Chapter 19- It All Falls Apart

Today was Beast's first day back. The trek from the West Wing to his study had been easier than expected, considering that just two days ago he could barely make it to the end of the West Wing hallway and back. Between Gertrude's healing balm and the foul teas Kara was forcing on him, he woke that morning feeling more like his old self. It would take at least a few weeks of Chef Bouche's richest fair to fill out his clothing once again, but he felt well on his way to recovery—at least physically. The emotional wounds wouldn't even begin to heal until he spoke with Belle. Something he was anxious to do as soon as possible. But he had to get through this first.

At the top of the meeting, Beast had disclosed to Declan, Gerard, and the Fairy Queen his condition, and the enchantment that had severely affected his judgment over the past two-and-a-half months. Annwn already discreetly questioned Declan several days earlier, giving no hint to the nature of her inquiries. After learning of the ailment that the King suffered, Declan became outraged that he had been a suspect, and nearly stormed out of the meeting. The Fairy Queen was the one to point out that his ardent support of the human ban, and his constant push for stricter boundaries, made him a very logical—and plausible—suspect. Grumbling, he'd accepted the reasoning but emphatically denied any involvement or knowledge of the enchantment.

An exasperated sigh escaped Beast's lips. He glared across the table, pinning the disgruntled centaur to his chair. Having been in this discussion for the last forty minutes, his patience was waning. "Declan, I have heard all of this before. Twice today already. I understand your objections, but you are the only one here who has any. Perhaps it's time you conceded."

"But, Your Majesty, lifting the restrictions this quickly does not give the subjects you've been protecting enough time to adjust," Declan emphatically stated, his Irish lith getting thicker by the moment. He raked a hand through his red hair in frustration.

"I don't believe that is the case. I am only allowing one human family a week to move back, and that family will be chosen at random. No personal preferences will get priority treatment. And a human will be added to this council. I haven't had the opportunity to ask him yet, but I believe Maurice will make a very astute and welcome addition. He cares for the people of this kingdom as much as I do and has invested considerable time and effort in its establishment. I believe we all can agree on that. And he was here the last time things fell apart, helping to rescue as many charmantes from harm as possible."

Declan grumbled under his breath but nodded in compliance. Tobias shot the disagreeable creature daggers, and Annwn simply pursed her lips and shook her head at the centaur's behavior.

"Maurice will be a fine addition, sire. May I make a small suggestion?" Gerard spoke up. He was typically more of a quiet observer, but as the general charmante representative, the elf was often a steady voice of reason. Despite his own cousin being one of the few magical creatures who still objected to human presence in Montiquent, he was in full support of a mixed kingdom.

"Of course, Gerard. I would be very interested in anything you could add to this discussion," Beast replied and leaned back into his chair, his face visibly relaxing.

"First, I'd like to thank Annwn for her incredible work with my cousin, Claude. He's made great strides recently, and I attribute that to your gentle guidance, Annwn. My suggestion, however, is that for the few that are still struggling, could they be put into a more intense program? Like a small house farther out from the village where they can have quiet and a team of skilled mind healers, like Annwn, can work with them more? With Claude, he seems to take one step forward and then five steps back. The backsliding has been discouraging to us both. If we offered him, and the other three, the option to have a fully immersive opportunity, I believe they all would readily accept."

"I would be more than willing to establish such a setting," Annwn jumped in, her face a map of contemplation as she worked out the details in her head. "It also gets those who could potentially harm the humans off to a safe place. They of course could leave anytime. This won't be like the asylum where they are locked away."

"Gerard, that is an excellent idea. I am happy to provide any needed materials and funds to build this sanctuary," Beast added.

The plan pleased everyone. Even Declan saw the wisdom in providing a place of healing for those severely traumatized. The smile on the King's face was also a relief to most seated around him. It was the first genuine one they had seen all day, and while it didn't quite reach his eyes, Tobias and Annwn took it as a good sign.

Beast concluded the meeting after they laid out a more detailed plan on how they would roll back the human restrictions, and how the charmante sanctuary would be built and operated. They believed it could be up and running in two weeks' time, since it would be the only construction project, and with the harvest nearly at its close, many were looking for something to do.

Before dismissing everyone, Beast added one last thing:

"When the harvest concludes, I will be hosting a ball at the castle for the entire kingdom to celebrate our first successful bounty. I realize it is sparse, since most of the farms were just being established in September, but those that were here earlier deserve to be recognized and celebrated for their hard work. Mrs. Potts has already started preparing the menu with Chef Bouche, and Cogsworth has the staff well in hand to plan for the dance. I hope you all will spread the word and invite your respective clans."

Everyone left in good spirits, excited for the celebration and ready for the changes to be implemented.

Having agreed to allow Gerard the day to break the news to his cousin, and the other charmantes, Beast postponed the official announcement of the dissolution of the proclamation until tomorrow.

This left the rest of the day to go see Belle and her family. He didn't think he'd ever felt so nervous in his life. After what he had said and done to her, would she ever forgive him? And what if she didn't? What if the hurt was too great, and his explanation too paltry? She might have even started to move on. He'd told her she belonged with Edmund, and from what he remembered of seeing them together, the teacher held great affection for Belle. Was he walking into heartbreak?

Kara had refused to give him any details, and Rosalind was even more tight-lipped when he'd made attempts to bring up Belle. The one thing he knew was that she hadn't been told about what happened to him yet. She'd been left in the dark about the true reason for his shameful behavior, and the guilt of that betrayal was eating him alive. Rosalind had made it clear that it was his responsibility to tell her. And he'd agreed. Hearing it from him that she was right, that he hadn't meant a word of what was said that day outside the library, would hold a lot more weight than hearing it from her mother or Kara.

Exiting his office with Lumière, he returned to his room to rest and replenish his strength from the morning meeting.

"Sire, is there anything else you need?" Lumière asked at his chamber doors. His old friend was just as bad as Kara when it came to hovering and checking on him almost hourly. He knew he'd given them all a fright, but he was recovering and didn't need a nursemaid anymore.

"I'm fine. I just need to take a brief rest, then I'm going to fix things with Belle."

Lumière's brow knit in concern, and he wrung his hands. "That might not be the best idea, given your current condition."

Beast gave himself an once-over in the mirror in his room, then scoffed. "I've bathed, and I look more like myself than I have in weeks. What condition are you referring to?"

His secretary stepped up beside him and gazed into the mirror as well. "Oui, you are looking a bit better, but it is a long way to Belle's cottage, and you've only just started leaving your room. Perhaps a letter would be a more practical choice?"

Beast grumbled, giving Lumière the side-eye. "If the woman you loved thought you never wanted to see her again, what would you do?"

Lumière flushed, and his tongue got tied. "Why, I'd… um… I'd be… I suppose…" His shoulders deflated and he nodded his head. "Come hell or high water, I'd do anything to make amends."

After a brief pause, Lumière added, "But, if you drain yourself too much today, you might relapse again and she'll be angry with you for putting yourself in harm's way. I wouldn't want Belle's wrath coming down on my head… But that's just me…"

The man had a point. She would be upset with him if he pushed himself too far, even if it was for a good reason.

"Rest the remainder of the day, and first thing tomorrow I'll have a coach ready for you to go see her. We can have Angélique put together a beautiful bouquet and Chef Bouche prepare a picnic lunch." With each suggestion, his tone lightened and Beast suppressed a chuckle at the man's enthusiasm. Lumière laid out a very detailed plan, all from the top of his head. Perhaps he was utilizing him inappropriately. As meticulous as he'd been as a valet—and there was a comfort in having him as a secretary—Beast wondered if maître d' was a better position for his friend. Soon he'd have to establish relationships with foreign leaders, and he'd need someone to orchestrate state dinners and formal balls at least a few times a year. No one was better suited to hosting than Lumière. Chapeau was fully trained now, and he had a few in mind that would work as secretary. He'd have to give it some more thought, and discuss the change with Cogsworth, but the idea held merit.

Interrupting the elaborate picnic setting Lumière was describing, Beast interjected, "Enough, enough…" He chuckled. "That all sounds perfect. Thank you. We'll do it your way. I'll go tomorrow. Set all of that up, and tonight you can help me figure out what to say to her."

"But of course. I am always at your disposal, sire." Lumière gave a slight bow, but when he straightened, his face was less relaxed.

"What is it?"

Hesitantly, the secretary met his gaze and said, "It is just, I made a promise for this evening to a very beautiful woman and I…"

Beast raised his paw, "Say no more. I don't wish to intrude on your personal time."

"It's not… I wouldn't normally ask…"

With a smirk, Beast asked. "Who is she?"

