The stars twinkle innocently in the depth of the black sky, beaming with silent mystery.

The silence of the nature's night was actually a good time to contemplate my raging thoughts.

The trek back to the mansion took half of the time it usually took me.

Or perhaps, it was just that I was lost in my head.

I blinked my eyes as the wrought gates of the mansion appeared in front of me.

Could I go in?

Last time he was so angry at me. My legs trembled faintly in the memory.

But, even if I didn't go in, where else did I have to go?

My options were bleak either side.

Making up my mind, I pushed the gates open.

I walked through the well kept gardens again. It was a pity that I never did see it in its full glory considering that I had stayed here only for a day.

Wow, I had stayed here only for a day and had managed to anger him so fast. But, then, why did I feel like I knew him for eternity?

I looked at the doors that towered over me.

Regret filled me as I heaved a sigh. Slowly, hesitantly, I raised hand.

But even before I could knock the door swung inwards and my face, that had some baffling attraction to the floor, really wanted to kiss it again.

I was saved in time by the cloak hanger.

This still needed sometime getting used to.

I shouted in fright pushing the poor gentlehanger away.

It dropped all its hooks down as if if were looking at the floor hurt.

Uh...

"Sorry, I am so sorry." I told to it? Him? Her? I don't know.

Perking up, it shuffled to me as I edged away from it.

Well, the furniture in this house was awfully hugging in nature. I say this because the moment I turned around, I was engulfed by a candelabra, a broom, a closet and some other necessities of householdness I suppose.

"We missed you!" The closet wailed loudly in my ears.

It freaked me out to no extent that I still couldn't figure out from where it's voice did come from.

"Uh.."

"Beau, Beau, my love. How are you?"

"It was so low-"

Blah

Blah.

I hung my head in defeat. Oh today I was gonna get hugged to death. Death by furniture. How funny it sounded!

Sob.

"Leave him alone! Come dear, you must be hunger."

Surprisingly, they all moved away.

My eyes searched the sea of furnishings and landed on a tea pot.

"Follow me dear."

Meekly I followed the pot into the mansion with all the others trailing after me.

"Hobs dear, would you please prepare the meal?"

"Yes, Mrs Potts."

She glared at the queue of furnishings behind me and they shuffled away like obedient things they were.

The cloak hanger came out wearing an apron this time, and expertly moved around the kitchen switching on the gastow pulling out pots and pans as I looked at him in awe as he didn't set anything on fire. Not even once.

"Why did you run away that day?" The question pulled me out of the mesmerizing show that was going on in front of me.

"Huh?" I asked, not having been paying attention to her.

"Why did you run away?"

I looked at the white tea pot that sat on the table in front of me wondering what to tell her.

"It's fine. You can tell me."

I guess some part of me trusted her and the words about what had happened yesterday poured out of me.

She sat calmly, listening to all that I had to say and then she said:

"Would you like to hear a story?"

If it were anyone else, I would have lost my temper with them, but there was something about Mrs Potts that told me that she wouldn't be a person who waste my time.

Slowly I nodded, gesturing her to continue.

She took in a deep breath looking at Hobs as he cooked and started.

"Long time ago, far before you were born or anyone remembers, there was a kingdom. It was called Dewalt. Like any other fairy-tale, it had its good people, an honest king and a beautiful queen. The people lived in joy, in fear of nothing and had enough of time in their life to do things for leisure and had hobbies. As time came, the King and the Queen had a child. Lovely black hair and deep blue eyes.

He grew up, graceful and elegant, kind and strong, honest and worthy. His parents were proud of him, the people loved him and he, loved a girl.

Her name was Anna. Bewitching in beauty. Fair and tall enough to suit his height. They stood as a lovely couple, a couple that everyone envied but still loved.

Far away kingdoms had heard about this little prince.

Time passed and soon there came a proposal from a far away land which was ruled by a princess and her twin brother prince.

Elena and Eden, they were called.

Elena wanted to marry our dear prince. So, they came to Dewalt with their proposal. The prince who was well in love with Anna, told his parents 'no' and asked to send them back to their country, but his parents, wanting him to take more time and decide, didn't tell the twins anything about it.

Winter turned into summer and slowly Elena fell in love with the prince and his gentleness while he was all but unaware about her feelings, enamoured in Anna.

The day came and Elena talked to the king and the Queen about the marriage and they agreed. And so, a party was held, where the marriage was to be announced. All the towns folk were invited.

The party started with a flare, with food and wine flowing down in endless streams.

As the party came to an end the king got up and smiled bright and wide and announced the prince's and Elena's wedding. The poor lovestruck prince immediately denied the wedding, putting his hands around his beloved Anna.

Far good did it do to him.

Anna.

She was never in love with the prince. Instead she had fallen in love with Eden. Pushing the prince away she ran to Eden while the prince stood there, too broken to do anything else but see the love of his life go to another man.

But that wasn't all.

Elena may have been in love with the prince but her pride ran true and deep. The humiliation she face getting rejected in front for the crowd had wounded her beyond reason. Then and there she cursed the poor prince. Throwing at him a rose she had brought to express her feelings she said that he would live forever, disguised as a beast, with no living thing for company until there came someone who truly loved him more than what she had felt for him. When the day came, a petal of the rose would fall everyday till the last one fell. He had time only up till then to make that person truly fall in love with him. Otherwise, he would live forever as the Beast that he was.

Anna left with Eden.

Elena left and found someone who she loved more than the prince.

They lived and died and forgot everything they had done to him.

And the prince?

He was left far behind. Too hurt, too shattered, to live a curse that was placed on him for his one fault that was love.

He tried everything. Tried removing the curse, tried making friends, tried falling in love and when they all didn't work, tried killing himself. But, the curse held true. Neither could he remove it nor could he die.

All he could do was live in the agony that life had become. The agony that had become worser than hell."