Maurice remained in a constant state of awe as he wandered the grounds of the Prince's castle. He hadn't had time to marvel at its beauty the last time between the snow and fearing for his life.
Shortly after the spell had been lifted off the Prince, his castle and all its inhabitants, the Prince had offered both Belle and himself a permanent residence at his castle. Belle had accepted almost too eagerly - a moment in which Maurice had known for certain his daughter's heart had been won by the handsome, young prince - but he politely declined.
He knew he would feel out of place amongst the glittering riches of royalty even if Belle was amongst its company and was more than content to live the small town life in his cottage. He would miss Belle and her absence from his daily life but he knew it was time to let her have her own adventure.
Still, both Belle and the Prince insisted he visit often and even he could not refuse that offer.
When he arrived that day he was told Belle was busy as was the Prince but he was given free reign of the castle and its grounds.
It was a beautifully sunny and warm summer day so he decided to take a stroll in the gardens which had been brought to life with amazing and vividly colored flowering plants.
Surely the grounds of the castle had to be bigger than Villeneuve itself, at least that is how it felt to Maurice as he wandered aimlessly through the gardens.
He suddenly froze when he came upon a colonnade covered with beautiful white roses. The sight of the beautiful flowers reminded him instantly of his departed wife
and his chest swelled with sudden emotion. His hand automatically started to reach out to touch the petals of one of the roses nearest to him but a sudden flash of memory rushed past his eyes and he quickly withdrew his hand.
Dark, cold, snowing...and the glare of a monstrous beast.
"Perhaps not." He muttered to himself. He had since learned that the Beast was in fact the Prince Adam, his daughter's beloved, one he had seen the kindness and generosity of himself, but he also knew that touching the flowers had angered the Prince enough to imprison him. Changed heart or not he dare not risk it.
He jumped, letting out a small yelp of surprise as he suddenly heard a low cough from behind him. He whirled around, wide eyed to see the Prince himself staring several yards away, his brow lifted curiously but a small smile on his lips.
Maurice took another large step away from the roses and bowed politely. "Good afternoon, your Grace."
"Good Afternoon, Maurice." The Prince nodded his head curtly and took a few steps towards him. "I trust you are enjoying my gardens."
Maurice nodded and pointedly glanced away from the roses, motioning to the rest of the garden behind him. "Yes, it's all very splendid."
There was a hint of a smirk on the Prince's lips and amusement in his clear blue eyes as his eyes drifted towards the roses.
Maurice followed his gaze cautiously. There was no obvious sign of anger in the young Prince but he certainly did not want to risk upsetting him.
"Beautiful flowers, aren't they?" The Prince asked, reaching out to gently caress around the round petals of a large rose dangling.
"Quite." Maurice said warily. "They are Belle's favorite."
A smile lit up the prince's face at the sound of Belle's name and he carefully plucked the rose, skillfully avoiding being pricked by the thorns.
"Unsurprising, that." The prince said as he caressed his thumb gently over each of the bright white petals. "Beautiful...yet dangerous if you are not careful."
Maurice frowned slightly. "Dangerous?"
The prince lifted his gaze to him and smiled warmly. "I only mean to say that despite her outward beauty and petite stature she has the ability to defend herself against unwanted threats."
"Oh." Maurice pondered this and then nodded. "Well I certainly cannot argue that fact." His lips twitched up as he glanced away from the prince and to the roses. "She did survive abduction by a beast after all."
He realized what he had said not a second after he said it and his breath caught in his throat as he turned wide-eyed and horrified to the prince.
The prince stood with his brow lifted, looking taken aback at his abruptness and a hint of shame in his eyes.
"Forgive me.." Maurice said quickly and bowed his head. "I did not mean..."
The prince took another step towards him but he dared not look at him. "I know precisely what you meant and there is no need to apologize. You are not wrong, monsieur."
Maurice slowly lifted his head to find the prince staring intently at the rose still nestled in his outstretched palm, a frown on his lips.
"My behavior that evening was appalling. Under a curse or no, I should not have reacted so strongly to your actions." He sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a moment and his nose crinkled as if in physical pain.
"It was because of a rose, you see, that I was cursed." He suddenly lifted his head and scoffed, bitterly. "No, it was because of my own cruel and selfish actions I was cursed and I realize that now but living as...as that beast I blamed the rose, I blamed the enchantress, I blamed everyone but myself. It is no excuse for my anger but at the time...you were the first human being I had encountered in years and you had arrived on my property unannounced. My staff tried to welcome you, as they should have, bless their hearts, but I could see nothing but my own anger. When I saw you stop and take the rose..."
The Prince's eyes lifted to meet his and Maurice was struck to the core by the amount of shame in his eyes. "Something snapped inside of me. When Belle arrived later...I scarcely knew how to process one human's presence, none the less two. I didn't know what to think or even do at her selfless, brave actions in her love for you. I knew nothing about sacrifice..." He trailed off and frowned deeply as his voice softened. "I had never loved anything enough to sacrifice the way Belle sacrificed herself for you. Not until she showed me how."
Maurice could do nothing but stare at the prince in silent awe, he certainly had not been expecting the young man to open his heart to him and confess his soul, so he could do nothing but respectfully listen.
