The Prince and the Beast

"Beauty, will you marry me?"

"No, Beast," I said.

He looked resigned, but he looked away from me and focused on a bush full of blue roses. We were walking in the garden, enjoying the stars. "Did you enjoy dinner?"

I nodded, relieved he dropped the subject. He always asked, but never pushed it. As if it was a formality. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me anything," he said, leaning forward.

"Why do you always ask me to marry you even though you know what the answer will be?"

"Because I always hope that you will change your mind."

"Why would you even want to marry me? Wouldn't you want to marry one of your own kind?"

He looked at me, surprised.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I didn't mean to offend." I didn't really know anything about the Beast. For all I knew, he was the last of his kind and I had just brought up a very painful subject.

"You didn't offend," he said. "I'm just surprised. After all this time, I never told you why I look this way." He looked away from me and cleared his throat. "I am... I used to be human."

I looked up at the Beast before me, trying to understand. He was humanoid. He walked on two legs. He wore clothes and talked just like a human. But he was impossibly tall for a human and his eyes glowed yellow like cat eyes. His skin was covered in short hair that felt almost like velvet and his face was marred by heavy scars. I couldn't imagine him as a human.

"I was cursed by a sorceress to look this way."

"That's horrible!"

"No. I deserved it. I was cruel. She merely made me look like what I was on the inside. She merely made me look like what I was on the inside."

"I can't imagine you cruel."

"Can't you? I imprisoned you for my own amusement-- for a crime you didn't even commit."

"You never hurt me or forced me to do anything I didn't want to do. You've let me live in luxury I could have only dreamed about before." Even when my father was a merchant and our lives were comfortable, it was nothing compared to the luxury the Beast provided. The food, clothes, and everything else was fit for royalty.

"A pretty cage is still a cage," the Beast said.

I slipped my fingers into his. "Cages don't have nice company."

He growled softly. When I first arrived, that sound would have scared me. But now it made me smile.

"I mean it," I said. "I'm happy here with you." My heart twisted when I said that. I was mostly speaking the truth. I did enjoy my time here. But I missed my family and it hurt never seeing them again.

I stood up on a bench so I was almost at the Beast's height. He turned to look at me and my lips met his. He gaped softly and ran a hand down my arm. I shivered a little with the touch. I never expected a beast to be as gentle as him.

He picked me up and moved me so I was lying on in the middle of the walkway. He kissed his way down my body as he expertly undid the laces from my dress.

He bared my shoulders and then my breasts. He captured one of my nipples with his tongue and I gasped as heat started to pool between my legs. The Beast turned me on as much as the Prince in my dreams.

He moved his way down my body as he slid my dress down over my hips. He pulled the dress off me completely as he gently parted my legs. I felt his hot breath on my sex as he parted my pussy lips to reveal my clit. His tongue flicked it and I cried out.

"Moan for me, my dear Beauty," he growled. "I want to hear you."

I couldn't control my moans and gasps even if I had tried. I started to squirm. He held me down as he fucked me with his tongue. My orgasm came quickly. I cried out and my body shook as the pleasure ripped through me. The Beast stroked my thighs as I slowly recovered from the orgasm. "You're so beautiful," he murmured. "So perfect."

I sat up and put my hand on his chest. He grabbed my hand to keep it in place.

"Why won't you ever let me satisfy you?"

The Beast loved making me climax as many times as he possibly could. But he never let me return the favor.

"Not like this," he said.

"How would you want to take me?" I asked.

He looked sad for a moment before looking away. "In my bedroom, on our wedding night." He smiled softly. "You would look beautiful, with a smile that lights up your whole face. And I wouldn't look like this."

"I like how you look."

He snorted. "But it's not me, is it? It's just a curse. I rightfully deserved it, but I would rather be myself when I'm with you."

I understood. I leaned against his shoulder. "I'll always want you, Beast," I said. "In any form you present in."

