#and so...it begins

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a beautiful princess with flowing golden hair who lived in a castle just as beautiful as she. She was constantly showered with praise by the people of her kingdom, but nobody knew if it was out of adoration or fear. For while the princess was full of beauty and grace, she was also manipulative and unkind. An angry child raised by cold royalty.

  One night, during a particularly cold and bleak winter, there was a mysterious visitor outside the castle’s door. One of the princess’ servants slowly opened it to reveal a poor elderly woman, shivering from the cold.

  Her eyes bored into the young man, wide and begging. “Please, sir, this is very important. I come looking for the princess and ask that you fetch her at once,” the woman’s voice came out in a terrible stutter that accompanied her chattering teeth.

  “Of course, madam,” the servant replied. “Please, come inside or you’ll catch your death. Stay here, I’ll be back shortly.”

  He quickly strode through the castle’s winding hallways and into the West Wing, to the royal library, where the princess spent most of her time. He gave the door a quick knock before going inside.

  “Your highness, there-“

  “Kurt! I thought I told you never to interrupt me while I’m reading,” the princess growled, slamming her book closed and throwing it on the nearest table.

  “Yes, and I apologize greatly, Miss,” the servant’s voice went higher with every step the princess took towards him, “but there is an old woman waiting for your presence. She-she says it’s important.”

  The princess pursed her lips and raised her brow before pushing past her servant, only slightly intrigued to see who dared approach her castle. When she saw the elderly woman, her face scrunched up with disgust. She was dirty and her clothes were ragged. How dare she even think to set foot in such a pristine place as the princess’ home?

  “You there,” she called out, grabbing the woman’s attention.

  The old woman bowed slightly when the princess came toward her, and reached a hand into her tattered cloak.

  “Your majesty, I beg of you. This winter is especially brutal, and I have no home. Please, let me stay here, at least for the night. I can’t give you much in return, but I have this.”

  From her cloak, the woman pulled out a single gardenia, beautiful and fully in bloom, despite the tragic winter.

  The princess looked down at the flower in boredom, “I thought you said this was important. Leave this place.”

  “I don’t understand why you won’t just let me stay the night. I’m sure you have plenty of room to spare here.”

  The princess gave a humorless laugh as she glowered at the woman, “The room is not the issue. I just don’t want your repulsive presence tarnishing my castle, so take your flower and go. You are of no worth to me, and my patience grows thin.”

  Instead, the woman stood her ground and looked the princess dead in the eye, “You’d be wise not to be deceived by appearances, child. True beauty, true worth, can only be found within.”

  “I don’t need your life lessons, old woman. I will not ask you again, leave this place.”

  At the princess’ final rejection, the old woman sighed. But instead of walking back out into the cold, she simply pulled down the hood of her old cloak. A strange light came up from the ground and swirled around the woman, engulfing her body. And when the light disappeared, where the old beggar stood, there was now a beautiful young woman with fiery red hair – one of the enchantresses from the land.

  When the princess recognized the woman, she tried to apologize, but it was too late.

  “I have seen your true form, tonight, princess. You are vain at your best, heartless at your worst. Your anger has eaten away at your soul, and now you are no more than a beast. I hoped it would be easy for you to learn your lesson, but you’ve given me no choice.”

  The princess tried to defend herself, but the enchantress wouldn’t hear another word. She retrieved her wand from her now spotless cloak and aimed it at the maiden. And before the princess or her servant could do anything to stop her, she cast her spell.

  Great light surrounded the princess, and she howled in pain as she felt herself transform. When the spell was done, Kurt could merely look on in horror at what had become of the princess.

  “What have you done?” the princess asked, her voice carrying a new rugged tone.

  “See for yourself,” the enchantress replied while retrieving another item from underneath her cloak.

  She held up a small mirror for the princess. And in its reflection, the maiden saw just what the enchantress had described; no more than a beast.

  Before the enchantress left the castle for good, she cursed it, and all the servants inside. She promised the curse would be broken, and all would be restored, once the princess learned to love and be loved in return. She left behind the mirror and gardenia, both items enchanted by the woman’s magic. The mirror would help the princess see the outside world. And as for the gardenia – as time went on, the flower would wilt, and the petals would fall. If she could not find love by her 21st birthday, as the last petal fell, she and her castle would remain cursed forever.

  In a flood of rage and shame brought on by her new form, the princess destroyed everything that reminded her of her past self. Paintings went to shreds underneath her claws, mirrors shattered by the might of her paws. She ordered her servants to lock away the library, because while she couldn’t destroy it, she couldn’t bear to look at it again.