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"Oh you truly are a beast in bed, aren't you." My secret lover rolled around onto his back in the king sized bed, "You really know how to make sure someone is truly satisfied." He sighed contently

I sat up on the edge of the mattress, the thick sheets cushioning me, "It has been a very nice ride hasn't it?" I mused, standing to redress myself, "Why don't you just lay down for the rest of the night? I'm sure I've worn you out, my darling."

I felt the small and lithe frame of my lover wrap his arms around my chest from behind, his thin fingers working into my broad chest, "I would rather join you for the rest of the party. It's always so painful to wait for you to get back," A loose hand started to comb through my long hair as he kissed my back and his fingers found their way under my shirt.

"I'm sorry Magnus," I said turning to him and pressing my lips against his, almost tasting the want and desire in the kiss. I could feel his wish for me to push into him and make him submit to me again, but I pulled away.

"No," I said with a sigh as I pulled a stray hair away from his face, his short black hair a nice contrast to his emerald eyes. "Not right now. I have many more guests that I need to attend to. I've been away for too long already. People will start to talk."

"What?" Magnus said with a mischievous smile in his voice, "Will they think you're doing more than advising with your..." I felt his hand roll down my chest until he was cupping my sack, "advisor?"

"Magnus," I said cupping the side of his face, "You know you're not really my advisor. I never agreed to that. We haven't even talked about it."

"Well Adam!" Magnus snapped at me, "When will we talk about it?"

I furrowed my brow as I looked down at him, his eyes burning before he turned away. I couldn't believe him! I'd have to break this off sooner than expected. His temper just seems to get the best of him whenever we're not in bed. I sighed and put a hand on his shoulder before turning him around and pulling him close into an embrace.

"Soon my love," I said gently running my fingers through his hair, "Tomorrow after the ball is over."

"I didn't know that your eighteenth birthday would generate a party for six days," he replied dejectedly

"And haven't I spent every night with you?"

"Not every night..." he mumbled.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and scoff, "But I have spent time with you."

"You spend time with other people too."

"You know I've only got you in my heart and nothing will change that."

He stayed quiet for a while before giving a little sigh, "You do love me...don't you?"

"Like the moon loves the stars and the ocean the sands."

Magnus was still for a moment as I gently ran my fingers through his hair before his arms came up and returned the embrace, "Okay then." he conceded, "I can wait."

"Good," I sighed as I gave him a gentle kiss, "Get some rest. We have plenty to discuss tomorrow."

"Okay," he murmured before laying back down on the bed. We exchanged a few more sweet nothings before I left him to rest. I quickly put my clothes back on and started the trek back to the ball. I left my personal bedchambers and quickly strode back to the festivities. The palace was truly magnificent. The servants had worked tirelessly to keep it in presentable order for the celebration. The towering rooms with their Baroque designs shimmered and glowed in the candle light and the flickering shadows promised shade for people to bask in depravity, hide, and gossip.

As I approached the ballroom, two servants grabbed the doors and pulled them open for me and the muffled roar that had been echoing through the halls became a food of sounds. Laughter, dancing, music, games and frivolous talk were filling the air. A bountiful feast filled the tables and was constantly being replaced by servants as though it would never end. The strings and piano forte filled the room with delightful sounds as plenty of people filed in and out of the main ballroom. Bodies littered the walls in different states of exhaustion, inebriation and excitement. The cool stone was slippery from sweat and spilt drink and the walls wept with exhaustion, yet the party kept going. It was as if the world was ending and everyone was hopping to make sure that their every dark and dirty desire was satisfied before it was all over.

"Prince Adam!" I felt her before I saw her. A warm body draped over the side of me as she pegged me out from the wall flowers littering the borders of the ballroom.

"Georgette," I smiled warmly down at the dainty figure that had ensnared me, "I thought you had left for home already."

"I had my Prince," she said, her words a little slurred and her face flushed bright pink with the champagne she had surely taken by the bottle full, "But after remembering the time we had with the dancing, the music and the Atmosphere simply buzzing with pure ecstasy; I just had to come back for more."

"I do have that effect on the fairer sex." I say with carefully measured charm, taking her hand in mine and cradling her heart shaped face with the other. Her long blond hair fell in curls and stuck to the sweat on her brow, "The ecstasy that I exude has a tendency to stick and fester until one simply must come back for more." I gently stroked Georgette's cheek with my thumb, while slowly inching it closer and closer to her barely parted lips, tracing it over the caked on makeup and smearing her lipstick ever so slightly.

