Hakuei and the beast

This story is a mix of the Disney version as well as the original story.

A long time ago there was a kingdom called Sindria. It was a small little kingdom, but endless in power and magnitude. The land had many people from all over the world, and as decades passed more and more would come to join the kingdom themselves. It was a place of great joy and happiness for all of its hardworking citizens. Protected by its generals and lead happily with each king to the next. It was a truly magical place to live.

But like in any good fairy-tale, things had to go wrong. And the reason things went wrong for this little country was because of their 19th king.

Let's call him Sinbad.

Now Sinbad started off like any good hero would. Heroic, chivalrous, a sense of adventure. He wanted to rule the kingdom just as justly and wisely as his father had. When he started, his intentions had been honourable. But as the years of his reign went on, his power got greater. He expanded his kingdom in ways its citizens hadn't even begun to image, and they loved him for it. Sinbad was the great king. Sinbad was the king they all wanted to have. He was the man everyone looked up to, only to catch a glimpse of his splendor.

And Sinbad knew it.

And with all that power, his heart began to grow cold.

One day, during the party to celebrate the kings 24th birthday, a visitor came to his country. This man called himself Yunan. "My king," the old man said to the king as his generals. "I have seen the kingdom you have led. It truly is quite an honourable one, I've never seen anything like it. But I wonder if you are truly worthy of ruling this great place." The people around them all turned to each other in confusion. They thought Sinbad was the best leader they'd ever had. Some of them laughed at the idea that there could be anyone more worthy than Sinbad himself.

"Please do not be offended," Yunan said. "I only wish to know the truth." Out what seemed to be thin air, the traveller pulled out a golden lamp. "This lamp can show someone their true heart whether good or bad. If the person is pure of heart, the lamp will grant the chosen person power beyond their wildest dreams."

Sinbad, greedy for power, was greatly intrigued. "What does it do for someone not pure of heart?" His closest friend asked, the more cautious of the two. Let's say he was called Jafar.

"For the impure of heart, a terrible curse will befall that man as well as the people around him." Some of his friends told him to not take the risk. If it would hurt the kingdom, no matter the potential rewards, it was not worth it. But Sinbad had no doubt in his mind that he was worthy of being their leader. There was no one greater than him in all his kingdom. Without a second to spare, King Sinbad snatched the lamp from the traveller and rubbed the side.

What was revealed was a circle filled with both white and black.

"Half a pure heart" the traveller explained. "But also half a heart tainted with evil."

With a flash, the curse began. Dark shadows swirled around Sinbad's skin, creating designs all over his body. Pitch black swirls tattooed his skin, turning half of his tanned skin an unnatural shade of darkness. "The darkness that you have worked so hard to hide will be worn on you for as long as the curse remains," The traveller explained. But the curse on the king wasn't the only power the curse had. The curse ran rampant through the kingdom. It shrunk the kingdom in size until it was only one castle. Citizens that were caught in its wake were sent far away, back to the kingdoms they had come from with no memory of the great land of Sindria. Generals, servants and anyone who lived in the palace all shrunk, becoming the size of dolls.

Sinbad spun around, facing what was left of his kingdom and friends in horror. "What have you done?" He exclaimed.

"This is what you have done," The traveller explained. "This is a result of your greed, carelessness and lies. Your heart is too dark, your soul unclean. Your pride has made you see yourself as a hero, but now your flaws lie on your skin so they cannot be hidden. A man like you may be praised, but when it comes to the soul, you are not a person who could be loved." The king would not accept this. He ran to his castle, exclaiming that he would rebuild his kingdom to be better than before, despite the curse they were under. The few friends who had stayed pleaded with the traveller to reverse what he had done. The traveller took pity on the young people, and decided to make the curse reversible.

"The curse can be broken," Yunan had said "By one simple task may the curse be lifted from all of you, and your kingdom will be free."

"Someone must fall in love with the man of only half a heart."

