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Chapter Text

-Belle-

The forest was dark. Well, technically every forest was dark for Belle, but this forest was cold. Cold usually meant dark and the dark brings even the most seasoned explorer cowering in fear in the Beast King's Forest.

She had been tied up and dumped on the ground like a trussed up turkey ready for the slaughter. The ground was rough beneath her and her skin crawled from the unknown. Sounds echoed in the air oddly. The sound of birds became screams and the leaves rustling in the wind became an unknown figure charging towards her. Every noise was terrifying.

Her head pressed into her shoulder to shield at least one of her ears from the symphony of foreign sounds. Her hands were tied behind her back just loose enough that escape taunted her. Every sharp crunching noise in the forest made her redouble her efforts to escape. Her hands twisted and pulled until the flesh there was raw and painful.

Her hands soon became slick with blood. The blood made it easier to slip out of the rope and when she was finally free she didn't even bother to stand. The only thing she needed was to cup her hands around her ears and block out the horrors that sounded off all around her.

Her heart beat in her chest sounded like a pulsing drum in her ears and her breathing came quickly at first, but it slowed as she focused on it. When her breathing was under control, she dared to consider her options.

Stay or go. Sit or roam. Be eaten while stumbling blindly or save herself the trouble and wait here to be eaten. That would be the courteous thing to do to save the monsters any trouble of tracking her.

She needed her wits about her if she was going to survive the night. If she made it to sunrise, she would head in the direction of the rising sun. Civilization was due east of the Beast King's forest, and civilization meant survival. Her imagination was brought to heel and she no longer flinched at the sound of the wind shaking the trees.

The rhythm of the forest was constant. There were birds and bugs and trees that all sang out their warning songs as a light breeze moved around all of them. In any other circumstance it would be beautiful. It was all harmonious except the faint crunching sound of leaves that was coming from behind her. The hair all over her body stood on end.

She turned towards the sound of the leaves and then a low rumble sounded out as a warning. That noise belonged to a large creature. The blood in her ears began to pound and she didn't hear much of anything else. Maybe there would be no way out of this forest. Not for her.

It's funny the things you think of when you're about to die. Here she was, about to be eaten, and the only thing she could think of was catching rabbits and taking them home as a child. Especially how easy it was to catch the rabbits that were injured or clumsy. She was just an injured clumsy rabbit in her wide eyed terror.

She briefly thought about running, but that would only lead to being sprawled across the ground with a broken ankle trying to desperately get her bearings before being eaten alive.

The comical thought of running wildly just to knock herself out by running straight into a tree crossed her mind and she completely ruled out running.

She was just waiting, her hand searching subtly across the ground behind her looking for the biggest rock she could find.

"Who are you?" The creature's voice was oddly human.

If she was any less petrified, she might not have answered, but her mind was working on simple command, a response came unbidden to her lips.

"Belle."

The sound of the creatures short angry breaths drew closer and she shuffled back, her hand finally finding a rock big enough to give her a false sense of security. "What are you, Belle?" He asked

She didn't know how many answers there could possibly be to that kind of question but she didn't have to think about it because her voice was still reacting on instinct.

"Human."

"Belle the human." He said her name like it was an inside joke and she had no idea how to respond. After a short pause he continued.

"Why are you here?"

She had backed herself up against a tree trunk. She clenched the rock in her hand, waiting for him to pounce. She couldn't answer his question. She couldn't even remember what he asked. She said the only thing she could think of.

"Are you going to eat me?" The night air was cold and menacing.

He let out a sharp humorless laugh, "Do you think I'm going to ask your name and then eat you immediately after? Perhaps you've imagined that beasts are so sinister that we derive joy from naming our meals."

His tone was hostile and sarcastic, which should've made her scared, but after being told that she wasn't about to be eaten, she took her first full breath in what seemed like hours. Anger took over her then. If he wasn't planning on eating her, he certainly didn't have any issues scaring her to death.

"You mock my question, but I'm am sure monsters don't approach women in forests to invite them to tea. I would think there's usually a lot less talking and a lot more screaming and eating."

"You've met many monsters then?" He asked and she could hear a smile in his voice, and it ruffled her pride. Eating or not, he was mocking her.

"No, I suppose not. Although I don't know if I would officially consider this as meeting a monster. I've not learned you name, your intentions, nor anything else. I know you almost as well as I know any other monster."

She had a suicide wish, that much was clear at this point. She had already decided her oncoming death was the fault of the townspeople, but here she was antagonizing monsters.

"You want to know my name?" he asked in a low voice, his slight advances had stopped and he was completely frozen.

It hadn't actually occurred to her that monsters had names. She was just interested in what kind of monster she would have the pleasure to be killed by, but she wasn't about to admit her ignorance now.

"Yes, that is after all the natural order of making one's acquaintance."

"I think I am now on the receiving end of being mocked for a sincere question. Maybe you have never come across a monster before, but I have come across dozens of maidens roaming this forest, none of which made it this far in conversation without coming to hysterics at the first sight of me."

"In fair defense of all these other maidens they could probably see you a lot better than I can." She said before realizing that maybe it wasn't the best idea to tell the huge predatory beast that she was at a disadvantage.

"Yes, one good thing about these pitch black nights is that they hide beasts like me well enough." The monster said ruefully.

His voice turned sour, and the mood shifted instantly, Belle struggled with something to change the subject. She did not wish to discuss her inability to see, and he clearly had issues with his "beastly self". She wondered how likely a monster would be to kill someone because their self-esteem is a little low.

"You are avoiding my question. What is your name?"

She was greeted by silence and then more silence. "Well, that didn't work very well." She thought to herself. She racked her brain to say something to break the awkwardness until he finally replied.

"I had a name once, but now I go by my more popular moniker, the King of Beasts."

"Oh." Belle said, unsure of how to respond. She let go of the rock she had been clutching in her hand. It wasn't going to help her now. The parts of her that had been lulled into security tensed back up and she said the only thing that came to her mind. "You're different than I imagined."

He let out a long sigh, "You're the one they sent then." He said not as a question but with finality.

She answered anyways, "Yes."

There was no more pleasant conversation, no more negotiations, just the simple word yes and the world was taken out from under her has the beast grabbed her and took to the skies.

Chapter Text

Flying was overwhelming. The wind was deafening, and she was swaying in the sky dangerously as if she could fall at any moment.

When he finally did release her, she screamed, expecting a long fall. Her screams were stopped short when she hit the ground only a few inches from where he released her. The ground was stone which meant they were not on the forest floor anymore. Before she was even able to find which way was up and which way was down, she was yanked up by her wrist and was dragged forward.

Her feet kept moving. Every step made awkward contact with the ground which would have resulted in a broken ankle if he hadn't been supporting most of her weight. Her failed strides continued until she hit her shins on something hard. She pulled against his grasp and he readjusted by pulling her completely off her feet and carrying her.

He didn't even slow. He carried her like she weighed nothing. He had long coat of fur that was much thicker than any animal she had come across before. His claws were thorns in her side. They did not draw blood, but they stood as a stark reminder of how lethal he was.

The Beast was breathing quickly, and he let out a small growl with every exhale. His heart beat was loud in her ears. Doors were opened dramatically and slammed behind them stairs were descended until he let go of her. She fell sideways onto a soft surface. With one deep breath her lungs were filled with dust.

"Now you will have plenty of stories about making the Beast King's acquaintance" he said darkly.

He slammed a door with his exit. She couldn't move until she heard him ascend the stairs out of ear shot. She was still frozen for a few minutes longer.

"Hello?" She said softly. Her voice cracked, but she heard enough of the sound travel to know that she was in a small closed room. She sat up and immediately the room shook underneath her. She was sitting on a rickety bed that moved with every shift. Her hand reached out blindly until she found the wall that supported one of the side of the bed.

Content with the area she carved out for herself, she tucked her knees to her chest and she listened. Something was dripping from somewhere, and there was a general damp smell about the place. There were no open windows. The air would not be so stagnant and heavy if there were. She was freezing cold, and her arm did not feel right, but she couldn't help but smile a small pitiful smile.

She had made it to a castle, just not the one her father had promised.

-The Beast-

The king of beasts stalked up the stairs. He tried to hold onto his anger, but it seeped out with every step and a pit began to form in his stomach. He had made a mistake and now he couldn't take it back. Once he had ascended the stairs from the dungeon, he headed towards the Dining room. The smell of dinner grew stronger the closer he got to the kitchen, but the smell of food made his chest constrict. The sooner he told Vandy and Polly about her, the sooner he could move on from what he had done.

He opened the dining room, and the table was already set for nearly a dozen. His place at the head of the table was prepared even though most nights it remained vacant. Vanderwall was placing glasses around the table when The Beast King walked in he didn't even pick up his head from his work.

"Back so soon?" He asked.

The Beast glanced warily to the large oak doors that connected the kitchen to the dining room. Those doors were always opening and closing, and this wasn't a conversation that he wanted an audience for.

Vandy looked up, finally setting down the last glass. The Beast paused. How could he even explain his actions? Shame ate at him as he stared ruefully into the distance his mind running down the different options, they had but all paths led nowhere.

"What?" Vandy asked and the Beast briefly considered whether or not he could keep a human in the dungeon without Vandy knowing.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked again, more desperately.

"Vandy, I-"

"He's done it again Vandy!" Polly yelled bursting through the oak doors.

Polly had a distinct way of taking up an entire room whenever she entered, and now was no exception. Her long grey hair was wrapped on top of her head and was falling out in wild tendrils all over the place. The apron she wore made it look like she had just come from war rather than the kitchen.

The Beast tensed at her declaration. If Polly had watched, who else now knew he housed a human? He let out a deep breath. Already, things were getting out of hand. She marched over waving a wooden spoon in her hand, wielding it like a weapon.

"You have got a lot of explaining to do! How could you- Why on earth- What were you thinking?!" She asked finally but before he could respond she continued on, now pacing back and forth.

"Have you no self-control? Have you lost your mind? Just the wolfmen is bad enough, but now? NOW?" She asked, her voice growing louder as she spoke.

"What is happening?!" Vandy asked loudly. He put out his arm to stop Polly from pacing anymore.

They both turned to him, and he looked away, not able to meet their eyes. "We have a guest. In the dungeon."

Vandy's mouth dropped open in shock and Polly smacked the Beast on the arm violently with her wooden spoon.

"A woman guest, who arrived being dragged about and shoved by our King!" She said her hands on her hips.

Vandy shook his head trying to wrap his mind around the moment, "There's a woman? Here? You brought a human woman here?" he asked incredulously

"Aren't you listening Vandy? He kidnapped her, practically dragged her kicking and screaming into the castle and he wasn't too gentle about it either." She whacked him again with her spoon, "Treating a woman like that! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

He felt his muscles tense against her accusations and his jaw clenched. Her words were like barbs and each one only hardened his resolve. "She wanted this." he reminded himself.

"She was probably innocently plucking flowers from the edge of the forest when he grabbed her!"

"She was deep enough in the forest to know where she was."

"Oh, so you think just because you're king of the forest you can just kidnap unsuspecting women and take them for your own? You've got another thing coming because-"

"She was sent out there by the humans This is exactly what she wanted."

Polly stepped back. Her anger had subsided enough for her to lower her wooden spoon. She had no more words for him.

"There's a woman in our dungeon?!" Vandy asked suddenly, his mind having finally caught up to the conversation.

"Yes dear, we've already been over that!" Polly said, rolling her eyes at him.

"No, why did you take her to the dungeon? We have nearly a dozen vacant guest rooms!"

"It didn't occur to me."

"I should hope you did not have abducting a woman all planned out!" Polly said.

Vandy put his hand on Polly's arm, calming her down, "I understand why she was in the forest, but why did you bring her here?"

"I don't need to explain my motivations to either of you." The beast said losing patience with this conversation.

Polly and Vandy exchange a look, "No," Polly said, "but something had to have changed! There's been a young woman in that forest every blood moon for the past 6 years and the most you've ever done is chase them out of the forest. Now, after dozens of women, there is now one sitting in our dungeons. Who is she?"

Polly had a knack for getting to the heart of things, but he didn't have an answer for her, he wasn't even sure he could answer that question himself. She was beautiful. The thought came to his mind, and he frowned. Was it because she spoke to him? She did not turn her head away in disgust or fear.

The truth was that he had been poisoned by hope. Hope drove him to act in an unescapable cycle and he was out of control. He had hope for a second that things could be different, he acted on that hope, and now he had welcomed that poison into his home.

"Vandy, check on our guest. When you are done find me and report to me."

"You want me to go to the dungeon to check on the girl? The dungeon??" Vandy asked. "You have lost your mind."

The beast sighed deeply, "Do what I ask." he said wheeling around and exiting leaving Vandy and Polly alone to scheme together on how to save the girl from his clutches. He was exhausted, but he turned away from his rooms and moved towards the west wing.

He stopped at the base of the stairs, frozen. The west wing had been left alone for years. It was a scar, just a record of an old wound that was too painful for him to completely destroy. There was no reason he should have taken Belle out of the forest to his castle, in fact, there was every reason to do the exact opposite thing.

If there was a reason behind his actions it was somewhere up in the west wing, and that knowledge made him ascend the stairs for the first time in years.

Chapter Text

-Belle-

Belle could hear someone descending the stairs. Her knees were tucked to her chest, and she was still sitting in the exact place that the Beast had left her.

He must have decided to eat her and save him the trouble, or he decided he wanted to have more fun with her. The women who had been chosen in previous years had returned from the forest traumatized. Belle wouldn't last a minute.

When the footsteps stopped outside the door, dread filled a small pit in her stomach. There was the sound of metal on metal and after some struggle, and lots of attempts to open the door, it finally swung open.

It wasn't him. That was the first thing she noticed. The footsteps were shorter, and the breathing was shallower. She was dealing with a different beast altogether. For a beat there was no sound and Belle felt naked under the eye of the unknown intruder.

"Hello there." His voice left a slight ringing in the air. If she wasn't convinced that he wasn't the king of beasts, she knew for sure now. There was an awkward pause and Belle didn't know how to react, but she knew she didn't want to move.

The man moved closer and when Belle physically flinched back against the wall, he stopped moving towards her. "you're bleeding." he mentioned aloud and Belle did not respond to him, she just tucked her injured arm closer towards herself.

"I should start out by saying that I am sorry about all of this. My name is Vanderwall, but I am called Vandy. You don't have to speak to me, in fact, if I were in your shoes I would be feeling the same way, but I'm the closest thing that we've got to a doctor here, and it looks like you're in need of some assistance." He said.

Belle was silent. It was her turn to respond, she knew that, but she was stuck between a rock and a hard place either to accept help from her kidnappers and their offers of service or to possible bleed out and die of infection. Dying only seemed to be a pleasing option due to the horrors she imagined waiting for her in the Beast's castle.

He must have been able to read the expression on her face because he went to placate her further. "I do not intend you any ill will. You won't find a single soul in the walls of this castle that would lay a hand on you. I don't expect you to believe me, but that's the truth. The master- well of course, you have not seen him in the best light I am sure, but he is not cruel. He has asked that I see to your needs, but if you wish, I will leave and not come back at your word."

Belle began to realize that this was her olive branch. If she burned this, there might not be more extended in the future. She didn't know if she believed Vandy, but she didn't have any other choices.

"I would like some help." She managed to mumble out quietly.

She could hear the man move towards the door, "Of course." He said and moved towards her. "May I see your wrists please?" He asked, and Belle held out her wrists towards him. She jumped a little when a rough hand took her arm. He had claws that bit into her arms gently. It definitely was not human. She shuddered.

He took her wrists delicately as if he expected her to bolt at any moment. "This is not too severe. I must fetch supplies to dress these. Are you hungry dear?" He asked.

"Yes." Belle said softly and the man stood up. "I will be back soon with some supplies sit tight." That was the last thing he said before turning and leaving again with his footsteps disappearing with the stairs.

-Vanderwall-

Vandy cleared the stairs two at a time, getting away from the girl as fast as he could. He couldn't help but feel slightly responsible for her predicament. He was the one who had given the Beast a stirring speech about controlling your own destiny. The poor boy had been in a dismal place for months now. Vandy had only meant to give him some hope, but he didn't mean for hope to mean this.

The kitchen was full. Polly and Anette were at the table covered in flour and handling dough whispering between each other in hushed tones. Anette's two girls were scrubbing dishes and the dog was sitting beside the girls begging for scraps to be thrown his way. When Vanderwall entered the kitchen all of the chaos seemed to come to a halt, and everyone turned to him for news.

He avoided their eyes and went to the counter collecting a dish from the cupboard and filling it with bread and cheese.

"She's hungry?" Polly asked.

"She's been through a great deal in the last few hours. You would be hungry as well." He said, busying himself with filling a pitcher of water.

He grabbed the small case of medical supplies that they had kept in the kitchen in case of emergencies and Polly pounced on him.

"She's injured?!" Vandy sighed deeply. He didn't need Polly bringing the castle down on top of itself before either of them understood why the beast took her in the first place. This was going to require tact and Polly was not famous for her tact.

"She's pretty." Vandy said, distracting Polly. "and she didn't even scream when she saw me."

"There must be something wrong with her because you're as gruesome as ever." she said, moving from her work and walking over to him, dusting off her apron.

"You're going to need help carrying all of that down to the dungeons." Polly said.

"I can manage it." Vandy said, gathering up the water pitcher and the supplies. Polly grabbed the dish before he could take it himself.

"Nonsense dear. It'll be no trouble for me." Polly said. Vandy just shook his head, there was never any point in arguing with Polly. She could boss around an oak tree.

-Belle-

Belle had started to drift asleep. She was determined to remain alert until Vandy returned, but her eyes were heavy, and her body ached. She had only closed her eyes for a moment when she was woken suddenly by the sound of the door opening.

"Hello!" A woman's voice, decidedly not Vandy and definitely not the beast. She was shocked awake and still in the thralls of sleep enough to reply without even thinking about it.

"Hello." Belle said, now realizing that there were two of them. They both crossed the room towards her and Belle sat up more.

"This is Polly, she insisted on coming along because-" Vandy trailed off letting Polly finish his sentence.

"Well obviously I'm here because you boys can't ever think anything through. You thought to bring food, but you didn't even bother to bring a simple set of linen for that horrible mattress or even a chamber pot?"

"I figured injuries trumped linens." Vandy said, irritated.

"Well yes of course, but you do have the whole staff at your disposal. You could have easily sent- oh, I'm not even going to bother with you. It's rude to argue in front of guests." She informed him pointedly.

Belle did not know how to react to their back and forth.

"Argue in front of guests?! I wasn't the one who-" He got cut off by Polly who moved closer to Belle and laid something at her feet.

"here's some food dear. I'm sorry about him. Like Vanderwall was so helpful to point out, I am Polly. I sort of run the castle, or at least I ensure the boys don't burn the place down. What is your name."

Belle blinked suddenly taken back by the familiarity of the woman. She didn't know how to respond to the familiar kindness she was being offered.

"My name is Belle. It's nice to meet you."

The woman laughed. "Oh, look at you! So polite! I'm sure it's not very nice to meet the acquaintance of your captors, but I do appreciate your kindness."

The woman crossed the room towards the bed and laid something down in front of her.

"Here's your food. It was a pleasure to meet you dear, and I will be back soon. I'll leave you with Vanderwall for the moment while he makes sure you are in tip top shape."

She stood and retreated with the swooshing sound of her skirts, leaving just Belle and Vandy in the room.

"May I sit down?" he asked. The politeness wasn't fake, she could tell that much, it was intentional and respectful. Belle nodded her head and Vandy sat next to her.

"Now let me see those wrists and we'll get down to business." He said.

She held out her wrists to the sound of his voice. They sat a moment together, not saying anything. Belle was wrapped too much in listening to his shallow breathing, to the constant drip in the back of the room. Listening for anything familiar that could place her at home.

"It's good news. Your wounds are not bad. I will clean them and bandage them, but they should heal right up within days."

He scrubbed the wound and covered it with a thick paste that instantly took the pain away.

It didn't take him very long, but Belle didn't like the silence very much, it meant she was in the dark. She had zoned out and almost didn't even catch it when he spoke.

"This is an awkward question my dear, but do you know what caused beast to be provoked?" he asked, and Belle almost didn't believe the question. She was a little offended. He asked as if it was her who must have been at fault.

"He seemed to not like me asking about his name at all." She answered fully aware that it sounded insane.

"His name? He kidnapped you nearly mangling you on the way because you asked his name?"

Her hands wrapped together, and traitorous tears started to form in the corner of her eyes, "What reason does a beast need to behave beastly?" She demanded.

"I see." He said. Vandy was silent for a long moment while his hands stilled as they finished their work.

"I apologize." He said, "My sincerest apologies dear. You do not deserve this."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You did not lock me up."

"No but I am sorry for you nonetheless. You have been unfairly forced into a situation that is none of your concern and that you should not have to endure."

The question that burned in her mind swelled until it came out in one breath, "Will you let me go?"

Vandy tightened the bandage around her wrist and stood.

"I would if I could dear. I'm afraid that you won't find anyone in the castle willing to go against the Master's wishes, but I can promise you that you will be unharmed and I can promise you every amenity."

He said and her chest deflated, and she finally felt the gravity of this situation. She was stuck.

"Is there anything else that you want dear?" Vandy asked, standing at the door.

Belle smiled thinly. "No, there is nothing."

Chapter Text

-The Beast-

Vandy was on a quest for blood. Looking for his young master he started with his rooms and then to the gardens the two places that the beast ever seemed to be. When he wasn't at either of those places, Vandy had resorted to checking the entire castle, floor by floor and room by room, carefully avoiding Polly and her anger. She looked on the brink of strangling someone while she was in the dungeon.

When Vandy finally found the beast, he was in the west wing in his father’s library with papers strewn all over the room and books thrown all about. Vandy opened his mouth then closed it and repeated those steps three or four times before letting it all out.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing?" He asked finally.

"How is she?" he asked looking up from his reading with a tired face.

"How is she? How is she?" Vandy repeated almost hysterical. "You should know exactly how she's doing! You're the one who roughed her up then threw her in the dungeon."

Vandy took notice of the way the Beast's jaw locked up and they both eyed each other evenly.

"You need to let her go." Vandy said gently.

"No." The beast responded almost at once surprising even himself. "She wanted to be here, don't forget that. Just because she regrets it now because I'm more of a monster than she could have ever imagined does not mean that she didn't sign up for this." His voice was cold and final and Vandy found himself open mouthed unable to argue any further.

The King was right of course, any woman out in the forest on a blood moon wants to be exactly where Belle found herself.

"Can I move her out of the dungeons at least?"

"No." The beast said turning his back to Vandy.

"She's injured. You might not have taken notice when you kidnapped her, but she needs to stay somewhere clean and preferably warm."

"She'll know enough castles in her life to know mine. She stays in the dungeon."

"You can't just- you're not-" Vandy started his sentence over again and again until he just turned out of the room leaving the beast alone again in his father’s study.

The beast went back to his father’s books looking for the paper he hadn't looked at in ages. It took him several hours of combing through every nook and cranny to find the familiar well-worn off color paper, It was the safekeeper of his curse.

He read the comfortable words for the first time since they sealed his fate permanently.

Monster from birth inherits a curse only to be broken through love. If the love leaves the monster succeeds and will exist forever more.

The words of the curse seemed burned in his skin and he saw the constant reminder daily of what he had lost. He forgot why he had searched up the curse why he had this intense need to read it's words again when they trapped him in a box.

He folded the paper along well-worn creases and left his father’s study in ruin.

Polly had a lot to do. She had already sent off two maids and she was making an intensive list of all the things that needed done in a short period of time.

"What are you doing?" The beast demanded as he walked into the main hall and Polly was standing and directing a few footman moving some of the furniture around.

"We're preparing the furniture for our new guest." Polly replied, not looking away from her work. She looked up and directed the footmen to put the flower vases into the storage room in the south wing.

So many things came to the Beast's mind at once that suddenly he found himself speechless.

"What guest?!" he managed to ask incredulously as others passed by the hall carrying a small coffee table.

"Belle."

His fur stood on end and his heart leaped at the very sound of her name. He frowned at the unexpected reaction.

"She won't be coming up from the dungeon."

"I suppose you'll have to rename the north wing to "the dungeon" because that is where she will be staying the remainder of her stay."

"You are not the master of this castle!" The beast said. Polly was taking it too far.

Polly finally put down her papers and regarded the king evenly.

"You are not the master of this castle either. At least, I had hoped that my master would never entrap and injure a woman and throw her in the dungeon to rot." The beast opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off, "if you will not listen to reason I will not listen to you and I will resign as housekeeper now and be on my way"

They stood in silent battle. Polly was serious, he knew it. She had been keeping him in line for almost his entire life and he had never seen her so riled up.

"She wanted to be here Polly."

"Did she tell you that?"

"She didn't need to. She was in the forest during the blood moon."

Polly shook her head, "People aren't what they seem. You of all people should know that. She is scared and she is getting out of that dungeon tonight."

All of his fight had left him and he stood unable to give permission and unable to say no.

"Move her to the east wing Polly, and you will ensure that I will not see her." Polly nodded and spun around marching back to work. Being left alone suddenly, the beast had a nagging itch that became so severe he could not ignore it anymore.

The best walked through the grand doors and immediately took flight towards his forest looking for a fight.

Chapter Text

Belle had been trapped in her new room for three days now. It seemed even worse having a nice room compared to an old dungeon. It felt more of a joke to be kidnapped by a monster and be living in better living situations than she had at home.

Every morning Polly came by and brought breakfast and polite conversation. Every morning she extended the offer to show Belle around the castle, but every morning Belle gently turned her down and then Polly left Belle alone. She would stop in and check on her once or twice throughout the day and then bring her the evening meal and turn down her bed but she stayed secluded other than that.

"Mrs. Belle would you like to take a turn about the castle today?" Polly asked again on the fourth morning. Metal shifted against metal as Polly open the curtains and let new warmth into the room.

"No thank you Polly, I feel more comfortable here."

Polly took the breakfast tray and set it on the table where Belle was sitting and instead of her usual exit, she sat down at the table across from her.

"Mrs. Belle, we've become acquainted in the past few days, and I was wondering if I could be somewhat bold?"

Belle laughed, Polly had been one of the brighter spots in her days here. She was like the grandmother that she never knew she had. "Please, be as blunt as you would like." Kind lies were sometimes more cruel than hard truths.

"Well, I-" She stopped and Belle could almost hear her searching for the right words. "Oh, blast it all. I'll just come out and say it. You don't need to hide your afflictions on my behalf. You are, if I am correct, a very blind woman."

Belle's stomach dropped. She had been well practiced in hiding her blindness. She had her sight for most of her life and knew how to hold her eyes in a way that looked natural. She knew that it wasn't fool proof, but she assumed that no one would notice with how little interaction she had throughout the day.

"I'm- Yes. Have I been that noticeable?"

Polly laughed, "I may be old, but you will find that most creatures in the forest have an affinity for finding weaknesses."

Belle felt her face flame red in embarrassment. She had worked so hard to hide it only to be seen through so easily. A horrific thought flew to her mind.

"Does he know?" Belle asked, "Does he know that I am- that I can't"

Polly cut her off. "I am not sure. If I was a betting woman, I would bet he was completely unaware. Vandy didn't notice, and those two were never the most observant when it came to women anyways."

"Please don't, tell them." Belle said awkwardly.

"Are you sure dear? Things would be different if he knew. He might even take pity on you and agree to let you go."

"I am sure." Belle said dryly. For some reason, even in the midst of being abducted, the idea of being let go simply because she was blind, angered her.

She imagined returning to her home and telling her father the sad truth. "Not even then Beast King wanted me after he saw how pathetic I was." No. She could never wave her condition around as a crutch or to garner sympathy. She wasn't someone who needed pity.

"You have my word. I will not say a thing, but they're both bound to find out eventually. No matter what I might say about them, they are not completely incompetent. Just mostly.

"Everyone will find out. I could not keep it a secret even if I wanted to, but I will not wave it around. My blindness changes nothing here." Belle said.

"Yes. I will honor your request, but I have a request of my own."

"What could I do for you?"

"I need you to honestly consider taking a tour of the castle with me."

Belle opened her mouth, a slew of excuses already coming to her mind, but Polly continued.

"You cannot stay up in your room for the next two weeks. It will drive your mind mad and send the ghosts after you, and there are plenty of ghosts in these halls looking for someone to haunt."

Belle was quiet for a moment, considering Polly's request. Her room was the place that she had claimed as a safe haven. After she had explored it and grew familiar with everything, it was her new home. Outside of this room she didn't know who she was. A captive? A guest? Outside of this room she could not control who she came across, and that included the famed King of Beasts.

"I don't want to see him." Belle said quietly.

"You won't. I promise. In fact, any given day when you venture out your odds of coming across his majesty is low. He spends most of his time in that forest keeping the peace."

Belle took a deep sigh. No was the answer that she wanted to give, but that was fear talking. The truth was that every time that Polly left her alone in that room there was nothing more she wanted to do than to leave.

"Okay." She said.

Polly clapped her hands together and laughed lightly, "Alright Ms. Belle, let's take it slow at first I will leave you to get dressed and to finish your breakfast and I will return in an hour's time."

Polly stood from the chair left the room without another word and Belle couldn't help but feel excited. She ate quickly and felt her way to the wardrobe. It was filled with various dresses and shirts and trousers that Belle had gone through and tried on nearly every day or something to do. She felt around for the comfortable dress she liked with the smooth material and was ready by the time Polly came back.

Belle was not miserable. Instead, if anyone asked, she would have to begrudgingly admit that she had a great time. The castle had a confusing floor plan and really long echoey halls. It smelled like an old library containing hundreds of secrets and Polly was an expert conversationalist. They had managed to skirt around the subject of the King Beast all day long.

She had distracted Belle by taking her to the kitchens and introducing Anette, who had been making all of her meals. After expressing her sincere gratitude Anette asked invited her to help around the kitchen anytime.

"I don't think I would be much help." Belle said.

"Well if you can't help my mom you could come help me!" Called a smaller voice from the corner of the room.

"Emma! Our guest will not be helping you with your chores!" Anette called. Emma and Agnis were her two daughters that helped her around the kitchen.

Emma groaned from the back, and everyone laughed.

"You would be plenty of help." Anette said, "Plus, the perks of cooking is sampling."

"I'm afraid that I would only be in the way." Belle said, "I don't see the best in the world." She said, waving her hand in front of her eyes.

Belle had never had to tell anyone that she had been blinded before. The village knew her story well from her father's late nights in the ale house. It was a good thing. She didn't have to hear the sympathy in their voices and the apologies that people gave her unwarranted.

"Oh." Anette said softly and Belle smiled awkwardly.

"You can't see anything?!" Emma's voice came from across the room.

Belle turned towards her voice and smiled.

"Nope."

"But, how did you know to look over here?" She asked incredulously.

"I have really good ears." Belle said.

"Well, if you can't see anything then don't you just walk into walls and doors all day? How do you know how to put on clothes?" She gasped suddenly, "How do you brush your hair?" She asked in a panic.

Belle laughed and Anette and Polly followed her. "I have really really good ears." Belle said.

"Stop asking her so many questions Emma." Anette called out. "I'm sorry Belle, you've unwittingly told the biggest gossip in the castle your secret. Everyone will know by tomorrow." Anette warned and Belle smiled while Emma leapt to her own defense.

They spent most of their afternoon with Anette and Emma. She ate a lot and laughed a lot as maids and gardeners filtered in and out looking for something to eat, and Belle was introduced to them all.

"Miss Belle, will you sit by me tonight at dinner?" Agnis asked. Agnis had come into the kitchen after her chores were done and had been equally as mystified by Belle's eyes as her sister was.

An awkward silence ensued. Belle had no interest in coming across the King Beast and he was sure to be at his own table for dinner.

"I'm sorry Agnis. I think I am going to take dinner in my room tonight." Belle said softly and the little girl voiced her disappointment.

"Alright girls. I think that's enough fun. You've completely exhausted our guest. Go clean up and get ready for dinner."

"But mom!" Emma declared, "I wanted to ask Belle if-"

"Nope! Go right now." Anette said firmly.

The two girls filtered out unhappily with groans and complains until they closed the door.

"Thank you for putting up with them." Anette said.

"No, it was no trouble. Your daughters are fun. Thank you for allowing me to interrupt your work."

"Anytime. The kitchen is always open to you if you want any food or just some company."

Belle and Polly left the kitchen and Polly took Belle back to her room.

"It wasn't too overwhelming?" Polly asked.

"No!" Belle rushed out, and then realized that she wasn't even saying it just to be nice. She had a lot of fun. "No, it wasn't too much. Can we go out tomorrow?" Belle asked.

"Definitely." Polly said, squeezing her hand. "I'm going to run and help set up the table, but I will be by soon to bring you dinner." She said, and she left.

Belle sunk into the bed and laid down. She couldn't help but think of turning down Agnis' invitation and she wondered if the Beast King knew about her invitation to dinner. It was getting harder and harder to keep her anger. The castle, the beasts, everything in the forest completely contradicted every story she had ever heard.

Even the King of Beasts was seen in a new light as she heard stories about him. Her arm still ached from being dragged through the castle, and she was still terrified of him, but he was not the one who had tied her up and placed her in the forest in the first place.

Polly had brought food only a short while later with little fanfare coming in and out as she worked and when Belle was done eating Polly turned down her bed and grabbed her plates.

"Thank you for being my adventure partner Ms. Belle."

"Can we go tomorrow as well?"

"Of course." Polly gave her a small hug. "You've already won over half the castle. If I don't bring you around, they all might riot."

Polly said goodnight and Belle realized that she was happy.

Only a few minutes after Polly left a knock sounded at the door. It wasn't Polly's signature knock. It was three solid pounds that made Belle start. Before she could cross the room towards the door a voice broke the silence.

"Good evening." Belle froze, it was the beast himself at her door.

"I- this is weird talking to a door, but Polly wanted me to apologize." He said awkwardly making his apology mean a little less. Belle silently moved an inch at a time towards the door.

"There are no excuses for my actions, they are despicable, and you should expect nothing else from me. I want to make that part clear, but I wanted to ensure that you knew that you are safe here while you are our guest and I-."