"Oh Adam," she breathed, her hot breath washing over my fingers, "You truly are a drug."

"Care for a dance?" I murmured as I slowly lifted her up onto her own two feet and guided her to the dancefloor, though a little askew. If Georgette had any reservations about displaying her drunken state for all my court to see it was well hidden behind the blush and smile she wore. We came half way into a waltz and I smoothly guided her into the gentle yet fast paced movement. Her swaying body keeping a distance from mine, yet the way her small frame and dainty physique gracefully moved with me surprisingly felt as though she weren't drunk at all. We kept in sync with the rhythm and moved fluidly as if we were one body. All too quickly the music came to an end and we went to bow to each other. All at once, her drunkenness returned, when she leaned forward and promptly lost her balance, running into my chest and latching onto my shoulders to keep from falling.

Typically this would be seen as quite inappropriate except for the fact that Georgette was the youngest daughter of a very wealthy merchant that had recently won a war with a country off of mercenary strength alone. She was new royalty, but the connections her father had were simply priceless. Marrying Georgette couldn't have been an easier decision. The arrangement would ensure that the new country had a strong ally, that my kingdom would have easy and protected trading, and our kingdoms would both expand and prosper. Many times the rules and courtesies of court are pretty lax when the couple is favored by both parties. Anything to get them to go through with the wedding as easily as possible.

Georgette gave a surprised squeak before correcting herself, but before she could potentially embarrass herself again, I put my hand on the small of her back and steadied her, cupping her chin to keep her eyes on mine, "Are you okay my beautiful turtle dove?"

Her face went beat red before she gave a light nod, "Yes," she whispered, embarrassment almost robbing her of her voice.

"Why don't we retire for the evening?" I said leaning into her ear, "You aren't the only one who was left intoxicated by our ecstasy before you left?" Her eyes widened as I spoke to her and only her, "I would like to indulge in that sin again if you would be so kind as to take pity on such a weak man like myself." My hands slowly traveled up her body to pull her close to me, "The only way I could possibly repay you is if you'd agree to be my wife."

Georgette nearly screamed in excitement before catching herself mid shout, "Of- of course! Please! Let...let us retire." She seemed so flustered by my proposal and the promise of more sex that she couldn't help but melt into my arms.

"I would like that," I smiled warmly down at her, "I would like that a lot." I wrapped my arm around her waist to steady her before moving her off into the wing of the palace reserved for the guests. I had a room set off to the side for myself and people who would accompany me. As we approached the servants parted and opened the doors for Georgette and I.

"Adam!" a voice shouted from behind me as I was just about to enter the suite. I groaned internally before turning to Georgette.

"Go on ahead and wait for me inside. I'll be in momentarily to...intoxicate the both of us." I whisper to her, my lips gently grazing her ear. Georgette giggled and blushed before walking inside, the servants closed the doors behind her. As soon as I knew she was removed from the situation I turned and saw the woman shouting my name as she sauntered her way over. She was a vision of beauty. One that I had explored last night. Angelica, the eldest of three noble daughters, had come to seek my hand but failed miserably due to the condition that her lands were in. Her estates were in shambles; her family was at her throat either trying to kill her to inherit their fortune or to marry her off to someone who could clean up the mess her family had made. Despite the state of her family affairs, she was a true vision. Her raven hair was long and flowing, her lips red and full and she had a body that had no rival.

"Adam!" She shouted again, "I'm so glad I found you."

"Angelica," I greeted her, feigning delight, "What might I be able to help you with?"

"Oh don't act as though you need to hide it. My family is waiting patiently for you to tell them you what you told me." She replied excitedly, grabbing my wrist and attempting to haul me away.

"Ah yes," I smile as I freed my wrist from her grip and gently cupped her hands, "The proposal. Truthfully Angelica, I don't want to ruin such a beautiful evening with such serious matters. I'll have to talk to you later, perhaps when the party is over we can make an official statement together with both of our families over dinner?" I suggested, hoping to waylay the situation enough to get back to my damsel in heat.

"Are you sure you want to wait?" she inquired with a little urgency, "My prince, you must know that such wonderful news would only further elevate the atmosphere of your celebration."