"Just a girl I met while you were away. We've been… seeing one another on a somewhat regular basis."

Surprise replaced his amusement, and Beast took a seat on the end of his bed. "Really? The unquenchable thirst of Monsieur Jean-Luc Lumière finally sated? When do I get to meet her?"

Lumière flushed, sitting on the bench across from the bed. "You have. She's the upstairs maid Cogsworth hired to replace the last one that proved unsuitable."

Both men groaned at the reminder of the bigoted woman who once held Lumière's affections.

"Babette is nothing like Fifi. She's a Dryad, a woodland nymph, and the most captivating woman I've ever met." Lumière gave a wistful sigh, and Beast couldn't help but smile at him.

"I'm happy for you. We can talk tomorrow morning. You should enjoy your evening with her. Have Chef prepare a picnic for the two of you while you're putting in the order for mine."

"As you wish, Master. Thank you." Lumière stood and walked to the door. "And for what it's worth, Belle is one of the smartest people I know. On some level, she knows you didn't mean what you said that day. She'll forgive you, and this time next month we'll be planning a wedding."

Beast's head hung low, and he played with the tassels on a pillow beside him. "I hope you're right."

Lumière cocked a brow, pursing his lips. "Have I ever been wrong?"

Rosalind stood on Kara's doorstep, knocking once more, having received no response after the first two knocks. She questioned if the young witch was even at home, but reasoned that she couldn't possibly still be at the castle. Last night Beast had made a significant turn to better health, and she heard Kara herself relinquish her vigil over him. Perhaps she's at Gertrude's for lunch, Rosalind mused as she turned away from the door and headed into town, determined to find Kara and enlist her help.

Despite her intention to speak to Belle about Beast's condition, she hadn't actually seen her daughter in days. It was a little shocking to her how Maurice barely concerned himself with her whereabouts, but she didn't feel it was her place to question it. This was how they'd operated for years, and if Maurice felt comfortable trusting Belle to be safe, she wouldn't rock the boat.

Walking into Gertrude's, it didn't take long to spot Kara sitting at a table with Tobias in the middle of the tavern. Rosalind brightened at the sight of her quarry, and joined the couple who had been engaged in some obvious flirting.

Kara smiled, getting up to embrace the enchantress, and offer her a seat. "Good afternoon, Rosalind."

"Afternoon." Rosalind wasted no time in explaining why she was there. "I wish this was a social call, but something is wrong with Belle."

"Belle? What's the matter?" Tobias was the first to respond, and the concern that washed over his features mirrored that of his companion.

"She's been acting strangely. Humming, singing, she's up at dawn, and most days I hardly see her. But when I do see her, her behavior is very different. As if she doesn't have a care in the world. And she's been spending a disturbing amount of time with that vile Gaston fellow. Although, I suppose spending any time at all with him would be cause for concern."

Kara scrunched her face in disgust. "Gaston? Are you certain of that? She once told me about him, and from all accounts she absolutely despises that man."

"Oh yes, I am certain. She tried convincing me the other night that he's changed. He saved her from drowning a few days ago when she got caught in a downpour and was swept into the river. Ever since then, she splits her time between him and Edmund. Even Edmund is concerned about her. He came by the house this morning while she was out on a ride with Gaston to tell me she has been having difficulty remembering certain details. She remembers you, and I, and even Tobias, but he is starting to suspect she doesn't remember Beast. At all."

A loud gasp emanated from the friends across the table, and both faces lost all coloring.

"What makes him think that?" Kara asked, her brow creasing in confusion.

"Well first, Edmund said she completely stopped mentioning him. And while that wasn't unusual—given that she's still nursing a broken heart over what he did—Edmund felt it wasn't deliberate like it had been. It wasn't a strain for her to not talk about Beast. Then he said yesterday afternoon while they read together, she got much closer than she usually does, and was out right flirting with him by the time they parted ways!"

Rosalind's tone was too grave not to be taken seriously, despite how absurd her words were.

"But Belle isn't a flirt. Even with Beast, she was always very shy and coy," Kara said, her voice quiet.

"I fear whatever enchanted the King has hit Belle now. We need to figure out who is responsible and get them to reverse it before Beast sees her. Edmund is trying to keep her close until we can fix this. He's rebuffing her advances, but Gaston will welcome them, so his goal is to keep her away from Gaston as much as possible." There was fear in Rosalind's voice as she imagined Gaston taking full advantage of the situation. She'd only run into him once, but he oozed the kind of arrogance that was downright dangerous, and she didn't trust him at all.

