"I don't understand why you're all being so nice to me. Especially since I made one of your staff member slip over fois gras." Cyan told Mrs. Potts as they got out of the dining room.

There was nothing else the staff could think of after dinner since Cyan and her chick went ahead and ate during the show. She wasn't allowed to leave the room until they cleaned out of her nails and scrubbed her hands until they were free of filth. All of this against Cyan's will, by the way. She wasn't the only one going through this 'torture'. The peacock chick had to be bathed and the poor tiny bird kept squawking and struggling until it was deemed clean and set free. The others were going to get themselves cleaned after that spectacular performance while Mrs. Potts took the two to their bed.

"Oh, Chapeau isn't one to hold a grudge, poppet." Mrs. Potts giggled.

"If you say so, miss. But that was still a nasty fall."

"Oh, he's slipped on worse. Next time try not to throw out food you don't like."

"It was the only thing I could think of fast. If I hadn't, this little bird would've eaten it." Cyan gestured to the chick who yawned on her shoulder.

"You do have a good reason."

"Why are you guys even nice to me anyway? You're as trapped here as I am." Cyan began to speak out what seemed to bother her. "Do you ever want to escape?"

It did tug on the girl's mind on why the staff could even stay here. They were serving, well, a literal beast. In both literal and mental sense of the word. He had a horrid temper, his breath stunk the last time Cyan was face to face with him. Although she hasn't seen how they interact around him, she did hear enough of how much they fear him. Her proof was when Cogsworth didn't want Lumiere to let out of her cell and when Beast tried to 'invite' her to dinner. Not one of them seemed like they wanted to follow him after Cyan heard him, after all. Not to mention the harsh tone when he called his servants idiots. 'If I had a master that called me that, I'd walk straight out the door and call him a uncultured brute.' The young girl thought to herself and looked back at Mrs. Potts. Her trolley wheeled almost in front of Cyan as they got closer to the giant staircase in the foyer. There was no way Mrs. Potts could move the trolley up the stairs without help and Chapeau was still tending to his ailing pole of a back. Or was she even going to follow Cyan upstairs?

"The master's not as terrible as he appears." Mrs. Potts said.

"Yes, he is gruesome and hard headed as an ox."

"Somewhere deep in his soul, there's a prince..."Mrs Potts began to explain, but then she tried to find another thing to say. "..of a fellow who just waiting to be set free."

"...Really." Cyan crossed her arms.

'A prince of a fellow' was a good compliment to give to a boy or man. It could have a lot of different meanings. The person can have a wonderful personality that would brighten your day. They could be funny at parties, sport a dashing smiling, or even could just be there to lend a shoulder to cry on. The few people Cyan would even use those words on would be LeFou and Valjean. LeFou may be Gaston's companion, but he was a funny man who had a smile on his face despite the embarrassing situations he is put into. The circus members loved it when he came down for breakfast or dinner if he had time. Although, Cyan wished he could stop being whiny when he gets into a painful end such as when he fell into the thorn bush by the laundry fountain. It was no contest on why Valjean would be a prince of a fellow. He was a jolly and eccentric man who rescued not only her but many of the members. They were people who were outcasts in society and poor souls that were ignored for being different. They wouldn't be alive or have a home if the ringleader had not stepped up for them. Now THAT is a prince of a fellow. Beast hasn't shown anything to Cyan that would fit that kind of title. 'Mrs. Potts isn't going to change my mind. I don't want to hear another word about her heartless monster of a master.' Cyan attempted to tone out the teapot as she tried to explain what kind of person the Beast was. It sounded like she was trying to test Cyan's own patience so the young girl turned her head away from the teapot to look around the foyer.

"The master used to have someone he cared about." Mrs. Potts added.

"...You have my attention." Cyan blinked and turned her head back.

"But that's a story for another day."