"Don't worry my princess." I said reaching up to caress her face, "You shall have your day by my side and many more to come."

Angelica's face flushed as red as her lips as I spoke to her, "Might we...share your bed as we did before?" Ashe asked hopefully, closing her eyes and leaning into my open palm.

"We will have an entire lifetime to do such things my dear. Why not rest up before we announce our engagement? Then, we'll truly be able to enjoy our bed. Besides, you do like it when I make you wait for it, you love the anticipation as I recall."

Angelica's face burnt with lust and possible embarrassment. I could tell how exposed she felt, as exposed as when I took her into my bedchambers the night before.

"I guess waiting does make it that much better." She sighed before looking down and collecting her thoughts, "Then, I will write you tomorrow then about when we shall arrange a time for our families to meet."

"I would love that." I cooed down at her. She looked up at me with hazed over eyes, the memories of our time together more than likely playing over and over in her mind before she shook her head "Goodnight, my Prince." She said, curtsying before walking away.

I sighed in relief before turning to the doors, my servants letting me in, "Sorry to keep you waiting, my princess."

"Don't worry," Georgette said, "It wasn't that long. I didn't even have time to get out of my dress." she giggled from behind a divider off in the corner of the grand suite. I quickly walked over to where she was hiding.

"Here dear," I smiled as I saw her desperately trying to reach the straps on the back of her dress, "Let me help you." She started to protest, but I simply put a finger to her lips and shushed her, "It would be an honor to unwrap my fiancé for my birthday."

Her face burned red before she turned and let me get to work untying her dress. Slowly I undid each bow and with each ribbon loosened more and more of her back with its milky, smooth skin became exposed to me. I leaned in and shifted the curtain of her hair off to the side and enticingly kissed and nipped the back of her neck, "Someday," I whispered into her flesh, "I will be king," I undid the last strap and gazed hungrily as her dress started to glide down over her body, "and you shall be my queen."

That's all it took for her to snap. She couldn't hold her decency anymore as she turned to me and ran her fingers through my thick hair. Her fingers gripped at my scalp as she passionately pressed her lips against mine. I couldn't help but smile into the kiss before I lifted her up out of the dress pooled onto the floor, hoisting her legs up as we made our way to the bed. I put her down softly, kissing and caressing her body gently like the fragile thing it was. Her fingers gripped at my jacket, popping off almost all of the buttons as she attempted to rip it off of me. I broke the kiss long enough to discard it along with my pants. The only thing left was my undershirt as her hands started to slide underneath it to caress the hard dense muscle beneath.

"What the hell is this?" a roaring voice shattered the mood immediately and an icy hand gripped at my heart, "Who is this?"

I turned to see Magnus, his eyes ablaze with rage looking on at my half naked form with a rich merchant's daughter clawing at my chest.

Georgette screamed and gripped at the blankets of the bed to shield her from, leaving me with my royal jewels dangling with nothing to hide behind.

"Magnus!" I gasp, "What are you doing here? I thought you were asleep!"

"Don't try to change the subject Adam!"

"What do you think you're doing in here?" Georgette shrieked at Magnus, "Don't you see I'm sharing a private moment with my fiancé! I'll have you beheaded for this indecency!"

Slowly Magnus's eyes locked onto Georgette, the intensity in them burning into her and effectively shutting her up, "Fiancé you say? What's this all about Adam?"

"Magnus," I said regaining my composure and slowly walking over to him, "You honestly didn't' think I wouldn't find a queen did you?"

"Don't take another step closer to me Adam!" he shouted, but I shrugged it off and closed the distance between us and took his hands into mine.

"Magnus, please," I cooed, trying to reign in control of the situation. "Try to be reasonable. This party of mine was put in place by my parents to find a bride."

"And you told me you would refuse to get married!" He shouted at me, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Magnus," I chided, "You must know I need to find a queen to produce heirs. I've been looking for a suitable queen this entire time. Many of the women here..."

"You mean there are others!"

I froze for a split second, but silence of my hesitation to respond, spoke volumes and Magnus recoiled as though I had struck him in the stomach, his hands falling from mine.

