Beauty and the Beast: The Tale Continues
Chapter 61 - Epilogue
Disclaimer: Beauty and the Beast is owned by Disney.
Author's Note: This won't be long, but I would just like to thank each and everyone you for reading this story that I wrote not long after having seen the live-action remake of the classic animated film. Still love both equally, haha…
Anyway, I never would have imagined that this would be my most longest/reviewed story I've ever published, so thank you for that, as well :)
So, without further ado, please enjoy the 'final' chapter to my story… and R.I.P. to David Ogden Stiers, who you all know voiced Cogsworth in the animated film, but also Jumba from "Lilo and Stitch", and he was actually who I imagined playing Nathaniel if this were an actual movie.
Five and a half years later...
"Daddy…"
"..."
"... wake up, Daddy!"
The middle-aged prince let out a yawn, and slowly opened up his eyes to find himself looking at the eager smiling face of his beautiful daughter.
"You're just like your mother," muttered a tired Adam, giving her a small smile. "Can't a man simply enjoy sleeping in after handling so much time-consuming paperwork the entire night prior?"
A cute giggle came out of Liliana as she gave her father another small shove. "Come on, Daddy, Mommy's class has already started!"
Taking a moment to stretch out his arms and twist himself around a few times, Adam nodded his head, and said, "Alright, sweetheart, just give me a few minutes or so to prepare myself." Liliana stood still, not moving at all. "I promise that I won't go right back to sleep."
The 5-year-old little girl nodded her head, and happily walked out of the room while a sighing Adam ruffled up his own hair for a moment, now sitting up straight in his comfortable bed. "I swear that she has her mother's best and worst traits."
"I said the same when a young Belle did something similar."
A smiling Maurice was leaning against the doorway, and Adam chuckled while shaking his head.
"You're the one who brought her up here, aren't you?"
His father-in-law simply responded with a sheepish smile.
Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage;
For he was likely, had he been put on,
To have proved most royally: and, for his passage,
The soldiers' music and the rites of war
Speak loudly for him.
Take up the bodies: such a sight as this
Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss.
Go, bid the soldiers shoot.
A proud smile appeared on Belle's face as the young student that had been reading aloud the final words of the story Hamlet by Shakespeare closed the book before returning to her seat, finding it almost hard to believe that it was the same girl she had met at the village's washing place several years ago… back when Belle had wanted so much more than a provincial life.
"Thank you, my dear. LeFou, would you and Chip care to help me by passing out the pieces of parchment and individual quills to each of the students?"
The former teacup chuckled as he gently elbowed LeFou in the chest, which made Gaston's former sidekick lift his head up to look at a patient and smirking Belle. "... what was - oh! Yes, sorry, of course!"
Watching this occur from the back of the library were Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts, with the former teapot smiling brightly at the sight of her young son helping Belle out while the head of the household rolled his eyes. "The least that the man could do is stay awake for her students when they're reading."
"Oh, give Monsieur LeFou a break, Cogsworth," retorted Lumiere, a sly smirk starting to appear on the former candelabra's face. "Remember how you were on the first day that they began reading it?"
"I never asked for a response from you, peabrain," muttered the former clock, even though he knew exactly what Lumiere was talking about, and turned his attention back over to Belle.
At the same time, Adam was quietly making his way into the grand room that he had given to Belle, with Liliana right beside him, and the young woman gave a small nod to them after taking notice of them entering.
Once all of the students in the library/classroom had writing materials in front of them, Belle held up the book that they'd just completed reading. "For tonight's homework, I would like for you all to write down something important that came from here - either a favorite passage, particular line, or anything you may have learned."
The group of young students that had come from the village nodded their heads, and before Belle could say anything else, one of them raised up his hand in hopes of asking a question. "Yes, Alexander?"
"Well, um… I was wondering if, uh…" replied the young boy. "We could finally know about the, er, story of the Beast that once lived in this castle."
A soft chuckle came from Adam's mouth as some of the other students nodded their head in agreement, and he raised an eyebrow when Belle shared a quick glance with him.
"You did say that… we'd be able to hear it once the final page of Hamlet was read," pointed out the young girl that had read aloud said published material.
Belle looked at all of the eager students that were simply waiting for her to tell them about the story that they'd heard people in the village talk about here and there, and a smile appeared on her face since this was actually something that she'd planned in advance.
"Yes, and I'll be keeping my word. You will all hear the story of the Beast that once lived in this castle." There were now smiles on every face of her students. "But it won't be told by me…" Some of the young children looked confused while others started to groan in disappointment. "Nathaniel?"
A look of surprise came to Adam as he watched his uncle walk her way over to where Belle stood at while the beautiful woman went to stand beside her husband.
"He's going to be telling them about-" Adam started to say, but Belle suddenly interrupted him with a chuckle.
"Yes, and don't worry, he'll be making a few alterations since… well, you'll see what I mean."
She smiled down at their daughter, softly rubbing the top of her head, and a smirking curious Adam turned his attention over to his uncle, who cleared his throat before telling the story.
Once upon a time, in a faraway land,
A young Prince lived in a shining castle.
Although he had everything his heart desired,
The Prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind.
"Seems true enough so far," whispered Adam, with Liliana letting out a giggle and an amused Belle giving him a light shove.
But then, one winter's night,
An old beggar woman came to the castle
And offered him a single rose
In return for shelter from the bitter cold.
Repulsed by her haggard appearance,
The Prince sneered at the gift,
And turned the old woman away.
But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances,
For Beauty is found within.
Adam kissed the top of Belle's forehead, and Belle looked up at him, the two sharing a smile while she started to lightly touch the sides of his face.
"I see you've been finally working on your beard."
The Prince gave a small shrug, and Belle laughed a little at what he whispered to her before returning their attention to Nathaniel. "I'll save the growling for when the time is right in the story."
And when he dismissed her again,
The old woman's ugliness melted away
To reveal a beautiful Enchantress.
The Prince tried to apologize, but it was too late,
For she had seen that there was no love in his heart.
And as punishment,
She transformed him into a hideous beast,
And placed a powerful spell on the castle,
And all who lived there.
Ashamed of his monstrous form,
The beast concealed himself inside his castle,
With a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.
The Rose she had offered,
Was truly an enchanted rose,
Which would bloom until his twenty-first year.
If he could learn to love another,
And earn her love in return
By the time the last petal fell,
Then the spell would be broken.
If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast
For all time.
As the years passed,
He fell into despair, and lost all hope,
For who could ever learn to love... A Beast?
Insert "A Place Where Dreams Come True" by Randy Newman, starting at the 3:00 mark
"I'm pretty sure you all know the answer to that question," said Raphael, a small smirk on his face as he spoke to the readers while walking away. "As well as what is going to happen next in the story that he's about to tell to Belle's class…"
Then, after taking one more look at the man who had once been a Beast and the woman who had broken the spell, who were both standing right beside their wonderful daughter, Raphael gave a wink to the audience as he finished with what he had to say before turning into a swirl of golden magic that would fly away into the sky.
"... but whoever said that it would end here?"
Back in the castle, Belle suddenly felt odd, and Adam noticed this after seeing her expression, as well as his wife placing a hand on her stomach.
"Is everything okay?"