"I'm sorry," I began. "I should have realized it before now."
The head caretaker of our forest frowned. "And what is that?"
"You hate me, don't you?"
He sighed. "I wouldn't quite say that. You're the woman who broke the spell several months ago, and you've changed the master from a tyrant to a decent employer. You also don't seem entirely malevolent, so no, I wouldn't exactly say I hate you."
"But we're not quite friends either." After a pause, I queried, "Are we?"
He tilted his head. "What's the matter? Have you never had an enemy before?"
I explained that no, I hadn't. I tried to find compromises with those who didn't care for my company, although it was preferable to befriend those I met. I had been trying for the past year to make friends with all who lived in Adam's castle, but although many of the servants and I got along well, the forest workers were still impatient with me at best.
"Alright, here's the thing. You're…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I forgot. You're too dainty to handle a biting remark."
"Let's have it," I replied. "You forget that this time last year, I was hearing the Beast rant. I'm sure I can handle whatever you have to say. It's best if we just talk it out."
"Fine. You're a nuisance. You keep traipsing through the forest as if you expect all the happy little woodland creatures to sing with you. My men and I have to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't get lost or fall off a cliff or something. It keeps us from our chores, and we already work too hard for over twelve hours a day as it is. You're a hindrance. If you don't know what you're doing, you have no business wandering around the great outdoors…or didn't your books ever teach you as much?!"
I nodded. "I appreciate your honesty with me. Now I feel like we're talking things out. I'm sorry for hindering you."
"Are you truly?!" He took a deep breath, trying to calm the amber flames out of his hazel eyes. "Sorry for the outburst."
"No, it's alright," I responded. "We've lived in the same castle for nearly a year now. I want us to be on good terms, so let's just clear the air."
The forest caretaker drew his dagger, tossing it into the air and catching it by the hilt as it came down, just as his sister often did when she was deep in thought. Finally, he asked me if I remembered what had happened in the forest a year ago yesterday.
Of course I remembered. It had been my first night at the castle. The Beast had frightened me so badly that I had fled to the forest and been attacked by a pack of wolves. I would have been killed if the Beast hadn't saved my life.
"You're partially to blame, you know," the forest worker stated. "Oh, I know. We all have our opinions about whose fault it was. Mostly, it's the male leader of the wolf pack, but there are a lot of people who share the blame."
"I know I shouldn't have been in the West Wing," I responded. "I should have respected Adam's need for personal space. I guess I shouldn't have gone into an area of unfamiliar woodland alone at night during a snowstorm in a blind panic either."
"I can't blame you for the panic. You no doubt had a sheltered childhood and had never been in danger before, but as for the rest, you're right. You shouldn't have done as much! Irreversible damage has been done, and the fault is partially yours!"
I was confused. The forest caretakers make no efforts to hide their disdain for wolves, the only animals in Europe they despise, but now the head caretaker was acting as if he felt bad that I indirectly caused the wolves to be injured by the Beast.
"Is there nothing I can do to show them I'm sorry?" I queried. "Perhaps if I left some meat in the forest…"
"You condemned one of them to a slow, painful death of infection from his wounds, and you think a slab of beef is going to change anything?"
For several seconds, I was silent. I hadn't meant for anyone to get hurt that evening, not even the wolves.
"Bring them here!" I suggested. "Adam and I will tend their wounds, and they'll live! That will be our way of taking responsibility for what happened, and we can all be at peace."
He stared at me, not quite sure how to respond. Once again, his hazel eyes were completely amber.
"You're afraid of wolves," he reminded me.
"No one should suffer like that! They've more than paid for any wrong they've done! I want to help them!"
"You're a year too late!" After a pause, he added, "They're dead. Remember?"
I was overpowered by the crushing weight of guilt.
"Maybe you can atone by leaving fifty gold pieces in a hollow tree near the clearing where the attack happened. Perhaps the Spirit of the Woodland will take pity on you and accept your peace offering."
I bundled up as warmly as I could, carrying a bag of gold coins to the clearing where the Beast saved my life a year earlier. I walked quickly, for the sun was setting, and despite what the forest workers always claimed, I had some doubts about the wolves being dead. What if one had escaped and started another pack?
Seeing a hollow tree, I left the bag of gold there, but just as I turned to go, I heard a twig snap. With my heart pounding, I turned sharply to see Adam.
