Chapter 7: Is This Home?
The Beast was making his way up the stairs while Lumiere was in the same place he was hiding.
"Master?" the candelabra asked, making the Beast stop.
"What?" he growled.
"Uh, since the girls are going to be with us for quite some time, I was thinking that you might want to offer them a more comfortable room."
The Beast responded back to the candelabra with a loud growl and continued his way. Once he was gone, Lumiere said shrugging, "Then again, maybe not."
The Beast entered the cell where Belle and Odette were in. The two sisters were crying and held each other close. The brunette looked at the Beast and said, "You didn't even let us say good bye! We'll never see him again! I didn't get to say good bye!"
"How could you be so heartless and have no compassion? Now that Papa is gone, we shall never see him again," Odette added.
The Beast began to feet guilt in his heart at seeing the girls upset and his expression became sympathetic. He brushed aside the feelings and said, "I'll show you two to your room."
The two girls looked up, thinking he was planning to have them housed inside the dungeon forever. The strawberry blonde wondered why he was giving them a different room, instead of keeping them in the dungeon.
"Our room? But I thought…" the brunette started.
"You wanna…" the Beast cut off the brunette, asking. "You two wanna stay in the tower?"
"No," she replied as Odette shook her head.
"Then follow me," he said.
Belle and Odette got up to their feet and began to follow the Beast. He led them out of their cell and went into the hallway. The Beast used Lumiere as a source of light to illuminate the way through the dark castle. Odette had her arm wrapped around Belle's, not wanting to lose her way. The sisters looked up to see statues and carvings of gargoyles. They stared at the girls as if they were about to harm them.
The girls looked around for a moment at the gargoyles. Belle gasped, held Odette's hand and hurried away to catch up with the Beast. The Beast looked back to see the brunette with her eyes lowered to the ground as she shed a few tears. The strawberry blonde gave a sorrowful sigh as she tightened her grip around her adopted sister's arm.
The Beast looked away, feeling pity for them. Lumiere, having enough of the awkward silence, turned to the Beast and whispered, "Say something to them."
"Uh… I hope you like it here," the Beast said, looking back at them. The candelabra urged him to say more. "The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere like. Except the West Wing."
"What's in the West Wing?" Belle asked.
"It's forbidden!" The Beast snapped, causing the girls to step back fearfully. After a few moments of silence, the Beast growled and urged them to follow him.
Soon he led the girls to a door. The Beast opened it, revealing a room with lavender walls, white window curtains, two canopy beds with light green sheets, pink and blue pillows, a soft blue rug by the bed, a fireplace, and a vanity table.
"Now, if you need anything," said the Beast, "My servants will attend you."
"Dinner, invite them to dinner!" Lumiere whispered into the Beast's ear.
"You all will, join me for dinner!" The Beast said, harshly. "That's not a request!"
Then he slammed the door on the girls very loudly, leaving them alone. Odette jumped from the loud bang and Belle gasped in response as she leaned against the door with heavy breathing. The brunette hurried towards her bed and collapsed on it, and sobbed into the bed sheets.
Seeing Belle breaking down in tears, Odette felt a sting of sorrow in her heart. Both she and Belle lost their freedom, all because they saved their father from a much cruel fate. But now, they would never see him again. Thinking of the consequences, Odette began to sing softly,
(Odette):
"Yes, we made the choice
For Papa, we will stay
But we don't deserve to lose our freedom in this way
You monster!"
Odette came up to the door, imaging as if she was confronting the Beast if he were still outside their room. She gave a glare and placed her hands on her hips.
(Odette):
"If you think that what you've done is right, well then
You're a fool!
Think again!"
But letting that out didn't help. The strawberry blonde crossed her arms and walked around the room frowning. It was dark and cold, and she rubbed her arms to warm them up.
(Odette)
"Is this home?
Is this where we should learn to be happy?
Never dreamed
That a home could be dark and cold."
Her mind flashed back to her childhood, remembering the good times she had with her biological family and before her mother's death. Then the memories went to when she and Belle were children, being with Maurice and Colette, and how they bonded over literature, Colette's death, Belle turning seventeen and Odette turning sixteen, and up to saving Maurice.
(Odette):
"I was told
Ev'ry day in my childhood
Even when we grow old
Home will be where the heart is
Never were words so true!
My heart's far, far away
Home is too!"
She looked upwards at the ceiling as it stretched higher and higher. She spun around the room wondering what the castle also contained.
(Odette):
"Is this home?
Is this what we must learn to believe in?
Try to find
Something good in this tragic place."
She also looked down at the floor, continuing to spin.
(Odette):
"Just in case
We should stay here forever
Held in this empty space."
Odette turned her head towards the window. Outside, it began to snow. She made her way towards the window and looked out to see the Black Forest in the distance. She gave a sigh, wondering if staying in an enchanted castle was worth an adventure.
(Odette):
"Oh, but that won't be easy
I know the reason why
My heart's far, far away
Home's a lie!"
The strawberry blonde looked in the reflection of the window, seeing the beloved people in her life: Maurice, Colette, Belle, the bookseller, her late parents and siblings standing behind her. She smiled at the sight, believing that she was right there with them.
(Odette):
"What I'd give to return
To the life that I knew lately."
Then the reflection of the window changed into a darker version of Gaston in his best suit, a sad Belle wearing a wedding gown, and Odette in a servant's dress. Seeing this, made her frown and shake her head.
(Odette):
"But I know that I can't,
Solve my problems going back."
Odette turned her back to the window and rested against it. The dark reflection disappeared back into her normal reflection of her in her purple dress.
(Odette):
"Is this home?
Are we here for a day or forever?
Shut away
From the world until who knows when?"
The strawberry blonde hurried away from the window and sat down on the bed. Belle was still on the bed, sobbing her heart out.
(Odette):
"Oh, but then
As our lives have been altered once
It can change again"
She looked up around the room once more, and knew that she had to be strong; not only for her, but also for Belle. She wouldn't let the Beast contain them for long in the castle.
(Odette):
"Build higher walls around me
Change ev'ry lock and key"
She slowly lies down on the bed, too sad to appreciate the silky soft sheets and the comfortable mattress.
(Odette):
"Nothing lasts, nothing holds
All of me"
She tilted her head to the right to watch the snowstorm from outside getting stronger outside. Odette's eyes began to moisten again and felt exhaustion take over her body, and managed to sing before falling asleep,
"My heart's far, far away
Home and free!"
Author's note: I borrowed the song, "Home" from the Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast.