Beauty and the Beast: The Tale Continues

Chapter 35 - Adam's Fury, Part 1

Author's Note: Disney is the rightful owner of this franchise. I just own the story.

Also, thank you, reviewers, for informing me about the timeline issue regarding the Eiffel Tower, which I saw via Google and Wikipedia was not actually created until the late 1800s. I plan on editing that out when I get the chance, and as of now, I will avoid having Belle and Adam talk about it... seeing as that there will be plenty of stuff going on for them to even bring it up.

By the time that Adam's father had gotten up to his feet after recieving a punch to the face, Belle had appeared to see who the new visitor was.

"Adam? Is everyth - oh, bonjour, Monsieur... um..."

Edward looked over at his son, and said, "She must not be very bright if she can't recognize who I am."

Adam gritted his teeth in frustration, and said, "Well, you don't exactly look the same as you do in our family painting, Father."

Noticing the venomous emphasis that Adam had placed on that last word, as well as realizing what the newcomer had said to her, a slight frown appeared on Belle's face as she said, "Forgive me, your Highness... I just assumed that-"

"Well, unfortunately, you were wrong," interrupted Edward. "And I will let it slide, for the time being... but in the meantime, I expect you to not make the same mistake again the next time you visit."

"Visit?" said Lumiere, who was now walking towards them, along with Cogsworth. "Oh, no, Master, she and her father live here in the castle."

Adam's father remained silent, for a moment, and then, he said, "How peculiar... if she lives here in the castle, then why is she dressed like a common farm girl?"

"Because I do not want to force her into being someone that she is not," explained Adam, who was continuing to control his anger. "And Belle is a very intelligent woman... she's probably smarter than either of us."

Edward crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow. "Is that so, madame?"

"Well, I'm sure that he and I have the same, if not equal, intelligence," pointed out Belle, who was slowly starting to dislike him. "But I am concerned about yours, however."

After she said that, Adam found himself starting to laugh while Cogsworth and Lumiere both had a nervous expression on their faces.

"It would be wise to know your place, madame," said Adam's father, giving her a look of disappointment. "Especially if you want to continue being wed to my son, and living inside of my castle."

"Your castle?" repeated Belle, with a smirk on her face. "If I recall, this all belongs to Adam, and there is nothing you could do to affect our marital status."

"And what makes you so sure of that, madame?" said Edward. "Were you not informed of the agreement that I made regarding my son's marriage to whomever he chose to be his wife?

"I thought you were supposed to be very knowledgeable."

To Adam's pleasure, Belle gave her own snappy comeback. "And I thought you were supposed to be dead."

God, I love her so much right now, thought Adam.

As for Edward, who was not as forgiving as his son currently was, he responded by delivering a slap to Belle's face. "You should learn your place and know who you talk to, you filthy little farm girl."

ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT!

"Father, you get the hell out of my castle now," warned a furious Adam, after checking to see if his wife was alright. "You no longer have any power. Nathaniel and I-"

"I am afraid that your uncle is no longer an important factor in this situation," replied a stone-faced Edward. "Since you can obviously see that I am alive, no such agreement exists... which reminds me..."

Turning his attention over to Belle, who was refusing to come down to his level, Adam's father placed out his hand in front of her. "Hand over your wedding ring, madame."

"What? Are you insane?" exclaimed Belle. "There is no way that I am ever handing it to you."

A smirk appeared on Edward's face as he said, "Either you hand me the ring, or I shall have you and your father thrown out of here immediately."

"Over my dead body," growled an infuriated Adam, as he stood in front of his wife.

His father let out a sigh, and replied, "Fair enough... I will just have someone else do it... Lumiere?"

"M-me, Master?" said the former candelabra, feeling nervous.

"Indeed, my faithful servant," replied Edward. "Retrieve the ring from her, and hand it over to me now... or else."

Lumiere gulped, and looked over at Cogsworth for help, with the former clock saying, "Um, forgive me, Master, but I don't think he is really comfortable with-"

"His comfort is irrelevant, Cogsworth," retorted Edward. "Do not make me ask you again, Lumiere."

The kind-hearted servant continued to hesitate, but just when it seemed like Edward was about to say something worse, Belle removed her wedding ring, and placed it in his hand, to everyone's surprise. "There... are you happy now?"

"B-but, madame, you... just said..."

Belle shook her head, and replied, "I know what I said, Lumiere, but I will not have your job be at risk just so he can have the ring... I love having you here."

Lumiere let out a sigh of relief, and to Belle's amusement, he politely kissed her on both sides of her face. "Thank you, madame... if this was an alternate world, I would give you a thousand libraries, then I would kiss you, and ask you to marry me."

Adam rolled his eyes while Belle tried her best to not laugh.

"You're already engaged to someone, you fool," reminded Cogsworth.

"Yes, but that is why I said an alternate world," replied Lumiere.

Once she relaxed a little, Belle turned back to look at Edward, and she said, "I certainly do not need a ring or a piece of parchment to show my love for Adam, or how much he loves me."

Placing her ring inside of his coat pocket, Edward started to frown, but then, he slowly began to smile, and said, "You are one very interesting woman, madame... and I hope you do not mind when I say that, as long as I am here, you are forbidden from entering the library."

"What?!" yelled an upset Adam. "You can't do that to her. She loves the libary! Besides, I gave it to Belle, and-"

"But it was not something for you to give, Adam," retorted Edward. "Now, then, if you do not mind, Lumiere, I would like you to help James with preparing my bedroom."

Everyone looked at the person that Edward had brought with him, who had kept quiet this entire time since he was used to seeing his master this way, and Lumiere replied, "Okay, Master... w-we shall get started right away."

As the two of them walked away, Edward turned his attention back over to Belle, and he said, "I also expect to see you dress more like an actual princess, madame, if you plan on spending the remainder of your life here in the castle."

"Edward, I swear to God, I shall-" Adam began to say, but he stopped after seeing his father prepare to punch him in the-

"Belle!"

At the very last second, the young woman had stepped in front of her husband, and unfortunately, she recieved the painful blow to the stomach by Adam's father.

"How foolish of you," said Edward, not showing any sign of regret for his actions. "I certainly hope you were not carrying a child."

He then finally walked away from the two of them, and once his father was out of sight, Adam looked at his wife, saying, "Belle, w-why did you..."

"You... said so yourself, Adam," replied Belle, who almost got the wind knocked out of her. "People always do crazy things when... ow..."

He quickly, but also gently, carried Belle in his arms, and began heading over to her bedroom. "I'll have Mrs. Potts come to take a look at you, and make sure you are okay."

However, as he walked away, the young prince just missed seeing a familiar swirl of gold-colored dust enter the castle, and swiftly moved towards Belle, then quietly disappearing inside of her chest.

"Adam? What's going... to happen to..."

A frown appeared on the young man's face as he said, "I will take care of everything, my love... I promise."