This chapter title brought to you by Gordon Lightfoot's song called Hangdog Hotel Room.
As I've said before, this story is largely inspired by ladivina's "A Place Called Home". This chapter actually borrows some of her elements when it comes to explaining the magic involved.
"Just let it go Beast," Belle said, seeing he was trying, rather in vain, to get his composure, despite the emotions that were completely overwhelming him. "Don't fight yourself. You're grieving. Just allow it to happen."
Belle had one arm around Beast's shoulders as the other cradled his head against her own shoulder. Beast finally stopped fighting, and allowed himself the catharsis he desperately needed. Though he felt rather undignified, being a grown male and a former Prince to boot, bawling his eyes out, it did feel, in some strange way, good to let everything that he'd been holding inside him, out of his system. And he appreciated being supported in the arms of the one who taught him to love, and who offered him her love in return.
For her part, Belle found herself shedding some tears as well. Though she was mostly composed, she also grieved for her friends who seemed conscious of their inanimate state. She thought it should perhaps be a comfort that they were still alive. That they hadn't actually died. That they could even form a telepathic connection to those in physical contact with them. But the fact that they were still alive inside their inanimate forms seemed like a fate worse than death. Belle only shed a few tears, so she remained able to support her dear Beast. He not only was grieving for what happened, but he had the guilt of knowing it never would have had he not been the cruel man he once was.
After about fifteen minutes, Beast was finally in a more calm state, and had regained his composure.
"I'm sorry about that," be said, looking apologetically at Belle, then Maurice. "I was a mess."
"Don't worry about it," Belle said softly.
"I'd say it would be nearly impossible for you not to be a mess given what you're dealing with," Maurice said. "Seems unfair that this had to happen to the others."
Footsteps were suddenly heard, and the three turned to see someone appear in the parlor doorway. Beast stiffened. Belle and Maurice were surprised. All seemed to recognize the newcomer.
"Agathe?" Maurice asked.
"Are you all right Agathe?" Belle asked. "How did you end up here?"
Belle began to stand, but Beast put a protective paw on her arm. Obviously Belle and Maurice knew her in some capacity, even knowing her name, but not as he knew her. And what he knew about her made him fear for their safety.
"Careful Belle," he said with a low growl. "Enchantresses get around." He looked at Agathe. "I don't really care what you might see fit to do to me at this point, though I would prefer it if you left me without causing further anguish. But whatever you do I must insist you do it without harming Belle or Maurice."
"You're the enchantress?" Belle asked incredulously.
"I am," Agathe said. "And do not be alarmed, Beast. I'm not here to do anything against Belle or her father. I'm quite fond of them actually. It is Belle I had chosen to help you break the curse, and you came so close." There was a hint of regret in her voice. "Nor am I here to increase your grief."
"You sent her to me?" Beast asked, stunned. "You...actually wanted me to break the curse?"
"I did, yes," Agathe said. "I wanted to teach you the lesson needed for you to be a better person. You've learned it and have become a better person. I wish circumstances hadn't prevented you meeting the requirements in time."
"Why don't you...have a seat..." Beast invited uneasily. He figured he'd better show some hospitality to her, not wanting to again provoke her ire. He didn't exactly feel like being particularly hospitable to this particular person, but it seemed the wisest choice. Besides, he hoped she might answer some questions. Like why his servants had such a worse fate.
"Thank you," Agathe said, sitting in a chair. "That's a better reception from you than the last time I came calling. Though I see you're less than comfortable with my presence. Which I cannot blame you for."
"Agathe," Belle said. "Do you mind if I ask a question?"
"I don't mind a bit," Agathe said.
"I'm a little confused," Belle said. "You seemed kind, and I counted you one of the few I could call a friend in the village. But...this curse. I understand you wanted to help Beast become a better person...but was it necessary to take any meaningful life from the staff? And thinking they were dead was bad enough...but it seems they are alive and can form a telepathic connection to those touching them. They're alive yet imprisoned in the form of completely inanimate objects. Why? Wouldn't death have been kinder?"
"What happened with the staff is my biggest regret with this curse," Agathe said. "With each petal that fell they were becoming less human. As well, the castle became less structurally sound. Just as the castle did not completely crumble to the ground when the curse became permanent, the staff did not completely lose their lives, even if they're now just ordinary houseware. Had I to do it over again, I think I'd have just made the castle dark and gloomy and the servants objects that could move around, but not cause progressive deterioration, so they'd never become frozen in place as they are now. My reasoning was if Beast saw his home crumbling around him, and could see his staff fading, to eventually leave him alone in a dilapidated home if he should fail to break the curse, that might be incentive for him to work at being a better person. But I hadn't considered the potential harm, which I fear outweighs the good I hoped would come."
"Why curse them in the first place?" Beast asked. "You say if you could do it over you'd have put a milder curse on them, but surely they didn't deserve to be cursed at all? They blamed themselves for not standing up to my cruel father, thus allowing me to turn out like him, but surely they can't be blamed for not defying their employer?"
"A curse must effect all present at the time I'm afraid," Agathe said. "Were I only to curse the main offender, in this case you, the magic spreading across the land would be very disorienting to any person or animal not enchanted. Such disorientation could cause harm, potentially. Not necessarily, but the potential is there. Suppose young Chip was disoriented and panicked and ended up running right into the fireplace. Enchanting everybody on the premesis was necessary to prevent this disorientation."
"But why were my father and I and our horse Philippe not disoriented in this way?" Belle asked. "I mean, speaking for myself, it was rather startling at first, but I always had my wits about me, not confused to the point of running into harm."
"Ah," Agathe said. "The magic had long settled and ceased posing the threat I described. It's really just those present at the time a curse is enacted that must also be cursed for their own protection."
"So we know why you did what you did," Maurice said, breaking his silence, "and what you wish you'd done instead. But what about moving forward? Is there any way the curse could still be lifted?"
"That I am afraid is...difficult," Agathe said. "Magic is quite...fickle. Reversing a curse outside of its set conditions is problematic. I'd like to, but I am not familiar with a case where a curse has been lifted outside its conditions without the magic being allowed to drain."
"Drain?" Beast asked. "But part of the curse stipulated that failure to break it in time would result in it lasting 'for all time'. Doesn't that mean it would never drain?"
"Well, truly permanent magic is difficult," Agathe answered. "Depending on one's skills, how powerful a command one has on magic, magic drains after varying lengths of time. The magic I put here would drain out after about a hundred years. To enforce the curse for eternity, I would have to come back and renew the magic. Eventually I'll be advanced enough that it will last longer and I'd have to do less frequent 'refills'. But it takes a very long time for my kind to be able to cast truly eternal magic that doesn't need to be refilled. I'm hoping to figure out a way to reverse this sooner, but as of right now the only thing I can do is allow it to drain out in its own time."
"When might we know if you can come up with something sooner?" Beast asked, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice.
"I will go and give it some thought and see if I can come up with anything," Agathe said. "How about I return tomorrow after breakfast and we'll regroup?"
"Sounds...like a plan," Beast said. "I don't even care if I stay a Beast. I...actually think I might almost prefer it. For so long I hated myself for the creature I am. Now it's the least of my worries. It's just the others...I want to see them freed from this fate even if I never am."
"I'll be back tomorrow and let you know if I've come up with anything," Agathe said. "And I'm intrigued by your comment that you'd almost prefer remaining a Beast. Perhaps you can elaborate on that tomorrow."
And just like that, Agathe was gone.