'You are a horrible tease, Mrs. Potts.' Cyan frowned. It did surprise Cyan that her captor actually cared about someone. She was even more shocked that maybe someone liked him back! Of course, people have different tastes than Cyan so that would bewilder her. If Mrs. Potts would have told her who exactly this person was, maybe Cyan could have tried to find this person so Beast could let her be free in exchange. But, would it be right to force someone else to take her sentence? After all, it broke Valjean and Grandpa Apple's hearts when they saw her take their place for taking a stupid rose. This would have a heavy load on Cyan's conscience if the person didn't even want to stay. Whatever the case, this did peak her interest and would have to ask about this later.

"Lumiere mentioned something about the west wing." Cyan turned the subject and also her attention to the other set of stairs that went to the west side of the castle.

"Never you mind about that." Mrs. Potts chastised.

"But I want to know!" Cyan whined.

"Off to bed with you, poppet."

"Good night Mrs. Potts. Give my love to Chip." Cyan began to walk up the stairs.

"Nighty-night."

Cyan made her way up the first flight of stairs and then she turned her head toward the west wing. Her curiosity has always gotten her into trouble, but she really wanted to know why the servants didn't want her to go into the west wing. It was something she wanted to find out. Maybe it was something worth understanding on why everyone was like this or worth to even make up a story about if Cyan gets out of here. She wasn't exactly hiding her curiosity very well because Mrs. Potts told her "Straight to bed" from the bottom of the stairs.

"Uuuuggh, you should like someone I know back home. She always told us to go to bed." Cyan groaned and leaned her head back.

Mrs. Potts chuckled and watched as Cyan went out of her view. The trolley's wheels squeaked against the smooth floor and Mrs. Potts did her rounds in the next rooms. The peacock chick watched her around the foyer until she was out of sight. It ran across to the floor to look between the rails to make sure the teapot was gone. There was no sound of the wheels squeaking or the clattering of Mrs. Potts' lid. This was a good sign that she wasn't in the room. However, there was a chance the other servants could be roaming around. It slid across the top of the stairs to the right to listen for any commotion in the kitchen. Said kitchen was surprisingly quiet considering the big show the staff put on during dinner.

"Is there anyone out there?" Cyan whispered out to it. The chick shook its head. "Good, let's see whats on the other side."

She picked up the little bird before quickly making her way to the other side of the stairs. Of course, she had to be quick but quiet just in case someone was still out there. The last thing Cyan wanted was a lecture on not going into places she wasn't supposed to go. 'It is their fault to begin with to even mention the west wing and then tell me there is none. It brews trouble and curiosity.' She nodded in her head. What harm could come from the west wing? Her curiosity only dwindled when the two reached a second set of small stairs. Compared to east wing, the west wing was a depressing place to be. It almost made the dungeon a cheery place to be. The hall was barely lit with very few candelabras on the walls and most of their candles weren't even lit. The wax was melting off some of the stands and Cyan had to back away from the walls because of drops of hot wax falling off. The peacock chick was cowering in fear and shaking tremendously the more the two stayed in the hallway. However, its human mother pressed on up the second set of stairs and deeper into the west wing.

The candle light only dimmed more as Cyan came close to a large door. The door looked like dark gold from how badly lit the candles were giving and it looked fancier than her own room door. Whoever was behind the room must have been compensating for something if there was a massive golden door. Cyan pushed the doors open and it let a loud creaking noise. The hinges must have been old, but the door was slightly dusty so the doors must have always been closed. Cyan walked into the room and froze when she realized how huge the room actually was and how dirty it was. The floor was covered in a thick layer of dust and broken pieces of metal and ripped fabrics. The left side of the room was cluttered with dusty furniture, old books, a medium dresser, and candle poles with candles lit. It looked like nothing was touched or moved from the state of the dust on them. The peacock chick sneezed from the dust balls that flew in the air when wind blew through the room. Whoever stayed in this room needed to give this place a good cleaning, or else they will be sneezing more times in this room than Grandpa Apple in the springtime.

