Beauty & the Beast: A Fairytale Retold ~ A Sneak Peek

After walking through the dense coats of snow on the ground, Felicity spotted a strange pillar pointing to the pomegranate-colored sky.

“How strange! Is that a castle or something?” She thought as she took giant steps across the snow. Her legs burned from the heavy thickness of snow, but it brought warmth to her body. Soon, her legs felt lighter when there was less snow before noticing a bridge across a river surrounding the tall building.

However, she still walked slowly, hesitant to seek an opportunity to help her family. Was sacrificing something precious the right thing to do? She stopped and almost turned around, but her family’s life was more valuable than her own.

Crackle… Crackle… Crackle…

Each snowflake was crushed all the way to the door. Felicity let out her freezing clenched hand to knock hard on the door until a voice broke through the cold silence, “What are you doing here on my property?”

She gasped. The shadow she saw didn’t have the bottom of his feet touching the ground. He was a dark ghost in her eyes the minute she saw him. Everything about him had fit what Felicity’s father said about him. She could not identify every detail, for he was a mystery as her father said. She could only see that he had a round head and a long cloak around him. Who was this man? Was he really human? Or was he a ghost?

“Are you Lord Magnus?” Felicity mumbled.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Felicity. I’ve come here on behalf of my father.”

“I know who your father is. It is him I want, not you!”

“But you have to understand, Sir! My family relies on him greatly for his support and protection.”

“Then, have your mother do the work.”

“My mother died years ago.”

They were silent for a moment until Lord Magnus asked, “Why did you come?”

“To beg you for mercy on my father. Stealing and killing your deer was wrong, but he only did it because we were starving to death.”

“It’s probably best that you did instead of stealing from me.”

“You have no compassion in your heart, do you? Did you ever have a family desperate enough that you would do anything for them, even if it meant stealing?”

“You’re wasting your time, Miss.”

“Please, Lord Magnus. Don’t take my father away from us. We already lost our mother,” Felicity’s knees fell to the snow.

“I also came with an offer, perhaps better than my father working for you,” she said.

“And what is it you’re offering?” Lord Magnus asked.

“Take me in as your servant, and I will pay the debt no matter how long it takes. I am young and strong enough to work, and I will obey every order you give me.”

“Every order?”

“Yes.”

“Are you willing to sacrifice your own freedom over your father’s?”

“Yes,” Felicity’s eyes welled up with tears, “Even my own life.”

“You do realize that once you become my servant, you will never see your family again?”

Felicity’s throat hurt to swallow with a big lump inside. One of her teardrops fell into the snow and soaked in.

“I recognize all risks,” she said, “And I’m willing to take them for my family’s future.”

“Then look into my eyes and swear to me that you will obey my every order. You will not leave this castle unless you are permitted, and have paid me in return,” the dark shadow commanded. Felicity looked into his shadowed face with eyes of heartbreak and fear.

“You have my word.”