He stopped there was nothing for a minute until he finished it quickly.

"I apologize again." and his footsteps quickly pushed away from the door and died out.

Chapter Text

"How was dinner?" Belle asked Polly as they began their adventuring for the day.

"Short. Vandy and I got into a bit of an argument about salad forks and then we ate in silence as everyone made jokes about us." She said as if retelling an old war story.

Belle laughed, " That does sound like quite the affair. I am sorry I missed it."

"You could always join us tomorrow!" Polly said in her usual chipper tone.

"You know I can't." Belle had been clear about her intention to completely avoid the King Beast.

"Well, that's just the thing. He wasn't even eating with us last night. In fact, he hasn't come back from the forest since yesterday afternoon. We've all been a touch worried about him."

Belle frowned. "You're wrong. He was here last night."

"Here? where?"

"My room last night."

Polly's hand gripped Belle's extremely hard.

"He came into your room?!" Polly asked, sounding as though she was about to have a heart attack. "Tell me everything! If he even touched you or threatened you, I'll- I'll-"

"No, no! It wasn't like that. He- apologized."

There was coughing and sputtering ending in a weak wheeze then Polly was finally able to talk, "He did not."

"He did."

"What did he say? If he said anything to upset you I'll-" Belle cut her off by placing hand on Polly's arm that was linked through her own. Polly's grip finally relaxed on her arm.

"No, nothing like that. He didn't really say anything besides an apology."

"Did he now?" Polly asked with such an incredulous tone that Belle had to think back to ensure that she hadn't just dreamt the whole thing.

"Yes, he had said you put him up to it." Belle admitted.

"Put him up to it? I told that boy that if he came near your rooms he was going to be cleaning the whole castle himself for a month."

"I see." Belle said suddenly lost in thought. She didn't see. She was too busy trying to contrive an evil motive for an apology.

"So?" Polly asked.

"So what?"

"Well do I have to make him clean the whole castle himself for the entire month?" Polly asked.

Belle laughed, "That's not my decision."

"Well, if you tell me that he's upset you then he'll be cleaning. every square inch of this place." Polly said with finality.

"Well, he is the King of the Beasts-"

"That doesn't mean anything"

"He probably is very busy doing whatever it is Kings do-"

"Apparently too busy to check-in with everyone besides the one person he swore he wouldn't go near."

"I appreciated the apology." Belle said finally and then realized that she actually meant it. She was still suspicious of the Beast, but she wasn't afraid anymore that he would sneak into her room in the middle of the night and kill her.

"Well, that solves that then." Polly said, a little too satisfied with herself.

Polly asked Belle where she would like to explore and Belle asked her to take her outside. It hadn't even been a week yet, but she felt like she had not felt the sun on her face for a month.

Polly agreed and showed her the most direct route from her room to the gardens.

She opened the doors in front of her and she was greeted with warmth that hit her face and made her smile.

"The gardens are big, but there's barely even a wall separating the gardens from the forest, so you should always be careful while you are out here." Polly said.

It was easy to forget that they were in the Beast King's forest. The place of child's nightmares had a castle in the center of it with feather beds and fresh bread every morning.

"Who built this castle?" Belle asked.

"Well dear, that's the wrong question."

"What is the right question?"

"The right question is who created the forest." Polly said.

Belle had never thought that the forest had an origin. If you had asked anyone from her village they probably would have just said that the forest had always existed, housing all the horrors of the known world just as the greed and corruption had always existed among man.

"Well then who made the forest?" She asked.

"That's a better story sitting down."

Belle followed Polly to a nearby bench and they both sat and soaked in the sunlight.

"Everything started with the first Beast King." She started.

"The first one?"

"Yes, The Beast you know had a father who was the First Beast King. He lived before the forest when the monsters roamed the entire realm freely. Before the forest, vampires, ghouls, all of them were loose in the world. They were very dark times for man, but very fruitful times for the beasts. We weren't all bad, mind you, but history only remembers the vicious."

"How long ago was that?" Belle asked. She hadn't taken the Beast King for an old man, but she hadn't even heard tales of a time before the Beast King’s Forest.

"I'm not sure, a hundred years ago, maybe more. Time is different in the forest. Before the forest, the King beast was a human King, but he wasn't a very good one. He was greedy and spent the people's money on throwing large extravagant events that would last weeks. The story goes that on the last day of one of his parties, he was sending guests home when a woman came to the door."

Polly was cut off by a long howl that echoed out from the distance. Belle waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"What's wrong? Do you see something?" Belle asked. She listened, but there was nothing out there she could hear.

Polly laid a hand on Belle's arm and pulled her to her feet.

"No, nothing is wrong dear," Polly said, distracted by whatever was going on. "I just think we should head inside."

"Why? It's beautiful outside."

Polly laughed and kept her hand on her shoulder directing her quickly instead of the casual pace they usually set.

"I just know a better place to tell this story. It might help you understand it a bit better."

Belle didn't respond. She knew that Polly was just trying to distract her from something. Something scared her.

Polly blindly led Belle across the castle. She had calmed down substantially when they passed through the doors, but something still had her riled up.

"There's going to be stairs right in front of us dear." Polly said, slowly down so that Belle could reach for the wall to steady herself.

"Where are we going?" The only stairs she had come across in the castle so far were stairs that led down to the dungeon. She had no idea what the stairs that led up would take her.

"The West Wing."

"I thought we weren't supposed to go near the west wing."

She had repeated those words into her head over and over again. That was the one rule that Polly had said he had.

"No one will know if you don't say anything and I don't say anything." Polly said guiding her up the forbidden stairs.

"I think he'll know if we go rummaging through his rooms!"

Polly laughed at that. "Oh, he doesn't live in the west wing."

"Then who's rooms are we going to be rummaging through?"

"His father's." Polly said and a chill went down Belle's back as the temperature dropped around her.

"His father, the first Beast King?"

"Yes, that's him."

"Why are his father’s rooms forbidden?" Belle asked and Polly just shushed her.

They walked up a short hallway took a left and then walked to the end of a longer hallway when Polly let go of Belle briefly pulling out what sounded like keys from her Pocket. There was a lock that made a satisfying click and then the door in front of them opened with a squeaky complaint.

Polly had gone back to Belle's side and led her through the room and Belle could feel magic. It was in the smell and the feel of the air. Belle would have ran out of the room in that moment if Polly wasn't ushering her forward.

"What is this place?" Belle asked quietly.

"It's his father's room. Everything in this castle changed dramatically 6 years ago when his father died. The Beast burned nearly everything that reminded him of his father but everything in the west wing is untouched. It's left exactly how his father left it."

They stopped walking and Belle turned and faced the door trying to imagine what kind of man the Beast's father must have been.

"Why did we come here?" Belle asked.

Polly grabbed her hand and guided it to an object lying on a table. It was brittle and old and delicate.

"What is it?" Belle asked placing it back gently afraid to break it.

"A rose stem. It lost its petals a long time ago and has been wilting away locked in this room now and will be here until it becomes nothing but a bad memory."

"It's magic." Belle said, identifying the source of all the magic in the room.

"Yes, strong magic. Before the forest when the first Beast King was still a man, he was wicked enough to attract the attention of a sorcerer and when he failed her test she cursed him with a rose."

"What kind of curse?" Belle asked, transfixed by the way the magic buzzed in her hands.

"The most powerful kind. It was a true love curse. He became a Beast, and his kingdom became home to every magical creature that roams the realms. He had until the last petal fell of the rose to find someone to love him for the horrible beast he had become."

"He never broke the curse did he?"

"No. All the petals on his rose fell off and he was left with nothing. He was lucky enough to find a woman injured in the forest who eventually grew to care for him, and even though they were happy for a great long while and had a son, she was too late to break the curse."

"Curses are passed down from Mother to daughter and father to son." Everybody knew that. If his father's curse was never broken then it would fall on the shoulders of his son.

"Yes, you are right. His son was sixteen when the First Beast King died, and the son inherited his father's curse and became the Beast King you know today."

"How can he break the curse?" Belle asked tentatively. She already knew the answer. If he inherited his father's curse. He needed to find someone who could love him. It finally made sense, kidnapping women and taking them to the castle.

"He can't. The rose you're holding, that one is his and it's petals all fell off years ago. There is no breaking a curse for him."

Belle's heart twisted. "Oh."

"It's not-" Polly had to cut herself off the emotion in her voice ran thick and reached its breaking point.

"There's no curse to break, so why the women?"

Polly took a deep sigh before continuing, "He hasn't been. Six years ago was his last chance to break the curse. He'd swore to himself that he'd never become like his father and take a woman against her will, but on a cold night he found a woman wandering the forest and he took her out of pure desperation.

With one last petal clinging to the rose he was fighting for his life and then in a cruel twist of fate. She said she loved him. You should have seen-" Polly cut off completely unable to get through whatever memory she was reliving.

"It didn't matter, the humans came then demanding her back and when they came for her, she betrayed his sentiments and left with them breaking his heart as the curse remained unbroken."

The Queen was famous for having been rescued from the famed Beast King. Every woman after that was just trying to emulate her rise to power.

"Now every blood moon women go into the Beast King's forest trying to get captured so they can be rescued by some prince to take them away from the ferocious beast." Belle said, lost in her own memories.

"It's cruel. Every blood moon there are women in the forest reminding him of what he has lost. If it were me, I probably would let them be eaten, but he usually just drives them out of the forest."

"Except me." Belle said feeling ashamed about what he must think of her. Just another woman roaming about the forest trying to find a Prince. Polly had said that the Kind Beast would not see her. She had thought it was a promise to make her feel safer, she didn't realize it was likely because in his eyes, she was a monster.

"The truth is Belle, I don't know why you're here. I doubt very much That the Beast even knows why you're here, but I can promise you that you have nothing to fear from the beast. He is brash and sometimes a little headstrong but he is a good man. A much better man than his father."

"I-I would like to retire to my room.” Belle said. The new revelations Polly had given her circled in her head and she began to feel very overwhelmed.

She handed Polly the rose. She was happy to have it out of her hands. The magic that surrounded her was beginning to feel thick. She could feel the horror in being trapped in this castle. Not as a temporary prisoner, but as a Beast, never being able to leave. The claustrophobia clawed at her throat.

"It's probably best to keep all this between ourselves." Polly said. "He wouldn't like you knowing any of this." Polly said.

"Of course."

She didn't even want to see the Beast ever again, much less tell him that Polly gave her some private information about him while they were in the one place, he told her not to go.

Not a chance.

Chapter Text

"Can I go out by myself?" Belle asked in the morning.

"Belle, I can't let you go. If he knows I let you leave he would-"

"No Polly, I'm not talking about leaving the castle grounds, or going home. I was wondering if I could explore on my own?" She asked.

"No one in the staff would stop you, but I wouldn't recommend it Belle. The hallways can be more confusing than they seem. You might not end up where you want to be."

"I just wanted to go out to the gardens. I remember the way. Straight on out my door, follow the wall until it turns left and then follow it until the outer doors." There was nobody she trusted in the castle more than Polly, but she wanted to lay in the gardens and clear her thoughts without a babysitter.

"Yes Ms. Belle. I will however, alert the staff to keep their eyes peeled for our guest roaming the halls in a blind confusion."

Belle laughed, "Okay, that's fair!"

-The Beast-

"We're being massacred. This isn't simple hunting! This is sport!" Birch said.

The Beast King nodded. "I agree."

There was nothing he could say to placate the tree creature while they stood in the ashes of what used to be one of his brothers. Killing one of his spies wasn't just sport as Birch said, It was a warning.

"You can't just expect me and my family to- wait you agree?" He asked, his already high pitched voice gained another octave.

"Yes. I won't ask your brothers to risk themselves anymore. Head south, away from their territory, and keep near the borders of the forest. The wolfmen won't bother you there. The further you are away from the castle the better." He said.

The creature nodded awkwardly. "Oh, very good then." He said, walking away from the Beast before stopping and turning back to him. "It's not that we do not recognize your kingship sire. It's just that the Treeize cannot continue the same fatalities and maintain our strong prestigious culture." Birch stuttered out. Birch was the grandfather of all the Treeize more commonly referred to as the eyes and lips of the forest. They were his most effective spies in knowing where the wolfmen were, but since the blood moon, his family were being torched during the day and torn apart by night.

"You have all served me well these past few years and my father for even longer. You are friends to the castle, and I will answer your burdens."

Birch smiled slyly. He got what he wanted. His family was released from their oath and remained in good graces with the crown.

"You honor me King Beast." He said with a stiff bow and disappeared into the forest.

The Beast let out a haggard breath. The trees no longer belonged to the Beast King. The whole forest would be echoing that sentiment when Birch and his brothers draw their retreat. Another victory for the wolfmen. His father's voice was in his head telling him that he had made a mistake. His father would have held the Treeize to their oath until every one of them died.

"That's a pity." A voice called from behind him. The Beast didn't need to turn around. He knew who it was. It was Laeman, the Alpha of the wolfmen.

"What are you doing here? Come to admire your handiwork?"

"Me?" He asked with fakeness dripping from every syllable. "You couldn't possibly think that my people were behind this." He said.

The Beast turned, facing the wolfman evenly. "Leave me or challenge me wolfman." Laeman was too smart for that. Too smart to be goaded into a challenge that he would lose.

The wolfman turned, but he looked over his shoulder one last time. "You would do well to remember the ways of the forest young king. Your father forgot the most important rule. The weak die.

The alpha left, leaving the Beast alone in the ashes. The weak die. That couldn't be completely true. His father was dead.

He returned to the castle with a dark cloud following him. The trees were no longer the King's trees. Vandy will act nonchalant, but he'd be panicking. Everyone will panic when they hear the news. War was the quiet word that was passed around at the dinner table when he was absent.

The wolfmen loomed over everyone's head like an inevitable evil. They killed his father and they would kill him, it was just a matter of time.

He stopped in the garden to prolong having to tell Vandy the news. Vandy would tell Polly and Polly would tell the kitchen and once the kitchen staff knew it would spread like wildfire until everyone in the castle became afraid of what will happen when the wolfmen take the forest. He could not shield anyone from this burden.

If he was killed, they would take the castle. They wouldn't afford mercy on anybody or anything. They would destroy everything to prove it was theirs. His eyes landed on the rose bushes that lined the walkway. His eyes fixated on the line of rose bushes his mother had planted.

He'd grown to hate them ever since the curse, but he couldn't bear to let them die. That wouldn't matter soon. Soon, everything would be dead.

With that thought, he stalked towards the first rose bush in a line of rose bushes and he ripped it out of the ground easily. The roots desperately clung to the soil it was removed from, and thorns dug into his hand. He tossed it aside and pulled at the next rose bush trying to feel anything other than the crushing weight of responsibilities on his shoulders.

He tore through another few rose bushes, determined now to destroy all of them, but even bleeding and covered in dirt, it wasn't working. Nothing could change what he was and the inevitable fate that lie in front of him.

He tore at the roots of a stubborn rose bush that was determined to stay put, when he was interrupted.

"I feel inclined to inform you that I am sitting right here."

The Beast started at the voice and turned to see Belle sitting at the bench down the way, sitting on the edge of the bench flinching away from his display of anger.

He stopped clawing at the ground and took a deep breath, staring into his hands. He was ashamed of his childish temper tantrum, and he wished that anybody was sitting on that bench besides her. She was the one person in the castle who didn't need any more reason to find him repulsive, and here he was, acting like an animal.

"I apologize for intruding on your afternoon." He said. He turned to leave trying to put as much distance between them as possible just like Polly had told him.

"Don't leave!" She called out and he froze at her command. "I mean on my behalf. Don't leave because I am here. It sounds as though you have a lot of gardening to address." She said.

The Beast looked to the dirt packed underneath his claws and the fallen rose bushes that were now strewn all over the grass. Hopelessness settled over him.

"No, I will leave you to your afternoon. I have urgent business. I hope that your Prince is swift in his venture to rescue you, or your fate might not fare any better than these rose bushes." He said bitterly. If the wolfmen crossed the wall he wouldn't have any warning, and with her sitting there like a duck, she would be worse off than any of them. They would tear her apart in a second.

"Who said you could just sit unassuming in the gardens alone?" He added. He had enough to worry about without losing his little prisoner before her people could come for her.

She was vulnerable, yet she was sitting in the gardens taking in the sun as if she wasn't in the center of the Beast King’s Forest. What if-'s filled his mind, and each one ended with her death. Seeing her sitting there, completely relaxed, drove him mad.

"I asked Polly if I could- She started, but The beast didn't need to hear anything else. "Polly". he said, knowingly. Polly was always the one at the center of everything.

"I suggest you return inside to your rooms." He said, before finally turning away and leaving. He needed to talk to Vandy and then afterwards he needed to find Polly and talk to her about their guest.

-Belle-

She had left for her room and this time she did not have any desire to leave her room ever again. The Beast King despised her, but the worst part was that she no longer hated him. He wasn't the Beast that she had grown to know from the rumors and stories that men tell children to keep them from wandering off.

Every time she thought of home she remembered that she was only here out of pity. It was a kindness that he picked her up from the forest. The people she knew and trusted were the ones who had put her out there, and she would have died. The truth of the matter is that if her people came upon the castle tomorrow they would cut down every beast in their past. They would cut down Polly and Vandy and Anette, probably even the children. The Beast had to know this. He had gone through this before, but her life still mattered to him. If it didn't, she wouldn't be here.

The search party was probably already out in the forest looking for her. They were probably already trampling through land they had no claim to, killing everything in sight. Her mind circled around the carnage that she they'll act on in her name, and she decided to do something very stupid that would most definitely get herself killed.

She forced herself to take a nap until Polly came for the evening meal and found Belle sleep in her bed.

"You must be exhausted dear!" Polly came in and noisily set the tray down on the table in the center of the room.

"Yes, I think I could sleep all day and all night!" Belle said, yawning for good measure.

"I don't blame you. I heard that you went through quite the ordeal earlier."

"With the Beast? I think he just had a bad day."

"He needs to learn better manners. I was hoping that having a guest would polish him up a little more."

"I'm not his guest Polly." she said, and she wasn't. A guest was not usually expecting a rescue party.

Polly moved towards her and sat on the bed next to her. "You could be our guest. Please don't let his brutishness trap you in this room. He will behave better."

Belle smiled weakly, he wouldn't get the chance to try again. "Ok Polly, I'll try."

"Well, I'll leave you to it then. Dinner is on the table, and I guess you have no need for anyone to turn your covers down."

"No. I can manage it Polly thank you very much." Belle said.

Belle promised her a fun day tomorrow and they said their goodnights. Belle ate slowly waiting for the castle to go to sleep.

When the world around her was still as a picture, she left her room, gabbing a decorative rapier off the wall before she left to use as a guiding stick. She had to get outside, then once she was outside she could follow the outer wall that led to the gate. If Polly's story was right, and this forest was a town long before it was a forest there will be a road that will lead somewhere. All she had to do was follow pavement stones which would to take her out of the forest eventually. She hoped.

Once she was out of the forest, she was no longer a liability. She was no longer at fault for countless deaths. She'll make it home and call the search party back and hope they don't drag her back out to the forest.

When she reached the gate, she pressed the rapier into the ground meeting hard cobblestone. She said a silent prayer, hoping that she wouldn't just be eaten immediately, and she left through the gate. Leaving was like jumping off a boat to float off into the ocean, but she was determined. Death loomed ahead of her at every step, but she didn't care.

What fear she had begun to fade with every passing step as she realized that she didn't have a death wish. She was desperate for control and desperate to out run the guilt she was feeling.

Chapter Text

-The Beast-

He stalked through the trees silently, frustrated at the quiet night. He needed a distraction to pull his mind away from the castle away from her.

She had cast her spell on him earlier when he came across her in the gardens. He couldn't stop his curious mind that had endless thoughts and questions about the mystery woman in his castle. There were more pressing matters to spend his thoughts on, but he could not control his mind that just kept circling back to her wide eyes and her dark brown hair.

Polly was right when she blamed his self-control. Even now far from the castle sulking in the late hours of night his every spare thought moved to the small glimpses of her that he had seen. He was so deluded and crazy that he could even smell her scent out here in the forest. She smelled like honey and he found himself following the phantom scent day dreaming of a world where they had met under different circumstances.

He wasn't day dreaming anymore. He knew she was in the forest There was no longer faint traces of her scent it was strong now and there were clear tracks leading deeper into the heart of the forest. She probably didn't even know where she was going.

The Beast ran silently through the forest to catch up with her, fearing the worst in the dark monster infested forest. If she was dead- the horrific thought stopped him. He'd kill Birch. What was he thinking, letting all of his spies leave when they were needed the most?

When he saw her, he could finally breathe. Not only was she alive, but she wasn't hurt or being eaten, she was slowly shambling along using an antique rapier as a walking stick.

He barely stopped himself from storming over and demanding what in the actual hell she thought was doing out here. The last time he acted on his first instinct, he abducted her and put them both in this mess, so he forced himself to think his next actions through.

She was just trying to get away from him, he realized, and suddenly , he wanted nothing more than to help her flee. Polly and Vandy had both said she asked if they would help her escape. She was turned down both times but here she was struggling along the path

He watched her struggle along the path in the dark. Could he let her go? Could he keep the monsters around them at bay and let her walk back home?

Before he even figured out his course of action, he felt himself shift. Horns retracted and claws shrank, and he became human for the first time in a while.

The simple Black tunic and pants reappeared and he set off towards Belle. Polly had made it a point that he didn't know what she wanted. Finally, he would rectify that. Whatever she wanted most, he was going to help her. Maybe it would bring some semblance of meaning into his life.

-Belle-

The last thing you want to do when you first meet someone is to scream bloody murder in their face.

She hadn't even heard the man behind her and when she stumbled over a rock and a mysterious hand kept her upright, she screamed, ripped herself out of his grasp, and threw herself on the ground in the process.

She scrambled back and held the rapier out towards the man.

"Get back!" She yelled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." He rushed, "May I help you up?" He asked and Belle crawled away from him a few inches just to feel safer.

"No. You may not." She said, feeling safer on the ground. "What do you want?"

"I uh- I just saw you walking around, and I wanted to make sure that you were alright. It's not a safe place to be wandering around at night."

Belle let out a strained manic laugh. She had been playing over in her mind over and over again the horrific things that could happen in a forest. He might have gotten the jump on her, but she was not an idiot.

Her heart still racing, "Thank you for the advice. You can be on your way, I'll take it from here."

"You'll die out here." He said flatly.

"Yes, most likely, I'll take my chances, thank you."

The man still stayed in the exact same spot and Belle was debating whether she should go on the offensive and just start waving her sword as hard as she can and hope to hit something important. Not her finest strategy, but she had no other course of action. She decided to act first and ask questions later, and she started brandishing the clade with reckless abandon.

"And I'll take that." He said wrenching the rapier from her hand. Now she was defenseless and he held all the cards.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm uh- Birch." It was darkly comical how bad of a liar the man was.

"Really? Birch? You've got to be kidding me-" She laughed lightly but her laughter was strained, his voice had a maddeningly familiar timbre.

"Ok, Birch", she said drawing out the fake name dramatically, "you know who I am don't you."

There was another pause and she smiled to stop herself from laughing, he really was the worst liar she had ever met. "Don't bother answering that. You've already given yourself away. Are you from the rescue party? Are you here to rescue me?" That was the only thing she could imagine she could know his voice from. He must have been one of the men who cheered as they tied her up.

"Yes I am." the man said a little too quickly and a little too enthusiastically. "I'm going to take you back home."

Belle frowned. Something still didn't feel right about this. She only saw the world through noises, and she could not place his voice. She couldn't trust him until she remembered.

"Well I am not going back with you, so you can turn around and go tell them that you didn't find me."

He took a while to respond. She figured he was either trying to figure out a way to force her or he really was slow. "You don't want to be rescued?" His voice was quiet and small, and she took that as a victory. She had caught him off guard.

"No, I have everything under control here, so good-bye." She said using her other hand to shoo him away.

"But the Beast, he could show up at any minute!" The man said halfheartedly in his being shoo'd away.

She smiled thinly. "I'll take my chances with him. Quite frankly I'd rather die out here than go back home with you. If you plan on forcing me I'll scream so loudly that I'll bring every hungry ungodly monster in this whole damn forest right here and let you deal with them. So I say once again sir, goodbye."

He didn't move and Belle was beginning to get frustrated. It was one thing to have to deal with a beast, but it was a whole other thing to deal with a town of people who had dragged her and tied her up just so they could have their moment of glory in the sun.

"I cannot leave." The man said.

"It is not hard. Just turn around and walk out the way you came."

"I can't leave you out here to die." He said simply.

"You already left me out here to die. You must have grown a conscience in the last week.

"I did not leave you to die."

"Yes, you did. "She said emphatically. "Every last man in the city heard as they paraded me through the streets. You probably even celebrated with the same men who tied me up and dragged me out here. You left me to die just as much as any of them."

Her fists were balled up in anger and her chest was rising evenly with every breath she took. He was completely silent after her angry words and she wanted him to fight her. She wanted him to tell her that there were people who did not condone the way she was treated.

"I'm not from your village," He said finally. "I lied. I work for the Beast King, I just want to help you."

Belle's eyebrows raised. "You want to help me? You realize that lying and sneaking up on me wasn't an ideal strategy, right? Who sent you out here? Was it Polly?" She asked.

"No one! I was just out-" He died off suddenly.

"Out? At midnight? Just hanging out in The Beast King’s Forest?"

He had to be here to either kill her or drag her back and no matter which it was she was not going to make easy.

"You can't make me go back there." She said stubbornly.

"I wasn't going planning on it." He said sighing. He sounded tired and ready to give up.

"Then what are you planning on doing?" She asked suspiciously.

There was silence. She didn't like silence, it left her alone in the dark.

"On second thought, I don't care what you're doing. You can have full range of the forest, I won't bother you, just let me go my separate ways and we can both pretend this conversation never happened."

-The Beast-

The Beast was dumb struck. She had a death wish, she had to have. She was sitting here meeting him word for word trying to scare him off. He thought she'd be less intimidated if he came to her as a human, but this wasn't exactly the reaction he had expected.

It seemed that the only ones who had hurt her more than he did was the men who tied her up and left her in the forest. Anger was an old friend that threatened to over whelm him as he realized what the townspeople had done. There were no women out desperate for comfortable lives like he had thought. Every woman from the previous years had probably been just like Belle. Ugly words went through his mind. Sacrifices. Forced.

He tried to keep humans from dying in the forest. It always led to nasty hunts that only ever seemed to end in more bloodshed. He would make an exception for the men who now searched the forest for Belle, he decided. They would die, but before he could exact justice, he needed to get Belle out of the open where it was unsafe.

He suddenly sat down across from her. It was the only thing that he could think to do. To prove to her that he wasn't a threat. He would treat her like he did any small wild creature.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm going to help you just like I said whether you want it or not."

She stopped at that.

"Help me with what?"

"That depends entirely on why you are out here." he said. "I initially came over here to help you get back home safely, but now that doesn't seem like what you have in mind."

"Yes- No- That is where I'm going, but I don't want or need your help."

He held up his hands in defense as if trying to calm a wild animal. The harder she insisted on not needing his help the deeper his conviction to help her became. He tried to hide his smile so she wouldn't think he was mocking her.

"You'll want my help, I promise. You wouldn't make it another 20 feet without being eaten. You should be thanking me for coming along."

"I was doing fine before you showed up." She said evenly.

He shrugged picking at the weeds that surrounded them. "You've been lucky so far. Besides, there's already a scarcity of beauty in this world. I can't just let someone like you get themselves killed even if you've got some sort of innate desire to die trying to prove your independence!"

He saw a quick blush flash up her face and he couldn't hold back a wide grin. He knew that he had her.

"You're not going to leave, are you?" She asked, defeated.

"Not unless you're coming with me."

"Are you usually this boorish?"

He finally laughed at that. "Always, are you?"

She did not answer his question, but she put her hands on her knees. "Okay. Let's go."

"Has anyone ever told you that you don't accept favors very well?"

She looked past him, her face full of unhidden contempt for him making him smile. He didn't know why, but it made him giddy that she disliked him as a human as much, if not more, than she disliked him as the beast.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're extremely unlikable?"

"Everyday."

He held his hand out for her to take but she ignored it and stood up nearly pushing him over in the process.

They stood then inches away and Belle's face flushed pink again. The Beast was stuck between his fight or flight mode, frozen, unable to act. A voice in the back of his head told him that a gentleman would take a step back but a much louder voice commented that he was not a gentleman.

It took him a moment to realize that she was holding out his arm for him to take and he felt embarrassed, grateful that she couldn't see his deep red face in the dark.

"Shall we go?" he asked when she didn't make any moves forward.

"Not until you start over and introduce yourself properly, Birch."

His shoulders shook in a silent laugh, "Adam." He said, surprising himself, "just Adam." Once his name was actually out there, he immediately felt like her had lost control of the situation until she flashed a wide smile.

"You know Adam, I almost believed that one." She dragged him along leaving behind his comfort and ability to string a sentence together.

He wasn't tired anymore.

Chapter Text

-Belle-

She was walking, arms linked, with the king of Beasts.

She had recognized his voice to begin with, but she thought she was crazy when she started theorizing about who it belongs to . It was the way he spoke, with care, and the musicality of his voice. It was deep, not nearly as deep as the beast, but it was the unmistakable timbre. She hadn't spoken to the beast very much, but it was enough to memorize his voice. She would have described as monstrous, but now seemed normal in comparison.

"The weather is perfect for a midnight stroll" he said. He had been desperately grasping for conversational straws for a few minutes now and Belle was content to let him flounder as she panicked silently.

"Yes" was all she managed to respond with. The Beast was walking her, who knows where, to do who knows what, she was completely helpless, and here he was talking about the weather.

"It'll get windy here in a few weeks though." How could she have been so stupid as to trust him and let him get this close?

"Interesting." She said, but she didn't find it interesting. She didn't even know why she said it except for something to say.

There was silence and every second she could feel her arm through his and feel the warmth that radiated off of his body.

They heard howling off in the distance that had the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She tried to picture what beast that was out in the forest, hunting, but it just made her laugh. She couldn't be scared of some faceless evil out in the woods when the King of Beasts was at her side talking about the weather.

"Maybe coming out here alone wasn't the smartest idea." She said, down playing her thoughts and feelings.

He let out his breath as if he had been holding it and he chuckled in a high pitch letting her know that he had been thinking a similar thought.

"I wish the forest was safer." He said suddenly, "There's never any end to the carnage that to happen around here."

"You need to find a new place to live." She said in a light tone and to her surprise he actually laughed.

"You might actually be on to something. Maybe I'll join you in your new town and get a fresh start. That would be nice." She would have thought that he was just playing along to keep from talking about the weather again, but there was an old bitterness in his voice.

"I'd be happy to just have people leave me alone." She didn't need a fresh start. It is nice to no longer be a target.

"Being left alone sounds nice enough, but I want a job. Something that at the end of every day I kick up my feet knowing that I had done a good days of work and be able to rest."

She smiled at the thought of the beast patching a roof or making shoes. "The Beast King doesn't give you enough to do?" She asked poking fun at the lies he's told.

"yes- he uh-" He stopped looking for right words and Belle laughed silently. The King of Beasts, the Monster of every child's dream could not tell a lie to save his life. "I DO have a job to do but it's one of those things that is never really done. It actually just seems to get worse the longer I'm at it."

Belle was looking for the truth in his words. She supposed he meant ruling over the monsters. She wondered aimlessly what would happen if the monsters were left to run rampant. Death and destruction came to mind and she shivered.

"Why did you come out here Belle?" He asked taking advantage of the silence.

"I had to get out of the castle."

"No- I mean yes, anyone in your place would not want to be in the Beast King's castle, but every nightmare you've ever had lies out here in the dark. Were you really so miserable?"

-The Beast-

He was walking, arm's linked, with the woman he'd abducted who was too beautiful to look at, and who was completely and most assuredly blind.

He didn't know how he had missed it earlier, he wasn't used to people meeting his animalistic eyes easily, but she led with her ears not her eyes. Every subtle sound in the forest she would angle her ears toward and eyes away from.

"No. I was not miserable. Can I tell you a secret?"

"Yes, anything." He said, staring at the way her reflected the moonlight.

"I left when I realized I wasn't a prisoner there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I wasn't being held captive. I'm not talking about being under lock and key, but that there was no evil or selfish motive. I wasn't there because the Beast King wanted me as a possession or to eat me. I was there for my own good."

He blinked. He needed to know what she meant. He needed to know how she had come to imagine innocent motives behind anything he had done to her. As far as where he was standing, he was just as bad as those men who tied her up.

"Did the Beast tell you that?" He asked.

"He didn't need too. I have spent my entire life being protected for my own good. I know how it feels."

"You don't want to accept a Beast's help then?"

"No. That's not it." She scoffed, "I am not someone who is at liberty to pick and choose the help I accept, but I am very much against letting others get harmed because of a scheme I am part of even if my participation is unwilling."

"You cannot be worried over the lives of the men who left you out here." He said bluntly. She would not feel responsible over the safety of those men. He would not allow her to take on the guilt, especially not when he planned on maiming them himself.

"No, I am worried about whatever creatures cross their path while the idiots are play acting gallantry and slaughtering everything in their path to rescue me."

His whole entire being stilled. Could it be that he misunderstood her? A howl sounded somewhere in the forest that made his senses heighten, but she still controlled most of his attention.

"How could you be sympathetic for the monsters in this forest?"

Her jaw set forward and she challenged him with her stance.

"You would think me devoid of such feelings? Perhaps we should part now if you imagine I am a person who would allow countless others to be killed just so that I may experience a few comforts in life."

"We're Beasts."

"They are beasts also. Do you imagine the men coming to rescue me are better than the creatures they despise? They hunt for food, feed their families, fight for dominance, and gorge themselves on their own desires. Who are the beasts? Anyone in that castle has shown me more human decency than the men who put me out here. I'm not worth the deaths they would bring. I left the castle so that I could make this right. No one is going to die for me."

How could she stand here and lecture him on the humanity of beasts? How could she care after what he had done? She was so beautiful, and so wrong. She is worth all the deaths that they would bring and more. Something carnal emerged in him and he wanted to take her again, but this time she would be a possession. She would be his. They weren't walking anymore. His arm was wrapped through hers, but it wasn't enough.

