Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? (V.1)

Chapter 1

Many years ago~

The young prince only seventeen at the time , sat on his throne. He gazed out the stained glass window, into the dark woods where the ravens cawed, and the deer ran. But what he saw wasn't an animal it was an old peasant woman. Her silver hair matted with dirt, her teal eyes gazed into the prince's cobalt ones, her wrinkled hands clutched a basket of white chrysanthemums. She walked into the palace tracking in muddy snow from outside.

" Why, have ye come into my palace,old woman?" the prince boomed. The old woman tilted her head up to face the prince.

" I have come to seek shelter, and figured you may have a room to spare." she said her voice hoarse, and gravely.

" Why would I give a room to ye, you're just a lowly peasant? Do ye have anything to repay me with?" the prince asked harshly.

" I have my chrysanthemums, Your Highness." she said.

" Of what use are they, those ugly flowers? They aren't payment, they are a waste, be gone foul wench." He boomed.

" You fail to see beauty. Even in its purest form a flower, or its worst an old woman. You will pay, I warn you." With that the woman spun on her heel, dropping a single white chrysanthemum, and walked out to the blizzard.

The prince shrugged off the encounter, and made his way to his chambers, in the Eastern tower.

He climbed the many stairs up to the wooden door embellished with twisted vines made of gold. He walked straight in and went to his wardrobe and changed into black pants and a white shirt, throwing his formal attire onto the floor. He was about to go into bed when he heard a creak.

Twisting around, he found the old woman sitting at his desk holding the fallen chrysanthemum.

" What- why are ye here? Who let ye in?" the prince thundered.

" Oh, my dear prince I have my ways." the woman cackled, making the hairs on the prince's neck stand.

" Ye bloody witch!" he shouted.

" Exactly, your highness." the old woman said.

" Wha-"

" I'm a witch, this isn't my true form." she interrupted. " I'm here to place a curse on you."

The air thickened, and the prince struggled to breathe. The old woman shimmered, she grew tall and slender. Her silver hair grew longer down her back, and her teal eyes sparkled iridescently. Her wrinkled features smoothed to one of an eighteen year old. Her rags changed to an ice colored gown flowing down her lean legs.

"Óga Prionsa, tá tú náirithe féin. D'fhéadfá a bheith dathúil amach, ach go bhfuil tú isteach gránna. Mé bhronnadh ar tú seal, ceann a athrú tú. Isteach cad, tá cinneadh na déithe '." ( Young Prince, you have disgraced yourself. You may be handsome outward, but inward you are hideous. I bestow upon you a curse, one that will transform you. Into what, are the gods' decision. ) She twirled her right index finger at the prince while saying the words. Sparks enveloped the prince.

Then the burning started, completely devouring the prince. He screamed, then blacked out. The witch stood there cackling like a madman. Watching as the prince's bones snapped, realigned grew. Watched as his midnight hair grew all over his damaged body. His jaw and nose grew to form a long snout complete with jagged white teeth. His human ears disappeared and long pointed ears grew on top of his head. His hands formed into clawed paws. A long tail grew behind him, then the sparks faded to reveal a wolf as dark as a nightmare.

" Awaken, my beastly prince." the witch laughed.

The wolf blinked open bright cobalt eyes, and growled. Looking surprised by the sound he looked down to see paws, and let out a frightened yelp.

" Oh, how you entertain me. Now down to the curse. Obviously, you're a wolf, now you will stay this way for a long time. I'll give you one gift... True Love. Find her, love her, make her love you. You'll be able to be in your human form in a few weeks,but only for an hour or so at a time."

The witch had a funny smile on her face, a look of one hiding a very important detail from one in need of it. She then grabbed the white chrysanthemum. She went over to the prince and fashioned a collar of sorts around his neck using an enchanted gold vine inscribed with the curse. The witch then wove the chrysanthemum through the front of the collar.

" When the flower withers, you will remain this way forever, but you won't be able to transform into your human shape. But if you do find your love, and she loves you back, the curse breaks, and the flower will turn to crystal fashioning a necklace for her. Think of it as a wedding present! Oh! I almost forgot you can't take off the collar, only she can!" she laughed. " Bhuel, beannacht!"(Well,Goodbye)

And with that the witch vanished into a flurry of snow.

The wolf prince let out a blood- curdling howl, singing of his pain, and guilt.