"It had been a month since Belle had bid farewell to her friends and returned to her village. Though the residents of the castle had been reluctant to see her go, they quickly returned to normal, as though she and her father had never visited. In fact, Adrien and Anastasia were the only ones who seemed affected by Belle's absence. It was evident that Adrien's feelings for Belle were not fading anytime soon, as he would often gaze out the window of his room in the west wing, as though he expected her to return. Sometimes he would even start to say or do something that reminded him of Belle, and then stop himself, remembering that she was gone. Other times, the servants often caught him gazing sadly into his magic mirror, images of Belle flashing by. "Anastasia, on the other hand, simply watched all of this in agony. Though she had tried so hard to not let it happen, her feelings for the king had only grown as each day passed. So while it hurt her to know that the one she loved did not love her, it hurt her even more to see him so lonely and heartbroken. It was then that Anastasia made a decision: she would travel to Villeneuve and try to convince Belle to come back for a visit. Even if she couldn't make Adrien happy, even if Belle was not interested in him, Anastasia at least knew that letting Adrien see Belle in person again, even if it was only for a brief moment, would cheer him up considerably. That was all that mattered to her, to see him happy. "So here Anastasia found herself, standing in front of Belle's cottage, trying to gather the courage to knock on the door. Taking a deep breath, she took the initiative, and Belle opened the door a moment later. " Anastasia?" She said in surprise. " What are you doing here?" " I came to ask you to come back to the castle." Anastasia answered in a direct tone. " Come back?" Belle looked taken aback. " Anastasia, I…. I cannot. I have responsibilities here." "Sighing, the red-haired woman grabbed her friend's hand. " I know. All I ask that that you visit for a little while. I miss you, as does everyone else…especially Adrien." Belle sighed. " So that is what this is about. Ana, I thought we discussed this! Do you not realize how selfish and naïve you are? I do not love Adrien, and if he sees me, it will only give him false hope. Is that what you want? By asking me to do this you are not only hurting him, you are also hurting yourself and putting me in a terrible position. So as your friend, I must say no. I do not want to see you or Adrien get hurt." " But Adrien is already hurt! He is pining for you." Anastasia exclaimed in exasperation. " Please, just go see him one last time, if not to give him some closure." Belle sighed. " Very well, if it means that much to you." The older woman squealed with joy and dragged her friend outside. Belle obediently climbed into the carriage that had been waiting for them, with Anastasia climbing in after her. The two women sat in silence throughout the entire journey to the castle, until they finally reached the gates. It was then that Belle spoke up. " Just remember, I am only doing this for your sake, and will not stay long." Anastasia nodded in response, and they both hopped out of the carriage, making their way to the castle entrance. The massive doors creaked open, as though someone had been expecting them. To the women's surprise, the face that greeted them was none other than Adrien's. " Belle? Is that you?" He exclaimed.