By the end of the day, the cottage was almost empty, but there was no more room in three of the four carriages. The servants decided to go back to the castle to drop off the trunks in the three very full carriages and return in the morning with the carriages and more trunks. The first carriage and one of the horses were left with Belle, Maurice, Adam and Tintement. They decided to stay at the cottage for the night and do more packing if they didn't want to wait until morning.

After the servants left, Belle and Adam went into the kitchen while Maurice was talking to Tintement.

"I can't believe you've been alive this whole time." Maurice said.

"I...was the only survivor." Tintement basically said as she started a fire in the small wood stove. Maurice frowned as he remembered that awful day, hearing that his brother and his wife were dead.

"You were nowhere to be found," Maurice added as he sat down in the only armchair left behind, "so...I presumed you were dead."

"Hmm, father always said it was wrong to presume things so fast." Tintement said, "He was right."

"Yes...yes, he was." he said as Belle and Adam walked out of the kitchen.

"We've...got a problem." Belle said.

"What is it?" Maurice asked.

"There's not enough food here to feed four people." she basically said, "I'm going to have to go into town and get some food."

"Oh no you don't," Tintement said she stood back up, "you have been working on moving your things all day. I will not have my cousin do anything else for the day. I'll go into town." Belle's eyes grew wide when she heard her cousin, she couldn't believe that Tintement would volunteer to go into town for her.

"Tintement, are you sure?" Belle asked.

"Positive, and if you don't believe me, I'll tie you down!" Tintement said as she fluffed up her feathered coat. "You're welcome to join me, your highness." Adam looked at Belle, she can tell that he was asking permission to go. Belle just smiled and nodded her head, she knew Adam hadn't been out of the castle for ten years.

"Let's go." Adam said as he opened the door for Tintement.

"We'll be back in a few minutes." she said as she walked out the door. Adam closed the door and followed Tintement. Belle sat down on the floor with her father still in the armchair.

"I still can't believe it." Maurice said, "Tintement was alive this whole time. I thought I lost my brother forever."

"Fiona wasn't much help," Belle said, "I wanted to tell you, but Tintement wouldn't let me. I couldn't bring myself to break my word to my cousin."

"You can't bring yourself to break your word about anything!" Maurice said, "I think that's the first thing your mother taught you."

"Hmm, you haven't been able to bring yourself to talk about mother for a long time." Belle said, "What changed?"

"I don't think she would want me always mourning over her death." he basically said and then he sighed, "I still don't have the heart to get rid that family portrait of us."

"I don't either of us could get rid of it." Belle said as she got up and stared out the window, "It was the last portrait of us before she passed away." Belle just plainly decided to go along with her father, she would leave about her mother being alive...up to Veronica herself.

"Though I should apologize to you, Belle." Maurice said, she looked back at her father.

"What on earth for?" she asked.

"For not realizing your behavior around Fiona." Maurice said, "You were scared of her and...I was nothing but a crazy idiot who didn't believe you."

"Papa, how could you think that?!" Belle said as she walked up to him, "There was nothing for you to do anyway, Fiona kept her eyes on me, Tintement and you. She didn't want you to know because you were the reason to get close to me. I know...Fiona...was the only mother in your life before grandma died, despite she was your stepmother."

"That doesn't matter," Maurice said, "I promised your mother that I would everything to make sure that you're safe and well taken of...and...I failed in that regard."

"Papa...it's over now." Belle said, "The least you can do is accept that this is all over and look towards the future." Maurice sighed and smiled at his daughter.

"You're right about that," he said, "you...are so much...like your mother."

"You are really excited, aren't you?" Tintement asked as Adam kept on walking further from her.

"I haven't been out of my castle for ten years," Adam said, "so yes, I am a little excited."

"Your highness," Tintement said, Adam stopped at the bridge.

"Please, call me Adam." he said.

"Very well...Adam...forgive me for pushing a boundary," she said, "but...seeing you in that...form...will you ever tell me?" Adam groaned when Tintement asked about him being a Beast, but he knew that she did deserve an explanation.

"Maybe Belle can tell you," Adam said, "I rather not talk about it again."

"Too painful, huh?" she asked, "I understand emotional pain, so I won't push it. Let's just head into town and get back as soon as possible."

They crossed the bridge and entered the town. Since it was sunset, there wasn't a whole lot of people walking around. The few townspeople that were around were staring very strangely at Tintement.

"How come they're staring at you like that?" Adam whispered.

