I was born in late October near the beginning of the 18th century, the youngest child born. I had an older sister named Angelina and an older brother named Braxton. Most children were lucky to know their true fathers, but I never really knew mine, he abandoned the family shortly after my birth. I grew up being told it was my fault he left the family from my superior elder siblings. Braxton was the boss, being the oldest child, and my sister often called me "second fiddle" and that's all I'd ever be. Their words could hurt me more than any other kind of abuse I would endure in my poor, unfortunate life.
I even once fell in love, but she loved someone else. My life was pretty miserable, even living in a castle to become a royal court composer for a while wasn't enough to cheer me up. There was even an enchantment that fell upon the castle on one late Christmas evening. We were all giving the young Master Adam his gifts, I gave him a song I written in his honor, but he hated it. He told me my stuff was gloomy, no one seemed to appreciate my music.
That was until the enchantment fell upon the castle for 10 years, and we were given two guests after those long, lonely 10 years. Once the enchantment hit, the Master consoled himself inside the castle and we never had visitors, until 10 years later, nearly 11, the spell would be stuck if no one had came soon enough. That was when we were all introduced to Belle and Cerise. Now, where do I start with these two?
Belle was a native to the poor, provincial village we lived far from, being in the forest that the villagers now dubbed as the Black Forest where there are carnivorous wolves that would feast on anyone who dared enter the forest. Belle was a simple girl who was very different, but not as much as Cerise was. Belle was a woman, yet she loved to read and refused to stay in the kitchen, only being there for breeding and taking care of the house. She, of course, managed to fall in love with the Master, due to my hatred for love, since I had never recieved any true love, and the spell broke. Belle was seen as an older sister figure for Cerise, though I have to sympathize for her since she was only 10 years old and far away from home without protection of love her parents could fulfill for her.
On the other hand, Cerise, was the most interesting child I had ever come to know and meet. She was not French, thus, a foreigner in our land, but she was still welcome. I even taught her some French since it seemed she was staying in France for a while. I couldn't help but be amused whenever Cerise spoke French, it just sounded so adorable coming from a young one who didn't speak the native tongue we always spoke. Cerise was unlike the others like Belle, but not only that, she wasn't even from our time in the 18th century, she was from the distant future of the 21st century. How she got in our world, I have pondered for so long, but it was interesting to see that she wasn't making it up and literally a visitor from the future.
Cerise's differences is that, in her age, she knew the world is a dark, cruel place and not just a happy Disney film of some sorts. She knows the true blackness that is this cursed world. She was a lot like myself, she hated love, loved death, and doom and gloom. If only she were older, if she were older, I'm sure we could have been an interesting couple. Cerise wasn't emotionally dark all the time though, I always thought she was so sweet and innocent. I can still remember those dark chocolate-brown eyes looking way up at me, like a lost puppy. If I had arms then, I'd lift her up and give her a hug, worthy of suffocating her. It broke my nonexistent heart at the time to see her cry herself to sleep being without her parents, even celebrating her first Christmas without them. Cerise also loved to read, but not only that, she would write.
When she slumbered, I often glanced at my paper sheet music I allowed her to express her inner self upon since she looked bored being around the castle sometimes. Belle was always with Adam, Mrs. Potts would be in the kitchen with Chip, Fife was sometimes out spying on Belle for me, Lumiere and Cogsworth were managing the castle, Babette would clean, I can see why she would feel so lifeless without any attention from the others focusing on getting Belle and the Master to be together. I looked through the papers to see the pictures of corpses drawn from an adorable 10 year old girl, but it felt like inside she was a morbidly depressed young adult woman. Cerise was wise beyond her years, alright. I was even surprised to see the details in her writing about how bleak the world is when you don't have anyone to love you like a devoted wife to her well sorted husband. I provided Cerise some advice and answers to questions she had, even if they were uncomfortable to discuss.
"Maestro..." the high, yet delicate voice called to me.
"Yes, Cerise?" I drawled, playing a funeral march, sucked into the music and the beautiful rhythm of her voice.
