Beauty and the Beast

(Note; I will be taking parts from both the Disney version and the classic French version, most notably adapted to the screen in 1946 by Jean Cocteau. Mix things up a little)

“Belle!!” A voice rang out, jolting the boy awake. It was his mother.

Of course that wasn’t his real name, just the pet name his mother had given him.

Belle ran downstairs to find his step brothers waiting.

“Sleeping In again?” The elder, Simon, teased as he played with a curl of his long red hair.

Belle said nothing, just curtsying to his mother.

“I’m leaving for the port city to meet my ship.” She said.

“Bring us back presents.” Her two step sons said at once.

“I want a new dress.” Simon said.

“I want a necklace.” His brother Jean chimed in.

“Fine... fine...” mother said, before turning to her blood child.

“And what do you want, my dear Belle?”

“... I would like a rose...” he said. She smiled and ran her hand on her sons’s hair.

Rose had been his father’s name. He’d died when Belle was small, and she’d married again about six months later to a man who lived in a nearby town, the widow of a business aquatince. He had two sons of his own, and unfortunately, he died six years later, leaving her to raise three boys.

They had all grown into beautiful young ladies, but her two step sons loved to take advantage of her and belittle Belle at every chance.

“I should be gone for two weeks. Madam Roche will be checking in on you every day. Please do not cause him any undue stress...”

“Yes mother...” Simon and Jean said.

“Good...” and with that, she left.