Beauty without the Beast

Adalia

Chapter One

"Adalia, dear, you need to get up and start on your chores." I hear Mrs. Pott's voice, I open eyes to a bright light of the candle by my nightstand. It was pitch dark otherwise. I get up and yawn, it was tiring having to work both day and night but it was great to have the support of Mrs. Potts and every other who works here. I look at her smiling face, it was good to see her for her and not a teapot. That is the cause of a horrible curse that was put upon the prince and the whole castle. During the day, everyone is furniture or kitchenware. I should have been in that mess but fortunately I wasn't here when everything happened. I was visiting my mother's grave. The king and queen took me in when she died and I have been living with them ever since. No one knows what happened to the king and queen and the townspeople doesn't know about the curse upon the castle. They all believe that the royal family disappeared and is now running its self. I mean they're doing great except there are so many fights and deaths caused by arguments and misunderstanding that it's frightening just to go to the market; which I'm the only one who gets to go because I don't turn into a candle or a pot.

"She's daydreaming again, mum!" Chip sings.

"I am not." I stick my tongue out at the young boy. I sigh and get up.

"Oh, dear. You forgot to change into your nightgown." Mrs. Pott looks at me sadly. She knows that I have been getting into bed late because I go and sneak off into the west wing. I blush furiously. I sneak into the forbidden wing to watch the prince. All he does is stare at a rose sadly. Usually once he gets angry he breaks everything in the room.

"I'm fine. Let's get to work." I say suddenly not wanting to remember his dangerous face. He was the only one who didn't transform from human to beast. He only stayed a beast. I walk silently into the kitchen and start on the dishes. Apsend-mindly, I worked on them, though their wasn't a lot of them since we have no quests. I was about to move to the laundry room when I heard a growl. Everyone was silent as the growl echoed. There was only one thought running through everyone's mind- The Prince. I run off with Mrs. Potts trying to stop me. I sneak towards the main hallway where the growl was heard.

"You dare steal from me!" The Prince's voice boomed loudly. I shivered with fear as I peaked from down the hall. The beastly prince was towering over a small figure-- a small old man shivering in fear.

"N-no, your m-majesty! I only took one rose for me dear daughter. I didn't know that they were yours!"

"No excuse for thievery! You will be thrown in the dungeon until you die!" He growls getting dangerous close to the man's face. His fangs were bare. The man began to sob for his life.

"No! Please, I-I can't be thrown in the dungeon, I have a daughter back at home, she needs me!"

The beast pondered over the thought. I begged inwardly at the prince to let the man live. He was a cruel prince but I believed he had a sense of good lost somewhere inside of him.

Up until I heard him say, "I will let you live on one condition."

"Yes!" The man said eagerly. "Anything, your majesty!"

"In place of your punishment, your daughter will have to take your place."

"No! I-I couldn't possibly do that to my daughter! I will not sentence her to a life in a dungeon!"

"Then you sentence yourself to a life in the dungeon. Adalia!" I froze with fear. He summoned me to him but I didn't want him to know that I was eavesdropping. I slowly merge from the dark corner toward the two. The man looked me up and down curiously.

"Y-yes, your majesty?"

"Take him to the dungeon right away."

I curtsied as I watched him stomp away toward the forbidden wing. "Come, sir. Right this way."

"Please let me go, Madame."

"I-I can't, sir. I owe the prince my life." I looked at him sadly.

"I understand. I wish I could let my sweet daughter know that I am okay."

"I could let her know, sir. It's the least I could do."

"You cannot tell her that I am in here. If she finds out that I am here then she will come after me and try to take my spot. I cannot let her do that."

"I will try my best, sir." He gave me the directions to his cottage and I snuck out of the castle and toward his horse and carriage.

I can't believe I'm actually doing this. I clung tight to the letter that I was told to give to this girl that I don't even know; who doesn't even know me. A complete stranger telling an innocent girl that her father was locked up in the dungeon of the prince turned beast.

It wasn't long until I reached the outskirts of the village and as the sun was reaching the tops of the hills and shone light onto a tiny cottage far in the middle of field. I took a deep breath. "Here we go. Can't turn back now." I patted my horse on the neck softly.

I softly knocked on the old wooden door and waited for an answer.

"Can I help you?" A soft voice comes up behind me. I turned slowly to see a girl no older than I. She had gorgeous brown hair that was in a sloppy braid. She had flawless skin despite the sweat starting at the top of her hair line. She had soft brown eyes; that were filled with confusion as she looked at me.

"I—um," I gulped. "A-are you Belle?"

"Yes, why? Has something happened? W-where's father?" Her eyes fill up with panic.