Chapter Twenty Seven

27.1

After they had finished their meal, a large roast with a selection of side dishes, Adam just sat opposite Anotine and stared at him whilst appearing in human form. He hated how hard it was for him to maintain this appearance but what Antoine wanted to talk about was concerning him.

"So, you said that -" Adam said but Antoine waved his hand in the air as if dismissing the fact that Adam was talking at all. Adam took a weak inhale before nodding. He'd just go along with what Antoine wanted.

"Our father and brother were killed because of him," Antoine said and Adam raised an eyebrow. He waited for his brother to continue, he'd most likely be cut off from saying anything anyway. "I should have know that it was all a setup. I mean, you're the only one of us who was a sissy and cried over the possibility of extending the war."

"I don't like wars," Adam said bluntly and Antoine sighed and rolled his eyes.

"It helps us get more land, more money, more power. Yes, there are things wrong with going to war but it's like a game of chess, we have control over the pieces." Adam stared at his brother in shock. There were families who were missing fathers and husbands because they had been sent out to battle. There were people losing their lives and his brother was talking about them as if they were toys, his very own metal soldiers. "He wants to steal the control."

Adam looked down, "And you're saying that he treated -"

"Yes, to him, our brother and father were just inconveniences but I'm sure that if neither one of us took the throne, it would be handed over to him, he is a lead soldier now." Antoine stared at Adam before shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "As if you'd know what to do. Your brain must be damaged each time you become that thing."

"That thing is also me and no change in my thinking has been discovered," Adam coughed trying to keep his voice neutral although he hated how his brother tried to insult him. Yet, that was probably a good thing as well. If he hadn't come across Belle or mainly if he hadn't have become a frightening beast then he would have grown up a mirror image of his brother. He was glad that he had been given the opportunity to learn even if it meant that he had traumatic thoughts about his past.

"You wouldn't know, would you? Your intelligence has been lowered since you were eleven and transformed into that thing," Antoine shook his head. "Still, even with your cluelessness, you can reign, you do have the right to be king."

Adam sighed heavily. He knew better than to argue about his brother but he couldn't stop thinking of how moronic he sounded.

"He's not working alone," Adam stated and Antoine sighed.

"So, he's got an army with him? Maybe I should make it an official order that if anyone sides with him over the royal family then they will be either banished or beheaded, that should test the loyalty of those followers," Antoine stated and Adam sighed.

"I wouldn't call it an army," Adam said before looking away awkwardly. "There is someone who visited Belle and I without an invitation, a dark sorcerer or something like that. I'm certain that's who he's working with if he's working with anybody."

"So, this man, this sorcerer as you say he might have bewitched Gaston into performing these murders," Antoine posed and Adam stared at him.

"No. I think that the two of them have made some kind of deal. This man isn't normal. He's threatened to kill Belle, myself, and even Juliet. We are being helped by numerous enchantments attached to this castle but he does have the power to kill or….to change someone. However, if Gaston were changed then he would not be the man I remember and he would definitely not be the man who Belle remembered from a relatively young age."

Antoine laughed as he looked around, "To think that you have enchantments guarding this. Well, I don't think that you know anything about magic."

Adam stared at him, raising his eyebrows, "What?" he asked not sure what his brother meant by that. "You don't think that I know anything about magic?"

"Isn't it obvious that you don't have the first clue about -" Antoine paused and saw Adam turn into his beast form. He pulled back with disgust on his face. "Yuck. That should be made illegal, you should be banned from doing that, looking so ugly and scary. It's a crime to force me to look at you."

"And yet you don't think that I would be a magic expert by now," Adam said before looking at his paws. He sighed before forcing himself back into his human form and saw Antoine look as if he were about to vomit. With a deep inhale, Adam looked to the doorway.

"I know about magic and curses and I don't think that creature is anything you want to approach alone. It's something to do with our family, the horrible reminders of our ancestry," Adam said before Antoine laughed at him.

"You think you have any right to call anything other than yourself horrible in our family line," Antoine commented and Adam refused to say anything. "So, we take down this sorcerer and that will lead to Gaston's downfall."

"I predict that that's correct," Adam nodded. "Anyway, both Belle and I have formed a way to fight against this black magic, it's important that you consider your options as well."

"So you're -"

"I'm the physical force, the muscle, the defense," Adam said before looking at his hand. He knew he had more strength as a beast and if he remained in that form for as long as possible, his strength would only grow but the temptation to be human was too much for him. "Belle is the one who is intelligent enough to create magic."

"So, you have the brains and the very unintelligent brawn," Antoine said as he waved them off, "Now, what do you want for her?"

Adam frowned, he shook his head, "Belle, you can't have her. I don't have her but you definitely can't have her."

"You really think she's happier being here? Living with your form? Don't you think that a woman like Belle deserves a better life, a more beautiful world. You can't give her that if you're being hunted. Why not let her leave?" Antoine asked and Adam growled but shook his head.

"Belle is my wife and the mother of our newborn daughter. I am willing to help you but I am not going to just give you Belle," he said and Antoine frowned.

"There must be a spell that makes her love me and not you," Antoine thought aloud and Adam stiffened.

"I would never place a spell on Belle that would form her choices for her and I would never want to do anything to give her to another but we are willing to help you and you will most likely need our help," he said and Antoine sighed.

"What do you want?" he asked and Adam's eyes widened.

"Nothing…well…one thing but pretty much nothing," he said and Antoine scoffed at him.

"Of course you would want something, what is it, gold, one of the paintings," Antoine froze as Adam turned into his beast form.

"For you to at least try to accept that this is also me," he said and Antoine flinched. Adam turned back one final time before standing there silently and then walked out. He walked away from the room, pushing his fingers back and through his hair, as he got further away he changed completely into his animalistic form. He took another look back at the room where Antoine was before going to his and Belle's bedroom in the west wing.

27.2

The air seemed so still now that Antoine had left. He had had some rest, eaten a breakfast he demanded, and now finally he had gone back to the palace where hopefully he would still agree to be king even if it was only to step down in two years' time. Adam smiled as he looked to a tree in the courtyard. Fruit. Fruit showed life and maybe he looked like a monster but it appeared that his brother was more trapped than he was.

A small bird jumped onto the tree branch and Adam gently reached out for it, smiling as it climbed upon his paw. Maybe now that he was more gentle, they wouldn't be too scared of what he looked like. He smiled at the bird, his eyes widening as he watched it and felt that connection. That was until he heard someone cough and call out to him.

"Adam," Mrs. Potts called and the bird flew away. "Adam?"

"Ah, sorry, sorry," Adam laughed as he turned around to her. His face softened as he looked upon the woman who had been more like a mother to him than his biological one – he would have to find out how she was handling the loss of his father and brother. "Got a little lost in thought. How can I help?"

"Chip told me of the conversation between you and your brother," she said and Adam looked at her a little taken aback.

"I did attempt to stand up for him, for all of you. You are all like my family but Antoine, he doesn't understand that and I know that because before…before I was transformed I would have never wanted to be friends or family with the lower class but that's where I was wrong," he said before weakly smiling like a puppy who had just embarrassed himself, "Forgive me?" he asked.

"For what?" Mrs. Potts asked and Adam's mouth opened weakly.

"Everything, I only meant to do what was in the best interests of the people here," he said and Mrs. Potts shook her head. She walked over and hugged him. He held her back, careful not to exert too much of his strength now that he was back in his more 'natural' form.

"Adam, don't assume that you've always done something wrong. We are all incredibly proud of you," she told him and Adam grinned. "Now, I want you to know that you have become an amazing young man and I do mean man," she said as she stepped back and pointed a slightly authoritative finger at him. Adam laughed, when he was younger he would have never listened to her like this and now he was a ginormous animal and she could boss him around. "You're an amazing man. An amazing husband, father, friend. You have done well for yourself and improved upon yourself in ways that are very hard to do."

"Thank you," Adam whispered and then saw the woman's face soften.

"How you spoke about Chip, about wanting him to make something of himself and follow his dreams. Well, he doesn't have a father and none of my other children have said anything like that to him before. I think that you've motivated and inspired him by giving your help," she said and Adam shook his head.

"I can't imagine Chip not doing something impressive with his life and I want to help with that however I can. Belle and I don't want to be inventors but the trade matters a lot to her father, to Maurice. Would you mind me speaking to him about offering Chip a small job working for him."

Mrs. Potts beamed, "I think that is a wonderful idea, you know how hard a worker he is,"

Adam laughed, "Of course."

"Just like you, my love," Mrs. Potts said and Adam smiled to that. No matter how disgusting Antoine said he was, he had people close to him who cared about him, people who could see who he really and truly was.

End of Chapter Twenty Seven

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Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Twenty Six

KathyMesser, Savannah246810