Dear reader,
When I began this tale, it was nothing more than impromptu chapters of a strange little retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast, posted on my blog at sort of regular intervals just for the fun of it. Back then I had no idea it would be anything more than that. I suppose I should have known better.
I had just I made the whole of it available as a freebie when Bastien showed up in my head and refused to leave until I told his side of the story. So I did. But I was no longer going to be satisfied with simply posting the chapters on some website. No, Bastien demanded the royal treatment with editing, formatting, fancy cover page, and all. Have you ever tried arguing with a spoiled rotten prince? I wouldn’t recommend it.
Obviously, he got what he wanted. Damn his handsome hide…
What you are holding in your hands is a special collector’s edition of this story’s two separate novellas, originally published as eBooks in 2012. As the prequel, Bastien comes first so you can have a front row seat to his wicked fall from humanity. This isn’t your typical fairy tale. It’s dark and ugly, and Bastien himself is not exactly a poster boy for Prince Charming. Believe me when I say he very much deserved his punishment. And though I am fully aware that he is a royal bastard—a title he very much likes and takes every opportunity to demonstrate—there were times while writing his side of the story when his tough face slipped just a little and I could steal small glimpses into his heart. That side of him ended up claiming a piece of my heart in return.
In the second half of this book you will find the original novella which takes place several months after Bastien. In order to remain true to the spirit of The Beast, the story is included here in its minimally edited format. Most of it is exactly as it was first posted on my blog: somewhat rough around the edges, just like the Beast himself. But now it has a new ending, completely rewritten from the original. It is a great deal richer and gives a much more satisfying closure to this tale.
We each have that one fairy tale which resonates with us on some deeper level. This is mine. The story of Beauty and her Beast has always been very dear to me. It has at its core values which can easily become lost in the shuffle of everyday life: love, family, integrity, bravery, loyalty, and trust. I wrote this to remind myself of each and every one of them, plus one more: magic.
I think everyone should have a little of that in their life, don’t you?
Happy reading!
~ Alianne