"You may not believe it, but beauty once lived in this house. And beauty lives here still..."
- The Ghost Host


PROLOGUE

Once upon a time, there lived a princess.

She lived in an oasis high above the village on top of a hill with her father and mother, the king and queen. As a little girl, she loved to play among the lush gardens and look out over the land, beyond the desert, beyond the horizon, to dream of places beyond her palace. She loved to read and fantasize about knights and dragons and heroes and villains, and soon developed a desire to have her own happily ever after, like the tales of old as time.

As she grew from young girl to beautiful woman, she attracted many men, all yearning to court her and seek her hand in marriage. Many have tried, but none prevailed. All but one.

A young man, not a knight but one of the king's mere workers talented with horses and transportation, caught her eye. For it was his kindness, humor and charm that won her heart. And thus led to their wish to be together forever.

But the king did not approve, for he believed it was beneath his daughter to settle for someone of humble occupations. But the princess fought back against her father, arguing day and night, for she could see beyond outward appearances and the character of one's heart. Though he threatened to take her away from her lover, she stood her ground. But the ground beyond his feet crumbled.

A terrible earthquake struck the village, taking so many lives with it, including the king and queen. Although writhing in grief from this terrible turn of events, the princess took solace and comfort in her relationship with her lover. They were to wed as immediately as possible. But what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life turned into a tragedy.

Her groom never arrived to the wedding. But her heart still faithful waited for him. She waited and waited and waited and yet he never arrived. Many days turned into weeks. Many weeks turned into months. Many months became years. And yet still no sign of him. She wandered around the castle, looking for him and singing songs of love, for she had the most beautiful voice in all the kingdom.

And then, without warning, an evil curse was put upon the castle and gardens, turning what was once a beautiful and vibrant haven into a decrepit and darkened dungeon for the princess. She could not escape, for the spell caster manifested himself, a monster and his minions, into her tormenter and warden. Should she try to escape, she would be punished with cruel remarks and sinister laughter.

Yet she never stopped waiting for her intended husband. Even she became hollow and devoid of life, her heart still beat for the one she so dearly loved. To this day, her songs can be heard over the wind and across the barren landscape. And sometimes, if you gazed into the window, high above the castle in one of the towers, you might catch a glimpse of the princess holding her flower bouquet or the monster leering over you with a fierce plan in mind.

But little did she or the monster know that everything would change when a new story would be written when four visitors came to their castle for a rest -

A dethroned king and three of his subjects, one of whom recently escaped from a prison of his own.


A/N: Welcome, foolish mortals! I have returned after a busy summer and other things happening in real life. Today is Halloween and I have been bitten by the bug to write this crossover between two properties - Henry Stickmin and the Phantom Manor attraction hailing from Disneyland Paris.

This is my attempt to try and swing back into fanfiction, but I'm not making promises that I'll be able to update regularly like I have done in the past. I am still working on sorting that out. For now, enjoy, and to those who celebrate it... Happy Halloween!