"You frightened me!" I scolded.
He frowned in bewilderment. "What in the world are you doing out here at this time of day?!"
"I was just leaving a peace offering for the Spirit of the Woodlands to atone for the injuries you gave the wolves."
Adam raised his eyebrows.
"If they were still alive, I was going to tend their wounds to show them how sorry we were for our part of the blame."
My husband shook his head. "I suppose one of the forest workers put you up to this?"
"Loup did," I responded. "I finally got him to be honest with me about why he's always so hostile toward us. He hates wolves, but at the same time, he's upset with us for our roles in causing the attack that ended with the wolf pack being injured."
Adam rubbed his temples. "Belle, the only reason Loup is upset with us is because we have office jobs. We sit in a warm castle and do paperwork or entertain diplomats while he limps through the freezing wilderness with his permanently injured leg, helped by his sister and her one good arm, the other also having a permanent fracture."
My husband took my arm and escorted me back to the castle. We decided to leave the money where it was because if the forest workers were desperate enough to come up with some ludicrous story about the Spirit of the Woodlands, they must be in desperate need of the extra coins.
When we all gathered around the table later, Adam reminded the servants, "As we all know, it will soon be Christmas."
This was met by a chorus of cheers.
"What does everyone want?"
"A wedding ring from Lumière!" Babette exclaimed.
"Soon, my dearest," he assured her.
"You say that every Christmas!" she wailed. "I'm beginning to think you don't truly love me! You flirt with me for your own amusement, but you have no use for a faithful wife who loves you! You don't want to have children with me! You don't want to grow old with me!"
"He finds no fault with you, Babette," Cogsworth assured her. "Lumière just has no use for fidelity."
Adam thought it best to change the subject, so he asked some of the other servants what they wanted for Christmas.
"I'd just like a kiss from a pretty girl," Fife remarked.
We all knew he meant Angelique, but he was too afraid to say as much.
"I just want the children to have a good Christmas," Mrs. Potts remarked.
Adam turned to Loup. "Et toi? What would you like for Christmas?"
"A swift beheading, please," Loup replied.
My eyes widened. "Surely you don't mean that!"
"My contract states that my death frees my men and my sister from their servitude. I've had a broken leg for a year now. The spell is over. Everyone else is happy. What's left for me?"
Adam sighed wearily. "Can we possibly talk about this later? It doesn't seem right to kill a man so close to the holidays, but if you can wait until after Christmas, maybe I can try finding a charge against you…if you still want to die, that is."
"Attempted regicide."
Everyone gasped.
Cogsworth crossed his arms. "When in the name of Beaumont did you attempt regicide?"
"None of your business!" Loup retorted. "Everyone in the castle witnessed the aftermath of the deed! It's not my fault you're all too unintelligent to piece together the puzzle!"
"Let's all calm down!" I interjected. "Loup, I know you must be in pain from your broken limb, but you really must tone down the biting remarks."
"Yes," Cogsworth agreed. "I didn't mean to get your hackles up by rubbing your fur the wrong way."
In one smooth motion, Loup left his chair and pinned Cogsworth to the ground.
"You want to use that expression again?!" he demanded.
"I meant nothing by it!" Cogsworth protested. "It's just a saying we used all the time when the master was under the spell!"
"I hope so!" Loup released him. "I dislike being compared to animals."
"But your name is Loup!" I reminded him.
"Louis!" He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "It was supposed to be Louis. There was a mistake during my christening."
Adam found me in the library later. I was trying to read, but I was unable to concentrate. He sat beside me and took my hands in his.
"Will it never end?!" I asked, nearly in tears. "I've heard Lumière and Cogsworth arguing for the last half hour over whether the placemats are fuchsia or magenta. The forest workers still hate the world and everyone in it. I thought when the spell was over, everyone would live happily ever after, but there's still so much hostility!"
My husband smiled tenderly. "Good. You'll have the chance to unite them for a common purpose again, just like you did last year."
I leaned against his shoulder.
"You'll have your work cut out for you, though. Complicated emotions are all part of being human."
"If I'd remembered as much, I would have left you all under the spell," I joked.
I silently vowed to myself that I would never give up. If it takes me the rest of my life, I will bring peace and happiness to this castle, just like I restored humanity. I will work with each servant individually if I must. The only question then would be: Who should be first?