"I fear all the apologies in the world could not make up for what I have done." He crossed the distance between them in a few quick steps, his bright blue eyes eagerly seeking out his as he offered out his hand. "Please, accept this rose as a token of my regret. You are welcome to take as many as you please."
Suddenly the prince's face lit up. "In fact, I believe the groundskeeper has enough seeds to plant an entire garden of roses. I insist you take some back to your home in Villeneuve."
The prince's demeanor had changed so quickly, from sorrowful to near giddy in a second, a wide smile on his face that Maurice could do nothing but blink in shock.
"Oh..." Maurice finally snapped to reality as the prince once again extended his hand out toward him and Maurice carefully took the rose into his hands. "Well I...thank you...that's...very gracious, indeed."
The prince looked so delightfully cheery that he did not have the heart to tell him that Belle had been the gardener of their home and with her gone, he feared his own small garden would not survive much longer.
"Would you care to look around?" the prince motioned to the colonnade, still with a friendly smile.
For the briefest moment Maurice thought he may be walking into a trap but quickly pushed that thought aside for he saw no threat in the prince. He smiled politely and nodded quietly before he stepped under the arch grown from the roses themselves.
The overwhelming floral aroma immediately washed over him as he stepped through and he inhaled deeply and felt a slight burning at the back of his eyes at the familiar scent.
His wife would have adored this place. He slowly walked around the small circle taking in nearly every single rose, each shaped and sized just a little differently.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the prince step under the arch and pause there.
Maurice continued around the circle until he nearly reached the entrance again and stopped, turning to look at the prince. "It is truly magnificent." He praised and the prince nodded with a small forced smile.
Maurice's brow twitched at this prince's sudden change in demeanor. If he didn't know any better he would say the young man almost looked nervous.
"Is there something the matter?" Maurice eventually asked after a long silence fell over them.
The Prince blinked quickly and his smile widened just a little more as he shook his head. "No I..." He trailed off and paused to swallow thickly, his hands twitching at his sides.
Maurice lifted his brow. The prince was nervous...
The prince inhaled sharp and quick and released it just as fast as he met his eyes. "Monsieur, I would very much like to ask your blessing for Belle's hand in marriage."
Maurice's brow shot up and he couldn't help but gape in surprise at the young prince.
His question was not so surprising, as a matter of fact he was under the assumption that he had already proposed and that Belle had only yet to tell him.
"You are asking me?" Maurice brought a hand to his chest and slowly shook his head. "You are the prince. You can marry any woman of your choosing without anyone's permission."
Another flicker of shame passed over the prince's eyes and he smiled a little sheepishly. "Yes, that's true but...I do not want just any woman. I wish to marry Belle and I know how important you are to her."
Maurice instantly thought back to Gaston and how the man had basically demanded he marry Belle and that Maurice give him her hand and then left him to die when he refused.
The man that stood before him asking the same question was a prince and indeed did not need his permission but wanted it all the same for the sole purpose of Belle's happiness.
A small smile twitched at his lips as he took in the nervous young man before him and knew, without a doubt, he was the right man for his darling daughter.
"Well," Maurice started slowly, "I am sure you know as well as I that Belle's hand is not mine to give. It is she who decides who she will marry."
The prince nodded with a small smile of admiration and took a slow step in towards him.
"Yes, I'm aware that is why I am not asking your permission but your blessing. The decision is completely up to Belle but I know having your blessing upon our union will please her."
Maurice smiled warmly and took another step in. "Your Grace..."
"Adam." The prince gently cut him off and Maurice looked up in faint surprise.
The prince smiled gently. "Please, monsieur...if we are to be family, I would prefer if you call me by my name, not my title."
Maurice blinked in shock for a long moment and his lips twitched up just that little bit more. "Very well..." He lightly cleared his throat. "Adam?" He tried it out and the prince smiled and nodded and straightened up as he seemed to relax a little as if the utterance of his name was the very acceptance he sought.
Maurice quickly glanced down at the rose still gently cradled in his palm. As the prince had so wisely said, it was a representation of Belle. He held her in his hands, something so beautiful and precious. His heart ached at the thought of having to let her go but he knew he had already lost her to the man standing before him and he knew she would be well cared for.
He let out a soft sigh and smiled wistfully at the flower. "A father dreads the day his daughter will grow, give her heart to another man and leave to lead her own life. Perhaps one day you will understand..." He slowly lifted his eyes to glance pointedly at Adam and a small smirk twitched at his lips at the color that suddenly tinted the prince's cheeks.
"That day has appeared to have come much too soon for me but Belle has always been so fiercely independent. I thought no man would ever be worthy of her spirit and her heart. However, she has made her choice in you...I can see it in her eyes. I have never seen her so happy and her happiness is all that matters to me. She loves you with all of her heart, that much is clear to anyone who looks upon her. It is also very clear to me how much you care for her." He smiled faintly. "I never would have imagined this life for her but I am certain she will thrive here. You have asked for my blessing and so you have it. There is no one else I'd rather have my daughter spend her life with than the man that she loves and who loves her just the same."
