Chapter 25

Another year and a half went by. Although they were both busy, Belle and Adam made sure to make time for each other. They started a new tradition of going out in the mornings together either before or after breakfast. On beautiful, sunny days they would take the horses for a ride and have their breakfast by the lake. On rainy days they would stay in bed, sometimes reading, sometimes making love, but always together. On those days, Mrs. Potts would leave breakfast for them on a tray in the hallway.

In their two and a half years of marriage, Belle had read in several books that the love in a marriage often dissipated over time and that she and Adam would not always feel the yearning for each other that they did at the beginning of their relationship. But that simply was not true for them. If anything, they loved each other more with every passing day. That wasn't to say there weren't arguments from time to time, but they always got through them, stronger in the end.

On a particularly cold winter's morning, Adam and Belle were sitting in the dining room, eating their breakfast with a large fire roaring behind them. Despite the fire, there was still a chill in the air. Belle pulled her shawl more tightly over her shoulders. Adam was sitting back in his chair, staring at her in a way only he could.

"What is it?" She asked, wondering if she had food on her face or something.

"You get more beautiful every day," he answered.

"You spoil me," she replied.

"Because I love you." He paused. "Let's go somewhere."

"What?"

Belle put down the piece of toast she was nibbling on

"It's been ages since we've gone anywhere."

"We were in Italy just last month."

"Yes, well, I think it's time for another vacation. Even if we just went for a day."

"Adam, my students have been working so hard on their science projects that I want them to be able to finish. I don't want to take a day off to travel."

"Surely they can stand to miss a day of school. After all, with the enchantress' book, we can get anywhere and back in just a day. What about Norway?"

"Norway?" She questioned, wondering where that idea had come from.

"Or the Swiss Alps. I hear they are breathtakingly beautiful in the winter. You always said you wanted to see the snow covered mountains."

Belle smiled. "You are persistent."

"It's one of my best qualities."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't travel right now, Adam. The children have been working so hard. But if you want, you should go."

"I don't want to go without you. Which is why I'm going to get you to change your mind."

Adam took a large bite of an apple, smiling all the while. Belle knew if things were different, she would give in to him. Seeing the Swiss Alps in the winter did sound exquisite. But she couldn't go and she needed to tell him the real reason why.

"There is...there is something I should tell you," Belle began. "But I don't want you to get too excited."

"What is it?" He asked.

"I…"

Belle was interrupted by Lumiere entering the room.

"Pardon me," he said. "But I have an urgent message for you, sir."

Lumiere walked over to Adam and handed him a folded piece of paper. Adam opened it and began to read it.

"What is it?" Belle asked.

"It's my father," Adam answered. "He's ill."

"How bad is it?"

"He doesn't have much longer. He is requesting my presence."

"Then you must go to him," Belle said. "Lumiere, please get the carriage ready."

"Yes, mademoiselle," Lumiere replied.

"Wait," Adam said, stopping Lumiere in his tracks. "We won't be needing the carriage. Thank you, Lumiere, for bringing this to me. You may go."

Lumiere exited the room. Adam folded the paper back up and placed it on the table.

"But your father…" Belle began.

"My father means nothing to me."

"How can you say that?"

"Have you forgotten what he tried to do to you?" Adam asked, angrily. The memory made his blood boil. "Or what he said about you?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten. But he's still your father."

"He is no father of mine," Adam stated.

"Adam, if he is dying, you should be with him."

"I know you'd give anything to be with your father again, Belle. But I would give anything to not ever see my father again." Adam stood up abruptly. He marched out of the room, leaving Belle alone. The thing she was about to tell him would have to wait.

Just an hour later, Adam was strolling by the library. He stopped at the closed doors. The children must be very engaged in their lesson because he heard no noise. Curious, he opened the door just a crack. It was one of Adam's guilty pleasures to watch Belle with her students. She never knew that sometimes he would just watch her teach and interact with them. She was a natural teacher. It made Adam happy to see her so happy.