His hand found her another arm and he was fighting himself back when another howl sounded off in the night behind them. The bone chilling sound was intended to intimidate it their prey and the only creatures stupid enough to be out in the forest tonight during the month of the blood moon was a beauty and a beast.

"They're coming." Belle said softly and the beast stopped them in their tracks.

"We're close to the town." he said, straining his eyes to find the faint dull of the town lights over the trees.

"Are we close enough?"

"No, we're not."

There was then a short silence and he heard movement. He knew their tactics and understood that they were being surrounded.

"Is there anything we can do?" She was nearly pushed against him in a way that he was practically holding her up. All he could smell was her and he desperately tried to focus his mind at the task at hand. The only thing that snapped him out of his own fantasies was how scared she was. She was shaking from head to toe. He wished that he had kept the forgotten rapier that lay on the forest floor somewhere behind them.

"I have a plan." he said, his heart racing for reasons unrelated to the werewolves currently minutes away from pouncing on them.

"You can't go out there alone, you don't even have a weapon. You are going to die!" she tried, but her voice was weak.

He laughed, feeling the sound deep in his chest. She wasn't scared of him, she was scared for him.

"I'll be fine." he said and grabbed her hands and slowly pushed her into the trunk of a nearby tree. "Stay here, don't draw any attention to yourself and whatever you do. Don't run."

She nodded and he let go of her, reluctant to do so. He turned towards the werewolves and shed his human form. He thought that maybe they'd think twice about attacking the King of Beasts but with one last rich screaming howl, they charged.

-Belle-

Belle had no idea what was happening. She had some vague notion of fighting happening all around her, but there was no indication of a winner or a loser. There were loud roars and the sound of hits landing and flesh tearing.

Belle couldn't stand listening to carnage anymore. Frightened and disgusted she had her head tucked into her knees and her arms pressed tightly against her ears and she was humming. Even then she could still hear the unseen horrors that played out in front while she desperately tried tuning it out.

She didn't know how long it took before she felt a hand on her back.

She jumped again, and for a second time in one night screamed.

"I'm sorry, I just- they're gone."

"They're dead."

"The ones who didn't flee are dead." He agreed and there was a pause where he didn't know what to say and Belle couldn't say anything.

"Who are you?" Belle asked.

"I told you, I'm-"

"Don't lie to me." Belle cut him off. She was tired of being afraid and tired of monsters, but she was especially tired of secrets and lies.

He met her with nothing but silence, so Belle decided to help him out. "You don't need to lie to me because I already know who you are."

"You might think you're fooling me because you can masquerade as a human, but you didn't change your voice."

"Well, if I am a liar then what are you? You've been trying to conceal the fact that you are blind!"

She rolled her eyes and wondered how long it took him to figure it out.

"Only an idiot couldn't tell I was blind. I'm out here barely feeling around with a walking stick! I didn't think you needed everything spelled out for you!"

She could hear his hard shallow breathing from the fight and a little breathy laugh.

"So, it seems like all of our cards are out on the table." He said.

"Yes."

"Maybe then, we should have a conversation and get some real answers from each other."

Belle could still feel her hands shaking a bit and she had to laugh at the thought of Sitting across the King of Beasts having a nice chat, but right now in the King Beast’s Forest, he seemed to be the only one who could help her.

Chapter Text

-The Beast-

The sun was beginning to rise, and they were almost there. It had been a long night and he still could not believe that Belle was walking back with him willingly.

"We're almost there aren't we?" She asked her head looking up as if she could see something far away.

"Yes. That's a neat trick."

She waved her hand around, "It's the echo, it sounds different."

He strained his ears to hear what she heard. He was impressed by her ability to piece together the world through her limited information. A lot about her impressed him.

He had been rudely staring at her for the entire walk back to the castle, watching as she turned her head slightly to hear something better and her hair shifted along her back. He was grateful that his arm was safely linked through hers, and that he was barely walking upright after three days without sleep and fighting those wolfmen, otherwise he would have given into temptation and ran his hands through her hair just to see if it felt as soft as it looked.

"Can I call you Adam?" She asked.

He nearly tripped, having been jerked suddenly by his thoughts, losing all working functions. "You want to what?"

"If we're going to be in league, I feel weird to be constantly saying, "The beast this-" and "the beast that-", and since I will not be calling you "the King", I was just wondering if I could call you by your name. If that is, after all, your name."

He couldn't respond. After a few beats of silence she jumped in blushing, "I mean, you can say no. It would just be- nice." she finished.

"You can call me whatever you wish, but Adam is- it's my- it's the name my mother gave me." He said choking out. He regretted the words as soon as he said them. Hearing his name was like an old wound tearing open. He had only told her his name because he was confident that he'd never see her again. He didn't expect her to return with him, much less with his name still on her lips.

She would be the death of him.

"What in the heavens!" Screamed Polly from the front entrance of the castle and the Beast froze.

Belle laughed and the beast leaned in towards her, "You're only laughing because you're not the one who is going to take all the blame for this."

Belle pulled him closer and spoke in a low voice, "You know, if I really wanted to get you in trouble, I could probably convince her that you're the one who dragged me out into the forest to have your way with me."

She pulled away, leaving him less than eloquent when Polly caught up grabbing Belle and marching her inside hollering down the roof about how cold it was outside.

He hadn't even noticed the cold until Polly had taken her out of his arms.

His went over the events of the night in his mind again with a stupid happy grin that refused to leave.

Vandy had to do a double take when the beast walked into the castle looking less than beastly.

"Where have you been?" asked Vandy incredulously when he saw his master's attire. "Was it the humans? Are they on their way?"

"No, Yes, I'm not sure." He said, distracted, making a beeline towards his rooms, the events of the night finally settling in. If he didn't make it to a bed soon, he would likely pass out somewhere along the way.

"Well why are you-" Vandy cut off suddenly and his face turned red, "Never mind. I don't want to know."

"It was nothing scandalous Vandy, you have my word on that."

"I should hope so. If it was, I'd have to challenge you to a duel. I gave her my word."

The Beast laughed, imagining fighting his old friend to the death. "She is safe, and so are you. You wouldn't survive the challenge."

Vandy looked him top to bottom and smirked, "Looking like that I'd have you in the first half."

When the Beast finally made it to his room, he left Vandy in the hall. He pulled open the top drawer of his dresser where he kept the only mirror in the whole castle.

It had remained untouched for years, he'd always disliked mirrors, but now he cradled staring into it hoping to find something else, something other than him.

Hope sat at the bottom of his stomach like a useless piece of furniture shoved in the corner that gets no use until it grows so old and brittle it cannot be used. He just looked back at his sad reflection, feeling foolish, he gently placed the mirror back into the drawer, closed it, and shed his human form.

Being the beast cleared his head, it reminded him of who he was, and it strengthened his resolve to remain alone. There would be no one for him. His thoughts then turned to his father. Years of loneliness and bitterness turned his heart cold. His mother had been a prisoner in the castle till the day she died and he hated his father for it. He would easily become his father if he wasn't careful.

He would be content with their agreement. Content to welcome Belle as a guest until the calvary came to rescue her. He would be content as she rode away in another man's arms. He would be content to make sure she made it out of the forest without even so much as a scratch and then he would trust she would keep up her end of the bargain that there would never be another human to set foot into his forest.

He would be content because that's what he told her he wanted. To be alone in the forest, to never be bothered again. He lied.

-Belle-

She had spent the entire first day back in her rooms sleeping. There was a weight that was no longer on her shoulders and since coming to the castle she got a good night’s sleep for the first time.

Polly came by in the evening to get all the juicy details. After telling her everything Polly was shocked.

"You could have died out there Belle. The forest is not the place for anyone to be out on their own." She said incredulously. "I am glad you are safe."

"I probably wouldn't be if he hadn't been out there." She said.

"So, it sounds like all of your animosity towards the King has leaked out then." She said triumphantly.

Belle laughed, "Yes Polly. I no longer despise the King of Beasts. You have won." She said.

The next day Belle wanted to explore on her own to prove to herself that she could get around on her own without someone helping her. Everything was much calmer. She no longer felt like an awkward guest at the castle, but she now had purpose. Her progress was slow, but she managed to find her way to the gardens and then afterwards went in search of the kitchens.

She opened the door where she thought it would be, but on opening the door she realized that it was a lot bigger than she had expected and there were two boys in there polishing the silver who informed her that she had unwittingly entered the dining room and that the kitchen was two doors over.

She followed their direction and when she entered the door finally, she was met with the most amazing smells.

"Belle, it’s good to see you! Are you feeling up to helping in the kitchen today?" Anette asked.

Belle smiled and went over to where she was standing.

"No, I am just wandering around today trying to get my bearings. The castle seems a lot bigger when I'm on my own."

"Well, that's too bad. I need a taste tester." she said

"Well, I could stay for a minute." Belle said.

She stayed for an hour or so tasting everything that Annete sent her way and then reluctantly stood up to leave.

"I couldn't eat another bite." She said.

Anette laughed, "Thanks for your help dear, come back any time. You're good company."

Belle said her goodbyes and then went back to her task at hand. She managed to make it to her bedroom from the kitchens, but when she went back to retrace her steps she came to the exact spot where she expected to find the kitchen door and instead there was a potted plant.

"I'll never get the hang of this." Belle exclaimed to no one in particular. Moving without any sort of walking stick was tedious and slow, and moving at a glacial pace only to have gone the wrong direction the whole time was disheartening.

"Hello?" She called out, but there was no reply. She listened carefully for any voices or sounds, but she heard nothing. Either the castle walls got a lot thicker, or she found herself in an abandoned part of the castle because there was absolutely nothing.

She turned to go down the hall she had come from, but her hand followed the wall and nothing seemed familiar. There were paintings on the wall that she did not remember, and side tables that would trip her up that had definitely just barely appeared. She was completely lost.

The silence almost grew menacing, and Belle tried to keep it from frightening her. The next person she came across she would ask for directions and that would be that. She tried to tell herself that she was panicking for no reason, but after a while more of wandering without any escape in sight, she began opening doors at random in desperation.

She would open a door and then call out a hesitant, "Hello." and then with no reply she would move on. It was a futile exercise when every room she opened was abandoned. She almost wondered if she had gotten herself lost beyond help when she reached for another door, and it opened quickly with force.

Belle jumped back and gasped, falling against the wall behind her.

"What's the matter? Are you injured? " It was the Beast who sounded as though he was also panicking. Belle drew a breath to calmly explain to him that she was lost, but instead she was overcome with a fit of laughter at how foolish she looked.

She had been rushing around, afraid of the menacing hallways, and had nearly screamed into his face again.

It was probably her heart beat still racing and the adrenaline that it had pumped into her body to flee, but she found the whole situation hilarious.

"Should I go get someone else to help?" He asked, and it was the concern in his voice that tamped down her laughter.

"No, no. I don't need any help. I just got a bit lost and thought you were some sort of monster." She said, breathing deeply, trying to calm herself.

"Well, you weren't wrong. I am some sort of monster." He said, now sounding more light-hearted after he realized there was no danger.

Belle waved his comment away with her hand, "that's just what you want everyone to think. Now, how close am I to the kitchens?"

He laughed, "Not even close. You've been in opening every door in my wing of the castle and shouting the place down. I had thought we were under attack."

Belle blushed at that and made a silent note to herself not to go around opening doors anymore. You never know who you're going to walk in on.

"Well, I am sorry for worrying you, but your response time is terrible. I would shudder to think what would happen if we actually were under attack."

"If we were under attack, then I suggest you say something other than "anybody in here?"."

"Alright, I will work on my crisis dialogue if you will point me towards the kitchens." She said.

He stepped closer towards her and closed the door behind him.

"I was actually going there myself if you would like an escort?" He asked.

Belle curtsied slightly and then held out her arm for him. "Lead the way." He stepped forward and linked his massive arm through hers and she reached her other hand and put it on top of his arm for more stability, feeling the thick fur he had.

They fell into an awkward silence. She had thought that she heard him start to say something a few times, but nothing ever came out. It would seem that if she didn't want to walk around in complete silence, which she didn't, then she would have to start the conversation herself.

"Is anyone who lives here human?" She asked. It might've been an offensive question, she wasn't sure, but she had noticed that everyone here had some sort of beastly quality to them.

"You're here."

"Besides me obviously." She said.

"No. My father was the one who started taking people in. If anyone in the forest is outcast from their group then they can seek asylum here for food and a place to live."

"That-" She started, and she died out. It was amazing. To think that there was a place that anyone could go for safety.

"Of course, some of the more rowdy ones get turned away, and that always creates a problem, but no one here is human. Besides you obviously."

There were a lot of stories behind his words. Stories of fighting off angry bitter creatures who were just looking for asylum. She wondered how young he was when his father died. How young was he when he inherited these responsibilities.

"Do you want to be the King?" She asked him suddenly and he laughed sharply.

"Who doesn't want to be King?"

"That's not an answer, that's a non-answer, so I'll guess that you don't want to be King."

He grew silent and she was afraid he wasn't going to answer her, but he did. "I am King. I will be the King until one of these nights I go out and don't come back. That will never change. It's not a matter of want or not want."

He couldn't say he doesn't want to be King. He can't even bring himself to say the words. He was trapped by a curse just as much, if not more severely than Belle was trapped by never being able to see.

"The kitchen is just up here to the left so I will let you take it from here." He said, breaking her train of thought.

"I thought you were going to the kitchens." She said.

"No, I uh- I remembered that I've got something to do." He said.

He turned to leave but Belle didn't let his arm go.

"Are we friends?" She asked.

He stilled, "Would you like to be friends?"

"Yes. I think I would like to be friends." She said quietly and she heard him take a deep breath.

"I would like that too." He said, and then he left.

Chapter Text

-Belle-

"I could happily die right here" she thought to herself dreamily. She had finally found it after nearly a week of exploring the castle. The perfect chair. It was outside in the garden near some type of plant that smelled beautiful with the perfect amount of sun to be warm.

She hadn't realized how much tension that she had been holding on to since the her father volunteered her at the Blood moon feast. Now that she had an ally and she knew where she stood, it didn't seem so impossible anymore.

She had only just closed her eyes taking in the sun when she heard familiar foot steps walking up to her. She couldn't help but smile. It was Adam.

He usually came as the beast, not bothering to change between patrolling the forest and sleeping, but she heard his boots and was intrigued about what he could possible want to talk to her about.

They had fallen into a content role with one another. He would find her when he was done with his duties in the forest and update her on any information that he had. It was all business the first time he talked to her, but by now they usually traded insults gleefully until one of them surrendered.

She wouldn't admit to keeping score or anything, but the score so far was 5 to 3 in her favor.

"Belle." He sounded stiff and awkward and she sat up a little.

"Adam." She said, copying his tone.

He stalled then, running out of words, something that seemed to happen often. For someone who strikes fear into the heart of every man woman and child he almost acted as though he was the one who was afraid of her.

"You sound like you're in poor spirits. I guess the hunting party hasn't been spotted yet." She said, helping him out.

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"Well I'd think the moment you spot the hunting party you'll be so thrilled with the idea of getting rid of me that I'll hear you skipping over to tell me."

He laughed and she smiled, she liked that he was always easy to laugh. Her father was always stoic. She'd never had any hope of figuring out what her father was thinking, but Adam was the opposite. He thought out loud and was always quick to laugh.

"It's the opposite really. The only reason you'd ever hear me skipping is if I'd locked you in and thrown away the key."

"tsk tsk tsk someone has got to tell you at some point that there's better ways to make friends. Your highness."

"You're one to talk, love. I'm not the one who wondered into the Beast King's forest on a blood moon because that was the only way you could get someone to talk to you."

Belle laughed, "That was a low blow." 5-4 her favor still.

"Peace then, please." He said, ending their exchange. "I only came to invite you to dinner."

Ever since she returned from the forest with Adam, Belle had taken dinner in the dining room with Polly, Vandy, and the rest of the castle staff, but Adam hadn't shown his face. She was beginning to think he was scared of her.

"Is this a trick? I didn't know that you even knew where to find the dining room."

"No tricks. If you accept I'll try to get directions to find the dining room by tonight."

She smiled, he actually sounded worried that she might turn him down. Two weeks ago she'd have walked through glass before accepting an invitation to dinner from the Beast, but for Adam, she was starting to realize that she liked spending time with him.

"Of course, If you aren't to busy for me, I'd love to."

He closed in on her and picked up her hand sending shivers down her arm that went all the way to the tips of her toes. Every time he touched her he sent waves of warmth into her and she felt all the heat rush to her face.

He rarely touched her. Belle couldn't imagine that he cared one whit about her outside the temporary alliance they had built. Belle was shocked when she felt him press a gentle kiss to the top of her wrist.

"Till tonight then." He said and then turned and walked away briskly. leaving Belle an incoherent mess behind him. Somehow at every turn Adam surprised her. Every thought and image she had conjured up about the blood thirtsy King Beast were just laughable when she thought about him.

Her thoughts then wandered to what it would feel like to taste those lips. Softer than she ever would have imagined. She didn't even know what had come over her, but she tucked her hand to her chest and laughed.

-The Beast-

The Beast was pacing his rooms having a complete meltdown.

"I'm not sure that it matters the way you are dressed my Lord, it seems as though you won't gain any favors from her that way." Vandy said, and Vandy was usually right.

"I know that Vandy. I just want tonight to go well." He said putting on his overcoat which was misshapen and sad looking after years of unuse.

"I just don't understand. Two weeks ago it seemed as though you were content to let her rot in the dungeon until her people came to rescue her, but now you're all worked up over dinner. You say that nothing has happened between you two, but it doesn't seem like nothing."

"It is nothing." He emphasized. He was lying of course, because as far as he could figure, there was a lot riding on this moment. It was life or death. He'd been just the beast for so long that he wasn't sure if anything else existed. Tonight he would figure out if he was still Adam, or if Adam was some old dream.

He thought on how Belle's touch affected him, how her laugh made his heart rate faster and how his dreams seemed to always turn to her. He was in deeper trouble than he could ever imagine.

He turned to Vandy after struggling with the buttons on his coat, "What do you think?"

Vandy looked him up and down and shook his head, "I think you should go with the Maroon one."

"You said that the color looked horrible on that one."

Vandy smiled a wicked grin and leaned back, folding his arms, "Well, the maroon one is the best fit and the best fabric. The blue one is a far superior color but the sleeves are far too short. I'd say wear the blue one if you're trying to impress Polly and wear the Maroon if you're trying to impress her."

The beast turned away, unbuttoning his blue overcoat.

"This doesn't mean anything." He said, irritated at Vandy's restrained laughter.

"Of course not sir." Vandy set the Maroon coat down on the bed.

"I'm making a mistake in doing this. I should have never-" He died out not willing to voice his self-depricating feelings in front of someone else.

He put on his coat become more and more nervous. He shouldn't be having dinner. He should be out in the forest waiting for challengers or watching the boundaries of the forest, or literally anything besides leading himself into a trap of his own making.

Vandy came up behind him securing cuff links into the end of his sleeves. "The only mistake you could possible make is doing nothing. That girl won't be here for long and you've already got more than enough regret than to add her to the list.

-Polly-

Leaving was not Polly's idea. It was Vandy who plotted and ultimately convinced her to agree to his crazy idea.

She was not convinced on the matter until she had spoken to Belle about dinner and realized that she was actually giddy. Her excitement was contagious, and Polly was equal parts happy and worried.

"The kids don't need two annoying elders to interrupts their dinner!" Vandy had said, but now, standing up in the middle of dinner, going along with whatever excuse Vandy was saying, it seemed like the Beast was much more terrified of them leaving than Belle was.

All the staff poured into the kitchens and crowded around the door adjacent to the dinning room.

"Are they going to get married?" Emma asked with an enthusiasm that could only come from a young child, and everybody laughed quietly.

"shhh, hush now Emma." Anette responded.

In all reality there was nothing but tension amongst the group. They were all waiting for the worst to happen. The last time there had been a woman in the castle they had all been filled with enthusiasm and went out of their way to push her towards the beast, but now with Belle no one was sure what would happen.

-Beast-

He was doing this wrong. "Make a friend" that's what Vandy said. Well making a friend is something obviously easier said than done.

The Beast didn't know what to do with himself, every time he said the right thing that made her talk for a minute it was like a weight was taken off his shoulders until she directed the conversation back to him.

He was getting desperate in his conversation topics, they had both finished dinner and he was stuck between wanting to be put out of his misery and not wanting her to leave.

"No, I don't do much reading." Belle said, trying to hide a smile behind her napkin. His inability to remember that she was blind was somewhat charming and endlessly entertaining every time he realized what he had said.

"No of course you- I didn't- that's too bad." He finished lamely then she laughed at him making him flinch internally. Wanting to be put out of his misery was beginning to win out.

"Yes I agree. It would be nice to be able to read and have an escape from my thoughts sometimes."

Belle picked at what little food was left on her plate as the Beast began panicking, trying to think of literally anything that could steer the conversation away from reading, clearly not a good subject.

He floundered, and then she took pity on him.

-Belle-

Belle was surprised how much she was actually enjoying herself.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Belle asked.

The Beast shifted in his chair, making the chair creak uncomfortably, "It depends on the question."

"Why did you invite me to dinner?" She asked.

He tried to find any bitterness or regret in accepting his invitation, goodness knows he was feeling a lot of bitterness and regret for extending it.

"You regret coming then?" he asked.

"I didn't say that."

He sighed long as if she was forcing the answer from his lips, "I did all of this wrong in the beginning. After that I- I assumed you wanted nothing more to do with me. I had hoped that I was wrong, so here we are."

"Can I speak openly?" She asked.

"Always."

"It's just that... you seem a bit..." She stopped searching for the right word before finally throwing out the word she meant, "miserable."

There was silence until he realized what she said and then he couldn't hold back his laughter. He laughed until his sides hurt. He must have been a worst actor than he had ever thought if even the blind can see through his charade.

"I didn't think it was that funny! I thought I have been very perfectly pleasant company!" She said in jest.

Her words had their intended effect and he immediately sobered up, not realizing that she was just kidding.

Quickly he rushed to defend his laughter, "No, no, It's not you! I'm not used to company, I never know what to say at these things, and I hate just sitting here and... you're just trying to get a rise out of me." He said, realizing that her shoulders were shaking lightly with laughter.

She couldn't restrain her laughter anymore and he eventually joined in until the laughter died out into a comfortable silence.

"Yes, I was just trying to get a rise out of you. You really don't need to be afraid of speaking to me."

"Despite how scary some blind women can be." He joked.

"Yes, despite that. You can ask me anything and I'll answer it honestly. As for your misplaced anger and aggression early on, it's forgiven. If you had left me alone in the forest that night I would have died, plus after knowing everything that's happened, I think you reacted the only way you could. As for not wanting anything to do with you- Well, you couldn't be more wrong. You're the only fun person here to tease, you know the best chairs in the place, and you're impossibly kind."

When she was finished she blushed. She hadn't meant to blurt all of that out, and she thought that maybe she had crossed a line. When he had nothing to say back to her, she needed a sudden distraction to keep the attention off of her before the feel of his eyes on her scolded her skin.

"Will you show me the library?" She asked, already standing up so he couldn't say no.

"sure." he said, clearly panicked. She smiled, she was beginning to think that she had an addiction to throwing him off guard. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she loved his voice when he was panicked. She walked towards his end of the table and waited to hear him get up from his chair.

"I won't bite." she said after he hesitated and that made him stand up quickly.

-Adam-

He gulped, he actually gulped and then immediately turning his back to her, fleeing to the door and he opened it for the both of them. Belle was still standing back, one hand on the table, with a secretive smile.

"Er- um- it's this way." He said awkwardly, standing there as useless as a loaf of bread.

She held out her arm expectantly and his heart rate shot up. He shouldn't go over and take her arm. That's all he was thinking as he crossed the room and linked his arm through hers.

"Sorry to be so helpless." She said, grinning up at him.

"Something tells me that you're a lot less helpless than you pretend to be." Adam said, leading her to his favorite part of the castle.

It was the sweetest kind of torture, to have her in his arms. Her smell was intoxicating and the longer he was close to her the more he wanted to never leave her side. He was in trouble. His alarm bells were going off and all he could think was that they had such a great plan and that plan ended with him alone. Again.

"You know you're somewhat of a celebrity outside of the forest." She said suddenly.

Belle never seemed to stop surprising him in her choice of conversation.

"You know I'm also somewhat of a celebrity inside the forest as well." He said in his most predatory voice.

She laughed and suddenly it hit him. This could be the last time. The last time he'd ever be able to talk to her, the last time he'd get to hear her laugh or see her wit and humor.

Soon she'd be in the arms of someone else which just felt so inherently wrong and he wanted to fight. He'd never wanted to fight more for anything in his life. Fight for every minute of her time. Fight to remember every word she said. Fight to keep her here.

He thought of the silence that will come on the day she leaves. He thought of locking up the East wing the day she leaves, another place in his castle forbidden to him by painful memories and suddenly he didn't want to do it anymore.

"You know. I can feel you staring at me." She said, her face angled up towards him and she smiled.

"yes." Was all he managed. Every inch of him wanted to reach down and kiss her except his last shred of common sense which decried the uncivility of it all. He was holding himself back by a thread.

"I think we've stopped walking."

"Yes."

"It doesn't sound like we're in a library."

"And what does a library sound like?" he mused.

"Well I would hope it doesn't sound like a hall way. To be honest I was expecting something a little more.... magical."

When that word fell from her lips he grinned at the idea that was beginning to form in his mind. If she wanted something magical she was going to get it.

"The library doors are right in front of us." He said.

"Oh." She said tilting her head away from him.

He shifted his weight between each foot daring himself to do what he had planned and when he finally built up his courage he unlaced his arm through hers and grabbed her wrist, he intended to guide it safely to the wall, but couldn't help but press her hand to his mouth first, inhaling the smell of her and savoring their touch.

He grinned when she flushed and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"I'll be right back hold on." he said, finally guiding her hand to the wall next to her.

-Belle-

Belle was confused to say the least. She thought everything was going well, great even until he left suddenly. Excitement built up in her, excitement for him to come back when he had just only left her alone. Excited for whatever plan he had just had that made him jump around like a boy on Christmas.

She heard him walk briskly down the hall away from her, and then he turned down the hallway out of the line of sight, and then she heard him break out into a run and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She had never smiled so much she cupped her hands over her face trying to memorize what it feels like to be happy.

Chapter Text

-Adam-

When he came back out of breath and stupid happy from head to toe she was not where he had left her, but she had made it into the library and had left the door open.

He turned to his surprise and motioned for them to wait, and he entered the library. She was sitting on his favorite chair holding a book as if she were reading it.

"You know, it's entirely unfair that you kept the best chairs in the library. What use does a blind woman have for a library? I have decided that this is the best spot in the castle." He crossed the room and stood in front of her. She was still holding the book open and still pretending to read from it.

"What are you doing?" He asked surprised that she was holding an old worn poetry book.

She lowered the book a little and gave him the kind of smile that told him she was about to say something clever.

"I am reading."

"Really? Is it any good?" he asked, thoroughly amused by everything she did.

"Oh it's great. It's about monsters and forests and castles and a king."

"It sounds awfully tragic." he said causing her to snort.

"That's exactly what he wants you to think. I think the king secretly likes to be pitied."

"May I?" Adam asked grabbing onto the book and she blushed deeply as he sat next to her. A voice in his head told him he was sitting closer than he should, but he ignored it.

He took the book from her hands and made a show about loudly flipping the pages loudly, and then he stopped at a random spot. "No, you see? Just right here it says and I quote, "awfully tragic"."

"I guess you're right. Although, that's probably in the first half where he kept himself holed up away from everyone. Content to let everyone think he was some great evil."

"Yes the first half does say awfully tragic. The last half is surprisingly triumphant with the evil Beast King being vanquished by some gallant knight giving the book a happy ending."

She jerked her head towards him and he thought for a second she was going to protest, but she just took the book from him and flipped it upside down, "I don't think we are reading the same book."

He laughed, "That might be in part because only one of us can actually read."

She looked up from the book then completely and scowled at him.

"What?" he asked, laughing again.

"You won that one. It's 5-5 now. We're tied"

"You're keeping score?" He asked incredulously and she flushed a gorgeous shade of pink.

"No."

"You're lying."

"Fine. You got me I am keeping score, and I warn you, I will win."

Suddenly the door creaked open and Jareen stuck her head through the door.

"Your highness?" she asked and Adam waved her and her sisters in, pointing to the other side of the room.

"Who is that?" Belle asked, her curiosity piqued. She had her head tilted, listening to the sounds of the Nymphs walking in. He had completely forgotten them outside the door. Somehow she had distracted him from the best idea he'd had in years.

He shook his head, amazed. "How do you always do this?"

"What, keeping score? It's easy you start with one and then-"

"No," He cut her off, "How do you always manage to distract me? I was so excited for your surprise, but you made me completely forget about it. It's a good thing you can't beat me in a fight, because I think you're my weakness.

She smiled evilly, "I think I could take you in a fight. You don't seem that tough."

He leaned towards her and turned menacing, "I would tear you apart in a second."

"you wouldn't. I'm too crafty." She said, not even backing away from him an inch and then suddenly he wanted to do nothing more than pull her towards him.

"you're blind."

"You're really loud, I'd hear you coming from a mile away and then I'd set a trap."

"You couldn't find anything to set a trap with."

"If you don't think I could convince every one of your staff to turn against you, you've got another thing coming." He snorted, that was the truth. She had everyone running around for her.

One of the nymphs hit their instrument against a book shelf while setting up and Belle's head jerked over towards them, breaking their connection.

"I do have one leg up on you." he said, leaning closer while she was distracted.

She turned back to him, "What's that?"

"I know what all these people are doing in here."

He leaned away from her and she angled her head towards the Nymphs who had all quieted down and were now looking to him for a signal.

"What's going on?" She asked quietly.

"You have to admit that I'd beat you in a fight first." He said triumphantly and Belle folded her arms. leaning away from him.

"I am more patient than you. You were so excited for this that you abandoned me in a hall way. You will fold before I do." She said confidently.

Adam closed the distance between them that she had created, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Sitting here next to you is all I need. I could be here for days without complaint."

She shook her head and scoffed. He could be so charming when he was trying. "What if I were to stand up and walk to my room right now?" She asked, challenging him.

"I'd reluctantly let you go, but then you'd never know what surprise I would've had for you."

She scowled feeling her surrender coming on.

"Sometimes I hate being blind." She said

"I know."

"I really would give you a run for your money!" she protested, trying to prolong admitting defeat.

"undoubtedly."

"Fine. You win. Tell me what is going on."

He grinned waving to the Nymphs and they tested the acoustics in the room with a few notes before the entire ensemble began playing softly.

Belle's face completely transformed from reluctant failure to complete astonishment.

"This is-" She stopped and closed her mouth, listening to new instruments entering the mix harmonizing and weaving in and out of one another.

She stood up, walking towards the music and Adam hastily followed her, steering her clear of the furniture. She was mesmerized by the opening notes.

"Who- what- how did you make this happen?" She asked, awestruck.

"Nymphs. They're elusive and impossible to find, but they can play the most beautiful music."

"Elusive and impossible to find huh?"

"Well unless you happen to be their King. One of the very few perks to the job."

He had never seen her speechless before, but here she was swaying gently to the music. Her mind lost in itself and it was enough for him to watch her experience it. He wanted to know her every thought, her every wish, her every fear, and above everything he wanted to know exactly how to get rid of the sadness that she seemed to carry around with her.

He watched as she closed her eyes, watched as she folded her arms around herself comfortable, but he was unable to watch anymore when her eyes filled with tears.

He reached out to her lightly touching her arm and she started and turned to him.

"I believe the score is now 6-5 my favor."

"5-6 your favor." She repeated morosely.

"Will you dance with me?" He asked suddenly overcome with the desire to hold her in his arms.

"I've never danced before."

"Neither have I"

"I'll look horrendous."

"Said the Beauty to the Beast." he retorted.

She finally held out her hand for him to take and he grabbed it, pulling the other one to his shoulder and mirrored her stance, placing his hand on her shoulder instead of her waist like propriety demanded. He held her at a respectful distance not for her sake, but for his. Belle had a different idea, she pulled him in closer by his shoulder, and laid her head on his chest.

He stiffened immediately at her familiar move

"You know I don't like it very much when you call us that." She mumbled into his chest.

"You've got to get over your aversion to that name. I don't plan on changing your nickname."

"No not that, well, that does bother me, but I'm tired of hearing the word "beast"."

He smiled, "well you tease me relentlessly when I refer to myself as the king so I thought I'd give myself a night off."

"You're so difficult." she said.

"I'm difficult? I don't go tearing apart what you decide to call yourself."

He led her in the a basic step, moving in a square pattern, a dance that Vandy had hastily showed him earlier.

"I've known enough Beasts in my life to be able to see them for what they are. You are not a beast."

She followed the dance step easily and the more they danced the less awkward it became and they moved in unison.

"I shudder to think off the places you've spent your life if I am not beastly enough for you."

"I shudder to think about whoever put the idea in your head that you're anything close to beastly." she responded quickly.

"Belle hush now. I'm trying to focus on dancing." If he didn't stop her from talking like that then she really would never leave the castle. He would make sure about that.

"6-6" Was all she said before entrusting the dancing to him. She responded to his every movement, completely following his lead. Her eyes were closed and she looked so free and so lost in the moment.

His arm disobeyed his strict orders and went off of her shoulder and around her back pulling her tighter against his chest. He buried his face into the top of her head completely against every plan he had made, and he didn't feel alone anymore.

Her skin was warm and her hair was silky. She fit right into him like a missing puzzle piece and he wished- so many things at once.

He wished he could tell Belle everything in his heart. He wished Belle could feel the same way. He wished he could escape the curse of the title King of Beasts. He wished that the people coming to rescue her would get eaten on the way here, but most of all He wished that he could live in this moment.

Alarm bells went off in his head, and he could only vaguely tell that they were warning about getting too close to her and getting his heart broken, but he couldn't hear them. He realized then that every ounce of heartbreak was worth it. Every second spent in her arms did things to him that he couldn't understand.