A few years later in a little town a ways away there lived a family of four. Two elder brothers, one youngest brother and one middle sister. The family of four had fled from their previous town after their mother had killed their father, then been put into prison for her crimes. Despite the tragedy that the family came from, they lived in peace in the village. They owned a small farm a ways away from town. The children were all very intelligent, and were able to easily make ends meet with what they had. They did not wish for lavish things, and instead relished in the privacy and peace of the countryside.

The eldest brother was named Hakuyuu. He was highly respected in the village, a mapmaker, mathematician and philosopher. Many of the villager's leaders would come to him in times of need.

The second eldest brother was named Hakuren. While he was respected, many people did not admire him as much. He was much more spirited than his siblings, as well as an inventor. Rumors went around that the sibling was a loon, but he paid no mind.

The youngest brother was fairly quiet compared to the others. A shy boy, yet a very hard worker. He kept a close group of friends, and had very few enemies.

But the hero of our story is not one of these characters. Our hero was the third sibling, a women named Hakuei.

Many in the village knew Hakuei. Not by association, but were able to recognize the young girl as she went through town. Hakuei had hair as dark as a ravens feathers unable to ignore. Her skin was fair, and lips as red as roses. Blue eyes like sapphires made it impossible to ignore her as she walked by. She was beautiful physically as well as mentally. The girl was kind to all she met, greeting them all with a sweet smile. The only thing they knew that was odd about her was that she often distanced herself from the world around her. Hakuei dreamed of adventures and far off lands, beyond the pages in the books she read. Even with her big heart and genuine kindness, the poor girl could find no one in her little village to understand her dreams.

While Hakuei and lived with just her three brothers, they had a much larger family in a nearby country. That family consisted of one father, many different mothers, 7 daughters and three sons. The two eldest sons took after the two eldest in Hakuei's family, calm and dignified with every manor. The third brother was more chaotic, having been left alone for many years. But still, he learned to be as his older brothers and to take care of those he loved. The youngest sister also had a heart of gold, and loved all her siblings dearly.

The 6 sisters, however, were spoilt beyond compare. No one wanted to care for them, and because of this they got whatever they wanted instead of parenting. Clothes, Jewels, servants, whatever the girls asked for was theirs. They were never satisfied with what they had, always asking for more and more. All of the girls were jealous of Hakuei's beauty, and took every opportunity to try and belittle her for their sakes. The girls all laughed at the humble position Hakuei and her family was in, convincing themselves that they were much happier and better off than their cousin in the farmhouse.

After some time, their elder brothers sent a letter to them asking for aid.

It was a letter from their cousin, Kouen Ren. See, the little family of four was connected to the Ren family, a highly influential family in a nearby country. The eldest brother was asking the two eldest siblings for assistance in a matter which they responded to immediately. Both brothers left their house to the younger two, assuming to only be gone for a month or so. "We'll send a letter to you in a few days' time," Hakuyuu told them. "So you know we are safe." The four siblings all said goodbye, and the two brothers went on their way.

A few days later, the youngest brother was worried for his brother's safety. "Why haven't they sent the letter yet? Did they get there alright? Maybe they got hurt!" Hakuei tried to assure her youngest brother that the letter must have been late, but Hakuryuu wouldn't listen. Eventually Hakuryuu convinced his sister to let him go through the path their siblings would have taken, as long as he would come back within three days.

By day four, the youngest brother had not returned.

Panicked, Hakuei sent for her brothers who came home immediately. Hakuyuu and Hakuei went to search for the youngest brother while Hakuren stayed behind in case he returned. While on the path, the two realized that the youngest brother must have taken a wrong turn, away from where the elder brothers had gone.

As Hakuei and Hakuryuu went on this path, they found a large castle hidden far away from their village. The two siblings slipped through the gate, assuming it was abandoned. If their brother was still alive, he would have gone to find shelter, they reasoned. The castle was grand, but old and unlit. It brought a chill to their spines, and both agreed to leave as soon as they found Hakuryuu.

