Royal Blood

Beauty and the Beast Pt. I

LOVE IS INDEED a charming, hidden curse. Then again, so is hatred. They are both the results of deep, burning passion -- and yet so different. They are never yours to control. And yet, the cruel world still punishes you for it.

At least, that was what Fée thought as the light faded from her mother's once-radiant skin. Fée held her mother's cold, pale hand in hers. Those once-sparkling eyes will never shine again. And that crown... was now Fée's to wear.

Except she did not have a fairy king.

No, she thought. She turned to the man who had been sitting beside her all along, kneeling by the former-queen's deathbed. The father of their three daughters.

A mortal.

"You can not stay here, Brutus," she hissed. Tears scorched her eyes. "Not even if I want to. You must return to your land at once."

"I am not leaving you here to mourn on your own," he replied.

Fée stood and raised her finger. It glowed as she drew bright lines in thin air. The next thing Brutus knew was there was a circular, illuminating wall begging for him to walk through it.

But he knew better. Walk back to his poor, simple life and he would never get another chance to be the king of a magical realm.

"You are leaving now," Fée pointed at the pulsing portal. "You leave me to be queen on my own and I leave you to the world you belong in with your daughters."

"Our daughters. They are yours -- "

"They are mistakes," Fée sighed. "There is an ancient rule that states no mortal shall stay in the fairy realm under any circumstances. A magic so strong and that even I can not bend."

Brutus was about to answer before Fée continued,

"Besides, I am queen now. What will my people think about our family? My servants shall soon enter this room and by then you shall be gone."

There was a knock on the chamber door. A high-pitched voice squeaked, "M'lady!"

"At least give me something to remember you!" whispered Brutus as the knocking in the door went faster.

"Are the girls not enough?"

"M'lady!"

"All right, all right! You shall have all the riches you need as long as you remain faithful to me, or else -- "

But Brutus already jumped into the rainbow-colored portal...

" -- I shall take away everything from that person just like I do with yours."

Just then a round, pig-like servant broke her way into the dark and gloomy chamber and the portal shut closed.

"Your Majesty," she bowed. "We just recently gathered the information that... "

Noticing that the servant was holding her breath, Fée pressed, "Yes, what is it?"

"Your dear mother was killed by poison."

Fée's face turned red. "Have you find out who did it?"

"No, but we did find this lying under one of the tables in the kitchen," she held out a small vial containing some sort of liquid in it. "Inside it is poison."

Fée reached out towards the vial and examined it. She nearly dropped it when she saw what was stamped on the piece of paper stuck to it.

A symbol that only Fée would notice. A mark that only Brutus would pay attention to. A seal only they would use on their missives for each other.