"I think it's because I look like my cousin." Tintement answered as they continued walking, "I only came into this town once and everyone assumed I was Belle. They were pretty nasty to me because of that reason. I just ignore it until they open their mouths, you should do whatever you can to keep your mouth shut, unless you want them to know she's here."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Adam said as they tried to make their trip quick. When they got to the little food store, Adam waited outside while Tintement walked in. As Tintement was paying and gathering food into her basket, the store owner thought Tintement was Belle.

"What are you doing back here, Belle?" the store owner said in an angry voice, "You're not welcome back in this village!" Tintement growled as she turned around and faced the store owner.

"Wrong lady, sir!" She snapped back.

"You're not Belle?" he asked.

"Of course not!" she said as she was storming out, "So pick on somebody else!" Tintement slammed the door behind her to prove her point. Her face was turning pink as she turned to Adam.

"I thought I had a nasty temper." Adam said.

"You probably have better control over yours than mine." Tintement said, "This village doesn't want anything to do with my cousin now...they need to pick on someone else." Adam continued to listen to Tintement sticking up for Belle, it reminded him when his own cousin, Sagittarius, stuck up for him. Not a lot of people didn't accept Adam because of the reign of his father's family.

King Henry Colère, Adam's father, was a very abusive man to both his wife and to the people in his kingdom, just like all the other men before him, like his father, grandfather and many other generations. Because Adam came from that kind of family, people always were mean, cruel and always teased their young prince, despite that the king was dead and the kind queen. When Sagittarius came into Adam's life, he always made sure that his cousin was never treated so badly again.

Adam started to remember, when he was seven, an seventeen-year-old boy threw a bucket of fresh fish at Adam and Sagittarius saw the whole thing. Before the boy could push Adam into the pile of fish, Sagittarius got int a fist fight with the boy. The boy ran off before Sagittarius could do anything worse and Adam got a bath afterwards. He still didn't know if he should contact Sagittarius, half says he should, but another half says absolutely not.

"You're awfully quiet, Adam." Tintement said, Adam snapped back into reality, "I got everything, let's head back."

"Okay then." Adam said as he followed Tintement, "It's a good thing Belle didn't come with us."

"Yep," she said, "another reason why I volunteered to go instead of letting her go." When they reached the bridge, Adam spoke up.

"Tintement?"

"Yes, Adam?"

"Can I...discuss something with you?" He asked.

"Now?" she asked.

"No, until Belle goes to sleep."

"That important enough where you don't want her around?" Tintement asked.

"It's about...a situation I think...you'll be able to help me out with." Adam explained.

"Okay, I'll try." She answered as they arrived at the door of the cottage.

The doorknob rattled and the door opened, Belle saw Adam and Tintement walking inside.

"About time that you're back." Maurice said.

"I'll get started making dinner." Belle said as she stood up.

"Oh no!" Tintement said, "You sit yourself back down, I'll make dinner."

"Tintement, you already went into town..." Belle said, but before she could say another word, Tintement started walking towards the kitchen.

"Either you stay out here with everyone or I'll glue you to the floor!" Tintement said. Belle's face dropped, she knew that Tintement was serious when she said that.

"All right, all right then." Belle said, Tintement nodded and went into the kitchen.

"You say I'm like my mother, papa?" Belle said as she turned around, "Well, Tintement is like her father."

"I heard that!" Tintement said from the kitchen. "I may be loud, but not deaf!"

"Let me at least help you, Tintement." Belle said, "I can't sit around the whole time." Tintement groaned and finally said,

"Get in here then." Belle smiled and went into the kitchen. Adam was left alone with Maurice.

"So did you enjoy your trip into the village?" Maurice asked.

"Sort of." Adam answered, "I'm just glad Belle didn't go with us."

"Why? What happened?" Maurice asked, Adam told him about the villagers reactions towards Tintement because they thought she was Belle. Maurice couldn't believe what he heard, they have exiled his daughter.

"The sooner we leave, the better." Maurice said, "They already tried to throw me into the asylum, who knows what they will do to her?"

"So far, I don't think they know Belle is here," Adam said, "but you're right, we should pack the rest of everything that way we can leave as soon as possible."

"Good idea." Maurice said, "Hopefully, they won't see us in the morning. If they do, I don't know they'll do or what can we do."

"The only thing we can do right now is wait until morning." Adam said, "Until then, we just have to keep our eyes or ears open." Just then, they heard Belle's voice.

"Dinner is ready!"