Thread: The Beast and his Beauty

The attack came at dawn, when the world sits at its darkest. The people of city slept, only to be awoken by the smell of fire and smoke. When the bells sounded the king and his queen were quick act they alerted the guards to take their only child as far from the kingdom until world could be sent to them at all costs, the only heir to Winterfell kingdom had to be protected. A troupe of five or six guards nodded their heads knowing what their mission was, some knowing that their noble king and beautiful queen were likely to die The group ran down the hallway towards the princess chambers, hoping that the doors to the keep would withstand the attack just long enough for them to get the princess out. The sound of the door being bashed down and the sound of hundreds of barbarians raiding the castle alerted them. They had little time to waste! Now in a full sprint, the troupe bashed down the princess door, making the young woman jump out of bed, her eyes wide with terror. What on earth-?! She yelled, looking towards the young men, their faces grim. Your highness, we must leave...now. There is no time to explain, please. The elected leader, pushed his way past his subordinates, bowing to the princess before he grabbed a hold of bicep and hauled her out of bed, making her gasp and pull her arm away. The princess wanted to ask a million questions, but the look on the guards faces explain that those were best left for later. Princess Celestria grabbed a long dark cloak of the finest material and quickly hooded her long ebony hair. The guards surrounded the princess and were off as quickly as they had entered they raced down the long hallway, hearing the screams and cries of the servants. Desperately the princess wanted to look back but one of the guards looked towards her and shook his head as they ran, Do no look back princess, I do not want your memories stained with needless bloodshed. Finally, after taking the hidden passage beneath the palace, the troupe saddled up a group of horses and quickly fled the city. Where are we going? It was the first of many questions that the Celestria was able to ask, Somewhere that no one dare venture, the group leader announced as they galloped towards the darkest place that no one was foolish enough to enter. Captain, surely there is somewhere safer to- That is an order! The Captain yelled, stopping his horse as they reached the edge of the woods. The group stopped and looked up at the ominous trees, thick fog seeping out and swirling around their feet. Come princess, the captain growled, as the troupe once again circled the princess, their swords already drawn. The moment that they entered, Celestria felt her stomach twist into knots. She was frightened, and with good reason. Even as a child, her mother and father had both warned about this forest they had told her that the forest use to not be there, that instead, it was a thriving city. But the ruler of the city was cold, selfish and unkind. They told her that an enchantress curses the king of his land, cursing him with immortality and isolation. There were many different versions of the story but all came to the same end once an unlucky soul entered the forest, they were never seen nor heard from again. At this moment, as the thick fog pooled around their feet and the sounds of strange creatures filled their ears, Celestria felt that this was truly going to be her end.