Adrien stared at the palace. In the daytime it was quite different than Gabriel had seen it. Instead of the comforting hope that Gabriel had felt when he first saw the dark tower spiraling upwards toward the sky, Adrien felt a chilling wariness. His father was here somewhere, and had not returned. Hopefully Nathalie had simply run away, and Gabriel was fine. But that didn't explain the scratch marks on her saddle and her scraped knees.

With a gulp, Adrien dismounted. "Stay here, Nathalie," he said softly, then tread carefully up the steps to the front door.

"Hello?" he called into the darkness of the hall. He shivered; it wasn't very warm inside. Does someone live here? He wondered. If so, they must enjoy the darkness and the cold.

"Father? Father are you here?" called Adrien. He walked quietly forward, when he suddenly heard a whisper behind him. He whirled, but saw no one, save a teapot, a clock, and a candelabra on the floor. He turned again to leave the hall, then thought better of the darkness and, lifting up the ornate candelabra, took the light with him.

"Father!" he called again, wondering what was in this house. In the dim light, he saw the ornate tapestries, the expensive furniture, and even the carpet was exotic and grand. But everything was dark and dim, covered in dust and cobwebs and sadness. Adrien, being naturally sensitive and in tune with his surroundings, felt not only fear, but also a deep sadness. Something had been left to rot here. Be it the house, or whoever lived here; something angry and alone dwelt here.

Suddenly, a sob echoed off of the walls. "Father!" he cried again, and began running up some steps toward the sound, candelabra gripped tightly in his hand. The sound was coming from what he guessed was the tower he had seen outside.

"Adrien!" came the cry. It echoed off the walls and shouted earnestly, "Adrien! Leave now! Run! Run!"

Adrien came around the corner and saw something that no one could have prepared him for.

There was a bit of light here. A window with bars on it on the ceiling allowed a little bit of light in. And laying on the ground, pale and weary, lay Gabriel, his hands in chains and his feet shackled to the ground. To his right stood a terrifying creature. It whirled the moment that Adrien burst in on them, and stared at the boy intently.

"So," it growled. Adrien started a little, realizing the beast spoke. "You, I assume, are Adrien?"

The black creature was terrifying, but had amazing blue eyes. They seemed to glow, and looked at him with a contradicting cry for help. Everything about the beast seemed to scream anger and loathing for all innocence and life, yet those eyes…

"Adrien, don't make it mad," begged Gabriel from below. "It is a monster!"

"Say your goodbyes to your father, boy," snarled the beast. "He is going to stay here in this very spot for as long as he lives."

"No!" cried Adrien. "Father, what did you do to make it so angry?"

"Me?!" demanded Gabriel. "I merely got lost and asked if I could stay the night!"

"He entered without permission after I saved his life," snarled the beast. "He invaded my sacred privacy and violated my solitude."

"Please," said Adrien, looking at the beast pleadingly. "What must I do to make my father's deed right?"

"I did no wrong -" began Gabriel.

"Someone must stay here in this prison," said the beast. "But, if it would tear you apart to see your father rot as I must in this house, then you may take his place." It turned it's back on Adrien, muttering, "Do as you see fit."

"Adrien," said Gabriel, pulling himself into a sitting position. "Please, go as far away from here as you can. I don't want this thing to follow you - escape to India. My associates know about you - they can take care of you."

"I…I can't let you suffer," said Adrien. "You are my father. I won't allow you to stay here."

"And I can't loose you too," said Gabriel earnestly. "I might not be the best father, but I really do care for you. I love you Adrien."

Adrien stared, amazed at the words he had heard so little in his life. The beast watched his reaction with interest, then respectfully turned away again.

"Father, I am a man now," said Adrien softly. "You must allow me to make this decision as well."

"I forbid you to make this decision!" said Gabriel, sudden anger taking over. "You are my son and I am your father! You shall leave at once!"

"Father, I'm already totally alone!" screamed Adrien. A new silence reigned in the tower, and the beast turned to the pair sitting on the floor, watching. Adrien took no notice and said earnestly to his father, "I'm already so alone. No one likes me. No one wants me for who I am. You are never home, and I already live as though you passed long ago. If I have to live here, where it will be the same, then I want the peace of knowing that you at least are safe."

"Adrien," whispered Gabriel, shocked at his son's honesty. "I…I…"

"Your son has decided," said the beast. "And his request is honorable. To allow you life, and gain nothing for himself."

"I am ready to lay down my life for him!" cried Gabriel.

"And never see him again," snarled the beast. "You would not find that difficult, would you?"

"What use is your death," whispered Adrien, "if the sacrifice means nothing to me?"

Gabriel's eyes widened in absolute amazement. "I love you!" He said again. "I would die a million deaths for you!"

"You could," said Adrien. "But your whole life was spent far from me. Your deaths would make no physical difference to my life as it is now. Father, please go. At least I can know that you are fine and living."