"Why don't you want Belle and the Beast to fall in love?"
I didn't like that question, so I pretended to not hear her. I then opened an eye to see those puppy eyes still staring at me, waiting in anticipation for the answer. I might as well get this over with or she may never ignore it. "Why don't I want Belle and the Master to fall in love?" I answered her question with a question.
She nodded with her hands together.
I heaved a sharp exhale, but it's likely in her young age she won't remember this, so I may as well get it over with now. "Well, Cerise," I cleared my throat. "You, see... I was like the Master... Young, coy and in love... I had a girl I was in love with, but she ended up breaking my heart. I never had the courage to tell her how I felt, until I went to her door with a ring box in my hand... I then heard church bells and looked to see in agony that Aimee had fallen in love with someone else, and thus, I never could believe in true love. You see Cerise, romance is for the weak minded. Remember that when you hit puberty."
"Oh..." Cerise simply stated, either confused in reality, but just decided to accept the answer and drop the subject. "I'm sorry, Mr. Forte..."
"Call me, Maestro," I corrected, sharply with a smirk. "It makes me feel professional..."
"Sorry, Maestro."
"It's alright, Cerise."
The night I tried to kill everyone stuck with me. My music was dangerous, but I still play it today. It makes me wonder if my maman ever played organ when she was younger or if my biological father ever took up a musical instrument. The local minister of the church I went to as a lad was very professional and my maman let me take lessons from him and since we lived in poverty, he allowed my lessons to be free. It made me wonder if instead of Vincent Forte, that Maestro Freon had to be my true father. I never got to find out, but it was a pleasant thought.
I remember the night my music was considered life threatening. The Master had just returned with Belle, locked her in the castle dungeon, placed Cerise in my bed since she had grown ill from being outside in the winter without proper winter weather clothing, hopefully not ending up like my late niece who only lived to be at age seven, but luckily Cerise survived. The Master told me what he had done with Belle as the clocks outside the castle tolled midnight, Christmas Eve was over and now it was Christmas, the most miserable time of the year.
"Oh, my dear old friend, I told you not to feel for her, things were much simplier before she came along, before we dared to... hope..." I faked sympathy.
"I thought she was the one..." Adam said sadly, staring out the window.
I glanced at him with a sinister smirk, but it faded once I saw Cerise in my bed. She was tossing and turning, looking in the dungeon to see Belle, and went back to bed to cry herself to sleep. I made her first Christmas without her family to be the worst Christmas ever. She was only a child, without her parents, and now in a room with a madman. No wonder she was so frightened of me. I found her fears of me cute and amusing, but to find out I caused her horrific nightmares stung all around, even if I'm not a human man at the moment.
After Cerise checked on Belle, she buried herself in my cotton, feather ruffled pillow. I persuaded Adam to crush the enchanted rose to make this spell permanent. Now, let me explain, when I did this, I was hoping Cerise would wake up and keep Adam from breaking the rose. I didn't want Cerise to suffer any longer, she was sick and away from home, she had suffered enough. Cerise did look back, but then she went back to bed in misery. Adam rose his beastly paw, about to smash the rose, but a petal fell from it and landed on the Christmas present Belle left earlier.
"What are you doing?" I demanded, noticing my wishes weren't being received. "What is it?"
Adam threw down the pink ribbon tied around the present and walked to show a homemade story book. That woke Cerise up a little and she coughed, but smiled to see Adam had the present she and Belle made earlier that afternoon. Adam roared at me so he could read, much to my annoyance. I tried to get him to read when he was a child, but he had no interest, not to mention he practically threw away Lumiere's storybook from the Christmas before we were all cursed. This book was apparently different because it was from Belle and Cerise. I wish Cerise would make me a book once in a while...
After Adam left to collect Belle, I had grown enough of it. Cerise had left as well. I was all alone, jsut like what I want from early years, but no this solitude feels nothing but like me, baroque, cold, and unfeeling. Beast gets girl and it's a happy ending for everyone, enchantment lifted, and Forte fades into the background. No longer important, no longer needed, my thoughts argued with my self conscious. "I THINK NOT!" I blared, slamming down on my keys to make my music even louder than it already is, nearly shaking the whole castle, crashing windows and making the chandelier fall. I laughed wickedly since I was surrounded by people who didn't want anything to do with me. I'd rather be dead than unwanted or forgotten, so everyoen else shall join me and feel my pain.