While they were searching, they ran across a little man. Sharkkon was his name. But the little man was small in size, able to fit in Hakuyuu's palm. They told Sharkkon of their dilemma, and the man responded eagerly. "Oh, I know who that is!" He exclaimed. "He came here a few days ago looking for shelter.'

'When he was here, he took a rose, saying it was a way of apologizing to his sister when he got back for being so late. Our King does not like thieves. When he found out, he threw your brother into a dungeon for his crimes, and said he would have to pay for his crime by staying there forever."

Horrified, the two siblings demanded to see their brother as well as speak to the king themselves. Shakkon brought them to the king, while he got his friend Masrur to go and find Hakuryuu. Hakuryuu was brought to meet his siblings in the throne room, as well as king Sinbad.

When they saw king Sinbad, both of them froze in shock. His hair was purple, let loose and went down below his waist. He wore only a pair of dark red pants, and on his skin were dark tattoos circling around him. The tattoos appeared to be any regular tattoos. But when they stared at them, their blood ran cold. It felt as if all hope in the world was lost, and all that was left was the dark. They could not look at the tattoos themselves for very long without falling into despair.

Gathering his courage, Hakuyuu tried to reason with the king, convince him to let their sibling go. But to their horror, he refused. "Not only did your brother trespass in my kingdom, but he also tried to steal from my castle. The sentence is to stay here forever. Those who come here must not leave." Hakuryuu continued to pester the stubborn king, try and convince him to let him go. Again and again the king refused. Until Hakuei came up with an alternative offer.

"What if I stay?" Hakuei offered. "In exchange for my younger brother."

Sinbad had no problem with the exchange. He saw Hakuei as an opportunity to rid himself of the curse, once and for all. He agreed, and Hakuei agreed as well. Hakuyuu tried to argue with his sister, but Sinbad wouldn't hear any of it. "The decision is hers, not yours. If she wishes to stay in the place of her brother, you have no right to interfere."

And so, Hakuyuu and Hakuryuu were sent back home, leaving Hakuei behind.

For many months, Hakuei remained in the castle. Hakuei and Sinbad would stay in the same quarters, sleep side by side. (This actually happened in a version. No joke. They just slept side by side. There are many versions of this story) for a while, Hakuei was absolutely terrified of the place, and would not leave her room. Sinbad made no move to force her out, more irritated with her presence than pleased. He hated the fact that he had to rely on a stranger in order to break his curse. His pride distanced him from her, and in turn, her from him. She had no desire to get to know the man who would glare and get annoyed whenever she was around. The first few weeks were uncomfortable for everyone.

Yet every night, before they went to bed, Sinbad would ask Hakuei the same question.

"Do you love me?"

Now, Sinbad didn't love dear Hakuei. He was much too proud and cautious for that. But the curse which had been set upon him and his people said that if he could find someone to fall in love with him, then the curse would be broken. There was no rule that said he had to love her back.

But every night, Hakuei would give him the same answer.

"No."

So for the first few days, nothing changed.

After some time, Sinbad's friends decided to help. A small, doll sized Pisti and Spartos were able to pull her out of the safety of her room. They gave her a tour of the castle, showing her the kitchen, lobby and the library. Hakuei loved the library. Often she would stay with Jafar, the two of them reading the many books the castle had. He would recommend her some, and she would help him reach the ones he couldn't get to. Unfortunately, all this did was make Hakuei long for foreign lands and adventure far far away.

As Hakuei's time at the kingdom grew and grew, Sinbad discovered her longing for other lands. Sinbad admitted that he had been to these lands, to Hakuei's happiness. She insisted Sinbad tell her all about the other lands. Sinbad had no desire to help the girl, but his friends urged him, saying he needed her to release them of the curse. The king told her about adventures he'd had in other lands, and Hakuei listened politely. She did not praise him for his journeys like many had before, but instead insisted for more details about the lands, not his own adventures. For a while this was a source of great frustration for the prideful king, but slowly Sinbad began to enjoy trying to find the answers to her questions.