He took another step closer and gave the prince a warm smile and Adam's face lit up in delight, his stance completely relaxing.
Adam took a step closer and then extended out his hand. Maurice glanced down at his hand and then slowly reached out to gently touch the prince's fingers, preparing to bow as custom.
However Adam only gripped his hand tighter within his own and met his eyes with a small, respectful, gracious nod.
Good Lord, the prince was showing respect to him.
"Thank you, monsieur." Adam said with a smile and held onto his hand a moment longer before releasing it. "I swear to you I will take good care of her."
"I know you will." Maurice nodded and then once again smiled at the rose in his palm.
"Tell me," Maurice then glanced back up at the prince and Adam lifted his brow curiously, "Have you any idea of when, or how you plan to ask her?"
Adam smiled, his cheeks flushing and he cleared his throat. "Yes, I...I had hoped to ask her tonight, provided the opportunity presents itself. Belle has been very busy recently going over plans for the new library in Villeneuve, she has told you about that, yes?"
Maurice nodded with a smile. Belle had written many letters over the last several weeks, going into detailed explanations of her new life in the castle and all the plans the prince had to better his kingdom, including a new library in the heart of town.
"It was her idea and I was more than happy to approve but she is far more creative than I. I have left the planning and design up to her and she seems to be enjoying herself."
"She has always wanted a large library." Maurice confirmed. "She always had such brilliant ideas to inspire others, to instill in them the same love for literature she has, especially the children but no one ever took her seriously. She made herself content with the small library in the church and Pere Robert was always happy to lend her whatever book she asked for over and over again. It will be a good thing, this library, for Belle and for the people of Villeneuve."
Adam nodded his head with a smile. "I could not agree more. However it has consumed time out of most her days and between her work and my own, we have barely had any time to spend together. Not to mention the staff is always constantly around either her or I. As soon as I can find a few moments alone with her that is when I shall I ask her."
Maurice couldn't imagine such a thing, to have trouble seeking a moment's peace and constantly being surrounded by other people. For nearly all of Belle's life it had only been he and her in their small little cottage, in their quiet little life. Belle's life had changed dramatically over the last several weeks, for the better most certainly, but he knew she at times became overwhelmed, she had told him so.
He smiled to himself at the knowledge that her life would soon change again completely unbeknownst to her. She would become the wife of a prince, for there was no doubt in his mind she'd accept the marriage proposal, and take on more responsibilities than she would know what to do with. But it would be good for her and she would be happy and in the not so distant future would become a mother, inspiring her own children and raising them to love just as she loved and to be kind and brilliant and bold.
He looked at Adam, a young man filled with renewed spirit and love for life, it was evident in his bright eyes yet he was still so clearly plagued by his past. He was uncertain of his future but Maurice could see what he could not see in himself. The days of his spoiled, selfish acts were long behind him and he'd be a fair, kind ruler and an even kinder husband and one day, father.
Maurice quickly shook off those thoughts, for heaven's sake they were not even engaged yet, and smiled warmly at the prince. "Then I do hope you find it and truly, I wish you both all the happiness in the world."
A beam of sunlight suddenly broke through the overhanging roses and cast a bright glow on the prince's already beaming features.
"Thank you." Adam nodded curtly and Maurice echoed his movements with a sweeping, respectful nod of his own.
Adam then glanced over his shoulder, his nose crinkling for a moment and then he returned to look at Maurice with a gentle smile. "I should perhaps return indoors before Cogsworth nearly loses his mind in searching for me." He smiled a little sheepishly. "I managed to sneak away for a moment, you see."
Maurice chuckled quietly. "Ah, escaping your duties?"
A small smirk twitched at the prince's lips. "Even princes need a reprieve and I am still trying to become readjusted to this life and Cogsworth, while I know he means well, can be a little overbearing."
Maurice nodded slowly, trying to remember the names and faces of all of the prince's staff. "Cogsworth...that is the older gentleman with the…" He curled his finger around his upper lip across his own mustache and Adam laughed softly.
"Yes that is he. He is quite fond of the mustache."
"It is a lovely mustache." Maurice noted and Adam laughed again, a light carefree sound that filled the air.
"Please," Adam lifted his arm after a moment of silence and gave him a smile, "Enjoy the roses and the gardens and stay for as long as you wish. My home is your home."
Maurice nodded with a smile of his own. "I will, thank you."
After another moment of silence, Adam nodded his head to bid farewell and turned to head back out under the arch towards the castle.
"Adam?" Maurice called out after him just as he passed under the arch. It still felt a little strange to call him by his name but Adam was receptive as he paused and turned sideways to glance back at him curiously.
He gave the young prince an earnest smile, lifting his palm with the rose. "All is forgiven."
Adam's face softened and a flurry of emotions quickly passed over his features. The prince bent at the waist in a small, gracious bow, his eyes never leaving him.
Then a small smile passed between them and nothing else needed to be said.
Then Adam slowly turned around and continued walking and Maurice watched him disappear with a warm smile.
He glanced quickly down at the rose, smiled and then turned his gaze to the walls of roses surrounding him, his heart full, his eyes alight with joy.