When the Petal Falls
Summary: Maurice works for Prince Adam at the castle to support his wife and young daughter. He is cursed with the rest of the castle when the Enchantress crashes the party, unable to return to his family. Soon after his wife succumbs to her sickness and passes away. Belle is placed in an orphanage for the next thirteen years, until she runs away in search of a father she barely remembers. She vows to find him and bring him home, but she gets more than she bargained for when she stumbles upon a lonely castle surrounded by winter.
A/N: I started this chapter more times than I care to admit, but I am finally happy with the end result. Hopefully you all will be too. A hundred thank yous to everyone who has reviewed and put this story on favorites and alerts. It so appreciated! Anyway, on with reading. Hope it doesn't disappoint!
Chapter Six
It was still dark outside when Belle woke the following morning. She planned for a quick getaway, and had therefore not gotten much sleep during the night. She had been hoping for a bath, but knew that to prolong her departure would only bring attention upon herself. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to try to stop her.
Fortunately she hadn't unpacked anything so there wasn't much for her to do other than make the bed and sneak out. She changed into the last dress she owned, which was white with a red hem. Belle hoped that the next place she came upon would have a place for her to do laundry. She did not fancy having to change back into her dirty dresses.
She opened her bedroom door as quietly as possible then surveyed the corridor to make sure it was empty. She made sure to check all around for any objects that may have been moving. It was impossible to know what was alive and what was not in this enchanted castle. Once she was satisfied that she was alone, she slowly crept out of her room with her meager bag of possessions.
Belle half expected to be stopped along the way, but it seemed all of the castle's inhabitants were asleep. Could enchanted objects sleep? It was a riddle to contemplate later, once she was as far away from the castle as possible.
Every step she took made the floorboards creak under her weight, causing her to jump and peer around in alarm. The last thing she wanted was to cross paths with the Beast. He'd seemed to welcome the idea of her leaving the previous day, but she did not want to give him the chance to change his mind about keeping her as his prisoner.
It was easy enough to find the front door. The castle's inhabitants hadn't made her navigate the castle blindfolded, and she'd taken care to learn her surroundings so that she wouldn't get lost if she needed to make a quick getaway. She quickened her pace and stopped at the door, testing it to see if it was locked.
Thankfully, it wasn't.
She wasted no time opening the door, grateful that it did not make a sound. She closed it behind her than began her journey away from the castle.
Belle only made it a few yards before she came upon a structure she hadn't seen previously. She had been in such a hurry to get away from the wolves that she'd overlooked what was unmistakably the stables. Was a place like this likely to have horses? It was worth looking into.
When she arrived at the stables, she was disappointed but not surprised to find it empty. She supposed it would be a waste to have horses when none of the castle's inhabitants were able to ride one. There had to have been at some point in the castle's history, however. Otherwise why even bother building the stables? It was yet another mystery that she would have contemplated if she were to stay.
It wasn't long before Belle was off the castle grounds. She walked cautiously, careful to keep her steps as silent as possible so as not to alert any predators to her whereabouts. She wished she had a map or something to go by so that she could be sure of where she was going. She did not know how far the next village was. For all she knew Villeneuve was the only town for hundreds of miles. The thought gave her no comfort, especially since her rations were running low and she had no idea how to hunt. She supposed the likelihood of finding fruit or berries was good, especially since there were animals in the forest that lived them, but so far she had yet to come across any.
As the day wore on Belle's hunger increased. She finally allowed herself one of her last pieces of bread, wishing she would have spared the time to find the kitchen in the castle to steal herself some food, but it was too late to go back. Even if she did the Beast or the enchanted objects were almost certainly awake. There would be no sneaking into the castle, and her pride refused to let her to go back. She would not give the Beast the satisfaction.
By sunset Belle's fatigue was at an all time low. Her feet ached, her stomach was digesting itself, and her eyelids felt as though they were weighted down with sandbags. She knew that if she closed her eyes she would pass out. She needed to find somewhere relatively safe to take shelter for the night. The wolves would be out at any moment and she did not fancy running into them again. She doubted she would be so lucky to get away a second time.
As she walked on, however, she did not find any place suitable to lay her head. There were no trees big enough to climb. There were no openings within large rocks to seek shelter in. Only thin trees and open spaces that would only invite predators.
The first howl of a distant wolf nearly made her jump out of her skin. She quickened her pace, her heart feeling as though it was about to jump straight out of her chest as she did so.
But then she found it. There was a ditch just a few paces ahead that would lend itself nicely to a small shelter. All she needed to do was find some branches to cover herself, and she might just keep out of sight of the wolves.
Belle wasted no time burying herself in the ditch and found enough loose branches to hide underneath. If she was careful not to move too much, she just might be able to avoid becoming wolf food.
She curled herself into a ball, trembling when another wolf's howl filled the night air. This one was closer. It would not be long before the wolves came upon her hiding spot.
After whispering a quick prayer, Belle closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her. If she was to become dinner for the wolves, she preferred to be blissfully unaware.
Adam cursed when the servants informed him of the girl's departure. He'd known she would likely be long gone by the time he woke the following morning, but having his suspicions confirmed filled him with a dread he had not expected. What surprised him was the fact that he was unsure what he dreaded more: Belle leaving when she could be the one to break the spell, or the very real possibility of the wolves attacking her.
The girl had been nothing but infuriating during her stay with him. He knew he had not made her situation any easier by locking her up. It had been so long since he'd been in the company of a human that he'd temporarily forgotten himself. And now it was too late. She was gone, and there was nothing he could do.
After a lonely breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages, and croissants, Adam retreated into his chambers in the west wing and watched with mounting dismay as petal after petal fell. At the rate the rose was slowly destroying itself, it would not be long before the curse became permanent.
As the afternoon wore on in the same manner, the feeling of needing to do something only grew. Short of going into the neighboring village and kidnapping a girl to bring back to the castle, he did not know what he could do. Any girl he brought into the castle against her will would never fall in love with him, no matter how charming he was. His best option would have been to convince Belle to remain with him, but she'd had a way of aggravating him as no one else had. For the few moments he'd been in her presence all he'd wanted was to get as far away from her as possible. He'd eagerly welcomed her departure.
Now he wished he could get her back.
As though he'd read his mind, Lumiere knocked at the door and entered without bothering to wait for a reply. Adam did not have the energy to reprimand him. If he was honest with himself, he welcomed the company, lonely as he was.
Not that he would ever tell him that.
"Master, why did you let her leave?" Lumiere asked, abandoning all pretense. Adam did not blame him for his candor. After all, it was his fault the valet was a candelabra in the first place.
"She made her desire quite clear. She had no intention of staying any longer than she had to."
"You could have convinced her to stay." At the look Adam gave him, Lumiere quickly added, "With all due respect, Master."
Adam turned his gaze back on the rose, which was about to shed yet another petal. "It's too late. She's gone, and she won't be back."
"But Master," Lumiere interjected, clearly unable to help himself. "You know these woods. You know she will not find another village for days. She had so little belongings with her, and none of them were suitable for surviving a trek through the forest."
"Your point?"
Lumiere shifted, uncomfortable. "If she stands any chance of surviving in the woods on her own, she needs more than what she has now. She has nothing to defend herself against the wolves or any of the other predators that prowl the forest. She has no suitable clothing for the elements, and her rations were scarce. I took the liberty of looking in her bag earlier."
"Of course you did," Adam grumbled. "What exactly are you suggesting?"
"I am suggesting, Master, that you go after her. I know that, deep down, you would never be able to live with yourself if you came upon her dead body one day."
Adam winced at the candelabra's words. They were harsh, but true. He may have looked like a beast, and Belle might have been the most stubborn woman he'd ever met, but she did not deserve the fate that awaited her if she was to continue on her journey as she was. And if he and the rest of his cursed companions stood any chance of becoming human again, he needed to go after her.