For now and this moment he could pretend that he was Adam and only Adam, and that Belle was there for him and not in spite of him.

Chapter Text

-Vanderwall-

"You really need to get a hold of yourself." Vandy whispered quietly.

Polly and Vandy had both been closely following the nights events with the rest of the staff, but when Belle and the King both moved to the library Polly and Vandy agreed to go in place of the entire staff.

"Somebody needs to know what happens if everything goes wrong!" Is what Polly had said to convince him to eavesdrop, and now they were both pressed into the library door that was left slightly ajar by the nymphs.

Polly had been crying since the music started.

"I can't help it. This is impossible." she said.

"Well, you had better try harder to help it because if you're any louder then one of them will hear you." He said pointedly.

"I bet we could be shouting "fire" down the hallway and neither of them would hear anything. Just look at them Vandy, they're in love!" she said.

Vandy let out a small sigh and shook his head. Polly jumped to conclusions too often. It was a sweet sight to be sure, but Vandy wouldn't be as easily convinced as Polly.

"That's exactly what you said about her" he said.

"That's just because I had never seen him with Belle." Polly stepped away from the door and let Vandy stand in the better position to look at them. "Look at me and tell me that you don't see it too!"

Vandy kneeled down and leaned towards the slight opening and tried to be objective. He could not see their faces clearly, but Vandy could not deny that there was something pure about the way they held eachother. Vandy stood and silently closed the door completely, letting them be alone in their own private moment.

"So?"

"Let's go." Vandy said in a grim voice.

"Ha! I knew it! You see it too." She said

Vandy smiled tightly and led Polly to report the news to everyone else. He hoped Polly was right, but he could allow himself that kind of hope. Someone had to be ready if the outcome was less than favorable. He did't see how it was possible, but he did know Adam's father when he was a much better man. Years of bitterness and lonliness changed him to the Beast that haunted stories. He did not want to watch Adam fall down the same path.

-Belle-

She wanted to keep dancing forever. They moved in perfect tandem and she listened to the fantastic sound of his heart beat that sped up every time she shifted her hand in his. She reveled in the feel of his arm strong and unrelenting against her back and his face burried in her hair. She imagined for a moment that she was every bit of a solace to him that he was to her.

This moment exactly, wrapped in his arms, surrounded with the euphoric sounds of weaving melodies and notes, was the best moment of her life. No one had ever held her this way, desperately, like she was the only thing that mattered.

Her thoughts turned to her father who's desire to see her married overshadowed her happiness. She thought on the town that gathered once a year to speak nothing but pure violence and hatred about the man who now held her in her arms. She then realized that the search party could be here in the morning. Taking her away. The thought made her cling to him even tighter imagining that somehow if she could just hold on tight enough then she would never have to leave his side.

The music came to a brilliant conclusion and their dancing halted. He reluctantly unhooked his arms that had both found themselves cemented around her waist, but she didn't have as much restraint as he did because her arms stayed linked around his neck.

She felt his head turn towards the musicians and he nodded to them.

"Thank you Jareen, I will not steal any more of you and your sisters' precious time. I am forever in your debt."

Belle heard the shuffling sound of instruments being lightly packed away followed by footsteps that approached the both of them

"The Great King Beast will never be in our debt." her voice was inhuman and musical. "We will do anything to serve Great King."

Adam relayed his thanks again, but then he reached up and unhooked her hands from around his neck, making Belle blush with embarrassment. He cradled her hands and leaned into her ear.

"Hold out your hand." He said, releasing one and she held it out and immediately it was taken up by a much smaller hand colder than hers.

"It was an honor to share this moment with you beautiful Belle."

Belle shook her head, "No, the real honor was mine Jareen, thank you for giving us a beautiful moment. This whole thing would've been a lot more awkward in silence."

Jareen laughed at that and let go of her hand.

"We will make our departure." Her sisters began filing out of the room silently, barely making any noise for Belle to catch.

"Be warned," Jareen said from the other side of the room at the door, "We have had a strained relationship with royals in the past. You have gained our respect King Beast and you will lose it if we are not invited to your unity."

With that final warning The door to the library closed leaving them alone.

"What did she mean by that?"

"Nothing." Adam said, a little too fast.

Belle felt a wolfish grin split her face and she leaned into him. She was fairly confident she knew what the nymph was talking about, but she wanted to hear it from his own mouth.

"She couldn't have meant nothing. That sounded like a pretty serious threat, O great King Beast."

He placed both of his hands on her shoulders holding her in place.

"You'll never let this go."

"Nope." she said still grinning up at him, which happened to be one of his weaknesses.

"Somehow they've got the impression that we-" he cut off suddenly.

"We-" she egged him on

"-that we are to be married." He finished the misery leaked back into his voice and she found herself giddy to be in his arms while he talked about marriage.

"I wonder what could have given them that impression." She said innocently and he laughed.

"I haven't the faintest idea." he said. His tone was light but she could tell that they were both coming onto dangerous territory.

"I wonder- could it have been my hands wrapped around your neck here?" She asked, slyly moving her arms up his neck relishing in how soft his hair was."

"maybe." he said. Adam stood frozen, she wasn't even sure he was breathing when she brought her head to his chest.

"I wonder if maybe they could have thought that because I've just spent the whole night with my head here."

He heard his breath hitch in his chest and she was happy that he hadn't died of shock at how very inappropriate she was behaving just that moment. She was love drunk and found a very particular form of bravery being so close to him.

When he didn't respond she took her head of his chest for a few moments, "Or maybe-"

She was cut off suddenly by one of his arms wrapping around her waist and the other found itself weaved through her hair and his mouth was on hers.

She was shocked and would have probably fallen over on the spot if he was not holding on to her as tight as he was, but after a moment of initial shock her hands separated and one pulled his shoulder closer to her and the other cradled the back of his head.

This kiss was the one she had secretly been waiting for. Every playful conversation, every light hearted remark led to this kiss and she was imploding with unrealized desire.

To have someone holding her, cherishing her like she'd always wanted to be held did something to her and she was returning his every move.

Her blood boiled beneath the skin at every place he touched her. His kiss was rough the beastly sort of kiss that could only come from his specific brand of desperation.

He made a noise deep in his chest that sounded almost like a growl and she smiled into his kiss as his hands slid up from her waist to the tops of her shoulders. Giving her plenty of warning before he gently pulled them apart.

There they stood for a quiet moment, both of them breathing heavily. She tried to regain her composure, but her skin felt like it was on fire, and her cheeks would never stop blushing again.

-Adam-

"That was-" He started but his voice failed him, there were too many emotions running rampant inside him and they were at war. Shame and anger ate at him and he felt as thought he were taking advantage of her, but they were overshadowed by the desire for more. For another taste of his Belle. His Belle he realized that he now thought of her as, that was the last straw.

"That was." She said simply, not having the words to bail him out this time.

"That shouldn't have happened." He said suddenly, pushing himself further away from her, leaving behind all the warmth and feeling she had given him. Her brows moved up in confusion and then he saw it. He saw her hurt eyes and questioning face and that gutted him even further.

He tried to memorize this Belle, sad Belle, who had that look in her eyes because of him and he tried to turn this version of Belle into the reason why he needed to never touch her again.

"I'm- I've- It's late. Do you require any assistance back to you're room Miss Belle?"

He asked roughly and she frozen and shook her head in a small barely perceptive movement.

"I thank you for dining with me and dancing with me tonight." He spun on his heels and had to beat off the desire to run away. He had devoured her with little thought of propriety. He acted the Beasts part and that shamed him to his core.

He had always supposed himself a better man than his father. The kind of man who would bear the weight of being the king over all the beasts with as much civility as one could have, but now he realized that he was the same.

He transformed back into the beast. His hands morphed into paws and claws extended out, marking him as a predatory animal. No one was meant for the arms of a monster, but now he had the memory of her in his arms. He left the castle, trying to get clear his head. The forest, his personal prison and private sanctuary, the one place he always knew where he stood.

He had flown over the forest looking for a distrction, but there was nothing. The night was silent and he was alone. He dropped down to a branch of a large tree and looked out over the blood moon.

In the quiet of the night after he had torn himself down and built back up his walls that Belle seemed to be expert at destroying, his thoughts turned back to the kiss they shared.

Only in the quiet of the night when he lay in a tree alone, staring at the blood moon, would The Beast King admit to himself that there would never exist a day where he regretted that kiss.

Chapter Text

-Belle-

Belle had managed to make it to her rooms that night on her own, and immediately crawled into her bed without even bothering to change. When she woke in the morning, she was completely sore, both her feelings and her body. They must have danced longer than she had realized because she felt as though she had been trampled over by a horse.

"Good morning dear!" Said Polly as she came in, setting a tray down at the table across the room.

Belle crossed the room to get breakfast, but she was just tired enough and just distracted enough by the previous night's events that she tripped gracelessly over a large solid object and hit her head on something else while falling down.

Polly was over to help her up in a second. "Goodness! I should've thought to warn you earlier!"

Belle clutched her head in pain and then felt out wildly for the alien object in her room. She finally found it, "Is it a Chair?"

"Yes." Polly replied, "The staff received orders to bring it in early this morning. I had thought that you requested it."

Belle felt around it a little more and then sat down on it, a smile breaking across her face the second she did. It was the chair from the library. Her smile died a little when she began to wonder what the chair meant.

"Are you alright dear?" Polly asked urgently, moving her hand across Belle's forehead where she had just hit it.

"Yes, I think I am."

"Are you sure? You're going to have a huge knot on your head. I need to talk to the staff about moving the furniture in your room! They should be more careful than that!"

"No, don't worry about it. It wasn't their fault, I probably would've been more careful if I wasn't so distracted this morning."

"And what could possibly be making you so distracted?" Polly asked with a smile in her voice.

"Nothing." Belle said, but she felt the heat rise in her face.

"It doesn't seem like nothing dear, you're absolutely flushed, and I don't think it's just your head injury." Polly leaned over sitting next to Belle on the Lounge chair and she leaned over to whisper conspiratorially, "Does it have anything to do with why his majesty has taken over the furniture decorating in your room?"

"No" Belle said, and it was the truth. No matter how foolish she had acted last night, the fact of the matter was that he had pushed her away. Was the chair an apology? She heard the regret in his voice clear as day. His regret for kissing her. "I have no idea why this chair is now here, but I intend to figure it out."

Polly stood up suddenly, "Well you just make sure you get something to eat dear. I should go finish the rest of my morning routine."

Polly walked across the room but the stopped when she reached the door, "Oh, and in case you wanted to discuss furniture placement, I saw a certain someone in the garden on my way here."

Polly left, and Belle sat alone in the room for about 30 seconds before she quickly threw on one of her comfortable day dresses, grabbed a piece of toast from the table, and left.

The second she walked out into the garden she began to feel insecurities surround her head. Here she was walking around aimlessly looking for someone who had rejected her the night before. If he despised her because she would forever be just another woman who had went into the forest on a blood moon, then seeking him out now would probably just confirm his suspicions of her character.

She walked aimlessly in the garden her mind spiraling down, remembering the night before how desperate she must have seemed, and how even more desperate she must seem now, in the garden, seeking him out.

Her head finally gained control of her actions and she wheeled around to return back inside, but the second she did she heard her name right behind her. Close enough that she jumped, spooked by his sudden nearness.

-The Beast-

He had been enjoying a perfectly nice breakfast outside staring into the dark shadows of the forest trying to think of anything but her. It didn't help that as soon as his mind was finally free of her, she suddenly appeared out of the corner of his eye.

He waited for her to call out, but he realized that she didn't even know he was there. He smirked, so much for "I would hear you coming." As she came closer and he saw the troubled look on her face he frowned and that frown deepened as she came up on him and he saw a large bruise forming on her forehead.

He stood swiftly and in that moment she turned on her heel back towards the castle, but it was too late.

"Belle." He called out when he was nearly upon her and she jumped, wheeling her around, her hand clutching her heart.

"Ohmysweetgoodness you scared me to death!"

"What? You didn't hear me coming?" He asked innocently and her face transformed from fear to righteous indignation.

"I was distracted that didn't count."

"I wonder what could possibly distract someone enough that they could ignore a beast creeping up on them." He wondered aloud. She didn't respond right away and he could see her deciding what to say to him.

"I was focused on where I was walking. You never know when someone is going to completely rearrange the furniture in your room, causing you to trip up."

"So what you're saying is that your weakness is furniture?" He laughed causing her righteous indignation to increase.

"You better watch your steps the next few days Adam because I'm going to get you back!" She said and a chill went down his back. Every time she called him Adam when he was in his beastly state he wanted to whisk her up and take her away.

She didn't know the effect she had on him standing there staring up at him with her hands clenched into fists. She looked like she was ready to take him on all by herself and he'd seen enough to know that her bravery wasn't an act.

She was standing too close. She was too close when she was in the castle safely tucked away in her room. He realized that's why he had stayed outside, because his walls became paper thin when she was around.

"So you're saying that I caused that nasty bruise on your head just because I moved a bit of furniture around?" He asked and his hand went up to touch her bright red forehead that was already turning a dark shade of purple. His massive paw compared to her skin made him fall back a step.

He wouldn't touch her again, not as the beast at least. He promised to himself. She might not be able to see him, although he figured if she could, she'd be running out screaming, but she didn't need any reminder of exactly how monsterous he was. 'She deserves better' he reminded himself.

"Yes, which is precisely why I came here to get an apology." She stated, folding her arms across her chest.

"That's terrible, because I gave you that chair as half an apology." An apology that had backfired on him, he wasn't even surprised. Most things seemed to backfire on him.

"An apology for what?" She asked, leaning towards him, closing some of the distance that he had created between the two of them.

"It was an apology for last night. I just wanted to say-"

"forget it. You don't even have to apologize. It's in the past." Belle said, interrupting him.

"No." The Beast said, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his head, trying to do anything with his hands to distract himself from his desire to reach out to her. "I need to apologize. I don't want you to think-" He stopped, pausing for the right word.

He didn't want her to think he was a monster but it was too late for that. He remembered back how his every move was selfish. Ever since he kidnapped her he'd been consumed with desire and last night he'd acted like a beast, taking liberties he had no right to take and behaving wild and inappropriatly. He didn't have the courage to say any of that out loud he realized, but he didn't have to. There was a blood curdling scream that came from the direction of the forest.

He jumped, every muscle ready for action and Belle flinched toward him, putting a hand on his shoulder that was covered in a thick matt of fur.

"What was that?" She asked in a soft whisper.

"It sounded like a war cry."

"A war cry? It was the wolfmen wasn't it?"

"Yes, the blood moon makes them more powerful. Powerful enough to think that they can take over ruling the forest. They're probably just looking for another fight," he said warily stepping away from her, creating another boundary of space between them.

"Are you going out there?"

"Yes." He said, stretching out his wings ready to take flight until her hand was on his arm and he was overcome by the sensation that only Belle could give him.

"You're going to go out there with no notion of what you're facing? You don't know how many there are. You don't even know for sure what it is."

The Beast smiled when he saw what looked like concern in her face. "The way I see it, you win either way. I'll either die a painful death, thus setting you free from your captor, or I'll kill them and you'll never have to worry about the werewolves again."

"It's a lose either way. If you live, you'll come back all cocky and self sure and rub it in my face, and if you die-" She cut off and the Beast couldn't stop from laughing.

"You can't think of one bad thing that would come from my untimely demise? Way to make a me feel special!"

Another war cry came up from the forest and their was something odd in the tone. Something hungry. "Belle, I really do need to go." He said, unable to remove her hand from his arm without doing something that would only cause him to have to apologize more.

She let go slowly and the beast let out a ragged breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.

"You better come back." Was all she said and he didn't bother replying before setting off for the skies.

-Belle-

if you die I lose my best friend.

That's what she was going to say. It would kill her because she'd never be able to hear his laugh, or the panic in his voice whenever she did something that caught him off guard. She'd lose the only person who ever treated her like someone who had any worth.

He was gone now, she could still hear the beat of his wings, carried to her by the wind and she couldn't help but remember his apology.

He didn't want her to think what? That his intentions were sincere? That maybe he felt the same way she did everytime they touched? She could still feel his mouth on hers when she closed her eyes and she was overwhelmed with conflicting feelings.

She longed for the comfort of her own bed. She wanted to see her father again, despite his hand in abandoning her. She missed her own special hill behind her house where she could hear nothing but the wind. She missed all the good things from the village, but the thought of leaving made her feel sick. What would she do without her Beast?

She ran those words in her mind again and again returning inside, the whole castle seemed darker knowing that he was gone.

Chapter Text

-The Beast-

The sight the beast came upon in the forest wasn't one that he expected. There were three wolfmen who had surrounded a human.

The Beast dropped to the ground curiously, watching the wolfmen circle from afar. The human was big and weilding a massive sword, but it wouldn't be big enough for three opponents.

The first wolfman lunged at the human, who defended himself well enough, slashing and jabbing. He kept himself safe, but he did not inflict any wounds. There was no chance this man could stand up to three wolfmen. Survival of the fittest was the nature of the forest. Letting him die would be his perferred option, but he had a plan with Belle and he didn't want to let her down. The Beast entered the clearing and roared threateningly.

The three wolfmen stopped their advancing attacks, and turned their backs to the human. The wolfmen stalled a moment, but they were already in the middle of a blood-lust. They weren't thinking with their heads anymore. The human stood forgotten as the wolfmen spread out and slowly crept towards the King.

Every step forward was in slowmotion until they decided they were in perfect position to strike. One went foe his throat and another for his leg. He beat away the one who came at his neck and while he kicked at the one at his feet, the third lunged into his chest and dug his hooked claws deep into his chest.

He flinched back in pain and roared. The wolman was terrified as he grabbed his paw and ripped it out of his chest. The wolfmen were not fools. They knew how easy it was for him to kill, and so it shreiked in horror as he was thrown into a tree trunk and no longer moved.

The last two seemed more hesitant, but with adrenaline coursing through him and bood now seeping through his open wound, he lunged at one of them and use his claws to cut into his throat.

The second wolfman fell to the ground with a gurgling sound and the thirst turned tail and ran. He didn't care to pursue him, especially not while blood pursed down his chest.

It was the sort of wound that would force him to crawl back home to be stitched up by Vandy, but the beast didn't have time for that tonight. Not with their plan now in motion.

The human stood stupidly with his sword still erect. When the Beast approached him, the human's sword was now pointed at the Beast's chest.

The human was breathing heavily, a wild glint in his eyes, but oddly enough, the human's eyes lit with recognition and he lowered his sword slightly.

"It's you!" The human said triumphantly.

The beast chose not to answer. He sized up the human, wondering if he was the best they had to offer. If this was going to be Belle's rescuer, he had to make sure that it was a man who was worthy of Belle.

-Gaston-

After nearly a week of suffering through this hellish forest, he had finally done it. He'd found the King Beast.

His whole body shook with exhaustion and triumph. The day had taken a wildly different turn than he had thought. He'd been done for. Fighting for his life every day until those monsters that hed been tracking him finally caught up, and right when he was just about forced to give up and die he was saved by the very being he came here to kill.

His Brother's wife had told him exactly what to look for, but nothing could have prepared him for this. The King Beast, tall as a bear, covered in dark brown, near black fur, he had every type of predatory trait, horns, claws, fangs, and massive bat-like wings. The monster was glorious and would look quite the sight stuffed in his trophy room.

"Who are you?" The beast asked and Gaston couldn't hold back a shudder

"This is surreal. Amazing. She said you could talk, but I didn't believe it till just now." Gaston marveled. He took a confident step forward, pressing the sword into the Beast King's open wound.

"I will kill you were you stand if you do not tell me where you've got the fair maiden."

"Who are you?" the beast asked again, unflinching.

Gaston frowned, he'd have to teach the monster a lesson of who was in charge.

"I am Gaston Legume, Prince of Levony, and I have come here, King beast, to kill you and take everything you possess."

The beast then dared to laugh at him and Gaston brought his sword up to the monster's throat.

"You will take me to the girl, and then you will die a noble death at my hand." Gaston said evenly, looking into the animal eyes of the hideous creature before him. A creature so vile and unatural needed to be destroyed off the face of the earth, but Gaston was really after the idea of becoming King of the forest of monsters. The one place his Father was unable to gain control over.

"Speak beast, before I cut out your tongue and force you to lead me to the girl anyway."

The beast took a big deep breath and opened his mouth then closed it and shook his head.

"Have it your way then Beast." Gaston said before taking a step to slash the sword into the beast, when suddenly the beast was not at his sword point anymore.

He was fast. Faster than Gaston could quite comprehend. In one fell swoop Gaston's sword was ripped from his grip and slid across the forest floor, and Gaston was thrown onto his back. The Beast was on him in a moment and picked him up slowly by the collar of his shirt. Gaston could hear nothing but his own heart beat while he grasped in vain at the Beast's grip on his tunic. Coughing and sputtering, Gaston panicked and realized that he was going to die, when suddenly he was thrown soundly from the grasp of the Beast.

"Leave. Now. Do not return or I will destroy you." The beast said in a low gutteral voice and Gaston stood swiftly, abandoning his sword and his pride he ran off into the forest going any direction away from the beast.

-The Beast-

He stared after the man fleeing in complete shock at what he had done. He could still hear the fool running blindly through the forest. Her Prince. The one that was supposed to take her home.

He scratched absentmindedly at the wound that was still oozing blood on his chest, but it didn't do anything to relieve the itch that had gotten underneath his skin. The real thing that was bothering him was Belle.

They had made a plan together. He was supposed to let the champions follow him back to the castle, instead he had beat the man and scared him away. He had let her down.

He couldn't have lead that man to Belle. Belle deserved more than this man. That's what he told himself to make up for his behavior. He wasn't good enough. She deserved the best of everything as long as that everything was with him.

That's when the Beast realized that it didn't matter who that man was. He'd never be able to hand Belle over to anyone.

The beast stood in the clearing helplessly for a few more minutes and he began to feel woozy. His wound was beginning to get to him. The best thing for Belle would be to let that man rescue her, but that was the one thing he couldn't do. He thought of returning home and locking all the castle doors forever, keeping her permanently, and killing anyone who dared try to separate them.

That's what he wanted most in the world was her. That's when he realized what he had to do.

Belle was looking for him when he returned home. That's the message he got from Vandy when he went to him to get stitched back up.

"She's been worried about you."

"I'm sure she's been praying I never come back." the beast said, bitterly.

"It's more than that." Vandy said, annoyed at his young master for being so blind.

The beast wasn't really listening to what Vandy had to say to him. No, his mind was on what he was about to do next, and how if he didn't do it now then he'd never be able to. The second Vandy finished sewing it and bandaged it unevenly, the beast stood with such force it sent Vandy sprawling backwards.

"Where are you going?" Vandy asked.

"I am going to be pay Belle a visit."

"You will not! The poor girl is worried enough without having you limping over bleeding everywhere. Stay here. I'll tell her how you're faring, and I'll bring dinner up soon!"

The beast mumbled in false agreement and waited a whole sixty seconds after Vandy left before he was out of his bed walking towards Belle's rooms.

He knocked on her door and before he could even finish knocking, the door flew open.

"You made it back!" She said, launching herself into his arms.

"Belle!" He said, struggling to keep her from falling on the ground while feeling his stitches begin to tear.

"I'm sorry!" She said, stepping back quickly, "I was just worried about you." She stepped back and then claspsed her hands together, blushing a deep red. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said roughly, loving the way her dark hair looked against her flushed face. "It was nothing."

She folded her arms at that and then raised an eyebrow. It was a small movement, but he wanted to know what she had to say. "What?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Only, I know you're lying."

It was his turn to raise his eyebrows at that. "Do you now?"

"Yes." She leaned in closer and whispered in a low voice, "you're bleeding. I can smell it."

He looked down at his barely bandaged wound to see blood seeping from it and he sighed. Vandy would be mad at him for going against his strict orders to stay in his room.

"I can't sneak anything past you can I?" He asked.

"No, so you might as well stop trying. Was it the wolfmen again?"

"yes." was all he said, his jaw working painfully trying to figure out what to say to her.

"What are you going to do about them?"

"Nothing. I'll do what I do every year. Keep them from crossing the line and protect every one else along the way."

"Adam, you can't go on like this. Vandy told me you barely come out on top by the end of the month."

The Beast grabbed Belle's arm and led her through her room and through her balcony doors, effectively shutting her up the moment he laid his hands on her.

He figured she was scared of him. He didn't even notice the effect that his touch had on her.

"Where are we out here?" she asked, but he put both his hands on his arms. Careful not to touch her with his claws. This was the closest he'd ever allowed himself to get with Belle while he was still the Beast.

"Why are you here Belle?" He asked, and his entire world waited for an answer that he already knew.

"Why? Are you sure you're fine?" She asked in a quiet voice, trying to move away from him, but he wouldn't give her an inch.

"Just a simple answer, Belle. Why are you here?" He asked.

It seemed like she was staring straight at him when she replied, "you took pity on me while I was out in the forest, You brought me here and saved me."

The Beast couldn't help himself at that moment. He pulled her into his arms where she felt so small and vulnerable. She was wrong. When he brought her here he wasn't saving her. He condemned her. He brought her straight into the heart of his lair, and as long as she was here she wouldn't be safe from him. He wasn't saving her before, but he wanted to set that straight. He was going to take her home.

In that very moment he held onto her tight, stretching out his wings, and leapt into the air to do the only selfless thing that he'd ever done before.

Chapter Text

-Belle-

He set her down finally.

"Where are we?" she asked, bewildered, trying to fix her hair and her dress which she imagined looked wild. He hushed her and gently grabbed her hand, now in human form.

"Don't shush me Adam! I don't find flying very pleasant." She said, her voice raising a few decibels. "Are you going to tell me where we are?"

He moved in closer to her bringing her suddenly lower to the ground moving close enough to her that she could still smell blood and the forest on him, and she could feel him breathing.

She felt blood rush to her face as he leaned towards her ear, bringing her body into his.

"You really need to be quiet or we're going to be caught." He whispered.

"Caught by who?"

His silence to that question was not comforting. Belle began to panic, her mind ran back over their every interaction since last night. He was acting stranger than she'd ever seen him act before.

He probably saw the panic in her face and her breathing growing shallow because he wrapped his hands around hers, trying to calm her down.

"Belle, don't panic, it's nothing, in fact, it's a good thing. I brought you home."

The minute he said that her blood iced over and she listened, really listened, to confirm what he said. When she heard a series of familiar sounds she found herself speechless. She pulled her hands away from Adam's and sat back in shock.

"Why are we here?" She finally choked out.

"I made a mistake bringing you to the castle," he said in an oddly cold voice.

Belle could only shake hear head.

"No no no, you can't do that! We had a deal. We had a plan, a good plan. What happened to our plan?" She asked, moving even further away from him until she wasn't touching him.

"Our plan did not include this. No, it practically EXCLUDED this!" She said emphasizing every vowel.

"Plans change." he said, sounding more and more foreign to her ears.

She wanted to beg him to take her back, but she couldn't. She felt a pit in her stomach open up and she was falling. Her mind was circling in a downward spiral as she ran over what she had done in the last few days to bring on his sudden shift.

The only reason was that he really did not care for her, not really.

She couldn't stop then the tears that came to her eyes.

-Adam-

He could let her out of his castle and bring her here to the edge of the forest, but he'd never be able to let her go. She stood with her back to her village, one step away from leaving his forest, and she was waiting. Waiting for an explanation that he didn't have.

When tears began to well up in her eyes, he decided he was done with controlling himself.

He closed the distance that she had created, standing dangerously close to the edge of the forest, and he grabbed her by her elbows.

He was going to say something, at least that was his intention, but when her breath hitched and eyes caught the moonlight that came through the tree branches above them, she was too much of a temptation. With his heart moving faster than his head, he brough his head down to hers and tasted her lips.

He was soft at first, starting with the innocent intention of saying goodbye, but her hands reached up to his face and her touch made his whole body hum. It wasn't enough then, one of his hands snaked around her waist, bringing her tight against him and his other hand gently reached up and brushed away a tear that had been growing in the corner of her eye.

She took him by surprise and she deepened the kiss. Her hands caressed the side of his face, driving him absolutely wild and he matched her intensity.

Alone he could forget he was cursed. When there was nothing to miss it was almost like there was nothing holding him back, but he never felt more cursed than in this moment. He knew that this time when he let her go he would never get her back.

He pulled back enough to rest his forehead against hers and close his eyes, breathing in the moment.

"Belle-" He stopped, his voice thick with emotion. "Belle, I need to let you go."

"Don't." She said quickly. "please don't do this."

He tucked her head into his chest and he allowed himself to fantasize about taking her back. This time not as a prisoner, but as a real guest. Someone who chose to be there.

They would hunt him. The humans would never leave him alone. He'd fight off armies to keep her but he'd be fighting off her people, the people who cared enough about her to want her back. If he took her back now she would grow to resent him. Maybe not for a while, but she would eventually. There was nothing but haunted halls and bleak mornings at his castle. He couldn't do that to Belle. No, this was the only solution.

"This is the best way for everyone." he said.

"I care about you." She muffled miserably into his chest and that's when he knew he had to end this quickly while his last thread of willpower was still holding on.

"You'll move on quickly. Go back home and enjoy life. Forget all about the beasts in the forest, they're not worth caring for." He sounded bitter despite his every effort not to.

She puled back at arms length, tears were still fresh in her eyes. "Adam, I know you don't want me to leave. Not really. You're too busy being a martyr in order to convince anyone that you're a beast."

"You deserve more than me. You deserve to be showered in gold and silks, but most of all you deserve to be far from this miserable forest. You don't deserve to be cursed along side me."

He collected took one step away from her, his hand wrapping around hers.

"Stay out of the forest Belle." He squeezed her hand lightly and then let her go. He took flight immediately, stopping close enough and waited until she left the tree line and was officially out of his reach.

-Belle-

When he took off she stood unsure of what to do. Emotions swirled through her in waves of anger, regret and sadness. She turned on her heels with her back against the forest and she walked blindly, taking small steps while her eyes filled with tears. She slowly followed the path and hoped that the guards wouldn't shoot her through with an arrow when they saw her coming out of the forest.

It was painful to walk, the path was uneven and hard to follow, especialy when her senses were being broken up by frustrating tears and swirling emotions.

"Ho there! State your business!" A voice shouted and Belle held her hands aloft in a well meaning position.

"It's me!" She shouted weakly.

She heard movement two or three sets of footsteps as they came closer.

"Hell on fire it's Belle!" One of the men exclaimed and his voice was beginning to sound familiar. "Go find old man Maurice!" Someone went running and another man approached her, putting his arm around her.

"You just lost me a gold piece. I figured you were long dead." said the man, who she vaguely recognized.

"Not dead." was all she managed to say, trying for a smile.

"Let's get you home." He said leading her towards the sound of stirring commotion.

The last time she was here she was tied up and left for dead. It was great to be home.

Chapter Text

-Belle-

"I can just take you home Belle." said the man who had found her at the gate.

They had been informed that her father was busy drinking at the nearby tavern, but she didn't care. She wanted to see her father more than anything else.

"Thank you for your concern, but I think I can handle it from here."

"Suit yourself!" He called out, leaving as she pushed open the door of the tavern. Usually she'd follow the wall to the bar, stepping over the drunk men slouched against the wall until she made it to the bar, and asked the bartender for assistance in locating her father, but today when she opened the door the entire tavern was washed over with silence.

Belle stepped in, letting the door close behind her as whispers erupted around her and without warning, a hand grabbed her and pulled her off balance and she fell into the chest of her father, who she could identify through the thick smell of wine and home. He wrapped her into a hug and she felt his face press into her neck as tears ran down his cheeks.

"I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming. I'm not drunk enough to start seeing visions yet, so that must mean that you're really back!"

She couldn't help but smile and hug him back. She was surprised when tears came to her eyes and she burried her head into his shoulder. Despite everything, it was good to see her father.

"I'm sorry." He croaked out, pulling back from her. "I'm so sorry Belle. You'll never forgive me. I'll never forgive myself."

"Let's go home." She said to him before they made an even bigger scene.

He ushered her to their house on the edge of town with desperate apologies between more drunken tears. When they entered the small house Belle relaxed and moved her father to his chair.

"I had to sell your chair." He said miserably. "There hasn't been any work since you left, and I've been barely getting by."

"That's ok." She said. It was a horrible chair anyways.

"Where have you been Belle? The forest? Did you manage it all yourself?" He asked.

"Tomorrow." She told him. If she told him anything while he was in this state he wouldn't remember annything by morning time.

"Yes, tomorrow. You must be tired." He said, with a large exagerated yawn.

She went to the back of the house to find a blanket, but there was nothing. She looked, but she couldn't find any blankets anywhere in the house. Her own mattress was stripped bare.

She gave up and curled up on her matress. She wondered quietly what else was different, and exactly what else had happened to her father while she was gone.

She was at home. This is what she was supposed to want, but an uneasy feeling settled in her very center. She felt more alone than she had ever felt before.

-The Beast-

He didn't return to the castle that night. He couldn't. He turned around and decided to track the last wolfman who escaped his earlier fight, but it didn't lead anywhere. He turned tail and ran straight back to their territory. Even standing at the border to the land that was claimed by them, he didn't see any sign of movement. None of them crawled out of the forests to defend their territory. It was unusual, but he didn't spend long dwelling on it.

It became hard to even stand as his eyes began to burn from the strain of remaining upright and alert. He only really started to head back to the castle when his vision began fading in and out.

He landed at the foot of the steps, and let out the ragged breath that he had been holding, and finally exhaustion managed to grab a hold of him. When he opened the doors and headed up the stairs he was, thankfully, alone. He didn't know where Polly and Vandy had gone off to, but he didn't care. He couldn't even try to care about anything.

He collapsed on his bed, not bothering with the wound on his chest, nor the aching hunger that stabbed at him. He wanted to sleep because sleep was the only thing that could help him escape the emptiness he felt.

-Vandy-

"He didn't kill her Polly!" Vandy said, exasperated. The King Beast was not in good shape, his wounds needed someone who was more skilled, but there wasn't anyone else.

The Beast had come through the door in a daze and didn't even acknowledge them as he somehow dragged himself up the stairs, not even realizing that he was being followed by both Polly and Vandy. Once he made it up to his bed he collapsed and wouldn't wake up. After a short inspection Vandy found that he was feverish, and the wound on his chest was torn back open, and it was now was an angry red and warm to the touch. Vandy worked best in silence, but that didn't work best for Polly's nerves.

"Well I know THAT, there's plenty of different types of 'getting rid of' people" She said. "He was gone for a while and I don't know if he left her to fend for herself, took her home, or gave her to the werewolves to get her off of his hands!"

Vandy tried to still his shaking hands as he finished leaning out the wound and went for the needle to stitch it together. "He took her home Polly." Vandy said more calmly than he felt.

"You can't know that! What if she said something to make him mad, you know how short his temper is!"

Vandy shook his head, he stopped working and took a deep breath, trying to relieve his anxiety. Magic was something Vandy knew very much about. The Beast King's castle was a home for the cursed in one way or another and after being here for nearly his entire life there was nothing so visceral and distinctive than the feel of magic.

The Beast was cursed and spent his whole life entrenched in the swamp of magic around him, but no magic was more discernable than the way he looked at Belle. Vandy knew there was nothing on this earth that could break that kind of magic unless the stupid boy did it himself in a half thought through attempt at helping her.

Physical wounds would heal, but the pain of giving up the only thing he ever wanted might kill him.

"The only person he'll ever end up killing after everything is said and done is himself." Vandy said bitterly, and then leaned forward and started to sew.

"Vandy he won't die will he?" Polly asked in a hushed voice leaning over Vandy's shoulder.

"He might if you keep distracting me." Vandy said curtly.

Polly didn't bother with a reply and was silent and watched as Vandy worked.

When he was done with the big wound on his chest, Vandy moved slowly to the rest of the wounds and Polly cleaned off crusted dirt and blood off of him. When they were done they both stood in silence. It was almost as if their work had no effect because nothing had changed.

"What do we do now?" Asked Polly.

"Pray he wakes up, because if he dies and the forest is left without a king, everything will plummet into chaos." Vandy said and turned to leave.

"We can't leave him alone!" Polly said.

"I know, I'm going to go get a better chair, I think we'll be here for a while."

-Belle-

Belle's father was surprisingly awake before she was in the morning. She'd been tossing and turning all night, haunted by nightmares of beasts and the townspeople.

"I'll find you a new chair." Her father said over breakfast at the table.

"Don't worry about it." Belle said. If he had sold off their blankets then he truly had no way of getting her a chair. That was the last thing on her mind anyways. "The stool works perfectly well for me."

Her father ate in silence, and Belle let him. Things were strained between them because of everything that remained unsaid.

Her father was not as talkative when he was sober. She was left to imagining his feelings from the oposite side of the table.

"How did you get out of the forest on your own Belle?" He asked finally.

"I didn't. The Beast dropped me off outside the gates."

He let out a quick short laugh and then grew quiet.

"Go on." He said.

"What do you want to know?" She asked. She ws defensive of her memories in the Beast King's castle. She knew exactly how everyone felt about the beast and she didn't want to listen to his derisive remarks.

"Well, I would start with how your imprisonment in a forest ended with the Beast King cordially dropping you off at the gate." He said.

"We became friends." Belle said.

Her father laughed, "Friends?! You're just telling tall tales now. How does someone become friends with a horrific beast?"

Belle was silent. She shouldn't blame her father for his remarks, but there was something very unfair about hearing his ignorant remarks.

"How does a father leave his only daughter in the forest to die?" She asked.

Finally it was out there. The question that she had been struggling with since he left her alone that night.

There was no more humor in the room. It became so silent that she might've of thought she was sitting alone.

"I was terrified." She added. "I thought I was going to die, and I most likely would have died a horrible death if the King of Beasts had not come across me. I could have died because you left me." She said. Tears sprang to her cheeks and all the rejected feeling came back to her.

"I did it for you." He said hoarsely.

"No. You did it for yourself. You didn't know what to do with your useless blind daughter and when the Blood Moon came along you were excited to gamble and throw me out there to the wolves"

Her accusation rang out in the room and something fell onto the table and her father's sobs shook the table with every deep breath.

"You're right! I was excited. I wasn't thinking clearly because I am so overcome with guilt every day. I leave the house to look for work so that I no longer have to see your face and feel that guilt. I drink at the tavern every night in hopes that the shame will go away. That night the only thing I could think about was that this would finally be my chance to get you a good life. It's a father's job to provide for his family and I have failed at that your whole life."

"You've taken good care of me."

"No, I haven't. You just can't see it. There's holes in the roof. I've dressed you in rags since you were a little girl and I only ever bring home scraps."

Belle didn't need her eyes to know that what her father was saying was true, but she had always known it.

"You lost everything when mom died." She said quietly.

"I lost everything but you, and I've spent every moment since she died feeling sorry for myself and I've neglected you." His voice cut off, drowned out by tears. "She would be so ashamed of me."

Belle stood up and walked arounf the table, wrapping her father in a hug. "I forgive you." She said.

Her father then left after he had ensured that everything between them was alright.

"I'm going to go make some money to get you a chair." He said, with so much enthusiasm that she happily waved him away. If she was going to try and move on maybe a chair wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Chapter Text

-Gaston-

As soon as he was sure he had escaped the Beast's clutches, Gaston decided that no single man could take on the monster alone.

He began his retreat, hell bent on gathering dozens of men to come with him to storm the Beast's castle, but when the night fell quickly and the forest became alive with horrific sounds and stray movements right and left, Gaston found a small hollowed out log and spent his night stuffed into it for his own safety.

"If the Beast had not taken my sword, I would be walking brazenly through the forest without any fear," He thought to himself as he lay in the tight space.

When morning barely peaked Gaston dragged himself out of the fallen log and traveled until he came into the nearest town.

When he broke through the tree line, he was finally able to relax. The sight of civilization was a welcome one. The city had put up a wall with a small pathway that stood as an entery to a quaint town.

Upon his approach, the guard on patrol took one look at him and lowered his sword.

"Two in one shift. You have got to be kidding me!" He said to himself before half heartedly raising his sword, "State your name and business!" The man said and Gaston smiled.

"It is I Prince Gaston Legume, I have just come from battling the King of Beasts and I am weary." Gaston said, and it had exactly the reaction that he was looking for.

The guards sword dropped and his mouth opened in amazement.

"It was you then? You were the one who rescued Belle?"

Gaston frowned, turning his head back towards the forest and then back to the guard with exhaustion. "I tried my best, but I'm afraid my best was not good enough, I fought the beast with all I had, I even buried my sword into it's chest and delivered it a great wound, but the Beast is a bloody thirsty monster, and I barely escaped with my life." He said, leaning haggardly against the guard. His back was still sore from sleeping in a cramped space all night.

The guard began leading him into the bulk of the city. "No your highness, you may not think you succeeded, but you must have injured the beast well enough because Belle returned last night! You saved her and the entire town owes you a great debt of gratitude!"

Gaston froze in place his mind left behind three paces back when the guard had given him the news.

"You're saying the maiden returned home safely last night?" Gaston asked slowly.

The guard nodded enthusiastically, "Yes I reunited her with her father myself. I will taking you to the Lord's manor immediately, he will want to thank you personally for the service you've done!"

Gaston's shock was no act, and an idea struck him that overwhelmed him with triumph. He'd planned on lying to coerce his way into a hunting party, but things seemed to have miraculously worked in his favor. He wrapped the guard in a sudden hug, overcome with the rapture of his plotting.

"Thank you! You will never know how relieved I am that she made it home safely!" Gaston said, and then he let the guard lead him to the Lord's manor as he detailed out his plan with a relieved smile.

-The Beast-

Consciousness came slowly. He could hear Polly and Vandy fighting before his eyes were willing to open and his thoughts turned to Belle and then he forced his eyes open to keep from dwelling on painful memories.

He turned his neck to look at where Polly and Vandy were sitting, leaning on each other and sharing a snack. They were too distracted by some oddball argument that they were having that they didn't even notice him staring.

"Good morning." He said, and their conversation stopped and they both shot up to their feet and jolted towards him.

Vandy moved to the other side of the bed to check his wounds and Polly began firing off every questions she had probably been saving as she waited.

"How do you feel? Are you hungry? Are you cold? Would you like some water?"

"Polly hush now!" Vandy said. "Let the poor boy answer one question before you ask the next one!"

"How long have I been out?" He asked Vandy.

"Just through the day and into the night."

"There's not been any news?"

Vandy shook his head, "The Blood moon is gone in 5 days. They're probably preparing for their last final rally before it's gone, but it's been quiet all night."

There was an ominous silence in the room after that. There was always one last push where the wolfmen came with desperation to take the throne. They could strike at any moment and here he was in bed.

"I have to get up." He said, Polly held him down the same time Vandy stepped back to give him room.

"You will not be getting up!" She said, and when he persisted she shoved him down harder and he shrank back in pain.

"Don't you dare! I just spent all day and all night in that chair in and out of fits of sleep wondering when I was going to wake up and find you dead. You will not be getting up!"

The Beast turned to Vandy who shrugged.

"Don't look to him! I told you that you will be staying here, at least for the rest of the day and through a good breakfast tomorrow!" She demanded and The beast slunk down, unsure if he really was lying down because his effort at standing exhausted him, or if it really was Polly's speech.

"Good! I am going to step out now and get you some things and if I come back and you are out of this bed I will quit immediately. You know I will!" Polly said, moving quickly out of the room.

"She is right. Give it till the morning, and you'll have some of your strength back by then." Vandy said.

The beast nodded, he only realized they were right when even his pride was too tired to fight.

"Vandy, I need you to do one thing for me before you retire for the night."

"what is it?"

"I need you to close down the east wing."

Vandy stepped closer and put his hands on the side of the bed next to the Beast.

"She will not be returning then sir?"

"No." the beast said, the words were bitter leaving his mouth. "She will not be. I also want you to go through the castle and I want everything that reminds you of her to locked up with her rooms." The beast rattled of a short list including the decorative rapier she had taken off the wall and the chair in the garden that was her favorite.

"It will be done." He said and then Vandy took his leave which allowed for the beast to wallow in his misery alone. He was finally at last grateful that the curse prohibited him from leaving the forest boundaries otherwise his thoughts would drive him mad until he stormed her village and took her back, which was exactly why she had to leave. It was the only place she was safe from him.

-Belle-

Belle had fallen asleep on that hill and she wasn't likely to ever have voluntarily came down, but she was woken up by her father yelling her name. She yawned and stretched lazily until she heard the sound of his footsteps running unevenly straight towards her.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up on her feet and she found herself disoriented when he picked her up and spun around once or twice with her in his arms.

"Belle, you Minx! You kept it all a secret did you? You let me believe that someone could actually befriend a Beast?"

He nearly begun to spin with her again, but she fought against him and won. Standing on the ground, she didn't know if she was more disoriented by the spinning or his confusing words and demeanor.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, trying to catch her breath.

"What am I talking about? I'm talking about my daughter who acts as though being rescued by the prince is just an every day common occurrence!" She had never heard her father happy before. Not even when she was chosen to be the beast king's sacrifice he did not reach these levels of buoyancy. He began nearly dragging her down the hill making it to where she barely got her questions out.

"What Prince are you talking about?" She asked.

That got a good laugh out of her father. "What Prince? Exactly how many prince's saved you from the Beast King?" he asked and for the rest of the trip down the hill Belle mainly relived her last few days in the castle trying to recall any mention of a prince, but she was still lost.

When they walked through the door Belle was intent on sitting her father down and making him explain to her in excruciating detail as to what exactly he was talking about, but when they got home her father led her past the open room and into her fathers bedroom.

"Here feel this." He said, pushing fabric into her hand. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. It was the most expensive thing she'd ever come close to.

"What is this?" She asked her father.

"It's a dress. It was a gift from Lord MonteVerde. There is a feast being thrown in your honor tonight along with the Prince. He probably wants to get on your good side for when you outrank him. Can you believe that, and once you're a princess that'll make me a Princess' father which means I'll outrank the old bastard too!" Her father was to near dancing levels of joy.

Belle felt like she had woken up in someone else's life.

"What Prince am I supposed to be marrying?"

"Well the proposal is sure to come, but I'm of course talking about Prince Gaston, your savior."

Belle didn't respond, but her father doesn't seem to care. He was enraptured in his delusional reality. This was all probably some sort of miscommunication. He probably rescued some other girl from some other monster.

It will be a shame when he realizes that it she wasn't the one he saved.

Chapter Text

-Gaston-

Gaston was happy when he made it out of the Beast Kings forest, he was overjoyed when he learned that his plans were furthered by what could only be described as divine intervention, he was ecstatic when the Lord of the town ate up every word he said and swore to consign him a few dozen men, but there were no words to explain the way he felt when he saw the the woman he was supposed to have "saved."

He only recognized her because she arrived on the arm of her father adorned in the bright yellow dress that Lord MonteVerde had given to the man after he complained that his daughter had nothing to wear to such an event. Gaston had thought poorly of the beggar at the time, but coming face to face with his daughter in a quality yellow silk, he now saw it was worth his begging.

"Prince Gaston, allow me to officially introduce you to my daughter, Belle."

Belle turned her eyes in his direction and bowed shortly. It was an ugly short sort of bow. It couldn't be helped Gaston supposed. How was she supposed to learn how to bow properly in her condition?

"It's a pleasure your grace."

Gaston took her hand and pressed it to his heart, "My dearest Belle, I cannot begin to describe the raptures of my heart when I realized that you had made it home safely. My heart hurts for the horrors you must have experienced at his hand and I am glad I could play a hand in aiding your escape from that monster."

Gaston watched has her face showed her confusion and in that moment Gaston knew he'd have to do a little damage control.

"-but" she started, but Gaston hushed her before she got too far. If she started talking right now it would ruin a lot of things for him.

"I was wondering Belle, if you would do me the greatest honor and allow me to accompany you for your first dance?" He asked.

She stuttered out a yes and he wasted no time in turning to Lord MonteVerde

"My Lord, now that the Belle of the ball has arrived, might I have the honor of starting the dance portion of the night?"

Lord Monteverde clapped his hands together, "Of course! It would be a pleasure for you to start the night's proceedings!"

The little man walked away, and Gaston turned to Belle's father Maurice.

"Will you excuse us both?" Gaston asked and her father nodded. He hadn't been able to stifle his wide grin since he walked in. Her father placed Belle's hand in his and then took a step back.

"Follow me." Gaston said before pulling a semi-reluctant woman onto the dance floor.

The dance floor arranged itself in paired off couples and the instrumentalists began picking up their instruments.

"Prince Gaston, I have a confession. If you truly has saved some maiden from the King Beasts forest it was not me. I have escaped through... other means."

She said dying out at the end. Gaston narrowed his eyes. She held the faintest blush and held him sternly at a distance. If another man had saved her and arrived in the city, everything he had worked for would be gone.

"What other means could have brought about this miracle? Of course you were rescued by me. I assure you that it was me that delivered a fatal wound to the chest of the beast that allowed you to escape!"

"No one came for me, your majesty. I didn't need rescued after all."

"No Belle, it was you I saved from the Beast King himself and any other story you attempt to spread will be discounted as the ravings of a scared woman. I am the crown Prince and you are blind. No one will believe your story over mine."

-Belle-

Belle had attributed everything up to this point as a misunderstanding. She figured that no prince would be waiting around the forest for her to return only to pounce in and take credit for it. The timing was a little too convenient and it was disgustingly dishonorable. She had figured wrong. She thought at first sight he'd admit to his mistake, but when he did not, she thought maybe he had her confused for someone else, but she did not expect his lies and veiled threats.

She tried to piece together a retort when the music started and he led her into an awkward stiff dance.

"We'll have to work on your dancing my dear, it's really atrocious." The prince said, finally bringing Belle out of her swirling thoughts.

"You're lying to everyone about saving me." She said, pointing out the obvious, ignoring his insult.

"Of course I'm lying, but it is all your fault really. I HAD intended on rescuing you and I did spend the last few weeks searching for you in that godforsaken forest, but after challenging the beast to a duel and losing I was going to come back for more men, but you beat me here."

"and you took credit for my rescue." She said filling in the rest of the story.

"and nobody will ever know of any other story." He pulled her close grabbing her painfully around her waist. "Do you understand me?" He asked in a low threatening voice and she nodded.

"Good." He said, loosening his hold on her but holding her just as close. She hated the feel of his arm around her waist. If he was across the room he would still be too close to her. "The timing of everything worked out well for me, but it worked out even better for you."

"How does your fortune work out for me?" She asked and he laughed.

"Well you have won your prince of course!"

Belle was quiet at that, scared to say what she really thought.

"But surely you don't want to marry a blind woman. Some other woman would make you much happier and a much better wife."

"Actually, I can't think of a better arrangement! I'll get the glory of rescuing a maiden from the king beast just like my oldest brother, In a castle you won't have any responsibilities so your disability can hardly be a detriment, and I imagine having a blind wife would mean having a wife who would nag me a lot less because you can't exactly see what you're nagging! It's the perfect situation, not to mention you're the most beautiful creature that I've ever seen in my life. If I had my pick of a thousand women you would be my choice every time."

Belle couldn't believe what she was hearing. Every word made her stomach drop and she would have stormed off away from the dance if she wouldn't have made such a commotion by colliding with everything in her path.

"I'm not sure I can marry you." She said, trying her best to sound diplomatic.

He laughed good and long at that, "They didn't mention how adorably naïve you are! Of course you will marry me. You are only hesitant because of the odd circumstances behind our union. It's every woman's dream to become a princess! You'll be pampered your entire life an covered in nothing but the best the kingdom has to offer! Plus, I know you can't tell because of your defect, but I am known throughout the land for my pleasing looks and physique. I am the most desired man in the kingdom."

Belle had to school her face before she mocked him openly. She hated this man. She was sure of that now, and would rather throw herself to the wolfmen than marry him.

"I must insist your highness, I am not sure that we would make a good match. Your affections are better spent on others who could appreciate your looks and your physique."

"Don't be petulant. We'll get married. it's almost as much as announced! I have already asked for a ring and I'll make it official, but without your support Lord MonteVerde would not be so inclined as to lend me a few dozen men for the next few days."

"Why do you need a few dozen men?" She asked as the horror sank in that this really was going to be her husband.

"We're going to go out into the forest and kill the King Beast once and for all."

Belle's heart ran cold, "Why do you need to go out there and risk yourself? You have me already you don't need to go out there and kill him."

"Oh my dear, you're just a consolation prize. The real prize is killing the King beast, When I left him he was gravely wounded and if he hasn't already died off from it already, I'll be more than happy to finish the job. Whoever kills the king beast on a blood moon becomes the King of the beasts and with that kind of power I could conquer anything. Soldiers are nice and all, but you don't stay up late at night hope a soldier isn't hiding under your bed. With all the monsters at my disposal I would finally be taken seriously as a contender to the throne and I am convinced I will inherit."

Belle was speechless and her mind was reeling. Adam was injured when he brought her back. He didn't mention any prince, but it would make a lot more sense. She didn't know if he could handle dozens of men coming after him in this state especially unwarned. He'll think the men have stopped pursuing him now that he no longer has her.

"Oh don't look so depressed dearest. By the end of this you'll be queen."

Chapter Text

-Belle-

The dance didn't end soon enough. Ever since he threatened Adam, Belle was trying to come up with any way to get a message to him without blindly walking into the forest and being eaten immediately, but she was coming up with nothing and she was panicking because of it.

"Belle! may I dance with my guest of honor?" Lord MonteVerde asked as he came up behind them.

"Of course Lord MonteVerde!" Gaston answered for her, placing her hand with in his. Gaston brought leaned into her hear and left her with a vague threat about secrets before he took his leave and Belle was finally able to breathe.

"Ah, young love. It takes me back to better years, you and your Prince are exactly the pair me and my Carmella were!"

Belle smiled a tight smile, hoping that the man had a much better relationship with his wife than she had with the prince.

"Belle, I am grateful for your safe return, and I do hope that I am not too forward in congratulating you and the Prince for your upcoming nuptials."

"He told you we were to be wed?" She asked.

"Oh yes, he commissioned me to find a suitable ring this morning and not to boast, but I've found the most gorgeous stone! I am also gifting you both an engagement present of 60 armed men to go out and vanquish that beast at last."

"60 men?"

"Yes, of course many of them volunteered. They were the ones who had already set out to rescue you, were beaten to it by the Prince. They can at least get SOME glory by killing the thing!" he said in a jovial tone.

"If you kill the king Beast you'll no longer be able to send maidens out into the forest as a test of valor!" She said, grasping onto straws.

The old man just shrugged good-naturedly. "To tell you the truth, I thought that was a disgusting practice anyways and I'm glad to be rid of it. I was preparing a law against it anyways which would have made me exceedingly unpopular. So I guess it all worked out perfectly for me!" He said cheerfully.

Circumstances were working out perfectly for just about everyone but her, Belle thought bitterly. Is this what the Beast wanted for her when he left her here, to marry some despicable prince who only cared for her face? He told her to forget about the Beasts of the forest, but she couldn't when they were preferable to the beasts in society.

"I do hope that you will remember us favorably when you are at the capitol dear!" Lord MonteVerde said at the end of their dance. Belle nodded politely and bowed deeply to him deciding that she was going to do something incredibly stupid.

-Gaston-

Gaston was conveniently, and purposely, placed at Maurice's side when Belle approached him and asked for an escort home.

The ring Lord MonteVerde had given him earlier that night was burning a hole in his pocket and the sooner he got it on her hand the sooner everything else would move along.

"Maurice, I wonder if I might do the honor of escorting your lovely daughter home?" He asked with a smile. Her father had half suggested this very thing earlier in the night.

Maurice smiled a cheesy grin, taking a long look at the tables filled with the best alcohol you can get. "How wonderfully find of you to think of my daughter Gaston! Of course you may escort her home."

"Father! That's hardly appropriate!"

Her father laughed and grabbed her hand, placing it into Gaston's outstretched one.

"You must learn to live a little Belle! You two are practically engaged, go and enjoy each other."

Gaston smiled a wolfish grin and led Belle outside.

"It's to the left." She said when they pulled up to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.

"I've asked your father for his permission and we are engaged." He said, following her directions. He hadn't expected an overzealous reaction due to her earlier sentiments, but he expected more than the slight frown he received.

Gaston slipped the ring Lord MonteVerde had given him out of the box and onto her hand while she walked silently, unreactive.

"On a normal situation I would have showed you exactly why I've gained my reputation for being the ideal lover, but we are pressed for time. I want the good Lord to see this ring on your finger all day long tomorrow before I need his men the day after."

"You're leaving the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes, it's got to be before the blood moon lets up, and the sooner we go the weaker the beast will be. It will take us a full day to prepare the hunt party and then we leave the next morning."

The conversation went in circles until they finally turned down the pathway that led to a singular shack.

"The idea of a change in circumstance must attract you somewhat." He said in disgust, looking at the house that didn't even have the right to be called a house.

Belle just turned to escape into her shack, but Gaston held her hand back. She wouldn't escape from him that easily.

"You won't even wish me a goodnight? You must have some beastly manners remain in you from being the Beast King's guest."

Belle turned and finally faced him, her whole face illuminated by the moonlight. "Good night Prince Gaston." She said coldly, and Gaston smiled. One thing he could never resist was the thrill of the hunt.

"That is not how a woman says goodnight to her betrothed." Gaston added, now holding both her hands.

She took a step back, but it only made him take a step forward.

"That is how I have said goodnight to you, so it IS in fact, the way a woman says goodnight to her betrothed." She said.

"No. It isn't. I will have to show you what I am talking about."

He pulled her close to him and she gasped loudly and before she could voice the words that her mouth was filling with, he kissed her. She was every bit the prize he was looking for, especially because she fought him every step of the way. Even now she pushed against him in vain.

Just a small kiss wouldn't do. Most women desired his touch, but it seemed like Belle was going to need a little sampling before she gave herself over to him. He deepened the kiss and followed her retreat. When he finally needed to draw for breath Belle berrated him with words.

"Prince Gaston, you will unhand me at once!" She said and he moved the slightest fraction backwards, but did not yet relinquish his control.

"Why should two beautiful people stop a beautiful thing?" That was a line he had fed many women and it often led to his desired results.

"I cannot stand your touch." She said, turning her head away from him.

Gaston smiled, he knew she would be different than the other girls. She was a tough nut to crack and would not melt into his arms like the rest of them.

He caressed the side of her face, but she remained stalwart and turned away from him. His annoyance pricked up and he frowned.

"Perhaps I was mistaken in your value. Try and remember that you are beautiful, but the most beautiful objects belong only survive in the castle because the peasants can't afford something that's only use is to inspire beauty. I am your salvation and without me the only creature who would dare take you in is the King of Beasts."

Gaston laughed at his own joke while she stayed stone face. He decided to let her stew on his words and he left her with one more brief kiss, it's better to leave her wanting more, he thought.

It wouldn't be long before he had her falling at his feet begging him to touch her.

Chapter Text

-The Beast-

He was unhappy. There was no longer any good chairs that remained in the castle that did not remind him of Belle, so that meant that when he had decided he was tired of his room and wanted to breathe some fresh air, the good chair in the garden was missing, presumably tucked away into the east wing by Vandy.

The beast sat in the subpar chair without any complaint.

The gardens used to bring him so much peace, but he felt nothing has he looked over the flora and fauna. Memories were too painful, they would become more bearable with time and eventually he would treasure them, just like the memories of his mother, but for now he did not know how to escape them.

The only place without touches of Belle was the west wing. When he finally decided to go to the place he hated most to run away from her memory he was across the gardens and nearly to the castle when a voice called him back.

"Your majesty!"

The Beast turned and saw one of the forest Nymphs running to him from the garden.

"What?" The beast tensed. If the werewolves were on the move, then it would be close this time.

"There's a girl out in the forest." The nymph said, out of breath.

The beast frowned, unsure if he heard her right. "There's what?"

"A girl, in the forest. JaEl requested that you be informed at once."

Belle wouldn't be in the forest. She wouldn't have a reason to... unless something horrible happened.

"Where is she?"

"Headed eastwards, right between the human town and werewolf territory."

The beast nodded and stretched out his wings testing them lightly. He knew it was her. It had to be, he could feel it in his bones. He felt bad, but for the first time since he left her on the edge of the forest, he finally felt alive. Maybe he had some sort of magic power he didn't know about to conjure people up with just his thoughts.

-Belle-

She had left her house with few rations and early in the morning before her father had woken up, and had followed the road to the forest using a walking stick.

It was early enough that the town had not truly woken up yet and it was easy enough to time the guards patrol. By the early morning hours, the night shift was so slow and loud that it was disgustingly easy to get past them without any real effort.

Once she crossed into the forest a chill surrounded her and the cold entered back into her body, but she was a woman with a purpose and wouldn't be frightened by the forest of beasts.

She had been walking for what felt like a few hours when she heard him flying towards her. It was him, it had to be. There were few sounds she could forget when it came to him. As his wings heralded his entrance Belle found that she couldn't even remember why she came out here anymore. He's here! That was the only thing running through her mind.

She stopped her progression in the forest when he landed dramatically in front of her, breathing heavily. She tried to listen for sounds that gave away his mood, but she didn't have to wait for very long to find out exactly what he was feeling.

"I told you to stay out of the forest." His voice was low and tight, he was definitely angry with her.

She finally remembered why she had come and leapt to her own defense.

"I came here to warn you. There's a party of men coming from the township led by some prince." She said, and she was met with an awkward silence that made her feel self-conscious

"They're coming to kill you." She added, forgetting that important part.

"Why did you come back to the forest Belle?" He asked, ignoring the very crucial information that she had just walked all morning to tell him.

"Didn't you just hear what I said? I came here to warn you!"

"I am capable of taking care of myself, but you are not. I'm wondering why you traveled into the forest at the great risk of your own personal safety and risk dying before you even get a message to me in order to tell me of some passing danger."

The steel in his voice is what made her realize the mistake she had made. Not a mistake in delivering the message, she knew he would be better off with a forewarning, but the mistake in thinking he would thank her. She felt stupid now. Belle knew she wasn't crazy. She knew that something had happened between them, but it seemed like he really was intent of suffocating it.

"I see now that I have made an error in coming. I apologize." She said, mustering up as much composure as she could gather in the face of rejection. She turned on her heels and he moved. He moved faster than he had ever moved before, she was surprised that something as big as him could move at such a speed. He moved right in front of her, she couldn't feel him, but she knew he was close. She could hear his heavy breath and the subtle undertones in his voice when he spoke again.

"You have made a grave error indeed." He said softly, his voice losing it's harsh edge.

"An error I will be sure not to make again."

"It's too late."

"It's too late for what?"

"Well you've foolishly walked into the beast king's forest during a blood moon. You know what they say happens to beautiful maidens who make that mistake."

"Yes, I do know what they say happens. Luckily for the both of us, I also happen to know the truth." She said,

"and what's the truth?"

"The beast king doesn't want me, so I'm perfectly safe, and since I've now done what I came here to do, I'll just leave." She said. He growled softly and Belle had to fight back an urge to reach out to him.

"You're not safe until you're out of this forest."

"I'm trying." She said, making a half attempt to go around him and he moved again in front of her.

"You're not going anywhere by yourself."

"Then either fly me there or walk with me. We'll never get me out of this forest if you don't move!" He moved out of her way and she finally was able to step forward. They walked for a short while in silence. She was slightly in front and he was trailing behind, she had been walking just fine and had done pretty well in unfamiliar terrain until she missed an uneven obstacle with her walking stick, causing her to stumble forward, but Adam had somehow managed to stop her before she hit the ground.

She was caught in a beasts arms, but it instantly molded into being steadied by his, now human, hands. His touch brought back tender memories between the two of them and she found herself wishing that he had just let her fall to the ground.

His hands lingered at her sides and she had to force herself to step away from his touch. She couldn't handle her heart getting broken consecutively by the same man.

"You can't even walk without breaking your neck Belle!" His burst out. His voice was thick with frustration. "Forget about all the beasts lurking in every dark corner. If this was the forest of happy elves you'd still be in danger!"

She felt stupid when tears came to her eyes. There was no fighting them off and keeping them at bay. Adam's frustrated words melted with her father's words, and the callous remarks of her new "betrothed", and she had never felt more pathetic in her life.

"Belle- I-" He was panicked. It seemed she could throw him off guard when she wasn't even trying, but she didn't want apologies. She didn't want anyone to witness her tears.

"I'm feeling tired of walking and I would like to take a break." She said, trying and failing to keep her voice even. "I would like to take a break alone." She said, setting off and he didn't follow her. She used her walking stick to take her far enough out of earshot and she found a sturdy enough log to sit on and she tried to chase away her feelings.

All she had to do was last a few hours and then she'd be back to the township and then she could just follow the road east. She would run away to avoid marrying the prince, she didn't know where the road led, but it was better than marrying a monster. Just a few hours with Adam would tear her heart out, but she could do it. Maybe this would even become a happy memory in a few years when all she would have to remember him by would be the memories.

She had gained her composure when she heard his footsteps coming towards her. She pulled herself up from the log and straightened her dress, scrubbing her face one more time from any possible signs of traitorous tears.

"I am ready to keep going." She said when he drew near enough.

"I am not, so you might as well sit back down." She hesitated, but he added a "please" and she complied with his request.

"I find that I need to apologize once more."

"No, I don't want-" she inserted, but he cut her off.

"Belle, let me be selfish for a moment and apologize, if not for your sake, then for mine."

It was not a question, but he was waiting for her permission all the same.

"Go ahead."

"You did not deserve my anger. I am the one who deserves all of your anger and ill-words. I don't even know why you came out here to give a beast a fighting chance against a justified mob, but I am grateful for your personal sacrifice and I will do my best to ensure it is not in vain. Thank you Belle. Please allow me to see you home safely. I can stay back and ensure you safe passage from afar so that you do not have me bothering you." He stopped talking and Belle felt like crying again.

Spending her last few hours and minutes with Adam while he watched her stumble home from a distance was not an appealing idea to her.

"You kidnapped me and locked me in a dungeon. Polly had to beg you to let me out of the dungeon, and you betrayed our deal, and then took me back home leaving me at the edge of the forest having to explain to an entire village how a blind woman managed to escape a beast. You didn't even think to warn me about the Prince who's vendetta against you had caused him claim me based on nothing but the spoils of war. War against you, and then after I learn about his plans I come here to warn you and I get berated for it. I thought we were-" She cut off, not knowing how to say what she wanted to say. "Friends." she added.

Adam was silent, but there was nothing she wanted him to say.

"I didn't want to go back. I t's stupid and pathetic, but for the last three weeks your castle has become my home. I was too comfortable and I didn't even realize that you didn't want me there."

Adam walked towards her, but he stopped a few steps away. She could close the distance, but she wouldn't.

"I don't want you back in my castle ever again." He said coldly and Belle faced him determined to not let the hurt show on her face.

"I don't want you there because I know that once you go back you might as well be a prisoner for the rest of your life because I don't think I have the strength to let you leave again. You have made me realize exactly what I've been missing for all these years trapped in this forest. From the first moment I first saw you, I was ensnared. Out there a month ago in this forest I took you for a witch, and once I learned who you really were, I was devastated."

Belle laughed sharply, "Is this supposed to be an apology? You're really bad at saying I'm sorry."

His hands were on her arms then and his simple act of touching her was enough to silence her effectively.

"I'm not good at explaining myself, but I am not sorry. Every time you're around I'm not sorry. I feel no remorse that you're back in my forest. I should be angry with you for risking your life, but I'm not. You're here and safe and it's the worst thing that could possibly happen."

"It must be all the devastation you feel every time I'm around." She said sardonically.

"It is actually." He said, his whole tone shifting to an unusually chipper voice.

"Well that's good to know. Maybe I should just make it home on my own, I wouldn't want to make you anymore miserable than I already have." The sarcasm was thick in her voice.

Adam was a puzzle she was trying to work out in her head. His actions betrayed his sentiments and she didn't really know what he wanted. She wanted to ask him, but she was too afraid to hear his answers.

She tried to worm her way out of his grasp, but he held on fast. His grip was like and iron band around her arm.

"It's devastating because when I found you, I found something I wanted."

she snorted, "until you dropped me off at the edge of the forest and sent me packing despite a very well formulated plan that we had!"

"That was a moment of moral strength. I can promise it won't happen again."

"You won't be given the opportunity. I am going back home now that I've done what I came here to do." She said and he just laughed.

"I am serious." She added, but he didn't move and didn't retaliate. "So let me go and I'll be skipping out if this forest."

Still he said nothing and Belle became overcome with a sudden desire of knowing what he looked like right now in this moment. She wanted to know if his face gave away his emotions as clearly as his voice did. She wanted to see if he was smiling right now or frowning.

She reached towards him and his grip loosened on her arm enough to allow her hand to touch the corner of his jaw. There were uneven ridges on his face, the feel of scars and abuse, but the very corner of his mouth was upturned.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked.

He grabbed her hand in his and pressed it to his heart drawing her in closer, making the blood all rush to her face.

"I was trying to figure out exactly how to break the bad news to you." He said.

" What bad news?" She asked

"Well, you're a poor defenseless maiden in the beast king's forest, ripe for the plucking, and I hear that the Beast King isn't in the kind forgiving mood today." He said.

"We've been through this before, and it didn't get us anywhere."

-The Beast-

They had been through this before, but that was before she came back to him. Letting her go the first time weakened him and he wasn't strong enough to do it again.

This time there would be no more plans to take her out of the forest. This time there were real stakes. Life with Belle or death, and until someone came and ran him through, there was not a minute that he was going to take for granted. If the hunting party was going to give him a day then he was going to use every second of it.

He shuddered back into the beast and stretched his wings, holding her tight the whole time.

"I want to abduct you again." He said

Her eyebrows shot up and she smirked in a challenge. "Are you asking?"

"Yes." he decided. It would be her choice. That's what he could do differently from his father. Everything would be her choice. "Can I abduct you?"

"yes."

He pulled her against him, "This time you won't get away so easily." was all he said before taking off with her in his arms.

He flew quickly without a moment to waste and ended landed on the bottom of the steps at the castle and he let her down slowly so that she could get her bearings.

He transformed back into himself, all without taking an eyes off her.

"You really did take me back to the castle." She said, with wonderment written all over her face.

"You better hope that your people send their best men on the hunting party, otherwise you just might never leave."

She smiled up at him, "If you take me back again I'll kill you."

He couldn't believe that she could like it here. He couldn't even hope that she would not shudder away from his touch, but here they were. It was at that moment that he realized that she was exactly where he wanted her to be. With her in his arms and at the front steps of his castle he wanted more than anything to live in this moment forever.

"I was serious you know." She said and he ignored her, lost in his own dreams. She reached up to touch his face again, but he intercepted her hand before she did something that would cause him to ruin the moment.

"I only want to know what you're thinking." She said, "You can't leave me in the dark."

He took both her hands and placed them on the sides of his face.

"I wouldn't dream of leaving you in the dark. I was merely reflecting on the proper way to welcome a guest." he said, mesmerized by her touch.

"Well, I do seem to remember you promising to forsake all moral strengths, so you should probably being doing something uncouth right now before I question your honor." She said with a playful smile on her lips.

That was all the permission he needed to spur himself forward and he wrapped himself in her.

The promise of tomorrow was in her every touch. The way she held onto him made him think that maybe she was as afraid as he was. When their lips met he was washed in a feeling of true belonging.

She was his greatest love. He felt it in the air she breathed and in her every word. He loved her.

"If you take me back I'll kill you." She said against his mouth.

If he lost her again she wouldn't have to kill him.

Chapter Text

-Vandy-

Vandy was finally enjoying the first bit of quiet since Polly flew into a fit after the King left. She nearly had the kitchen staff riled up to march to go find him and bring him back, then she loudly packed her things and declared she was finally quitting, but ultimately she listened to reason and everything had calmed down.

For almost exactly twenty minutes.

"Vandy! Oh you won't believe- Vandy!" Polly yelled from the entrance hall.

Vandy had half a mind to ignore her, hoping that maybe she would calm herself down, but she persisted.

"Vandy!!" She shouted in a half strangled cry.

Vandy stood up from the book he had been reading with a sigh. It was a good thing the blood moon was almost over. It always created a certain kind of chaos that interrupted his daily routine.

"Polly, if your bags are packed I'll just let you leave this time." Vandy said cooly as he rounded the corner, but he Polly wasn't packed and waiting. Polly was crouching down below the window near the doors barely peaking her head over the ledge.

Vandy dropped down suddenly. If the werewolves were there they were sitting ducks.

"What is it Polly?" Vandy asked, his heart rate had spiked. He was planning escape routes in his mind as he crawled towards Polly.

"You have to look for yourself!" She whispered.

Vandy crawled from the hallway over to the window and Polly moved over to allow him to look over the ledge. The Beast was standing on the front steps of the castle with Belle in a conversation. Vandy's heart began to calm down and Vandy pulled himself off the floor, disappointed in himself for falling for Polly's hysterics.

"What are you doing?! Get down, they'll see you!" Polly whispered urgently.

"What are you doing?! You scared me to death! I thought we were being attacked!"

"She's back Vandy! I knew she'd come back!" Polly said, smiling and still trying to catch glimpses of them discreetly from the window.

"Try not to be sitting there when they finally do make it inside!" Vandy said, turning to get started on all the extra work that would need to be done now that Miss Belle had come back.

He heard Polly rush after him after he turned around and left.

"Don't pretend you aren't happy! I can see right through you Vanderwall, I think you're more happy about this than anyone. You're a hopeless romantic at heart, especially when it comes to that boy." Vandy looked away from her trying to hide a secretive smile. She was right of course, but he'd never admit it.

"She's back. That doesn't mean a whole lot. We're still in trouble from the werewolves and we have no way of knowing if her people are still coming for her. We're not out of the woods yet."

"All the better reason to enjoy every moment we have now." She said, her voice trailing off suspiciously.

"What are you planning Polly?"

"Nothing you would disapprove of! Just a little celebration to celebrate the end of the blood moon, and maybe Miss Belle's return?" Polly had a mischievous glint in her eye that Vandy didn't like, but he just let out a long sigh.

"Be my guest."

-Belle-

"We have a problem." Adam whispered as they finally made it up the stairs and through the grand doors. Her arm was intertwined through his and he held her hand to his chest.

"What is it?" She asked, everything sounded normal so it had to be something unseen.

"Vandy and Polly aren't here." She laughed at his conspiratorial tone.

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, but everybody else in the castle has a life outside of waiting around for you."

"That doesn't hardly seem fair." he said

"Your privilege is showing through your highness. There's a lot of things that aren't fair in this world."

"Tell me about it." He said, with so much longing she blushed.

"Besides, what's so wrong with them being gone anyways? I'm sure they're busy doing one thing or another."

"That's exactly what I'm scared of. If it was Polly here without Vandy then it would mean that Vandy was simply busy. Vandy here without Polly meant that she was upset with me over something, but with both of them gone it must mean that they're tucked away scheming together and that means that I need to be looking around every corner for a surprise."

Belle laughed, "I'm sure Polly is somewhere in the kitchens, and Vandy is probably dusting the library or taking a nap."

"That's exactly what they want us to think."

"Do you really think those two are plotting against you?" She asked.

"They're always plotting against me. Do you remember the last dinner when they both retired to bed at the same time? I've never seen either of them retire to bed that early, but all the sudden they both left me alone to make a fool of myself."

Belle smiled and grabbed his shoulder with her other hand, making sure that he was looking at her. "I'll have you know, that was one of the best nights of my life."

"Even though I made a right fool of myself?" He asked.

"Even though you made a fool of yourself." She replied.

They were no longer walking, but she could feel his eyes on her. His attention made her feel nervous. She was scared of Adam. Mostly because she was falling in love with him and she didn't know how to handle it.

There was a tense moment between them that held all the things that they both refused to say to each other. Belle was the first one to break the silence.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything."

She paused on purpose to make him suffer a little longer before finally putting him out of his misery.

"Can you take me to the kitchens because I am starving."

"Of course. I should have thought to go there first!" He said. "Plus, if I leave you in the kitchen with Anette I'll have time to go find Vandy and get your room straightened out."

"I don't need my room to be freshened up. I'm sure not a lot has changes in two days!"

Adam led her down the hallway towards the kitchens "I actually- uh- it's locked and Vandy's got the keys."

"I thought this was your castle. Don't you have keys for everything?" She asked teasingly.

"Usually, but not to yours." He said sheepishly.

"You locked up my rooms?" She asked incredulously.

"yeah."

She wanted to wrap her arms around him again, but she restrained herself.

"You have got to figure out a new way to deal with problems."

He laughed, "I'll work on that." He led her into the table at the corner of the kitchen. "Sit tight and I'll go find Anette and send her this way and then I need to hunt myself down a key."

"Adam" She said, catching him before he could leave the kitchen.

"Yes?"

There was a lot she wanted to say. New feelings created a new awkwardness of not being able to express how she felt.

"Thank you for saving me in the forest again, and I'm sorry."

"What could you be sorry for?" He said with disbelief.

"Well, if it wasn't for me there wouldn't be a hunting party coming to kill you tomorrow."

Adam crossed the room in two steps and pressed a short sweet kiss to her forehead and for a moment they just stood with a silent understanding settling between them. There was nothing to forgive.

"This is all going to be over with the fall of the blood moon and after that we are going to have some very serious conversations."

"Well in order for that to happen you've got to survive those men and I have to survive a very serious bout of starvation that is plaguing me."

He laughed and she couldn't help but smile. It was good to be back.

-Gaston-

"She was whisked away into the night by some great evil I just know it!" Maurice said.

Gaston was beginning to realize why he was commonly known as crazy Maurice around town. Her father was wild, unkempt, and was now wasting everyone's time by filling them with his crazy superstitions.

Gaston looked at Lord MonteVerde out of the corner of his eye trying to see how the Lord was taking the news that Belle was gone. This could either be really good for him or really bad.

Lord MonteVerde remained stoic on his small throne and Gaston brought both his hands to his head in a display of horror. He waited a moment for her fathers comment to really set in on the men and women in the room and Gaston decided to play his hand.

"No. It can't be true. It had to have been the Beast. Not only have the monsters have attacked one of the fair daughters of this city, but it was my sweet Belle. I have to go rescue her back from this pit of despair she's been dragged back into!" Gaston said, to no one in particular.

Lord MonteVerde stood at Gaston's speech, shaking.

"That monster has harmed the last woman in this town!" Lord MonteVerde said, "You have every last one of my men with you Prince Gaston." Lord MonteVerde stood from his throne and moved towards Gaston, placing his hand on his shoulder. "We will get her back. Don't lose the faith."

Gaston nodded steadfastly as the men around him erupted into cheers. They were going to go kill themselves a king beast.

-Adam-

He sent Anette over to the kitchens for Belle and then went to find Vandy who was lazily reading a book in the library on a lounge chair.

"You're back" Vandy said in exaggerated disinterest.

"Oh, are we pretending that you and Polly weren't peaking at us from the window?"

Vandy had the trace of a smile and sat up straighter. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Adam chuckled and moved over to the lounge chair to sit next to Vandy.

"We're going to need to prepare Belle's rooms again." He said and Vandy's face split into a wide grin.

"Already done."

"All the furniture is moved back to where it was?"

"Some of the footmen are working on it as we speak if they haven't finished already.

"Perfect." He said, letting out a deep sigh and allowing himself to lean into the lounge more fully.

"You've got a story that Polly would kill for." Vandy said, returning part of his attention back to his book.

"Thank you for the warning. I'll be sure to watch my back."

Vandy usually began to grind his teeth whenever he was trying to think of the proper way to phrase something. He was grinding his teeth now which was interrupting the silence an turning into a torturous wait before finally he stopped.

"She'll stay this time won't she?"

"I don't know." Adam said, managing not to sound half as miserable as he felt.

"She loves you." The words hung out in the air floating without a home.

"You don't know that."

"I do."

" She told you?"

"No, but she does love you."

Adam didn't have a response. There was a chance she returned his feelings. He thought of the way she kissed him back outside the village and the way she marched all the way out to the forest for him.

"You love her." Vandy tried.

"Yes." Adam said, letting all the air out of his lungs. That one confession released tension that he didn't even know he was holding. "I love her."

"Well you've got to do something about it."

"I can't. It's not a very good time for this kind of thing."

"You've kidnapped her twice now and you're about to go fight off her kinsman in the forest so that you can keep her here. I think it's a little more weird if she doesn't think that you love her."

He had a point there, but Adam did not want to admit he was right.

"I don't think I could handle it if she rejected me."

Vandy laughed at that, "If the worse thing that happens to you in life is a few women turning you down, you've got a better life than I thought you did. I won't tell you what to say and I won't tell you when, but you're making a mistake if you go off to fight for her without telling her why you're fighting for her."

Adam nodded he could deal with werewolves anytime he wasn't afraid of them. The men from their villages inspired no fear, but the idea of laying everything out in the open scared him to his very core.

Chapter Text

-Polly-

"He know you're up to something." Vandy said.

Vandy was absently leaning against the wall outside the castle, watching as Polly scurried about.

"Well there isn't much time for stealth. Maybe if he'd given us some warning we wouldn't be so obvious about it."

Polly had noticed that The King had been periodically looking out the window and investigating their activities. He had to know what they were doing by now, but he had made no move to stop it. Interesting.

"As if anyone had the power and force to stop you."

"Oh hush now and come help. If I don't do something about all the tension around here no one will."

Vandy laughed and happily followed every one of Polly's orders and wishes. She had already sent out invitations to half the forest, the entire kitchen has been worked into a state of frenzy and the gardens are just about restored to their former glory days.

-Belle-

Polly knocked on the door and when Belle answered she almost wished she hadn't.

"Belle, it's good to see you again!" She said, but there were others standing in the hallway that were a mystery to Belle.

"You too Polly. I've missed our conversations. Who are your friends?"

"Oh, these are just some ladies that I invited for a visit. They're here to help me with a little project. May we come in?"

Belle welcomed in Polly followed by about four other women.

"Adam was right. You are cooking up a scheme." Belle said after being introduced to everyone. The four women turned out to be elves who were all extremely shy and laughed at everything.

"I'm ashamed you ever doubted me. Someone has to keep everything together and right now that means fixing you up."

Belle laughed, Polly was forever looking over everyone.

"What are you fixing me up for Polly?" Belle asked.

"The ball!" One of the elves answered in reply.

"A Ball?!" Belle could not believe Polly's gumption. "Adam is going to kill you."

Polly laughed at that and grabbed Belle's hand, leading her to the wardrobe and began rifling through her dresses.

"Adam is not going to be killing me at the end of this night. He will be groveling at my feet because we're not fixing you up for the Ball deary. We're fixing you up for him." The elves exploded in a wave of giggles and Belle felt her face flush red

Despite all Belle's protests and reassurances that she was perfectly well prepared for a ball, nobody seemed to listen to her. She stood trapped and frozen being worked on all at once. Two elves, worked on her dress while the other two stood on stools and were braiding her hair.

They all took great pride in their work and they were experts in their crafts. When they agreed Belle was fit for a ball she ran her hands over the work of the elves and wished she could see the finery that they had created for her.

"I am in you debt." Belle said, obsessed with the light feel and fabric of the dress. She swayed lightly letting the fabric swirl around her legs. The four elves all left once they had fawned over their creations enough leaving Polly alone with Belle.

"Thank you Polly for setting all this up. I feel beautiful."

Polly took Belle's hands. "You've always looked beautiful, but now you're glowing."

Belle felt her eyes begin to well up and she sat down.

"What is it dear? I hope I didn't upset you by bringing the girls by."

Belle tried to still still her shoulders from shaking and reign in her emotion, but it wasn't working.

"No, it's not that. The problem is that I'm torn. Going home made me realize how much more different it is to be here."

"Good different or bad different?" Polly asked warily.

"Both I guess. My father isn't a horrible person, but he never knew what to do with me once my sight faded away and it made him bitter. I didn't think I'd ever find a place where I wasn't a burden until I came here. No one treats me different here, I'm the same."

Polly laughed, "The irony in all this is that we all like you so much because you don't treat us like monsters. I don't know if you know or not, but everyone here is a little different. You bring a little bit of humanity to all of us."

"but the other side of it is that I've never been more scared in my entire life."

"What are you so afraid of?"

"Those few days I was gone I felt nothing but homesickness for everyone here. I'm not preyed on here. I love you and Vandy like you were my own parents, but I can't stay here if he doesn't love me. I can't be a pity project. I can't" Belle laid all her feelings out into the open and she felt better in admitting them, but she also felt more vulnerable.

"That has got to be the craziest thing you've ever said Belle. Of course he loves you everyone can see that."

Belle shook her head. "I can't break his curse. I showed up too late for that. You said he fell in love with the queen years ago when she came here and he draws away from me-" Belle cut off, trying to weed out her insecure feelings from what she was saying.

"No you're right. You'll never be able to break his curse. He'll be part Beast for the rest of his life and he'll never be able to leave the forest, but if you think he draws away from you because he still holds a torch for the queen-" Polly interrupted herself with laughter. "You're sorely mistaken there." Polly wrapped in a hug.

"I need to go finish up all the preparations. Give us another hour and then we'll show you what a real party is."

Belle laughed, leaving they're serious tone behind. "It'll have to be obnoxiously over the top for me to see any kind of difference."

"Alright deary, don't say you weren't warned!"

Polly crossed the room and the door opened with a creak and then it swiftly closed.

"Oh and Belle, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Give him a hard time. He deserves it."

The door was opened and closed again, this time with Polly on the other side. Belle couldn't stop herself from smiling and she found that she could not wait any longer.

-Adam-

"Do you really think that I don't know what you've been doing in the gardens all day?" Adam asked.

"I'm not sure I know what you are talking about." Polly said innocently.

Polly liked to sneak around and make his life harder. He was beginning to think that it was her favorite past time.

"How many people are out there Polly?" Adam asked. His father used to throw Balls. Grand occasions for those who had shown loyalty to him. Mostly for special occasion, but they stopped when Adam was a young boy. It was time he could remember his father outside of his stern demeanor and when they stopped so did the rest of his fathers good nature.

"I told you, Vandy and I have got a small surprise for you and Belle. It's nothing special, just a little something to celebrate the end of the blood moon."

They were on their way to grab Belle from her rooms and then he was going to whisk her somewhere else so that they could avoid the ball together or whatever else Polly has under her sleeves.

"It's just outside in the gardens don't forget." Was all Polly said before stopping them both in front of Belle's door and knocking. Adam looked at the door, distracted for a moment, not even noticing that Polly had taken off faster than someone of her age should be able to.

"Where are you going?" He asked, starting after her before he was stopped by the sound of Belle opening up her door.

The least Polly could have done was prepare him for when Belle opened the door. His heart almost stopped when he turned and saw her. She looked perfect in every way and he allowed himself some time to look at the way her dress hung on her figure and the way her long brown hair was intricately braided. He wanted to reach out and run his fingers through her hair, but he had to hold himself back and force himself to just enjoy these few moments. He had her all to himself in her doorway away from every one else.

"Hello? Anyone there?" She asked, clinging on to the doorway.

"Uh- yes. It's me. The King. Adam." He said, less than eloquently.

She grinned, laughing at her own joke as if she knew she was the funniest person around. "I know, I was only kidding. I think half of the castle probably heard you yelling after Polly."

He laughed at nothing in particular. It seemed like he didn't really need a reason to laugh where Belle was concerned. Her smile always brought life to any room, but now he was fixated on her.

"You look-" He started the sentence without knowing what to say, but once every adjective flew through his mind he ended on "perfect."

She gave a quirky little curtsy, "Thank you. I hope you'll forgive me for saying that you look the same."

That garnered a good laugh from him. "I think I'd forgive you for anything right now." and that was the truth. He wondered if she knew the effect that she had on him.

"Well I'll try not to abuse your forgiveness too much, but it's not you that I'm scared of, it's Polly, and if we don't make out ways to the gardens she'll have both of our heads."

She held out her arm expectedly and Adam took it. He remembered his earlier thoughts of leaving so he wouldn't have to endure a torturous night of socializing, but the only thought of their last dance and how much he'd like to relive that dance. Plus, he didn't trust himself with her alone at the moment.

He led her through the castle she seemed almost as nervous as he was when they reached the doors.

"It's just through there?" She asked.

"Yes."

"You know it's going to be a lot of people and dancing right?"

"Yes."

"And you're okay with all of this?"

He let out a short laugh. She seemed worried about him.

"There's a lot of people out there who deserve to be happy. It's been too long since we've done anything fun around here."

"What do you want Adam?" She asked.

That was an impossible question. There was a hunting party of humans trying to kill him, the werewolves hadn't made their final move yet and that meant the kingship was at stake. Every creature outside those doors relied on him for their safety. Everything would descend back into chaos if he failed. He wanted to not fail. He wanted the blood moon to finally be over and most of all he wanted her.

"You cannot bore me out of my answer. I am a very patient woman. I will wait."

"I want you to be happy." He said finally.

"That doesn't count."

"Of course it counts. You can't go dictating what I can and can't want."

She was getting ready for an argument. She had the same self-sure look in her eyes and smile.

"Well you can't want someone else to be happy. What does that have anything to do with you getting what you want?"

"Sometimes I forget that you're a little blind." He moved her closer, stopping the words that formed in her mouth. "Blind to my intentions."

"and what intentions are those exactly?" She asked with a challenge in her voice.

He felt like a king having her so close to him and smiling up at him. His intentions when they came to Belle were everything. Vandy was right, if he didn't tell her the way he felt tonight he'd torture himself for being a coward.

"I told you. I want to make you happy." He said simply, she was annoyed that he wouldn't play her game, but he didn't need to play her game. He was hers already.

"I think we've stalled long enough. Are you ready?" He asked.

"What's waiting for us out there?" She asked.

He regarded the large door that was looming over the both of them.

"A battlefield." He said simply before he pushed the doors open for the both of them and they opened up into the gardens that were lit by faerie lights and the crowd was small enough to be confined to castle staff and close allies. Every eye turned their way and whispers went around the room.

He had to admit to himself that Polly had done an amazing job with the place. All the flowers were in bloom, even the ones that weren't in season. There was tables piled with food and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

He led Belle down the walkway of lights to the grand opening where he was handed a drink by Vandy. He passed it to Belle and then reached for another one and he lifted his glass up in a toast.

"I am not one for speeches so I will just say how great it is to be surrounded by friends once more. To the end of the bloodmoon."

The crowd chanted, "Long live the Beast King." before taking in their wine and He then nodded to the Nymphs to begin to play. It was his responsibility to open the dancing and he led Belle to the center of the dance floor passing off her drink to someone else.

"Will you dance with me Belle?" He asked.

She gave a grinning curtsy and he pulled them together. The music began to play as he placed his left arm lightly around her waist and grabbed her right hand.

Her left hand snaked up to his shoulder when a pretty piece of jewelry caught his eye

They began circling, beginning the dance and other couples took their places on the dance floor before Adam took his arm from around her back and grabbed her left hand.

"Is this new? I wasn't aware that you were engaged" He teased, playing with the ring placed ceremoniously on her ring finger.

Her blush betrayed her before her words did. She pulled her left hand out of his and placed his arm back around her waist.

"I forgot all about this stupid ring. I suppose the engagement is probably off by now. I hope my father takes it alright."

Adam's heart pricked with jealousy. "You're teasing me. That's not really an engagement ring."

Belle smiled and she relied on his arm around her waist to steady her in the dance so that she could slide the ring off her finger. Her left arm went back to his shoulder and her right hand played with the ring .

"It was. I should probably give it back to Lord MonteVerde. It was probably a family ring." She said.

"You were gone two days!" He huffed out in disbelief, "I didn't think you would move on that fast. I wasn't aware that you had left a beau behind. I beg your forgiveness for not inviting him."

She laughed which was the opposite of how Adam felt. He wanted to go find whoever gave her that ring and throw him to the werewolves.

"You sound jealous Adam." She said, and that felt like the final straw. The last time he was rejected played before his eyes and he distanced himself from Belle. She would reject him before he could even get the words out it seemed.

"Of course I'm jealous. I-" He stopped himself. This dance in public with couples casting them sideways glances was not the place. He desperately hated crowds. He felt trapped and surrounded by every pair of eyes that turned their way.

Belle pulled her self closer towards him and he wasn't strong enough to keep her back. "You have invited him." she said.

"What?" he asked.

"My betrothed. You have invited him to the castle, in fact he'll be on his way in the morning. He's part of the hunting party."

It was his worst nightmare with history repeating itself. His mind was spinning with the possible outcomes, but Belle reached up and pulled his head down until his forehead was touching hers.

"Adam I'll only say this once and I want you to understand every word I say. Can you do that?" She asked and he nodded. "Good."

"The man who gave me this ring is the most vile person I've ever met on this planet, and he is far more interested in killing you than he will ever be with me. I love you Adam, but I mean it when I say that if you let this man kill you tomorrow and come to the castle for me, I will never forgive you. Do you understand me?"

She loved him. She said it. His mind explained her confession away. She couldn't have meant it like that. There was no way.

"Are we clear?" she asked again.

"Yes." He responded. The person who gave her that ring would be the first one to die.

"Good, now we can enjoy our night and not let wastrels like him come between us." She said happily and he finally settled down, letting some of his jealousy and anger die out.

He wrapped his hand around hers grabbing onto the ring. "May I?" He asked and she let go of the ring. He inspected it, it was a beautifully large emerald stone set in an ornate gold frame. This is the ring he had to beat. He'd find a better one. He took the ring and chucked it over the walls and into the forest and finally felt free when he watched it fly into the nothingness.

"I hope you're finally happy that poor old man who donated his ring will never get it back now." She said laughing.

"I do feel a little better." He said.

The rest of their dance was spent recounting her two days home and Adam felt lower than his boots thinking of how he just left her there unprotected at the will of everyone else. He made another promise to himself that he'd never let her leave the forest again.

After their dance Belle forced him to ask others to dance. Her reasons were that she would look like she were hogging their King all night if he danced with no one other than her, but truth be told, it was probably more obvious with him staring at her from across the gardens all night long.

He danced with Polly and with nymphs, elves, vampires, and a centaur. He danced until he didn't think he could physically stand dancing any more, and he kept a watchful eye on Belle the whole time, especially whenever someone built up the courage to ask her to dance.

The Nymphs switched out intruments so that everyone had an equal time to dance, but then just as it was his responsibility to start the Ball, it was also his responsibility to end it.

"Thank you all for coming. You've all been great allies to me as we wrap up this blood moon season, tomorrow will be a tense day so try and stay out of trouble." He said and the crowd gave another, "Long live the Beast King." Before they began to file out.

Everyone eventually left and Polly sat with Vandy at a table across where Belle had found her favorite garden chair after it had been moved. Adam had found his place leaning against the arm of the chair right next to her.

"I told you it wouldn't be that bad." Polly said triumphantly.

"Speak for yourself." Adam said, folding his arms. He did have fun, but he'd never admit that to Polly after all his complaining.

"Well I thought it was brilliant." Belle said smiling. After a night of dancing and feasting her hair had become loose and strands of hair willed themselves free from the loose braids, and with a flushed face and a huge smile Adam had decided that he'd never seen a more beautiful sight.

"Well, maybe it wasn't so bad." Adam said. Everyone laughed at that and when there came a lull in the conversation Polly stood up with a wide grin and dragged Vandy up next to her.

"Well that's enough excitement for these old bones!" Polly said with an exaggerated yawn. "I think Vandy and I will be calling it a night!" Polly said.

"Goodnight Deary!" Polly said walking to Belle and wrapping her in a hug.

"No goodnight for me?" Adam asked Polly while Vandy bid Belle good night.

"Of course dear." Polly said, pulling Adam into a short hug, "You better be good to that girl or it'll be your head in the morning!" Polly whispered quickly into his ear.

Adam laughed and Vandy just pat him on the back and nodded back to Belle. Vandy didn't have to voice his silent message.

Finally after all night, he finally got what he wanted. Belle to himself.

Chapter Text

-Belle-

Adam was quiet, which left Belle all alone with her thoughts. The breeze was cool and the smell of food and people still lingered, but it would be gone by tomorrow. A lot of things would be gone by tomorrow.

Her thoughts turned to unpleasant things. She wondered if the hunting party would come for them first or the wolfmen. She wondered if she would ever see her father again. She wondered if she could have prevented all of this by dying in the forest at the start of all this.

Adam approached her and for a moment they stood side by side in silence. The sound of their breathing intertwined and everything was so peaceful. She was lost in thought listening to the sounds around them. Sounds made up her world while everyone else was looking out at something that she would never be able to see.

"What are you thinking about?" Adam asked. His voice was gentle and almost reverent like he was scared to interrupt their last night of peace and quiet. Belle smiled. She wouldn't tell him her thoughts. He didn't need anything else to worry about.

"I was imagining how everything must look tonight." It was a nice lie to keep both of their minds from dwelling on tomorrow.

"It's dark. I don't think you're missing very much." He said.

"You're not very good at this."

Adam snorted in response. "I'm not very good at what? Seeing? I'd say compared to you I'm world class."

Belle turned her eyes upward imagining the moon. It had been a long time since she had seen it, but it was still there in her memory. "You're not very good at being poetic. You're supposed to talk about how the light from the moon bathes everything in a soft innocent sort of light. You're supposed to talk about how the lanterns from the castle cast shadows on the trees that make them seem as tall as giants. You're supposed to tell me about the empty garden that seems sort of haunted now once you've seen how many people it takes to fill the space."

Those were all images of things that she had heard from the mouths of other people and never been able to experience them before. They were someone else's view on the world, but she wanted to know Adam's.

"I wish I could tell you those things, but they aren't true. It's cloudy and there's not a single ounce of light coming from the heavens. The lanterns from the castle make the trees resemble the bars of a cage, and I haven't noticed a single thing this entire night except for you."

Her hands sought out his arms almost out of habit, and he angled himself towards her. It was like a nervous habit she had that made her feel safe.

"Was my dancing that bad?" Belle teased. She was trying to keep it light-hearted, but her heart betrayed her by pounding dangerously in her chest.

"No it's far worse than that." He said with something dark in his tone. She wasn't doing a very good job at keeping their conversation light.

"Are you okay?" She asked, but she continued when he remained silent. She was tired of their back and forth. "We have been skirting around each other for too long now. There is too much that remains unsaid between us."

"Not here." He said, and then the ground wasn't under her feet anymore. He picked up her legs and was now carrying her in her arms as though she weighed nothing.

"Where are we going?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Somewhere to talk." He said gruffly.

"We can talk perfectly well back there!" She said, but he didn't respond.

"I can walk myself!" She tried again, but there was no use in it. He carried her leaving her completely blind to where they were going.

She tried to listen for hallways and doors and she couldn't place where they were until he began to carry her up some stairs.

"The west wing?" She asked aloud, but he still wasn't talking to her. He set her down gently outside of a room and Belle got a familiar chill down her back. Adam unlocked a door and they stepped inside the room that Polly had taken her to nearly a month earlier.

Adam led closed the door behind them and followed the door down until he was sitting on the floor, and Belle followed suit, sitting next to him.

"I've been in the west wing before." She confessed. She had to do something to break his silence. "Polly brought me here."

"Of course she did." He said dryly. "Did she take you to this room?" He asked.

"No, I don't think so."

"This room used to belong to my mother." He said softly. "I haven't been in here in years."

"You don't talk about her a lot." She had heard plenty about Adam's father. Most of it made her wish she could go back in time and strangle him in his sleep, but Adam's mother was a whole other story. Everyone referenced her with a reverent sort of melancholy that was usually reserved for dear friends and family.

"No I don't. She died shortly after I inherited my father's curse."

"How did she die?"

"She got sick. At first she was too sick to leave the castle. Then they decided she shouldn't be coming up and down the stairs so she was confined to the west wing, and then finally she was confined to this room. She spent a year in here unable to leave before she died."

Belle tucked her knees to her chest and leaned against him. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not. All she ever talked about while I was growing up was leaving the forest and taking me with her. She never quite had the courage to stand up to my father, and she got sick right around when I became cursed. She might be dead, but at least she finally got her wish of leaving." He said, almost wistfully.

"I'm sorry she left you alone."

"You told me that there's too much left unsaid between us and this is it. This room is the reason I took you back to your village, it's the reason why I hate myself for bringing you back here a second time, and it's the reason why I haven't had the courage yet to tell you that I love you."

Belle's heart wrenched at his miserable sounding confession. He loved her. No one had ever loved her before. She couldn't stop the tears from coming. She felt pathetic at just how much she was starved for those three words.

His arms were around her then, wiping away the tears that fell.

"Belle please don't cry."

"I can't help it. You just told me that you loved me." She said muffled into his chest.

"Yes. I did. My mother loved me and she died here for it when she wanted nothing else but to be out of this place. I always thought my father was in the wrong for keeping her here. I even thought that it was the forest that was making her sick and I begged him to let her go, but he wouldn't. His love strangled her and she died in that bed. I never thought I'd be the same, but I can't let you go." He said, his voice cracking.

"I don't want to leave." she said.

"You say that now, but in time you won't-"

She was angry. This idiot she was in love with was willing to send her off once before because he thought he knew what she wanted, and she would never let him do it again.

"Do you really love me?" She asked, interrupting him.

"Belle, it's not as easy as that." He said, trying to explain himself using the same tone of voice that people used when they were pointing out something obvious that she should be able to see. She just reiterated her question.

"Adam. I will not let you create a wedge between us because you think I ought to see and feel things differently. It is as easy as this because it's the only thing that matters to me right now. I think I heard you say a minute ago with a voice of pure misery that you loved me. Is that true?"

He was quiet for a moment swimming through the tension that lay between them.

"Love is an insufficient word for me. I love the gardens outside the castle. I love everyone in the castle because they've become my family. I love the rain and the thunder. I love the spring when the forest becomes alive. All of that means nothing to me next to you. You want to know if I love you? Every moment since you left as felt like a death sentence that only lifted when I came down in that clearing. You possess all of my love and everything I have."

He sounded like a beaten man. His voice was thick with emotion and Belle untrapped her hands and she reached up to his face, feeling the familiar lines and contours. This was the face she was in love with. This was the person who had given her the most precious gift anyone had ever given her before.