The beast took this as it's moment to separate them one last time. It's paws easily broke the chains and shackles and lifted Gabriel to his feet. "Leave," it growled. "And never come back."

"Adrien," whispered Gabriel, eyes filling with honest tears. "Please."

"I…I love you, Father," said Adrien, eyes tearful, but jaw set. "May you find happiness. Farewell."

The beast dragged Gabriel from the room, and his cries echoed as they went down the tower steps.

"Please don't hurt him!" he cried after the beast, as it threw Gabriel from the grounds. Adrien watched from from the turret window. The beast slowly turned back towards the castle, then looked up and met Adrien's gaze.

Adrien shivered. What have I gotten myself into?

—

The cell was cold. Very cold. Adrien wrapped his jacket a little tighter around his shoulders, cursing his rush to leave and hurried thinking. Of course a real coat would have been a better idea.

"You are cold, human," came a gentle growl. Adrien whirled with a scream of terror and tripped over backwards, his book falling from his breast pocket. The beast had apparently gotten this treatment before, because it simply took another silent step closer and picked up the book.

Did I hurt it's feelings? Wondered Adrien, unsure of how to judge it's expression. It seemed to give him a second to accept it's presence, and it turned Adrien's precious book over in it's giant, frightening paws.

"I have this book," it murmured. "Do you like to read?"

"Yes," whispered Adrien, voice trembling. "And I must admit to you that what you hold in your…paws…is my most prized possession." He slowly held out a trembling hand. "Please let me have it again."

"I was not going to keep it," said the beast quietly, handing the leather-bound book to him. It's blue eyes seemed to behold him with reproach. "I have no argument with you, Adrien. No harm shall come to you here."

"Who are you?" asked Adrien, staring at those strange, bewitching blue eyes.

"I am not your enemy," it mumbled. "But any other answer I am afraid I cannot give you. I myself would like to know."

Adrien shivered again, green eyes filled with confusion and misery.

"Come," it said. It turned and began to descend from the tower. "I shall show you to your room."

—

Adrien watched the beast as they made their way down the stairs. It was strange, how it walked upright now. When his father had been here, it had remained on all fours. Now it seemed it felt more comfortable. Or at least, less upset and vengeful.

Perhaps it's like a bear in that way, thought Adrien, studying it's paws. It has a specific stance when it confronts an enemy.

"Um…forgive me…" he began, suddenly aware that he had no name or title with which to address the beast. "What should I call you?"

The beast was silent for a moment.

"I…I do not know. Anything you want, I suppose."

"Are you…male, or…female?"

"Female."

Adrien tried to hide his surprise. He'd asked, but had thought that surely it would have said male…

"Adrien, if you would like to name me, you can. However, until I myself know my name, I would rather not have one given to me."

He studied her back, furry and stiff before him, and asked, "How is it that you do not know your name?"

The beast stopped and turned to face him, her blue eyes serious. "I woke up like this," she growled. "My servants told me I was someone great, brave, and heroic, and that I had been cursed. But my curse is to remain like this until the spell is lifted. But that is the worst part of my curse - explain as many times as they could, the information my servants shared with me was always stolen away from me."

"Where are your servants now?" asked Adrien. Perhaps he could ask them.

She recoiled, as if the question was too painful. But slowly she said, "They were cursed as well."

She turned and continued walking to the end of the hall. He followed her slowly, too afraid to ask for more information. She led and opened the door at the end of the dark hallway, and Adrien could had sworn that the moment she opened the door was like life itself breathed a sigh of relief. Later Adrien knew that the reason was this room was so beautiful, so peaceful, and so wondrous was because there was some good magic in this house too.

The room was a lovely cream color, with lovely paintings on the ceiling and walls. There seemed to be light in the room, and he saw that there were lamps along the walls, gently burning. The floor was made of marble, and there was a large red rug before a lovely bed. It was made of an maplewood frame, beautifully designed, and the comforter was made with silk and some kind of fabric that left an imprint if you touched it. Adrien stared in aw at the room, wondering how such a place could exist in this horrid, dark castle.

"It's…to your liking?" asked the beast. Her voice was hopeful.

"It's amazing," said Adrien. "I…I love it."

"There will be new books everyday," said the beast. "And breakfast will come when you ring this bell." She indicated the silver bell next to the bedside table.

"I shall leave you now," she said. "Every evening I will dine with you in the dining room. Alya will show you where. She and Nino will serve your needs."

Adrien nodded, accepting the information. He had spent all his courage with his questions earlier, and asking for his book, and so now he simply accepted what she said. Something urged him on however as she left, and so as she closed the door behind her he called softly, "Goodnight, My Lady."

She stopped, then turned. Her eyes met his, and he felt that odd feeling that she saw right through him. But her voice was contented as she said, "Goodnight, Adrien."

As you can tell, this isn't wholly based on the Disney Beauty and the Beast but more on the original story. However I am happily throwing both versions and MLB into a blender and seeing what comes out, so let's enjoy this smoothie together!