Author's notes: What happens when Kabby plays the roles of Belle and the Beast? Read to find out :P I am not sure if you are going to like it but I did. It's the story of Beauty and the Beast with slight changes. Enjoy!
Roles assignment
Marcus Kane as THE BEAST
Abby Griffin as BELLE
Pike as GASTON
Clarke as herself (instead of Belle's father she'll be Belle's daughter)
Jackson as himself (Clarke's older brother)
Nathan Miller as himself
Jaha as COGSWORTH
Sinclair as LUMIERE
Indra as MSPOTTS
Lexa as CHIP
Diana Sydney as LEFOU
Raven as FEATHERDUSTER
Octavia as WARDROBE
Lincoln as COOK
Bellamy as FOOTSTOOL
Murphy as COATRACK
Cage Wallace as D'ARQUE
ON TO THE STORY
Once upon a time, on the outskirts of a small French village, resided a greedy and short-tempered but quite handsome king. The villagers and the people working for him were all afraid of him. Whoever crossed him was executed on sight. The king took anything he wanted from the villagers without asking but everyone was too scared to do anything about it.
On Christmas night, 15 years ago, an old hag arrived at the castle and knocked at the door. The king, angry that someone interrupted his dinner, opened the door forcefully and looked down at the short woman standing there. She offered him a bright pink rose as a present and asked for a refuge from the storm that was raging outside.
The king, of course, chased her away with no mercy. He slammed the door behind him and started walking back to his dinner hall. The old hag fed up with their king's behavior changed back into her true self. A beautiful strong witch stood in the place the hag was standing only a minute before. She blasted the door glaring at the king.
"Enough is enough, King Marcus." She yelled as she raised her hands towards him. The King fell on his knees shaking. "You've gone too far this time. I, hereby, curse you and everyone residing in this castle to spend a life of misery in this castle. Your castle will be surrounded by a forest so you can never harm the villagers again. You and your servants won't be able to step foot outside of this forest. Your ugliness will chase you forever and the people in this castle will remain objects forever. Unless…" she offered a grin as she neared the fallen king. A hideous beast was standing where the handsome king was standing a few minutes before. His head was raised slightly revealing his beastly features to the witch.
"Unless?" He asked in a small voice. The witch offered him a feral grin and waved her hand. A rose, similar to the one she offered him only minutes before, appeared in front of his eyes.
"Unless you find love AND love finds you. Then and only then, will the curse break. You have 15 years to make that happen. If, by the time the last petal fall from the stem, you are unsuccessful, everything will remain as it is now." She laughed maniacally and disappeared from sight.
The King, now Beast, blinded by rage trashed the place breaking and destroying everything he could get his hands on. His servants, immediately, left the room fearing that if they stayed more they will have the same fate as the other lifeless objects.
Our story doesn't start for another 15 years though.
Abby Griffin was a beautiful villager around the age of 35. She owned the bookstore of the village and had two children. Her husband was killed the last time he went hunting in the forest. He was attacked by a pack of wolves when he and his companion where returning home. It had been two years since his death. Clarke, her daughter, was 8 at the time.
Jackson, her son, was 15 years old and helped her in the bookstore after his father's death. He dropped out of school no matter how much Abby argued about it. He was a kind soul. He always cared about the others and he was the one taking care of his mother and sister after his father passing.
Clarke was five years younger than her brother. She was the spitting image of her father but she had her mother's spirit. She loved getting lost in other worlds through her books and she was adventurous. That was the reason Abby never left her alone. There was always someone to keep an eye on her.
On a sunny day, Abby was sitting behind her desk reading one of the newly acquired books and Jackson was home cooking lunch for the whole family and keeping an eye on his sister.
Abby was lost in her reading when the small bell on the door filled the silence. The brunette looked up and her lips formed a small smile at the young boy that entered.
"Hello Nathan." She nodded and he walked to her.
"Hello Ms Griffin. Is Jackson here?" he asked with a shy smile of his own.
"He is home, dear. Would you like to stay for lunch with us?" she asked amused.
"S-sure." He stuttered blushing.
"Go ahead. I'll be there shortly." She waved him off and got lost in her book again. She spent another hour hidden behind the book when the bell chimed again. She looked up with a smile which immediately turned into a frown.
"Charles." She nodded closing her book.
"Hello there, beautiful." He offered a charming smile and leaned casually against the desk. The smile made Abby's insides turn in disgust.
"I am afraid we are closed at the moment." She muttered and stood up gathering her things.
"I am not here for books." He rolled his eyes and walked towards her. "I am here for you, my dear." He flashed a flirty smile. Abby backed against the wall as Charles rested his hands against the wall on each side of the small woman. "What is going to happen between us, Abby? I've chasing you for a year now." He whispered looking at her lips. Abby swallowed with difficulty looking around searching for an escape.
She hated Charles Pike. He was supposed to be Jake's friend but that obviously didn't stop him from coming on to her. She growled mentally feeling the urge to claw his eyes out. He was arrogant and disgusting but he was respected between the villagers. She didn't want to cross him because she was sure that her children were going to suffer the consequences.
The bell chiming was the most beautiful sound she could have heard at the moment. She found the opportunity to escape from Charles ducking under his arm as his attention was drawn to the door.
Jackson looked at him hatefully before his eyes flickered to his mom. He informed her that the lunch was ready but he didn't leave.
Charles glared at the boy and left realizing that the boy wasn't going to leave them alone. As he closed the door behind him Abby leaned and kissed his forehead. "You have no idea how much I love you right now." She whispered and Jackson grinned.
They walked home together to find the table already set and a grinning Nathan standing next to it. Jackson grinned at his friend and they sat side by side.
"Clarke, we are eating." Abby called out as she moved to wash her hands. When there was no sound from Clarke's room she sighed. She guessed that Clarke was taking a nap so she opened the door and peered inside. When she didn't see her she started worrying. "Guys, have you seen Clarke?" she asked coming back to the living room. The boys shook their heads worried.