"You vile..." Magnus groaned before standing back up and I jumped back. Magnus's eyes weren't just lit with rage anymore. They were glowing a bright and angry violet, "You vile disgusting excuse for a vertebrate! You're not a man, you're a dog! You toy with hearts to get what you want and then brush them off the table to shatter once they've outlived their usefulness. You'll...GAH!" Magnus clutched his ribcage and I swear I heard an actual crack and some breaking of glass.

When Magnus looked back up tears were rolling down his face before violet flames erupted around his form. I jumped back as my secret lover was engulfed in flame. Slowly the flames parted, leaving a hellish figure to stand before me. A human-like beast that had the head of a wolf and the wings of a raven! Horns made of amethyst sprung forth from its head as it stood before me tall and powerful. Violet markings burned intensely all over its body. Its fur was black as night and its stomach as white as snow, except for a violet glowing crack across its sculpted chest.

"Prince Adam!" the creature shouted, his voice echoing with the power of a god, "You and your vile heart will not know the kindness of your upbringing any longer! You use your beauty and tongue to twist the hearts of those around you, and now everyone you've ever known, everything you've ever loved will be warped by the toxic nature of your heart!"

Burning violet tendrils shot out of from the beast and latched onto me, piercing my flesh. I screamed out in pain as liquid fire seeped into at my heart. I thought it would be the end, but Magnus had other plans for me. Scorching, jagged claws tore away at my insides until it felt as if they were about to burst out of my chest. When the burning had subsided, I looked at my chest to see there was neither scar nor wound, but the tendrils held something encased in the same violet flames that I could only get sparing glimpses of. All I saw was red beyond those tongues of fire, but my focus soon returned to the beast once more.

"Adam, because you have no love in your heart, your loneliness will become your cage! This castle your prison! And I your warden!" purple flames started to spread across the floor, but instead of burning the elegant decor, it seemed to...age it? It warped it and changed it into something darker and vile.

"ADAM!" Georgette screamed, her future starting to burn up before her eyes.

"Shut up you over priced whore!" the beast snarled, a blast of fire erupting form the monster's paw and engulfed over her, the flames taking her as she screamed in agony.

"I shall use the essence of your heart to show you exactly what you are! Your palace, your estates, and all of your court, everything you've ever owned will be corrupted!" it snarled before spreading its wings, a violet light shown from the crack in its chest. The light grew brighter and brighter until it enveloped both of us. The floor disappeared beneath me and I felt weightless for a moment before I came crashing back down. I looked up to see we were in the ballroom, but this time the mood was much more electrified. Screams and panicked shouts were heard all around as the creature spread his wings and made its presence known.

I gripped a table cloth and pulled it down, not minding the cascade of food falling over me as well as I tried to make myself decent in my own court. I scrambled to hide myself, but I was in the center of a small clearing. A sea of people surrounded me and the circle's one other occupant, the beast.

"A demon!" Someone screamed before the monster lifted his paw and the doors to the ballroom all slammed shut and all the candles' flames flickered before turning a the same haunting shade of violet as the beast before them.

"No," the creature growled, "This mortal before me, this creature you call your ruler and prince is the true beast." My eyes turned and locked onto the demon, his eyes ablaze with rage and his teeth bared.

"Be gone monster!" I shouted, "You're not welcome here!"

The beast flinched as if the words I said had struck him and I swore I heard a crunching glass sound and the scar on his chest creeped a little lower. With a dark finality in his eyes he lifted the glowing orb.

"You know who I am, Adam!" the creature roared, "You've lain with a beast and now you shall have your entire court know why they are to be damned with you!" The burning sphere burned with intensity before expanding and revealing a bed chamber. My bed chamber! Magnus was leading me into the bedroom before we started our rituals. He disrobed me and my depravity was shown for the entire world to see. Murmurs and shouts echoed through the great hall.

"Homophile! Sodomite! Abomination!"

"Magnus!" I shouted, "Stop this at once!"

"Shut up mongrel!" Magnus shouted back, "You are not my king! But while we're at it, why not show them all the other depravities you've immersed yourself in!" Gradually more and more images showed up in the sphere of light. Women and men, all in different ages and sates of debauchery all in different positions of euphoric bliss. All of them accounted for in the ballroom thus far and each of them being exposed for the sexual tromping of their prince, along with all my tricks as to how I got them into the bedroom, through charm, through lies and disseat, and manipulation came forth as well.