The right side of the room was different from the left. There wasn't a lot of furniture besides a few chairs, a small vanity station, and a thirty-six candled chandelier close to the floor. Cyan was surprised there was even a chandelier like this and took a closer look to see the metal that helped the chandelier stay on the ceiling was broken. It looked like something either bent it or threw something at it and made it fall to the floor like this. Aside from a six or eight sets of candelabras lit in the room, the room's fireplace had a fire going in it. Cyan looked by the door and saw a massive portrait on the wall. It was over a silver stand with several odd trinkets on it. The portrait was partially covered by a old tattered curtain until Cyan walked over and moved it. The portrait was of a couple dressed in what Cyan guessed was their Sunday best. Or even in royal uniforms. The man had black pompous hair and wore a fur like uniform with a stern gaze in his eyes. The woman wore a goldish gown that folded when she had her arms together and her brown hair was put back in a bob. In the middle was a young boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore what looked like a combination of what the couple wore: a fur like suit with gold fabric draped over his shoulders. But, what frightened Cyan was both the man and the boys face was clawed and ripped on the portrait. Someone must have hated the man that much to disfigure his part of the portrait because Cyan could see the canvas threads leaking behind. Only the woman's side was untouched.

'Maybe these were the former owners of the castle..?' Cyan pondered as she walked away from the torn art and walked further into the room. Something didn't seem right. It was starting to scare Cyan as she looked around and off to the left side looked like murder. On the floor was a shattered mirror, broken antlers, feathers, and broken pieces of wood. All of this must have been part of a mirror and chair because the antlers didn't look like they came off a deer recently. And the feathers were dusty and pathetic so they didn't just come from a bird. It was like someone didn't like what they saw in the mirror and tore the mirror off the wall, threw it on the ground, then smashed it with a chair and that made it break. Cyan thought the chair probably deserved it because the antler decor reminded her of Gaston's 'decorating'.

The peacock chick began to chirp frantically behind Cyan and she quickly spun around thinking it was an intruder or one of the servants. But it was nothing but a dummy. Seamstress' and tailors use dummies to design and make their clothes before the person could put it on and sometimes, they wore the clothes that the person didn't want folded. The dummy was by a sun room built at the end of the room. However, there was something familiar on it. A dress was on the dummy; a white dress with the back opened, a teal cross on the chest area, frills on the neck, waist, and the open sleeves. The dress opened in the middle and had the same cross pattern on the chest. Teal rose like pins on the sides so the middle of the dress could semi show the person's legs while the sides flowed around it. The dummy wore white stockings and teal shoes and on the face was a white eye mask.

'This is...This is my dress! A-And my mask!" Cyan shook her head. It was the same dress she wore to Prince Adam's ball in her dreams! She wore it to bed and when she woke up, she was naked under the covers. There was no way Beast could have removed the dress while she slept. The collar had a clip and it was hard to get it on and off if she didn't level the clip properly. If she tried to force the clip off, it could rip the delicate fabric and ruin the dress. Beast wasn't the picture of patience and carefulness so he couldn't have removed the dress. Unfortunately, this didn't calm her down as she was trying to figure out why her outfit was even in this room. Cyan hurriedly backed into the sun room to get away from the dummy. She wasn't watching where she was going and she bumped into a small podium. Something on the podium scratched on the surface, causing Cyan to quickly grab it; thinking it was about to fall. It was only a glass covering a beautiful red rose.

"Another rose..." Cyan said in disgust. But really, it was more in sadness than disgust. "He got onto them for no reason."

Cyan still loved roses, but she was a little sore considering she was stuck in the castle because of her adopted family's imprisonment. However, there was something different about this flower. It wasn't dead. The sun room was covered in frost and it was chilly being in in it and the glass around it looked icy and yet the flower wasn't affected by the cold. Flowers would wilt and die under cold temperatures because winter does not give them enough sunlight for them to grow, and nutrients are hard to get during that season. However, Cyan did see there were shriveled up petals at the bottom of the rose. She lifted the glass off the rose, setting it off to the side to feel its remaining petals. They were surprisingly soft to the touch and she moved to the stem, which didn't have a lot of thorns like normal roses would. It didn't stop her from pricking her finger on one of the few thorns.