"Maestro!" a voice squeaked. "STOP!"
I glared, stopping my music. I looked down to see Fife and Cerise standing there with anger and revenge in their eyes. I had used them as my puppets, and now they were rebelling against their master.
"What do you think you're doing, Maestro!?" Cerise demanded, sounded less distant and sharp now. I was impressed by her fiery temper, and also, even though she was a child, aroused. What is it about angry women that I find so wettening?
"Don't you see, children?" I asked with my vengence taking over my willpower and sense of mind. "They can't fall in love if they're DEAD!" I laughed sadistically, thus frightening Cerise.
"I'll tell you what we see," Fife snarled, then chickened out as he was done. "A big old wingbag!" he nervously chuckled since I was basically a higher rank than him, and often terrified him.
"You could've joined me, Fife," I taunted, pushing him to my music box to show the 'solo' I promised him in order to bait him into working with me in the first place. "But I believe my triumph, is a solo act!"
"My solo!" Fife cried, looking at the paper. "It's blank!"
"So naive," I laughed. "You're second fiddle, Fife, and that's all you'll EVER BE!"
"You also promised me a reward, I'd never forget!" Cerise snapped.
I grew annoyed at her meddling, being like Belle. I then lifted her with my green laser sheet music and made her look me in the giant holes I had for eyes.
"This IS your reward," I growled. "You and I get to see the others suffer, Cerise! I'll have the child I alway wanted and we can remain as we are, forever and ever!" I laughed manically, unknowing I was scaring Cerise to the brim of fright, but then, I was too bloodthirsty and full of vengeance to care. I laughed louder and louder, then heard the Master roar for me to stop my madness.
"FORTE!" Adam slammed the doors open with the lightning illuminating his beastly face. "ENOUGH!"
"Heavens, Master..." I said, calmly, then glared at him, remembering something to use against him as I released more of my cursed powers. "YOU'RE NOT SINGING!" My voice echoed more than Adam's voice did on a daily basis. Cerise looked extraordinarily paralyzed from my actions and I blame myself for any nightmares she may have had to suffer from once she was safe in a bed after my incoming demise. I was too villanous to care at the moment, but every day I deeply regret what I had done. "IS THIS HAPPY ENOUGH FOR YOU MASTER!? I KNOW I'M DOWN RIGHT GIDDY!" I grew more and more menacing as there was almost no way to stop me. "Don't you see, Cerise?" I asked the plucky girl as I held her by her ankles, unknowing of her fear of heights then. "They're all a bunch of fools who only believe in happiness for the rest of their lives! Join me, child, and together we'll rule over this bloody castle and grow over its treacherous enchantment! Say you'll belong with me!"
Cerise stammered and whimpered, I never got to find out what her answer was. Instead, we both heard the plucky piccolo down below give the Master advice on defeating me. He signaled Adam to use the keyboard, which was considered my lungs and made me stop breathing instantly. Cerise fell from my powers fading and landed in Belle's arms, shaking like she was trapped inside a hurricane storm. I felt terribly guilty for leaving Cerise in that state and just wanted to comfort her. Adam then growled and threw my keyboard against me to make me unbolt from the wall, topple over and fall flat on my face in defeat. I was not dead, but unconscious and trapped in a coma for a while. Not like anyone but her cared, at least she came to check on me, even though I nearly endangered her life.
I woke up to see my pale, gaunt hands for the first time in 10 years, my silvery hair down, reaching over my shoulders. My iris-less eyes, my black maestro tail coat. I was indeed human again, even though I never wanted to be again, because no matter what or who I was, no one would or could care. When I first came to the castle, before the king died shortly after his only child's birth, he was my only friend, but our friendship lasted only a few years. They might have been short just as they arrived, but I treasured every moment I shared with Gabriel, and the fascinating stories from his bride Queen Evelina, and grew curious of what kind of child Adam would have been before his birth. The last I saw of Cerise was her leaving to go back home where she belonged, and there was a celebration for Adam and Belle being together and the others being human, laughing at the celebration fun and young Christopher's questioning his mother if he still had to sleep in the cupboard.