"You promised I'd be Queen!" I heard Angelica shout from somewhere in the sea of faces.

"He did what!" Another suitor's voice screeched.

"You said no one would find out!" another sobbed.

I looked on as my court crumbled before my very eyes, my web work of sex and secrecy being exposed and used to ring my neck! I looked at Magnus again, expecting him to have a smug, satisfied look on his face, but in its place I saw sadness and disgust with tears rolling down his muzzle instead.

"ENOUGH!" He roared, "Sluts and defilers all of you! I was here first! I was there cultivating his heart and satisfying his needs long before any of you came in to defile what we had!" The sphere slowly descended glowing brighter as he continued, "None of you are innocent. All of you had a hand to play in this and all of you nursed upon the vile heart of this putrid excuse of a man. He is not a man! He is a Monster! A Beast worse than I! I grant wishes and favors for the truly virtuous and punish the truly Wicked! You Adam, are a creature less than worthy of walking on two legs! So crawl, crawl to me on all fours and beg me not to erase your kingdom and all its inhabitance from existence!"

I froze, my blood running cold. I was in nothing but an under shirt and the small cloth from the table was my only form of cover from exposure.

"Please Magnus! You don't need to do this."

Magnus's eyes glowed bright and flames started to curl around the sphere before a blast of fire arched off of it and ran into a man. He screamed in agony, his body twisting and contorting unnaturally as the flames rolled around his flesh. His muscles seemed to atrophy before us, his bones becoming long and thin, his fingers needle-like and his hair fell from his body. His clothes melted away as he hunched forward screaming and clawing at his face until his flesh was bleached of color. His screams stopped as the flames rolled off of him and revealing what he had become. A gargoyle warped in screaming agony was rooted to the floor.

"BEG!" Magnus roared and this time the screaming shouts of the trapped court roared with him, some even pushing me forward and making me stumble onto all fours. I decided to abandon all sense of decency and just crawl forward, my shaking form trembling as I crawled towards the beast before me. Soon I was at the clawed feet of the demon and I didn't dare look up.

"P-please...Magnus...spare me." A growl and a hiss emitted from the creature before me, "I-I-I mean us! Please spare this kingdom! I'm sorry, truly sorry for what I've done and I'll change. I'll rule with dignity and honor! Please Magnus," I looked up, pleading with my eyes and what I saw shocked and frightened me. Magnus's fangs were bared, but tears were still streaming down his muzzle and dripping onto the floor. One hit my cheek and it was surprisingly warm, "Please spare my people..." I knelt there before the monster as tears dripped down his muzzle. The entire ballroom was silent as the court held its breath. The only thing breaking the silence was the crackle of flames and my shaky breath.

"You should have thought of that before you broke my heart..." Magnus whispered as he attempted to not choke on his words. The light from the sphere slowly started to grow and intensify.

"No! Magnus! Please! Stop!" I started to get up, but it was too late.

BOOOM!!!

An explosion of flames burst forth from the sphere and despite its enormity, the blast felt like a gentle breeze as it went off. Terrified screams filled the air as the fire blasted through the palace. The windows blew out one by one as flames started to engulf the entire building, not a corner or cobblestone spared from the vile magic.

"You and your earthly belongings," Magnus spoke with an energized voice and despite the fact he wasn't shouting, his words echoed through the castle without hindrance, "Court and people will befall the same curse as you! A life of servitude to a broken prince!"

I watched as the members of my court were slowly warped and turned to stone, my servants melting and shrinking to nothing before my eyes and the only thing left behind were the tools they were holding when the explosion hit. The stone of the walls warped and bent into a hideous, distorted vision of its former beauty. Every bit of the castle was changing before me. Once again light encased my vision and I felt weightless before slamming onto the ground again. This time when I got my bearings I opened my eyes to see that I was in the court yard of the palace. The billowing winds and humid summer air were tainted by the violet glow of magic. The entire building was ablaze, every window yawned out flames and every part of the structure was warping and changing. The beautiful statues changed to demonic figures and warped and melted beings. The color in everything was becoming dark and defiled by the ravenous flames as they scorched everything in their path.

"Please...stop it..." I whimpered and, as soon as I did, I knew it was a mistake. Magnus, who was focused on the burning magic before us, turned his attention back to me.