Their time spent together soon became less of a chore, and more of a choice. Sinbad would look forward to her questions, searching himself for the answers he couldn't find. At first Hakuei had shivered at his presence, his tattoos sending fear through her heart. As time went on, she grew accustomed to them, and found that she didn't even notice them. It started that they would only spend an hour together a day, talking about other lands, and then going to bed. As they got closer, this time extended to them eating meals together. Spending hours in the library, not just one. Going out and walking around the gardens. Even taking the horses out for a ride, for Hakuei loved horses. After sleeping side by side each other for so long, it got to the point that neither could go to sleep without the other there as well. Hakuei grew to actually enjoy her imprisonment at the castle, and thought of it less as a prison and more as a second home.

The king started to focus less on trying to break the curse, and more on Hakuei herself. He started trying to guess the questions she'd asked him, before she got the chance. They found they had similar interest in books, and they'd read some together. Sinbad would love waking up early to watch her ride the horses through the garden out behind the castle. The names of each and every family member and friend she had was absorbed in his mind. Even the little details would take over his thoughts. The bright blue of her eyes which reminded him of the sea he loved. The curve of her lips when she was about to smile. How gracefully she walked through the halls, skipping when she was happy. He couldn't stop thinking about her. His heart, while normally full of selfish thoughts and ways to benefit himself, instead went out to think of her. Even his friends benefited, as he started thinking of them more as well. He'd never felt that way about…well, anyone. The king even started leaving her a kiss on the cheek before they went to bed. And slowly, the darkness in his heart began to clear.

But at the end of the day, Hakuei's answer was still the same.

"Do you love me?"

"No."

Hakuei grew to love her time at the kingdom. But as time went one, she began to miss her siblings very very much. She wondered if they were alright. She wanted to assure them that she was well, and that they had no reason to worry about her safety. One day, while she was talking with Sinbad, he noticed her unease. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm worried about my brothers. I haven't seen them in so long." Hopefully, she looked up at him in his golden eyes. "Is there any way I could go and visit them? If only for a few days." King Sinbad did not want her to go. It hurt him dearly that she would want to leave at all.

But after seeing how sad being away from her brothers made her, Sinbad relented. "You must come back on the fourth day," Sinbad promised as his only request. Hakuei promised immediately, saying she would be back before the night of the fourth day, and no later.

Before Hakuei left, Sinbad asked her his usual question. "Do you love me?"

Like always, Hakuei answered. "No."

But for the first time, Sinbad responded.

"Please come home soon. Because I love you."

With these words in her heart, Hakuei left and returned to her farmhouse. Her brothers were overjoyed at her return, and relieved to hear she was happy where she stayed. When they heard she could only stay for a few days, they called upon their cousins to come and visit her before she would have to return.

What Hakuei hadn't realized when she had been away was that all of her cousins had gotten married. The youngest sister, let's call her Kougyoku, was happy and content with her husband Judal, who was able to make her laugh and kept her out of harm's way. The other six sisters however, were not happy. They had husbands who they did not love, who did not love them, or would spend no time with them. When they had first heard of Hakuei's situation, they felt better of theirs. "Surely we are luckier than her. She's probably miserable in the place she's in." But when they saw Hakuei, she was beaming with joy, much happier than the six of them. She told them all about the castle, her close friend the king and the sisters were sick with envy. Despite being imprisoned, she was still lavished with many more nice things, affection and happiness than any of them.

As the days went on, the sisters conspired to ruin Hakuei's happiness.

"We'll make her stay for an extra day," they decided. "The king will be furious that he disobeyed her orders, and surely she will be punished."

"Maybe he'll even have her killed!" One of the sisters giggled with joy.

