Chapter 11: Beauty And The Beast/Leaving The Castle The Beast's POV
As the coat rack was cleaning me up with a bath, I grew more and more nervous. Tonight, Belle and I were going to have dinner together and we were going to dance in the ballroom. I knew Natalie and Trysha were going to be there as well, so that gave me some kind of reassurance, but it still wasn't enough to take away my anxiety.
As the coat rack continued to clean me off, Lumiere hopped over to me and said while hopping up onto a stool,
"Tonight is the night!"
The coat rack then poured water all over me to rinse out the soap, and I said while pulling the fur out of my eyes,
"I'm not sure if I can do this."
Lumiere warned me, "You don't have time to be timid, you must be bold! Daring!"
I said with confidence, "Bold! Daring!" As I shook off all of the water on my fur, causing it to puff out a little.
Lumiere told he while drying off and relighting himself as I walked toward the mirror and the coat rack dried me off,
"There will be music, romantic candlelight, provided by myself. And when the moment is right, you confess your love."
I said as I looked into the mirror, "Yes, I con-, I-I, No! I can't!"
Lumiere asked me, "You care for the girl don't you?"
I answered as the coat rack was combing and cutting my hair, "More than anything."
He then asked, "And you don't want to let her friends down do you?"
I answered, "Of course not."
He said with confidence as the coat rack continued to stylize my hair, "Well then, you must tell her."
He went on to say as the coat rack had finished styling my hair, "Voila! Oh, you look so-so..."
I said looking into the mirror with dismay, "Stupid."
As I looked like a fool.
Lumiere said, "Not quite the word I was looking for, but perhaps a little more off-the-top."
And he clapped his hands together and the coat rack went back to work, trying to fix up my hair.
Cogsworth came into the room and cleared his throat, saying with a bow and a chuckle,
"You're lady awaits."
Belle's POV
"Belle, you look so beautiful."
Natalie said as she had stepped out from behind a dressing screen. She was wearing a beautiful purple ball gown, with long sleeves and trim at the end, golden earrings, purple high heels, her blue crystal necklace, and she had her hair all curled up and flowing down to her back.
Trysha added as she stepped out from her dressing screen, "You look stunning in that dress."
She was wearing a baby blue ball gown, baby blue gloves, golden earrings, blue high heels, and she had her hair rapped up in a bun.
I said to them with a smile, "Thank you, girls. Oh, I know tonight is going to be a wonderful night!"
As I came towards the mirror to look at myself. I was wearing a golden ball gown, with yellow gloves, small golden earrings, golden high heels, and my hair was brushed up in an elegant half-back. The Wardrobe giggled at her enthusiasm and said while we were walking towards the door,
"Well, with that kind of spirit and beauty, you and your friends will have a wonderful night."
She went on to say as she went to go open the door for us, "And now, without further a-do, You're gentlemen awaits."
Third Person's POV
And with that, the Wardrobe opened the door and Belle walked out of the room first as Natalie and Trysha followed. They all walked down the stairs and looked up to see the Beast. He was wearing a blue jacket with gold trim, a golden vest, a white ruffled shirt with a blue stone, black pants with gold stripes on the side, and a matching blue ribbon that held his hair back. He then looked to Lumiere, cleared his throat, straightened up his shirt, and walked down the steps to join the three girls.
Once he came down the steps, Belle and the girls gave a warm smile to him as he did the same. They then gave each other a bow as Mrs. Potts sang while they all walked into the ballroom with Sultan jumping up and barking at them with joy;
Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly
They all sat down to eat dinner in the dining room while the coat rack played music with his violin. Belle then got up and smiled with joy as she ran over to the Beast, took his hands, and led him into the ballroom as Natalie and Trysha followed while Mrs. Potts continued to sing;
Just a little change
Small to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast
Once they made our way into the ballroom, Belle and the Beast walked into the center while Natalie and Trysha stood with the servants at the piano to watch. Belle took a the Beast's hand into her own as he gulped nervously and placed his other hand onto her waist, and placed her left arm onto his other arm. The two began to dance as Lumiere nudged Cogsworth, causing him to smile and nod while Natalie and Trysha smiled with glee at the couple. The Beast then started to get the hang of it and started to take the lead as Mrs. Potts sang;
Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise
As they continued to dance, the ceiling showed cherubs smiling down upon the couple from clouds. The chandelier shined down on them as they continued to dance gracefully, with the Beast twirling Belle around twice, and having her come back to him as Mrs. Potts continued to sing;
Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song
Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong
As the couple continued to dance, they smiled at each other lovingly and Belle laid her head down onto the Beast's chest with love. Surprised, the Beast smiled towards his friends as Lumiere and Cogsworth shook their hands with joy and gave him a thumbs up while Natalie and Trysha smiled at them warmly. Mrs. Potts continued to sing as Chip nuzzled up against her;
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Tale as old as time
song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast
Lumiere shushed the candlesticks, causing them to dim the lights, darkening the ball room as Belle and the Beast finished their dance. Two giant doors opened and the couple walked outside as Mrs. Potts finally sang;
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast
Mrs. Potts nudged her son and said to him while he yawned,
"Off to the cupboard with you now, Chip. It's past your bedtime."
She then gave him a kiss and said, "Goodnight, love."
As he hopped and slid off the tea cart, and hopped out of the room, but stopped for a moment to peak at the doors with a smile on his face.
Cogsworth said with a dreamy gaze, "Oh, don't they just make a lovely couple?"
Natalie said with a nod and sigh, "Yeah, they do." And she looked down, away from everybody else.
Trysha asked her friend "Natalie, what's wrong?"
Natalie answered with another sigh, "Oh nothing, I just miss Quasimodo. I wish he could be here to see this."
