Gaston and Carlotta
Carlotta was a hunter. Very strange for a woman, but she wasn't the only strange woman. Belle was considered worse as she was into books. Now that in her opinion was weird. Carlotta had no choice over hunting since her father died. Gaston was her neighbour and had taught her everything that she knew, but he still didn't agree with her.
Carlotta caught Gaston sniffing around Belle as she returned with a boar for her evening meal. She overheard part of the conversation.
"Don't talk about my father that way!"
"Yeah! Don't talk about her father that way!"
"My father is not crazy he's a genius."
BOOM! Gaston couldn't help but laugh as Belle ran to aid her father. He turned and saw Carlotta with the boar and helped himself to help her. She rolled her eyes, everyone else saw it as nice, she saw it as arrogance.
"I suppose you'd like to join me?" She asked.
Gaston grinned at her and he followed her into the house. She prepared a meal for them, she had dressed back into acceptable clothing for a woman and he smirked at her as she put his plate before him and a beer.
"You'd make a wonderful wife for somebody," he said.
"Is that an offer Gaston?" She asked.
"Carlotta!" He said warningly.
"Get off your high horse. I see you're busy attempting to woo Belle," she said.
"Attempting? Give me a week and I'll have a ring on that woman's finger!" He exclaimed.
Carlotta smirked at him as she ate and shook her head in disbelief.
"If you say so," she said.
"You will join us won't you?" He asked.
"How could I? I'd take the attention away from your bride, after all there is only she, who is just as weird as me," she replied.
"The baker could do with a spare hand," he said.
"I won't work for that bad tempered, fat, man," she said.
Gaston laughed. Carlotta spoke her mind and he quite liked that, it made her uncomplicated and easier to talk to. Plus she was honest. It was good to hear. He didn't find her as weird as Belle; she knew she had to make a living.
"I'll buy the head of that beast, quite a catch wasn't it? It would look good on my wall," he said.
"Another one? Gaston you take advantage of my good nature. Half the animals on your wall have been of my doing and you get all the credit," complained Carlotta.
"Carlotta! No one must know!" He shouted.
"And they won't. How long have we been doing this? I've never breathed a word," she said calmly.
"You're a good woman," he said.
Carlotta smiled in spite of herself as Gaston left a few coins on the table and picked up the head of the boar they had eaten. It was dark and the villagers would be none the wiser that it was not his latest catch.
"Bonsoir Carlotta," he said.
"Bonsoir Gaston," said Carlotta.
Gaston walked away with a swagger, carrying the head like a trophy. Carlotta sighed and put the money away.
"Might be able to afford some bread now," she said.
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A few days later; Carlotta heard that Gaston had arranged a huge wedding before he had even asked Belle to marry him. Although she had said that she would not attend, she made it out of the house in 'women's clothing' and waited with everyone else.
She couldn't see Belle accepting him as her husband. Gaston was an acquired taste if one could handle arrogance and vanity. The band started to play and Carlotta covered her mouth as Gaston seemed to be just thrown out of the house, his boots behind him. He fell into mud and the band stopped playing. Belle did not leave the house and Gaston was publically humiliated and angry.
No one else had the guts to follow him. They feared the wrath of saying the wrong thing but Carlotta knew him well. She stopped a few meters behind him and called out.
"Gaston!"
He turned to her, he still looked angry and his face and clothes were covered in mud. She held out her hand to him.
"Let's get you cleaned up," she added.
"I don't need your help!" He snapped.
"No but you need to clean up," she added.
He walked past her to accept the offer and Carlotta lowered her hand. The door closed behind them and she arranged a bowl of water for him and a cloth. He sat down and growled under his breath. He wasn't going to do it himself so she decided to take the cloth and do it for him.
"How could she? Is she blind? Look at me I'm gorgeous!" He snapped.
"Not at the moment Gaston," she added.
He glared at her but she smiled and carried on. They knew each other too well to be mad at each other. He let her carry on and when she had finished she threw away the dirty water. Gaston stood up and she turned around.
"I'm going to the tavern!" He shouted.
Carlotta rolled her eyes; she wasn't going to stop him. He had muscles and she did not. He got as far as the door and his hand hovered. He turned back to her.
"They'll all look at me," he said.
"Don't they always?" Asked Carlotta.
Gaston gave her a slight smirk as she also gave him his boots back, freshly polished. He put them on and said,
"I'm not giving up."
"Good for you," she said.
He was like a dog with a bone, he wasn't about to give up and that was obvious. Carlotta could see both points of view. He wanted to make her 'normal' and she wanted someone with more brains than brawn.
Gaston left and spent quite some time in his tavern with the single ladies and bachelors of the little French town. He put up the boars head upon his wall and took out his anger on that instead. Carlotta hardly saw him after that and decided to make her own way to the tavern.
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When she got there people stared at her. They made harsh muttering comments about her such as,
"The hunter girl,"
"She's no better than Belle,"
Gaston turned around and noticed the hostility towards the one woman who understood him and had shown him the respect that he deserved.
"Pipe down! Carlotta, take a seat. Barman, get her a drink. She is always welcome here. Do you understand?" He asked.