The reunion was surprising to both myself and Cerise. She had the most examinational one though, since she, like the others thought I was dead that night when Adam smashed my keyboard. I was mostly surprised to see the sweet and innocent, adorable little girl I used to know, grew up to a developing, precious young adult high school student. And of course, as always, with Cerise, comes the uncomfortable questions of one's past. Her questions flooded me like the music room floor being flooded with green lasers emerging from my pipes of my organ to torture Adam with to convince him to just forget about Belle, and to not fall in love with her. Cerise was a 16-year-old girl, but still had the mindset of a child, which I felt should not have been surprising. At least she seemed a little happier, but she seemed annoyed with me at times. One of her school teachers fell ill and I filled in as the substitute and Cerise was often glowering at me, probably because I was responsible for her pathological fear of pipe organs. One class though, seemed different as I allowed the class to have a free day, it being Friday and students love that weekday. I came up to Cerise as she was writing in her notebook.
"What are we writing?" I asked with a friendly smile and my hands behind my back to show I meant her no harm.
Cerise looked up at me briefly, then buried her face back in her book as she continued to write. "Poetry." she bluntly replied, not caring that I asked of her hobby.
"You write poetry?"
"Yes..." she sounded very irritated now. "A lot of the girls around here write poetry about happy things, like cheerleading, their stupid boyfriends, or about fluffy animals like puppies and bunnies."
I shuddered at those ideas to be classified as poetry. "What do you write about, Cerise?"
"How dark and cruel the world is," Cerise folded her notebook, scanning at each word she wrote in beautiful cursive. A lot of the students around here write in the crudest ways as though they were just learning to write, despite being high school students. It was no wonder how Cerise felt so alone around this place she's forced to call an educational system. "My poetry comes from my heart and soul, as black, dark and untouchable it is. I used to be happy, but I realized how stupid everyone else is, and I'm the only sane one."
I stared at her long and hard. "May I read one?" I asked, after forced silence.
"You want to read one of my poems?" she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.
"Sil vous plait?" I pleaded, eager to read something she wrote, after it being a very, very long 300 years since I last saw her.
Cerise shrugged, flipped through the pages and handed me the book. I took the book gently and smiled and even chuckled at some of the poetry lines. Even though it was incredibally sad, morbid and totally hopeless, I found it very enjoyable. Cerise looked at me strangely as I laughed at some of the death she portrayed into the homemade literature. She was truly a gifted writer, and if she were alive then, be perfect to write for Grimm's Fairy Tales.
"You liked it?" Cerise's voice suddenly had a caring emotion to it. I wonder what changed her mental mind.
"Oui," I replied, handing the book back. "You should get published."
Cerise took the book and I could've sworn I saw her smile for exactly five seconds. I cherished those five seconds because the girl I loved was now happy, and not too gloomy. I like gloomy and all, but seeing her depressed without a good reason, often made me feel crestfallen. Whoever marries this girl is going to be a very lucky man, and he better not hurt her, or else I'll make his life Hell.
More years passed, Cerise was growing up, in some ways than none. Her family held a big graduation party, then it was her birthday. Cerise was often constantly cheerful on her birthday, but this year was different. She was cold and bitter as she was before I reunited with her. Something had to be wrong. I found it wasn't my place to talk to her about it, but she insisted on speaking to me once I got a slice of her mother's homemade strawberry chocolate cheesecake. Cerise was lucky to have a master chef for a maman to give her such meals. I vividly remember my maman's cooking, she was barely home and my siblings often made my food not as good or often did something horrible to it as a childish prank. Once I ate my slice of cake, I pondered Cerise's whereabouts as I didn't see her in with the crowd as they celebrated the 19th birthday of the fallen, one winged angel. I then saw her in her room, in the cold, dark corner she was often in when she felt the need to be alone and she was in a much worse mood than usual. I hoped she was going to be alright, but this birthday would be a birthday Cerise would never forget.