Trysha said as she placed her hand onto her friend's shoulder, "Well, I know he'd be proud of you."
Lumiere added, "Especially after what you did to give the master a little more hope. I don't think I've seen him this happy in years!"
Natalie smiled to herself and said as she looked towards the doors, "Yes, I only hope that it will last."
Meanwhile, Belle and the Beast were outside, sitting on the balcony. The Beast was rubbing the back of his neck, trying to think of what to say, while Belle smoothed out her dress a little. He then asked her as he moved a little closer to her and took both of her hands,
"Belle? Are you, happy here with me?"
Belle answered with a soft smile, "Yes."
She then gazed out towards the sky with a sad expression.
With concern, the Beast asked her, "What is it?"
She answered with a sad sigh "If only I could see my father again. Just for a moment, I miss him so much."
The Beast thought to himself for a moment, feeling bad for her and wishing there was something he could do to make her happy. Then, coming up with an idea, he smiled and said,
"There is a way."
The both of them stood up, and walked back inside. When they got back inside, Belle saw her friends and asked,
"Oh, Natalie and Trysha. The Beast was going to help me see my father, would you like to come?"
Natalie answered, "Oh yeah, sure."
Trysha added, "It sounds interesting." And with that, the girls followed Belle and the Beast into another room.
The Beast took them into the west wing and showed them the enchanted mirror, explaining,
"This mirror will show you anything, anything you wish to see."
He handed the mirror to Belle and she said, looking straight into it, "I would like to see my father, please."
The enchanted mirror started to glow, and Belle and the girls looked into it to see Maurice in the woods, falling to the ground and coughing.
Natalie said with worry, "Oh no!"
Belle gasped with worry, "Papa! Oh no, he's sick!"
The Beast was in shock and concerned as Belle continued to say, "He might be dying, and he's all alone!"
The Beast looked to the enchanted rose with deep thought as Trysha said to Belle,
"Belle, we can't let you go back out there by yourself."
Natalie chimed in, "But we can't just leave him out there to die."
As the Beast continued to look at the three-petaled rose, he realized that Belle and her friends could no longer stay here as they needed to be there for her father.
So, with a sad expression, he said, "And that's why, y-you all must go to him."
Both Natalie and Trysha said with shocked expressions, "What?"
Belle looked at him and asked him, "What did you say?"
The Beast answered them, "I release you, all of you. You're no longer my prisoners."
Belle asked him with a small smile, "You mean, w-we're free?"
The Beast answered sadly as his voice started to break, "Yes."
Belle touched the Beast's hand, saying with a smile, "Oh, thank you!"
She then said looking into the mirror, "Hold on, Papa. We're on our way."
She turned back around to give the mirror back to the Beast, but he gently pushed it back to her, saying as he ran his fingers through her brown hair,
"Take it with you. So you'll always have a way to look back, and remember me."
Belle said as she looked at both the mirror and the Beast, "Thank you for understanding how much he needs me."
The Beast looked away sadly, then Belle gently touched his cheek with a sad smile. She then turned around and left the room, leaving Natalie and Trysha behind.
The Beast looked to them and said, "I want to thank you girls for helping me, even if Belle and I didn't end up being together after all."
Trysha said "Hey, buck up. Things between you and Belle are bound to get better, she'll come back." And she left the room.
Natalie said to him as she gently placed a hand onto his cheek,
"I promise you, my friend. This won't be the last time you see us. We'll be back, both me, Trysh, and Belle. You'll see. Take care."
And with that, Natalie gave a hug to the Beast, and raced out of the room to catch up with the girls.
Cogsworth walked into the room with a smile and chuckled,
"Well, your Highness. I must say, everything is going just swimmingly. I knew you had it in you!"
The Beast said with a sad sigh as he had his back turned and was looking at the enchanted rose,
"I let them go."
Cogsworth said with a smile, "Yes, yes. Splen-"
He then stopped when he realized what the Beast just said, and said with shock,
"You, what? How could you, do that?"
The Beast sighed, "I had to."
Cogsworth stammered, "Yeah, b-b-but why?"
He answered, turning to him with a sad sigh, "Because...I love her."
Cogsworth then went ahead and told everyone the news.
Lumiere, Fifi, Mrs. Potts, shouted in shock, "HE DID WHAT?!"
Cogsworth said with a sad nod, "Yes, I'm afraid it's true."
Chip asked, "They're going away?"
Lumiere said with disappointment, "But he was so close!"
Mrs. Potts said shaking her head, "After all this time, he has finally learned to love."
Lumiere's face lit up as he said, "That's it then! That should break the spell!"
Mrs. Potts argued, "But it's not enough, she has to love him in return."
Chip hopped out of the room as Cogsworth said, "Now it's too late."
Belle, Natalie and Trysha were back in their regular clothes, wearing cloaks as they rode off on Philippe. The Beast watched the three girls ride off with tears in his eyes, and gave out a heartbreaking and agonizing roar. Hearing the roar, Natalie looked back towards the castle and shed a few tears, feeling bad for having to leave her friend in such heartbreak. Trysha saw this and placed a hand onto her friends shoulder with a sympathetic smile on her face as they rode away from the castle.
As they rode off into the woods, Belle called out, "Papa! Papa!"
Natalie and Trysha both called out, "Maurice!"
They stopped Philippe and both gasped in shock and Natalie said with worry,
"Oh no!" As they found Maurice lying in the snow.
They immediately brought him back home and led him into the house. Once they closed the door, unbeknownst to them, Le Fou came out of his hiding spot, looking like a snowman.
He shook off all of the snow off of his body, saying in relief, "They're back!"
And ran off to go tell Gaston.