So the sisters begged for Hakuei to stay another day. They wept and pleaded, saying they could not bear for her to leave so soon. Hakuei did not want to stay. She did not want to keep Sinbad waiting. But seeing her cousins in such pain, she knew she couldn't leave, and promised to stay for one more day.

When she got the chance, Hakuei returned to the palace as fast as she could. When she got there, she was surprised to see all of Sinbad's friends hiding in the great hall. "He's been waiting for you since yesterday," Yamu explained to her. "He's so angry. I don't know what he'll do."

Hakuei to, was afraid of Sinbad's rage. But swallowing her pride, she went to the throne room where Sinbad had been waiting. When she entered the room, she offered him a sweet smile.

For the first time, it did not warm his heart. Her smile was met with a dark glare that made her look away.

"You are late," The king said. Hakuei shivered, once again noticing the dark tattoos on his skin.

Nervously she looked away. "I'm sorry king Sinbad. My cousins were there, and they didn't want me to leave."

"So you would choose staying with them over keeping your word with me?"

Hakuei gulped. "It was only for a day my king. I did not mean to hurt you."

"Only a day!" Sinbad exclaimed, launching himself out of his chair. "Only another day I did not sleep. Only another day I went around my castle wondering what to do with myself. Only another day I wished you were there by my side. I'd come to believe you were enjoying your time here. Was that true, or was I just convincing myself of a lie? Do you wish to be away from here so soon? Was one day that valuable?"

"No!" Hakuei tried to explain. "I wanted to come back, I just,"

"Maybe you should just stay away!" the king interrupted. "It's what you want isn't it? To be as far away from your prison as you can get? As far away from me as possible? The monster hiding in the dark? The beast?" Storming up to her, he towered over her so he could look her in the eyes. He could have her killed. It wasn't like he hadn't done it before. When he was turning dark, to simply rid himself of people he didn't like was easy. Riding himself of Hakuei may have been for the best. Get rid of all the emotions that came with her, good and bad. Go back to life in the palace before she'd come and changed everything. Back to when he didn't have to care for others, didn't wonder if what he was doing was right. Go back to only thinking of himself. Back to simpler times.

But his heart. Oh how his heart would have ached if she was away.

"Why did you even come back?" Sinbad yelled. "Why would you bother? You know we can't leave this castle, you know I couldn't have stopped you. Your word is a lie, so I know that's not why. Tell me, why would you come back here?" For a moment, Hakuei didn't know. She hadn't come back because she had promised him. She hadn't come back because it was her duty to stay in order to keep her brother safe. No. When she really thought about it, she knew that was only what she said to convince herself. Hakuei hadn't returned for any of those reasons.

Once again, Sinbad asked her the question. The one he'd started asking so that he could get his power back. The one that meant nothing to him personally in any way. One that had become the question he would have died to know. The question that made his heart beat with hope, waiting for a different answer every time. The question that he wished would someday change, become the answer he'd given her. For the first time, he asked her not out of obligation. Not to get his power back. But because he loved her. And he wanted to know.

"Hakuei Ren. Do you love me?"

And she answered.

"Yes."

And just like that, the curse was broken.

The kingdom was returned to its former glory. All the land and power was returned, as well as all the citizens who had been forced away. Sinbad's closest friends were returned to regular size, and his own tattoos disappeared. The name of Sindria was spread out again, making it one of the most powerful kingdoms in all the lands. Not long after the restoration of the kingdom, Hakuei became the queen of Sindria. They formed an alliance with Hakuei's cousin's country, Kou. Her brothers were moved back to Kou, where they were able to live out their days with their family and friends in peace.

The only ones who were unhappy were the six sisters. The same sisters who were visited by a wandering traveller.

The six sisters were never heard from again. But oddly enough, six beautifully carved pillars were put in Kou to decorate the main hall. No one knew how they got there. No one but the traveller Yunan.

As years went on, many things changed. But one thing that did not changed, was ever night before they went to bed, Sinbad would ask her the same question.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."