Authors Note: I am alive. I know it has been a long time ( almost exactly a year, actually) but its quarantine time and I don't want to do school work but I feel weirdly creative so here we are. Thank you to those who have stuck with me for 2 years since I started this story, and I promise, there will be a definite end... eventually muahaha. Let's continue, shall we? ~TJ Banks 3
Her glossy eyes rolled into the back of her head as she separated her lips for a blood-boiling snicker to escape as she sat down on the loveseat. Her waist-length jet black hair stood out against the bright fabric as she tossed it behind her shoulder and crossed her legs as if she were royalty. Lumiere stood in disbelief with his mouth agape next to an eerily calm Adam. Mouth firmly pressed in a thin line he stared at her with nothing but disdain as he took in the treacherous being before him. If her unwillingness to answer him didn't do so already, every detail about her confirmed his suspicion of her heritage: her dull black hair, her piercing blue eyes, her skinny but athletic build, her haughty and pretentious demeanor that left a bad taste in his mouth as her brother once did, and her affinity for his possessions. He always had a thing for possessing people and things...
She finally locked eyes with him and scoffed, "Um, darling I don't know who you're talking about."
"You know exactly who I am referring to Francesca. I bet that isn't even your real name."
"Of course it's my real name you twat," she snapped at him, baring her small sharp teeth slightly through her thin lips.
Smuggly, Adam crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow at her, proud to see that he was starting to break her.
"Oh, you have no idea who I'm talking about? Good, I was worried you were related to the village idiot over there in Villeneuve. You sure do look an awful lot like him though" he said while breathing a sigh of relief and softly elbowing Lumiere who looked at him in horror, oblivious to his plan.
Francesca's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she turned her face towards her feet to hide her embarrassment and to avoid giving him the satisfaction of figuring her out.
"Hey Lumiere," Adam elbowed his confidente a little more forcefully this time, "doesn't she look like the big brawny fool who attacked the castle about a year ago? Remember him?" Adam asked haughtily, barely containing his pride behind a slightly amused expression
Lumiere's face turned dark once he realized what he was getting at and slowly replied "Master, please I don't think this is a good idea-"
"Oh come on Lumiere! You cannot stand here and tell me she doesn't look like Gaston" he pointed at her as her head slowly raised at the mention of his name.
"Good thing she isn't related to that meathead, I could never take care of a child related to that human waste-"
"THAT IS ENOUGH" Francesca jumped up from the couch and screamed, mere inches from Adam's face.
"You will NOT talk about my brother in that way. As a matter of fact, don't you DARE ever say his name ever again. You have no right, you entitled PIG."
He'd done it. Her face was crimson, with tears streaming from her eyes as she screamed and gave away her cover. Adam leaned in closer, getting centimeters from her lips and whispered a word that gave him incredibly too much satisfaction:
"Gotcha."
He smiled wide as he pulled away from her, watching the anger on her face fade quickly to shock. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth but the damage was already done, words already released, and cover already broken.
"Lumiere if you would please take our very special guest to her new quarters for the next nine months," Adam said calmly with a wave of his hand as he turned on his heel to open the door of the sitting room. Looking slightly impressed but disappointed in his master Lumiere obliged, placing one hand in her free one and another on her back to direct her to her new place of residence.
"Shall I take her to the prisoners quarters Master?" he asked with a slight frown. Adam answered with a smile bright as the sun streaming in through the windows,
"Of course! Only the best for the future mother of my heir" Adam said sinisterly, with a crazed smirk on his face.
Lumiere pleaded for the young woman with Adam with his eyes, but it was a futile attempt; all he got back was an intense scowl that meant 'my word is law'.
Francesca sobbed uncontrollably the entire way to the cell. As Lumiere locked her in, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor girl. Pregnant and alone, she sat sprawled out on the cold cobblestone floor, sobbing and calling her brothers' name again and again, as if he would suddenly appear eventually. A single tear fell from his big blue eyes as he walked down the stairs and heard her pounding on the door of her cell, pleading with no-one for release.
...
Proudly, Adam sauntered about the castle the rest of the day, taking care of business as usual and immensely proud of himself for the early afternoons' performance. While he knew to put her there was the proper idea, many of the servants didn't think so. He was surprised and a little offended that he received no pat on the back or congratulations for the way he handled that treacherous snake that drove his Belle away.
Belle.
