Once upon a time in a grand castle, there lived a handsome prince.
Young and available women came from far and wide to compete for his affection or even the slightest glimpse in their direction. They were brought in by his beauty but left when they came face to face with his personality. Because even though the prince was handsome, his heart was hard and cruel. One after the other young and beautiful women flocked to the kingdom, and he adored the attention. But, hidden deep within the castle there was one girl who hated seeing him surrounded by others.
Arabelle- or Belle as she was usually called- was raised in the castle serving the prince since they were children. As the young girl grew older she blossomed into one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom. Some would compare her beauty to that of the roses her father would pick for her from the garden. But just like the prince, her beauty distracted people from her wicked heart. Belle had long since had her eyes set on the prince and seeing him surrounded by all the other women angered her. She wanted him to belong to her and only her but due to her status, she was eligible to marry him. So, she came up with the idea that if she couldn't have him nobody could.
Skilled in witchcraft Belle unleashed a horrible curse. The prince would transform into a creature as ugly as his soul. Disgusted by his appearance, everyone in the prince's life disappeared and never returned. Only Belle and a few servants stayed behind.
"Why are you still here!" the beast roared at her.
Not showing the slightest bit of fear, Belle walked up to the beast and placed her hand on his broad and fur-covered shoulder.
"Don't you see? I'm in love with you and have been for years. Nothing, not even this wicked curse so cruelly given to you can take away that love," she whispered in that sweet voice of hers. Each word sounded like honey, and to the prince tasted just as sweet.
Placing his large hand on top of hers he smiled at her flashing his new set of fangs. But, despite the horrid sight she smiled back at him.
Years went by and the inhabitants of the castle stayed the same. Belle kept her radiating beauty, and the prince stayed a beast.
After a while the prince, even though he had family and a woman who loved him no matter what, still hated the sight he would see every time he looked in the shards of the mirrors that were scattered along the hallways. So, to try and keep him happy Belle gifted him with a blood-red rose.
"The day the last petal falls, you will return to your former glory," she told him.
This gave the beast hope, but the hope wouldn't last forever. Year after year, none of the petals fell, and he couldn't understand why. Together they all remained in the dark and gloomy castle and that is where they would remain together.
Forever.
YOU ARE READING
Thorn in the Rose {Book 1 Of The Once Upon A Time Chronicles}
FantasyBelle is a maid living in service of a handsome prince who she falls madly in love with. Jealous of all the other women and angry at his refusal to notice her she curses him and turns him into a hideous beast. For years they remain together in the c...