Okay, so this is quite possibly my strangest story yet. So I was browsing through Beauty and the Beast fan art, and I saw a picture of Lumiere and Babette. Looking at it for a few minutes, I started thinking "In a way, Lumiere would make a great _" (I don't want to spoil it for you). Then I looked at Babette and I was like "She just looks way too dainty to have been a maid all her life." Thus, this story was born.

I hope you all enjoy the "Blood Rose" series. This is the first book. Make sure to tell me what you think!

...

PART 1

Chapter 1

The figure stayed silent and still, surveying the area around him with sharp, precise eyes. He glanced up at the star-littered sky to amuse himself for a few mere moments. Tall, thick trees towered above him. The pale moon hid behind black masses of cloud, as if scared of the creatures that the night brought with it. A snarl ripped through the silence, and the young man knew that his tiresome wait was over.

A lycan had come.

The figure tried not to be unnerved as he heard the creature walk closer from behind him. He had been trained to fight these beasts, and many more like them. Lycans were monstrous beings related to werewolves. The only difference was that they appeared as horrifying, disgusting half-man half-wolves, and could only take their wolfish form during a full moon. Out of all of the creatures he was trained to fight: vampires, werewolves, warlocks and witches…lycans were the most bizarre.

His pulse quickened as the creature advanced. He could hear the soft growl from its chest and its long claws on the grass. Obviously it was on all fours. Strike down, and strike fast.

The figure gently played with the silver dagger in his right hand, running a finger along the handle. Gripping it tightly, he whirled around just as the lycan pounced. Slicing a gash across the creature's chest, the figure stepped back as it collapsed from shock.

The beast recovered quickly, lashing out at its attacker. A flash of pain erupted from its paw as it was cut by the blade. The lycan whimpered like a frightened pup. It snarled threateningly as the figure walked calmly closer.

The beast's life ended as the blade came down on it.

The figure pulled the dagger out of the lycan's body, turning away. He sighed and unclipped his cloak, draping it over his left arm. His long golden brown hair was slightly dishevelled and coming out of its black tie. Wiping the blade on his cloak, the figure said, "That was all too easy, maman. Did you really consider that a challenge?"

The woman concealing herself at the edge of the woods, Corine, stepped forward. Her pale, slim figure shook slightly from the cold. "No, but I thought that you could use a small kill, considering…"

Lumiére cut her off, "I know." Walking over, he took his mother's hand as she stepped from the trees. "But you don't have to worry about me."

She smiled, "Oui, I do."

Walking away, the Frenchman countered, "No you do not. I will be fine tomorrow night."

His mother sighed at his stubbornness. Sometimes, there was just no reasoning with him. Following behind him, she nodded, "Fine. But the carriage awaits us, so we need to hurry."

OOO

Swiftly ducking inside the carriage, he held the door for Corine. She stepped inside and sat beside him, closing the door herself. "You know, you really shouldn't be so over-confident. It's a bad trait."

The young man chuckled, "Really? Pardonnez moi, but I find that hard to believe. After all, you married pere, and he is as bad as me in that respect."

Corine laughed, twirling a lock of her long red hair. This is the perfect time to slip it in again. Clearing her throat, she responded, "But I also fell for his charm, which is another trait you share with him. It proves that you will be a great success with women."

At the sound of this, Lumiére glanced at her suspiciously. "Maman, you are not going to bring that up, are you?

She scoffed, "You can't avoid it, so I might as well bring it up."

"I do not wish to do this," the Frenchman objected.

Hearing the angry edge to his voice, his mother chose to scold him in a calm tone. "Lumiére Voclain, I do not appreciate your attitude. You are quickly reaching thirty, which means that you are running out of time. There's only a small window of opportunity to marry a girl with powers like hers, and I simply wanted to make sure that my son gets the best chance."

Lumiére did not reply. She wants me to marry? She wants to bring another person into this kind of life? No.

Corine sighed in exasperation. As much as she loved him, the woman still considered him childish in some aspects. When he didn't get what he wanted, her son would turn up his long nose and stay silent until he got his way. Well, it wasn't going to work.

The Frenchman gritted his teeth. "The mademoiselle I am to be wed to…what do you know of her?"

Pleased that her son had given in, Corine answered. "Well…I've heard that she speaks her mind quite a lot."

The young man laughed with a shake of his head. "Mon Dieu, what a change that will be."

His mother sighed, fiddling with the hem of her dress. "Oh, I just hope that the mademoiselle is alright with this marriage."

Her son nodded in agreement, "The last thing I want is for her to be unhappy."

Corine laughed lightly, "You forget, you know nothing about this girl."

"That does not matter," the Frenchman replied.

She continued to fix her dress. "I suppose you are correct." The woman cleared her throat, "I am sure that you will simply adore her."

Lumiére raised an eyebrow, "How can you be sure? As you said yourself maman, I know nothing about this girl."

His mother smiled at his cleverness. "That is quite true. However, I have a feeling that this one is special."

The young man crossed his arms. "Well, perhaps you are wrong. Perhaps she is horrid and I cannot stand her," he countered.

"You worry too much about women," Corine's smile faded for seconds only, "There are more important things to worry about."

He swallowed. "I know maman."

Sensing his discomfort, the elder placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about. You have been trained well."

The young man looked at her. Her brown eyes were kind and soft, although the left was blocked by a section of red hair that always fell over it. Corine was always so caring, taking on the role of both his mother and his teacher. She was the one who had taught him everything about the profession he had almost perfected.

Corine's soft voice brought him from his memories. "The thing you must worry about at the moment is tomorrow's meeting."

The Frenchman nodded slowly, "Oui."

"Mon cher, you should be happy about this! I have heard she is as beautiful as she is powerful," his mother offered.

Lumiére grinned, "Well…if she is both powerful and beautiful, then maybe tomorrow will be as entertaining as you promise."

…

What do you think, my lovelies? This is not an AU story. It is in the same universe as the movie, but it's just my very different take on Lumiere and Babette.

Please review! I will see you soon,

~Babetteisawesome

P.S: I will give you all the next chapter, but then you might to have to wait a little while. Sorry, but I'm going to grandparent's on the weekend and I don't know if their internet is fixed yet. But who knows, I might be able to update.