The people all turned back to who they were talking to. Gaston returned to his seat. He had been brooding and he was still scorned. His song was interrupted by Belle's father coming in and telling them that she had been imprisoned by a beast.
Carlotta had always been quite patient but even she thought the old man was mad, however she didn't think that he deserved to be thrown out into the cold.
"Gaston! You can be as kind as you are vile!" She shouted.
She left and went to help the old man as he went out into the cold and cried.
"Will no one help me?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Oh thank you! Thank you Carlotta!" He exclaimed.
"Tell me Maurice what are talking about?" She asked.
"There is a beast! In a castle in the woods! I swear!" He said.
Carlotta followed him into the woods but did not notice when he fell behind until it was too late. She turned and tried to find him. Instead she found herself at the castle and found that Maurice was right about it and there was a good chance he was right about the beast also.
She opened the gate and walked in. She wouldn't harm the beast unless she had to; her only concern was to save Belle from the creature. She opened the main doors and closed them behind her.
"Belle!" She called.
Cogsworth and Lumiere followed her as she carried on searching but she had fantastic hearing and turned to them. She drew her large knife and pointed it at them.
"Madame! We mean you no harm!" Cried the Clock.
"Where's Belle?" She asked.
"She left!" Cried Lumiere.
Carlotta lowered her weapon.
"The beast let her go?" She asked.
"Just earlier tonight. She went to find her father," he replied.
"No, that was my doing. I promised him I'd bring her back. I'm not here for the kill," she said.
She was about to leave when she looked out of the window and saw an angry mob coming towards the castle and their leader was Gaston.
She gasped.
Lumiere joined her at the window and cried out.
"Sacre Blur! Invaders!" He cried.
"You must warn your master! Gaston is not like me!" Cried Carlotta.
Mrs. Potts left to warn the beast. As Carlotta turned the whole furniture had gathered to protect the castle. She'd never seen anything like it and decided to follow Mrs. Potts to warn the beast. She saw the tea pot leave and went into the room.
"You must go!" Cried Carlotta.
"Why?" He asked.
"I only came to free the girl. If you are of no harm to her, I see no point in killing you. The man who comes to take you is not as merciful as me. You must do as I say!" She replied.
"No. Let him come," he said.
Carlotta ran back to the main castle and saw the fighting and backed off. She saw Gaston escape and head for the beast. She paused to figure out what to do and ran after Gaston before he reached the beast.
"Gaston!" She cried.
He turned to her with his bow and arrow poised but she did not raise her arms to him. He lowered the weapon and looked at her strangely.
"This kill is not for you," he said.
"Or you! Belle is safe! Isn't that all that matters?" She asked.
"But the town is not!" He shouted.
"No! Gaston! You're wrong! The beast has lived here years and we didn't even know! No one has been harmed! I haven't been harmed. Gaston please!" She shouted.
He dragged her back to the main hall where she witnessed the fighting between man and furniture. People she had known all her life were being badly hurt.
"Really? Then why has he ordered this monstrous and evil attack on its people?" He asked.
Gaston left to get the beast. He had a valid argument and she decided to leave him to it and assist the people out of the castle under surrender from its occupants. They smiled at her as she left but ran into Belle and Maurice.
"Where is he?" She asked.
"I think you're too late," she replied.
Belle ignored her and rode quickly to the castle. Carlotta joined her and looked up as the beast lifted Gaston off his feet. She too cried out but not for the beast for him.
"Gaston!" She cried.
Belle was already gone but Carlotta stayed and looked for another route to get to them. She took the mountains and hoped to get to the roof that way, where the battle continued. As she got so far she heard a yell and Gaston falling towards her. She grabbed him by his hand to stop his fall and he looked up at what had saved him.
"Carlotta!"
"Gaston hold on!" She cried.
"Help me!" He cried.
Carlotta held on and pulled as much as she could. Gaston grabbed her other arm, which she offered to make it easier to pull him up and when his feet were on the ground he held Carlotta close to him. He looked up at the castle. He was beaten. He then let go of her as the castle began to transform and looked nicer.
"What the...?" He said.
Carlotta looked up and with Gaston behind her; she went to see what had happened. In the beast's clothing stood a man and he was perfectly fine although Gaston had stabbed him before he fell and Carlotta had saved him.
The 'beast' turned to him angrily and stopped Belle from attacking him by putting a protective hold on her. Carlotta stopped him by stepping infront of Gaston; leaving the other man confused and almost disgusted.
"You defend him?" He asked.
Carlotta did not move. Although human, the Prince growled.
"You do not deserve her love," he said.
Carlotta did not deny it and Gaston put his hand on her shoulder.
"Carlotta?" He asked.
She looked uncomfortable and started to walk away.
"I'd be a fool to assume that because Belle does not return your affections that I would stand a chance," she said.
"Carlotta! You saved me. Do you think I can't see the nose on my face?" Asked Gaston.
Carlotta turned to him and he put his hands on her face and she moved his hair out of his face. He kissed her and Belle smiled slightly and put her hand on the Prince's arm as Carlotta and Gaston left, looking into each other's eyes back into the village.
And they all lived happily ever after!