Chapter 1

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Every single day the sky turns blue in the morning, birds sing the happiest of songs, and everyone has the largest smile on their face. However, this day was unlike any other day because the young prince had just proposed to his true love. The kingdom loved their prince, and his soon to be wife. Within a few days, the prince and his love were married. The kingdom rejoiced. The kingdom became the happiest kingdom in the world. The Prince and his wife love each other very much, and although they were young, their love blossomed more each day that passed. However their marriage only lasted a few years. For the young prince's wife fell ill. The kingdom sadden and for once, it seemed dark.

The young prince never left his wife side her entire illness. Although he had the best nurses and doctor from around the world come to treat, none of them were able to cure her. With each sick day, the prince grew more and more depressed but he still had hope. His wife was pregnant when her illness began. He knew in his heart, that his wife would make it threw this illness for their child. However each passing day she grew worst. The prince's wife soon passed away when winter came. The prince had lost his true love and their unborn child.

Weeks later, the prince had changed. He began to treat all of his friends differently. Soon the kingdom began to fall apart without their normal prince. The food supply went low, children and the elder were dying faster, and the kingdom tried to have the prince help them, but he would turn them away to let them die. Not many months later the kingdom disappeared. Only the castle and the people who lived in it were left.

Yet another winter came to the castle, and the prince's eighteenth approached. The prince was celebrating, when one night, an old woman come to his castle door. She held a single red rose, and asked him if she could stay the night out of the cold. The prince turned her away and closed the door in her face. Just as the prince has about to retire to his chamber, the old woman knocked again. She warned him that his cold broken heart should not blind him, and to find his love, caring heart. Repulsed by her statement, he slammed the door closed again. Just then, the old woman had turned into a beautiful young woman who looked just like the young prince's wife. As the prince tired to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that he let his hate take over his heart, and forgotten how to love. She punished the young prince, transforming him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there.

She told the prince that the rose was his last hope. The rose was enchanted, which would bloom until his 21st birthday. She explained that he was to learn to love again and earn love in return by the time the last petal fell, the spell would brake. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time, alone. The prince was taken back by his new form, and never left his castle waiting for his new love to find him. As years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. Some believe the prince still wait in his castle, waiting to find -

"Taemin!" A voice yelled.

Taemin closed his storybook, and looked to his bother, Taesun.

"Taemin, could you please run into the village a get some food for dinner. I have a class to get to." Taesun said.

Taemin smiled and nodded. He grabbed a basket, threw his storybook inside, and headed out the door. Taemin and his older brother lived in the small village for as long as they could remember. Taesun worked as the village's teacher, while Taemin stayed at home. Often Taemin would go to the library and read since it was one of the things he loved to do. He didn't have many friends. Guys didn't like him because he would daydream a lot and wouldn't play any game seriously, and girls never liked him because they felt Taemin was a threat. True he had a very feminine face, but he didn't believe he was prettier than any girls in the village.

Taemin continued through the crowd of people until he reached a small food stand.

"Hello there Taemin, come for dinner I suppose?" The baker stated.

"Neh. Taesun has a class today, so I have to get dinner." Taemin smiled. "I'll just have what I always do."

The baker nodded and started looking through all the food for Taemin's order. As the baker looked around, Taemin looked up to sky. It was a clear blue sky. It made him wonder if anyone was looking at the same sky. If they were, do they see clouds where they are? Or is the sky darker in their eyes. He was soon dragged back to reality when the baker was nudging his arm to hand him his order. Taemin nodded and paid the baker. He packed the food in his basket. He noticed his book at the bottom and pulled it out. He about finished this story, so he thought of stopping by the library to exchange it.

Taemin only took a few steps, before someone wrapped their arm around his neck. The height of this person dragged Taemin down.

"Annyeong!" The person yelled into Taemin's eye, running their fingers threw his hair. Taemin removed their arm, and stood up straight.

"Annyeong, Amber" Taemin smiled and chuckled to himself. "You scared me there for second." Amber was Taemin's childhood friend. She was the opposite of Taemin. Looks wise that was. As everyone confused Taemin for being a girl, everyone thought Amber was a boy. She had short black hair, covered with a hat and instead of wearing a dress, she would always wear baggy shirts, and pants. He never understood why she dressed like this. She had told him it was because she didn't want to be compared to him and his girly looks.

"So where you heading?" Amber asked as she stretched her arms above her head.

"I was going to stop by the library and exchange this book for a different one." Taemin continued to walk towards the library. Amber followed behind.

Amber rubbed the back of her head and looked at her feet. "Did you hear about what happened to that kid a few days ago?" Taemin glanced at her in confusion and shook his head. "This kid was being bullied at school and just the other day the bullies went to far. They chased him to the old bridge, when the wood snapped. The kid fell and ..." Amber was unable to finish the story. It bought tears to her eyes just thinking how it could have been stopped. Taemin himself felt his eyes fill up. "It just... it just reminded me of our childhood. How the kid treated us, but unlike that kid, we had each other."

Taemin smiled and placed his hand on Amber's shoulder. "I'm glad you're my friend Amber, I don't think I would of been able to make it without you. I wish that kid had someone like you in his life."

Before Amber to say anything back, they reached the book store. Taemin bowed to Amber. "I'll be right back."

"I have to get going anyway. How about I stop by your place tonight for dinner?" Amber said.

"Sure. I'll make a plate of food for you." With that Taemin and Amber parted way. Taemin opened the front door the library. The door rang a bell, and the librarian came running the to front.

"Ah! Taemin you're back already?"

"Just came to give you back your book." Taemin placed the book on the shelf and already began to look for a new one.

"You know, you surprise me with how fast you read these books. I really haven't gotten anything new for you. You read everything I have." He said.

"Well that doesn't stop me from coming back." Taemin's eyes spotted a small blue book titled "Princess and the Frog." He smiled to himself, and grabbed it. "May I see this one?"

The Liberian noticed the book and chuckled. "That one? How many times have you read that one?"

Taemin looked over his shoulder at him. "Not sure."

"Don't you think it's a bit girly?" The librarian returned to putting books away.

Taemin smiled. "So? Maybe I have a thing for frog looking people!" Both of them began to laugh.

"Alright. Since you love it so much, you can keep it."

Taemin's eyes widened. "But Hyung."

The librarian waved Taemin off. "Don't worry about it. I have plenty of other books here."

Taemin bowed and began to leave. "Kamsahanida!" Once Taemin was outside the library, he opened his book to begin reading. He continued walking through the crowd not watching where he was going. He couldn't take his eyes off of the book. If these books were the closest he could get to an adventure, so be it. After each page, he would look up make sure he was headed back to the house. He wasn't to far away when felt like someone had been following him.