"Maybe seeing him will help jog her memory?" Tobias offered.

Panic entered Rosalind's tone, and she and Kara exchanged a look of dread. "No. That would be disastrous. She's still having the nightmare. I'd say it's a safe assumption that the only memory of him she has, is of him like that."

"What nightmare?" Tobias asked, looking back and forth at the two women searching for an answer.

It was well past lunch and Belle had just arrived at the school in Villeneuve, having completed an enjoyable morning ride with Gaston. She could no longer deny he was truly a changed man, and the more time she spent with him, the more she found she might actually like him. He was the picture of a gentleman, always offering her his assistance on and off Lisette, giving dashing bows upon greeting her, and never lingering beyond what was appropriate when he touched her. It was as if he was a completely new man from the one she had known before. The entire town was noticing the changes in him, and he was being welcomed back into the fold bit by bit.

He left the day to day running of the tavern to LeFou—who had proven himself beyond capable—which left Gaston plenty of time to continue courting Belle and offer his help to any villager who needed a pair of strong arms. In fact, he left Belle after their ride to assist one of the farmers with their larger than usual yield, who desperately needed another hand to help harvest his fields. It was so generous of him, and Belle was really proud of this new Gaston.

And then there was Edmund. Sweet, kind, brilliant Edmund, who she felt deeply attached to. They were two sides of the same coin; so much alike with similar dreams and desires. She knew he had feelings for her. She even thought she might return those feelings, but every time she tried getting closer to him, he would balk. It was extremely confusing to her, since all of her memories with him had been so perfect, and this felt like the natural progression of their relationship. Today she was determined to figure out why he was rebuking her. If his feelings for her were just that of friendship, she would put more effort into figuring out what this thing was between her and Gaston. She was ready to be settled, and there was this burning desire she'd never felt before to start her own family.

The school had received a very large crate full of new books. While the students were still out for the harvest, she and Edmund made a plan to build a new bookshelf and organize their little library that day.

Edmund pounded in the last nail on the shelf while Belle held the wood in place. "There. It's finished," he said, lifting the shelf up against the wall.

"It looks wonderful."

She turned that bright smile on him, and his heart skipped a beat. He didn't know how much longer he could take this change in her. It was far too pleasant to have her look at him the way she was right then. And the flirting… My God, the flirting was going to be his undoing! She was taking every opportunity that day to touch him, bat her eyes at him, she'd even kissed his cheek upon greeting him that day!

"Shall we get started with the books?" Her brow rose in contemplation while her hand rested on her chin with one thin finger tapping on her full lips. "Now how should we organize them? By tile? Author? Or genre?"

Edmund cleared his throat, trying to collect his thoughts and draw them away from staring at her lips. "There's merit to each, I suppose. Which method does the castle library employ?"

"Castle? Castle…" She squinted her eyes, and he could see her struggle to remember. In a dazed voice, she finally answered, "The grande library. It's been in disarray for nearly a decade, and a few sections are still unorganized. Someone was helping me there… But who? It wasn't Lumière or Cogsworth. Someone bigger." She staggered back, and a hand held her head, wincing in pain. "I can't…" breathlessly escaped as she gripped the table behind her to steady herself.

"Nevermind. Are you all right?"

She pressed a hand to her temple, and Edmund came over to her, gently taking her arm and guiding her to a chair. "Just felt a little dizzy."

"Let me get you some water."

He turned to walk over to the pitcher on his desk, but Belle grabbed his arm and pulled him back over to her side. She leaned her head against his leg, and her hand moved to grab his.

"No. Stay here. I'm feeling better already. Thank you."

He stiffened and tried to ignore her thumb as it stroked his hand. She's not herself. This isn't her, he repeated in his head over and over again as the onslaught of feelings battered against his mind. Desperately he wanted to just give in and take what she was offering, but that would only lead to the ruin of his most cherished friendship when whatever spell she was under finally broke. She was in love with another. Just because she didn't remember him at the moment didn't mean she was free.

"So where did all these books come from?" she asked as she finally let go of his hand and stood, walking over to the crate. "Did you buy all of these with your own money? They must have cost a fortune."

"No, it wasn't me. It was the King actually."

Belle's mouth dropped open in shock, and she looked at him with wide hazel eyes. "The King of France sent you a collection of books?!"