"Cerise, don't you want some cake?" I offered, delicately.
"Cut the shit, Forte." she sneered.
My eyes widened at her colorful language. "Cerise, that is no language for a young woman to use." I waved a bony finger to show her I meant business.
"Whatever," she mumbled out a non-acknowledging of my teachings. "Forte, have you ever been suicidal?"
"Why on Earth would you ask such a question?"
"It happens to everyone," she walked past me, her eyes seeming to be staring at something other than the directions she had wanted to be going to. I decided to follow her in case something horrendous would happen. "It happened to my friends, it happened to people on television before they got arrested, it happens to me..."
"Cerise, I was suicidal since I was weane, and I would prefer you not to be with the wonderful life you have provided for you."
"Life is short anyway, Forte." Cerise had found her true destination, she was on the edge of a cliff after endless walking into town.
"Cerise, what are you doing!" My eyes widened in horror as I was about to witness something I never want to come true, thus I had to stop it.
"Making my birthday wish," she stated as she drawed back and more backward. "I wish to never age or grow up. I don't want to grow any older, and this is the only way to do it. You're just a time traveling man doomed to be born in the wrong century. Au revoir, Maestro Forte." she stepped back another inch and fell.
"CERISE!" I cried, then threw off my tail coat. I leapt after her, grabbed her as she was falling and bit her neck, exposing for the first time, my vampire fangs. Yes, I am not mortal, nor human anymore, I am a vampire. I never told Cerise, because I never knew how she would react knowing that she despises the vampires created by an unholy wench by the name of Stephanie Meyer. Once the savory crimson liquid dripped from Cerise's beautiful neck, we both splashed into the frigid cold water with sharp rocks, and Cerise didn't even know how to swim. Once we landed, I pulled her up to shore, and wrapped her around my tail coat to keep her warm.
Cerise's eyes slowly opened and she looked to see she was still alive. I was the first thing she saw, and she struck me across the face. "YOU STUPID MAN! YOU RUINED MY BIRTHDAY WISH! I WANTED TO DIE! I DIDN'T WANT TO BE SAVED! I-"
"Wanted to never age," I finished for her. "Well, you got your wish. You are now an immortal vampire. You will never age or grow up from now on, you are now forever 19 years old and will look that way for the rest of your lie."
"Vampire..." she looked me deep in my eyes. She looked as though she were thinking back based on our past experiences, only now knowing that I was truly a creature of the night. She cupped her mouth slowly and still looked into my soul. "You are a vampire..." she said in almost whisper.
I nodded. "I spent 300 years looking for you, that's how I'm still alive. I had to know if you'd ever forgive me for my actions since you were the only one who really cared about me. You were the only one who dared check on me, everyone else was afraid... They told you I was just a dream, and nothing more."
Cerise nodded in agreement and wrapped herself more comfortable in my coat. She actually looked kind of cute in it. "You made me immortal..." she rubbed the back of her neck as there was no more blood left. "Take me home, Forte." she demanded.
I nodded and took her home, grabbing her hand. She shook a chill down her spine as my icy hand touched her warm, delicate hand. Cerise took a warm shower and we discussed life with Belle and Adam.
"So, they don't know you're still alive?" she asked as she cleaned herself from the frigid temperatures from being near death.
"Non," I replied as I sat in her bedroom chair and crossed my legs together. "No one even knows I'm here except for you."
"So, you're afraid to tell them you're sorry?"
"Afraid?" I snorted. "Are you that naïve to think that I, Maestro Forte, am afraid?"
"So, why don't you go do it?"
"I don't want to leave you... I'm your organ teacher, French mentor, and voice therapist."
"Not anymore," she approached me, looking me dead in the eye. "I'll tell my parents you moved back home. You're going to Belle, your Master, and the others and telling them you're sorry for what you did."