"I just hope that she hadn't left the village." She muttered, worry was eating her insides. The three abandoned their lunch and ran outside to find her. They split up and started calling out to her. Three hours had gone by and half the village was looking for the young blonde with no success. Abby and Jackson returned home crestfallen.
"What are we going to do, mum?" Jackson asked close to tears. She hugged him tightly.
"Shh, darling. I'll look for her in the forest. It will be dark soon." She sighed.
"I'll come with you." He nodded bravely.
"No. You will stay here in case she comes back. You hear me?" she pointed a finger and he nodded. He didn't disagree. She was worrying for one child already. She didn't need to worry for both of them.
"Good luck." He hugged her tightly "I love you." He whispered.
"Be safe. I love you too." She nodded and pulled her blue coat draping it over her shoulders. She slipped into her traveling boots and closed the door behind her. Please be safe, Clarke. She chanted over and over in her head as she mounted her horse.
They galloped together into the forest trying to find a clue as to where Clarke had gone off to.
…..
Meanwhile, the blonde girl was walking deeper into the forest with a smile on her lips. She hadn't realized how much time had gone by since she had left. Every now and then she stopped to look at a flower she had never seen before or gather fruits she found. She stopped and lied down on the grass closing her eyes and listening to the melodic sounds of nature. She didn't even realize when she fell asleep.
A loud howl startled the young blonde from her peaceful slumber. "Oh no." she whispered as she shot up from her lying position. Darkness had fallen around and she couldn't see a thing. The light of the moon was the only light she had. She started panicking and running in the forest trying to find the way back.
A snap of a twig to her left caused her to stop. She placed a hand on her beating heart and tried to silence her panting breaths. A growl was the next sound she heard and it came from behind her. She twirled around and felt her blood ran cold. The yellow eyes of the wolf didn't leave her small silhouette. She started running away from the dangerous animal. Her actions resulted to the animal chasing after her.
She had been running for almost ten minutes when she came across a huge iron gate. She ran faster causing her scarf to get caught on some branches of a tree next to the gate. She tugged forcefully causing the scarf to rip just as the wolf leaped towards her. Thankfully, she was free and behind the gate before the animal could catch her between his sharp teeth. She fell to the ground and watched as the animal clawed at the door without success.
A soft sigh of relief escaped her lips as she stood up and walked inside the castle pushing the heavy door open. It seemed abandoned so she decided to stay there until the next morning. She came upon a big room with a fire roaring and an armchair in front of the fireplace. "Is anybody here?" she called out. "Hello?" she called out again and caught movement on her left. Her head snapped towards the sound and her eyes watched closely. Something glimmered there. She didn't dare to move closer though.
"Hello little lady." A voice said behind her. The girl turned around startled. Her eyes fell upon a candlestick and she tilted her head curiously.
"Sinclair, no!" a small clock hopped towards the candlestick and she screeched running backwards.
"Quiet, Thelonius. You are scaring her." The candlestick hit the clock on the face with his candle-hand. The small girl had backed up against a wall scared.
"Don't be alarmed, young lady. We are not going to hurt you." The candlestick said hopping towards her. "My name is Sinclair, mademoiselle. What's your name?" he smiled kindly at her.
The young girl kneeled down to take a closer look. "I am C-Clarke." She stuttered. "What are you?"
"I am a human of course. Well I used to be. A witch cursed our king and all his servants turned into objects." He informed the little girl.
"Sinclair, she has to leave. Our master won't be pleased." The clock hopped towards the candlestick.
"Oh shush, Theo. We haven't seen a human in almost fifteen years. He doesn't need to know." Sinclair pointed out as Clarke poked the clock.
"Hey, hands off." The clock snapped at her.
"Forgive my friend's manners, dear. This is Thelonius." Sinclair smiled and grabbed the girl's hand careful not to burn her. He pushed her on the armchair in front of the fireplace. "Oh dear, you must be freezing." He immediately whistled and a tray with cups and a big Pot came fast through the door.
"Oh aren't you the sweetest girl on the planet." The pot said and filled a cup with warm tea. Clarke blushed and took the cup. "I am Indra. Nice to meet you. And this is my daughter Lexa." She smiled at the girl.
"Hi!" a squeaky voice said from Clarke's hand. "You are really pretty."
"Nice to meet you all. I am Clarke." The blonde girl said with a blush. She looked at the lively objects around her and she couldn't believe it. Magic was real. She couldn't wait to tell her mother. A small frown appeared on her smile after she took a sip from the cup named Lexa. Her mother and brother must be looking for her. She hated worrying them.
"Why are you sad?" Lexa asked as she was put back on the tray.
"I-I got lost in the forest. I wanted to go on an adventure but I fell asleep and when I woke up it was dark. I couldn't find my way back. My mother will be worried. I didn't want to worry her." She said with a small voice. Tears fell down her cheeks as she thought about her mother. Before the objects around her had the chance to say anything a growl from the door, made everyone's blood ran cold. Well it made Clarke's blood ran cold since the others didn't have blood when in that state.
The Beast crossed the room in two big leaps and caught the girl by the collar of her shirt. The girl looked at him fearfully. "Guests are not allowed here. Who are you?" he yelled in her face.
"I-I am sorry. I was lost. I'll leave. Please don't hurt me." The girl was crying freely by now.
"Master, she is just a little girl." Indra said as Lexa shuddered and hid behind her mother.
"Quiet." He yelled and dragged the girl to a tower. He tossed her in a cell and closed the door behind her. The girl ran to the door and her small hands wrapped around the iron bars.
"Please let me go. My mother will be worried. Please." She cried out after him but he walked away leaving her alone. She curled up into a ball and looked at the wet cell. She shivered as she felt the cold chilling her bones. "Help me, mum." She whispered to no one in particular.
…..