"I will take it. All of your love and everything you have is mine now and in return, my heart and my every thought belongs to you."

His hand wrapped up in her hair and he pulled her towards him and he kissed her softly. Nothing about him was ever soft aside from the kiss he had wrapped her in.

"I cannot talk you out of your foolishness and convince you to run far away from here while you can?" He asked desperately once they broke apart.

"I always had the option to leave. As I recall, I did have take the opportunity to leave on my own out into the forest. Did it not occur to you that if I didn't want to be here then I wouldn't be? You're not as menacing as you think you are. You couldn't stop me."

"Don't remind me. I'm not sure if you realize how close you were to dying out there."

Belle ignored his comment, she didn't want to start up this argument with him again.

"There's been a woman in that stupid forest every blood moon for years because they want to be rescued by some handsome courageous stranger with a castle. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one who has succeeded, and I keep waiting for you to see that."

He kissed her first. He wrapped her in his arms and showed her that he loved her more than anything. She kissed him back and she was finally at peace with herself. There was no more inner war over her own feelings. It was a dangerous game to be so wrapped up in someone who you needed so much to feel alive.

He was right to take them somewhere secluded. She wanted everything he had to offer. It didn't take long before she was stripped down to her chemise and his shirt had found itself on the floor. They were both breathing heavily and caught up in the feeling of eachother.

Her hand found the lacy hem of the chemise but his hand caught hers and he stopped her.

"Wait." He choked out as if he couldn't believe that he was saying it.

"What?" She whispered.

"You deserve better than this." He said.

"Are you saying that because you think you're some sort of monster?" She demanded.

He laughed at her outrage. She could be fearsome when she wanted to be and she was glaring up at him in fury.

"No, it's true, but that wasn't what I was saying. You deserve a proper lover who courts you. Someone who asks your father for your hand and gives you a beautiful ring. You don't deserve to be ravished on the floor of a bedroom by a beast."

Her heart swelled.

"I'm going to do everything right by you Belle." He looked down at her soft white skin and see through chemise and he clenched his jaw. "Even if it kills me." He added for his own sake.

"You don't have to change who you are to make me happy. You already make me happy."

She sat next to him after it was clear that he would not be doing anything to further impeach her honor.

"You say that now. I think you're forgetting that I'm the same man who tore you from the forest that first night."

"I've forgotten that already."

"I haven't." He insisted. "I won't forget the things I've done to you."

"Everything you did brought me here."

She leaned against him, placing her head against his arm. He reached over and pulled her into his lap and his fingers began to run through her hair, pulling out braids and pins. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch when an annoying thought flashed through her mind.

"What was it like between you and the Queen?" She asked.

She hadn't had a charitable thought for the queen ever since she learned the truth, but sitting here with Adam, she wondered exactly how much they had shared with eachother. Adam's hands stilled in her hair.

"Do you really wish to speak about that right now?" He asked incredulously.

She felt heat rush to her face as she realized what she was saying. She sounded insecure and pathetic asking about his past history. She imagined him holding the Queen the same way that he now held her and she shuddered. Maybe she did not wish to hear about it.

"No, never mind." She said quickly.

He turned her around so that he could see her face and he laughed lightly. "You're blushing. Are you- you couldn't be jealous."

He said that like it was an immutable fact. He said it like she didn't have a reason to be jealous, but she realized she was jealous. Jealous that she never got the chance to break the curse.

"No, of course not." She said quickly, but the damage was already done.

"You have nothing to be jealous of. When you're in front of me, I can't even remember her face." He said. "I thought I was in love with her, but looking back now, I realize that I was just desperate. She wouldn't speak to me unless I was a man, and even then she would never touch me. I thought maybe she was resentful towards me for abducting her and taking her to the forest, but the day the search party arrived she told me exactly what she really thought of me." He finished darkly.

Belle reached up and cradled his face in one of her hands. She didn't want to hear the rest of the story. "I think you're perfect." She said.

"I'm the King Beast. You might need to reevluate your definition of perfect."

"If you weren't the King Beast you wouldn't come back to me tomorrow. I love Adam and I love the Beast.

His mouth crushed into hers and he lifted her into a more comfortable position where he could run his hands through her hair.

"You're not going to make this easy." He said against her mouth.

"Make what easy?" She asked innocently.

"Doing this right." He growled.

She smiled and pulled away from him.

"Fine, I'll help you out. You're going to walk me back to my room and wish me a good night and then you're going to go rest. You have no idea what will happen tomorrow."

If Belle was being honest with herself, she didn't like that idea either. She wanted to stay there forever wrapped in his arms, but they couldn't, not tonight anyways.

She tried to pull herself out of his arms, but his arms were immovable. He released her finally when she persisted.

"Everything is good between us right?" Belle asked, nervously. It felt strange now that she felt like they were on the same page for the first time and fighting for the exact same thing.

Adam stood. "Everything is perfect." He said before taking her arm and leading her towards her room.

Chapter Text

-The Beast-

The morning air was cool and crisp. It was the beginning to the season change and winter was begining to show it's hand. It was finally here, the last day of the Blood Moon. After today the wolfmen would be powerless and he wouldn't have to worry for another year.

Usually he wondered whether it was worth the trouble. This time around he had reason to fight.

Belle had met him in the garden when he went to leave.

"You're awake."

"You're leaving." She said in an accusatory tone.

"For a short while. I'll be back later today." He assured her.

She walked towards him and he took her hand while it was outstretched towards him. He stared down at her small hand curled into his monstrous one. It was a reminder that she was a world away from him.

She reached up with her other hand and grabbed his shoulder. She pulled him closer towards her, but he flinched away from the familiarity of her touch. It was fear that had protected his heart so far, and fear was his automatic reaction.

"I don't want you to go." She said. She didn't reach for him again, but her hands were wrapped in nervous knots in front of her. "but you don't have a choice, so I want you to remember one thing. I'm waiting for you."

She was scared. He could smell her fear and feel her nervousness. She was so very vulnerable to him. She had faced loss just as he had, and she still came out to face him head on. Maybe they could help eachother to get over their fears.

"I won't leave you. I'm coming back, and when I do I still haven't forgotten what I said about doing all of this right." He said just so that he could see her smile. He reached down to her hand and engulfed them with his own beastly hands.

He pulled closer to her than he had before all the while searching her demeanor for any sign of disgust. She just closed her eyes and leaned towards him softly until he had her in his arms. Fear was replaced in small ways by bridges of trust which made it all the more hard when he had to finally pull away from her.

"If you don't come back I'm going after you." She said in a lighthearted manner.

"If I find myself in a situation where I need to be rescued by you, we are both in grave peril." He responded.

With that he left her side now more motivated than ever to return to her.

-Gaston-

They had left in the earliest hours of the morning. After all the dust had settled, Lord MonteVerde had managed to give him a hefty sum of 70 men total. Some were some of his personal guard, and some had been stirred to help by crazy Maurice's passionate pleas.

Gaston had suggested that Maurice ride in the back incase of an attack from behind. It was a rather inspired idea that ensured that Maurice's quest to rescue his daughter didnt interfere with Gaston's agenda.

It was easy enough to find where Gaston had first faced the beast. His retreat earlier had left clear tracks to follow. Once he was in the clearing he was reunited with his forgotten sword at long last.

"The forest is still scarred from your great battle you highness!" LeFou said.

Gaston smiled and nodded as others looked on in awe of the trees that had been mangled from the beast's massive claws.

"Careful now men!" Gaston said in a serious tone. "This is his territory now. He is unbelievably fast and could be anywhere."

He remembered distinctly which direction the beast flew in from and he guided the party accordingly.

He had ordered the men to keep am eye on the sky as they marched. They were all looking for a Beast of incomprehensible size, so no one was looking for the wolf beasts who crawled from the dense trees like ghouls.

No man paid any attention as the wolves surrounded them. Gaston was urging the group forward at a brisk pace when he heard the screams of his men behind him.

He wheeled his horse around and was nearly trampled as men ran into him trying to escape the massacre. Wolves the size of their horses were ripping men off of their mounts and tearing into them.

Gaston struggled to get his sword out of its sheath and then waved it in the air.

"Attack!" He yelled in a desperate attempt to rally what men had not abandoned them already. He didn't wait to see what men had answered his cry before he ran towards the nearest wolf.

His horse sceramed with tension. The wolf nearly had its jaws around a man's chest. The man was kicking furiously at it, but he was losing the battle.

Gaston swooped down gracefully on the wolf, and hacked into the beast's gaping maw. Blood followed his path and men cheered and built courage as they watched him incapacitate another wolfman with another swing.

Gaston ran out of room and in his attempt to wheel his horse around for another charge, a wolfman leapt out of nowhere and latched his jaws around his shoulder. Gaston yelled and threw himself from his horse in a solid movement of pure fear and stupidity. They both hit the ground hard and Gaston lost his sword to the dust.

A desperate war waged around every man as he fought for his own life. Every man began to see the futility of their circumstances as every blow weakened them and their sharpened steel seemed like nothing to the wild wolfbeasts of the forest.

Gaston jerked to the ground, his hands searching for his sword. The wolfbeast lunged, his foaming yellow fangs bearing down on Gaston when a strong wind washed over everyone and the King Beast dropped out of the sky with a roar that halted all the fighting for the smallest moment.

Every man was frozen in fear, but the wolfbeasts lost interest in them. The one who had stopped nearly on top of Gaston lost interest in treating into his throat and instead threwback his head and let out a screaming howl. The others mimicked his howl and they all crept towards the King Beast, their previous prey forgotten.

Gaston stood quickly. Looking around to see if anyone had noticed that he had nearly been defeated.

"Sire, we must flee!" LeFou had somehow managed to stay mounted on his horse during the ordeal and he now extended a hand towards Gaston.

"I'm finishing what I started!" Gaston growled and he grabbed LeFou's hand, wrenching him off of his own horse.

"What are you doing?!" LeFou cried out as he struggled to stand.

"I'm going to the Beast king's castle, and when he dies out here, I am going to take what's mine!" He said and he kicked his horse into a run. The horse reared, fresh from adrenaline and ran off.

Gaston smirked as he saw the beast one last time being torn apart by the wolfbeasts.

Gaston was a few strides away from the battle when he realized he was being pursued. He turned back to see Crazy Maurice riding furiously behind him, clinging on tightly to his saddle.

"Go back Maurice. I will find your daugther!" Gaston called out, but it had no effect on him.

"We'll do this together!" He said with determination.

-Belle-

She was standing at the edge of the garden when the ungodly howling started.

"what does that mean?" She asked Polly who just pulled her away from the forest.

"Let's go inside dear." Polly said.

There was something very wrong about her voice. She had been hearing phantom noises in the forest ever since Adam had left with the promise that he would return.

"I don't want to go inside. I want to stay out here and wait for him to come back."

There was a silent pause and she felt Polly look towards Vandy who stepped closer to her.

"Belle, we cannot stay out here. There are two possible outcomes to every fight. If the King returns triumphant it will not matter to him if we have waited outside or in, but if something else emmerges from that forest it will not rest until we are dead.

Belle strained her ears to listen for any sign of action, but when her hearing failed her she sighed.

"You're right Vandy." She said, and she allowed herself to be led back into the castle.

Belle could hear crying from the kitchen before they walked through the door. It was Agnis who's muted sobs were drowning out her mothers soothing words.

"No one's coming for us. We're going to be ok." She said hypnotically.

Belle moved towards the table and found the back of the chair Agnis was sitting in.

"Are you alright?" Belle asked softly, but the young girl was crying too hard to respond.

"It's the fighting." Anette said softly. "No one likes it."

"Well everything is going to be fine." Belle said and with every one waiting in the kitchen for the outcome of a fight they couldn't see. Everything did not seem fine.

Chapter Text

-Vanderwall-

Waiting felt torturous until they heard the front doors thrown open. The children clung even closer together and Belle froze completely. They were all waiting for confirmation of what they all already knew deep inside. It was not the King Beast who just stormed in.

Muffled yelling reached through the walls and Anette tried to hush all the children as everyone stirred in fear. It was humans. He saw as Belle recognized the muted sylables and her face became panicked.

"Right. We need to leave right now." Vandy said quietly.

"I thought you said that it was dangerous outside." Belle whispered back.

"Yes, it is."

He crossed the room and opened the door for all of them. They could find somewhere to hide out until everything had settled. The King Beast was somewhere and he would restore order, but until then he needed to make sure that no one died.

He ushered out Polly and then the kids. Everyone else followed and he nearly had Belle through the door before she stopped short.

"We really do need to leave now." Vandy begged. Whoever was marching through the castle and destroying things were getting closer and closer, but when Vandy saw recognition in Belle's eyes, he knew that he couldn't convince her to leave.

"It's my father." She whispered and Vandy let out a string of curses.

"Vanderwall!" Polly hissed from outside.

Vandy was torn between two groups. He looked back to the staff and sighed. He shut the door and stormed towards one of the errand boys, Chip.

"Get everyone safely to the forest. If you can make it to the faerie grove you will all be safe there. Can you do this for me Chip?" Vandy asked. Chip nodded with wide eyes and turned to Polly who smiled at him.

They would do fine without him, but if Vandy let anything hppen to Belle he'd never forgive himself and neither would the King.

Vandy walked back through the door and Belle was already gone. She had left the door open and Vandy left and followed the sound of voices.

He didn't catch up to her in time. He turned a corner and froze. It was nearly a handful of humans, and Belle was in the center of them.

-Maurice-

"Belle! Where are you!" He called again.

His voice was starting to shake at the strain of yelling, but the further they went into the King Beast's castle, the more anxiety he felt.

"Be-" He was cut off by a hand on his shoulder.

"If you yell one more time I will cut your head off Maurice." The Prince said with his sword raised menacingly.

"I am sorry you majesty."

"Don't be sorry, get behind me and shut up." The Prince said, jerking him back by his collar.

Their little skirmish was interupted by movement stepping around the corner.

It was Belle.

His disagreement with the prince went forgotten as he ran towards her and wrapped her in a hug, picking her up off the ground and spinning her around.

"Father, you're here!" She said after he set her down.

"Yes, we came to rescue you."

She stepped closer towards him and turned to the Prince, "Who else came with you?" She asked.

The Prince stepped forward and seized her hand, pulling it to his lips. He felt Belle freeze and she pulled away from him.

"Gaston." She said with hostility.

"Yes, it's me, my dear betrothed." He said.

"The Prince is the one who made your rescue possible." Maurice explained. If he could just get his daughter to see how devoted the Prince was, surely she would lose all her predjudices against him.

"Where is Adam?" She asked.

"Who?" Maurice asked.

"Adam, The Beast. Where is the King Beast?" She demanded, her voice raising.

Gaston laughed and Maurice stood perplexed. Why would his daughter have a pet name for the King of Beasts?

"He's dead. I killed him." Gaston said, wrapping his arm around Belle's waist.

She fought against him and Maurice took a step back, not quite sure if he knew what was happening. He had no idea why the Prince would lie about vanquishing the beast. The Beast was most likely dead, but not by the hand of the Prince.

"He's not dead." Belle said, "You couldn't have killed him. You're too weak." She said, spitting in his face.

Before Maurice could intercede, Gaston slapped his daughter, sending her soundly to the ground.

"You can't do this!" Maurice said, stepping over his daughter, trying to stop the Prince's fury.

"I can do what I like! I am the new King of Beasts!" Gaston roared and punched Maurice soundly on the jaw. Maurice fell backwards and struggled to get up but he was kicked away from his daughter.

"I never wanted you for a wife anyways." Gaston said, closing in on his daughter. He grabbed her and pulled her up with one hand and Maurice pulled himself up again but Gaston kicked him in the head.

"Stay down you crazy old man." He said. and Maurice was kneeling, his head bleeding as he watched helplessly as Gaston forced a kiss on his daugther.He pulled away savagely and Belle was full of curses and insults.

"Stop it." Maurice said, unable to watch the scene. "Please!"

Gaston just laughed. "It's just like I thought. You taste like the monsters that you've so grown to love. No man will ever want a woman who has been defiled by a beast." Gaston laughed again and just when Maurice thought he was going to hit her again,he was stopped suddenly.

"Unhand the girl." A voice shouted. Maurice sat up to fully see who had rescued his daughter, and when he saw it he lurched backwards instinctively.

He stood nearly as tall as Gaston and his face was permanantly disfigured. He was dressed finely in a three piece suit and there were horns that protruded out of his forhead and circled around his head like a halo.

"Oh look, it's another monster. One of my new subjects. Leave me be creature. I am your king."

The creature laughed and drew out two long knives that where as white as bone. "You are no King, You are not even worthy of my blade."

Maurice saw as Gaston evaluated the opponent and then tossed Belle aside roughly and drew his sword.

"You will accept my reign or you will die with the rest of them." He said, and then without waiting for a response, he charged like a bull.

Maurice ignored the fight and rushed to his daughters side.

"Belle! Are you alright?" He asked urgently.

She stood up instantly ready for action. He had to fight to hold his daughter back from charging into a situation she couldn't possibly understand.

"I need to do something. He's my friend."

"The monster?" Maurice asked, incrudulously.

Belle pushed him away. "They aren't monsters!" She yelled and Maurice held up his hands in defense, taking a deep breath.

Either his daughter was crazy, or confused, but Maurice wasn't going to let her down again.

"Stay here I'll help the- er- thing." He said shakily and stood up. He had an unused dagger on a sheath at his side and danced around the edge of their fighting looking for a good place to jump in, but he didn't get the opportunity.

-Gaston-

There was no winning this fight. He was stronger and had a far superior weapon, but he was still no match. No matter, fighting honorably never won anyone anything.

He planned on using Belle as a sheild whenever his offense opened a moment to wheel around and grab her, but he didn't get the opportunity.

The doors at the very end of the hall burst open so violently that they both shattered into two pieces and scattered away from the door frame.

The fighting stopped and The devilish monster who had stepped in for his daughter earlier smiled evily and stopped fighting. He stepped back until he was standing right next to Maurice acting as a shield for Belle.

Maurice had a helpless look on his face as he kept his daughter in check behind him and even Belle looked as though she knew exactly who walked through those doors.

It was the King of Beasts.

He was covered in blood so thick that it had looked like he had bathed in it. He stalked towards Gaston who slicked his hair back and smiled. He was out of breath and exhausted, but here was the King Beast nearly dead, and delivered to him on a silver platter. As the Beast moved it looked broken and pained he was missing a considerable chunk from his arm and his breath was ragged. Gaston was surprised he was moving at all.

The Beast looked into his eyes and saw nothing else. There was a short cry from behind him as Maurice and the other monster tried to pull Belle out of the room. Gaston looked back quickly and held his sword to the Beast who was still watching old man Maurice struggle with his stubborn daughter.

His breathing accelerated and the King Beast across from him gave a blood-curdling roar and then his wings outstretched giving him extra momentum in a last ditch leap towards Gaston. Gaston saw him coming and smiled. He held his position and steadied his stance with his sword outstretched. A King would come victorious out of this, and Gaston has never lost anything before.

He had to use two hands to stabalize his weapon as his sword went straight into the Beast King's heart. The Beast hit him with force and the combined momentum and weight of the beast knocked Gaston onto his back. His victory was mafe apparant immediately. There was no more fight left in the Beast. Gaston laughed. He was crushed by the Beasts massive body and war torn and tired, but he did it. He was the one to finally kill the Beast King.

He struggled to pull himself out from under the Beast, and when he managed to crawl out he was covered in the blood of his great foe. Gaston fell to his knees as the exhaution came over him. He let the exhaution over take him and he slumped into his sword, letting his body rest against it.

His struggle was over. He had done it.

He sent a small prayer of thanks to his family Gods and felt even heavier than before. 'Even a King would need a rest from a battle like he had just fought' He told himself as he slumped down, laying on the ground next to the Beast who was still wheezing out his last breaths.

Gaston laughed aloud, hoping that the Beast could hear his laughter. He hoped it haunted his last moments. Gaston reached down and pulled at the leather that held his breast plate in place. When his undid the leather he struggle to get the armor off, but it wouldn't budge.

He picked up his head to finish getting it off, but when he saw his chest, he slowly lowered his head again.

There were deep puncture wounds that had moulded the plate to his skin. He didn't remember getting the wounds, he didn't feel them now, but they must have been from the Beast's claws. Good. They would be the perfect battle scars when he recovered. He thought to himself as his conciousness drifted away.

Chapter Text

-Belle-

Her father had his arms around her shoulders and Vandy was pushing her from behind. Both of them had panic in their voices as they tried to flee whatever was happening behind them. She struggled in vain against both of them.

"Stop!" She shouted, but they didn't hear what she had to say. Vandy was gone first. He was no longer standing at her side and then her father finally stopped pushing her away, but his hands remained firmly on her shoulder, locking her in place. There was an eerie silence coming from behind them. The only thing Belle could hear was the heavy breathing of her father.

Her father tried to turn her away once more.

"Belle, let's go."

They could see what had happened. That was the benifit of sight, but there are some things in the world that are unexplainable. Belle knew exactly what had happened, but she couldn't believe it. Her heart pounded in her chest violently and her breathing became more erratic. She stepped forward blindly as emotion built up in her throat. Vandy reached out his arm and stopped her.

"Belle."

He only said her name, but that word held everything that he was unable to say in the moment.

"No." She said softly at first, but then louder. "No. Where is he Vandy? Take me to him."

Vandy stood frozen and Belle reached out for her father.

"Please Papa, take me to him."

Her father drew his hand away from his daughter. He was distraught for his daughter and the pain he had caused. There were too many men dead for this foolhearty yearning for power. He just wanted his daughter back, but he realized that she had left him the day he let her go.

"He's right in front of you Belle. He's dead." He said. Her father didn't know what those words would do to her.

She just let go of his arms and fell to her knees, reaching out blindly until she found him.

The tears came and Belle found that she didn't care where Gaston was. She didn't care about anything as she was overcome with grief.

-Polly-

She was in the forest driving Chip crazy with all her worrying.

"Just go back to the Castle if you're so worried!" Chip had told her, but she wouldn't do that. She just folded her arms and refused to move.

She refused to move until they heard someone come running towards them through the forest. Branches were breaking and leaves were crunching from one person sprinting straight for them. Chip stood warily and stepped in front of all of them, but when it was just Vandy who entered the clearing, everyone took a collective breath of releif.

"Vanderwall! You scared us all to death!" Polly said, accusingly, but her teasing tone died in her throat.

He looked like he had aged ten years in the hour they were apart. His hair was disheveled and he had a bleeding cut near his shoulder, but what stopped her were his eyes. He looked like the world had ended and death was behind him. Polly's heart echoed the grief in his eyes.

"You had all better come back." He said simply.

Polly stopped herself from asking. She just looked back at all the faces who mirrored her own. It was as if everyone had received the same message from Vandy. Anette pulled her daughters against her and they all exchanged haggard looks. Everything was about to change for them.

They all followed Vandy back to the castle. It was the longest that Polly had ever gone without asking a question. Questions wouldn't really help them anymore. Vandy stopped Anette outside.

"Keep the children out." He said quietly and she nodded. She turned to the kids and took them to the garden. He opened the door for the rest of the staff to enter and when it was just him and Polly standing at the threshold of the door they just stared at eachother.

"He's-" Polly stopped. It seemed almost disrespectful to even say it.

Vandy pulled her tight against him in a hug and whispered every detail to her as she sobbed into his shoulder. There was no softening the news.

They stood in the kitchen until they managed to pull themselves together.

"We need to be strong. We can't fall apart." Vandy said before they walked through the door, leaving the kitchen and their safety.

Polly managed a small smile and hooked her hand through Vandy's and let him take her to the gruesome scene. Everyone would look to Vanderwall for what to do next, and he needed someone to stand next to him and support his answers.

Their first course of action was to have the murderer thrown out of the castle and left to the forest without even the respect of a burial. It was revenge that everyone wanted, but no one dared speak of more violence.

Cleaning came next. It was the only thing that they knew how to do. Somehow it felt like if they could just fix everything that was broken then things would get better.

No one moved Belle. She knelt at his side for hours, sometimes crying and sometimes not. she did not respond as Polly and Vandy tried to coax her away. She didn't even move when her father begged her to leave the place behind and return to the realm of the humans.

She didn't even stir when tensions rose between her father and the staff. There was no love between the human and all the beasts around him. They were all looking for someone to blame and they had eachother as willing participants. Accusations and insults were traded until Vandy took Maurice to a room to cool down away from the horrors.

Everything was finally clean. The only evidence that a fight had even taken place was the missing doors and the King Beast still in his final spot on the floor. Now that everything was in it's place, Polly began to feel the full weight of her loss.

He wasn't the beast any longer. He was Adam. The only way he could have ever be free of his curse was in death. His face looked young. He no longer had to battle with himself. He no longer had worries. He was free in everything, but he would never be able to enjoy it. This is the life he should have had.

-Belle-

"I suggest you get back from him." A voice called out from behind her. She barely even registered the voice.

"No really dear," a hand was on her back, sending a wave of elictricity down her spine, "you should take a step back."

Belle sat up straighter, but didn't bother turning towards whoever was talking to her.

"What do you want from me?" She asked.

"I don't want anything from you. I want him."

"You can't take him from me." She said, defensively. She wasn't ready to let go. Not yet.

The woman sighed loudly.

"Listen girl, I'm not the most patient woman in the world. I was in the middle of something very important when I found out I had to come deal with this. I'm tired and I really don't want to be here right now so cooperate with me or else I'll turn you into something less bothersome."

Belle finally turned on the woman with a scowl, "Who are you and who asked for your help?" She demanded.

The woman didn't respond right away.

"Interesting." She said to herself. She moved towards Belle and sat next to her.

"I'm the sorceress and you are crying all over my Beast King." She said.

Chapter Text

-The Sorceress-

"He's not your Beast King." The girl said ferociously and Mira couldn't help but smile.

"Well, without my curse he wouldn't even be the Beast King, so the way I see it, he is my Beast King." She looked down at the Beast king and frowned. This really was going to be a headache. Just her luck really that the Prince and the Beast killed eachother. No victor meant no one left alive to inherit the curse. Where was she going to find an obnoxiously prideful prince stupid enough to get himself cursed before every creature escaped from the forest and began to terrorize everyone?

Curses were hard enough to cook up on the fly, but victims were even harder. She put her hands on her knees looking at the gruesome sight of death. She turned to the blind woman in vague interest.

"What is your name girl?" she asked.

"Belle."

"You look like you loved him." She said, just calling out what she saw.

Tears built up in Belle's eyes and Mira smiled. A foolhardy woman in love could be cursed just as easily as a prideful prince.

"I'll take that as a yes. Did he love you?" She asked.

"I-I" Her sobs were trying to take over and the devastation was shown clearly on her face.

"Don't strain yourself dear. Just nod yes if he ever told you that he loved you."

The woman nodded.

"And you beleived him?"

"Yes." Belle said with a small hiccup.

Mira shook her head. It was a risk, but she had better things to do with her time than find another solution.

"I can bring him back." She said simply, casting out her line to see how the poor girl would react.

The blind woman turned to her and her face said everything Mira needed to know. This was going to be too easy.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm a sorceress. There is not a lot that is outside my power. You want him back don't you?"

"He's dead. I don't need you to mock me. Nothing can bring people back from the dead." She whispered.

"He's barely dead. That is an important distinction. I'm telling you that I can bring him back, but there will be a cost."

Mira could make this work. It wasn't exactly conventional, but it had potential to be her best idea yet. A good strong true love spell worked tenfold over her ordinary curses. If she played her cards exactly right she would never have to worry bout replacing the Beast King again.

-Belle-

Barely dead. That's what she called him. She still couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that he was really gone. This woman was cruel to bait her with fantasies. Belle held no love for magic and no love for the sorceress who had cast the curse in the first place.

"What's the cost?" She thought about the lengths of Adam's curse. What would she give up to see him again?

"Well that's a good question. There are costs and consequences to this kind of thing. The cost is your freedom and the consequence is your love."

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple. In order to cast a spell I need to be paid, and the thing I need most right now is a King of Beasts. Since you're not a Beast and I am not overly cruel, I think that we can come to an agreement. I will cast the spell if you agree to stay here and become the keeper of the castle."

There had to be something the sorceress was holding back.

"What about the consequence?"

"Well that one's unavoidable really. Bringing someone back from being barely dead is dangerous, but it's surprisingly easy. I just need to find their true love and work a little magic, and before you know it they're back to normal."

"How is it dangerous?" Belle asked. Magic people liked vague answers and control.

"If you're not really his true love and I attempt the spell with you then you will melt alive and he will remain dead. That's the consequence part."

Belle didn't trust the magic woman. There were consequences she didn't mention, but Belle wasn't thinking about the consequences right that moment. She was thinking about a man who sacrificed everything his whole life to die before his life could ever really start.

"I'll do it."

"You need to be sure. There is no going back. This is a spell not a curse, and once a spell is cast the cost is exacted and there is no finding your way out of it until death."

Belle didn't need to think. She didn't need a minute to herself. He was worth everything.

"I'll do it."

"Perfect!" the magic woman said in a cheery voice. She stood and walked away from Belle.

"I need you to stand, walk towards me a few steps, and hold out your hands."

Belle turned back to Adam and pressed a kiss to his cold forhead. She pushed herself up ignoring the cramping in her legs from sitting for so long. She took a few hestant steps towards the sorceress and held both her hands towards her.

The woman took both of her hands and sent a wave of energy surging through her. She clenched her teeth together as the energy became white hot and painful. She stood as long as she could until her knees gave in and she collapsed to the ground. The pain became overwhelming and all of her sorrow and heartbreak left her mind replace by burning.

She tried to break contact with the sorcceress, but their hands felt as though they were fused together. She couldn't hear anything anymore except a loud ringing. Death felt too near. Tears ran down her face, but she didn't even notice. She loved him. There was nothing else in the world she was sure of, but even if this killed her she knew she loved him.

Those were her last thoughts before she blacked out completely.

-Vandy-

"You can't keep me in here!" Maurice screamed from the other side of the door.

Chip had called Vandy over to see the damage that the human was doing to the door. The wood was cracking as the old human beat it over and over again with a chair.

"It wasn't the good chair in the room was it?" Vandy managed to ask.

Chip shook his head no but Vandy's releif was short lived when he realized that their master was no longer in need of the good chair. The constant reminder of death was everywhere and Vandy was beginning to understand why the boy had locked everything up in the west wing when his parents passed.

"If he breaks through that door lock him in the dungeon!" Vandy yelled, loud enough for Maurice to hear him. "I don't have time for childish antics."

He turned around and found Polly in the kitchen sby side with Anette. They were making a hearty dinner for everyone who had decided to stay in the castle. Polly avoided looking into his eyes when he entered the kitchen.

"Is everything ship shape for dinner?" He asked.

Anette nodded, "Soon, hopefully."

They had already worked themselves raw earlier. Everyone was equal parts exhausted and in shock. Vandy walked to where Polly was stirring a stew obsessively and he reached out to stop her hand.

"We need to see to his body." He said.

She was shaking underneath his grip. She kept her facce forward and didn't respond. She wasn't ready. He wasn't ready either, but leaving him cold on the floor while they ate felt wrong. They needed to be stong enough just for a little longer and then when everyone finally retired for the night he could let everything fall apart.

"Please Polly?" He asked. "I need you. I can't let anyone else do it and I can't do it alone."

She didn't move still and he was beginning to get desperate. "Someone needs to be there for Belle."

She met his eyes finally and they exchanged silent sorrows. She nodded to him and turned to follow him in silence. They walked around the same corner where he had watched the gruesome scene unfold. At first he thought Belle had left the beasts side at long last, but when they approached they saw that she was lying on the ground next to him.

Polly and Vandy both rushed towards her. Polly reached her first and tried shaking her awake while he tried to fine her pulse from her wrist.

"She's alive." Vandy said when hee found a pulse, but Polly was not having any luck waking her up.

She must be exhausted." Polly said in a breath of releif.

In the corner of his eye he saw womething clutched in her other hand. Vandy leaned over her still body and he froze. In her hand was clutched an all too familiar rose.

"Polly look at this."

She leaned over and he held up her hand that still clutched the rose.

She reached over and dislodged the rose from her hand and inspected it evenly.

"What does this mean?" She asked,

He didn't know. Nothing made any sense to him. For a rose to be here it must mean that magic was involved.

"Vandy." Polly sounded like she was somewhere esle.

"Vandy." She yelled.

He looked ar her and followed her eye sight to where the Beast King had fallen. He couldn't believe his own eyes as he watched The Beast King's chest rise and fall with great difficulty. Vandy stood so fast that he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground hard at the side of the Beast King.

"He's alive." Vandy said in complete shock. He repeated it over and over and over as he registered it. Belle brought him back, she must have.

Chapter Text

-Adam-

Polly had to force him to leave Belle's side to eat something. He only agreed to it because he felt as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. He expected to find Annette in the kitchen, but when he walked through the door there was an unfamiliar woman standing in the center of the kitchen. She looked normal besides the long blue robes she was dressed in that flowed around her and her bright gold eyes.

"Oh finally, I was beginning to get bored." She said.

"Who are you?"

She smiled, "Right, I forget that we haven't exactly met. I am the sorceress."

She held out her hand to him, but he didn't move to take her hand.

"You're her." he said, "You're the one who cursed my father."

She lowered her hand and curtsied.

"We have something to talk about King Beast."

"I'm not the Beast King." He said. The prospect of dealing with a magic weilder felt exhausting. They always found ways to twist your words and meanings.

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk about. I won't go without a Beast King and I thought I'd offer you the job first."

He laughed darkly. "You won't talk me into anything witch. I know the kind of games magic creatures play."

"I am not a creature of magic. I control magic. I am much more powerful than any of the creatures youve come across. If you don't want to be the King Beast I can't force you. I see that I am wasting my time here. I'll have to find someone else to keep the monsters in the forest. It's to bad I know one particular friend of ours will be disappointed about your decision."

She turned to leave but Adam charged forward and stopped her.

"What are you talking about? What does Belle have to do with this?"

The sorcceress turned and smiled sweetly at him.

"Haven't you heard about my little bargain with Belle?" She asked.