"You think this is the worst of what I'm going to do? You have yet to know the full extent of this curse." His face was twisted into wrinkled rage as he lifted the sphere and the flames around it burst forth and wrapped around me. I felt myself being lifted from the ground as weightlessness took me again, only this time I was more worried for my life.

"Please Magnus! You've done enough! Please don't kill me!"

"Kill you?" Magnus's voice sounded surprised and genuinely hurt, "I would never kill you. No, you must suffer with the vileness you have chosen to live. You brought this upon yourself."

The flames arched and shot into my chest again, the same burning pain ran through me. It felt like my veins were full of fire and every part of my body shouted at me in pain. All I could do was scream, but despite the roaring pain, Magnus's voice echoed above all of it.

"Prince Adam," Magnus's voice rang out with power and authority, "You've proven yourself a truly despicable being. A curse, a curse I place upon you and your house. If you cannot prove to your heart that you can love, truly and deeply by the stroke of midnight on your twenty first birthday, you shall be cursed for all eternity. Time shall stand still and you and your people will be doomed to live in this hellish limbo forever as the beast you are! Now let your true nature be shown, your own empty heart will shape you in its true image! You are no man nor king. You are a Beast!"

As soon as Magnus's words finished echoing inside my head the flames inside my body roared and deafened all my senses besides pain. My bones started to crack, my flesh split and wet crunching sounds came from inside my body. I dared to open my eyes, but as I did so, the images of the change made it impossible to look away. My nails started to grow darker until they were black, their shape changing from evenly cut seashell nails to black vicious claws. My skin burned and stretched as my bones broke then refit themselves into odd shapes. My legs cracked and creaked, my feet breaking in half and my toes shifting into a different arrangement as the nails took on a similar change as my hands had. Dark rough patches started to form on my palms and at first I thought they were burning until I noticed the familiar shape they were taking. They looked like paw pads of my hunting dogs! I roared out in pain as cracks rang out from my head, the flesh being pushed out forward and my darkening nose came into view. My jaw extending outward slightly and breaking down into a powerful point and as I tried to grit my teeth, their new shape gnashed against each other as tusks pricked past my lips. I felt a strong pressure form above my rear and had Magnus not been standing before me I would have thought he was trying to take me from behind. Instead I felt the pressure build until it felt like my pelvis was cracking as something extending out behind me.

My body became thin and very stretched out form the force of the change until I felt a bubbling and boiling pressure run through my body. My muscles started to pulse larger and larger, bigger and bigger. My legs ripened with muscle, pushing each other apart as I writhed in agony, my arms bulged up in strength and my chest ballooned out in power. My undershirt started to rip and tear as it was stretched beyond its limits to accommodate my ungodly change in size. Tears formed all over the garment, revealing the powerful abdominal muscles and melon like pecs above them.

Then the bubbling rose from inside of me and entered my skin. Needle-like pricks ripped across my body as thick hair...no fur rippled across my body. My ashen brown hair turning a darker brown as it coated my previously naked body. Some of the definition of my muscles were lost under the dense and thick fur, but the force of my shouts and the deepness of my cries of agony proved that I had become a truly powerful and frightening image.

All at once my body felt heavy, crushingly heavy, and I fell to the ground with a powerful thud. Despite the massiveness of my warped self, I had never felt so weak and powerless.

"Magnus," the words seemed to rumble up my brutish and thick neck as they came out with a pained growl, "What have you done to me?"

Magnus regarded me with his silent snarl as tears continued to flow freely from his eyes, "Why don't you ask your fiancé?" He barked and in a shower of sparks a tall mirror appeared in front of me. The framework of it looked like it was made of silver and winding flowers adorned the edges. I looked into the mirror and tried to make sense out of what I was seeing, I didn't see myself, but a ghostly image of a familiar naked woman.

"Georgette?" I grumbled and the ghostly image in the mirror covered her mouth in a silent scream before vanishing and being replaced with a truly terrifying beast. I screamed out in horror only for the beast to give a deafening roar. The beast's powerful frame recoiled from the mirror. I tried to cover my face, but was met with the powerful claws of the beast...

I froze, fear gripping me before I slowly let my hand fall to the ground and I saw it...the image in the mirror was me. A fearsome and gigantic monster stood there in the mirror, shaking like a pup. I slowly commanded my hand to rise and watched in muted horror as the beast did the same. My hand went to the top of my head and as I did so the beast reached for the horns on his skull. His fingers grazed their points and I recoiled as my own fingers felt the sharp prick of those horns.

