Beast - a retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 3

It turns out I've slept through the entire day. The journey over here must have tired me more than I thought because it's darkening outside as I put on my gown for the evening. My stomach is rumbling but it doesn't look like I'll have my dinner served in my room like last night. Maybe dinner is being served somewhere else tonight. Maybe to night is the night I'll finally have to face the Beast King. My stomach churns as I think about how he might react to the fact that the princess he's received isn't the beauty he'd probably expected her to be.

I don't get more time to feel nervous because the door to my chambers is suddenly opening on their own accord. No one's there but the lights in the hallway are flickering so I take it that I'm supposed to follow them like I did last night.

The lights lead me down a corridor and into a cozy looking dining room. But I don't get to admire anything about the room because movement out the corner of my eye has me flinching. Someone's getting up from the chair at the end of the grand table, someone big.

The dim light doesn't allow me to see much of his features but I can tell that he's huge, at least seven feet tall. I know I should move, curtsy, do something, but I'm too shocked to move. Up close his power is unmistakable and fear grabs a hold of me.

"Good evening, Princess, I trust you've had a pleasant stay at the castle so far?" The Beast King asks, his voice is deep and surprisingly pleasant to listen to.

I nod dumbly, still too overwhelmed by his presence to speak.

"Won't you join me for dinner?"

The Beast gestures to a chair next to him. I nod stupidly and moves to the chair he's holding out for me.

We sit down and start to eat. Everything looks delicious but I'm too worried about what the Beast might think of me to enjoy it. The Beast must've noticed because after a long pause he says:

"I know my appearance can be..." he hesitates, "a lot to take in," he then says. "But you'll get used to it in time, I promise."

I look at him shocked. He thinks I'm upset because of him?

"It's not your looks," I say and then realizing how rude I'm sounding I quickly tries to explain myself. "I mean, I think you look fine..."

The Beast raises one eyebrow at me.

"That's the first time anyone's ever referred to me as "fine,"" he says.

I blush like tomato, gods have I put my foot in it now.

"I-I just mean to say," I stutter, "that-that the Beast men have a beauty on their own..."

I didn't think it would be possible but I'm blushing even more now. The Beast just looks at me and I can't really read his expression. He looks surprised and maybe even a little moved.

"You're... you're very kind to say so," he says quietly. "Thank you."

Not knowing what to say I just nod.

"So," the Beast says after a little while, "If it's not me, what is it?"

"What? Nothing," I say quickly.

The Beast raises his eyebrow again.

"It's just that..." I almost can't get the words out of my mouth. "I know this must be so disappointing for you..."

I can't look at him anymore.

"Disappointing?" He repeats sounding confused, "what do you mean?"

"About me, I mean..." I mumble.

I still can't make myself look at him and I don't think I can bear to hear him say that yes, he is in fact disappointed with me.

"Why on earth would I be disappointed about you?" The Beast asks incredulously.

"Please," I say darkly, "you don't have to pretend..."

"I'm not," the Beast says, "I swear I have no idea what you mean."

"I'm talking about the way I look," I say frustrated.

"What about the way you look?" The Beast asks sounding completely at a loss.

"Please, we both know I'm no beauty," I say angrily. "Not like my sisters are anyway, so if that's what you were expecting I'm sorry to disappoint you."

The Beast is quiet for so long that I fear he's agreeing with me. Gods, I hope he's not going to be too angry. But when he finally speaks what he says is not what I expect to hear at all.

"I think you're lovely," he says quietly.

"Excuse me?" I must've heard him wrong.

"I think you're beautiful." The Beast repeats.

"No I'm not," I say, "not compared to other women."

"Says who?"

"Well," I hesitate, "other people does."

"Well, we're the only two people here, and to me you're beautiful."

He looks at me so earnestly that I have to fight to hold back the tears.

"Thank you," I whisper.

"My pleasure, Beauty," the Beast says with a little smile.

I can't hold back a little snort of laughter, even though it's not very ladylike.

"So, now you have a name for me," I say, "but I still don't know what to call you?"

"Call me what I am," says the Beast, "call me Beast."

We resume or dinner in comfortable silence, and it's not until we've had desert and I'm about to leave the table that the Beast shock me by asking:

"Beauty, will you marry me?"

Oh gods, how am I supposed to answer him? If I say no he's going to be furious, I'm sure. He might even revoke the deal with my father. As if reading my mind the Beast says:

"Answer yes or no as you please, Beauty," he says. "You don't have to fear about repercussions."

I inhale deeply.

"Then no, Beast..."

He looks so sad I can't stand it.

"It's just that I hardly know you," I try to explain, "and despite the deal you made with my father, I just don't feel ready to get married yet..."

"Fair enough," the Beast sighs. "But if you won't agree to marriage, you must agree to this:"

My heart fills with trepidation as I wait for his demand.

"You must agree to share your bed with me every night."

I stare at him. I'm not exactly scared by his appearance anymore, but I still don't feel comfortable with him enough to share my bed with him. But what choice do I have? I've already refused to marry him so reluctantly I agree to share my bed with him.

I'm extremely nervous as I get ready for bed. The Beast isn't with me, because he had some business he needed to attend to after dinner, so right now I'm alone. But later the Beast has said he'll come back to join me. I don't know how to react. I've never had to share a bed with anyone before, least of all a man, even if he is a Beast. I just hope I've fallen asleep before the Beast joins me.

I put on my nightgown and curl up under the covers, then I turn off the oil lamp by the bed as the Beast have requested. That's another strange part of my deal with the Beast. He's made me promise that I'll never under any circumstances turn on the light when he's in bed with me. This seems odd to me but maybe the Beast is self-conscious about his appearance and doesn't want me to look at him. When I think about it we did eat under a very dim light during dinner too, so maybe that's the reason.

I don't know how long I've been lying awake in the darkness before I feel the bed dip and a big warm body crawls into bed with me.

"Beast?"

"Sleep without fear, Beauty, nothing is going to happen to you," his deep voice reassures me.

I don't know why I believe him. He could be lying for all I know. But somehow the Beast doesn't strike as being deceitful. On the contrary he seems good and kind and honest.

So reassured by his word I finally fall asleep.