"You're not coming with me?" I openly frowned.
"Why bother?" she laughed at my question. "You're a big boy, you can take care of yourself. Go apologize and once you do, come back and see me. It's not like you're in love with me or anything."
My eyes widened as she said that last statement. I gulped and took out my time travel watch. I gave one last goodbye to Cerise and her parents as she finished college, even though she was still 19 and her parents didn't know she was now immortal and unable to age. My apologies to Adam and Belle were very uncomfortable, so I'll make this quick. They accepted my apology, though I'm sure Adam was very reluctant to. My explanations were heinous, frightening and truly horrendous to account for. Belle even noticed how much of a soft spot I had for Cerise. True, I was in love with her from the moment I first laid eyes on her, but since she's growing up, it's more special now.
I reunited with the one I call Cerise after so long, not too long ago. She was the unfortunate victim of sexual assault and was forced to give birth to a child from a man who didn't love her and the feeling was mutual. I couldn't believe someone sweet and innocent I've known since she was a child had to endure that unspeakable horror. I helped with the birth, Cerise was only a college student and a mother to a boy she named Thomas. The boy had his mother's milk chocolate complexion and dark chocolate eyes with matching hair, even an adorable beauty mark at the tip of his right dimple. He was basically a male, infant clone of Cerise.
I remember Cerise's parents talking about how she was too young to raise a child alone, and I felt empathy for her, but I couldn't imagine the terrors of being raped and having to raise the child alone. The boy also needed a father figure and since Cerise is growing up and about to start her own life, she needed someone to help support the boy, make sure he grows up right and not end up like his biological father, someone who may have always wanted a child, but could never have one. Someone who had taken care of her since she was a prisoner in his former master's castle and far from her family without someone to lend a sympathetic ear or shoulder to cry on.
"Umm... Cerise?" I spoke up after forced, stunning silence between the young mother, young grandparents and premature uncle sharing the room with the golden child. I volunteered to be Thomas' father figure, technically his foster-father.
Though Cerise and I weren't married, I impressed her with my father skills. I had experience with a small child when I was younger and an uncle to my sister's only child, a daughter named Chantal, even though her parents demanded a boy to be born. I changed Thomas, fed Thomas, played with Thomas, I was the true father I only wish I could have been to him. Cerise's friend Peche often came over with her own young son by marriage named Adam Joseph, AJ for short, and Thomas and AJ were inseparable. I remember a conversation they once had after putting their sons down for their afternoon naps after their healthy lunches.
"So, Forte's been Thomas's father for a while now, huh?"
"Yeah, he was really up for it, can't imagine why."
"You guys should go out."
Cerise froze in bewilderment. "Why would I ever do that?" she asked her friend like she had spoken like a unintelligible village idiot.
"You got a lot in common more than you think," Peche smirked. "You both hate love, love death, and doom and gloom."
"Love death?"
Cerise had been obsessed with death for a while now. Her mother had told me a beloved relative named before Thomas's current daughter, Dorothy, like a grandmother Cerise always wanted, had died. Before Cerise graduated from high school, she was on her way to school to take an important school test and was told on the already miserable enough Monday morning that Dorothy had died.
Dorothy's death always struck Cerise, even well after about 10 years when Cerise and I started to have our own children outside of Thomas. With my powers, I could've brought Dorothy back to life for Cerise, but she insisted Dorothy should stay dead because Dorothy had very horrible breathing and was already having a wonderful enough life she could have in her 79 years of existence, and now Dorothy can't suffer from her breathing troubles anymore. Even though Cerise wanted Dorothy to stay dead, she was still constantly thinking of her and what to do with her life.
I was mostly obsessed with death for a different reason, however. It was mostly because of my maman. My maman died when I was about to live in Adam's castle to become the loyal court composer, she had serious cancer and before she died and I saw her one last time, she told me the man who abandoned my family at my birth wasn't my father. She told me it wasn't my fault he left, but it was hers, and I was born from the affair. It was like Thomas and Cerise's life together, only Cerise mostly didn't want Thomas to be born because the father is a man she does not love or care about.
