“Beauty and the Beast with a Twist”

                “What if you and I made a deal?” Belle did not face him. She worried she might faint
if saw the sword she knew he held by his side.

                “I don’t think you have anything more valuable than your life.” His breath was
warm against the back of her neck.

                “But that’s exactly what I could give you.” When he didn’t respond, she turned to
face him, keeping her eyes on his, not daring to look at his hands. “You need a
servant to take care of your house and cook. I could be that in exchange for
the 1,400 I need to pay the debt.”

                She could see him thinking about it, his golden eyes flickering in the candle
light.

                “I would be obedient.” He did not respond right away. “I could do whatever you
wanted, whenever you wanted.”

                “For how long?” he asked. She heard him put his sword on the table.

                “Until my death. A life debt.”

                “You wouldn’t be able to marry. What would I tell your betrothed?”

                “The dead can’t marry anyway.”

                “It takes two things to make a deal.”

                “Vale more tae lan, mi Ven.” Belle whispered, ‘tell me what you want, my Lord.’

                “In exchange for your debt, I will take you as my servant. You will be obedient and loyal to me.”

                “Of course.”

                “And as  a symbol of your loyalty, I will take a kiss.”

                “As you wish, my Lord.”

                Belle closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. His lips brushed gently against
hers, just as the golden light hit the room, the sun brushing a red tint through her hair.

                When she pulled away, she grabbed her chest. It felt as if someone had wrapped a hand around her heart, squeezing tightly, and then the feeling was gone.

                “Giving yourself to someone is one of the most powerful deals you can make. That feeling was your fate being tied to mine.”