"W-what am I?"

"What you've always been on the inside." Magnus said before I noticed that the roaring flames had died down. The light coming from the palace was gone and I looked to see the twisted and gnarled form of my once beautiful home. The topiary was scorched and thistle-like spreading out before me until it reached the blackened stones of my twisted castle. Its windows shattered and dark as the spires of its towers seemed to scrape the sky like claws. I was about to say something when a bright light filled my vision and we were in the ballroom again. Before beautiful angelic sculptures and paintings filled the hall and gorgeous architecture rose far above the head. Now, various gargoyles and demonic figures were all trapped in different forms of distress. The more I looked at it the more I noticed how the ballroom had changed, how it had been defiled. I started to hear heavy and powerful breathing and it took a moment to realize it was my own labored breath.

The room was transformed into a massive throne room. A staircase of warped figures traveled up to a balcony to a throne of gargoyles and a pedestal made of humans in agony stood before it. Slowly, Magnus ascended the stairs and motioned for me to follow him.

"Come, Broken Prince," Magnus said, his voice flat with exhaustion, "Let me show you your new kingdom."

With shaky legs, I slowly got up, the new joint in my legs a little difficult to get used to, but slowly I made my way up the stairs. I half expected one of the statues to grip me or lunge at me or even beg for mercy, but thankfully none of that happened. Once I reached the top of the steps there stood Magnus next to the pedestal and before him the swirling sphere of flames.

"Come, Prince Adam," Magnus said, his face a little off, his tears gone and a dry grin on his muzzle, "A reminder of who you were." I came closer and for the first time I noticed how tall I was. Magnus used to be only a head shorter than me, but now the tops of his ears barely reached my shoulders in height. I looked down and saw the sphere and slowly the flames subsided and revealed what Magnus had ripped from my chest.

"A rose?" I asked, moving my hand out shakily to touch it.

"Careful," Magnus warned taking his hand out and resting it on my outstretched hand...paw and steadying me, "It's your way out of this curse and also your doom."

I looked at him confused, or whatever my warped face would allow, but he continued as if taking my expression as a cue to explain.

"By midnight on your twenty first birthday, this flower shall wilt and die. The last bit of who you are, what you are as a human is all contained within the petals of this rose. After it dies, so shall your former self and you will become a beast forever." He paused for a moment to let it sink in or to see my reaction, but I was numb, I couldn't feel much of anything really, so he continued, "If you decide to concede to this curse, you can take this rose and destroy it. You will forfeit any time you have left. But, if you find love, true and unconditional love and that creature loves you in return, then the curse will be broken and all that I have done here will be unraveled."

A faint fluttering of hope ran through me, "What...what about you? You loved me before, what if we learned to love once again, Magnus?"

Magnus looked at me and a sarcastic, bordering on cynical, grin spread across his face before a dry laugh echoed through the halls of the palace, "You had your chance with me and even if I wanted to I no longer am capable of love."

"Magnus..." I said, taking his hands...paws...into my hands...paws... and looked him in the eye, "You can't mean that, can you?"

"You'll come to see why soon enough," He said venomously, the words echoing through his lips with a growl as he brushed my paws out of his, "No, go sit upon your throne and revel in your kingdom of nothing!" With that Magnus was gone in a flash of light.

I didn't know what to think, I was so far removed from the moment I was completely numb from it. I looked at the throne and somehow it seemed like it was judging me, looking down on me despite my tall and imposing size. Then I turned to the rose, a dark thought tickling at the back of my mind.

"Why not just...crush it? You have no one left. They have all been turned to stone. You have no connections, you have no estates, you have no one to call upon as a ruler. Magnus is right, you are a king of Nothing!"

"Y-young master? Is that truly you?" I hear a small voice and I look around trying to find the source of the sound, "Is the demon gone?"

"Who's there! Show yourself!" I roared, "Where are you hiding!" I heard a small yelp before I located the source of the sound.

"I-it's me master." A tiny candlestick slowly started to bend into view. I rubbed my eyes not believing what I saw, thinking it was some sort of hallucination.

"What are you?" I growled stepping back a little from the small candlestick.

