Fairytale: Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

Once there was a very greedy man who lived with his equally tight-fisted wife, their son and heir, and an unwanted daughter. The man was a merchant, often away from home for long periods of time. He would bring home moderately elegant silks and velvets for his wife, as well as good, sturdy woolens for himself and his son. His daughter, however, was left with her mother's cast-offs.

Up the hill, deep within the forest near their home was an ancient castle. Rumor claimed that it was inhabited by a monster that ate all trespassers. Strange howls and screams were sometimes heard, usually after someone decided to brave the forbidden forest. One day, the merchant was at the tavern down in town, looking for trading prospects. Hoping to curry favor with the man, not knowing his stingy nature, some of the other merchants had bought him wine, hoping to get him drunk enough to loosen his purse-strings.

At last, one of the outlanders proposed a wager. He would pay the merchant a sack-full of coins if he took the shortcut through the woods to get his goods transported to the forest's far side more quickly. Blinded by the gold, the trader agreed.

Snow began falling as he lashed down the casks and barrels of wine and cider, bolts and bales of cloth, caskets of fine jewels.

"Be careful, husband," his wife told him.

"Bring me something sophisticated from town, Father," the boy demanded.

"Farewell, Father," the girl said with a demure curtsey.

The merchant had hoped that he could make it to the far side of the forest before nightfall. But the snow began to fall faster and heavier as the day wore on, and soon his wagon was slowing, the horse stumbling as the road became impassible.

Cursing the poor lathered animal, the merchant struck it with his whip. Suddenly the whip was wrenched from his hand. Looking up, he found a giant shape looming over him.The monster from the castle!

"Please, do not eat me!" he pleaded.

"You are not to my taste," the thing replied, its tone wry. "However, you have been found trespassing upon my lands. For that, I must exact some payment, something of great enough value that you will not ever consider entering my lands again."

"I am a simple trader, Sir. I have only the goods in my wagon, worth only a little..."

"You lie so poorly, it's a wonder you sell anything to anyone with eyes to see. You have far more wealth than this, including much of great wealth that you do not value in the least."

The merchant thought quickly. "Is there anything of my possessions that would be to your... taste? Anything at all – name it and it's yours."

"Should I ask for all of your gold? And believe me, I will know if you short me a single coin."

The merchant felt the blood drain from his face.

"Or should I ask for the most precious thing you possess?"

The merchant frowned. What could the monster mean? Was gold not the most precious thing there was?

"Whatever you ask, of course."

"Give me your daughter."

The merchant sighed with relief. "Yes, of course. My daughter."

"And the goods in your wagon?"

The merchant swallowed. "I thought you didn't want..."

"I don't want them. But if I allow you to deliver them, what assurance do I have that you will give me your daughter?"

"It seems to me..." he hesitated, but given that the beast had not yet eaten him, he thought he could finish safely. "It seems to me that you know everything about me, including where I live. If I were to renege upon our bargain, you could easily come for what I owe you, and more. I have promised you my daughter for my life. I will deliver her as soon as I return from the fair in town."

"You have one week. After that, the consequences will be dire."

"Daughter, I have decided that you should accompany me on my next trading session. It is time we found a husband for you."

The girl's mother frowned. "We cannot afford a dowry, husband!"

"I'm confident that I can find a good husband for our beautiful daughter without too much expense, wife."

While the daughter knew better than to believe her father, she was anxious to leave home. Surely any husband would be better than living with her selfish father, mother, and brother.

Packing her two worn dresses and her extra pair of boots, she climbed up onto the wagon-seat beside her father. "Why are we headed into the woods, Father?" she asked as her father turned off the road onto the rutted track that led into the trees.

"I have found someone who wants you, daughter. You will be obedient to him."

The wagon stopped outside the gatehouse. "Go in. Go."

Trying to hide her trembling, she climbed from the wagon. The gate swung open as she approached, then closed with a metallic clang behind her. She turned and watched her father drive away without looking over his shoulder.

"Come in out of the cold." The deep voice echoed lowly from the far side of the gatehouse. The daughter turned and made her way through the courtyard, following a dark shadow, concealed beneath a long, hooded cloak. She paused momentarily as she caught sight of the house, dim in the falling light, then resumed as the cloaked figure stopped, and the hood began to turn towards her.

"You will follow my instructions. If you hesitate, you will be punished. If you refuse, you will be punished more severely. If you obey... I do not think you will find life so unpleasant."

"Yes..." she began. "Forgive me, but how should I address you?"

"Master or Lord will be appropriate."

"Yes, My Lord."

"This will be your home. The servants will see to your needs. If you try to escape, you will be punished. There are leagues of woods in all directions; you would not get far."

"Yes, My Lord. I mean, no, My Lord. I mean, I will not try to escape."

"Good." They had entered a long room, and the girl could see a fire blazing in the hearth at the far end. "Come warm yourself. Your things will be taken upstairs to your room."

A shadow detached itself from the wall, yet even as it reached the light, it grew no more distinct. A dark hand reached out, and she held out her bundle. The shadow slithered back along the corridor and out of sight.

"Are you tired?"

