Author's Note: Again I thank ArtFlourish and Emily for being my beta readers. Please read ArtFlourish's fic.


Torn between a raging anger and immense sadness, everyone was afraid to approach Belle as she was quick to lash out one minute and cling to someone the next. Perhaps she had watched her Beast and his temper tantrums far too often and they had assimilated into her routine, but the last time she had felt so angry was when Gaston called her Beast a monster. Without thinking, she responded with the truth, that he was the monster instead, even though she was scared that he might assault her for such a statement. How often had he bragged that he could kill a bear with only his bare hands? Everyone usually erupted into immediate cheer like he already did it and she simply frowned, silently daring him to risk his pretty face, though she knew, like everybody else, that he had the strength to do so.

"Mademoiselle?"

"What?" She demanded, turning around and glaring dangerously at the cowering maître'd. Her shoulders sagged with defeat as she sighed, "I'm sorry, Lumière, you're not the one I should be angry with."

Since when did the master ever call you anything but Belle? Lumière hated to be on the receiving end of her anger, and nothing the master ever did before triggered such a rage from her before. "I am sure the master didn't mean what he said—"

"Then he shouldn't have said it," she snapped. "He should have told me that I wasn't wrong for falling in love with him, for saving his life just as he saved mine!"

"That is certainly what I and everyone else thinks," he said, trying to calm her down. "He will come around and see reason."

"Then why isn't he here yet? It's been several hours, hasn't he figured out why he was wrong by now?"

"You did order him to leave you alone."

"He left me in the dungeon twice for no longer then ten minutes after promising I was to spend the rest of my life in there!"

"Yes but you never ordered him to leave you alone. Perhaps he is waiting for you to come to him."

"Never," she vowed. "He will come to me, on his knees, begging for my forgiveness."

I'd give up a month's pay to see that, he thought, chuckling at the image in his mind. The master was quite apologetic and ashamed at times but never did he seem ready to fall to his knees and beg.

"I don't care if it was just a dream," she growled angrily, sitting on the bed as her anger turned over to tears. "I saw the Beast, I heard him speak, and I was so happy; it felt so real. I was back in the castle, convinced I was safe from the world and no one would judge us."

"That sounds like a heavenly dream," Lumière said, daring to sit next to her. "Not something to wake up screaming from."

"As soon as I touched him, he roared with pain. Gaston killed him, and I couldn't stand to watch him die a second time. I expected him to hit me, not bring me to the asylum and try to—" His eyes, they were the worst. Even though Gaston felt that she was dirtied by an animal, it was clear he would take such joy in cleansing her.

Lumière pulled her into a tight embrace. "Don't think about that, don't ever think about that. No one will ever harm you here. The entire castle will fight to protect you, and the master will fight harder then all of us combined, because that's how much he loves you, no matter what foolish things he may say."

Arguments died on Belle's tongue as she cried into her friend's shoulder. Where was Adam? Why wasn't he here with her? Didn't he realize how much she needed him? Watching the Beast die again felt like she was losing Adam forever, and how could she move on knowing such a great man was dead, and how no other, not even those home in Paris, could measure up to him?

Cogsworth stood in front of her door just as stony faced as the guards who stood before Buckingham Palace. He didn't move an inch as Adam came running toward him, book in hand.

"Cogsworth, let me in, I need to see her," Adam ordered.

"Belle is seeing no one, especially you," he replied, standing his ground.

"I am the master here," Adam growled furiously. "How dare you defy me! Open this door and let me in!"

"And Belle is the mistress here, and she has specifically ordered that she sees no one, especially you," he said, unmoved by his master's anger.

Adam felt like he would explode with anger and sadness fighting to see which emotion would become dominant. Although he was tempted to just break down the door, he simply shoved the book into Cogsworth's hands and ran down the corridor, resisting the urge to run on his hands and knees like a beast.

Cogsworth looked down at what he had and knocked on the door.

"What? Can you not see that the girl is in distress?" Lumière hissed as he answered, cracking open the door.

"The master came by, wants to give her this," Cogsworth slipped the book inside the room.

The master? "Where is he?" Belle demanded, standing up and regaining the anger that she had lost before.

"Nowhere, nowhere," Lumière assured her, slamming the door shut and smacking Cogsworth's rear end. "Cogsworth just found this book outside your door."

Belle gently took it and sat down, studying the cover. It wasn't familiar, and somehow it didn't seem like it came from the library. She opened it to the cover page and gasped loudly. Another book from her favorite author, the one that Mr. Linwood gave her the day she came to the castle.

"Is everything alright?"

"More then alright," she said softly, closing and hugging the book close to her chest. Wherever it came from, it was a great soothing balm. "Oh? What's this?" She gently tugged on a piece of paper sticking out from the book. Was a page loose already? Surely the castle bookbinder could fix it.

"It looks to be a letter, but from who?"

"Who indeed?" She wondered aloud as she unfolded it and began to read.

My dearest Belle,

I hear you ran away from your provincial life to have your own adventure, and you didn't take me with you? Just because I am an old man doesn't mean I don't have the stamina and courage to handle a beast in a castle. I am so glad to hear you are safe, it was a hard winter not knowing if you were alive and well. I miss our conversations over books so I have enclosed my address so we may exchange letters. I would buy a new horse for your courier however, Philippe is well known in the village. It wouldn't do well for him to be seen often here. Everyone thinks you and your father are dead, and perhaps it is best if they keep believing so.

"How did you…" Belle quietly asked the letter, shocked and amazed at what she was reading, to which it promptly answered.

A fine young man by the name of Adam has come to see me and told me everything about your disappearance. I couldn't have picked a better man for you even if I tried. His loyalty and the fathomless depths of his heart are astounding, a finer husband the world has never seen, not even in books.

Husband? Belle blushed modestly. She loved Adam, loved him with ever fiber of her being, but somehow the idea of marriage terrified her. He was a prince, she was just a common girl, how could they possibly marry? He talked of having great men and women of breeding and noble deeds in his family history, she had the common man who worked to feed his family.

I know he hurt you, said a very cruel and wrong thing this morning, but he regrets it deeply, and has seen the error of his ways. Please forgive him, Belle; sometimes a person's mouth does not accurately communicate what is in the heart. I have sent you this book, which arrived this morning, as a gift from two men who love you dearly, and in return, Adam has generously filled my coffers to support my business and keep me here in Molyneux. I hope to hear from you soon.

Merlin Linwood

Belle stared at the letter as if it was a ghost from her past. Lumière didn't dare sneak a peak at the contents—though he prayed he would have a chance later—and instead pointed out that the was more writing on the back. She flipped the page over, wondering what she would find.

Belle,

I'm sitting in the field next to your old house as I write this, watching Philippe enjoy his freedom. It's very peaceful here, I can easily imagine you coming here to watch the stars at night or lose yourself in the beauty of nature, forgetting your village and dreaming of someplace new. Words can't express how sorry I am about what I said this morning. I didn't mean to hurt you; I never want you to know pain or sorrow ever again, only joy and happiness for the rest of your life. You were not wrong or sick or anything remotely negative to fall in love with the Beast—I mean, to fall in love with me, and to lie with me. You saw beyond my body, you saw the heart inside. By declaring that you loved me, you acknowledged that you were willing to see me and treat me as a man, even though you thought I would remain in that form our entire lives. No other woman in Molyneux, or even France would have done that. Only you, the most beautiful, the most intelligent, the most amazing woman in the entire world. The Enchantress who put the spell on me, she must have guided you to me, to save me, just as I saved you, and I thank her with everything inside of me just for the honor of knowing a woman like you exists.

Adam

Belle dropped the letter and ran for the door, ignoring the questions from Lumière and Cogsworth as she sprinted down the hall. All she could think of was Adam and how desperately she needed to see him. If she didn't know for certain that she ran up the stairs to the west wing, she would have considered herself lost. No longer did the walls and decorations in the main hallway reflect his tormented soul; instead portraits and statues showcased his ancestors and their great deeds. The beastly door handle to his room was replaced with an angel's head and wings, and inside was spotless, free of debris and clutter and filled instead with furniture and statues that reflected Adam's greatness as prince. Somehow she no longer felt welcome, that here was a life beyond hers, and she did not belong in his social circles. The only thing remotely familiar was the restored portrait of the prince, and she felt like she was seeing an old friend. She reached out and touched the fabric, smiling as she remembered how she would rack her brains trying to figure out who this mysterious man was, and eventually forgot all about him as she became good friends with the Beast. The artist captured him perfectly, especially his eyes, my one physical link between Adam and my Beast.

Moving on, she discovered a crystal rose beneath the bell jar on the table. The stem and leaves were clear, but the rose petals were a bright red, as if they were carved from the purest of rubies. As much as her curiosity intrigued her, she didn't dare lift the bell jar and touch it, afraid of waking the wrong side of the Beast.

Adam was on the balcony, his back towards her, gripped the railing as if he wanted to crush the stone beneath his might. He seemed so lost, torn between remodeling his room to match the way it used to be and drowning in grief and despair. She silently crept up behind him, and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I said get away from me!" He growled, whipping around with his hand raised as if he might strike whoever touched him.

Belle took a step back, fighting her fear and a sudden urge to run away. He wasn't going to hurt her. He didn't lay a claw on her the first time she entered the west wing, no matter how angry he was and he wouldn't hurt her now.

"Belle," he said softly, his tongue caressing her name as if it was sacred.

She smiled warmly at him, though she couldn't speak. His beauty took her breath away, and Merlin was right. No other man would love her, care for her, or support her the way he did, not even in Paris. She shyly took his hands in hers and met his gaze, letting her eyes speak for her.

Adam brought both of her hands to his lips, and they knew in an instant that all had been forgiven. They let go only to throw themselves at each other, sharing a passionate kiss as their bodies pressed together as tightly as possible, only breaking off when they desperately needed air. He rested his forehead against hers and smiled brightly. She returned his smile and grabbed his hands pulling back into his room, bringing him toward his bed. Adam took the hint and scooped her into his arms, gently laying her down on the bed before climbing onto it himself, pulling the curtains closed.