Author: LadyFromPoland

Disclaimer: I don't own "Merlin". It is a TV show which belongs to BBC.

Warnings: SLASH

What's about? It's a "Beuty and the Beast" style story. Arthur is a cursed prince who has to find love until the last petal of an enchanted rose falls. He'll meet on his way Merlin, the dreamer. The beginnings are always hard but they'll soon find out that they can stand and even like each other. However Merlin is not a beautiful maiden who can break the spell, is he? What will happen? Just FIND OUT!

English is not may mother language.

One year ago I published my first story on FanFiction. At that anniversary I'm starting my 14th story here.

It's just a prologue but I have to start with this.

„Tale as old as time..."

Prologue

It was a very late evening. The heavy rain made it even colder and sadder than it really was supposed to be.

The old lady knocked on the doors of the castle when the lightning crossed the sky. She was waiting a longer while before the door was opened by a young and handsome man with fair hair.

He looked down on the woman and frowned. "What do you want?" the youth asked her finally.

"Does this castle belong to you?" she asked him. Her voice was very weak.

"Yes. I'm prince Arthur Pendragon," the man stated proudly. "Who are you? And why are you here?"

The lady looked at him carefully. "I'm an old woman who is tired, thirsty and hungry. I'm here to ask you about the shelter for the time of storm. I can give you a rose in return."

The prince frowned once again and then laughed harshly. "The shelter?" he asked with disbelief. "Here? For a rose?"

"Yes, my lord." The woman tried to be calm but her eyes were full of sorrow.

"You must be insane," Arthur told her. "I don't need any old, poor and wearing dirty clothes hags here," he said. The young man didn't seem to be ashamed of his words. Moreover, he looked as if he was proud of them.

"Don't be deceived by appearances," she warned him. "The true beauty is found within."

"Get away!" the man dismissed her. He didn't care about her words.

"You've showed what is in your heart, Arthur Pendragon," the woman said but her voice was no longer weak. She started transforming. The old lady's flesh disappeared. Prince could see now a beautiful, young enchantress.

"What was that?" the blonde whispered.

"It was a disguise, prince Arthur. It's proven that you've got an unfeeling and bitter heart. You didn't want to help an old woman who needed your help," the sorceress stated. "I am Morgana Le Fay and I'm cursing you for your heartless behaviour."

"No!" Arthur yelled. "I didn't know what I was doing! I wasn't myself..." he tried to explain.

The woman's long, dark hair was swept by the wind. "You can't say anything to make me change my mind," she said coldly. "Your heart doesn't know love. You and this whole castle will suffer the consequences! You, Arthur Pendragon, is losing now your handsomeness. The other habitants of this castle are losing their human nature!" Morgana noticed the fear in prince's eyes. His handsome face started covering with ugly and disgusting scars. "However I am not as heartless as you are, Arthur Pendragon! I'm giving you that rose. The course will be broken only if you learn to love another and if that person loves you back. This is an enchanted rose which will be blooming until your 21st birthday. The spell has to be broken before the last petal falls. Otherwise you will be doomed forever and die in loneliness. And that castle will be destroyed with your death!" When the beautiful and scary sorceress said that, she disappeared in the air.

It's just a prologue. What do you think? Is that concept worth continuing?