As Thomas became more of age, he gained a lot of free time in his younger years. I often watched from my spot to see Thomas happily play with others and his 'cousin', AJ. I swear, the two were more like brothers than just best friends, like their mothers' friendship. I talked with Cerise as she was writing in her poetry book, black and cold as her soul and demeanor toward the outside world.
"Cerise, the boy should probably have something to do after school hours, I don't see him often and I'm his father..."
"You're his father figure." she said, coldly, like she didn't care.
"Yes," I did well to hide my fear of her sudden invisible stabbing in my back. "But, he should get to know me... I look after him like a true father should, I should be able to spend more time with the boy I consider my son..."
Cherry snorted with a sickening smile. "I suppose you want him to give you mugs about how you're the world's greatest dad, eh?"
"That wouldn't be so bad, Cerise... Can you imagine growing up without a father? I did all my life."
"That's different," Cerise rolled her chocolate puppy eyes. "Your mother was unloyal to your father, so you came along..."
"Cerise!" that stung more than she could ever hope for.
"Fine," Cerise removed her glasses to show the dark circles under her eyes to express sadness, tiredness and anger all in one glance. "Every day after school, Thomas will come here to take organ lessons with you for an hour, then I pick him up for dinner. Deal?"
Cerise's deal with me was accepting, and I accepted with a nod. Her mother and father made the same agreement for me when she was my student, but now I get to mentor her son. Our son. If only she were cheerful more, I'd be more thrilled and ecstatic. I'm not as stoic as people think or say I am.
"Merci, Cerise," I bowed respectfully, then another thought came to mind and I tried my very best to say them without messing up or frightening her with my hidden emotions for her. I was always too afraid to express the feeling she made me discover that I hadn't felt in forever so long: Love. "Erm... Cerise?"
"What is it now, Maestro?" Cerise growled as she dove back into her morbid poetry book.
"Uhhmm..." I gulped and tried to place my words in order so I don't stumble through them, feeling suddenly nervous as a school boy. "I-I-I was wondering... If... I-If... If..."
"IF!?" Cerise grew agitated at my stammering from her growing beauty.
"If... I could make you dinner sometime?" I finally said, feeling relieved inside.
Cerise didn't directly answer, she looked as though she were pondering it. She let out a chuckle and replied. "Sure." she simply stated.
"Really?" my eyes widened at her response, I was expecting her to call me a simpleton or something of the sort.
"Yeah," Cerise smirked. "It'd be nice for someone to make me dinner for a change."
I chuckled lightly, then pressed my spidery fingers together. "Very well, Cerise, see you another time, yes?"
"Whatever."
That was Cerise's way of saying 'yes, now stop talking'. I happily went to my desk as she left to collect Thomas so they could eat. Cerise had taken time off from her job briefly to take care of Thomas. Once he gets his organ lessons, she'll go back and work more. Hopefully not a whole lot, I hate to see that girl stressed, mostly hearing from idiotic classmates she was forced to be with during her high school days. I hadn't gone to school, not in a year, we could never afford it, but I played organ with the minister in town, Maestro Freon, he was like what I am to Thomas. I am rather sophisticated, more than most people that are too dumb to populate the Earth.
As Cerise left, I was in a good enough mood to play upbeat, fast tunes with my organ keyboard. I rarely do this, I can be quite depressing, as if you didn't already know. Cerise and I have more in common than the love, death, doom and gloom her friend mentioned previously before we became a couple.
We're both more intelligent than most of the people we had to work for. For she had slacking classmates with bad mouths and short tempers, I was the more advanced and wisest servant in Adam's castle. Back then, my only student was Fife, my apprentice. I remember the first time I encountered Fife, he looked so frightened of me, but he looked up to me. Doesn't help that I'm at least seven feet tall and he's four feet tall. This was shown dramatically during the enchantment, where I was 20 feet tall and he was only 10 inches.