He wondered where she ran away to and decided to go to her fathers' house the next day and give her space away from all the drama here at the castle. To give her time away from him. Ever since he's gotten back home, her life had become a living hell, and she deserves so much better than a cheating husband who is having a child with another woman. His pride in his actions dwindled as he thought of how much better she would be without him in her life. And the looks of disdain and contempt from Everyone as he passed by did nothing to improve his desolate state. By the time he sat down at the table for dinner alone he felt incredibly deflated. His only solace was the thought that perhaps Mrs. Potts would be on his side and be able to provide some sort of solace. He heard the jolly woman's humming increase as she approached him with a plate full of all the things he liked: juicy slices of baked turkey, slow-roasted quail, boiled potatoes, a piece of pot roast, green beans, and a bread roll.
"Oh Mrs. Potts, how did you know? I need a great big plate like this today, it has been an absolute shit show-"
"First of all young man, watch your language. Second of all, what makes you think this is for you?" Mrs. Potts said with a strict tone and a deep frown on her face.
Adam looked at her in disbelief and looked around confused, "Well, there is no one else around so I assumed-"
"What about that poor girl you threw into the prison cell and left to starve 5 hours ago?" she raised her eyebrow accusingly at him, holding the plate of delicious food just out of his reach. Adam stood up from his chair, infuriated and tired of this treatment.
"What?! You mean that snake who called Belle a peasant and drove her away to God knows where? You mean that awful being who doesn't even deserve to be breathing after what she has done to me and my wife? Why should she deserve to eat anything?"
"Adam Jean-Francis Durand she is the future mother of your child. You made a mistake and will be responsible for bringing a child into the world. It is time for you to step up and be a man and own your mistakes. And what would Belle think? Do you really think she would have supported you throwing that woman into a cell? I've gotten to know your wife for the last 10 months, quite intimately might I add, while you were gone and if she knew what you did to her, she would be absolutely mortified."
Mrs. Potts thrust the plate of food into his hands angrily
"You are going to bring this to her and apologize for treating her so poorly right this instant."
Wearing a wounded look he took the plate and left the dining room, cursing under his breath the entire way to the prison cells. He was angry that he now had to treat that creature with any kind of human decency because she deserved none. He was angry that Mrs. Potts was right there with everyone else, on her side. But most of all, he was ashamed in himself for not asking himself how Belle would have responded. She made him a better man, a kinder and more compassionate man and he forgot everything he learned from his beloved to be petty and low. If she were here, he knew she'd call him a tyrant. Belle would tell him what he really embodied that afternoon: a real beast.
...
He reached the prison cell and peered into the window of the wooden door, seeing her huddled in a corner on the cold ground. He almost felt sorry for her, until he looked down and remembered the wonderful meal she was going to receive when she deserved nothing more than the crumbs off the floor. He knocked harshly, scaring her out of her sleep and eliciting a soft scream of shock
"Who-who is it" her hoarse voice trembled through the wooden panels of the thick door
"It's me."
"Leave me, I want nothing from you, you evil bastard" she sneered from inside the cell.
"I am not here to pick a fight with you Francesca, I was sent to give you dinner," he said in a calm voice, being careful to not sound hostile.
"...dinner? I get..dinner?" she asked as she slowly rose from her corner and walked cautiously to the door.
"If it were up to me you would not...but I was told it would be inhumane to not feed you." He set the plate down and unlocked the door. The loud clanking noise of the door unlocking scared her and Francesca ran back to her safe corner, hiding her face behind her matted hair.
"Here. Eat" he placed the plate on the floor of her cell and quickly shut and locked the door back to prevent any escape attempts.
She lifted her hair and peered at the plate in amazement of the rich foods given to her, and almost said thank you. As she opened her mouth, she remembered who gave it to her and that he wouldn't have unless told to do otherwise, so she just grabbed the plate quickly and returned to her corner to devour the food.
After hearing intense eating noises, Adam turned his back to the door, took a deep breath, and softly apologized. Sure she hadn't heard him, he briskly walked out of the prison and towards his room.
Little did he know, she had heard him and stopped eating momentarily out of disbelief. She smiled to herself and whispered out loud,
"It's working brother, He is beginning to pity me. Pity can become love, I'm sure of it. Or at the very least something similar. It does not matter, the objective is for you. It has always been for you.
I will avenge your death.
You will not have died in vain, I promise."
she laughed softly to herself and continued stuffing her face with the best the castle had to offer.
