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Tale as Old…
Once upon a time there was a handsome young prince who stumbled across an evil magic trap and was whisked to a strange land far, far away from his home.
The gruff Beast who ruled this land took the prince in. The Beast shouted and swore, tossed the prince around like a rag doll, and ordered him about like a servant. All of the Beast's retainers, and everyone else in his fiefdom, dressed so strangely and behaved so oddly that the prince felt certain the entire land must be under some sort of evil spell. The prince, ever resourceful, decided to find a way to break the spell and return to his own home.
So the prince set about righting wrongs wherever he saw them in the Beast's castle and throughout the land. He taught some of the servants better ways to do their jobs, and even elevated one maid he found was working in a station far below her abilities. Several times he exposed corruption in the Beast's staff. He also went about the land assisting the poor and downtrodden, and eliminating their oppressors. Many times he and the Beast were at odds over how to do this or even whether it needed done, and their battles became legendary in the castle.
Sometimes, once in a great while, the prince caught a sound from his home, brought to him as if by magic. Every time he did, he was certain that whatever he was working toward would finally save him, but it never seemed to be enough. Slowly the prince fell deeper and deeper into despair.
One day a wizard appeared to the prince, and explained that the prince had been sent to rid the land of the Beast. This made the prince unhappy, for the Beast had sheltered and sometimes guided him; indeed, his life had been saved on more than one occasion by the gruff creature. The prince tried to argue with the wizard, but the wizard's reasoning prevailed and the prince – a long time away from his home – believed he had found a way out of his spell at last. With a heavy heart, the prince helped the wizard lay a trap for the Beast.
The trap was more deadly than the wizard had led the prince to believe, and the Beast and many of his retainers – now the prince's friends – were in mortal peril. But just when the prince had a chance to save them, the wizard opened a portal to the prince's home, and the prince reluctantly went through.
The prince was lovingly welcomed back and, after recovering from the effects of the evil magic, set about ruling once more. But the ways of his home were now strange to him, and he took no joy in his work or his life. His family, his retainers, and the princess he thought he loved: they still seemed as distant to him as they had when he was in the Beast's land.
Therein lay the prince's dilemma – he had promised his aid, his friendship, and perhaps even unknowingly his heart to the Beast and his retainers, who had become the prince's friends and family during the time he was in that land. Then, he betrayed them. We all know that a guilty heart will ruin a life far more easily and thoroughly than the greatest evil spell, and the prince came to realize this also.
Having a little experience with magic for himself by this time, the prince created a version of the trap that had first captured him, and threw himself upon it. And behold, he found himself exactly when and where he had left the Beast's land, so that he might save the Beast and his retainers, and make amends for his betrayal.
When his friends were safe and their wounds tended to, the prince approached the Beast to ask his forgiveness. Although the Beast snarled and swore in his usual manner, in the end the prince received what he sought. Still certain the Beast and his land were under some sort of spell, the prince risked everything and kissed his friend.
Then the prince stepped back, waiting for something – anything – to happen, but nothing did. Neither the Beast nor the landscape dissolved into something beautiful (and luckily for our prince, the Beast didn't toss him across the room, either.) The Beast simply, somewhat knowingly, looked at the prince. Ever so slowly the prince's face took on the very biggest grin, lit brightly as if from within. For the spell had not been on the Beast's land but on the prince's heart, and of his own making, so that he could not see beauty where it truly lay. True love's kiss had broken the spell, and now the prince saw everything with loving eyes.
"Welcome home, ya daft git," said the Beast.