"Oh no. Not the king of France. The king of Montiquent. You know, where Kara and Tobias live. Where the Castle is. The King, your Beast."

He watched her brow furrow again as she tried searching for the memory of the place and its king.

"Tobias and Kara are in the kingdom through the forest... Where Lumière and Mrs. Potts lives, right? But their king… He's…" The image of his face slipped through her fingers like sand and another sharp pain hit. "Why can't I…" The strain of trying to remember weakened her, and Belle stumbled again. She sat against a desk, her head feeling like it was being cracked open.

"Stop… it's not worth it," Edmund said. Pushing clearly wasn't helping. Whatever had happened to her to make her forget was stronger than Edmund could comprehend. "Let's just get back to work."

Belle nodded, and as soon as she was focused on something else, the pain subsided.

Beast slipped out of the music room and carefully climbed over the side of the balcony. It had been well over a decade since the last time he'd secretly left the castle. Upon waking from his nap, he had a hearty meal and another cup of Kara's disgusting tonic. They left him feeling energized, and he despite what he'd said to Lumière, he couldn't wait a second more. He had to see her. Today.

Knowing he'd be stopped if discovered, he avoided the stables and took the journey on foot.

Finding no one home at the cottage, Beast followed the faintest trace of Belle's scent around the back of the village where he finally spotted the schoolhouse set picturesque at the top of the hill. A lump formed in his throat and his pulse quickened as he approached the door. He'd spent nearly the entire walk here going over what he would say to her when he finally saw her, but now all of that seemed to disappear as fear clutched his soul.

With a gulp, he knocked on the door. He heard soft footsteps and then harder ones approached the door before it slowly opened.

Edmund stood there, his large gray eyes looking Beast up and down, his jaw slack with surprise. He froze for a moment before he stepped outside and slammed the door shut, leaning against it protectively. If it weren't for Belle's descriptions, and assurances that Beast was a kind and gentle creature, Edmund would have been on the other side of the door when it shut. But he couldn't risk the King seeing her as she was.

"Beast, I presume?" choked out of the studious teacher as he tried to gather his wits back.

"Yes. And I take it you're Edmund?" Beast already knew the answer, but felt it worth asking anyway.

His observation of the man from a distance really hadn't done the teacher justice. He was much taller than first assumed, reaching just beyond Beast's shoulder. While his frame was narrow, Beast could tell it wasn't completely lacking in strength, and his gray eyes were friendly and inviting, although at the moment looked worried and almost frantic.

"I am," was all Edmund could manage to say. He had never seen a creature like this before, not even in books. The enormous body covered in fur looked odd in the fine clothing that hung off of him. They looked a bit large, and that's when Edmund realized the King didn't look completely well. The sleeves billowed where they should have been fitted, and the cloak that hung from his shoulders seemed to envelope him where it would have just accentuated the broadness of his wide chest. His face also seemed to be a bit sunken, as though he'd recently recovered from an illness.

"Is Belle here?" Beast's deep baritone voice interrupted Edmund's observations and snapped him back to attention. How to answer that question? He could lie to him and say he hadn't seen her that day, but the Beast would likely want to look around, anyway. Somehow, he couldn't let him see Belle the way she was right now, for he had no idea how seeing him would affect her.

"She is, but this is not a good time," Edmund answered, choosing the truth.

"I have to see her. I need to explain…"

Edmund's eyes pleaded with Beast's, and the fear that clawed at him the entire trip here increased ten fold. "No. You can't. Trust me. You do not want to go in there right now."

"Why? What's wrong? Is she all right?" Beast pushed Edmund aside and threw open the door. Scanning the room, his eyes finally fell upon her, standing by a crate full of books, pulling some out and tucking them into her arm. She looked stunning in her simple blue frock, and he felt as if he'd finally had his first drink of water after being stranded in the desert for months.

"Edmund, who was it?" she asked, slowly turning around to look in Beast's direction. Her eyes flew open, and a look of absolute horror washed over her face. She dropped the books, releasing the most piercing scream he'd ever heard.

The rest of the scene played out in slow motion. Edmund dashed in from behind him, racing to Belle's side as she stood there petrified. Never in all the time they'd been together had she ever looked at him this way. Not even when he was trying to frighten her when she'd come into the west wing.

Beast staggered back as if he'd been stabbed in the heart.

