Belle ducked into the kitchen, a basket of fruit hanging from her arm, "Have you seen Lord Marcus?" she spoke as she entered, "Oh, hello" she looked at the little boy sitting at the table. "I thought you were Betty."
She smiled at the boy, thinking he must be a student of one of the nearby schools, and watched him turn very red and drop his gaze, obviously shy.
"Well I suppose I'll just go look for her," she set the basket near the boy, "Help yourself to whatever you find there."
She left the boy in the kitchen and took the small stairs towards the main hall. She had been searching for Marcus for some time. Maybe she had just missed him going out. As she passed the large outer door, there came a sudden frantic knocking. Belle moved to answer it, so used to people, mainly Philip, bursting in with some emergency, she opened the door expecting to see anything but what she actually saw. A young woman stood there, disheveled and frightened, clutching a baby to her.
"Please, I need to see Lord Marcus."
"He's not in, but I," her eyes fell on the shawl the baby was wrapped in and she recognized it instantly, "A-Aurora" she stammered, and watched the woman's blue eyes widen.
"You must be Belle!"
They gaped at each other, before Aurora started, "Forgive me, but there's no time, I need to find Marcus."
Reaching out a hand, Belle quickly pulled the woman inside, swallowing back a thousand questions as she shut the heavy door.
"I don't know where he is. What has happened?"
Aurora opened her mouth to answer when a sound filled the castle. It was a high, mournful howl that raced across Belle leaving shivers of fear in its wake.
"It's found me," Aurora's voice was shaken with dread, her eyes paling.
"What has?" Belle demanded. None of this was making any sense.
"The beast, it's a, a monster, it chased me from my home. It wants me and this child."
Belle frowned at the door, her mind already spinning with plans. "And it's followed you here."
"I'm so sorry, I've endangered you." Aurora gasped, hugging the child. She hadn't stepped foot from her sheltered forest in years and the stone walls were cold and tall around her. But at least they could keep the creature out.
"Nonsense," Belle waved a hand. "Come with me."
She led Aurora into the kitchen, where the boy still sat, head up and eyes wide after hearing that howl. He jumped up when he saw the baby, running to its side.
"Snow!"
"You know her?" Belle demanded, and the boy nodded.
"They're after her again, aren't they?"
"Who?" Aurora asked,
"The monsters." The boy whispered, and Belle and Aurora shared a wide-eyed look.
"It may just want the child, then," Belle said, thinking, and she turned towards the boy.
"Snow is a friend of yours?"
He nodded, chin raising, "I protected her from the monsters."
"Do you think," Belle asked softly, "You could do that again?"
He nodded, face set in determination, and Belle turned to Aurora, holding out her hands. The blonde woman hesitated, then went to give her the baby, before pulling her back and first removing the amulet, then on second thought, the red shawl.
"The monster, it's seen this,"
Belle nodded, taking the baby, "Good idea." She turned to the boy as another howl drifted through the castle, closer this time. They each froze until it passed, instinctively, like prey being hunted. Then Belle shook herself, and led the boy to a small door in the back of the kitchen, "This door leads down into the cellar. There's an old cupboard in the back. There will be just enough space for the two of you and it should help disguise her sounds if she cries. Stay there until we come for you."
The boy nodded, eyes wide, but admirably calm, and took the child before carefully making his way through the little door. Belle secured it behind him.
"Come with me." Belle said, hurrying out of the kitchen, racing through the halls with Aurora just behind. "It may still want both of you, and we can't risk you being injured." How the woman had gotten here without being harmed was a miracle, "You need to hide."
"Is there no one else in the castle?" Aurora puffed, trying to keep up.
"Andrew is at a meeting with Madame Lumierre, and I had forgotten Betty had decided to go. There's some servants for the grounds, but none of them live in the castle. They should be out in the outer fields right now."
They reached a dusty stair, obviously unused, and Belle led Aurora up it.
"This is the west wing. No one ever comes here, and it should be the safest place for you to hide."