But as Adam peeked inside, he saw no students learning. He opened the door wider. There was no movement in the room aside from Plumette dusting.

"Where is everyone?" Adam asked.

Plumette turned around, startled. She nearly dropped her feather duster.

"Mademoiselle Belle cancelled class for today," Plumette explained. "I just came back from telling everyone at the village."

"Cancelled class? Why?"

Plumette shrugged. "All I know is she asked Lumiere to get the carriage ready. He said they might be gone for a while."

"But where would they…"

Adam stopped himself mid-sentence. Belle had been so keen on him visiting his father that he knew that was where she must have gone. He felt a moment of rage. She knew he didn't want anything to do with his father. Why was she pushing the matter? Why couldn't she just accept that he didn't care if his father died alone? Why would Belle want to see the king after all that he had done to her? As a dozen questions entered Adam's mind, his rage instantly turned to fear. Belle could not go alone to see his father.

"Is something that matter, sir?" Plumette asked.

"When? When did they leave?"

"Just after breakfast."

Adam turned and practically ran out of the castle. He had to stop her.

Belle did not know how long she had been sitting in the carriage, but it felt like an eternity. When she had left the castle, it was still early morning. It had to be well past noon now. The carriage door opened and Lumiere put his hand out to Belle.

"We're here, Mademoiselle," he said.

"Thank you, Lumiere," she replied, stepping out of the carriage and onto the cobblestone path. Belle looked around, tugging on her red cloak to keep her warm. In front of her loomed a massive castle, even bigger than the one she and Adam shared. There were no gardens or greenery of any kind. Just a large, dark structure.

"Shall I escort you in?" Lumiere asked.

"No. I think this is something I need to do on my own. Thank you for driving me. I would have taken Philippe, but I...I was not feeling up to it."

"You know I would do anything for you. I will be out here waiting when you are ready to return."

"Thank you."

Belle began walking towards the monstrous castle. She started to get the same feeling she had felt when she had first rode up to Adam's castle, back when he was still a beast and she had been looking for her father. It was a sense of fear and hopelessness. Belle took a deep breath. She had made the decision to come and she had to stand by that decision because she knew it was the right thing to do, even if Adam would disagree.

Belle made her way to the door. Two guards, dressed in armor, holding spears blocked her path.

"What is your business here?" The first guard asked.

"I'm here to see the king," she answered.

"The king does not see commoners," the second guard replied.

"I am his son's wife. The king's daughter in law. I know he is ill. I'd like to see him. Please."

"The king does not want any visitors," the first guard explained.

"I…"

"Belle!" Adam shouted. He came galloping towards her on Philippe. He pulled on the reins and slid off Philippe's back. Philippe looked for something to eat, but there was no grass anywhere to be found.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I should be asking you that," Adam answered. On the ride over, he tried to calm himself down. He did not want to be angry with Belle. He just wanted to get to her and bring her home.

"You said you wouldn't come see your father," she explained. "So I decided to see him instead."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

"I don't need your permission," Belle replied.

"No, you don't. But to come out here, on your own…"

"How did you even know I was here?"

"Plumette told me you cancelled your class and that you had asked Lumiere to take you somewhere in the carriage. I knew this is where you must be. I rode off on Philippe as soon as I found out. Thankfully it takes less time to ride than it does to take a carriage."

"And now that you're here, what do you intend on doing?" Belle asked. "Because I will see your father, Adam. I will not let a man die alone even if he is not a good man."

Adam sighed. He knew there was no winning an argument with Belle. Once she had made up her mind, she could not be swayed otherwise.

"I will not let you see him alone."

"Then come with me," she said, reaching out her hand.

"Belle…"

"I understand why you don't want to see him. I know he was not the kind of father my father was. But…"

"But?" Adam prompted.

"He's still your father."

Adam sighed again, knowing she was right. She was almost always right. He took her hand and they faced the guards.

"I am Prince Adam. Here to see my father," he announced.

The guards immediately opened the door to the castle. They bowed as Adam and Belle stepped inside.

In front of them was what once had been a grand staircase. But it had not been well taken care of. Pieces of the gold molding were missing, the paint was chipped. Everywhere they looked, Belle saw cobwebs and dust. They were both quite stunned. Belle had been expecting a grand castle like the one she and Adam lived in. She was not expecting something so run-down and in need of repair.

"Have you ever been here before?" Belle asked.

"Never inside. I had ridden past on occasion in my beast days, but I never saw my father after he left me as a teenager. I did not know my father lived this way."

"It feels...sad," Belle said quietly.

Holding Belle's hand firmly, Adam led them up the staircase. Although he had not been there before, he knew his father's likes and dislikes. Adam guessed his bedroom would be in the west wing, just as Adam's was. They walked in silence towards the room. When they came to a tall set of wooden doors, they stopped.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Adam asked.

"You were with my father when he died," Belle answered. "The least I can do is be there for yours. But if you can't see him...I understand."

Adam swallowed a lump in his throat. "I'm not letting you go in there alone."

"He's a dying man, Adam. I don't think he can hurt me."

"Nevertheless, I'm coming with you."

Belle nodded. "Ok."

Adam knocked on the door. A moment later, it opened. A young male servant had opened the door.

"Who is it?" A voice called out.

Adam spotted his father on the bed. He looked much older than the last time he had seen him. He was thin, the skin practically sagging off his bones. He looked tiny in the large canopy bed even though he hadn't been a small man.

"It's your son, Adam," Adam answered.

"Come in," he said.

Adam slowly approached the bed, never letting go of Belle's hand. As they got closer, King Andrew coughed uncontrollably. He held a handkerchief to his face. When his coughing fit was finally over, he pulled the cloth away. There were speckles of blood.

"I did not think you'd come," he said.

"You can thank Belle for that," Adam replied.

"Ah...yes, the commoner," his father replied with a shaky voice.

"I knew this would happen! I knew you hadn't changed your ways! How dare you speak to her like that!" Adam exclaimed, raising his voice. "She is my wife! She is your daughter-in-law. And it looks like very soon she will be queen!"

"Adam," Belle said quietly, putting her hand on his arm.

"You're right, my son," Andrew said. "Soon I will be gone and you will be king and she will be queen. And I'm grateful that you'll have her by your side."

"You...what?" Adam asked, confused. He hadn't ever said a nice thing about Belle.

"I've been lying here, thinking back on my life," Andrew continued. "I'm not proud of the man I was. I wasn't a good king or father or husband to your mother. But I knew no different."

"It is never too late to change," Belle commented.

"That's why I called you here," Andrew said to Adam. "To apologize. To you, my son for all of my shortcomings. And to you, Belle, for the way I treated you."

The king reached out his hand and Belle took it. After the way his father had treated Belle, he would not have blamed her if she chose to slap him across the face and storm away. But he knew Belle would never do that. She was far too good of a person to do that. And that was one of the many reasons he loved her. She made everyone around her better. Belle glanced over at Adam. He knew she was telling him that everything was ok. Adam took his father's other hand.

"It's alright now, father," Adam said.

"I haven't much time left," Andrew replied, coughing. "But know I want you to be happy. I want you to be a better man than I ever was."

"I'll do my best, father."

"I think I'll rest now," the king decided.

He closed his eyes. Belle watched a tear roll down Adam's cheek. Even though he claimed to not care about his father, Belle knew better. Adam was not the kind of man who could just stop caring. Despite the fact that he was not the best father to him, she knew Adam loved him deep down in his heart.

"Thank you," Adam whispered to Belle.

She nodded. They both looked down at Adam's father and waited.

Author's Note: I just had to bring Adam's father back into play on this one. Thanks to everyone who has been following this story for so long! Please don't forget to review. Reading them really makes my day!