Zombie and the Beast

1 - Birth of a Beast (Prologue)

“Is this all a game to you?” she asked, knowing they were only waiting for her to make a mistake so they could get rid of her.

“The likes of you wouldn’t be welcome at the ball anyways. So whatever for would you need a dress?”

- Memory of a horrible night

Getting past the guards had been much easier than the girl had expected. She'd only needed some flirting and a bit of Dragon-Magic. She smiled, feeling beautiful for the first time in ages. She'd selected her cream-coloured dress carefully, knowing how nicely it contrasted with her waist-long black hair and tanned skin. Even her shoes, covered in tiny pink crystals that matched her necklace and earrings, were absolutely perfect. The only thing that looked slightly out of place was the dragon bone ring she'd inherited from her grandmother, but she never took it off.

Her heart fluttering, she stood at the door of the ballroom for a few seconds. She adjusted her clothes for the third time, even though there was nothing to fix. "I can do this," she whispered to herself.

Colourful lights hung from the high ceiling, giving the room a warm atmosphere. People danced in the center at the sound of lively music, while those on the sides of the room talked, ate intricate hors d'oeuvres, and drank the most colourful cocktails she'd ever seen. The attendees seemed to quieten for a second as the girl finally paced forward and started looking for the Prince of Shinseg. She flinched as someone laughed out loud near her.

She smoothed her dress and looked from one side to the other. Biting her lip, she wondered if she would be able to find him easily. There were more good-looking young men in attendance than she'd expected. She straightened her shoulders.

"Let's start with the left side," she murmured.

Free from her stepmother's ironclad rules and stepsisters' permanent nagging and fears, she only needed one more thing: an ambitious man's support. Who better than the Crown-Prince of a micro-kingdom that was trying to get more recognition? Soon, she would become his Queen and help him expand his borders... Then, she would be free to be herself at last and show the world that Dragon-Magic didn't belong feared and frowned upon. No one else would be treated the way she and so many others had been. Children who were born with Dragon-Magic wouldn't need to hide anymore. And those who lost their families would never again need to fear being punished for who they were.

She cleared her throat discreetly, trying to get rid of the painful knot that had just appeared with the memories of her past. Had she lived somewhere else, where people like her weren't treated as monsters, things would have been different. She accepted a glass of sparkling melon juice from a passing waiter and drank it slowly, hoping its sweet and sour taste could wash away the storm that was brewing in her mind. It wasn't her fault her ancestors had killed a Dragon. She hadn't asked them to eat its flesh, nor bathe in its blood to steal its powers. Nor was it her fault that they had stolen the corpse's teeth, scales, and claws to make magical artifacts and powders. It also wasn't her fault her father has used magic to persuade a rich widow to take care of them after her mother's death, nor that he'd be been killed shortly after. She hadn't chosen Dragon-Magic, nor this life, just like one couldn't choose on which continent one was born or one's eye colour. Still, her so called family had decided to make her the villain and punish her for how she was born.

She put the glass down on a table and stood there a while, searching the room with her gaze. Prince Minho of Shinseg was supposed to be slim and tall, with black hair, dark eyes, and a small mole under his right eye. Her stepsisters had described him as strikingly handsome while they excitedly discussed the news of the upcoming ball, too busy to notice her. So far, no one seemed to fit that description.

The girl sighed and left her spot for the other side of the room, trying to ignore the burning sensation of magic accumulating in her chest as her nervousness grew. Of course, her stepfamily had been right to fear her unusual powers. Even as she walked among the beautiful, carefree people she'd envied all her life, the girl could still smell their burning flesh and hear their anguished screams. A cold shudder went down her spine and she forced herself to stand straight. She rubbed her aching heart discreetly, whishing once again that she could turn back time. Had she stayed in her room, had her stepsisters not stolen her mother's dress, had her stepmother not sided with them, had she been able to control her feelings... So many things could have gone differently that night. She batted her looming tears away and resumed her search. Her bright smile didn't reach her eyes.

The light-hearted, happy laughter and conversations around her were starting to make her stomach hurt. Again, she tried to push away the memory of the dining room alight with the green flames. She had accidentally conjured them after years of feeling left out of exactly this kind of situations. She inhaled deeply, hoping to calm her racing heart. Thinking of the years of loneliness and fears she'd endured still made her blood boil in her veins. She'd dreamed of belonging and being accepted for who she was. Of being understood and cherished. Most of all, she'd dreamed of escaping, but not this way. She sighed. She wondered if anyone could ever even like her now, after what she'd done. Would anyone love someone with such a past and who was filled with this unending maelstrom of contradicting feelings?

Her jaw started hurting, making her realise that she had been grinding her teeth. She rose her chin and balled her fists for a second. Now was not the time to be this negative. The fire hadn't been her first incident, but it would be her last. She would definitely be able to control her emotions now. She wouldn't hurt anyone else. Absolutely. Life could only be better now that her tormentors were gone.

And then, she spotted him. Surrounded by smiling people who were congratulating him on his eighteen Birthday, he looked just as stunning as she'd imagined. She caught his gaze and held it. He creased his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly to the side, probably trying to remember if he'd seen her before. She smiled, her heart suddenly feeling lighter. She set out to meet him.

She stared at the prince's bewitching eyes as they followed her progression towards him. The colour of dark chocolate, they held the promise of better days. Surely, those eyes would see her potential.

"May I have this dance?" she asked as they met.

"With pleasure," he answered as he took her hand in his. He smiled shyly, unaware that this encounter would soon condemn him to centuries of loneliness. "I don't believe we've met."

She took a step closer to him and put one hand on his shoulder and the other in his. It was warm and smooth, just like she'd imagined.

"We haven't. Call me Cinderella."