New And A Bit Alarming - Prologue
Word Count: 363
Warnings: None that I know of, let me know if there is anything!
A/N: So. This is quite a bit different from my usual content lol, but I got inspired by the Beauty & The Beast AU proposed by @fangirltothefullest and before I knew it I had quite a bit of brainstorming, character sketches, and now a prologue like the opening monologue done. This is my first time writing anything for the Sanders Sides fandom so I hope y’all enjoy!! Without further ado, let’s get the ball rolling, shall we?
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Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a brilliant castle stood in the midst of a vast forest. Within the castle walls lived a prince who had everything his heart ever desired, and more. But despite this, he remained spoiled, selfish, and unkind.
One night, the land was struck by a bitterly cold winter storm. The servants of the castle scrambled to keep all of the countless rooms warm at the prince’s command, and left him to his own devices as he sat alone by one of the many roaring fires. Before long, an aggressive knocking interrupted the silence. When no servant answered the incessant knocking, the prince rose from his chair to investigate. An elderly beggar woman was the source of the sound, and she offered a single rose to the prince in return for shelter from the howling winds and constant snowfall. Her ghastly appearance repulsed him, and he turned up his nose at her gift. But before he could force her out, she warned him against being deceived by appearances, for true beauty is found within. When he dismissed her once more, the woman’s hideousness melted away, revealing a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to make amends for his mistake, but it was too late, for the enchantress had seen that no love was in his heart. As punishment, she cursed the entire castle, transforming the prince himself into a hideous beast.
Ashamed of his grotesque appearance, the beast hid himself within the walls of his castle; only capable of glimpses into the outside world through a magic mirror left behind by the enchantress. She also left him the rose she had offered, for it was truly an enchanted rose which would bloom until his 21st year. If the prince could learn to love another and earn their love in return before the last petal fell, the enchantress’ spell would be broken, and his form would be restored. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast, both inside and out, for all time. As the years began to pass, he fell deep into despair and lost all hope..
For who could ever learn to love a beast?
