🥀A Tale as Old As Time...

Prince Casimir Hasting had it all. Looks, power, charm, women, and money. His life was perfect. But he was always missing something- inner beauty. Inside, he was a cruel and selfish man, only concerned for himself.

One night started as each one before, with the palace filled with noble guest as selfish as the prince, dancing around in extravagant gowns and fancy music. Prince Casimir laughed and danced with beautiful women, shamelessly flirting with them and using his charm to knock them dead. The storm outside was ugly and dark, but inside this palace was beautiful and bright. Everything seemed perfect, until it wasn't. With a loud crash and bang, the balcony doors of the ballroom flew open with a loud gust of wind, blowing out the candles and darkening the room instantly. The guests shrieked and gasped, turning to the now open doors. Rain splattered the ballroom door, surrounding a cloaked figure that stumbled inside. Under the cloaked hood revealed an ugly old woman, pleading to take shelter from the vile storm inside the prince's castle. In exchange for his kindness, the woman would offer a single red rose.

Prince Casimir stood in front of the ugly woman, staring down at her with disgust and hate. Something as gross and ugly as her didn't belong anywhere near something as beautiful and grand as him and his palace. He mocked her, laughed and turned her away. The nobles all around started to join in the prince's laughter, revealing just how ugly they truly were on the inside.

Amongst all the laughing, the woman's outer appearance started to change, as she then transformed into a beautiful enchantress. She held up the rose she had offered, threatening the prince with it. She warned him never be fooled by appearances, for true beauty is found within. The prince pleaded and begged for the enchantress to show mercy on him, but she could see that there was no love or beauty inside his heart. With a soft glow of her hands, she cursed the prince and his castle, forcing all who was in it to inanimate objects and the prince to a huge, ugly beast. The prince grew big ugly paws with sharp claws, and sprouted huge intimidating horns, his skin was hidden with thick fur, and his body grew to a horrific size. He was no longer a prince but an ugly beast.

The enchantress left the rose she had offered to the prince as part of his curse, promising that if the beast could truly love another and earn their affections in return before the last petal of the rose fell, he would be transformed back into a human.

The beast locked himself away in solitude, hiding away in his castle away from the public. As years past, people had forgotten about the beast and left him alone.

That all changed when one day, and old man obviously lost stumbled into his palace. Afraid of what lied inside, the man ran for his life, running as fast as he could out. He stopped on his way out, noticing a beautiful garden covered in snow, seeing a speck of red peak from the white. A rose. The man reached for it, plucking it out from the bush. A low growl erupted from the beast as he pounced forward, grabbing the man and locking him away in his dungeon for theft.

The man was left in there for days, until another intruder stumbled into the castle. The beast growled at the sight of a cloaked figure standing at the bars of the dungeon, narrowing at her.

The woman was you, as you gasped and whipped around. Out of the shadows came a hideous beast. He scared you to your core, but your father being left here to die scared you more. So, you made a deal. You traded his freedom for yours. With a quick hand shake to seal the deal, the beast grabbed your father and threw him out the palace. You were devastated, now locked for eternity with an ugly beast.

A hint of pity struck the beast's features as he saw you sob, silently leading you away from the dungeon. He gave you a gorgeous room, promising you could stay.

Silently he left you alone, letting himself wonder. Would his spell ever break? After all, who could ever learn to love a beast?🥀