The Beauty & The Beast (Part I)

THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

(Part 1)

It was in the 2nd century AD at the time Emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus was the emperor of the Roman Empire. A king of a small island under the empire announced to everyone that he was giving out his beautiful daughter to whomever that correctly identified his daughter’s second name and why it was given to her, within 2 days. He announced it in excitement as a result of their victory in the ‘just-ended’ war.

It was a hard task to the people of that island. They didn’t know where and how to find the answer, even the princess’ lover, Benjamin didn’t know the answer. The princess was barred from seeing anyone until the two days were over. She was a very beautiful lady no man would ever resist her hand in marriage.

There was a man named Zadie, who was cunning and dangerous. He had a hunch back which couldn’t make him walk upright. It was said that his greed gave him the hunch back. Zadie was interested in the task since it could fetch him the princess as his wife and a seat of power as the second in command to the king.

Zadie sat with his stone face and hunch back and thought on how he would arrive at the answer. He knew that the easiest way was to spy on Benjamin, the princess’ lover.

“If Benjamin can’t get the answer, then who will?” Zadie thought. He was able to dog Benjamin up to the king’s palace as he discovered that Benjamin was trying to have a clandestine conversation with the princess but stopped at the queen’s dressing room, a room before the princess’ room, for he knew nothing to tell the queen in other to make advances for the princess’ room. His plan was to hide somewhere close to the princess’ room where he could hear all they had to say.

“Your majesty, the queen,” he said as he came up with an idea. “Sorry to interrupt you but it seems you haven’t heard.”

“Haven’t heard what, Zadie?” the queen retorted.

“Haven’t heard that his majesty, the king, is about heading to meet the three old witches?”

“What?!” the queen interrupted and in a moment, she rushed out of the room. Zadie knew that the queen was against every visit the king paid to the three old witches. Those three witches were those that gave Zadie a hunch back in return for his greed. Zadie was a frequent visitor to those witches and there he frequently saw the king seeking prophesies without a ‘go-ahead’ from the queen. The queen saw those witches as prophetess of doom.

As the queen left, three of her maids followed her and only one was remaining. Zadie saw this as another obstacle to get close to the princess’ room so he smartly spoke straight to her and said, “What are you still waiting for? I thought you ought to follow the queen until she’s through with her dressing.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m still waiting. Still has to wear this dress lying down there. Besides I ought not to leave you alone in this room,” the maid answered.

“Oh, I know you were a smart girl. Anyway, it seems you have to wait to see how she will feel when that dress you want her to wear stains her with that red stain on it. What’s that stain? Is it blood or red wine?”

“Oh my god, I’m finished,” the maid spoke in fear as she rushed out with the stained cloth. Zadie intentionally made that stain by cutting the skin of his palm. He must have outsmarted the maid.

In a jiffy, he went and hid close to the princess’ room and listened to what was left of the princess’ conversation with Benjamin. Luckily, he didn’t miss the part the princess told Benjamin the answer to the king’s question. He smiled and sneaked out as soon as he got what he wanted.