Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Beauty and the Beast belong to Disney.

Chapter 3 - Blame

Bella POV

I heard the whispering voices before I opened my eyes and in that moment, I remembered everything that had happened last night. I rolled over and pulled the blanket over my head. A sharp voice reminded me that I wasn't alone in my room. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw the teapot named Esme was pouring tea into a small cup that was arguing with her. I arranged the blanket so I could clearly see the entire room and studied their behavior. It was obvious that they weren't always objects by the way that they moved awkwardly at times and grumbled about having no thumbs.

"What's your name?" I asked the teacup.

"Jasper, I'm Alice's husband."

This news caused me to sit up quickly. "Wait… the wardrobe is married?"

"Well, we married before all of this happened."

"When did it happened?" I inquired, adjusting the blankets so that I could get out of bed and find something clear to wear or maybe find the shower.

Jasper gave the wardrobe a strange look, but neither said anything. I looked at Esme for answers but she seemed just as apt not to tell me about the enchanted castle I was living in. Stuff like this only happen in fairy-tales and it was never real. This story had come to life from the pages of a book. It was mystifying and beautiful. I slipped out of bed, and looked around the room. A painting near the window caught my eye. A lovely couple was seated on a picnic blanket with their foreheads pressed together tenderly as they smiled. The girl's brown hair was short and she resembled a pixie with her slight frame. The boy had beautiful blond hair and a strong build. Their hands were clasped together with their wedding rings shimmering in the light of the candles around them.

"They're beautiful," I murmured, reaching a hand up to touch the aged colors.

"That was the day after our honeymoon," Alice declared with sadness in her voice. "Jasper had convinced me that she should have a picnic and let a friend paint us. He did a wonderful job and we asked if we could keep this in our bedroom."

"This is your room?!" I exclaimed.

"No, it was moved from our room after all of this happened. It's safer here. But I'm not allowed to tell you anything else and it's time for you to get dressed. He won't wait long for you to come to breakfast."

I sat down on the bed, ignoring Esme as she opened the wardrobe to look for a suitable dress. I had no desire to have breakfast with the man that insisted on keeping me here, locked in this room forever. I hated him and yet, I didn't even know his name.

"He's not that bad," Esme murmured, hopping up on the bed. "Once you get to know him."

"I don't want to get to know him. I miss Charlie. I wish I could have said good-bye to him."

"I'm sorry dear."

She handed me a light green dress that was floor lengthen. It appeared that the only clothing here appeared to have fallen out of a Jane Austen book. Sighing, I took the dress and went to shower, thinking that this dress wasn't going to help my coordination. The shower helped to calm my trembling nerves as I thought of seeing the beast again. There was something strange about him, but I couldn't decide what it was yet. After struggling with the strange undergarments, I stepped out of the bathroom and witness a moment that was heart-breaking. Alice wept softly as Jasper sat on the bed, whispering sweet words to her. I couldn't help but wonder how long they had been this way, unable to kiss or touch without the feeling of wood or porcelain. Their life was being controlled by a spell that I wished I could break. Who would do this to someone?

"Umm… Alice," I muttered, coming out and closing the door.

She quickly wiped her tears away and gave me a courageous smile. I wished that she didn't have to be so strong. I sat down next to Jasper as she pulled out a brush and fixed my hair into a single braid down my back. I couldn't stop the feeling of dread as Carlisle entered and I saw that it was almost time for breakfast. My stomach grumbled softly, but I refused to show weakness. I had to be strong for Charlie.

"It's time," Carlisle declared.

I lifted him off the ground, afraid to step into the darkness of the castle as a storm prepared to fight against the aged stone outside. Carlisle directed me where to go, telling me a little bit more about the inhabitants. It amused me to know what he was married to the teapot. Also that Emmett was married to a feather-duster named Rosalie. The kind candle spoke of everything from his family to the castle, but he refused to speak of the name-less creature. I pushed open the wooden doors to the dining hall and saw the Beast dressed in a long cape and the same torn pants. He appeared to be sulking at the table, staring at a plate of oatmeal. Hearing my entrance, the Beast turned to me and I almost saw a smile sneak across his features, but it faded quickly.

"Good morning," I muttered, setting Carlisle on the floor.

"Hi." Emmett, who was hiding on the fireplace, cleared his throat loudly. The Beast sided and gave me a creepy smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"No," I said honestly, seeing the two objects sneak out the side door.

Carefully arranging the dress, I sat across from the Beast. He picked up this bowl and loudly ate the mushy food as I quietly ate, refusing to make eye-contact with him. My temper flared as I thought of my wounded father and wondered if he was safe. The Beast watched as I played with my spoon.

"You're unhappy," he whispered in a voice that was almost kind.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Standing up, I bumped the table, slopping some of the oatmeal on the table in my haste.

"You are holding me hostage in this enchanted castle with a wardrobe that's married to a teacup, a candelabrum married to a teapot, storms raging outside and you took me from my father! Of course I'm unhappy."

"You chose to give him up!" the Beast accused, sliding the table slightly as he stood.

"Because I love him! I want to protect him. He's the only family that I have!"

"It's not my fault!"

"It's definitely your fault. You caused this mess!" I yelled.

"If he hadn't stumped upon my castle, this never would have happened. Your father is the only one to blame."

Angrily, I clenched my fists tight, keeping them at my side. "That's not directly what caused this; is it? I was referring to the problems that you cause here. Somehow I know it's your fault that Alice and Jasper were separated by this spell not long after they got married. You are the reason that she weeps. He can't even touch her to make her feel better."

"You know NOTHING of this pain!" The Beast let his paw fly, tossing the table like it weighed nothing.

Dishes shattered all over the ground as the table slammed onto the floor. I cowered against the wall, falling to my knees as the tears fell down my cheeks. My chin rested on the soft material and I couldn't look up at my captor.

"You don't know anything! I never wanted this to happen. I think every day of how this is my fault and I'm the one to blame. I never wanted my sister to suffer like this."

Sister? Alice is the Beast's sister? Why didn't she tell me this? I guess it was too painful for her to remember or speak of it. With eyes full of compassion, I glanced upon my prison guard with a new understanding. Something had happened to all of them that he blamed himself for and it's wasn't really his fault. It broke my heart. The Beast stood with his head hanging as the sorrow of his actions played across his face.

"I never wanted to hurt my sister or my parents, Carlisle and Esme. I didn't want my brother Emmett to suffer or my sister-in-law Rosalie or my brother-in-law Jasper. This wasn't supposed to happen. It's been so long… there's little time left to fix anything."

"Everything deserves a chance to be fixed," I whispered, looking down at Carlisle and Esme peeked in the doorway. "I'm sure it can't be that bad."

"You'll never understand. I am the reason for their pain."

The Beast didn't look up at he returned the table to the original position, setting the chairs around it properly. I couldn't imagine what had caused such pain in this family. Did they blame him? I didn't get the impression that Carlisle hated his son. I reached over and picked up a daisy from the broken glass and twisted it in my fingers as I got to my feet, remaining against the wall.

"What happened here?" I asked.

The Beast paused for a moment, pulling the other flower from the glass and picking up the remains of his oatmeal bowl. His sadness filled the entire room. Tearing the petals from the flower and letting them fall to the floor, he looked up at me. His piercing green eyes locked on mine.

"Pain. Because of me."

He walked toward the door as Carlisle and Esme hide from sight. I caused him to pause for a moment with a simple question that I greatly desired to know the answer to.

"What's your name?"

The Beast stood silent for a moment and in a hushed voice he gave me a one word answer. "Edward."

Please review! Sorry for the delay. I've been unsure with where to go with this story, but I have a plan now. Thanks for reading!

Emma