A Legend Becomes Reality
"It isn't right that the masters aren't here," the chef remarked as he prepared the feast a few days later. "After all, this is the most special of all holidays."
"Is this the anniversary of the day the spell ended?" Beau asked.
"Oui, mon prince." He sighed. "I don't know why the wedding couldn't have waited until after they returned, but Babette insists that it had to be today." He smiled. "I cannot believe Lumière will finally be married!"
Lumière looked nervous, but everyone else was excited. Babette had never looked happier.
After the wedding, the servants danced. There were two reasons. One was to commemorate the day they all became human again, and the other was to celebrate the marriage. Lisette watched as everyone else twirled around the ballroom.
"Why don't you join, my lady?" asked Loup. "It would be a fine way to honor your cousin and the day his wife broke the spell."
"I have no one to dance with, servant," she replied.
He bowed. "Would you condescend to dance with me?"
Lisette curtsied. "I'd be delighted."
Although he'd had a limp for years, Loup was surprisingly graceful as he danced.
"Adam and Belle have a fine home," Lisette remarked. "I'd much rather live here than in my own castle."
"You would be welcomed by all."
"You seem quiet tonight, servant. Have you no news for me?"
"My lady, I have a confession to make."
She smiled at him. "Tell me, Loup."
"First of all, I want to say that I am content to remain your friend, and I would never do anything to destroy our friendship, but I must say this." He took a deep breath. "Je t'aime…plus que ma vie."
"You love me more than your life?" Lisette asked. "Then we can no longer be friends."
"I understand."
"Moi je t'aime aussi."
Loup seemed startled but very happy to hear that she returned his love.
"Your cousin is going to kill us," he remarked.
"Adam can shut his mouth!" answered Lisette. "If he can marry a peasant, I can marry a servant!"
"True enough." He hesitated before asking, "Could I…?"
She smiled and nodded, and they kissed…on the lips!
"A sharp gasp from Louve brought the other forest workers running to see what was wrong with her.
"My arm!" she whispered. "It's not fractured anymore!" She bent her elbow and flexed her wrist. "I've got the use of both arms again!"
As the song ended, Loup's eyes widened. "Lisette, I'm not limping!"
Louve started walking toward her brother, who ran to embrace her.
"What happened?" Louve queried.
"I have no idea," confessed Loup. "All I did was kiss her."
"The legend! The legend says that if two lovers share their first kiss on the anniversary of the day the masters had theirs, extraordinary events occur because on this day every year, there's still a bit of magic in the castle!"
Loup said nothing.
"Now we have everything we could want! We have the finest job in France, taking care of Europe's most beautiful forest. We live surrounded by luxury and have kind masters who actually care about their servants. We're not wolves, nor are we injured, and now I'm to have a sister-in-law in due time, perhaps nieces and nephews eventually!"
"Who would've thought this could happen to the town beggars' children?"
Louve lightly slapped him. "Why are you hugging me, you idiot?! The love of your life is waiting! Don't waste your time talking to your sister!"
The castle door opened, and Maman and Papa stepped inside, but no one knew they were home until they came into the ballroom.
"Masters!" Loup ran to them, kneeling without assistance for the first time in years.
Papa smiled. "It's good to see you walking properly, dear friend!"
"Isn't it?" Louve folded one arm behind her back and the other in front of her as she bowed.
"You too?" Papa hugged them both at the same time, much to their surprise. "This is wonderful!"
"Lumière got married," Beau announced, "and Cogsworth's wife says you're going to have another servant."
Papa looked confused.
"Don't worry. We'll sort it all out tomorrow," Maman assured him. "For now, the best thing we can do is join the celebration."
Taking her arm, Papa led her onto the dance floor. The servants stepped aside as their masters began dancing together, and everyone lived happily ever after…until Papa found out the next day that some of the servants had been in the West Wing while he and Maman were gone, but that's a different story.
