Saving the Beast

Prologe

"Grandmother. Will you tell me the story again?" My Grandmother gave a hearty laugh. "Of course, but by now you probably know the entire story word for word!" I shook my head.

"But I like the way you tell it!" She smiled, and opened a warn leather book. The words Beauty and the Beast were written on the front in gold ink with my Grandmothers handwriting. Through out the years the words were beginning  to faded.

She cleared her throat and began to talk.

Once long ago there was a Prince . He lived in a castle that was made of gold and marble. He was cruel and selfish creature known for taxing his people. He used the money to throw lavish parties for the other rich and beautiful women.

As he enjoyed a time of merry, his people were slowly dying. One day a old women came to the castle seeking shelter from the raging storm. Her only payment was a single red rose, but because of her unsightly appearance he denied it and sent her away.

She told the prince not to judge people on their looks, for beauty comes from within. Even after her words the prince denied her once again throwing the rose to the ground.

Angered at the Princes actions the women turned into a beautiful enchantress and cursed him and all who worked at the castle. She decided to turn him into the thing he really was a hideous beast. The servants were transformed furniture and the towns people forever stuck in time.

The castle he once called home was now a horrible prison protected by a forest and creatures of fear. Forever blocking the town from its existence.

The only way to break the spell was for him to truly love another and for them to love him back. The servants knew the prince well and had no hope of ever becoming human again. Many years passed and the castle and the prince were slowly forgotten.

Until one day a man stumbled looking for shelter when the man was there he tried to take the red rose the enchantress cursed , the Beast angered captured the man and locked him away.  The next day a girl came to the castle in search of her missing father.

Her name Belle.

The servants believed she could be the one! And maybe she was, but only time would tell. Belle took her father's place as the beast's prisoner. Slowly trapped in the castle the Beast learned to love the girl.

But she did not return his affection, so the spell was not broken. Seeing her so sad he let the girl free, sending with her a mirror so she could always look back at him.

His hope was that in time she would learn to love him and return.

But she did not. Now the Beast waits in his castle for someone to come and break the spell.

She closed the book and looked at me, I frowned and reopened the book. "Why did Belle not love him?" I asked. "Because love is a curious creature. It can pull two people together or push them apart. "

I tilted my head, "Not all love works out. Sometimes it's one sided." My eyes drifted back to the pages of the book. An illustration of the Beast looking over the rose.

He looked so sad. I wonder if I could help him?