd, as did the rest of the village, but no one could seem to come up with a logical explanation. She had always wanted to see for herself what was causing this phenomenon, but had never been able to go out and look. After all, the forest was no place for a young woman!

Oh, but she would see what caused such strange phenomenon soon enough.

One fine autumn day, Isabella was walking towards her home, her eyes plastered to the musty pages of a book she had borrowed from the local bookseller (who was the only person she truly considered a kindred spirit besides her family). She became lost in the dream world her book was showing her, with no signs of putting it down.

Her trance was broken when she bumped into something very tall…and very muscular. She looked up and saw that she had bumped into Johann, the local hunter and the object of every woman's desire.

Except hers.

Isabella didn't hate Johann, but rather the way he acted around her. Johann had always had his eye on Isabella, and could never seem to figure out why his affections weren't returned.

Isabella knew that trouble was coming, and so, she ran, her dusk-colored skirts billowing behind her, her curls blowing in the wind.

But Johann was faster. He caught her by surprise by taking a shortcut to the bridge that led to her house.

"Isabella! You're running again!" he said as he embraced her, not willing to let go.

"Johann, please let me go." She asked politely.

"Now why would I do a silly thing like that, my pet?" he said, a dirty grin on his face.

Isabella knew what the grin meant. He was starving for affection…and not just hugs and kisses.

"For the last time Johann, I am not your pet! Now let go of me!" she asserted, attempting to writhe free of his arms.

You see, Johann wanted Isabella for a very selfish reason: she was by far the most beautiful girl in town, and he "loved" her simply because of her appearances. If he had his way with her, Isabella would live a very sad life indeed.

"Bella!"

Isabella heard a woman's voice shouting to her from close-by. She saw out of the corner of her eye that it was her beloved sister, Eleanor.

At the sight of the other woman in front of him, Johann grudgingly let her go, Isabella collapsing in the process.

"I will have you eventually…make no mistake about that…" he muttered under his breath as he lumbered over to the tavern, the ground almost shaking as his tall body moved.

Eleanor then walked over to her sister to help her up.

Eleanor was a beauty, but in a different way. Her long face housed emerald eyes and pink lips, and her face was framed by long, honey-colored waves. Eleanor had left the farm her and her family had shared and married the local blacksmith.

"Bella, you really must say something to the constable or the governor about him! That man is a menace!"

She smiled slightly, and then looked down at her feet. "You know what they'll say Eleanor. They'll think I'm crazy. Crazy like…"

"Papa," replied Eleanor with a smile and a small laugh. While Isabella had friendly relationships with the other villagers, her sister and father were the only ones that truly understood her. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

The two women walked to the little house by the river. Her father was picking the latest harvest of tomatoes when he saw his daughters approaching. He immediately abandoned his work and ran over to embrace his girls.

You might ask why the village thought Isabella and her family to be crazy. Well, Isabella's father, who's name was Maurice, had a hobby of inventing things, as well as tinkering and toying with whatever he could find. Ah, the rest of the villagers were to be pitied, for they had no imaginations.

Her father gathered his basket of ripe tomatoes and followed his daughters into the house. The interior of the house was just as cheery as the outside. A brick fireplace faces an open window, which let in the sunlight and brightened up the room. The kitchen was off to the right, the bedrooms upstairs. The main room had a few scattered chairs and knick-knacks, as well as a desk for Maurice to do his tinkering on.

"So my dears, what brings you home so early?"

"I ran into Johann again Papa…" answered Isabella, eyes downcast.

"I thought it best that she not walk home alone." Added Eleanor.

"Aye," replied Maurice. He then turned to his younger daughter, "I think I've finally perfected my latest invention! I'm going into the city tomorrow to present it to a board of scientists at the university. If all goes well, my dear, you will never have to fear that man again!" he said, laughing gleefully.

Isabella smiled at the prospect. No more having to look over her shoulder whenever she left the house. She could live a peaceful existence.

Eleanor cleared her throat and said," I'd better return home before James starts to worry about me." She then embraced her father and her younger sister, wishing her father good fortune for the next day and advising her sister to take care of herself, and left the house.

Later that night, Isabella lay awake, seeing the castle in the distance outside her window. She wondered…who lived there? Her thoughts eventually lulled her into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning, her father was loading up the wagon with his equipment. He then smiled as he saw his daughter approaching, a cheery smile on her face and a hand-knit scarf in her hands.

"I made this for you Papa!" she said as she wrapped it around his shoulders.

A smile crossed Maurice's thin face. "Now I know they'll like it!" He then embraced his daughter, gave her instructions for while he was gone, and kissed her on the cheek before riding off into the sunset.

Isabella waved to her father until she could no longer see him. She then began to set about her chores, not aware of the fact that her life was soon going to change forever.