Angel and the Beast (A Good Omens fanfic)

Chapter 1

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there ruled a man named Lord Beezel. Lord Beezel was extremely wealthy, and he liked to remind people of this by filling his castle with flamboyant furnishings and grand parties. He also had a son, a young man named Crowley, but if it wasn't for the expensive clothing, you would be forgiven for thinking he was the son of one of the palace staff, for they were who he spent the most time with. Crowley was the only heir to the throne, but Beezel had never invested in any training or education to prepare him to be a ruler, for Beezel never made any plans to step down (you see, he was the sort of person who, when his time eventually came, would immediately order the grim reaper to leave the premises, and somehow, he would get his way). The only thing Beezel spent less on Crowley than money was attention.

Perhaps it was just as well, really, for Lord Beezel was a cold, cruel figure, who thought that the people he ruled over were good for nothing but providing him with more wealth. Crowley, however, despite never being taught about laws or business or The Proper Way To Go About Things, was respectful to all the palace staff, and knew the difference between what was right and what was wrong. Unfortunately, Beezel did not, and these two opposing mindsets eventually cumulated into the event that officially begins our story.

.

Lord Beezel was in his throne room, in the middle of finding a reason to put another tax on the lower classes, and, after much pestering from his advisors, he had invited Crowley to sit in on the process.
"I'm sure the peasants can spare another 50 Francs or so, don't you think?" asked Lord Beezel, not really caring what his advisors thought.

"Please your Lordship, we can barely put food on our tables as it is!" cried one of the castle servants.

Crowley, who had only half been paying attention for most of it, suddenly sat up as he caught the servant's words. He didn't know much about the outside world, but he knew if the castle staff were struggling to get by, the people in the villages must be doing it rough too.

"Well perhaps you would find it easier to do so if you didn't spend so much on unnecessary possessions," said Lord Beezel.
"How can somebody place such a fallacious claim upon someone else when their own needless possessions lie all around them?" asked Crowley, not aiming his voice in any particular direction, though it was no question who it was intended for. Everyone else in the throne room went quiet, as Beezel turned his head towards his son.
"What did you say?" he asked, scandalized.
Crowley rose to his feet. "Your lordship, these people work hard to keep this castle running, just as the people in the villages work hard to keep their villages running. I see no reason why they deserve any less than you, or in fact, why you deserve any more than they do!"
Beezel rose to his feet. "Hold your tongue, boy," he said. "You don't know anything at all about leadership. Kingdoms need a ruler!"
"Perhaps," said Crowley, "but who is it that puts food on our tables and clothes on our backs? Who is it that gives us an education? In this kingdom - in this castle, who is it that identifies problems and decides what needs to be done? The cockerel many ring in the new day, but that doesn't mean the sun won't rise without him."

Lord Beezel took a step forward, nostrils flaring. "You compare to a mere animal? Are you calling me a beast?"
This was Crowley's chance to escape, to back down and get away with little more than a stern talking to. However, holding your tongue was not exactly a pastime that Crowley was well-acquainted with, so he answered back:
"Well you're certainly not a man that I believe to be worth knowing!"

The royal advisors gasped. Lord Beezel was turning a threatening shade of crimson.
"INSOLENCE!" he cried. "I will not stand for such disrespect, especially not from my own son! You call me a beast? I'll show you a beast! DAGON!"

Dagon, a sorceress whom Beezel had employed for no discernible reason other than He Could, stepped forward (though she had been unnoticeable to the point of almost not being there a moment ago). Beezel murmured some words in her ear, before he noticed the servants stnding at Crowley's side, nervous but protective.

"You still support this boy?" Beezel sneered. "You are nothing to him, just as you are to me. You hold no more value than common furniture. You can stay with him, if you must." Beezel nodded at Dagon, before motioning to the rest of the servants and advisors to follow him. "The rest of you, come with me. We are leaving this place." He looked down at Crowley. "You know nothing about what it takes to be a leader, and you will learn this soon enough. We shall see if the sun does indeed rise again." And with that, Beezel descended from his throne, followed by a herd of quiet servants and protesting advisors.

In this commotion, a young woman, Dagon's apprentice, quickly and quietly rushed over to Crowley.
"I'm so sorry about what's going to happen, you don't deserve this at all. I don't know enough magic to reverse the spell, but I can make it breakable, so listen carefully." The apprentice rummaged in her satchel and pulled out a red rose, handing it to Crowley. "True love is how the curse can be broken. Don't ask, it's one of the strongest curse-breakers out there. If you can learn to love someone and earn their love in return, the spell will be broken. You have until the last petal of this rose falls, or about five years or so. Got that? I'm sorry I can't do more." And with that, the woman dashed off.

Crowley never saw the woman leaving the castle, all he saw was a big, billowing cloud of green smoke...

.

The sun did rise again, but it brought little warmth. Instead, the days were cold and dull, as the castle grounds were blanketed in a layer of snow, despite it being the middle of summer. The castle's interior became just as dull and bare - mirrors and all reflective surfaces were covered over, for Crowley could not bear to look at the hideous beast that Dagon had transformed him into.

There was, of course, the potential for the curse to be broken, but Dagon had erased the castle and it's inhabitants from the memory of all the people it once ruled over, so even without Crowley's repulsive appearance, the chances of finding someone to fall in love with seemed low.

And so, as days bled into months, hope gave way to frustration and despair.
For who could ever learn to love a beast?