"It's Lumiere, master." The animated candelabra responded peeking out from behind a statue. His candles cold and unlit as he hopped forward before bowing some distance away, "Is it really you Prince Adam?"

"Y-yes...it is." I said walking forward slowly, my foot paws thudding against the floor, "Is it really you, Lumiere?"

"Yes, it is." He said with a light bow, his devotion to be a good servant never wavering despite his changed form, "We have been looking for you."

"We?" I asked moving down and extending a hand...paw for him to hop onto. He did so promptly and I pulled him up to face level. He looked a little scared and I could feel the trembling in the cold metal that made up his small body.

"Y-yes master. Many of the servants survived...and some of your guests too. We have been taking note of who is missing and who is not and most of the servants have been accounted for except for a few..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" a high pitched screaming could be heard with the sound of clicking wood and chimes. I turned to see a small clock running down the hallway connected to the balcony, "W-what's happening!" he screeched as I heard a strange woof sound.

An ottoman, that I remembered from my study, was chasing him close behind.

"I know that scream anywhere!" Lumiere exclaimed with glee, "Cogsworth, is that you?"

"Who are you and how do you know my name?" Shouted the small clock, "What kind of nightmare is this?"

I leaned down and picked up the clock as it came running by and the ottoman...growled and barked at me, "It seems the hunting dogs have been made into furniture." Lumiere commented before he was drowned out by the screams of the clock.

"A talking candelabra and a fifty foot tall behemoth! Why can't I wake up!" he shouted.

"Cogsworth?" I asked and he looked up at me.

"Please mighty beast, don't eat me!"

"Cogsworth!" I ignored his pleas and hugged him and Lumiere to my chest, "I thought I was all on my own."

The ottoman leaned forward as if to sniff me and came close and started to nuzzle and bark happily against my leg, the two small forms both thrashing a little before I pulled them away from my chest.

"Prince Adam, please control yourself." Lumiere shouted, "We're happy to see you safe...or at least in once piece, but you need to calm down. People are looking for you. We need guidance."

"Wait...this is Prince Adam?" Cogsworth said, "Well...my imagination never would have picked this form for you my prince, though I must say it is quite...fearsome. Befitting of a future king and ruler of our lands but...would you please not hold me...or eat me if at all possible?"

"Oh Cogsworth please, be quiet!" Lumiere groaned, "I heard everything the demon said. We must go tell the others. They'll be delighted to know there is a way to undo all this."

"You mean wake up?" Cogsworth asked.

"Cogsworth! Shut it," I snarled, "What do you mean the others?"

"Well now that we've found Cogsworth, that includes all the heads of staff here at the castle and we've been finding more and more people the longer we look. It seems only the royals were...petrified, but the servants and children were relatively unscathed."

"Unscathed?" I snarl, "How is this even remotely unscathed!" I roared, "The palace is in shambles and all the people who could have found me a suitable bride are either made of stone or have turned into what? Flatware?!"

"Well..." Lumiere shrugged his shoulders and laughed nervously, "It's...been kind of a crazy night..."

"Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it..." I growl.

"Please master," Lumiere spoke to me in a soothing tone, "you need to stay calm...how about we...discreetly take you to your personal bed chambers until you feel...well enough to confront the people."

"That..." I was about to say it was a horrible idea, but for some reason...sleep felt like a comforting thing. As a matter of fact, I just wanted to escape...to run...to get out...but who knew where Magnus was hiding. I knew, deep down in my gut, that he wasn't gone. I could feel him like an icy stare making the hairs...fur on my neck and back stand on end.

"That sounds like a good idea." I grumble, a snarl caught in my throat as I bit my lip to hold back the tears, my tusks digging in deep. Lumiere and Cogsworth both assured me that we would figure things out and started to lead me out of the tortured thrown room. I gave one glance back at the glowing rose and an icy chill ran down my spine. Magnus stood there next to the rose, his eyes dull and a slightly concerned look was folding his brow. He pulled up a glass dome that he put over the rose to keep it safe and that's when I noticed something. On his chest where that scar had formed, it no longer glowed, but was almost inky black, darker than black...a void.

"Master?" Cogsworth asked, "Are you coming?"

I looked over to Cogsworth to say something for just a second, but as I looked back, Magnus was gone. The only thing left there was the glowing rose in its glass case, a silent reminder that he could show up whenever he wanted and that he was watching.