She turned to find the hulking shadow still behind her, larger and darker against the vague dimness beyond.

"Not very. I rode on the cart."

"Good. Then I will inspect my purchase. Remove your gown."

The daughter gasped. "My..." Recalling the thing's words about punishment, she reached up and slowly began to unlace her bodice.

As her blouse loosened, the cloaked figure began to move around her in prowling, animal-like motions.

"My father told me that it was shameful to be naked, that my only value lay in... what word did he use? Charity? No, chas-chasty?"

"Chastity." The creature barked a laugh. "That is something that will no longer concern you. Your value to me lies in... other places."

Allowing her skirt to pool to the floor along with her discarded blouse, the girl stood with her shoulders hunched and her auburn hair – tinted with highlights of gold – flowing over her bare shoulders.

"What is your name, my beauty?" the monster asked, reaching out a surprisingly-human hand to push the cascade of hair back.

"Kallos," the girl whispered.

"My Kallos." The hand stroked down her back, making her shiver. "Have you ever been with a man?"

"I worked beside my father and brother..."

Her Lord barked another laugh. "You do not even know what I'm talking about. This will be titillating. Come over here."

Her hand was taken and she allowed herself to be led to the deep couch. Large, strong hands pressed on her shoulders until she sank onto the cushions, settling her into the pillows. Gently he spread and lifted her legs.

Kallos' hands fluttered to cover her exposed sex.

"No. That is one of the rules of this house. You will be open to me whenever I wish. Tonight I will explore you, discovering what arouses you. Later I will explain how I expect you to use those responses at my command."

Kallos was uncertain as to what he meant, but it seemed he was going to teach her.

A large hand closed over her breast, and the hooded figure leaned over her, blocking the light. Strong lips closed over hers, and a tongue pressed against her pursed lips. His calloused hand squeezed her tender breast, making her gasp. His tongue slithered into her mouth, probing and insistent.

"Ahh," she gasped. "Oh, stop..."

"Shhh. You don't want me to stop." His lips moved from her lips to her ear, down her throat, and fastened around her other breast.

"Oh, God," Kallos groaned. "What are you doing to me?"

"I am arousing you, making your body respond to my ministrations."

"Why?" The word was breathed as his hand slipped behind her back and squeezed her buttock. "Oh!"

"Because you are mine. I want to teach you the arts of pleasure, so that you may become adept at seeing to my needs."

Something firm touched her sex, spread her lips. His fingers held her open while his thumb stroked her bud, sliding lower, deeper.

"Oh!" The sound that escaped her lips was something between a gasp and a groan. "What are you... Oh, please, stop." She began to cry softly. "You're frightening me. Please."

"Good. Shh. Very good, my Kallos. Do not fight me." His voice took on a warning note, and she realized that she had planted her knee against his chest and was trying to squirm away from his fingers. "Lay back down. Submit to me. There is no need for you to fear me."

"But I don't know what's going on!"

"You will learn," he replied, his hand leaving her buttock to press her knee aside. "Lay down. You will be punished for fighting me; learn that, accept that, accept what I am doing to you now. Submit to me, my Kallos."

Her body trembling from a mixture of fear and the pleasure that was coursing through her, she allowed him to spread her legs again. "How are you going to punish me?"

"I think a spanking will do, but not yet. First..."

His lips closed once more over her breast, and then his teeth. She squealed, her hips lifting against his fingers, and one slid into her. He swirled it around, spreading the moisture that had begun to flow from within her, his thumb still playing with her bud. A second finger joined the first, and she cried out. "It's too tight!"

"Yes, you are delightfully tight. I shall enjoy that tomorrow. Two fingers will hardly stretch you. Lower your hands; keep them above your head, or I will tie them there."

Choking, she lifted her hands from pushing against his shoulders and forced them to the couch above her. "Please..."

"What do you want? Do you want this pleasure? I can bring you to that pinnacle. Be warned, however, that if you do not allow me to teach you, I can leave you frustrated. I can help you fall, or I can keep you at the edge until you go mad."

His lips stroked up her neck to her ear where he nibbled gently, his tongue lightly probing, then tickled back down to her breasts. One hand still played with her tender folds, the other returning to her buttocks. Separating her cheeks with the width of his hand, his traced the tight hole with one finger.

"Oh, please, don't. My Lord. Please." She tried to meet eyes beneath the cloak, but there was only darkness, pinpoint glitters of light that might have been eyes or teeth.

The hands moved, both of them stroking up her flanks and around her breasts, and she sobbed raggedly, her body suddenly feeling empty.

"Please?" she found herself pleading.

His moistened fingers slithered along her ass, and one pushed slowly in; his other hand reached up to caress her cheek.

"No, please, no, that's not- Oh!" She broke up with a gasp as two fingers thrust deep within her sex once more. She could feel the fingers of each hand brushing against one another deep within her.

"Fall for me, sweet Kallos." His fingers stroked more quickly, beginning to plunge in and out, her body jerking in time with the movements. Her cries rose in pitch, from deep groans to panting whimpers to keening moans. There was only the light building within her, overwhelming everything else.

At last she fell.