Belle

Another failure...Papa came home from the fair empty handed for the third time this year. At this rate, the money they had saved up was going to run out. Each day Belle was faced with that same two options. Either marry the village brut Gaston, or work for the Prince. She couldn't decide which was the lesser evil. Both were displeasing to her. But if it was the only way to save her Father from going to a debtors prison, then so be it. These thoughts swirled around in her head as she dusted to megar selves of the village library. It was one of the many small jobs she had taken around the village. Besides that, Belle helped around the tavern, whether it was serving drinks at the bar or waiting on tables to sweeping the floor, she did it. She made deliveries for the baker and millner. Belle had even been recruited to help some of the struggling school boys with their reading much to the displeasure of the headmaster.

Was all of it enough? There was only so much she could make in a day. Sure, Belle got generous tips from the drunk patrons at the Tavern, but that money could only stretch so far. She usually got a few Sols and a handful of Deniers. Belle sighed to herself, of course it wasn't enough. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Papa was getting up there in years and his health was getting worse and worse. The expenses would begin to pile up eventually. Pére called for Belle. She turned to see what her dear friend needed and found a small pouch extended towards her.

" Monsieur, I can't accept this. It's far too much for such a small job," Belle cried, gently pushing away his hand. Père tutted in disapproval. He grabbed Belle's hand and placed the pouch in her palm, "Now miss Belle, I refuse to let you refuse. You need this far more than I do. Now, please get yourself home. Your papa must be waiting for you." With that he guided her to the door. When Belle tried again to refuse the money, Père simply pushed her out the door and told her to go home. Belle decided that next time she came to clean for him, she wouldn't ask for any money. It made her feel guilty for accepting so much from him but she did need the money.

When Belle finally came upon her house she was startled to see a rather large black stallion tied to the post outside. She hadn't a clue who it could belong to. Carefully, Belle approached the door. When she stepped into the kitchen, Belle found her Father sitting at the table with Monsieur D'Arque. Something was wrong. What could have happened in the few hours that she was in town? Neither of them noticed her at first but her Father looked up. His face went white when his eyes found her. Monsieur D'Arque paused and looked over his shoulder. He gave her a smile that sent a chill down her spine. What could this brute want?

"Ah, Belle. Please, take a seat and join us if you would be so kind." The master of the Madhouse stood and offered her the chair between himself and her Father. Belle sat down, watching both men closely. Papa seemed like he might be sick. His sick was a ghastly white, his eyes were bloodshot. It was almost like he was avoiding her eyes. However, Monsieur D'Arque seemed entirely pleased with himself. He was a greedy man. A simple bribe was enough to get him to accuse a sane man of insanity and throw him in the Madhouse for the rest of his days. D'Arque was not a man you wanted to be involved with unless absolutely necessary. Belle turned to her Father, "Papa, why is Monsieur D'Arque here?" When Papa failed to answer her, she turned to the other man sitting at her table, quirking her eyebrow in question.

"Belle, your father, Maurice, is in horrible debt. If you aren't able to pay, Maurice will be thrown in a debtor's prison." Monsieur D'Arque stated cooly. He showed no remorse for his threat. Belle knew he would make good on it. But the real horror of it all is that D'Arque knew her Father would die in that prison. Belle knew that she wouldn't be able to pay his debt with what she was bringing home now.

"There has to be something that we could do Monsieur, anything at all." Belle hated that it sounded like she was begging him but for now it didn't matter. D'Arque looked her over with his dark eyes. For a while he stared intently at her face as if he were thinking it over. Eventually he said, "Have you ever considered marrying Gaston? He's an idiot but he certainly has the money to pay off the debts." Belle replied that she had "considered" the idea. D'Arque knew that it was the last thing would want to do. Everyone knew that Belle wanted nothing to do with him, but Belle would do anything for her Father. "What about working for the Prince? It might be hellish for...for a girl like you, but the pay is decent. Your Father's debt could be gone in less than a few months if you're good at what you do." He suggested it as if it were something child could do.

The Prince was a ruthless man. He taxed the villages under his control without mercy. So many families were split up and thrown into the debtors prisons because they couldn't keep up with his ever rising tax. Children were left to fend for themselves because they no longer had their parents around to take care of them. Everyone had less and less food because they couldn't pay for it any longer. It was ridiculous. Heartless. To Belle, there was no greater crime than watching your own people starve and doing nothing to fix it. Absolutely nothing. The very thought of working for a man like that made her sick, but it was still a better option than marrying Gaston. Anything would be better than marrying him. Belle could never bring herself to be his wife. A fierce determination filled Belle. No matter how much she hated what the Prince was doing, she would work for him and by God, she would survive it.

Young girls who went to the castle came back changed after they were released from duty. They would go up for months at a time, however long their contracts demanded, and come back totally different. Some girls never came back at all. The families of girls who didn't come back eventually disappeared. They just vanished in the night. The very thought that that could happen to her Papa scared the hell out of her but she wouldn't let it, not if her life depended on it.

"Yes. Can you get me up to the castle?" Belle's voice was unnaturally calm, but her eyes were set like steel. There was no budging her now. Maurice tried to reason with her, tell her not to go and that they could find another way to pay but Belle wouldn't hear it. D'arque looked at her for a moment with what almost seemed like amazement but then smiled wickedly, "Of course, when would you like to leave?" The sun set on the horizon casting the inside of the house in shadows. D'Arque's face looked almost skeletal in the fading light. Like death himself was here to seal her fate.

"As soon as possible."

"I'll see you at dawn then, my dear." D'arque stood from his chair, making his way to the door before disappearing into the night as if he were never there.