Abby and Monroe searched the forest for hours without success. It was dark and they should head back but Abby didn't give up. She was not leaving without her daughter. She had already lost her husband. She couldn't lose her daughter too.
As Monroe galloped deeper into the forest, Abby noticed a huge gate. She immediately recognized where she was. "King Marcus' castle." She said out loud as she pulled the reins and Monroe stopped in front of the gate. Her attention was drawn to a bright red torn scarf on some branches. She gasped and hopped down of her horse. She didn't lose any time. She pulled Monroe inside and closed the gate behind her. "I'll be right back. Monroe." She whispered patting the horse's head.
She ran towards the castle, her cloak was flying behind her. The heavy doors were pushed open and her head was poked inside. "Clarke?" she whispered before stepping inside.
Her whisper caught the attention of Indra, Sinclair and Theo. "A woman? In here? Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Indra smiled brightly as she whispered to the other two. Sinclair nodded excited and Theo shook his head disbelieving. "Theo, inform the master. I'll lead her to her daughter." Sinclair grinned and took off.
"No, Sinclair. This is dangerous. Stop!" Theo called out but with no luck. The candlestick was already gone.
Abby heard a noise from a door to her right and she immediately followed it. She called out her daughter's name again. Another sound urged her to climb the stairs. Her heart was beating loudly as her fear started consuming her. After climbing hundred stairs she came upon ten doors. She realized that they were cells upon looking at the locks and the small iron bars windows in the middle of the doors. "Clarke? Are you here?" she asked louder.
The young blonde girl gasped as she heard her mother's voice. "Mum!" she called out and looked through the bars. Abby gasped and ran to her side. "Oh baby. Who did this to you?" she asked moving her hands through the bars and cupped her daughter's face.
"Mum, hurry up! Get me out of here before the Beast comes back." Clarke said panicking and pulling away from her mother's hands.
"The Beast? What Beast?" she asked as she fumbled with the lock.
"That would be me." A low growl from behind her said causing her to twirl around startled. It was too dark to see clearly. She could only see a big silhouette in front of her. "Get away from my prisoner." He growled at her but stayed away from her.
"Please, she is just a little girl. Let her go." She begged him but he didn't seem to budge.
"She is my prisoner now. Leave before I keep you locked up here too." He growled and took a step closer. The light of the moon entered from a tall window on the tower bathing him in silver light. Abby looked at him transfixed. He seemed dangerous and ugly but still Abby found him interesting.
"Please sir. Take me instead of her." The word 'sir' made him do a double take. Did she really call him sir even though he looked like that? He looked at her contemplating her request. He didn't take too much time to decide.
"As you wish." He nodded and forced the door open. The young girl ran to her mother's arms and hugged her tightly crying. "Mum, no. You can't do that." She whispered. The Beast's heart shifted uncomfortably.
"Shush, Clarke. Jackson will take care of you. I'll be fine. Don't worry." She went to press her lips against her daughter's forehead but she was ripped from her arms. "No wait." She called out but the Beast had grabbed her daughter by the collar and climbed down the stairs. Clarke's cries for her mother could be heard but Abby was rooted on the floor. She curled up against the wall crying softly. She was never going to see her children again. She wasn't going to see them grow up and have their own families.
After a while she raised her head as she heard rustling. "Get up." He snapped at her. Abby glared at him bravely. "I didn't even say goodbye. I will never see her again and you didn't let me say goodbye." She looked at him sadly.
He didn't say anything other than "I'll take you to your room."
"My room?" she asked confused.
"Unless you want to stay in the cell." He raised an eyebrow.
Abby looked at him surprised but stood up following him. She stayed silent as they climbed down the stairs.
"You are free to explore the castle as much as you like. The west wing is forbidden." He explained and opened the door to a room.
"Why?" Abby asked as she went inside.
"Because I said so!" he snapped at her. Abby huffed and shut the door to his face.
Sinclair, Indra and Theo hopped towards their master. The situation was ugly and they had to fix it.
"Master, she is a woman. You have to be kind to her. She will be living with us for her rest of her life. You can't treat her like that." Sinclair pointed out.
The Beast looked down at them with a confused expression on his face. "I-I don't know how to be kind." He blinked a bit ashamed.
"Ask her to dinner." Sinclair suggested.
"I-it would be my p-pleasure if you were to join me for dinner." He said behind the door. The four of them kept silent as they waited for an answer. It never came so Sinclair urged his master to continue. "Please?"
"Fine!" she snapped and the Beast nodded. He turned to Indra. "Make sure she is comfortable and get the dinner ready." He said and he took off towards the west wing.
"This is going to be harder than we thought." Indra sighed and the three walked down to the kitchen.
Abby fell on the bed crying. Her heart felt empty at the loss of her children. The only consolation was that they were safe. She would give everything to be with them at home. She didn't blame Clarke for how everything turned out. She blamed herself for not taking proper care of her.
A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts and she sat up on the bed. "Enter." She called out and the door opened. A trolley rolled inside and she watched it confused. No one was pushing it so how did it move?
"Don't look so sad, my dear." Indra said and Abby gasped. The pot and the cups came to life. She couldn't believe her eyes or her ears. Indra chuckled as Lexa hopped off the trolley and on Abby's bed.
"What are you?" Abby asked as she wrapped her fingers around Lexa. Lexa started giggling as Abby ran her fingers over the cup.
"That tickles." The chatty little cup said. "We are servants, sweet lady. We used to be real people but an evil witch cursed our king." The small cup added.
"King? King Marcus? I thought he was dead. I thought he was murdered." Abby pointed out trying to grasp everything.
"Oh no dear. After he was cursed he withdrew from the village. He was banned by the witch. He is not as bad as they say he is. You'll see for yourself. Give him a chance. I am Indra by the way."
"And I am Lexa." The cup said excited feeling as if she had kept silent for much too long.
"Indra is right, darling. You have to get to know him first." Her wardrobe came to life making the woman gasp in wonder. "I am Octavia." The wardrobe gave a low bow.
"Nice to meet you all." She chuckled as she tickled Lexa again. "I am Abby."
After some idle chit-chat Indra ordered everyone back on the trolley. She informed Abby that dinner was going to be served any minute now and then left the brunette alone. Abby sighed and lay down on the bed again. Her thoughts drifted back to her children once more.
Half an hour later and just as she managed to get some sleep, a knock on the door awoke her. "Hello, Ms Abby. My name is Thelonius. The Master waits for you." The clock said at her.
Abby huffed and refused to have dinner with him. Theo walked out nervously. He was visibly trembling when he informed Marcus that the girl wasn't joining him for dinner. Marcus threw back his chair with a growl and stomped towards her room.
He banged at her door but the woman didn't even flinch. She was expecting that. "I asked you to come to dinner." He snapped at her.
"I am not hungry." She snapped back from the other side of the door.
"Sir, be kind." Sinclair pointed out. Theo, who stood beside him, still trembled in fear.
"Are you coming down for dinner with me?" he asked in a softer voice.
"NO!" she yelled and the Beast brought his fist with force against the door.
"Then you will stay here and starve." He growled and turned to Sinclair. "If she leaves the room, I want to be notified."
"Yes, sir. I'll stay guard at her door." He nodded and the Beast took off with angry loud steps.
After two hours, Abby poked her head out of the room and looked around. No one seemed to be around so she got the opportunity to go in search of the kitchen. She hadn't eaten lunch and dinner and her stomach was complaining rather loudly.
Sinclair, who was currently fooling around with the Featherduster named Raven behind a curtain, heard soft footsteps. He immediately took off after the girl followed by Raven.
Abby looked with wonder around the castle and smiled as she finally found the kitchen. "Hello, mademoiselle. I am Sinclair and this is Raven." The candlestick said as he and Raven hopped on the table. "What can we do for you?" Raven asked.
"Well, I am a bit hungry." She pointed out with a shrug. Indra appeared there as well followed by Thelonius.
"We can't serve you, Ms Abby. I am sorry but it's our Master's orders." Theo explained a bit embarrassed.
"Nonsense. I am not going to let the girl starve." Indra huffed and started tossing orders left and right. "Lincoln, heat up the food." She ordered the cook who did immediately as he was told.
Sinclair, Raven and Indra put on a show dancing and singing as Abby waited for the food to get ready. They were amazing and the girl couldn't help but clap loudly as the show came to an end.
The human-objects seemed to be having a great time in this castle. It warmed her heart a bit. Maybe it isn't going to be as bad as I thought. She thought with a bright smile.
The brunette ate as she chatted with Sinclair. Even though she had just met him, she couldn't help but feel really close to him. He seemed like a great guy; well candlestick to be exact.
When she finished with the dinner, she expressed the desire to explore the castle. Theo, who didn't want to leave her roaming the castle alone, was more than glad to be her guide. Sinclair stuck along but the others retired for the night.
As the three walked up and down the corridors, Theo talked nonstop about the castle. The monologue consisted of how the castle was built, what kind of tools they used, what was the type of the castle's structure and other boring stuff around the castle's history. Long story short, Abby couldn't wait to get away and explore by herself.
She made to climb some stairs but she was immediately stopped by Sinclair and Theo. Their attempt to keep her away from that place, piqued her curiosity even more. The smart petite woman knew how to get them off their back. "Is there a library in the castle?" she asked pretending to be curious. She was curious, alright? But the west wing interested her more than the library at that particular moment.
"Yes yes. Follow us. Our library is enormous." Theo exclaimed as he led the way beside Sinclair. He started babbling about the library as they walked down the corridor. Sinclair added a thing here and there when he thought Theo left some things out.
Abby found the opportunity to climb up the stairs to the west wing completely unnoticeable. She kept silent as she walked down the corridors. Her excitement made her giddy but she forced it down. She couldn't get caught.
Finally she came across an enormous door and she pushed it open. Poking her head inside, she looked around before deciding that it was safe enough. She closed the door and took a closer look to the room. It seemed like a bedroom of sorts.
A particular portrait caught her attention. It was ripped and a huge part was hanging from it. She pushed the cloth back into place with her fingers and gasped. "He was so handsome." She muttered before some simmering light caught her attention. The portrait was forgotten as her eyes fell upon a single bright pink rose. Her legs moved hurriedly closer and she leaned forward to take a closer look.
"Beautiful." She breathed out and removed the glass with trembling hands. She placed the glass on the floor and raised her trembling fingers towards the rose. An angry growl forced her hand back, as the Beast appeared and with fast moves placed the glass over the rose and wrapped his arms around it.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped at her angrily.
Abby took a step behind. "I-I am sorry." She stuttered.
He leaped at her and she fell on her back on the floor. "Get out!" he yelled but Abby was frozen in shock and fear. The fact, that she didn't move, only aid in enraging him more. "GET OUT NOW!" he growled in front of her face.
The woman scrambled from the floor and tore through the corridors running away. "Promise or not, I am not staying with that rude and short-tempered monster." She muttered as she mounted Monroe. The horse immediately started galloping away from the castle. Abby huffed as the horse galloped loudly through the forest.
After a few minutes she realized that it was incredible stupid to leave the castle in the middle of the night. A wild howl made the hair at the back of her neck stood. Suddenly five wolves surrounded them. Abby was thrown off the horse and the horse's reins got tangled in a bush.
Abby was panting as she twirled searching for something to defend herself. She grabbed a large stick from the floor and started waving it towards the wolves. That only aid in aggravating the wolves more. She swung the stick just as a wolf leaped towards her effectively hitting it on the head. A wolf leaped from behind biting on her cloak and dragging her to the ground. When the wolf went to bite her again, she covered her face with her hand. The bite never came and the weight on her stomach was gone. Removing her arms from her face, she came face to face with a big hairy and muscular chest. Her eyes widen as she realized to whom that chest belonged to.
The Beast was immediately attacked by the wolves. They clawed and bit him but he got rid of them easily. He tossed a wolf against a tree and they wolves retreated back to the forest. Abby was watching helplessly not knowing what to do.
As soon as the wolves were gone, the Beast turned to look at her and with a whine fainted on the ground. Abby looked at him contemplating what to do. The thought of leaving him there and returning home crossed her mind but it was forced away quickly. Her heart was telling her to return him to the castle and take care of his wounds. Abby was a woman that always listened to her heart. This situation was no different.
With a strong determination she pulled his body to the horse and balanced him on Monroe. She took the reins and walked back to the castle. She checked him every now and then to make sure he was okay.
By the time they returned he was already awake and whining. Abby couldn't help but roll her eyes at his behavior. She had him sit down in front of the fire and asked the servants to bring hot water and some alcohol. It took her ten minutes to get him to agree to take of his torn shirt so she could clean his wounds. "You are being such a baby about this." She scoffed and she was rewarded with one of his famous glares. He licked at the wound he had on his lower arm and she shook her head. "Don't do that." She argued earning another glare. She moved the cloth with the alcohol closer but he kept pulling his arm away. "Just hold still." She said and applied pressure on the wound with the cloth.
A loud growl came from the beast causing the servants to take a step back. Abby didn't even bat an eye. "That hurts!" he whined.
"If you'd hold still, it wouldn't hurt as much!" She countered.
"Well if you hadn't run away, this wouldn't have happened!" He countered back with a smirk.
"If you hadn't frightened me, I wouldn't have run away!" She yelled at him causing his smirk to disappear.
The Beast opened his mouth to respond, but had to stop and think of a good comeback. "Well you shouldn't have been in the West Wing!"
"Well you should learn to control your temper!" Abby huffed annoyed. The Beast raised his hand to bring out another point, but found he had none, so he bowed his head down. Abby smirked satisfied that she managed to shut him up. The objects came closer again surprised that Abby managed to conquer the ferocious temper of the Beast. She moved the cloth closer again. "Now, hold still. This may sting a little." The Beast looked at her curiously and as she pressed the cloth he grunted and closed his eyes. "By the way, thank you for saving my life." She smiled up at him.
The Beast couldn't help but soften and smile at her. "You're welcome." He nodded in a soft voice. "But don't do something so foolish again."
"If you promise not to yell at me again." She teased him smirking.
"I promise, Abby." He nodded smiling.
"I promise too, Marcus." She smiled as she wrapped a bandage around his arm. Marcus looked at her surprised that she used his name. He had never told her his real name and she had never used it before. 'I guess she cared enough to find out' He thought with a hidden smile.
…..
Meanwhile in the village Pike had come up with a plan to force Abby into marrying him. He sat at his tavern with his blonde accomplish, Diana and the owner of the Asylum, Cage Wallace.
"I usually don't leave the asylum in the middle of the night but they told me that it was going to worth the trip." Wallace smirked at Pike. Diana tossed a small sack of gold at Wallace.
He took the money and grinned. "I am listening."
"It's about Clarke Griffin. Losing her father has finally made her brain go off. She came in here going on and on about a Beast that abducted her mother." Pike explained with a bored expression on his face. "Abby will do everything to keep her daughter away from that place." He smirked and Diana found an opportunity to speak up.
"Even marry him. I still don't know what you find in that bitch, Charles." She pointed out rolling her eyes. Charles ignored her and looked expectantly towards Wallace.
"Oh that's despicable! I love it." Cage's eyes flashed dangerously. "I'll be back in two days to take the child away." He informed him and took off into the night.
…..
The next morning the Beast found Abby out in the gardens playing with Lexa, Bellamy, who apparently used to be a dog and now was a footstool, and Monroe. He smiled as his two friends joined him on the balcony.
"I've never felt like that for anyone before." Marcus confessed to his two friends. "I want to do something for her. But what?"
"Well, women like flowers and chocolates and stuff like that." Thelonius said with a shrug of his wooden shoulders.
"On no, no." Sinclair interrupted. "It has to be something special. Oh I know." He exclaimed and hopped on his Master's shoulder whispering in his ear. Marcus nodded with a smile and retreated to his rooms. He sent the servants to take care of his surprise as he went downstairs to wait for Abby to come inside.
After half an hour she finally came back in the castle and came face to face with Marcus. "Hi." She smiled warmly at him. His cold heart shifted at her true smile. It felt as if it got warmer every time she smiled at him.
"Hello. Is it possible for you to follow me? I have a surprise for you." He fidgeted a bit and Abby couldn't help but find it adorable.
"Yes of course. Lead the way." She beamed up at him. Marcus looked at her hand for a moment and gathering his courage he took it in his own bigger one. He waited for a while to see if she was going to pull back. Abby squeezed his hand encouragingly.
Marcus felt his heart beating louder at that. He pulled her behind him towards the stairs. He made sure to walk slower so that she could catch up to him. "Close your eyes." He instructed her as they stopped outside of a door. "And no peeking." He pointed a finger at her causing her to giggle. Her giggles warmed his heart just a bit more. He checked to see if she was cheating and when he was assured that she wasn't, he let go off her hands.
Abby's heart sunk as she lost the contact but it started beating faster as he took both of her hands. He pulled her forward and stopped before letting go of her hands. "Can I open them?" she asked.
"Not yet." He pulled the curtains open and walked back to her. "Now open them." He instructed and Abby opened them slowly. She gasped as she took in the sight around her. The walls were covered in books from top to bottom. "This is magnificent. So many books. So many stories." She breathed in the smell of old books and squealed. She ran from bookcase to bookcase reading the titles. "I love books." She exclaimed.
Her reaction to his surprise and the behavior after was all the reassurance Marcus needed. She obviously loved it and it was the first time that Marcus felt proud of himself. "Then they are yours." He stated and Abby turned to look at him surprised. She ran and jumped between his arms wrapping her arms around his neck.
Marcus sat stiffly for a while before wrapping his arms around her small figure. "Thank you so much, Marcus." She whispered trying to keep back her tears. Nobody had done something of that magnitude to her; not even Jake.
The servants watched them with matching grins on their faces.
"I knew it was going to work." Sinclair said proudly.
"Good job, Sinclair." Indra nudged at her old friend.
"Look at how happy they look." Raven sighed happily. Lexa hopped here and there asking questions but the grownups were lost in their own worlds. Lexa pouted as she hopped behind her mother. "What is it, Mum? I don't understand." She whined.
"You will understand when you grow-up." Indra said with a smile. Lexa kept pouting as the answer was completely unsatisfactory.
…..
The next morning Abby and the Beast were having breakfast together. She was wearing a light pink dress and had her hair were pinned into a low ponytail as usual. She took her spoon and suddenly looked up at the Beast. Her eyes widen as she watched Marcus gobbling down his food with no table manners. She looked down trying to ignore it.
Lexa was giggling at the sight and Indra shot her an angry look. That silenced her completely. She looked at her master and smiled. She pushed the spoon towards him. Marcus, taking the hint, fumbled with the spoon, which was too small for his hand, and tried to eat like a gentleman.
Abby, who watched his actions, couldn't help but be touched by his attempt to be polite. The young woman decided that she needed to do something for him as well. She put down the spoon and raised her plate. Marcus beamed up at her immediately. He mirrored her moves and sipped slowly at the creamy food. Lexa started laughing again and Abby followed shortly with her own melodic laughter. If someone had looked deeply into Marcus' eyes, they would have easily spotted the adoration. It was always there when he looked at Abby.
As soon as they were done with breakfast, Abby stood up and walked to his side. "Would you care to accompany me for a stroll in the gardens?" she asked with a charming smile. Marcus stood up and took her hand. They walked outside together.
They spent some time walking in the snow discussing about a lot of things. Abby listened carefully as he explained what he enjoyed. He even confided in her that he liked painting. He spent hours on his balcony painting. But that was before the curse. "Maybe you should start again. If you love it so much, you shouldn't stop." She assured him.
After a while and when his attention was elsewhere, Abby found the opportunity to toss a snowball at him. It caught him completely off guard and he slipped on some ice ending up on the ground. Abby giggled but stopped short when he didn't stand up. She ran to him immediately.
"Marcus, are you okay?" she asked leaning over him. Marcus smirked and brought his hand, which was filled with cold snow, on Abby's face. She gasped and lost her footing. In a matter of seconds she ended up on top of him. They ended up laughing loudly. Abby looked down at him surprised when he laughed. Even his laughter was unique. Marcus stopped laughing when he noticed Abby's look. He brought his hand against her cheek and pulled a loose strand behind her ear.
Abby shuddered excitedly at the contact. Marcus thought that she was cold so he stood up still holding her between her arms. "Time to get you warmed up. I don't want you to catch a cold." He pointed out and carried her inside bridal style. Abby was touched by his interest in her welfare.
After they changed their wet clothes they sat in front of the fireplace and Abby pulled a book from the table. She opened it and started reading to him as they leaned against the couch. Marcus, feeling a bit bolder, placed an arm on the couch and around her shoulders. He didn't touch her though. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Abby, noticing it, shifted and leaned against his chest instead of the couch. She could almost feel the loud beats of his heart against her back.
They parted for the rest of the afternoon and Abby couldn't help the feeling that had settled in her heart. She didn't dare to think about it though. It scared her. They planned to have a formal dinner in a few hours so she had to get ready. Indra, Lexa, Raven and Octavia helped her pick a dress and style up her hair.
On a room on the opposite side of the castle, Sinclair, Thelonius and Murphy helped out their master. Murphy gave him a haircut and picked his formalwear while Thelonius and Sinclair offered advice for the night.
Abby appeared at the top of the stairs on one side while Marcus appeared on the other side. They took in each other's appearance. Their eyes ended up getting lost in each other's eyes. They descended slowly as they both looked completely transfixed.
"You look stunning." Marcus managed to say as they met on the top of the last staircase.
"You look quite handsome yourself." She beamed up at him. Marcus offered his arm and Abby wrapped her own around it. He led her to her seat on the dinner table and pulled the chair out for her. To say that Abby was completely surprised by his actions was the logical thing to say.
The dinner was a complete success but when Abby stood up, Marcus afraid that it had come to an end. He was completely shocked when Abby asked him to dance with her. He didn't have faith to himself not to screw up but he didn't want to disappoint her. He took her hand and led her to the Great Hall. The musical instruments started playing a soft dance and she guided his hand to her waist while held the other away from their bodies.
Marcus started twirling her around driven by the rhythm of the music. After a while they seemed like they were born to dance together. They glided peacefully and calmly all over the Hall lost in each other's eyes. Marcus used both hands to grip her waist and lift her off the floor. He twirled her around and brought her back on the floor.
As the song came to an end, the two walked to the balcony. Abby sat on the rail and Marcus sat beside her.
"Abby? Are you happy here with me?" he asked. He was shivering in anticipation on the inside.
"Yes, Marcus. I am happy." She smiled and took his hand. She looked away for just a few seconds but it didn't go unnoticed by him.
"But you miss your children." He concluded and his heart sunk.
"If only I could see them for just a minute. I miss them so much." She looked down at her lap. Marcus felt terribly for separating her from her children. He truly was a monster. He stood up and pulled her up as well.
"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.
"You'll see." He smiled at her and led her to the West Wing. Abby looked at him surprised. Marcus just passed her the enchanted mirror.
"It can show you whatever you want to see." He explained and Abby raised it in front of her.
"I want to see my children, please." She said in a strong voice. The mirror shuddered in her hands and a pair of blue and a pair of brown eyes appeared on the surface. They seemed sad and scared. "Something is wrong." She concluded and Marcus moved to her side to look. She gasped as she saw Clarke being pulled away from her brother's arms. The scene changed and she could now see half of the villagers and two guards of the Asylum pulling Clarke away. Charles was there calling out to her but Abby wasn't there to save her child. Her eyes filled with tears.
Marcus took a look at her and immediately knew what he had to do. "Go, Abby. Save Clarke. I release you." He said in a soft voice. If you listened close, you could see the sadness of his voice.
"What?" Abby said in wonder.
"You are free, Abby. Go back to your children. They need you."
"T-thank you, Marcus." She looked at him gratefully. She pushed the mirror to his hand.
"Take it with you, so you'll have a way to look back and remember me." He nodded and pushed the mirror back into her hands.
"I will never forget you." She whispered and stood on her toes to press a kiss on his cheek. She turned around and took off running.
Marcus kneeled on the floor feeling his heart breaking into pieces. He let out a loud sad growl. Abby heard it but she was on Monroe galloping through the forest and was too scared for her children to think clearly about the sadness she caused him. She felt her own heart break when she heard the pain in his growl. She was going to come back. She was sure of that but first she had to save her children.
She was riding like a lightning through the forest. When she arrived at the village they were still struggling to push Clarke inside the carriage.
"Stop it right now!" she yelled as she hopped off the horse. "Leave my daughter alone!" she ordered standing her ground. Jackson beamed up at his mother. Clarke found the distraction to run away from her captors and barreled into her mother's arms. "My daughter is not crazy."
"I am sorry, Abby, but your daughter was raving like a lunatic. We all heard her, didn't we?" Charles asked the villagers who completely agreed with him. "She talked about a huge beast that kept you captive."
"I was telling the truth. He was enormous with big teeth a-and scary." The small girl said hiding behind her mother's arm. The guards pulled Clarke away from her mother and Charles kept Abby away. She tried to fight him off but he was too strong for her.
Charles leaned over to her. "I can stop this misunderstanding but you have to do something for me." He grinned and Abby felt her stomach turn in disgust. "Marry me." He suggested.
"Never!" she growled and pulled the mirror from her bag. The small cup, which had hid in her bag, fell on the ground. Nobody had noticed it apart from Jackson who chose to remain silent and let his mother deal with everything. He felt safer now that she was here. Nathan had woken up from the shouts outside of his window and came to stand next to his friend offering as much comfort as he could.
"I can prove that she is telling the truth." She yelled over the loud voices. She raised the mirror and ordered the mirror to show the monster to them. The villagers took a step back afraid and Clarke ran to her brother escaping her captors once again.
"Is he dangerous?" a man from the crowd asked.
"Oh no. He could never hurt anyone. He seems scary, I know but he is kind and gentle. He is my friend." She explained.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you have fallen in love with this monster." Pike said disgusted.
"He is not a monster, Pike! You are!" she said spitting into his face. Pike used his sleeve to wipe the spit away disgusted.
"Nonsense. We are not safe as long as this beast is breathing. He will come in the night and take away your children." He said to the villagers taking them on his side almost immediately.
"No! He would never do that." She shook her head trying to make them see reason.
"We're not safe 'til his head is mounted on my wall! I say we kill the beast!" he yelled holding his bow in the air. The villagers held their own weapons over their heads and cheered on Pike.
"Kill the beast!" the villagers cried out and started for the castle.
"I won't let you do that!" Abby cried out and held her children behind her.
"If you are not with us, then you are against us." Pike sneered and turned to Diana. "Lock them up before they have a chance to warn the Beast."
Diana grinned and pushed Abby in the basement followed by Jackson, Nathan and Clarke. She placed a wood plank between the handles trapping them inside and took off after Pike and the others.
Abby pushed on the door for a few minutes before sliding on the floor defeated. She covered her face in her hands and started crying. "They can't kill him. They can't." she muttered and felt a hand taking her own and two arms wrapping around her. "Don't worry, mommy. We'll figure it out." Clarke said with a smile. Jackson squeezed his mother's hand to show her that he was agreeing with Clarke.
A small tap-tap against the doors could be heard and Abby looked up surprised. Lexa grunted as she pushed the plank off the handles using as much strength as she had. "What is that noise?" Abby asked and looked through a small opening.
"I'll get you out of there, sweet Abby!" Abby recognized the voice and a soft smile was painted on her lips.
"Lexa?" she asked.
"Lexa!" Clarke said excitedly and ran to the door.
"Now push!" Lexa yelled and Abby didn't hesitate. She shot out of the basement and used her fingers to whistle. Monroe came galloping and Abby mounted immediately. She pulled Clarke on the horse and Jackson brought his own horse. Clarke was holding Lexa between her hands and Abby kept Clarke in place. Jackson hopped on Harper, his black horse, which was a gift from his father, and Nathan hopped behind Jackson.
"We don't have much time! Let's go!" Abby called out and gave a soft kick, starting the horse. Jackson followed close behind her.
…
The villagers led by Pike tried to bring down the entrance of the castle while the objects tried to keep them out. Indra rushed to inform their master.
"Master, what are we going to do?" Indra asked trembling slightly.
"Leave me in peace Indra." He was defeated. He was in pain and he didn't want to fight.
"But sir, they want to kill you." She stated sadly.
"It doesn't matter now. Let them come." He shrugged.
Indra sighed and left him alone.
"Sinclair what are we going to do?" Raven called out to him. Sinclair who kept his back against the door tried to think.
"Got it!" he called out and waved them all away from the door.
The angry mob managed to break in the castle but everything was quiet and dark. Diana walked inside along with Pike. The mob followed looking around. Diana picked up Sinclair trying to light their way.
"NOW!" Sinclair yelled causing her to drop the candlestick. The next 15 minutes chaos prevailed in the hall; Villagers fighting objects with weapons; Objects fighting villagers using their own strength and bodies. Sinclair and Thelonius took care of Diana. Octavia fell on top of an unsuspected villager knocking him out cold. Lincoln lit on fire another villager. Bellamy bit another villager's butt. Defeated, the villagers ran from the castle but Pike had managed to escape from the chaos.
Pike checked each and every room he found on his way. He finally came upon to the correct room. His eyes fell upon the beast and he raised his bow. "Get up and fight." He sneered as he aimed an arrow towards the beast.
Marcus raised his head and whined before lying down again. Pike let the arrow leave his grip and it went flying piercing Marcus' shoulder. He stood up screaming and howling in pain. Pike took the chance and pushed the Beast through the window. He laughed maniacally as he cornered the beast at the edge of the balcony. "What happened? Too gentle and kind to fight?" he sneered but Marcus didn't do anything. He looked down in despair. Pike took a few steps behind and broke off a piece of the roof. He was about to smash it on Marcus' head and kill him off when he was stopped by a familiar voice.
"No, Charles. Don't!" Abby yelled from the bridge trying to stop Pike. Marcus perked up immediately as he heard Abby's voice. It was as if the woman had given him back his strength. It turned out that love was the most powerful weapon.
Marcus caught the piece into his head and grabbed Pike by the collar. Pike, who wasn't expecting that turn of events, gasped and tried to break free. Abby took off and climbed the stairs two at a time trying to get there in time. Her children followed close behind her ready to protect their mother if needed.
Pike managed to kick Marcus in the stomach and broke free. "Enough with this nonsense." Pike scoffed and pulled out his knife. Abby jumped on Pike's back right on time. He lost his footing and backed towards the edge of the balcony. "Abby, watch out!" Marcus yelled and stood up. He ran to her and caught her hand. Unfortunately he was too close to Pike so he took the opportunity and drove the knife into Marcus' stomach.
Marcus howled in pain but managed to pull Abby off Pike and right into his arms. Pike tripped against the rail and fell over with a scream. Abby immediately wrapped her arms around Marcus' neck squeezing tightly. "You came back." Marcus concluded as he pushed her off to look at her. He cupped her cheek with his hand.
"Of course I came back. I couldn't let them kill you. I tried to come as fast as I could." She muttered and buried her face in his chest. "I am sorry, this is all my fault."
Suddenly Marcus fell on the floor with a small whine. "Shh it's better this way."
Abby kneeled beside him and ran her fingers through his hair. "Don't talk like that you'll be fine." She smiled down at her.
"Don't kid yourself, Abby. I am dying."
"No, you are n-" but Marcus cut her off.
"Let me finish. I want to confess something to you." He smiled and rested his palm against her cheek. Clarke looked up at her brother and he told her to stay quiet. The young girl looked at the scene that was unfolding in front of them with tears in her eyes. She hated when her mother was crying. "I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. Thank you for teaching me how to read, for bringing some light into my dark life, for not giving up on me. And thank you for teaching me how to love." He gasped and pulled her head down. He pressed his lips against her forehead. "I love you." He whispered before letting his hand fall down. His head lulled to the side and his eyes closed.
A heart-wrenching sob escaped Abby's lips as she grabbed on Marcus' collar. "No! Don't leave me, Marcus. Please!" she rested her forehead on his chest and cried. Hot tears fell down her cheeks and ended up on Marcus' shirt. "Please Marcus. I love you!" she whispered. Her shoulders were shaking viciously as heartbreaking sobs shook her whole body.
Clarke and Jackson gasped as bright light emanated from Marcus' body. Abby pulled back to see what was happening and another gasp burst from her lips. She fell back and watched speechless. Marcus had been lifted from the floor by an unseen power. Bright light burst from his fingers and toes and his head was thrown backwards. His body became smaller than it was and he seemed a bit shorter too.
As the transformation was complete, he was returned back to the floor. His eyes were open now as he stood with his back to Abby. He inspected his hands and body and slowly turned to Abby.
The brunette woman didn't know what was happening exactly but when she looked at the brown eyes looking back at her with so much adoration, she couldn't help the smile that split her face. "Marcus?" she took a step closer and raised a trembling hand towards him barely touching his bearded face.
"Yes, Abby. It's me." He nodded with an identical smile on his face. Abby laughed happily and crushed against his chest holding him tightly. Marcus buried his nose into her hair and took a deep breath. She looked up at him and he looked down at her. "I love you too." She grinned at him and he caught her kiss in a soft loving kiss.
Clarke clapped excitedly giggling. Jackson couldn't help but beam up to his mother. The two adults turned to look at the children. Jackson admired his mother's smile. He hadn't seen her smile like that before. He couldn't be happier for her. Abby beckoned them closer. Clarke ran and wrapped her arms around Marcus' waist. "Thank you for making my mum so happy, Mr. Beast!" she beamed up at the former Beast.
Abby couldn't help but chuckle as Marcus picked Clarke up. "Your mum deserves to be happy, doesn't she?" he smiled and Clarke nodded. "Call me Marcus." He added and the girl beamed up at him. Jackson moved to wrap his arms around his mother.
"Thank you for taking care of Clarke, Jackson. You are the best son anyone could have." Jackson tightened his hold on his mother.
After a while Lexa appeared on the balcony grinning. She looked at Marcus and grinned. "King Marcus!" she ran and hugged him tightly.
As if on cue, Indra, Thelonius, Sinclair and Raven also appeared on the balcony. "We are glad to have you back, sir." Thelonius said with a happy smile. Sinclair, who had an arm wrapped around Raven's waist, nodded.
"Glad to have you back as well, my friends." He smiled and hoisted Lexa on his other arm.
Lexa looked at Clarke and Clarke looked at Lexa. "Hello!" the brunette said to the blonde blushing.
Clarke, who remembered Lexa's first words at her, smiled. "Hi. You are really pretty as well." The blonde troublemaker grinned causing the adults to laugh loudly.
*AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER*