Chapter 7- Council Meeting

Declan paced the large drawing room as the members of Beast's council waited for him to arrive and take them to the recently refurbished meeting room. Tobias was lounging in a comfortable chair watching Declan, staring daggers at the unpleasant creature. He was still angry with him over how he'd spoken to Belle and was debating telling Beast before the meeting. The Fairy Queen was chatting quietly with Annwn, and Gerard was fiddling with a violin in the corner.

"Pardon me, ladies and gentlemen, but His Majesty will see you all now. Please follow me." Cogsworth said as he opened the door to the drawing room and gestured they all exit.

Tobias gave a slight nod as he passed through the doorway after Annwn and the Fairy Queen. "Good afternoon, Cogsworth."

Gerard was next with Declan bringing up the rear. Cogsworth got to the front of them, and led them down the hall and through to the King's study.

Cogsworth tipped a book on the large bookshelf, and a wall next to the fireplace opened. Wide-eyed, the council members entered the secret room. There was an oval table surrounded by six chairs, one on the east side, and the other five making a crescent moon on the west side of the table.

"Welcome to our council chambers. Here, we will be undisturbed and able to speak freely," Beast said as the guests took their seats.

"Not quite an equal round table is it?" Tobias grinned as he sat in the high-backed plush chair.

Beast grunted."I don't consider myself Arthur, if that's what you're getting at, Tobias. However, I did wish to showcase that each of you is equal to one another as my closest advisors. And since not one of you has any qualms telling me exactly how you feel about any given decision I've made thus far, I think it's safe to assume that you've been well-chosen."

Beast took his seat last, and Cogsworth shut the door. "The walls have been fitted to be sound-deadening. Lumière is here to record the meetings and log them so we can reference back to any given meeting at a future date."

They all turned their heads to the corner Beast gestured to and finally noticed the tall man seated at a small desk with a quill in hand.

Beast then gave a rundown of the topics he wished to cover. First, was the success of the guilds that had been established already, and the ones that were making progress subscribing members. Annwn gave an accounting of any illness or troubles she was summoned to care for. Most were strange occurrences of someone acting out of character for brief periods of time, but with an easy herbal drink, were cured quickly. The Fairy Queen spoke of the fairy guard that kept watch over the magical beacon, and that there had been no incidents of magic being used inappropriately. Declan was quick to scoff at the idea that it was even necessary to have such a beacon, and that he felt it was an intrusion of privacy. Tobias informed on a few minor incidents of humans accidentally finding the entrance to the kingdom and how the glamour enchantment to turn them around and send them back to their own village had been successful. He added that a few of the humans who had homes within the kingdom visited several times in the past week, all without incident.

"Don't leave out who is visiting today, Tobias," Declan sneered, his face curled up in disgust.

"Who is here today?" Beast asked, his eyes lighting slightly with hope.

"Belle, Your Majesty, is here to see Kara's new cottage," Tobias explained, while shooting Declan a look of contempt. "I escorted her when I found her in the woods. She's been told to call upon me any time she visits so I can see her safely to her destination."

"Thank you, Tobias," Beast said quickly, hiding the disappointment that she wasn't here to see him. The last two weeks had been difficult for him to stay busy enough to keep her off his mind. That stolen moment in the library during the coronation celebration was not nearly enough to quench his thirst to be close to her. When he lingered too long on thoughts of her, his resolve to keep the restrictions in place would wane and then another headache would hit, with increasing frequency.

Annwn stood to gain his attention. "Sire, I would like to address the human situation. I have been speaking to several les charmantes who first requested the exclusion of humans, and most of them have changed their minds. They see how they allowed fear to rule them, and many actually made friends with the two farmers who had planted a beautiful crop of apples that are ready to be harvested. Perhaps it is time to lift those restrictions? I was not in agreement with their implementation, but understood the logic behind it."

As Annwn took her seat, having said her peace, Declan rose in defense of the ban. "Your Majesty, you mustn't—"

Beast shot a warning glare, prompting Declan to button up and resume his seat.

Gently, Beast addressed Annwn, "I am aware of those you speak of, for they have come to me as well in the past week, but I must decline any changes at the moment. My concern still lies with the three who have deeper wounds. They have not yet healed enough to no longer pose a danger to humans. As I said when I first made my announcement, these restrictions are as much for the safety of the humans as they are for les charmantes. Perhaps you can start meeting with them and see if you can help them overcome their fears?"

Beast delivered his comments with conviction and composure, and no one questioned his stance."I will do my best, sire," Annwn replied, nodding her head in reverence.

Declan had a look of smug satisfaction on his face that Tobias wanted to wipe off with a sharp right hook, but the werewolf grit his teeth and seethed instead.

"Is there anything else anyone would like to discuss?" Beast asked the room, and when no one spoke up, he concluded the meeting and the door opened.

The Fairy Queen, Annwn, and Gerard left, leaving Lumière, Tobias and Declan behind. Lumière was finishing up the last of his writing and gave the paper a few moments to dry from the ink.

Declan wanted a private word with the King, as did Tobias, and the two stared at one another in a silent battle of wills.

Beast sat, reclining in his chair, placing his feet on the table. "How can I help you, gentlemen?"

"It's about Belle," they both said at the same time, and deep scowls appeared on their faces.

Beast sighed and put a paw to his head. "What about Belle?" He raised an eyebrow to Declan, cautioning him to tread lightly. "Declan, what are your concerns?"

The centaur cleared his throat that had suddenly gone dry and squeaked out, "Her presence in the kingdom was disturbing the peace today."

Tobias snorted and rolled his eyes. "If you consider everyone gathering around her to give her hugs and welcome her home 'a disturbance,' then yep, she practically caused a riot."

"She also sent two running to their homes, or didn't you notice?" Declan sneered back.

"That wasn't because of her! They stopped to say 'hi' first and then saw you coming and ran home," Tobias smugly replied before adding, "However, the way you spoke to Belle was beyond reprehensible. You are lucky our king here didn't witness it or else I doubt you'd still be standing on four legs." The werewolf folded his arms, a satisfied look settling on his face.

Beast's eyes burned, and Declan was wary to even look at him after Tobias's scathing remarks. He staggered back a little and quickly got out, "I did no such thing. I merely commented that it was good of Tobias to escort her through the village, and that it would be advisable she always have an escort. For her protection, sire."

Declan's groveling made both Beast and Tobias grin internally, and the centaur backed out of the room, bowing to the King just before passing through the door.

Tobias sighed and leaned in the table across from his friend. "Why the hell do you keep that blaggard around? He's impossible to work with, and he frightens half the town. Plus, anyone who doesn't like Belle has to be demented."

Beast resumed his lazy position and dismissed Lumière, who grinned at him, then lent his support to Tobias. "He does have a point…"

Beast snorted, his eyes flicking between the two of them. "Ganging up on me now?"

Lumière smirked and Tobias snickered, exchanging a wink.

With a groan, Beast had no choice but to defend his least favorite member of council. "Declan's eccentric and stuck in his ways. He's not demented. And Belle was the one who insisted I keep him around. It's good for a king to have someone willing to challenge him. Present company excluded."

Eyes wide, Lumière pointed to himself, "Who, moi? I wouldn't dare assume—"

"Yes, you would, and you do, so don't try playing innocent."

Tobias grinned. "It's why he likes us best."

Beast raised one of his big, furry eyebrows and gave his friend a look of finality. "Do I?"

"You do," Tobias confirmed with confidence.

"He does," Lumière agreed.

With a healthy dose of annoyance, Beast sat up and grumbled, "Are you two quite finished? Lumière, don't you have better things to do?"

The servant nodded, but the smirk remained.

"Drinks tonight at Gertrude's?" Tobias asked, the question directed at Lumière, not Beast.

"Oui. Eight o'clock?"

"Bis später."

Beast watched the exchange with trepidation. Pointing a finger between the two of them, he interjected. "I don't think I like this…"

The two men chuckled, then Lumière ducked out.

Once the door shut, Beast turned to Tobias, brow furrowed. "When the hell did that happen?"

"While you were gone. Needed a new drinking buddy since mine was out galavanting across the British Isles." Tobias resumed his seat, propping his feet on the table like Beast had done. "He and I are very like-minded. And he handles his ale a lot better than you do."

Beast stretched across the table, knocking Tobias's feet off. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about, before I had to witness that camaraderie? And please, let it not be anything more about Belle. Your repeated attempts to guilt me into lifting the restrictions are not going to work and only lead to that blasted headache returning with a vengeance."

Tobias leaned back in his chair and thought over exactly what he was going to say. He wanted to give a full report on Belle's coming and goings, as he had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on her over the past several weeks. He was growing concerned for his friend that she might be diverting her affections to that teacher of hers, but after that clear warning, he chose to focus on something else.

"Just wanted to know how you're settling in. Now that the construction phase of rebuilding is nearly finished, what will you do with that time?"

"Catching up on some reading I've neglected. I'm still learning all the ins and outs of running a kingdom and found a fascinating book on benevolent kings throughout history. It discusses how they managed to maintain the rule of law and the peaceful subjugation of their people while still allowing them to flourish. It's a challenging balancing act."

"So far, I believe you're doing an excellent job of it. Better than I did when I was alpha. Everyone is happily and willingly following you. Even those of us who don't agree with the restrictions on humans still respect your decision and understand the reasons behind it, including the humans." Tobias was incredulous on how that was even possible. Most times people are forced out of their homes they are resentful and angry. But even the humans were grateful for the King's wisdom in recognizing the danger they were in if they stayed and had complete faith that it was just temporary.

Beast smiled at the praise Tobias rained down on him. It was a welcome change from his friend's typical tirade on all the things he was doing wrong—mostly regarding the issue with humans.

The two sat chatting about the guard and what Tobias had been working on; training new recruits, mediating disputes, and making sure the entrance to the kingdom was well guarded.

An hour passed, and Tobias glanced out the window. He stood and gave a nod to the Beast. "Well, I should go see if Belle is ready to head home. The sun is beginning to set and I know you don't want her travelling through those woods alone after dark."

"Thank you, Tobias. I wish I could do it myself, but I don't know if she would welcome my company. Send her this for me." He plucked a rose out of the flower arrangement Mrs. Potts had insisted the room needed to brighten it up and handed it to Tobias. "Let her know I'm thinking of her, and that she's welcome to come see me anytime she wants."

His heart ached to hold her again. Unfortunately, just thinking of her started his head pounding. The two left the room and Beast secured the secret door behind them.

Tobias sincerely smiled. "I'll tell her."

With the rose in hand, the werewolf took his leave and Beast slumped into his study chair, trying to rub the ache from his temples.

Another thanks to CarolNJoy for helping with this chapter! You rock girlfriend! MUAH!