Once upon a Beast and a Beauty

~1~

Beast sighed as he sat awkwardly at the dinner table, unchanged years after his curse, and he was starving with no way to make his big, clawed hands hold the gold silverware. He could still talk and walk and do things humans can do, but he still couldn't figure out how to read, eat, drink, and much more with his long claws and sharp teeth, not to mention the fur now covering every inch of his strange, deformed, cursed shape. The worst part, though, was the silence. The loneliness he felt was unceasing, unrelenting, and most of all, uncomforting. He slammed his big hairy fis- paw- on the table and growled fiercely.

"Curse that wretched witch! Such a spell or curse should not be allowed! Why, even I, who knows nothing of magic, has figured that out!!" Beast yelled in a voice unlike his own light and airy deep voice. This voice was deep, gruff, dark, and held a strange characteristic, that cast fear in ones heart and scared them away. He put his head on his fisted paw, looking as though, if he could, he would be burning on the ends of his fur. His blue-black velvet vest with gold buttons and cuff links stretched and pulled at its bindings and seams, but merely grew even more loose by some strange force. Beast swatted a hand at the dish of food in front of him.

"Take it away. I have no way to eat." He said to the air and, as if by some force of its own, the plate began to rise and fly away. Of course, Beast could no sooner die before the curse had ended, nor kill himself on purpose to end his misery. This prevented his starvation. Beast stood slowly, the grandeur chair he had been sitting in sliding silently back to the back wall of the long dining hall where more chairs were stacked up. He stood at the window looking out as a black cloaked rider rode up on a grey full blood stallion through a great lightning storm that could have easily killed them if it wished. As Beast watched silently, he noticed small movements and actions that the rider made, and came to realize that the rider was, in fact, a woman. As he gazed at her and her horse, he had a strange feeling that he could not fathom, only that he must find a way to keep her for as long as possible.

~~

Beauty rode quietly through the night, the only sounds were the raging storm, her horse Fairday's hoofbeats, and her and her horses breaths, hanging in the cold night air. The forest was silent as they rode through. Surprising since it was supposedly an enchanted forest.

"What are we going to do, Fairday? We are caught in the midst of a great storm, lost in an enchanted forest, and trapped without any sort or type of shelter! If only there were an old cottage or barn we could stay the night in and wait out the storm..." Beauty said thoughtfully. She glanced around and saw something glimmering and shining in the stormy lightning strikes. She gasped and turned her horse to gallop at full speed through the large gold and brass gates that stood tall and proud before her.

"A strange gate, a mysterious castle, I wouldn't be surprised if the storm was caused by witches themselves!" Beauty said unyieldingly.

"Neither would I." Beast said from the top of the castle staircase. Of course, Beauty cannot yet see our proud and hideous Beast that we have imagined, but the sound of his voice sends her and Fairday running. Beauty shrieked as she began sliding from the saddle, Fairday bucking and rearing wildly, roughly throwing Beauty out of Fairday's saddle. Beauty was thrown to the bottom of the staircase atop of which the great Beast was standing, finally giving her a full view of him. She began shaking violently.

"Oh dear." She mumbled, frightened. "I ran away from the wedding and engagement to find adventure and true love, but I only get danger... Oh dear. What have I done now?..." Beast slowly walked down the steps, letting Beauty stand slowly.

"What is your name, girl?" Beast growled at her.

"Well, I am called Beauty often, though I do not look it, but my given name is Lillian. Lillian Freante. And what, dare I ask, is yours, sir?" Beauty asked, straightening and smiling brightly at Beast, despite the terrible storm with winds that blew her here and there and this way and that way.

"Call me Beast."

"Cannot you tell me your given name, as I told you mine?"

"I cannot."

"And why might you fear your true name?"

"I do not fear it. Nor any thing."

"Then, please, for sake of trust, tell me your given name."

"Must I?"

"Only if it strikes your fancy, as it strikes mine to know, as I am your guest."

"My name is Derek Hailman. King of Draniette." Beast finally admitted. Beauty gasped.

"You- I- Oh dear... I had quite forgotten Your Highness was living here in a forgotten palace, but I hadn't thought, good grief no!" Beauty mumbled.

"I am most amused by your constant ramblings and mumbling, but I am afraid it is time for us to retire." Beast said.

"Oh! Very well I will go and allow you to res- Di- Did you say... Us?" Beauty looked at Beast with eyes like an animal caught in floodlights.

"Yes, I did indeed say us. Do you wish to sleep out in the rain and not in your own room with a nice warm bed in my castle?" Beast replied.

"Oh! A separate room! I thou- Well nevermind what I thought. I would be pleased to sleep in a warm bed such as you described, but I daren't intrude on your privacy." Beauty graciously replied. Beast shook his head and said something in a funny language. Then he smiled.

"Sleep well, Beauty." He said, and Beauty collapsed against the wall and slid slowly to the floor, unconscious and unaware that someone- or something- invisible was carrying her deeper and farther into the dark of the castle.