Time passed quicker than I hoped, Thomas was now my student. To both our minds, we were father and son working alongside each other, just like we both always wanted. My early childhood memories were longing for the friendship a father could share with his son. Thomas was only a child, so he doesn't remember his biological father, but as far as he's concerned, I am his biological father, even if Cerise and I aren't married or live together, but he never seemed to question it. I played notes to show Thomas and he repeated.
"What are the note names? Are they big names?" Thomas's mind flooded with questions and poured out his mouth, typical for someone his age.
"Non," I replied with a chuckle. "A, B, C, D, E, F, G."
"Gee, that sounds easy!" Thomas giggled.
I shook my head in decline. "It's harder than it looks, my boy."
"Hard?"
"Oui, let me show you." I played the keys A and C over and over to demonstrate to my foster son.
Thomas bobbed his head from the tune and repeated to show he's learning.
"Excellent," I smiled. "Now, listen to this." I played seven keys together to show the alphabet up until letter G to show the notes. "This is called playing a scale."
"I thought fishes had scale?"
I couldn't help but laugh at his little statement. Children are amusing when they aren't infuriating little creatures. "Non, Thomas... A scale is a series of different notes that change in pitch as you go up." I explained.
"Oh." Thomas chuckled at himself. "Sorry Daddy!"
I put a hand to my chest as Thomas called me that. I felt instantly warm inside and stared at him with my eyes wider than they had ever been in my life. "I-It's okay, Thomas..." I said, softly, very touched I had someone call me the most wonderful word I hoped I would be able to hear one day. "E-Everybody makes mistakes, that's how you learn..."
"That's what teacher, Mommy, and Aunty Peach say." he said.
I nodded with a smile. Unfortunately, Thomas had to leave and his visit seemed to have ended right as he arrived. The old saying goes, time flies when you're having fun. I was hoping it wouldn't go by this fast and I was very eager to see my foster son again and spend time with him like a real father and son. Spending so much time with Thomas, Cerise even spent the night with Thomas accompanying her to get away from Thomas's true father. As that time was well spent and Thomas was growing older, I had to ask Cerise a question I've been wanting to ask her for a long time. I went to her office as she was the new executive for the Cartoon Network channel she was fond of since she was an enfant. Her secretary let me in and I walked in nervously, shuffling my feet and carried a tiny black box.
"Forte..." she drawled, that gentle as the wind voice never-changing, nor would I want it to.
"Call me Charles," I insisted. "Anyway... I-I-I have a question I've been wanting to ask you for a long time."
"Well?"
I stammered and finally, I squeaked the four words I've been wanting to ask for the longest time: Will you marry me? I even got down on my knee and gave her a ring with a silver skull with ruby red eyes. Cerise was speechless for a moment and I was surprised the proposal went well. We both thought about all we've been through together and Peche was right to pair us up together. Now Thomas's parents were getting married and we honeymooned in France. Our wedding was near Adam and Belle's castle. Adam walked her down the asile, the new composer, Fife, played Queen's Funeral March instead of the traditional wedding march. Our wedding was after midnight in the cemetery near the center of Adam's castle. For one last thing to speak of Cerise, Thomas was grown up and off to better things and she was just as surprised as she got the news to tell me this.
"Charles, come here." she said, sounding aggravated and hidden happiness.
"What is it?" I asked as she stared at me without a hint of emotion.
"You're going to be a father."
"I am to Thomas..."
"No Charles, a real father."
My eyes widened. "I... you...? A baby...?" I couldn't believe she was pregnant with a child I could conceive with her. I came in her chamber the night before at 4:00 in the morning after earning confidence, arguing with a bottle of French wine.
Cerise lifted her black Gothic shirt I bought for her, a usual outfit she normally wore with a silver charm necklace I gave her for Christmas. Cerise looked slender, but I saw a bump in her belly. Inside the bump, a tiny hand pressed from the inside and she was indeed pregnant and I was going to be a biological father. This is a story for another time, but since the baby was born a girl, Cerise already gave me a son, and I always loved my maman: We named our daughter, Felicity Precious Chantal Forte. Felicity had my complexion and Cerise's everlasting dark brown hair. But that, like I said before, is another story for another time.