chapter ten || circe: the beginning
flashback pt. 2

"Hey, Dad? How did The Beast become, well, The Beast?" A 12 year old Belle asked her father, in the middle of training.

"Ahh," the father sits down. "I was wondering when you would ask that question."

"Well, you see, it all started a long time ago," he begins. "There was a prince, he was arrogant and completely full of pride worshipped and loved by many. He was engaged to the most beautiful girl in the village, her name Circe, but she was the daughter of a pig farmer. At first, that didn't matter to him until his best friend Gaston started convincing him slowly that it would be a disaster and unfair to his subjects."

"God that's horrible," the pre-teen Belle commented.

"Indeed," her father nodded in agreement before continuing the story.

"So the prince met Circe and seeing her in a stunning dress made him realize that it was all a trick. Gaston was just saying that so he could have her to himself, being a pig farmers daughter had nothing to do with her at all, so the wedding plans continued."

"Oh thank god," Belle whispered in relief.

"But of course Gaston could just not handle that, so he brought the young prince to Circe's family pig farm and there she was, the stunning girl he fell in love with covered in dirt and feeding pigs. The young prince couldn't help but be disgusted and he broke things off immediately before kicking a pail of mud at her."

"No," Belle whispered.

"So the prince went home and later that night a broken-hearted Circe showed up with one single rose in her hand, but, of course, he denied her."

"That jerk!" Belle yelled in frustration, making her dad chuckle.

"Circe's three older sisters walked in and revealed that Circe had a secret, which immediately changed the mind of prince."

Belle leaned on her seat. "What, what was it? Don't leave me hanging dad," she asked eagerly, her dad chuckling again.

"She is of royal blood, she is the cousin of the old king. So the prince was ecstatic because they could now marry each other."

"But the older sisters would not have it because they thought he was unworthy and a monster. The prince ignored them because he was happy that he was now able to have Circe as his wife."

"That little shit," Belle said in disgust. Her father gave her a look, warning her not to use that kind of language. Belle just rolled her eyes in return, letting her father continue.

"Circe denied the prince immediately- because she now knew the prince only loved her for her beauty and nothing else."

"Thank god," Belle said in relief. "Its about time she realized it."

"Circe gave the rose to the prince and instead of it being a token of her love, it was now a symbol of his doom. She gave it to him and started to recite a spell enchanting it.

As the rose petals fall
so shall the years pass
until your twenty-first birthday
if you have not found true love
both given and recieved
by that day sealed with a kiss
then you shall remain
the horrifying creature
you'll become.

And that was how he became The Beast."

"Woah, woah he was a full on beast?" Belle asked in curiosity.

The father nodded.

"Then how come we aren't like that? Not that I'm complaining. because ,uh, that would be kind of complicated, you know? How would I even go shopping? Scratch that, how would I even wear clothes? I honestly doubt Gucci has a section for Beasts."

"I'm getting to that, but how about some lunch first," the father says before making them both sandwhiches and pouring them a glass of coke.

The father takes a bite of his sandwhiches and swallowing before going back to the story. "Okay, now where was I."

"When he was turned into the beast," Belle reminds him.

"Oh yes right, alright well, the sisters also curses his castle so the once bright and beautiful castle was now gloomy and dark castle. All of the people who worked there were now turned into furniture-- clocks, teapots, candles, everything."

"Oh my gosh," Belle-gasps. "Wait," she says furrowing her eyebrows. "How would that work? I mean, would the candle guys hair always be on fire? And would the clock guy always tick when he talks? How do you think that worked?"

The father looks at his daughter. "Why don't we go back to the story?"

Belle nods. "Okay, continue."

The father does exactly what she says. "Then, one day, The Beast lost it and attacked a man until he realized what he did so he fixed his wounds and then kept him as a prisoner. But his daughter new he was missing so she went out to search for him and she found him at The Beast's castle, she tried to get The Beast to let him go because he was terribly sick but The Beast would not have it, unless one condition."

Belle scooted closer to the table in her chair. "Well? What was it? Come on old man, don't leave me hanging."

Belle's father glares at her. "If she took her father place."

Belle gasped. "No."

Her father nodded. "Yes and of course she agreed so she was now The Beast's prisoner. However, slowly, they started to fall in love and just as the last petal fell they shared true love's kiss."

"Yes!" Belle cheered in excitement.

Her father laughed.

"So that means the curse was broken and he was now human again, right?"

"Not quite," he tells his daughter.

Belle furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean 'not quite'"

"Our past and the decisions we made will forever be with us. They make us who we are, they are a part of us. We can never get rid of them, we can learn from them but not get rid of them. The Beast will always be a part of the prince."

"So deep down, there is a beast inside of us?"

He father nods.

"Wow," Belle said as she leaned back in the chair. "Wait, what was the girls name?"

"Belle," her father smiles. "You were named after her."

"Really?" Belle asked, her eye lighting up in excitement.

Her father nodded his head. "Yes, I remember the day I told your mother. We were laying down outside watching the stars, like you used to," he says with a faraway look in his eyes. "She asked me the same question. She was curious, your mother, always asking questions much like you. She was pretty obsessed with the story, not sure why, but I probably told her it a million times. She admired Belle, she loved how she brave she was and how she took such a huge risk just to save her father. To save someone she loved," he told Belle with a smile on his face.

The story inspired your mother and that's why she did what she did because she loved you, it was never your fault," he tells her honestly. "Real love is very hard to come by, Belle, so if you ever have it--don't let it go."

"When we first saw you,
there was the same sparkle in your eyes that you have now, we knew there was only one name to give you."

"Belle."

i completely forgot about this book, oops.

anywho totally feel free to

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disclaimer: the story i mentioned about how the beast turns into the beast actually came from another book called The Beast Within its by Serena Valentino and it's really good. She also wrote one called Fairest of All and it's about how the evil queen in snow white became, well, the evil queen. you should totally check them out. they're amazing