Authors Notes: Hi! Not much to discuss other than continue to apologize for my year-long absence and try to earn your forgiveness by pumping out new chapters like a machine. I write when I can't sleep, so since my sleep schedule has gone to shit, I'm taking this time to give you guys a good story :). Enjoy this chapter, it gonna be a good one. Let me know if you guys like the longer chapters or would prefer short ones. TJ Banks :3
(OH BY THE WAY when I describe her clothes as a yellow smock with a white gown underneath, imagine what she wears in the movie (the cartoon) but instead of blue, it's yellow)
"Don't...Don't go!" she screamed out, sitting up quickly. She abruptly woke panting and a little flushed with hair sticking to her neck from all the sweat.
Another nightmare.
She looked around quickly, slowing her breathing as she began to remember where she was: safe and back in her old room at her Papa's house. She was not on the balcony of the Beasts bedroom screaming in the rain for him to stay with her as she saw the life fading fast from his eyes. She was not eyeing the arrow that had pierced his torso, dying to take it out, but knowing it would be worse than leaving it alone. She was not staring into his crystal clear cyan eyes and running his fur between her fingers, trying to convince him (herself more so) that he was going to be ok and that everything would be fine, he'd see. She was not actually watching the quick rise of his chest falter and abruptly stop.
It was just that damn dream. Again.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing he was here of a split second, just so she could be sure it all was a dream.
Before his leaving, when she'd wake up screaming in the middle of the night he would hold her tightly in his arms, rubbing her back and kissing her forehead whispering to her, "It's all a dream love, I'm right here" and "I'm not dying, I'm right here in your arms". This worked every time; she'd be off to sleep within minutes. And the longer they were together, the less frequent the dreams got. But when he left, they got so bad that Babette had no choice but to stop sleeping in the servants quarters and take up residence in the room next to Belles for the first 3 months of his absence. Belle would scream and Babette would come running with a book to read with her until she fell back asleep.
Watching the love of your life die in front of your eyes hurts like a bitch she thought to herself as she slowly got out of the bed.
Standing in front of her miniature vanity she was bombarded with memories of getting dressed in front of it at a time when the only thing weighing on her mind was what her next book of choice would be. She remembered hardly paying attention to her reflection as she tied her hair more than a year ago, wondering if the librarian might have gotten anything new since yesterday. Probably not, but it's worth a shot, she had thought as she whipped out the door yelling a quick goodbye to Papa on her way out, book and basket in hand, to that nonprovincial town...
She smiled softly to herself at the memory and shuffled through the small drawers for a dress to wear for the day. Even though she wore the simplest designs the palace tailor allowed, nothing she had before marrying the Prince was even close to what she wore in the palace. But as the simple woman she was, she realized she had missed the simplicity of her old clothes and felt secure in her yellow smock and white gown. She tied her hair in a loose ponytail and left her room to find her father standing over the stove accompanied by the distinct smell of eggs, bacon, and burning hair.
"Good morning Pap-what's going on here? Papa, did you burn your...hair?"
As she rushed to the stove to see what was going on he turned around quickly with two plates in his hand and a wide smile on his face. She stopped abruptly and put her hands on her hips, donning a small smirk on her face. He had indeed singed his hair (somehow) but he held proudly two plates with perfectly cooked sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, and pieces of sausage.
"Tada!" he exclaimed proudly as he set the hot plates down on the table and pulled Belles' chair out for her to sit.
"Why thank you," she said, giving him a little curtsy as she sat down.
"Oh Papa, you didn't have to do all of this for me."
"Oh, nonsense! I did it because you're my daughter and I love you. And because you deserve a good meal after a week like this," he said matter-of-factly as he sat at his seat and began to devour his meal.
She looked up from her plate at him, smiling sweetly, and watched him scarf down his eggs, dipping the sausages into the leftover yolk just like Adam prefers to do.
Her smile faded quickly at the thought of her husband and she quickly shoved bacon into her mouth to keep her father from noticing. She didn't want to dignify that man with a thought in her head anymore. All she wanted was to enjoy this time she had with her father in peace and not worry about him or that woman or a secret child. She left all that in the castle when she rode away on Phillippe and there it will stay.
She looked up and her father was watching her worriedly as if he was scared she didn't like her food. Still chewing the first piece, she shoved another slice of bacon into her mouth and gave a dramatic thumbs up which elicited a huge smile from him as he started to eat his bacon.
Before leaving the hovel to go to the village market, she took a moment to study her hand in her room. The singular bright diamond ring and the accompanying diamond-encrusted band had never felt heavier on her finger than it did at that moment. She decided that she refused to carry the weight of what was going on in the castle with her all day. She was putting all of the drama and tears and feelings of betrayal behind her and decided she was going to return to her old self for the time being. So she took her wedding rings off and set them in the smallest drawer of her vanity. The sigh of relief she breathed at the release of those rings felt like a breath of fresh air. She smiled and shut the drawer with haste, grabbed her basket, and yelled a quick goodbye to her Papa who was now tinkering with some unknown object and left.
...
When she arrived in the village, she looked around and realized that nothing at all had changed. Madame Brodeur was beating her rugs out of her window, and Monsieur Bonheur was chatting up a beautiful woman while his wife watched and stewed angrily while cleaning the meat they sold behind him.
Belle walked through the rush of the early morning market, stopping at certain stalls to pick up small things for the house. Papa had told her he didn't really need anything but she insisted on going into town. No one really noticed her, they all had more important things to do than to watch a pretty girl who looked like their princess dressed in common clothes. She did hear some mutters as she left the stalls she stopped at of people saying to themselves she looked familiar but couldn't place her. They must have shrugged it off because no one approached her during her excursion to the village, and this Belle was certainly thankful for. She had no idea how she would've explained to everyone why their princess was dressed as a peasant and walking around the village.
After wandering aimlessly for a little, she had finally set her sights on where she really wanted to go: the bookstore. A big grin plastered itself on her face as she walked towards it. Behind her, there was a loud bang, which sounded like a table collapsing. Instinctively, she jerked her head quickly to see if anyone was hurt without stopping. In that split second of her attention being divided, a man carrying a heavy pail of water came from the direction of the well was headed for a stall in Belle's vicinity, and walked directly in front of her. As soon as she turned her head to face the book store once again, she collided with him, dousing him with no less than a gallon of water.
Her hands shot up to her face as she gasped and stepped back in horror, "Oh goodness I am so sorry sir, are you ok? I wasn't paying attention and I..." she put her hand on his shoulder and looked him up and down for any cuts or marks. He was drenched from head to toe, and she couldn't help but notice the definition of his muscles that was highlighted by his wet shirt that seemed to be clinging to his skin for dear life.
"Haha, I'm ok miss, I wasn't paying attention either. Are you ok?" the stranger inquired, bending down to pick up his bucket. Belle had already begun reaching for it herself, and their hands met on the rim.
"Yes, I'm fi-"
Her eyes met his clear green ones and she stopped talking, mouth slightly agape as she took in his full appearance. His short curly dirty blond hair was dripping water onto his broad shoulders. The stubble on his chiseled chin framed his jaw perfectly, and his bright smile shone through his full lips at her. Forgetting he even asked her a question she thought about how raspy but smooth his voice sounded, and how surprising it was that his hand was rather soft...
"...um miss? Hello?"
Belle snapped out of her thoughts with a slight shake of her head and looking sheepishly at him, responded "Oh! I am so sorry mister. I meant to say yes I'm fine."
He smiled brightly at her again as the two stood up and Belle let go of the bucket.
"But-but look at you!" she gestured to his soiled clothes, "You can't walk around the rest of the day like that. Come with me, we'll get you some fresh clothes."
"Oh, I'll be fine miss I promi-"
"No, I don't want to hear it, come on now," she said playfully as she motioned for him to follow her as she began on the journey back to her father's hovel.
He stood in disbelief for a few seconds contemplating following this stranger. He shrugged his shoulders to himself deciding why the hell not. He slightly shook his head, laughed and jogged to catch up with her, meeting her at the edge of the market.
"Wait, miss, you don't even know my name" he called out chuckling as he caught up with her.
"Oh silly me, you're right" she stopped and put her palm to her forehead as she turned around to face him.
"What is your name sir?" she said in a mock formal voice with a bright smile.
"Nicolas Nicolas Lefort. And you miss?" he asked with an eyebrow raised and an incredibly amused look on his face.
"Belle. Belle Pelletier, sir" Belle said confidently with a smile. She was impressed with herself for having the strength to give her maiden name instead of her married one.
As they walked towards her house she wondered what other surprises she had in store for herself. She even dared to wonder if Papa would like him when he met him.
