Belle sat on the floor by the fire, trying to make sense of what happened last night. One moment she's holding her beast, watching him die in her arms. Then she finds herself with a handsome young man, his arms wrapped around her waist as he swung her around the next. His laugh -her lover's laugh- loud, clear, and so unfamiliar to her. The prince wasted no time in going back inside and checking how each and every servant was holding up, especially the ones who weren't able to speak or move throughout the curse. It was bright and beautiful in the castle once more, and the whole night left everyone exhausted.

…Well, those who couldn't sleep without throwing a celebration were allowed as long as they kept the noise down, but Beast was among those who needed to change out of their soaking wet clothes and retire to their chambers. Belle barely had a word with him after he transformed and reassured her he was ,in fact, still her beast. But Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Garderobe took it upon themselves to explain at least a few things before she decided to get some sleep. She spent the rest of the night thinking about what they told her; The Enchantress, the rose, and his years of being a beast were what filled her thoughts. She didn't ask for more information, she only wondered whether or not that Enchantress was still out there, hiding in the shadows before she unleashed upon him a fate worse than death. That thought alone could keep her from wanting to know more.

"Are you alright?" A voice was able to pull the beauty out of her own thoughts and call her attention. Belle turned around to see a tall man with a broken nose, light tawny skin, and messy auburn hair. He was only wearing a dark green waist coat above a white dress-shirt, brown breeches, and charcoal-black boots.

"That depends on who's asking." She gave a quizzical look. "Is the beast awake yet?"

"That depends…" The man approached her, slightly wobbling and even leaning on the walls for support once he came into full view. "Is Cogsworth here?" he smirked.

Once she met with his azure blue eyes, she let out a light chuckle. "No, I'm afraid not." She shifted her position so she could face him without needing to turn her head. "Sorry, I thought you were one of the servants."

"It's fine. In fact, I hope the other servants think so too; I don't want to deal with anyone this early." The prince stated before coming over to her, nearly tripping in the process only to have Belle stand up to steady him. "I would've come down sooner, but as you can see I'm not used to wearing boots." He smiled, his face turning a bit red. "Do you think I'll need a walking stick before I get used to it?"

"No;I think I can support you by myself." She replied, grinning as she led him to the sofa to be seated next to her.

The brunet stared at her as she fixed the pleats of her skirt. She was ineffable, the epitome of beauty and grace, and surprisingly, she was his -and his alone. He never gave too much thought about what he would do once the curse was lifted, but marrying seemed like the logical thing to do. Still, explaining the events of the curse was more important and he had to clear the air…at least before he proposed. Letting his eyes linger at her features, and smiling hopefully, he started, "Belle?"

"Beast," She interrupted. "I've… talked to your servants about the curse. You don't need to explain further." She stated. "But, may I ask, is it alright if I spent a few days to adjust to this… change?" She asked, looking away and a bit worried of his response. "I mean, I'm glad that everyone's human again -and I can get used to it, eventually- but, I just want everything to slow down. Give me more time…" Belle's eyebrows creased. The bookworm hoped he wouldn't push her to take this transition in all at once, like some of the servants did. He understood her the most, after all.

Discouraged by her question, he tried to smile and agreed. "Of course. Anything you wish."

Belle was somewhat relaxed of his approval; but she, in reality, didn't know how long it would actually take until she could move on. She sighed, still looking away and feeling slightly guilty she couldn't move as fast as everyone else wanted her to. "….I'm very sorry."

"Don't be."

Belle felt him take her hand in his, holding it tightly while she realized how perfectly their fingers fit together. Although there is a lack of fur, it was still a comforting warmth that brought a smile upon her lips. To think this stranger was her beast all along was odd, but she barely knew the beast so she can't really compare. He was always leaving her in the dark, thinking it was unimportant to discuss personal details such as his curse, his life before this… ,his name. But he wouldn't do that, now, would he?

"You know my name…" Belle started, looking at him with an eyebrow arched. "I guess knowing yours would be just as important."

"Oh. Yes. My name is–" He stopped for a moment, blue eyes widening at the sudden realization. "M-my name…" The brunet stood up, pacing back and forth. He was wobbling a bit, yet he continued to pace as if his life depended on it.

"What's wrong?" She asked, staying seated and watching him with concern.

He was muttering to himself, trying to find the right words to say before finally admitting, "I… don't remember." He stopped and ran his hands through his hair. "I think I've forgotten…"

Belle h'md at his response. "How long have you been under the curse?"

"A-about ten years?"

"Ten years?! And you are twenty-one?" The girl stood up from her seat. "That means you were–"

"A child when everyone was enchanted," He answered, turning around to see his Belle full of worry. "Look, let's not dwell on that now. And I'm sure my birth name will come back to me soon. Let's discuss something else." He put a hand on her shoulder and tried to smile for her, but she was still evidently concerned.

Belle opened her mouth, as if to say something, but she slowly sank in to her seat once more. "Very well then." She replied. "What were your parents like? I'm sure your mother was very amiable." The prince scoffed at the mention of his mother being 'amiable', and Belle's eyebrows knitted together at such a response. "What?"

"Belle, I can't even begin to tell you what my mother was like." He sat down beside her, still amused at what Belle had said. "My mother was a princesse du sang, Lady Cassandra…"


"Have you seen him?!" Cogsworth asked Lumiere frantically.

Lumiere laid lazily on the couch, having the worst hangover of the century. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, slightly annoyed. "Let the master rest; It's been a busy couple of months for all of us."

Cogsworth grunted, taking out a document and waving it in front of his face. "While you were hiding behind a curtain with Babette, Michelle–"

"The vanity?"

"Oh, no. The footrest– Yes, the vanity!" He retorted. "Anyway, she went to the village to buy some dresses and went by the tavern! This is what she saw, and now they're planning on taking away our happiness just when it's been secured!"

Lumiere's eyes widened as he read the piece of parchment. Managing to stand up, he grabbed it from him. "Mon Dieu…" He continued to pace back and forth, reading the paper with so much fear and concern that he barely acknowledged where he was going. "This! This is terrible!"

Crash!


Belle stood as still as a statue. "W-what was that?!"

The prince had mirrored her reaction, save for two arms that wrapped protectively around the beauty's waist, tight and unforgiving as a corset. "Do you think the man from last night–?!"

"I'm alright!" A tense voice called out, coated with a thick, bucolic French accent.

"Oh." The brunet's shocked expression was immediately covered up by a nervous laugh. "I wonder what's got Lumiere running around like a headless chicken."

"Beast, you're crushing me." Belle breathed. Her beast tentatively moved his hands away from her. "Thank you. Now, what were you saying?"

"R-right. So, her name was Cassandra..."