The prince slipped into his night clothes after he bid Belle goodnight and went over to his bed, his eyes hardly open now. He had spent the rest of the day making sure everything he needed for the arrival was in the castle's possession, practicing his speech and trying to avoid stuttering (while mostly debating with Belle on what lies they would use), remembering how to ride a horse (The castle staff thought it better if he went into town on a horse instead of just being in a carriage, saying 'it would make you look more authoritative'), and trying to forget that girl in the portrait, who haunted him so much.
Everyone's counting on me, he thought. I can't let anything distract me, especially not that white statue. He looked out his window, letting his frustration subside to admire the night sky. It looked like black silk with diamonds adorning it, and a silver coin was placed above the trees. In all his years as a beast, he thought this view would be the only beautiful thing he would ever have the pleasure of seeing. Of course, after Belle came, everything changed.
The beast prince smiled as he remembered the talk they had after he had rescued her from the wolves; how far he got from that small 'you're welcome'. Slowly, then all at once, he fell asleep. His last thought belonging to Belle...
The young prince sat alone in the library, his eyes glued to the book he was reading. The candle's flame flickered ever so slightly that night, and was barely able to cut through the cold and dark. It didn't bother him ,though; he's gotten used to reading without that much light and he had a coat to keep himself warm. The only thing he had to worry about was if a thief had climbed through a window, or if he let the candle fall over and burn the library, or if his mother walked in. It was wiser if he had left an hour ago for Princess Cassandra would kill him if she saw him reading at this hour, let alone this very book, but he just couldn't put it down.
"Bonsoir, petit!" He barely had a moment before a girl only wearing a blue night gown and no older than thirteen, lunged at the seven year old to give him a hug. "Why are you still here?"
If the boy didn't know any better, he would have thought she wasn't hugging him so tightly to suffocate him. "Adélaïde, let go of me!"
She grabbed the book from him with ease and gasped when she saw the title. "You're not suppose to read this!"
"I can do whatever I want!" He retorted, trying to reach for the copy of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. "Besides, maman's already teaching me Ancient History! I might as well!"
The girl could feel him struggling, and moved her arms upwards to keep him in an unbreakable headlock. "I'm telling her~!" She told him in a mischievous, sing-song voice.
"No! And get off of me!" He raised his hands to try and slap her into releasing him, but kept missing. She of course found it extremely amusing; the girl couldn't help but laugh as he randomly flailed his arms around.
"Say you're sorry for ruining my dress yesterday, and I shall pardon thee, pretty fool!"
"Never, Laid!"
She tightened her grip and stated angrily, "Don't call me that! And apologize!"
"No!" He raised his hand again and a loud, satisfying smack was heard. He felt triumph when she let him go, and started to grin. He was about to remark on how weak she was, when he heard a loud thud. "Adélaïde?" He turned around and saw no one behind him.
Blue eyes widened at the spot where she once stood, his heart sinking into his stomach. The candle on his desk was suddenly distinguished, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "What... What's going on?"
There was suddenly a chorus of whispers, starting out faint and eerie. He couldn't understand what each one was saying, but the contradicting voices sounded contemptuous, feeding his anxieties.They grew louder and louder with each passing minute and all he could do was stand there, the color of his face being drained. Soon, blood curdling screams filled the room, echoes of sorrow and anger bouncing off of the walls. It was as if a massacre was occurring, but he just couldn't see it. The voices cut into him like a blade, burned his ears, and took away the wind from his lungs. He closed his eyes and waited for the chaos to go away, but an eternity seemed to pass.
"W-why?!" A familiar voice called out, the loudest among the other agonizing screams. "Why won't you help us?!"
The prince felt a pang of guilt and opened his eyes instantly to find the source; to explain that he did nothing wrong. But the invisible crowd fell silent.
He swallowed hard, waiting to see if they would continue, but not another voice was heard. He breathed a sigh of relief, and buried his face in his pale hands. However, he heard someone running, and glanced at the entrance. At that moment he could have sworn he saw someone wearing a white ballgown rush past it.
"...Adélaïde?"
"Beast!" A worried voice pulled him out of his nightmare and his eyes shot open. "Please, we're already late!"
"What?" The prince rubbed his eyes as she pulled away his curtains, trying not to complain about how the rays of the sun pierced his eyes like Oedipus' dagger. He dropped his hand on his side and realized who the voice belonged to. "Belle ,dear, why are you here?"
"You have to go into town today." Beside him, she put a set of clothes that looked similar to the ones he wore when they first danced. "We're lucky, though. It seems they haven't come yet." She glanced at the window, seeing the sun was already out and trying not to mutter a curse.
"I have to..." He realized what she was talking about and two azure blue eyes widened. "Oh!" He quickly grabbed his garments and went behind a changing screen. "I'm sorry!" He added hastily.
"It's fine. Just hurry up and remember what we talked about yesterday, alright?" The beauty said with a crooked smile. Obviously, she was as stressed as he was. She heard Mrs. Potts come in with a tray of food, and carefully placed it on his bed. "Cogsworth said you have to meet him at the stables later. I can't join you to go over the plan; papa's still sick and I need to take care of him."
The prince suddenly felt a tinge of guilt for forgetting Maurice was resting in one of their spare rooms. "Tell him I hope he gets well soon."
His love opened the door and said, "I will.", before closing the door behind her. Belle was no longer there, and now the beast-prince was alone to make sense of what he had dreamed of.
Who... Who were they?
"Remember, master. Chin up, shoulders back, and look confident" Cogsworth stated once the prince –after nine tries– finally got on the stallion. The mob was already suppose to come here an hour ago, and this didn't make the prince any less anxious they would come any second.
"Y-You think I'll be fine?" He realized too late that he sounded nervous, but lying about it now wouldn't help.
"Yes, of course!" Lumiere answered. Cogsworth rolled his eyes at the fact his friend comforted the master first before he did –when it was clearer than a crystal that he was talking to the head of the household.
"–And we will be joining you. Remember, we'll be in a carriage not far from you to offer any help." The butler grinned while moving Lumiere aside.
"S-sure." He told them. "Thank you. I wouldn't know what to do if I was alone there." Before any of the two could rub the prince's thanks in the others face, he added. "Both of you."
"The carriage is ready, master!" One of the servants called out.
"Yes, thank you monsieur." He unfolded a slightly creased map that Belle gave him yesterday, and took a deep breath. Everything will be fine...
"Oh, sister, I hope they find Gaston soon!" Paulette, one of the identical, blonde triplets stated worriedly. She had been looking out the window all day in hopes of finding him striding through town to announce The Beast was dead. "The men said they'd attack earlier, but all of them chickened out! How can we ever hope to see him again?!"
"No one can take down Gaston!" Claudette told her, slapping her sister's shoulder in annoyance. "This is what the mayor gets for giving money first, and letting them finish their end of the bargain later! But I bet, when they do find him, he'll already be dragging that beast by his foot!"
"You think there are any other dashing bachelors besides Gaston?" Laurette asked nonchalantly, looking at her nails.
"Hey! Gaston is the only one we adore, right Paulette?" Claudette asked, but was surprised to see her musing.
"It has been a long time since we've seen him. What if..." Her eyes widened." What if he's covered in scars when he comes back? Ew! That would be disgusting!"
"Don't be foolish!" She threw her hands up in frustration. "I love him, and that's the end of that."
"Fine," Laurette rolled her eyes. "But it's your loss when we find someone new."
"Girls, look!" Paulette pointed out the window, excited. "Looks like a rich boy's lost his way!"
"What?!" Laurette pushed Claudette and Paulette aside to look out the window. "Hm, I can't see his face clearly from afar, but he's probably confused." Laurette stated, noticing the way he scratched the back of his neck and how he kept looking around. "He's not as muscular as Gaston, but I guess he'll need a pretty girl to show him the way." She gave the slightest of shrugs before exiting, a mischievous grin creeping on her lips.
The other two exchanged unsure glances before they both ran after her, one with the hidden agenda of seducing the traveler first, and the other wanting all of them to stay faithful.
The prince rode into the village, trying his best not to shake nervously. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had accidentally gone to a different town. He would never accuse Belle of giving him the wrong map, but he had the tugging feeling he took a wrong turn. He had already woken up late this morning, who said another mistake wouldn't come along after his carelessness?
He stopped his horse and look at his surroundings, his hand scratching the back of his neck. He started to notice almost everyone was staring at him, and his hands trembled slightly. He expected for people to be curious to see a nobleman and stranger come to a village, but mentally preparing himself proved to be useless.
Was it suddenly warmer here?, he thought to himself, a drop of sweat rolling down his brow. W-Why do I feel like my head's spinning? There's nothing to be nervous about! He looked at a nearby house, seeing a blonde wearing an amber dress walking towards him. "Oh, hello. I was just wondering if you could offer me directions?"
The girl started batting her eyelashes as she combed his horse's mane. "Oh sorry, monsieur." She told him seductively. "I'm afraid you haven't reached your destination yet."
"What?" A brow rose at her comment. Did she know where he was going? And if yes, did she know why?
She lowered the strap of her dress, grinning. "Yes, I'm afraid my bedroom is that way..." She winked at him and motioned to her house.
Blood rushed to his cheeks when he realized what she was implying, and he looked away shyly. Before he could say anything else, he saw more people approaching him.
Thank goodness, someone else can finally help –wait, there's three of them?!
"Monsieur!" The one in green called out in mock fear, placing the back of her palm on her forehead. "Can one of your soldiers help me find a thief? I'm afraid I lost my heart the moment I saw you."
The one in red elbowed Paulette, keeping an eye on her while she talked. "Please excuse my sisters, sir. Now, what did you want?"
"Oh, yes." He reached out his hand to her, trying to give her the map. "I-I'm afraid I took the wrong turn. I was suppose to go to a village called Moly... Molyn..." He smiled sheepishly as he struggled to say the name. Goddamnit! Speak properly, you fool!
Claudette took the map and inspected it, before realizing it was rude not to look him in the eye while he talked. "Oh, Molyneaux! You're in the right village, actual–" Claudette paused when she met his gaze, her heart thumping loudly. He was no Gaston, but he had a Prince Charming appeal that was equally attractive to her. And, God, those intense blue eyes that bathed in the sunlight sent a shiver down her spine. They were almost the same shade as Gaston's, too. "...ly" She finished, handing back the map and not taking her eyes off of him.
"Mademoiselle, are you alright?"
It looked as if she was snapped out of a trance, but quickly recovered. "Sorry, I got lost in your eyes." She said dreamily. "You know, you look really cute..."
"P-Pardon me?" The prince stammered, his face turned as red as her dress. He wasn't exactly used to three girls flirting with him at the same time. And he was starting to question if he had ever felt this embarrassed his entire life. "I...Um..."
Cogsworth peered out the window and realized he was in trouble. When the prince saw him, he signaled him to come out of the carriage.
"Ehem! Announcing the arrival of The son of Lady Manon Cassandra Catherine Élisabeth de Bourbon d'Oré and Lord Damien Caito d'Oré!" Cogsworth yelled, stepping into the middle of the town square.
"What?!" The bimbette's said in unison. Both of them backed away slowly and looked at him suspiciously.
"Uh," He turned his attention to the crowd. "Good citizens of Molyneaux, I bring with me urgent news about The Beast!"
The villagers started to murmur amongst themselves, exchanging fearful or angry glances. The prince stayed quiet, unsure if he could call their attention to continue.
"Is it dead?!" The baker's wife finally asked.
He paused then snapped his fingers for Lumiere to bring out what looked like a thick hide of a brown animal. It was covered with mud and pigs' blood to look more authentic, and the prince resisted the urge to gag when he realized how similar it looked to his old fur. "T-This was all we could recover after he–it fell from the roof and was almost entirely eaten by wolves."
The crowd cheered in triumph. They were all applauding Gaston's 'supposed' victory against the terrible beast, much to the prince's slight discomfort.
"Gaston must be so happy!" One of the bimbettes squealed with glee.
"Well, I don't wish to stop you from celebrating further, but... he didn't make it." He replied, trying to sound sympathetic.
Everyone immediately stopped, horror and grief starting to creep up on them.
"But how?!" Dick, one of the tavern's regulars, inquired.
The lord bit the inside of cheek. Because he's a no good, jealousy-driven hunter. That's why ,he thought. But he knew he couldn't say that; everyone viewed him as a perfect paragon, and 'charitable' enough to choose Belle when he had dozens of girls to choose from. They wanted to hear a hero's death, not the truth. Although Belle would disapprove of this, their discussion on how to handle explaining Gaston's death didn't really go far with their endless debate on what to say.
"He used his last strength to push The Beast down the roof and into a ravine with him. We weren't able to find his body." He tried to say confidently. The red flirt he talked to fainted, one of her sisters catching her just in time.
"And what about Belle and Maurice?!" A short, chubby man with a red, round nose asked suspiciously. He wasn't buying any of this. Gaston couldn't just die, and the Leclairs shouldn't have been able to escape. "Did you listen to them and let them go?! They sound like complete lunatics! And Belle, I don't know what devil possessed her to make her feel that way about an animal! Besides, how was it possible they escaped while Gaston was defeated?!"
The prince felt something burning inside him, and he got off the horse quickly –and thankfully not clumsily– and left the animal to Cogsworth to talk to whoever insulted them, face to face. "Excuse me, but what is your name?!"
Lefou gulped when he realized he was almost the same height as Gaston, but he continued to try and sound brave. "Le...Lefou! And what proof do you have?!" He crossed his arms. "And am I the only one who remembers the princess' son died years ago?!"
"Yes, well Belle–" Think of a good excuse, idiot; anything that fits perfectly with their logic! "Belle was under a curse!" He announced. "The beast made her fall in love with him through dark magic and was able to transport her from here to the castle, however, the spell broke when he died! They have gone through so much, and I decided to let her and her father rest in the castle, where we have better supplies." He bent down and narrowed his eyes at Lefou. "And who are you to question my authority? They merely thought I was dead. In reality, I was a prisoner of the beast like that girl was! Why else would I go missing? And, if that's not enough for you..."
Lumiere took out the veiled portrait, and a hush fell over the crowd. He rested his hand on it, building up the moment of reveal, before uncovering it and making all the townspeople gasp. "As all of you can see, the long lost prince has returned!"
"A long lost nobleman!" The baker's wife said in excitement.
"Well, this would make quite a story!" A bookshop keeper chuckled and adjusted his spectacles.
"Oh, Gaston would have gone on and on about how he rescued a prince if he were still alive!" Paulette cried.
"Seems rather far-fetched, if you ask me." Monsieur d'Arque sneered, his beady eyes narrowed.
"Tch, fine! Swoon while I mourn!" Lefou angrily went back into the tavern, Gaston's cronies whispering amongst themselves and questioning the prince while they followed him.
Of all the mixed reactions he heard, at least the rest of the villagers received it positively. "Thank you for listening. You may now continue your–" He paused, eyes widening as he saw a little girl in a white ballgown peeking behind the crowd, her face hidden by her wavy, red hair.
"Your Highness?" Lumiere called out nervously.
The prince blinked a few times, still focused on that very spot, before she had completely vanished. "S-Sorry..." Was all he managed to say as he mounted his horse and left before Cogsworth and Lumiere could say anything else.