Chapter 4

Days in the Sun

Adam fell backwards onto Belle.

"Adam!" Belle screamed.

As Adam's dead weight forced Belle to her knees, she begged for someone anyone to help. As she focused on the blood seeping through Adam's shirt and trying to stop it; after what seemed like hours, the village doctor kneeled down next to Belle, the two of them began communicating as doctor and nurse as they tried to save Adam's life.

"We need to get him back to the castle;" the doctor explained.

Belle nodded her head as Mr. Potts came over and helped the doctor get Adam into the carriage. When Belle stood up she had tears streaming down her face as she started walking towards the carriage.

"Where in the hell do you think you are going?" Gaston shouted.

Belle turned and looked up at Gaston; she felt a cold blade of fear. Later she would recall only how paralyzed with fear she was.

"I am going to the castle."

Gaston took a step toward her.

"I plan this beautiful wedding for us and you're going to leave with him! No, I will not let my bastard of a cousin steal you away!"

"Adam is not stealing me away Gaston; I was never yours to begin with!"

"Yes, you were and we were going to be so happy than he had to come along and ruin it all!"

"Ruin what Gaston? What are you talking about? You are speaking like a mad man!"

"Nothing Belle, we will be happy again; just come with me." Gaston said holding out his hand to Belle.

"No! You could have killed Adam! I want nothing to do with you!" Belle declared.

Gaston lunged for Belle but the police officer gripped Gaston and handcuffed his hands behind his back.

"Gaston De Leroy Tolbert, you are under arrest for treason to the crown."

"We all want to do it! He is evil and we need rid our village of his evilness! I was the only person willing to do it!"

The police officer began to drag Gaston away.

"This isn't over Belle! Please don't leave with him! I love you! They can't hold me!"

As Gaston's words hung in the air Belle jumped into the carriage and wrapped Adam in her arms knowing that Gaston threats meant nothing. It was truly over, Adam was safe and that was all that mattered.

Gwen walked into the police station as calmly as she could and went straight to the captain's office.

"Captain, sir?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"I am here to ask you of a prisoner that was brought here today; Gaston De Leroy Tolbert."

"Yes, he was brought here today for trying to kill Price Adam you know that he will be executed for it. What in God's name was he thinking; getting all riled up about that funny girl being with the prince. The prince is only going to use her; then she won't be the funny girl anymore, she will be the ruined girl. Why are you asking about Gaston are you one of his fan girls coming to say goodbye?"

"No sir! I am his sister!" Gwen said anger that she would be involved with Gaston.

"His sister? I have never heard Gaston say that he had a sister."

"Well that's the thing sir after the war Gaston was never quite right and one morning I woke up to find him gone. I have been searching for him ever since and if you let him go I promise you that I will get him the help he needs." Gwen said making tears come to her eyes.

The captain looked at Gwen like he was under some kind of trance.

"Yes, the war has been hard on us all." The captain said walking out of his office.

A moment later the captain walked back in with Gaston; Gwen rushed over to Gaston and hugged him.

"Oh, dear brother! Thank god, I found you!" she whispered in Gaston's ear, "Just play along," she broke the embrace and hooked her arm in his, "Come along brother, time to get you to the doctor."

Gwen started to lead Gaston out of the captain's office when Gaston stopped at a coat rack.

"Hello doctor, how are you?"

"No, no, not that doctor." Gwen said before she turned and waved her hand.

"You will remember nothing of this captain; Gaston and I were never here and Gaston didn't try to kill Price Adam, the villager and the funny girl are making it up."

Gwen and Gaston walked over to the pub.

"Why in God's name did you tell the captain that you were my sister and that I am crazy?" Gaston yelled.

"It got you out of jail, didn't it?"

"Yes, but now everyone is going to think I am crazy!"

"Whose fault is that?! You're the one who went after the prince! I lived up to my part of deal we made when you found me in that brothel after you killed my father! It is time for you to live up yours; stop acting like a love-sick puppy."

"You're with child?" Gaston asked hopefully.

"Yes."

"With Prince Adam's child?"

"Yes."

"Then why is he running around with my Belle?! You have not lived up to your part of our deal! You were supposed to tell him that you are with child so that you could force him to marry you and then kill him on your wedding night!"

"I've tried! I went to him last night, but the prince has changed somehow."

"What do you mean?"

"The villagers are starting to think that he's the prince they need. Yesterday he had a meeting here and I think it went well; and last night when I went to him he apologized and said that he should have never asked me to come to him. So, you need to come up with some information that would make the village turn on him; he is your cousin after all. Why do you hate him so much anyway?"

"Because he got everything and I was left with nothing!"

"Then find some new information on him!" Gwen yelled getting up to leave the pub.

"Wait a minute; isn't Agathe your sister?"

Gwen ran over and put her hand over Gaston's mouth so he could not say another word. But Gaston quickly removed it.

"I know."

"Yes she is, so what?"

"If I remember your mother used to work for the queen before she died and she took Agathe to the castle all the time."

"So what?"

"So, what? Agathe will know something that we can use on Adam and the town already thinks your mother was a witch."

Gwen spread a big smile across her face.

"If Agathe saw my mother use magic that's all the blackmail we need to get her to talk!"

"Exactly, meet me in one hour in the middle of the village with Agathe." Gaston said getting up from the table.

"Wait, where do I find her?"

"She is always around the village begging."

At the castle, the doctor just finished stitching up Adam's side while Belle was sitting on the side where he was facing. She held his hand in hers, and she began to think about what would happen to her if Adam would have died. For some odd reason, she felt an attraction to this man. She couldn't explain it, but it was there.

The doctor closed his bag, and began talking to Belle and Mrs. Potts, "He needs some rest. The wound was deep, but it will mend with time and care. No heavy lifting and no heavy work load. His royal highness will be fine. Just carefully change his bandages when needed."

"Thank you, Doctor Jacques," Mrs. Potts showed him the way out.

Adam stirred and Belle lightly squeezed his hand. He opened his eyes and smiled.

"Belle, you came ba…"

"Sh…yes, I came with the doctor to make sure you've gotten proper care for your injury."

Adam tried to sit up, but Belle was too quick, "Oh no, you don't! You lie right back down. I have already talked this through with Papa that I will be staying here with you until you are well again then I will go home to retrieve him, and we will live with you here at the castle."

Adam was shocked, "You are going to stay with me?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I? You stood up for me in the village, and no one has ever done that for me. You even stood up to Gaston for me. What he did showed the village just what he is; a monster. Thank you Adam, for showing me kindness."

He smiled, "You're welcome," and Belle instructed, "Now lie down and get some rest. I will go grab a book from the library and will come read to you."

Adam rested his head on the pillow, and closed his eyes. Belle began to hum a tune in her head, and she didn't know where it came from because she never heard it before.

She began singing it while stroking the Prince's hair, "Days in the sun where my life has barely begun not until my whole life is done will I ever leave you."

When she got up and walked to the library, Adam's eyes widened and began to quietly praise, "She remembers! Oh please let it be true!" then he began, "Will I tremble again to my dear one's gorgeous refrain? Will you now forever remain out of reach of my arms?"

In the library, Belle picked up both copies of Romeo and Juliet and continued on with the song, "All those days in the sun what I'd give to relive just one undo what's done and bring back the light."

Adam picked up, "I could sing of the pain these dark days bring. The spell we're under still it's the wonder of us I sing of tonight."

On her way back to the staircase, Belle held the books close to her heart and continued singing, "How in the midst of all this sorrow. Can so much hope and love endure? I was innocent and certain now I'm wiser but unsure."

Belle sang while Adam unknowingly was echoing her, "(Days in the past) I can't go back into my childhood (all those precious days) one that my father made secure (couldn't last). I can feel a change in me (Oh…hold me) I'm stronger now but still not free (closer)."

Together they concluded the song as Belle was down the West Wing corridor, "Days in the sun will return we must believe as lovers do that days in the sun will come shining through."

Belle opened the door and walked in, "How about we read from Romeo and Juliet?"

Adam let out a loud snore as if he was sleeping then Belle decided to call his bluff, "Aye me."

"She speaks! Oh speak again bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him. When he bestrides the lazy pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air," he quotes then he turned his gaze toward her to see her laughing, "How did you know that I was bluffing?"

She giggled then replied, "Let's just say that I had a hunch."

They laughed and together they read the continuation of the balcony scene.

Making her way into the village, Gwen was searching high and low for her sister until she found her just like how Gaston described.

"Sir would you like to buy a flower." Agathe asked a man walking but just like always the man did not even look at her.

"Aggie."

Agathe thought her heart might burst; there was only one person that called her that. She looks around and saw her baby sister, but she was all grown up.

"Gwendy?"

"Yes."

"Oh Gwynn."

Agathe ran over and hug Gwen.

"Oh, Gwendy where have you been? I woke up one morning and you were gone; I have been so worried."

"I just could not take it anymore with the whole village calling mother a witch and that papa ran off from the war. But I got a job at the castle as a maid and I want you to come and live with me."

"Oh, the prince won't mind."

"No, of course not."

Gwen hook her arm into Agatha's arm that two being to walk through out the village just like they did when they were girls. But when they reached the middle of the village a carriage pulled up blocking their exit.

"What is going on?"

"Agathe, you are sick and you need help."

"What are you talking about Gwen you said we were going to live at the castle."

"You, live at the castle?" Gwen laughed. "No sister, I have found you a good home where you will be well taken care of."

Before Agathe could run Gaston grabbed her and threw her into the carriage that had bars on the door and windows and was locked from the outside so she could not get out. With that the carriage took Agathe out of village and into hell.