The Beast Within

To die, one must first have been alive. And the Beast could finally say that by finding love, he had lived.

Only one thing comforted him: he had finally learned what it was to love. And the feeling was deeper and more meaningful than anything he’d felt before. He felt like he was dying. To die, one must have first been alive. And the Beast could finally say that by finding love, he had lived.

So what if she was more interested in reading about princesses than being one herself?

To die, one must have first been alive. And the Beast could finally say that by finding love, he had lived.

What sort of woman would do that—give up her life so easily, sacrificing her freedom for her father’s? The Beast wondered if he was capable of such a sacrifice. He wondered if he was capable of love.

his enemies would make him suffer even more for the pain he had caused so many before he became a beast.

His eyes looked cruel, piercing, almost like those of a wolf seeking his prey, and his mouth looked thinner, more sinister than it had looked before.

She felt thankful her father always gave her the freedom to express herself how she wished and live her life the way she thought was right. He allowed her to be herself.

were holding a mirror up to the monster within, which was longing to escape

into the West Wing. Not even the sisters came to this part of the castle. He had escaped their mockery for long stretches of time when he spent most of his days here in the beginning—hiding away, letting his anger swell to epic proportions, fearful of what he was becoming, yet intrigued concurrently. It had been that way at first, hadn’t it? Intriguing. The subtle differences in his features, the lines around his eyes that frightened his foes when he narrowed them. Using a look rather than words to strike fear into his enemies was very useful indeed. He had looked upon himself in the mirror in those days, trying to distinguish

Martha spoke again. “In case you’ve forgotten, here are the rules, Beast, laid out by all the sisters: You must love her and that love must be returned with true love’s kiss, before your twenty first birthday. She may use the mirror as you do, to see into the world beyond your kingdom, but she must never know the details of the curse or how it’s to be broken. You will notice she sees the castle and its enchantments differently than yourself. The most terrifying aspects of the curse are reserved for you.

No wonder men didn't take women seriously; they had classes in walking while men learned ancient languages.

Belle, so brave and noble—willing to take her father’s place as a prisoner in the castle dungeon. What sort of woman would do that—give up her life so easily, sacrificing her freedom for her father’s?

Don’t forget, Beast, true love, both given and received, before the last petal falls.

The only person who killed almost as many animals as the Prince was his good friend Gaston

He saw that now, for the first time. He saw how vile he’d become, and he felt he deserved Circe’s punishment. Perhaps this, right here, was his punishment: never knowing what it was to love.

She wondered how the women from the stories she loved to read could bear it. Sitting around all day so idle, just waiting to hear the day’s news from men. But that was exactly what she was doing now, wasn’t it?

No, I meant Tulip. Your words led me to believe she’d thrown herself off the cliffs of her father’s shores.” Lucinda answered, “She did, my dear, but was saved by our friend Ursula.

He liked that she showed no interest in books, and that she didn’t prattle on about her pastimes. In fact, he had no idea how she spent her time when she wasn’t in his company. It was as if she didn’t exist when she wasn’t with him. He imagined her sitting in a little chair in her father’s castle, waiting for him to send for her.

Of course, there were indeed things about her that he loved. He loved her beauty, her coyness, and her keeping her opinions to herself. There was nothing he hated more than a girl with too many opinions of her own.

dear friend, we need to find you a proper lady. A princess! Someone like the princess Morningstar over there. Now, she is a delight! No talk of books from her! I bet she’s never read even a single book or had a thought of her own!” The Prince thought that was a very good quality in a woman.

No doubt you will have to wade through some ugly ducklings before you find your princess, but won’t it be worth it? What of your friend who had such a ball? Wasn’t it a great success after the matter of the glass slipper was sorted?

The only indication of what he had once been was his soulful blue eyes, which teemed with humanity. Those hadn’t changed. They were still his.

The castle felt like a prison, and as large as it was, it confined him, choking the life out of him.

He couldn’t escape the feeling of being watched, and had almost gotten used to it. Almost.

Gaston, the prince of Buttchinland, trying to take his Circe away!

She smiled again, taking one last look at the Prince and Belle dancing in the great hall before wiping their image from the enchanted mirror, leaving them to live and love happily ever after.