Chapter Text
Once upon a time, there lived a princess named Beauty, of the royal family of the Beauties. Their story, however, had been lost to time. Beauty's life was simple and unimpressive, even after she’d won the love of a prince to one day marry. But everything changed when he found his fairytale true love and had to bid Beauty goodbye.
Devastated by this trick of storybook rules, Beauty ran away from home and became lost until coming across a strange castle. She entered the grounds and found it was ruled by enchantments, which gave her anything she could hope for. After staying there a day, Beauty was ready to return home but first wanted a memento of her visit. She took for herself a rose from a beautiful bush but once she did, the bush fell sick.
At that moment, a beast appeared before her, upset about the ruined bush which was delicate and never to be touched by bare hands. He declared Beauty ungrateful after everything he had given her from his castle and though Beauty was at first regretful for what she had caused, his insults turned her defensive. They argued until he declared she knew nothing of the work he’d put into that rose bush and when she spitefully returned it couldn’t be so hard, they made a bet. If she could regrow the same bush by spring of next year, he would take back what he had said. Beauty agreed and after sending a letter to her family, went to work. She only had six months.
For weeks, Beauty stayed in the castle tending to the bush. There was an extensive library in the castle and with its books on horticulture, she found gardening an easy enough task. Every day, she worked on bringing the bush back to life while the Beast tended the many other plants of the garden. Animosity lingered between them, so they never spoke in all that time.
Until Beauty, without thinking, complimented the plants and he, proud of them, admit he’d created every single one himself. Beauty was amazed and he, letting his guard down, explained his craft to her. Slowly, without notice, the two became more friendly with one another. Beauty was still determined to make the bush bloom, as she had staked her pride on it, but the bet slowly faded from both of their minds.
Time continued to pass and the friendship between the two grew to affection. They enjoyed their time together, tending the flowers and looking up new methods to breed them, just being in one another’s company. But on the very last day of winter, after six months away from home, Beauty received a letter of celebration from her family. Their story had been found and they would be recognized by all of the fairytale lands. This was great news, but attending the celebrations meant she would miss the blossoming of the spring roses that she had longed to see. The Beast encouraged her to go home to her family, promising that he would tend the bushes alone so they would stay lovely when she returned to see them. Then he would take back when he had said to her.
Beauty went home to her family who she had missed in the half year she was away. She met many of her relatives and was so glad she had returned. But while the party continued on, she slowly forgot about the Beast and returning to the castle until she realized that her three-day trip had grown to two weeks. When Beauty realized her mistake, she was horrified with herself. But what upset her more was that the Beast had made no attempt to contact her. She feared that this meant he didn’t want her to come back and became so lost in her uncertainty, she stayed home with her family for another week.
But finally she realized this was foolish. She had no proof he was tired of her, no reason to think she could not be forgiven if she hadn’t even tried to say sorry. It was just her pride again, not willing to face him again. But to run away without a word was to be the worst kind of a coward.
So she returned to the castle and there, she found the beautiful rose bush well but the Beast had taken to his bed, ill. Beauty was horrified by this, blaming herself for not keeping her promise and being too afraid to return. In all her frantic apologies, she finally admit that she loved the man he was, the one she knew was hidden beneath his exterior.
And with this declaration, she broke the spell over him and the Beast became the handsome prince he’d been long ago. He thanked Beauty for her kindness, her companionship, and declared that he had come to love her just as truly. When she’d been gone, he had missed her so much he had stayed in the rose garden every night, which led to him catching a cold. Both laughed at their own silly stubbornness and continued tending to their garden. Then, some time later, to a kingdom of their own. They lived happily ever after.
The end
…which, of course, was only the beginning…