Beast - a retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 8

I've been home for three days before I find the courage to tell my sisters everything I've been through since I left home. And I do mean everything. I tell them how scared I was that the Beast wouldn't find me beautiful and how he put my fear to shame. I tell them how, over time I came to fall in love with the Beast but that I was too self-conscious about my own shortcomings to act on my feelings. And I tell them about how I accidentally betrayed the Beast by sleeping with Aidan because I thought he was the Beast.

After I finish my tale I wait, secretly expecting my sisters to judge me. But when they finally speak it's not judgment I hear, far from it.

"Oh Manon, you have to tell him how you feel," my youngest sister says.

"How can I? He must hate me right now," I say miserably.

"No he doesn't," my other sister says. "From what you've told us it sounds like he loves you too."

Something inside me flutters excitedly at the thought of the Beast loving me.

"But how can I ever get the Beast to forgive me for what I've done?" I ask.

"It sounds to me like he already has."

"Yes," my youngest sister adds," after all he wasn't the one who wanted to let you go. He only reluctantly let you go because you were so adamant about leaving."

"Yes," my other sister cuts in, "he obviously loves you, so go to him and confess your love."

"Do you really think he loves me?" I ask as my heart flutter excitedly.

"Yes," both of my sisters agree.

We don't get a chance to talk anymore before we get interrupted.

It's one of the Beast men. I'm so shocked at seeing one of them here at my father's castle that for several moments all I can do is stare at him.

"I'm sorry to disturb," he says as he bows," but I need to talk to you urgently, Your Highness."

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"It's the Beast King," he explains. "He got wounded in battle while protecting your father's boarders, and I think he's dying. You must come with me at once."

Everything is a blur after that: From saying goodbye to my family, to riding through the forest to the enchanted castle, to finding the Beast lying mortally wounded in my bed in my chambers. He looks more dead than alive and I can't hold back a sob. The sound makes him open his eyes and look at me.

"Beauty," he whispers, "you came back."

"Of course I did. How could I stay away?"

"I thought you were mad at me."

"No," I shake my head. "I was mad at myself for being with Aidan. But in my defense I thought I was with you..."

"You wanted it to be me?" The Beast asks incredulously.

"Yes." I admit, I'm so scared I'm almost choking. "Because I - I love you."

"Beauty," he whispers as he reaches up to cup my cheek. "I love..."

He never gets a chance to finish his sentence before his eyes roles into the back of his skull and he arches his back. From his chest a bright light explodes. I scream and clutch his shirt.

"Beast! Beast, talk to me," I cry, "are you all right?"

But he doesn't answer me, he can't, because the light becomes even brighter still. It grows and grows and soon his entire body is being lit up from inside. The light keeps growing in strength and soon everything is so bright that I have to cover my eyes, but I can still sense the light through my fingers. It keeps growing brighter until I fear I might lose my sight.

Then as suddenly as it has appeared the light vanishes. I carefully peek through my fingers, only to get the shock of my life. Because looking back at me is not the Beast but -

"Aidan!" I exclaim, "what are you doing here, where's the Beast?"

"I am the beast, Beauty," Aidan explains carefully and reaches for my hand.

I let him take it. His big hand engulfs my smaller trembling one. He has no injuries anymore; maybe they got healed when he got turned into a human again?

"B-but how?" I stutter.

"Do you remember the story I told you about the Cursed Prince when we were in the library?" Aidan asks.

"Yes, he and his friends were transformed into beasts by a fairy because they were shallow and judged people solely on their appearance."

"Exactly." Aidan nods. "Well, that story was real. Beauty, I was a shallow bastard who only cared about people's outer beauty, and my court was the same. So one day a fairy decided to punish us. She transformed all the men into Beasts and all the women into the roses you found in the rose garden. I could only return to my true human form once every full moon."

"But you're not a Beast anymore."

"When you finally admitted that you loved me you broke the spell. You see, you had to be ready to admit to yourself and to the world that you loved me, and you did that when you declared your love for me just then."

Tears spill from my eyes now and Aidan gently brushes them away.

"I thought I'd lost you..."

"You'll never lose me, Beauty, because I love you too," Aidan says solemnly. "I have since the first night I met you, because your beauty comes from within."

He pulls me down to him and kisses me. The kiss is sweet and tender and I feel my heart melting as our mouths explore each other. I love this man, Beast or no, and what's even better is that he loves me too.

We finally break free from each other's embrace and moves out to the balcony. Down below men and women have gathered in the courtyard. When they see us, wild cheers erupts from the crowd. Aidan raises my arm as we look down at the smiling people. The spell has truly been broken.

Aidan kisses me again and I hear applauds in the distance.

"I love you forever, Manon," he says against my lips, "my beautiful queen."

The End