"Tell Mrs. Potts and the rest of the kitchen staff to have dinner made. Get the maids to prepare Belle's room. Tell them to have a bed warmer on hand, in case it is needed. I pray it won't be." Adam strode to his bed and grabbed two cloaks. The first one he clipped on his shoulders, though he hardly needed it with his heavy fur coat. The second he gripped tightly in his paws, careful not to rip it with his sharp claws.
"How long do you think you will be, Master?" Lumiere asked tentatively, almost as if he were afraid of the answer.
"I hope to be back within the hour," Adam replied, though he did not believe it. Belle had a whole day's head start. Even though he was able to move much faster than her in his current form, she had an entire forest in which there were endless possibilities to her whereabouts. He did not put much faith in his tracking skills, mostly because it had been so long since he'd ventured out of the castle. He did not wish to tell Lumiere any of this. He had no intention of feeling guiltier than he already did.
Adam rushed past his servant, moving at a pace somewhere between a walk and a run as he made his way down the stairs and out the door.
He almost wished for snow. He could have at least followed her footprints that way. Instead he would have to track Belle the old fashioned way.
Between his intensified sense of smell and his old skills at tracking, he was confident that he was moving in the right direction. He only wished the sun was still up, not only for the added benefit of better vision, but for the heat as well. He was not optimistic that he would find her warm.
His unease was increased by the constant howling of the wolves. He'd known they would be prowling the forest, but hearing them firsthand only made the threat more real. He needed to find Belle, and soon.
Adam lost all track of time as he ventured further away from the castle. It felt like he'd been in the woods for an eternity, though he knew it could not have been more than a few hours at most. He had to remind himself that Belle had a day's worth of distance between them. He did not expect to find her in a few short hours, though that fact did not stop him from wishing otherwise.
The next howl could not have been more than a few miles away. He quickened his pace, wishing more than ever that he'd find the wolves soon. It was better he fight them off than Belle. At least he could defend himself.
The next sound that pierced the air sent him scrambling. The unmistakable woman's scream set his blood boiling. He raced in the direction of the scream, knowing with a deadly certainty that the scream had been Belle's. He only prayed he was not already too late.
He found her in a small ditch, holding a feeble branch in an effort to protect herself against the pack of wolves inching their way toward her. The five wolves were practically licking their chops in their anticipation of an easy fight.
Adam wasted no time in lunging for the wolf that had been the first to charge at Belle, dropping the cloak on the ground as he did so. He tackled the wolf to the ground, surprising the other wolves and Belle at the same time, judging from the startled cry that fell from her lips. He had no time to reassure her because his victim's companions had sprung into action upon seeing their pack leader attacked. The four other wolves turned their attention from Belle to him and all attacked at the same time.
Adam's beast form was no match for them, and they knew it. The wolves kept up their joint attack, aiming for his weak spots. He used his brute strength to throw them away, doing enough damage that they did not try again. Two of the wolves he'd thrown against nearby trees had barely struggled to their feet, and had watched as he kept up his attack on their companions. He was vaguely aware of Belle watching, but could do nothing to reassure her because the other wolves were proving harder to fend off.
One of them managed to get in a deep bite to his shoulder. He howled in pain and grabbed the wolf by the throat and threw him straight to the ground. The wolf was dead in an instant.
The others knew the fight was lost. They whined as they ran away, already mourning the loss of one of their own.
Adam fought to remain upright. He struggled to keep as much of his strength as he could, but the effort proved impossible. He slumped to the ground, his shoulder throbbing in agony.
He was hardly aware of Belle as she reluctantly took a step in his direction. She cautiously crept her way to him, but he could only watch. If she chose to run away there would be little he could do to stop her.
To his astonishment, she knelt down beside him and touched his arm. It was a gentle touch, hesitant, as though she did not know if the simple act would put him in further pain.
"Can you stand?" she asked softly, her voice much gentler than it had ever been while speaking to him.
