Lumiere and Babette are relentless! They've pushed many fine gentlemen my way, servants, stable boys, butlers, everybody! But still, we haven't found the right one just yet. Of course, all the boys are charming and handsome enough, but they just aren't for me. With every one I turn down Lumiere and Babette become greater and greater rivals. Secretly, servants in the castle have been placing bets on who will set me up with the best one, who will get me married. Which worries me slightly, as I'm only sixteen!
All of this has caused most of the castle staff to be in a very gossipy, cheerful mood tonight at dinner. It's especially good for us because the young master went to sleep early. Therefore, we don't have to get him dinner or anything. No worries of him screaming or tearing hair out! As I eat my food and listen to Babette talk about how she and Lumiere did something the other night, I notice a boy enter the room late and sit down with some of the maids and servants.
Babette sees me eyeing him, and she laughs "Oh Veronique, don't look at Brendan! You don't want him! He's too quiet!". I look at her "What do you mean?" I ask "He looks like he's socializing". She shrugs "He's just too docile for me. Don't you want a little adventure?". I do want adventure! Of course I did! Adventure is what drove me to come to this castle isn't it? Deciding I need a little while to think about it, I stand and excuse myself.
Not sure where to go, I end up going outside to the gardens. It's a beautiful night! As I stroll, I find myself humming. Suddenly, I notice something, or to be more specific, someone. He's tall, his brown hair neatly combed, and his eyes, oh what words can describe them! He seems to be doing the same thing I'm doing, and that is simply strolling around the garden admiring the few plants and the nice weather.
Suddenly he looks up from a rosebush he'd been looking at, smiling politely at me. I blush brightly and back up, hiding behind a tree. Wait a minute! Was that just Brendan? Did he come out here also? I peek around the tree and check just to make sure, yes it's him alright. He has returned to looking at the flowers, but he is humming something. I can't make out what it is at first, but as it becomes clearer, I'm almost swept away by it's beauty. I have to, get his attention somehow? Yes, that is it! Smiling, I stroll out casually from behind the tree, singing the song I'd sung the prince.
When he looks back up at me, his curiousity peaked, I pretend not to notice him and continue strolling. As Babette had told me he might, when I glance back over my shoulder at him, he begins to follow me. I walk slowly at first, making sure he really is following me, when I see he is, I begin to move a little faster. He seems to take this as a challenge, as a funny look crosses over his face before he picks up his pace.
I won't let him catch me that easily! Just as I get within his grasp, I pick up my skirts and begin running. He starts chasing me! I don't know how long it went on, but finally he managed to catch me when I tripped over my skirt and fell in a heap in the grass. We both laugh and he holds out his hand to me "I'm Brendan, what's your name?" he asks me. It's a simple enough question, I blush and look down once I'm standing up in front of him "Veronique".
He smiles, his smile is so cute! "I really liked your singing" he tells me, wow! He seems almost as shy and unsure as I am! I glance at the castle, and notice Babette and Lumiere standing at the window, waving at me, giving me thumbs up. From the way they're acting, I don't believe they set this one up! I turn back to Brenden and look at the roses "The flowers are very pretty non?" I ask. He nods "Yes, they're nice I guess" he replies.
"What do you do at the castle?" I ask him, trying to keep the conversation going. He smiles "I'm a musician. Play the tuba" he explains "And I sing bass in the choir" he adds. We have a choir and band here? He must read my mind because he laughs "There are quite a few performers here at the castle. Composers as well! Though Forte's style of composing is a little, dark. I do appreciate our conductor. I think he'd like to meet you. As I said before, I thought your singing was quite good". I chuckle "You sound like you're a good singer too? What was that song you were humming earlier?".
Brendan and I sit on the fountain and he smiles "Oh, it's a song we're going to perform. If we ever get another gala. I don't think we will, but everyone else seems to hope so". I don't quite know where the time went after that. But we just sat and talked, about everything! It was the most wonderful night of my life. And the next few weeks I did nothing but float through my everyday duties.
The best days ever were when I caught a glimpse of him walking down the hallway, or caught his eye when we were eating. He would smile and sometimes he would make faces at me that caused me to blush and giggle like a child. All of this changed though, when a blizzard hit the castle. Of course, it was now officially winter, so snow was expected, but what was NOT expected was the bitter cold that swept through the castle, causing all us servants to gather in our quarters to try and conserve body heat.
Me and my friends are sitting together in Cecelia's bedroom, talking. Kylie stands and looks out the window "What a storm! I hope nobody is out there!" she comments. Heather shrugs "I don't think anyone is foolish to try to walk out in that snow" she replies nonchalantly. Suddenly Babette comes into the room "Cerfew in 10 minutes, you better get going to your rooms!" she informs us.
I stand, along with the other girls. We bid each other and go to our rooms, like usual. Besides the snow outside, there is nothing out of the ordinary! I get into my bed and snuggle deep into the sheets, closing my eyes. Suddenly though, a burst of wind sweeps into my room, causing me to jolt awake. What could that possibly be? I look around my room frantically, the door has flown open, but no way a breeze like that could have come from the hallway? The wind isn't even cold! No, it's just a blast of air that came out of nowhere!
Suddenly I'm hit with a feeling. It feels as though I'm being crushed, my muscles hardening and my insides being torn out. I try to cry out in shock and pain but find it difficult to make a sound. What's happening? And then just as soon as it started, it's over! I look around my surroundings, wait a minute! Why can't I feel my arms, or my legs, or even my body! And my bed! It looks huge! My pillow must be twice the size of me!
What am I though? I can't be human! Suddenly I catch sight of my vanity mirror, and my eyes widen at the sight of it. There before my eyes, or lack thereof, sitting in the place where I should be sitting on my bed, is a china plate. But not just any plate, the lomoges plate! The very one I'd been washing that fateful day when I'd been tripped and had shattered those plates I loved so much! Was I? I couldn't be, I wasn't a plate! I couldn't be a plate!
This couldn't even be considered my worst nightmare! Who dreams of being a plate? As I tremble and try to wrap my mind about what is happening, I hear screams coming from the hallway. I'm scared, what do I do? Getting a feel for how to move, I manage to scoot myself underneath my pillow to hide. I'm not alone for long however, as my door opens and I hear familiar voices "Veronique? Are you in here?" they call. It's Babette!
"Up here!" I call, peeking out from underneath the pillow. I manuver myself closer to the edge of the bed and look down, and I can't help myself as I scream in shock, she screams as well "Babette!" I cry "You're a feather duster!". We merely stare at one another in shock before I swallow "How am I supposed to get down there?" I ask. She looks around "Do you have a pillow up there? Push it on the floor and jump!".
I push the pillow off after a great amount of effor, but even when it hits the floor with a loud thump, I'm terrified to jump. If I break, does that mean I die? Maybe if I break I'll wake up from this horrible nightmare! Taking a deep breath, I let myself fall forward, tumbling off the bed and landing on the pillow. Babette pushes me off and stands me up so I can roll. How does this work now?
Lean to the right, oh dear I'm upside down, now I'm right side up, now I'm upside down again. Ooooh who's moving the floor? I feel really dizzy. Babette catches me as I bump into the doorframe and fall over "Maybe you should just try to waddle or something" she says. I do just that, taking the smallest steps I can. As I enter the hallway, I'm met with the most chaotic scene I've even seen. Objects, everywhere! Featherdusters, silverware, brooms, shovels, any household object you could possibly think of was in the hallway.
Some of the maids, turned into featherdusters, napkins, and silverware, are in a tight group, sobbing hystarically. A group of knives are speaking in low whispers not far from them, as I passed I believe I hear something about the master having something to do with all this. But how could he cause all this? Suddenly I am met by something that freezes me dead in my tracks. There before me, are 6 identical plates. One of them speaks "Veronique? It's me! Heather!" she calls. Heather? Oh no, don't tell me, all those girls that had hurt me that day had been turned into, no!
"Everybody just calm down!" a voice tries to break over the crowd. Cogsworth! Oh I never thought I'd be more grateful to hear his voice! But when he comes over to us plates, I'm once again shocked beyond belief. A clock! He's been turned into a little pendulum clock! Under any other circumstances, I'd say that was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen, but now? I'm on the verge of sobbing with the other maids! I wonder how it feels to sob without a face! Can it be done?
I'm snapped out of my thoughts by seeing Lumiere and Mrs. Potts, both of whom have faired no better than the rest of us! Mrs. Potts is leading 7 little teacups down the hallway. I don't even have to hear her speak to know it's Mrs. Potts, she's been turned into a teapot for goodness sakes! And one of the teacups trailing her has a little chip in it! Lumiere comes up to us with Babette, and I don't know once again whether to be shocked, or merely acknowledge that he's been turned into a candelabra. At this point, seeing objects is no surprise!
Oh you've got to be kidding me, Sultan the dog has been turned into an object too? A footstool no less! I must be dreaming! I must! Suddenly we hear a roar and the entire corridor falls into dead silence, a creature has just come into the hallway. At first, I can't see for sure what it is, but as it comes closer, I realize it's some kind of, of, of animal! It's a beast! "Master!" Cogsworth calls, but the creature ignores him as he roars in frustration before turning on his heels, er paws, and vanishing down the hallway, clutching a flower in one paw, and a mirror in the other.
What are we to do? How are we supposed to live our lives this way? As, plates? China plates? Do we eat? Do we sleep? The rest of the night seems to go by in a blur as the objects round up everyone. Cogsworth is frantic, a large piece of paper in his hand as he does rollcall, and then does is again, and again. Everyone had to be accounted for! Some of the objects couldn't make it to rollcall, but their location was known. Madame de la Grande Bouche, the opera singer, had turned wardrobe apparently and was too ashamed of her size to come down.
Others were less lucky than she! One of the shorter girls, who'd always been 'getting under people's feet' has turned into a rug! A butler has turned into a brick wall behind the stove, who is our beloved chef! Forte the dreary composer whom Brendan had told me about has turned into an organ, bolted to the wall. Brendan! Where was he? I look around frantically, but in a sea of hosuehold objects I can't even tell who's who!
I hear his name called on the rollcall and a tuba blares loudly. I don't even have to look to realize what has become of my new friend, he's a tuba now. As the rest of the rollcall proceeds, we plates huddle together uncomfortably and try to comfort each other. It is the most challenging task in the world, comforting someone when you're made out of cold, hard china.
Finally the rollcall ends and we all seem to silently agree to try to go back to our normal duties, see how it goes. But being plates, we can't nessessarily clean anything. "Maybe we should learn how to get aroudn the castle" Carolyn suggests. It seems like as good an idea as any, thus our first stroll, or, roll around the castle begins. Of course the first way we thought to go was to roll down the hallway, but since we're scared, we decided to try to waddle.
One side forward, then the other. It takes us almost an hour to all make it down the hallway, but we figure out how to walk nonetheless! But if we have to do that it'll take forever! Kylie begins hopping in place "Hey! We can jump, we're kinda flexible!" she tells us. I bend slightly, but there wasn't much we could do even though we were a little bit flexible. The tour of the castle continues as we get better and better at 'walking' in our new forms.
Nighttime fast approaches, and we waddle back to our respective rooms, but it only takes us about 30 seconds to realize that we can't reach the bed. The pillow is still on the floor though, and I invite my friends to come sleep on it. It takes us a little while, and Babette's assistance to get ourselves all on it, but eventually we do, and we rest. It's very weird, the feeling of closing my eyes, but I don't have eyes!
Morning is harsh, and we all slide carefully off the pillow to start the new day. Some of the servants are still very upset about things, a couple napkins pass us sniffling, but we plates are actually kinda cheerful. Today we're going to try to roll down the hallways and see what happens! We line ourselves up in a straight hallway, with the exception of a staircase if you turn right in the middle of the hallway, but we are going straight!
"Who's first?" Victoria asks, Cecelia takes a step back "Not me!" she declares. Kylie goes with her "I'm not going first either!" she states, Carolyn, Dakota, and Heather quickly agree they aren't first either. I suppose that means I'm first! Taking a deep breath, I imagine I'm doing a cartwheel or something, just lean. Just like the night of the transformation, I send myself rolling, going upside down, rightside up, over and over again. I think I'm going to be sick!
Suddenly I hear some screams, and a glance behind me shows the other girls have not only taken after my example and are rolling down the hallway after me, but that we're all headed towards that blasted staircase! Cecelia said the staircase wouldn't be a problem! How do I stop now? I've gathered quite a bit of momentum in rolling this far, lean the other way? AH! No, stop stop stop stop!
Our screams got the attention of some of the household objects nearby, and they rush out to catch us as we begin our tumble down the stairs. Cogsworth is righting me against a wall, Lumiere has got Heather and Victoria. Babette managed to get Cecelia, and a few napkins, Mrs. Potts and a coat-rack caught Dakota, Carolyn, and Kylie. Once we're safely leaning against the wall, we expect a lecture like no other.
Some of us are crying, including myself. But Cogsworth hushes us "Now now ladies, quit that wailing" he tells us. Lumiere brushes us against us, which is as much as he can do with candles for hands. Mrs. Potts brushes up against us as well, but she is able to lean more into it and it's almost comforting, even though she's made out of hard china just as we are "You gave us all a scare dearies, but it's alright now, you're safe". When we're calm Cogsworth looks at each of us before swallowing "I do not believe the castle is, safe for you mademoiselles" he tells us.
"But where are they supposed to go Cogsworth? They can't leave the castle!" Lumiere says, we all nods as best we can in agreement, where would we go as plates? We'd probably be smashed or something! Mrs. Potts sighs "I'm afraid you might have to go into the cupboards dears. That's the safest place I can think of for you. I've been putting the teacups in the cupboards at night as well".
Kylie speaks up "But we can't get down once we're put up there!". There's a long silence before we realize, that we'd have to go up there, and stay up there. It was settled then, and slowly, we begin our sad, slow, proccession towards the kitchen. It takes us about an hour or so, but finally we're all in the cupboard the way we want. The way, we'll be content to stay for the rest of our plate lives.
Lumiere gives us one final smile as he closes the glass door on us. We all look out into the kitchen and watch as all the objects whom had helps us up here, disappear into various places. Some of them go into drawers, others push their way out the doors, and a few stick around a socialize amongst themselves. Heather sighs "Maybe it won't be so bad?" she says "Maybe someone will come visit us!". I chuckle "We'll sure get to know each other really well".
We laugh for a moment, but it hardly lasts. What was the use, we're going to be in this cupboard for the rest of our lives! We'll be forgotten by the world! When we pass on it'll hardly matter, for no one will even remember us! What could our master, what could WE have possibly done to be turned into plates?