They reached the top and slipped into a room on the end. Aurora looked about, realizing she recognized this room from some vague memory as a child. It looked dark and dusty now.
"The shawl."
Aurora handed it over at Belle's request, and slipped the amulet quickly over her neck. Marcus had told her once that there was no fairie or such ever in the castle, and she looked about the dusty room that looked no different with the amulet on as before. Belle was busy with the shawl, and Aurora's eyes turned toward a little table, gasping a little at the faint glow of magic she saw emanating from a single rose left in a crystal vase.
"This rose has magic!" She said, taking a few steps forward, and Belle looked up.
"Yes, Marcus transferred his curse to it. It won't stop it, but he didn't like having it in him."
She finished with what she was doing and held it out to Aurora. She had torn the shawl in two, and bundled each around something so it might resemble a baby.
"I will take mine downstairs. If that beast makes it inside I will try to lead it away. If that fails and it somehow reaches you, you can try and draw it away from the baby."
Aurora took the awkward bundle, and met Belle's gaze.
"Thank you, Belle."
She smiled, "I never imagined this was how we would meet." Her smile brightened, trying not to look as scared as she felt, and she turned and dashed down the stairs.
She entered the lower hall, slowing, suddenly frightened by the sound of her own echo. It was now so very quiet, and Belle paused in the corridor before the outer door, scarcely breathing.
There was a flurry of motion outside, a sound of scratching footsteps, and something slammed against the door.
Belle choked back a scream, pressing back against the wall, hoping this beast would never make it inside.
There were thumps and growls and low guttural sounds as something crashed against the door again and again when suddenly, all went quiet.
Belle opened her eyes, heart pounding hard still, wondering if the creature could have given up.
The quiet held, then with the explosive sound of shattering glass the great stained window beside the door exploded and something dark and terrible came stumbling inside.
Belle pressed hard against the stone wall, clutching her bundle, just out of view. She heard the click, and scrape of nail against stone and it rang in her ear, and she grimaced at the sound.
There was a shuffling huff of breath as the beast slowly moved forward. Its shadow stretched into the hall, long and terrifying with pointed, ugly snout that as she watched parted and she saw the shadows of long, razor like teeth. It seemed to pause, snuffing the air. To its right was the hall that led down into the kitchen. To its left Belle waited in the hall. She tensed, ready to run, when the beast turned its head and made a step towards the kitchen. A pause, and another one, quicker this time.
Belle's eyes widened, and before the beast could reach the stair, she stepped out from the wall.
The beast turned at the sound, crouching low on its haunches, a snarl rumbling from it as its sharp, glittering eyes locked on her there. It saw in her arms, the bright flash of red, and with a growl it leaped forward.
Belle screamed and turned to run, scrambling down the hall as the beast closed behind, drawing it farther and farther from the kitchens, trying to draw it into the east wing.
She could hear it snapping behind her, and had just rounded a corner when its jaws clamped hard on her apron. She screamed as she fell, her hand shot out, catching hold of a candelabra mounted on the hall. Her fall tore it from its place and she turned as she fell, landing hard on her back, the red shawl falling with its bundle to the side. She brought the candelabra up as the beast lunged at her face and its jaws closed around the brass. The flame had been blown out, but hot wax dripped onto Belle's shoulder, burning her and she cried out as sickeningly hot breath covered her face as the wolf-like monster snapped and snarled at her. It came at her again and with all her might she shoved hard against the candelabra, catching its snout, and it fell backward just long enough for Belle to scramble out from beneath it. She went to reach for the shawl and the beast's eyes fell on the red garment, lying open and empty. It paused, and turned its head slowly to snarl at Belle.
A dizzying wave of fear hit and she blinked at the anger written across this animalistic expression, feeling suddenly like in some terrifying way that this beast was familiar to her.
It growled once, low, then turned and left her there, sniffing at the red cloak before moving back down the hall.
Belle realized with horror that it must have picked up some scent, for when it reached the stair to the west wing, it turned and began making its way up.
"No!" Belle cried out, and lunged up to desperately follow this beast before it could find Aurora in the west wing.