He hissed in pain as his shoulder throbbed again. Belle immediately pulled her hand away from him, thinking it had been due to her touch. He wanted to reassure her, but words seemed to be too much for him. He took a deep breath and finally managed to whisper, "Yes."
Belle seemed to realize that he needed her help to accomplish the simple act of standing. She took his paw gently in her hand and was careful to avoid his ripped shoulder as she helped him to her feet. She was surprisingly strong for a human woman, but he did not have the strength to tell her. It seemed inappropriate, and she seemed hesitant enough to help him. The last thing he needed was to offend her and chase her and all future help away. If she left him, he did not think he would manage to get back home on his own.
No words were exchanged as Adam leaned on her as much as he could without crushing her to the ground. Belle was careful to remain steady and kept her gait slow in order not to get ahead of him. He was lucky he hadn't broken a leg.
Adam was exhausted by the time the castle came into view. He knew Belle had to be as well but she hadn't said a word in complaint, for which he was incredibly grateful. They kept up their slow pace. By the time they stepped into the castle grounds Adam felt ready to pass out from his weariness.
"Master! What has happened?" Lumiere asked the moment he saw Belle and Adam. Belle had managed to open the door on her own, but they'd been greeted almost at once by Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and the coat rack named Chapeau. At the sight of Adam and Belle they'd all broken into hysterics, until Cogsworth finally got a hold of himself.
"We can get the full story later. Right now the Master needs attending to, and I'm sure the young lady could do with a hot bath and some rest."
"I can take him to his room," Belle interjected, her voice shaky but determined. "I don't think he can make it on his own."
As much as Adam wanted to object and say that he was perfectly able to get to his chambers on his own strength, he felt as though the small act of opening his mouth would cause him to faint, which would only prove the girl's point.
"Yes," Lumiere said at last. "I think that would be best."
The enchanted objects followed Belle and Adam upstairs, Lumiere guiding Belle in the right direction because she had yet to enter the west wing. Adam nearly fell over with glee at the sight of his bed. The only thing that stopped him from entering the world of slumber was the pain in his shoulder. That would have to be treated before anything else could happen.
Belle guided him to the bed, and he laid down on his stomach so that the blood matting his fur would not contaminate the sheets. A kitchen cart rolled in on its own, carrying first aid supplies. Belle immediately went to work treating his shoulder, ignoring Adam's grimaces of pain as she did so.
The rest of the servants watched with bated breath as Belle finally wrapped his shoulder in a gauze bandage. When she finished she stood up. "Get some rest," she said to Adam, who was more than willing to take her advice. The moment he closed his eyes he was asleep.
"Thank you, Mademoiselle," Mrs. Potts said softly as Belle stood up from her vacated spot on the bed.
"You don't know what you did for us," Lumiere added, giving her a small bow.
"He saved my life," Belle admitted, sparing the Beast a look that he could not see. "It was the least I could do."
"The least we can do is heed the master's orders," Lumiere announced and marched past Belle to the door. "I will have the maids draw you up a hot bath. Your bedroom is already prepared. I will make sure dinner is brought to your room right away. If there is anything else, you need only ask."
Belle smiled. It felt like her first smile since leaving the orphanage. "Thank you. That should be fine."
She left the Beast's room and followed Lumiere to her bedroom. He pointed out the adjoining washroom that she had not seen previously. When she was left alone she wasted no time diving in to the tub, relishing the feel of the soapy water against her grimy skin. It had been so long since she'd had a hot bath that the feeling felt foreign but welcome.
The only reason she pulled herself out of the tub some time later was her empty stomach and utter exhaustion. She could not have known which was worse. In the end her hunger won out, and by the time she was in a clean white nightdress and returned to the bedroom, there was a hot meal waiting for her.
Belle did not take the time to fully appreciate the dinner as she gobbled it down. She barely took stock of what she put into her mouth. The only feelings she felt once she finished were satisfaction and fullness for the first time in what felt like years.
By the time she climbed into bed, she felt like a whole new person. She would deal with the repercussions of her actions later. At the moment all she cared about was falling into a deep sleep and staying there for as long as she could.
