Dark Rose [#Wattys2016]

Preface

"You--you came back." 

"Of course I came back. I couldn't let them-- Oh this is all my fault. If only I had gotten here sooner." 

"Maybe--Maybe...it's better ...it's better this way."

"Don't talk like that. You'll be alright. We're together now; everything's going  to be fine, you'll see."

"And at least ...I got to see you...one last time." (Beast is dead)

"No, no! Please. Please...Please don't leave me." (Belle sobs) "I love you." 

-IMDb quotes: Beauty and the Beast (1991); Scene of Beast dying after Gaston is defeated.

"She's so little and frail. How did this happen?" Queen Belle asked.

"I thought she said the curse would be broken. Why would she let this come to our own daughter?" King Adam shook his head solemnly.

A black rose—the rarest in the land—sat in the glass, the same one where the beast's used to sit, representing his life. Now that his curse is lifted it's been passed on to his newly born daughter.

"We have to protect her. Keep her concealed. If anyone learns this, she'll be in more danger than anyone will ever know." Queen Belle's voice was on the verge of breaking into tears.

"Be strong, Belle. If not for anyone, do it for our daughter." King Adam took his wife's hands in his and wrapped her in his warmest hug, letting her sob, sobbing for the life that her daughter's going to have to live, sobbing for curse that was placed upon her without her asking, sobbing for the surrender her daughter will have to a simple and delicate flower.

"Be strong now, Queen Belle." King Adam repeated as she finished crying. "We mustn't expect the worst. We can only bring hope." An orange and red leaf blew into the castle from the window, reminding them of the fall weather outside.

Today fall begins, September 23rd, 1999.

"We have to go and announce her now." King Adam said to his closest guard. "They can only know about her birth, not anything else." He moved to the Announcing Balcony as they called it.

The king eyed the audience with a commanding look, showing his authority above others. Slowly, he lifted his right hand, and in a booming voice that raced over the crowd loud and clear he called, "Princess Autumn is born."

A cheer filled the Kingdom's land. Long live the Princess Autumn.

Hey, readers. I'm so glad i could start a story like this and put a twist to a very familiar love story, the greatest one told. I'm so glad it's doing well. Show me your opinion by commenting and clicking the star way up high in the corner of my chapter. :)