"Ow!" Cyan yelled and recoiled her hand back.

Her finger bled from the cut and droplets of blood fell on the edge of the podium. The rose glowed faintly and the petals started to swirl around the flower. Somehow it stuck back onto the flower and the rose looked like it was in full bloom and regained a bright red glow. This was defiantly not a normal flower. The chick was confused on what had happened, but it looked more concern for Cyan when her finger kept bleeding. Luckily, she had bandage wrapping in her bag as she rummaged her bag trying to look for it. She didn't get a chance to get it out when Beast jumped out of nowhere and scared her from his loud thump. He wasn't anywhere in the room when Cyan came in so how was he here now? He looked at the rose concerned when he saw the glass was off.

"What are you doing here?!" Beast yelled in horror. "What did you do to it?!

"Nothing! I did nothing!"

"Do you realized what you could have done!? You could have damned us all!"

"I didn't-" Cyan backed up and tripped over a step and knocked down the dummy that had her dress.

"GET OFF OF THAT! GET OUT OF HERE! GOOOO!"

She wasn't going to ignore that command. His roars echoed throughout the room and made him even more terrifying. Cyan struggled to get off the floor at first because she kept losing her footing, but she finally got her momentum and high tailed out of the room. The peacock chick found a good hiding place in her bag. Cyan's heart began to race in fear that the Beast was following her and she didn't think her room door was going to stop him from his rage. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be safe again. When she reached the foyer, Lumiere and Cogsworth were having a game of chess and Lumiere was the first one to notice their guest coming from the west wing. Something was wrong because she was trying to run down the stairs in a haste.

"Mademoiselle, what are you doing?" Lumiere called from the highest level of the foyer.

"Getting out of here! I can't stay here!" Cyan screeched.

"Stop!" Cogsworth yelled as he climbed onto the chest board and blew on what sounded like a whistle.

"Go! Go! Froufrou!" Lumiere ushered the footstool dog to stop the girl.

"Yes, Froufrou! Stop her!"

The doors and windows closed as soon as Cogsworth blew the whistle. The windows shutters' closed down tightly. The massive door's locks tightened to make sure she didn't pry them out. Cyan hadn't made it down the final level of stairs when Lumiere kept shouting "Don't let her leave!" and then Mrs. Potts shouted to stop her. Her nerves were getting higher and higher and her breath became hitched. This wasn't helping her; it was only making her feel frightened and less welcomed. The dinner and show quickly faded from her mind as she remembered she was never a guest here. She was still their prisoner if she didn't escape right now!

"Ludwig! Ludwig, come help me!" Cyan yelled for Grandpa Apple's horse.

Froufrou ran past the frightened girl and she thought he was going to stop her from going down the last set of steps. But no, the sweet little thing wanted to play. It got on hits back legs and twirled around like it was waiting to play with her.

"No! No, it's not play time!" Cogsworth yelled.

Froufrou ran toward the door and opened up a smaller or human sized door and Cyan smiled when she saw it. It was her way out of here! She mustered enough courage to jump the final three steps, ran past Chapeau who had her coat and ram her way out of the castle. She had forgotten it was still snowy outside because she almost slipped and fall on the slippery snow. The poor girl called Ludwig's name again and the faithful horse gave out a whinny in front of the massive front stairs. She slid down the rails and quickly got on the saddle. The duo were quick to get away from the castle despite they still had to find their way out of the garden maze. The servants' desperate pleas were behind them, but if only Cyan could have heard Lumiere yell "It's dangerous!" would she have stayed?


How did Cyan's dress get into Beast's room? We will find out soon! First, what will happen to Cyan after her curiosity got her in trouble?

Three chapters down. Only four more to go.

Special thanks to my beta reader RabbitonSteroids

Beauty and the Beast belongs to Disney.

I only own Cyan and the peacock chick.

No mean comments or flames please!

If anyone sees a spelling or grammar error, please PM me and I will fix it.