Once Edmund reached her, she collapsed into his arms, burying her face into his chest, fists clutching his shirt. After a moment, Beast took a few steps forward, confusion and heartbreak splayed across his features. He searched Edmund's eyes for some sort of answer as to why she was acting like this.

"Belle, it's me," Beast whispered, but Edmund spun her around so she couldn't see him, and held her tightly as she trembled.

"Please go!" Edmund shouted as Belle shook in terror. "It's all right Belle. I've got you," he whispered, resting his cheek on her hair.

"It's real! How can it be real?!" she mumbled into Edmund's shirt as tears began pouring out.

"What is she talking about? I don't understand. Belle, please, it's just me, ta bête." The misery and bewilderment in his voice broke Edmund's heart, and he loosened his hold on Belle just enough that she could turn and look at the Beast once again.

"I don't know you!" she screamed, her eyes full of tears and hatred. "Stay away from me!"

"No…" Beast gasped, stepping towards her once more. Terror gripped her and her eyes rolled back into her head as she fainted.

Edmund caught her, lifting her up into his arms, resting her head on his chest. Using his headmaster's voice, he commanded as he strode towards the door. "We need to get her home. Now!"

Beast's feet refused to budge. "Help me understand. Why?"

"She doesn't remember you. And every time I try to mention you, her head starts to ache. I don't know why, or when this started, but it's gotten progressively worse over the last three days. Rosalind was going to Montiquent today to figure out who caused this and get them to fix it. You weren't supposed to see her like this. Now help me get her home."

Beast dutifully followed Edmund's orders, trailing behind as he left the schoolhouse.

Handing Belle over to Beast, Edmund mounted Lisette and gestured for Beast to hand Belle up to him. For a brief moment, Beast hugged Belle tightly to him, breathing in her scent of lavender and lemon as he kissed her head gently.

Edmund looked down with empathy, imagining how difficult this must be on the man. Finally, Beast lay her in Edmund's lap, and the two turned and raced to Belle's cottage.

When they arrived, Maurice brought them into the house and up to Belle's room. Edmund laid her on the bed and explained what happened. They all agreed that Rosalind needed to be fetched home immediately.

"But why was she so frightened of me?" Beast asked, pacing the floor in front of the bed while Maurice used a cold cloth on Belle's head and Edmund held her hand. It disturbed Beast to see another man so close to his Belle, but he was grateful to him at the same time. If she woke to him holding her hand, it would frighten her too much. She'd turned to Edmund for comfort, and he couldn't help but wonder if they were together now.

"If Edmund is correct, and she had no real memories of you, then all that would be left are her nightmares," Maurice said softly, thinking it over in his head.

Beast paused his pacing and looked down at Maurice with pain in his blue eyes. "Her nightmares are about me?"

"Not exactly." Maurice hesitated, looking wary. "You see, her nightmares take her back to that night at the asylum. To the moment you lost your humanity. It's you, but it's not. Her greatest fear is losing you. Losing you to the monster you almost became. The night you threw her out of the castle, my wife gave her a sleeping dram and the nightmare reached a new level it hadn't before. We couldn't wake her... Couldn't save her from it. She said you tore her into pieces. It was as if she left her body and was watching, floating from above, and yet could feel each slice of your claws, each bite..." Maurice looked away, unable to go on.

Beast felt his stomach lurch and he ran to the window, throwing it open as he lost what remained of his lunch. The idea that he could ever be capable of using the claws attached to his paws to mare her flesh in any way, or his fangs to cut into her was more than his mind could take. No wonder she was so terrified of him. The stuff of her worst nightmares had come to life and tried to approach her! He felt ashamed, guilty, and nauseous.

He staggered back to the center of the room, looking down on Belle with so much regret and hurt. "I shouldn't be here."

"Oh, dear boy, it's not your fault." Maurice handed the cold cloth over to Edmund and walked over to Beast, placing a comforting hand on his forearm. "She knew that. She told me that you comforted her many times after the nightmare throughout your journey. She never equated you with the creature in the dream. She loves you."

Beast shook his head, trying to come to grips with how she now saw him. "Not anymore. And maybe… maybe that's for the best. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. I'm going to go tell Rosalind what's happened…" He stopped. Resolve washed over him and he finished, "And ask her to leave things as they are."

Without allowing either man the chance to protest, he bounded out of the room and down the stairs. He'd always known that she didn't belong with him, but her unwavering love had convinced him they could be together. Now this enchantment had erased that love, erased him from her mind, and he felt it was fate. She was finally free to find that true husband he'd often urged her to find. He was no longer standing in the way of that. What he'd broken he couldn't fix, and the desire to do so was replaced with the sense that this was what he deserved. He'd hurt her, and somehow the world saw fit to rid her of that pain. Who was he to bring it back?

Edmund ran after him, shouting from the stoop. "Stop! Wait!"

Beast paused and turned around. "No. This is what's best for her. She can be with you. I know you'll take care of her. I can see it in your eyes, you love her." The words came out clear and easy, despite the sharp pain he felt in his chest at saying them.

"Even if I do, she doesn't love me. She's in love with you. And denying her true love is a fate worse than death. I won't lie to her for the rest of my life, and neither should you. She knew something was missing. She tried remembering until she hurt herself. I would never be enough, because I'm not you!" Tears sprang to Edmund's eyes as he beseeched the creature. "I might not understand why she loves you, but she does. In a way I've never seen anyone love another. The way her face lit up every time she spoke of you, of your adventures together, and when I saw her in the castle, she belonged there, belonged with you. Even after you kicked us out, she was heartbroken, but she felt strongly it wasn't for forever. She trusted that once the dust settled, and things in Montiquent were stable, you'd come to your senses. She believed with everything she had that she was made for you. No one else."

Beast took in his words and appreciated the difficulty he'd had in saying them. Nodding his acknowledgement, he took off into the woods towards Montiquent. He still wasn't convinced that leaving her in this state wasn't for the best. But he supposed it wasn't truly his decision to make. He'd make his case to Rosalind and respect her decision.

Rosalind, Kara, and Tobias spent the afternoon running down leads and trying to establish a timeline of events, including every odd occurrence of people acting counter to their nature. Piecing together who was around right before the most obvious situations arose, they interviewed both those affected and others who had been witness to the beginning of the events. A clear picture of who was behind the unintentional enchantments was starting to form.

They were approaching Gerard—who was seated with a small group of elves at Gertrude's tavern—when Pierre came bursting through the doors.

"Sir Tobias!" he shouted, desperately trying to catch his breath.

"What is it, Pierre? Is something wrong with the King?" Tobias sprang to the footman's side, offering a steadying hand to the man who looked as if he might collapse.

"He's missing," gasped out, before Pierre slumping into the nearest chair.

"Missing?!" Tobias yelled as an array of worry, chagrin, and anger flashed across his face. "Damn him!" He stomped his foot, turning back to the ladies he'd been accompanying. "He must have gone off to see Belle on his own. I have to try to stop him! Finish this, and with luck we can reverse the effects of the spell before he finds her."

Beast raced through the woods, hardly feeling his feet beneath him as he ran past innumerable trees and small creatures. His nose caught the scent of something familiar and he slowed his movements. He hadn't made it to Montiquent yet when he nearly ran into Tobias—who was running, in wolf form, towards him. The two stopped and paused just long enough to catch their breath.

"I'm too late, aren't I?" Tobias asked, changing back into a man, resting his hands on his knees as he took in gulping breaths of air.

Beast panted in a similar fashion. "Too late for what? I have to find Rosalind. Something is wrong with Belle." The look in Tobias's green eyes told him that the wolf already knew.

"Verdammt noch mal! Why couldn't you have just stayed put?" Tobias railed at Beast, his German accent thicker than usual as he paced the ground in front of him. "We are so close to rooting out the cause of all this trouble, and you would have spared yourself had you just stayed in bed where you belonged!"

"How was I supposed to know that!? No one would tell me anything!" Beast shot back, his temper rising as well. "I needed to see her, to make things right. She couldn't continue to think that I didn't love her, or want her."

"And what did you find?"

"She doesn't remember me," he grumbled under his breath. "In fact, she was petrified of me. I don't know if I'll ever be able to erase that look from my mind as long as I live." Beast slumped to the ground in self pity.

Tobias came up and offered an arm of comfort. "We're going to fix this. She'll come back to you, I promise. We tried to spare you this, but for now, we better get back to Montiquent. Rosalind and Kara were just figuring out the final pieces to this mystery. With any luck, they'll have located the culprit, and we can reverse this, now."

Tobias went to stand but felt something hard come crashing down on his head. Then everything went dark as he fell to the forest floor.