He sucked in his breath. "Are you sure you can't marry me?"

I swallowed, trying to remove the lump in my throat. "I'm sure."

"What's holding you back?"

I didn't want to say. I didn't want to tell him about the prince in my dreams who stole me away while the Beast slept. Because truthfully, I was in love with both of them. There was no way I would be able to choose one over the other. "I miss my family," I said. "I know it was my choice to come here. And I would choose it again in a heartbeat. But the thought of getting married without them here-- without them knowing I'm safe-- it hurts. It hurts me deeply."

The Beast was silent for some time. Then he nodded. "I understand," he said. He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's getting late. Let me walk you to your bedroom."

The sun had scarcely set, but I didn't argue. I held onto the Beast's arm as he walked me inside and to my room. When we reached my bedroom door, I turned to him. "I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful. I appreciate your hospitality so much. And I'm so happy to be here with you."

He smiled, but he looked sad. I could feel the pain and longing in him as he brushed his lips against my hand. "You didn't offend me," he said. "You were honest with me and I appreciate that."

Guilt stabbed through me as I thought about the prince in my dreams. I wish I could be completely honest with him. But if he knew part of my heart belonged to a handsome prince, it would crush him. And I didn't want that. I reached up on my tiptoes to kiss his collar bone, which was the highest I could reach while he was standing upright. The Beast smiled and kissed me on the forehead. "Rest well, my Beauty."

Warmth spread through me when he called me his.

I went into my room, feeling a bit lost. Part of me wanted to follow the Beast to his room and fall asleep in his arms. But even if he allowed it, it would be cruel to fall asleep with him and dream of the prince.

I got into bed and closed my eyes, letting sleep claim me. When I opened my eyes, I was in the dream world. The sunny meadow full of flowers was all around me but the sun was setting and the sky was a vivid medley of oranges and reds turning to violet.

A warm hand rested against the small of my back and I smiled. I didn't have to turn around to know it was Adam. My prince. "I've never seen the sun set here," I said. "It's beautiful."

Adam rested his forehead against my shoulder. "Not as beautiful as you."

I turned to him. "You sound sad."

He smiled softly as he looked into my eyes. "I am sad, my dear Beauty. Because I fear this will be goodbye."

I frowned. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"

"I'm not going anywhere. It's you."

A lump formed in my throat. I couldn't lose Adam. I lost my entire family. I couldn't bear it if I lost another person on top of that. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here. With you." And the Beast. I never told Adam about the Beast.

"It's okay, Beauty." He cupped my face gently. "Even if we never see each other again, you've given me so much. It would be cruel to trap you in this fantasy for my own amusement."

"You could never be cruel."

He kissed me firmly, but it wasn't like his usual kisses. Usually his kisses were fast and urgent. But today he kissed me slowly and gently. "I have one more selfish request to make," he whispered against my lips. "Allow me to live in this fantasy for one more night. Let me hold you while we watch the sunset together."

"Yes, my love."

We sat among the flowers. I leaned against his chest while he wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close. We sat in silence together. I savored the feeling of being with him in this dream. Before coming to the Beast's castle, I never dreamed so intensely. Here I could smell the light, floral scents from the flowers and felt the pollen on their petals when I brushed my fingers against them. Even now I felt Adam's strength and body heat as he held me. How could something feel so read but only be a dream? How could it all end by tonight?

When I woke up in my bed in the Beast's castle, I felt sad. How could that be the end of Adam? No. There was no way that was the end. How could it be when neither of us were going anywhere?

Once I was dressed, there was a soft knock on the door. I forced myself to smile. I could worry about Adam later. Right now, I had to go to breakfast with the Beast.

I opened the door to see him standing on the other side. I smiled at the sight of him. "Good morning, Beast. Did you sleep well?"

He smiled. "Very well, Beauty. I cam to a decision last night. I'm letting you go."

I frowned. "You're letting me go?"

"Yes, my dear Beauty. You're going home."