"You've cursed her." He felt his throat constrict and panic set in. "You're the reason she sleeps. You gave her that rose?"

The Sorceress nodded her head. "Yes, it's one of my calling cards. You called it a curse, but you couldn't be more wrong. Curses can only be cast on people who have shown to me that they deserved to be cursed. I couldn't curse her anymore than I could curse you right now. She volunteered to become the Keeper of the castle."

"What is a Keeper of the Castle?"

"I was correcting one small oversight from my previous curse. I realized that if I'm going to have a Beast King, I need someone to take care of this place." She moved over to the table and moved her finger along the surface, removing imaginary dust. "That's where the Keeper comes in."

"She won't be doing your bidding witch." He snapped.

"That's where you're wrong. Belle and I made an agreement and since I've given her what she wanted, she will be my Keeper. It's outside of your hands."

She was right.

"You abused the situation and took advantage of her." He accused. The sorceress just shrugged.

"What are you going to do about it? You're not very intimidating Adam."

He shook with anger, but the helplessness of the situation washed over him. There was noting that he could do.

The sorceress yawned obnoxiously, "I should be going. I still need a Beast King, and if I can't find one here I might as well start looking. I don't think it will be a hard position to fill. Plenty of men would be honored to accept, and now I have someone sweeten the deal." She said with a wink.

She was manipulating him. He wasn't blind to her intentions, but it spurred him on all the same.

"You want me to agree to let you curse me again." He said.

"You aren't listening. I can't curse you, but that doesn't change the fact that the Beast King's forest needs a Beast King. If you consented to becoming the Beast King again, I would owe you a favor."

He didnt have to think about it long.

"I'll do it, but you have to release your spell over Belle."

"I can't do that. The spell is permanant. She's tied to this forest just like you would be."

"There is no way I can get her free?" He asked.

"No, as long as you're alive, there is nothing you can do. Your cost will have to be something else."

"If she has no choice but to live here with me I want her to get everything that she wants."

The sorceress blinked at him. "That was incredibly vague." She said.

Perhaps if he was smarter, he would be able to figure a way out of her spell, but if he couldn't do that he knew what he wanted. "I don't know how to make it anymore specific. I want her to have everything."

She smiled in a twisted way, "Perfect. She will want for nothing outside of escaping my spell."

She waved her hand and pulled another rose from thin air and pressed it into his hand.

"It's better this way. I'm glad it's you." and without another word, she disapeared without a trace.

She left, but her magic wrapped around him and he felt the beast return slowly. his skin grew hot and he felt a strong intense desire to change. He became the King Beast again and shuddered. He had been curse free for less than a day. Now that it was back, he felt as though it had never left.

-Polly-

Belle was awake. Panic set in and she called for Vandy hysterically.

"Polly, I'm fine." Belle was smiling, but it didn't make Polly anymore relaxed.

"You are not fine! You scared all of us to death! There was nothing wrong with you, but you just wouldn't wake up. You've got a lot of explaining to do! Adam was completely-"

"He's alive?" Belle interrupted. She sat up and reached around until she grabbed Polly's hand.

"Yes. Whatever you did, however you did it, it worked." Belle sagged back into the bed in releif.

"What happened?" Polly asked. Belle was ready to tell her everything about the sorceress, but just then the door flew open and hurried into the room walking over to the other side of Belle.

"She's awake! Polly, go get Adam." He ordered.

Polly frowned. She did not wait at Belle's side to be ushered away right when she woke up.

"Adam can get himself, he probably didn't even make it to the kitchen. I want to hear everything first hand!" She complained.

"I will tell Belle not to say a single word, but I really think that someone should go fetch him."

"Well then why don't you? You act all superior because you're the only one who knows anything about medicine, but I thought you said there was nothing wrong with her? What exactly are you going to do that I can't?"

Polly and Vandy were both in argue mode at this point. "I was trying to give her a break from your hysterics. The last thing anybody needs when they first wake up is your inquisition."

"INQUISITION?! I'll give you an inquisition!" She shrieked. Vandy had his mouth open and was ready to respond, but Adam appeared behind them in the doorway and Polly felt the magic at the same time that Vandy did. It might have looked like Adam was standing behind them, but they knew he was the Beast King the same way that everyone else knew he was the Beast King. Animalistic fear came over them and they both stepped away from Belle. The Beast King was back.

Vandy's mouth had fell completely open and Polly's eyes welled up with tears.

"You're awake." He pushed past both of them to Belle's side and sat next to her on the bed. His hand reached out and grabbed hers while her other hand reached out towards him and he guided her hand to his face. Their foreheads were touching and Adam had his eyes closed, holding her close to him. No one spoke until Polly dug her elbow into Vandy's side.

"We're leaving." Polly said, but Vandy was just standing, still in shock.

"But he's- but they're-" Vandy stuttered out as she pulled him from the room and slammed the door behind them.

"They need some privacy. They've both been through a great ordeal." Polly said.

"You could feel it, right Polly?" He asked.

"Yes, I imagine they've both been at the center of some sort of magic scheme."

"No, not just that. The magic is stronger. I've never felt anything like it. His father didn't even come close."

Polly just shrugged and headed towards the kitchen. She highly doubted that their master had actually made a stop into the kitchen and she was sure Belle would appreiciate a meal after the ordeal she had been through.

Chapter Text

-Belle-
Polly and Vandy left them alone, but Belle barely noticed. The last time she held him like this, he was dead. The last time she touched his face, it was cold, and now he cradled her to his chest when the tears came.

His hand stroked her hair hypnotically reminding her that he was there. Her tears soaked into his shirt and her arms were trapped against him as he rocked them both back and forth. Nothing was said for a long while. He was murmuring sweet assurances in her ear that everything was going to be okay.

"You died." She said, her voice muffle into his shirt. She packaging every feeling she had into those two words.

"I know." He said softly. He loosened his grip on her so that he could see her. His hand reached out and his finger traced her cheek bone. She felt like a dream in his arms. Just holding her made him afraid that he would flinch and everything would fade away.

"The wolfmen, are they dead?" she asked, jolting upright.

His hand ran up and down her back, cherishing every moment he had with her.

"We do not have anything else to worry about. The blood moon is over and the wolfmen are beaten. What remained left of the hunting party is probably back to the human borders. It is all finally over."

She reached up and traced his jaw with her hand. He shuddered from her simple touch he wondered if she knew exactly how much power she had over him. Desire and hope combined to make her completely irresistible. She leaned up to him and pressed a reverent kiss to the corner of his jaw. Every touch and kiss brought back dark memories and healed them. She was the very embodiment of the kind of affection he had thought he was incapable of receiving.

All at once he felt pathetic. How reprehensible must he be when the only thing he needed was to feel wanted by someone. Overwhelmed, he stopped her kisses and pulled her into him tightly, trying to brand the feeling of her into his heart.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, muffled into his chest.

"No." He said, but his voice shook. It did not escape him how completely vulnerable he was to her.

"You died. I think it is ok if some things are wrong."

He remembered everything. He remembered fighting the Prince in rage fueled desperation, and he remembered the worst pain he'd ever felt eclipsed by horror. Horror that he had failed everyone he loved most, but especially her.

"You brought me back."

"It wasn't me, it was-" He pulled her away from him. One of the questions he had been agonizing with since he was brough back resurfaced.

"You brought me back Belle. No one could have done what you did for me. What did it cost?"

"Nothing." She did not even try to be convincing with her denial.

He snorted, "Unlikely. Magic cannot be wielded for free."

"It was practically free. I cannot leave. I belong to the forest just as you do."

He stilled. His mind travelled down every path where she would come to regret that cost. "You should not-"

It was her turn to cut him off. "You were dead. I would have given a lot more than my freedom to bring you back. It cost me nothing."

"I did not keep my promise." Their parting words were a banner in his mind that reminded him of his failures. He detached his hands from her.

"You saved me."

There was something oddly humorous in her reply that made him chuckle darkly.

"No, you are cursed."

"I am not cursed."

"Yes, the sorceress explained it to me. Spells, curses, it does not matter. It is my fault you are trapped here."

Belle was angry. Boiling point, head exploding angry that took control of her in that instant. She was tired of him shouldering the blame for things he could not control. She could not listen to him for a moment longer.

She stood suddenly without warning, but he stopped her before she got very far.

"I never wanted it to be this way. I never wanted you forced to be here. I wanted you to have a choice"

"I did have a choice, and it was an easy one. What about your choice? Where was your choice Adam?" Her voice was raw, and she knew she must look like a hysterical mess.

He sighed, "My case different. This was my destiny since the day I was born. I am the one who dragged you into this from the very beginning."

She shook her head.

"You have not forced me into anything. You died Adam. Don't you realize that? You gave me everything. You gave your home and your heart, and your own life to protect me, and you did. I am the one who could not let you go. I did not sacrifice my freedom for the good of mankind. I did not sacrifice my freedom for you. I sacrificed my freedom because when you died and I realized what I lost, it was too painful to face. It was selfish, but I cannot bring myself care. You are a better person than I will ever be."

He pulled her against him a cupped her face with his hands.

"That is where you are wrong." he told her. "It was always selfish with you."

She opened her mouth to disagree, but he continued.

"-no matter what you may say or think about me, the moment I saw you it was selfish. Every time I see you, I want you to myself. You make me selfish."

She closed her eyes, overcome with feelings. She did not deserve this man. This man who was impossibly kind despite being shown little kindness in return. This man who was impossibly gentle despite his nature. He was hers and she would not share.

"Good. We can be selfish together then. You are mine." She said. She did not get the chance to say anything else. He kissed her. Her hand ran through his hair and he made a growling noise from the back of his throat. There was no more holding back. There was nothing left to create a wedge between them, until the door opened loudly with a crash.

They paused and Adam let out a frustrated growl.

"What?" Adam demanded. He had not bothered to step away from her and they were still inches away from one another. It was almost to tempting for her to pull him back to her.

Whoever was at the door did not matter more than this.

"I am sorry, but it is urgent. Belle's father has broken through his door and found a knife." Vandy said.

Belle instantly dropped her hand from Adam's neck so that the only thing holding her up was his arm around her waist.

"My father is still here?"

"Yes, and he is in the kitchen waving the knife around and threatening everyone."

"Take me there." She said to Adam.

Adam took her hand and they all walked towards the kitchen. She could hear loud yelling as they got closer.

"I want my daughter here, now!" Her father shouted, and there was more crashing.

"What is he doing?" Belle asked, but her question was lost in the shuffle when the door opened, and chaos ensued.

-Adam-

This was not how he wanted to officially meet Belle's father. He had planned on letting Belle talk him down before letting him out of his room for this reason. Maurice had crazy eyes and was welding the knife like a madman with nothing to lose.

"Took you long enough you get them!" Polly yelled at Vandy.

"Get back you monsters!" Her father yelled sounding manic and out of breath. Adam tensed next to her and pulled her a little closer when Maurice took a lunge towards his daughter.

"Run Belle, I will hold them off!" Maurice yelled.

He charged like a bull straight at Adam who made the decision let go of Belle in order to stop her father from impaling either of them with his knife. He thought momentarily about shedding his human form, but he decided against it. It might escalate the situation rather than solve it.

Belle blindly pushed into their struggle, and completely unaware of the danger and Adam twisted Maurice's arm painfully to keep his knife far from her. She was proving to be quite the distraction as she pushed herself in front of Adam, effectively stopping him from fighting with her father any longer.

"Stop." She ordered her father.

Her father let his knife hang at his side once he realized he was in no real danger of being immediately attacked.

"Belle, you don't understand, they are monsters. All of them. If you could see right now, you would be fighting right along with me. Leave with me."

Belle laughed, but Adam didn't find her father's words even remotely funny.

"Could I speak to my father alone for a moment?" Belle asked.

It took everyone a moment to realize what she had asked and react to it. Polly and Vandy reacted quickest, corralling the kitchen staff to the door.

"We are leaving." Polly announced once they had all left except for Adam who stood stubbornly at her side.

"I would like to talk to him completely alone." She told him.

He did not want to leave her alone with her father, especially not with him still toting around the cleaver in his hand.

"Please?" She asked after a moments silence.

Adam sighed. "I will leave, but if your father tries to kidnap you and drag you back home, he will not make it far."

She found his hand and squeezed it before he left the room and closed the door behind him.

-Maurice-
Once they were alone, Maurice was instantly at his daughter's side. He pulled her into a hug and held her close. As long as he didn't let go of her, they could not take her from him.

"What is the meaning of all of this?" She asked him.

"The meaning of all this?" Here they were, in the center of the Beast King's forest and he was the only one who seemed to realize the urgency of the situation. "I have been entrapped and mistreated for days by those Beasts." He spat.

Belle flinched at his last word. Her hands curled up against his chest.

"I love you father, but you are mistaken."

"Am I? The tall one can masquerade as a human well enough, but do not let him fool you. I saw him transform on that floor. That creature is the King Beast. So many people died trying to save get you out of this place. Their sacrifices will not be in vain."

Belle's hand reached up and found her father's face. He was not expecting it when she used the action as a target to slap him as hard as she could. Maurice dropped his hands from her instantly and one hand cradled his face.

"Do not speak to me about their sacrifices. Do not lay their deaths at my feet. You might think you know about what goes on in this forest, but you do not have the slightest clue."

"Belle, if you have developed feelings for these creatures to deal with the horrors of your imprisonment here, that's normal, but it does not change the facts. The facts are-"

"That facts are that you abandoned me in the forest!" She interrupted him, with angry tears falling from her eyes. "I was not abducted, I was tied up and left for dead."

Maurice took a half-step back. He had been too drunk and too guilty to participate in the ritual of taking her out to the forest. He might not have been there for the act, but he might as well have tied her up himself.

"I am sorry-"

"The facts are that you are wrong about them. If I wanted to be at home in my own bed, back to my own life, I would be there. Do not suffer from any delusion that I am not exactly where I want to be."

"I put you here." Maurice said miserably. All of this could have just been avoided if he had acted like a real father should have.

"A lot of things put me here, and I am grateful for everyone one of them. I would go through all of it and more to know that this is where I would end up."

"Do you really intend on making this place your home?"

Belle smiled, but it was a sad smile.

"There is something I need to tell you."

Chapter Text

-Adam-

Belle emerged from the kitchen, and he was at her side instantly.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

It was a good sign that her father had not tried to run with her, but he searched her face for any signs of regret.

"No." she said, wrapping her hand around his arm. "I am still upset that our moment was interrupted."

He laughed, "I can have you back in that room in a second." He wrapped his arms around her, waiting for her consent.

To his great disappointment, she shook her head.

"It will have to wait. My father wants to speak with you."

He looked from the kitchen door where the new threat loomed back to her. He would much rather whisk her away to some far secluded corner of the castle.

"Should I be scared?" He asked.

"Yes, but I will be right outside for you if you need my help."

He kissed her forehead, "I always need your help."

He grabbed the door handle and stilled. He was surprised to find that he was scared. He could face monsters as a monster, but facing one man as a man was another thing. Especially when that man was father of the woman he loved.

"I love you." She said quickly, and then she found his hand and opened the door for him, forcing him into the room.

Maurice stood across the kitchen, his face was sickly pale, and he still held the knife in his hand. Belle closed the door behind him, and Adam felt cut off and trapped.

"Is it true?" The man whispered.

They stood apart and stared at each other down. The room grew more and more tense as the seconds passed.

"I do not know what she said, but if she said it, it is true."

Maurice took a step closer. "I want to hear it from your mouth."

He had a dangerous look in his eyes that animals often had before they lashed out. Adam felt adrenaline build up inside him. He could only guess what Maurice wanted him to say.

"She is trapped. Here. With me." Adam said.

He still could not believe that Belle had chosen this. She had chosen him.

"And?"

and what? What else did Belle tell him?

"She will be safe." Adam said.

"She loves you." Her father accused, angry.

Adam's eyes widened. Hearing the words from her father felt foreign. It made everything seem solid. She loved him.

"I cannot tell you her feelings. That is her right, and her right alone."

Her father was not advancing towards him anymore. He leaned against the counter in defeat.

"You love her."

"I love her." Adam agreed.

Her father slid down the cabinets and sat on the ground, his face fell into his hands.

"What have I done?" He asked himself, miserably. "I have cast her out, and now she can never return."

There was nothing Adam could say. There was nothing he wanted to say to her father's hoarse cry of defeat. He was right, but her father's actions only worked out in Adam's favor. It would not be helpful to point that out now.

He looked up at Adam. There was no longer misery in his eyes, but a bitter kind of acceptance.

"I am leaving." He declared.

Adam paused. He was not overly joyed to have Belle's father breaking his doors and threatening people with knives, but she would want him here.

"You are welcome to stay. I will have your door repaired, or I can have a new room prepared. Belle has missed you. I know she would like your company for however long you would stay."

Maurice stood. He considered Adam's words for a moment, but then he shook his head. "No, I do not- I just need a little time." He finished.

Adam nodded his head. At least he could say he tried.

"But before I go, I will see the both of you married." He said.

Adam's heart skipped a beat. Maurice said it so assuredly as if they had already planned it.

"I have not even- I did not-" He started the sentence several times, but Maurice steamrolled over him.

"Do you really lover her?" Maurice asked, staring intently at Adam.

Adam reacted instantly, "completely."

"I was not born yesterday son. Two young kids who love each other living in close quarters will only end in scandal if you do not get married now. I guess that might not be important to your kind, but it is important to me. Unless you are saying you do not want to marry her?" Maurice asked, looking almost hopeful.

Adam jumped to his defense. "No, I would never, I mean yes. Yes, I want to marry your daughter."

Maurice sighed, "Well if she is going to be here for the rest of her life, she could do a lot worse than you." He said begrudgingly.

Adam did not know whether to thank him or not.

"You will get married then. Soon. I do not know how your kind does it, but whatever it is, I will attend the ceremony and then I will leave."

Maurice looked unfazed by the sudden plans he had spoken into existence while Adam stood, shell-shocked.

"Well?" He asked.

Adam snapped out of his daze. "Yes, I will begin making plans immediately."

"It is customary for you to ask me for my permission." Maurice added.

Adam looked at the old man. This had to be some sort of trap.

"I am not going to bite your head off son. I would have thought the King of Beasts would be more assertive."

"Can- Can I marry your daughter?" Adam asked, tripping over the words. This was the last conversation he imagined having with her father.

"Of course you can. It was my idea, wasn't it? Now you had better go ask her. She will be the scary one."

Adam laughed and for a moment they shared an understanding. In that moment Maurice realized that just maybe he could stand having the Kind Beast as a son-in-law.

-Belle-

Their wedding procession had been small and intimate. There were only a few creatures from the forest, the staff of the castle and Belle's father who sat very uncomfortable amongst all of the beasts.

Belle cried the whole time. She cried when she was adorned in another dress made through fairy magic. She cried when her father came into her room and broke down into hoarse sobs. She cried when Vandy wrapped her in a hug.

The wedding took place in the forest where all could witness their union. They were married by a witch who sealed their union in The Beast King fashion with blood magic. Every detail was so perfect that she collected them in the armfuls until there were to many good memories to hold on to.

"You look like a Queen." Adam whispered to her as they knelt in the grove of ancient oaks. While the witch who married them completed the ceremony.

"As long as it means you are mine forever." She whispered back.

He kissed her and the small crowd cheered.

"Forever." He promised.

The witch finished the ceremony and declared them bound. Adam helped her to her feet and then immediately they were both swarmed by well-wishers. Polly wrapped her in a bug hug and could not stop crying.

Vandy was next. He wrapped her in a tight hug and sincerely thanked her for everything she had done.

"I have not done anything."

"You saved him, and I am not talking about from death. In the very beginning of all of this. You saved him."

Vandy pulled her into another hug and then he passed her to her father who was waiting.

"This is what you want." He said.

"This is what I want." Belle agreed.

He pulled her into a hug. It would take time for him, but he wanted to put in the effort. His daughter was happy and that was enough for him at the moment.

Her father pulled out of her hug. "I am glad you are happy."

Belle's reply was overshadowed when Adam was instantly at her side, standing in front of her protectively.

"Thank you for coming." His voice was tight, it was a fake sort of polite.

Belle had her hand on his arm, but Adam did not turn towards her.

"Relax King Beast. I am here to fulfill my end of our little bargain. I bring a gift."

Adam stepped back until he was standing next to Belle instead of in front of her. He grabbed her hand and placed something cool and metallic in it.

"It's a mirror." Adam said. His voice was distracted, probably by the mirror she was holding in her hand.

"Wow, thank you!" Belle said awkwardly. It's very- beautiful."

Adam snickered at her behind her back, but the Sorceress was not fazed.

"It is a magic mirror. I made a deal with your husband and this is my portion."

"What does it do?" Belle asked.

"Whatever you want. Within reason, of course. There are limitations the list of which is long and arduous, but a good rule of thumb is that if you ask for something and nothing happens then you asked for something outside of the mirror's powers."

Belle held the mirror up and thought for a moment. She needed something to test it out.

"Do I just ask it for anything?"

"Thinking about it in your mind while you are holding the mirror and that should be sufficient."

Belle thought briefly and then silently wished to have the most comfortable chair. Adam stepped back a step and a small crack sounded right in front of her.

"That was amazing!" Adam said. Belle reached out blindly and Adam helped guide her to the chair and she smiled widely. It was the most comfortable chair she had ever sat in.

"It works!" She said with a wide grin.

"I should hope so. I spent the last two weeks working on that mirror. It is tied to you so no one else can use it, and as an added bonus, if you ever misplace it, all you have to do is picture it in your mind and it will appear in your hand."

Belle held the mirror in her hand with the new knowledge that this would change her life. She turned to Adam, "This was your price?"

He pulled her closed and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"You were my price. The mirror is a thank you."

"Yes yes," The sorceress interrupted them loudly, "You both love each other very much. It is touching, but I have other urgent places to be. Behave, and whatever you do, Beast King, if you manage to be killed again, at least save me the courtesy of letting your murderer live. It makes my life so much easier."

The sorceress was standing there one moment and gone suddenly in the next moment.

Once their thank you's and well wishes were over with, Adam dismissed everyone who had come to support their union.

Her father had been adamant about leaving as soon as the wedding was over. He came over to Belle and wrapped her in another hug. "I will come visit." He promised.

Realizing that her father was actually leaving, Belle wrapped him in a tight hug. No matter what happened between them, she loved her father. "I'll miss you."

She said, crushed against his shoulder.

"I can take you to the border." Adam said, stepping up behind Belle.

Maurice pulled back from her and nodded.

"There was one thing I've been meaning to ask you." Maurice said.

"What?" Belle asked.

"Not you, him. What exactly are my grandchildren going to look like?"

Belle's mouth dropped open, Adam fell into a severe coughing fit behind her and she turned bright red.

"Father!" She turned to Adam, "Do not answer that." she said severely.

"What?" Her father asked defensively. "Are you telling me that you are not curious whether or not your children will be human?"

"You should be far more worried about whether or not you will be allowed to see your grandchildren if this is how you plan on acting." Belle said.

She grabbed Adam's arm and pulled him in front of her.

"Take my father home before he asks any more ridiculous questions."

She said. Polly stepped up and took Belle's arm, but Adam did not let her go until he kissed her again.

"I will be back very soon." He said.

Adam changed into the Beast, and she heard her father scramble back.

"Do you have to look like that to take me back?" He asked.

"Flying is faster." Adam said simply.

"I think I would prefer to walk."

Her father said. Those were the last words she heard before the sound of wings muffled the sounds of her father's shouts.

Adam was gone and back in record time. Polly and taken her to the castle and then vanished somewhere. Belle wandered around the castle, but there was no one to be found. She ended up in the library sitting in her new chair when Adam found her.

"Your father sends his final goodbye." he said, standing at the doorway.

"You must be happy he is gone." She said.

He crossed the room and stood over her chair. "Your relationship with your father makes you happy, and that makes me happy." He said diplomatically.

"Do you want to know what makes me even more happy?" She asked.

Adam knelt down at the front of the chair and his hands were on her legs.

"What?"

"You make me happy." She said.

He did not waste a single second. He pulled himself up into the chair and wrapped her in a kiss. They shifted places until they were wrapped in each other.

"You are magnificent." He whispered to her between tender kisses.

"I love you." She replied.

"You know, I loved you from the very beginning. The moment you asked me for my name I didn't realize it then, but I belonged to you."

"I first realized that I loved you in this room. That night we danced."

He laughed, "More like the night you nearly destroyed me."

"You are the one who ran out on me!"

"Only because I was one step away from behaving very inappropriately."

She smiled, "I would not have stopped you."

"That's why you nearly destroyed me. You gave me hope. Hope that I was not unlovable."

She frowned. Her hands wrapped through his hair. She wished she could heal every bad thought he had about himself.

"I do not know where all of these delusions you have come from, but I am going to fix them. One by one if I have to, even if it takes years."

He kissed her and they got closer, more desperate for each other.

"I do not need to be fixed when you are right here." He said, running his hand down her rib cage, settling it on her waist and pulling her to him. All the softest parts of her molded perfectly with her hard edges.

"How close are you to behaving inappropriately tonight?" she asked, gasping for breath.

A growling sound tore out of his throat, and he trailed kisses down her neck.

"I'm already there." He said gruffly.

"Good, we can finally finish what we started so long ago."

They were desperately in love and wholly and completely belonged to one another.

Chapter Text

*** A Few Months Later***
-The Beast-

Now that his web of spies were again spread throughout the forest, he started getting reports of the Coven crossing the southernmost border towards farming land. The coven had a longstanding tradition of trying to kidnap and eat children, so the sooner he could put a stop to it the better.

Normally he would have waited along the border until he caught one in the act of trying to escape, but he had found that he no longer wanted to spend hours wasting his time lying around waiting while he had a wife waiting for him to come home.

A wife. Those were words that he had still not gotten used to. Sometimes his happiness felt like a far-off dream. Sometimes a dark voice threatened loomed in the back of his head. It could all be gone tomorrow. Sometimes that thought woke him up in the middle of the night. On those dark nights when he sat up gasping and reaching, she was always there. She would always be there.

The Coven had a ravenoak that was carved in ritualistic symbols that wrapped all the way to the top of it's branched. Their colony was never far from their sacred tree, which made it very easy to find them when he needed to.

Their tree was short and old. It looked bullied by the surrounding trees. There was a distinct circle of herbs and blood sacrifices that circled the tree. If any outsider crossed that line, every Coven within the forest would kill them in the longest most painful way possible.

One of the perks of being the King Beast was that no place was off bounds for him. Every inch of the forest was his. He had walked straight up to the ravenoak and waited.

"My Lord King, a pleasant surprise."

The Coven did not have leaders. They all worked towards similar purposes autonomously, but every Coven born with the sight was revered. Hylal was gifted with the sight and she was also their chosen advocate between the Coven and the King of Beasts.

"Is it really a surprise Hylal?" He asked.

She smiled, "It was unfortunate I was not able to attend your wedding. My apologies, the Coven do not recognize marriages. I'm sure you understand."

"I'm not here about that."

"No?" She asked, feigning surprise. "What could you be here about?"

"You're leaving the boundaries. It will stop now." He growled.

"I don't know the rumors that have spread around. We have never left the sight of the great mother tree."

"My spies report differently."

"Your spies are trying to lead you astray while you are weak."

She wasn't just insulting him. With her words she offered a challenge and with every challenge offered, he would demonstrate his power. He was at her side in a moment with his claws around her neck. "Weak?"

She pulled at his claws, but he did not move. Perhaps he would kill her to send a message, perhaps he wouldn't. He wondered if her sight allowed her to see his decision already.

"Weak. Weakness is the cost of your complacency." She struggled through the words with a partially blocked windpipe. Every word she said made him squeeze harder and harder.

"I will give you a moment to see your death before I kill you." He hissed.

"I will take your gift to give you one final prophecy. Your happiness is temporary."

He let go of her and she slumped to the ground, bleeding from punctures in her neck, breathing out wet raspy breaths. A quick death was too good for her. Perhaps he would instead stake her to the ravenoak and burn her.

As if hearing his thoughts, two coven came out of the shadows of the trees and stood between him and the ravenoak. They both faced him with predatory eyes and their fangs out at the ready.

"No one could stop me if I decided to rip out that tree from its roots." He threatened.

The two coven just eyed him. They wouldn't speak for Hylal.

"Kill them and more will arrive. You can kill for a while, but can you kill all night?" she asked, her voice failing her.

"Your sight must have failed you. I will destroy anyone who disobeys my rule."

Hylal laughed until it died out into pathetic gurgles and the other Coven raised weapons against him. Others ascended from the shadows and everyone was waiting for someone to make the first move.

The feel of electricity filled the air and a sharp crack sounded behind them and when he turned his head, Belle was standing beyond the line next to the sacred tree behind him looking adorably confused holding her mirror in her hand.

Everybody lunged for her at once, but Adam was the fastest. He snatched her from the ground and took her a safe distance from the ravenoak. The Coven were all at his back, but the minute he whirled around, he roared and the Coven scattered backwards, hissing.

"I have interrupted something." Belle said, inching away from him.

"I'm a little busy at the moment." He said to her, pulling her tight against him. The only safe place for her out here was as close to him as possible.

"What is it?"

"The Coven. They have been leaving the boundaries to hunt children. We have been having a nice little chat about it."

The hissing stopped from around them and one by one they turned to the inner ring of the ravenoak where two coven weren't bent over Hylal's body.

"The great seer is dead." One of them said, and the entire group echoed the sentiment.

"Who is the great seer?" Belle whispered.

"The advocate of the Coven."

"Who killed her?"

"her own foolishness." He said. He answered Belle's question, but he was talking to the Coven who surrounded him in a volatile state between mourning and revenge. One coven stood from over Hylal's body and passed through the horde of the coven to stand in front of The King Beast.

Adam Kept Belle firmly at his side, not letting her move a muscle.

"You have shed the blood of the Coven in the shadow of the ravenoak. We will initiate a reaping." The coven said in a low, threatening voice.

"What is a reaping?" Belle asked, but The King Beast did not take his eyes off the coven.

"Initiate a reaping. Reap down to the very last one of you, because it will come down to the very last one of you." The King Beast said, his voice even.

"Can someone explain what is happening to me?" Belle asked, losing her terse whispering tone.

She must have used the mirror clutched in her hand because one of the nearest coven instantly answered her question.

"The coven initiate a reaping to hunt and kill the person who breaks our most sacred traditions."

"What tradition did he break?"

"He killed our great seer in the inner ring of the ravenoak. Now her flesh and soul are forever offered as a sacrifice to the Gods, unable to receive rest."

"Have you been hunting children?" She asked, ignoring the accusation.

There was silence from the Coven until the answer was pulled from the Coven's lips forcefully through the magic mirror.

"The Coven do not recognize forest boundaries. We are a free people, and the great God has promised us those children." She spat out. The Coven standing closest to him shied away, knowing just judgement would be delivered.

There was a judgement to be delivered and the judgment for crossing the boundary was death.

"Belle, you need to leave." He said, his mouth had formed a grim line. There would be a lot more deaths today.

"There might be a better way." She said.

"I cannot do what needs to be done with you here." He begged.

"Do you trust me Adam?" She asked, leaning into him.

he huffed out a breath. He had not yet learned how to deny her in anything.

"With my life."

She put her back to them and held the mirror to herself. In an instant, nearly a dozen coven around them were instantly given a bouquet of posies. Every coven that held the flowers instantly shrieked and dropped them to the ground.

Wailing commenced from every coven that had been given flowers. They rolled on the ground and cried to the heavens and some began beating themselves to the ground.

"What have you done?" Adam asked, in awe at the scene around them.

"I asked the mirror if the Coven had any weaknesses. The mere act of touching posies makes them powerless. Permanently. I then asked the mirror to gift every coven who had left the boundary with posies. I am guessing it worked.

He looked at the coven around him with new appreciation for his wife. This would work beautifully. The standing coven who retained their power looked on with abject horror at the situation that was unfolding around them.

"Listen here!" Adam called above the crowd. Some heads turned their way so he continued. "Any coven who leaves the boundaries from this point forward will be left powerless on first offense. Your second offense will be death. Make it known."

He pulled his wife into his arms and took off with his massive wings.

They touched down into the safety of the gardens and he let her down slowly while losing his beastly form.

"Could you explain to me why you suddenly appeared into a hoard of bloodthirsty Coven?" He asked once he had completely changed.

"You know how oddly the mirror behaves. I can hardly be expected to account for it."

He would not fall for her feigned innocence.

"You are the cleverest person I have ever met. Something tells me you control a lot more than you let on."

"Why does it matter who ended up where for what reason? The important thing is that the Coven have been dealt with and we are both safe."

She put her arm around his waist and pulled herself to his side, but he knew she was just trying to distract him. He held her back at arms distance, trying to get her to understand the point he had.

"If my wife is going to be suddenly appearing in some of the most dangerous places around the forest, it matters to me. Things worked out well this time, but you could have been killed."

"I have heard death is sometimes temporary. Besides, what is the harm in a little adventure?"

"I think you are trying to make me angry with you, but it will not work. You will not get out of this till you agree never to do what you just did."

Her shoulders slumped and she frowned at him.

"It truly was an accident." She mumbled. "I picked up the mirror without thinking clearly. It picked up on the thing I wanted most and without even realizing what I had done, I was gone."

"What you wanted most was to be in the middle of a conflict in the forest?" He asked, incredulously.

"No idiot, what I wanted most was you."

Oh. He smiled, and his arm found her waist.

"Well, you have me now." He said, pulling her closer.

She laughed, "You were in the middle of lecturing me. Don't you want to finish that first?" She asked.

"Forget it all." He said, running his hand through her hair.

"But if I do, I am likely to get myself killed." She echoed his words back at him.

"I will just have to protect you." He said, pressing kisses to the inside of her wrist up her arm to her shoulder.

"Right now, you seem too distracted to protect anyone."

He kissed her neck, loving the way she shivered at his touch.

"Probably." He admitted, and he swept her up into his arms.

"Where are we going?" She asked, clinging to him tightly.

"I'm going to ravish you right here in front of the entire forest if we don't find a private room now."

He stilled, "Unless you had other plans in mind."

She laughed, "Why do you think I wanted you so badly? I want all of you."

He made it to a private room in record time and then he showed her that she already had all of him.