Chapter 17 - Dinner Invitation

What a day it had been. Everything just seemed to move so fast. One minute he was keeping that old man prisoner, the next he had his daughter locked up instead. His life had gone from him simply trying to scrape by and get through each day to being a drama-filled mess. It had been completely turned upside down in an instant.

Everything felt so... Deranged. There was a sense of uncertainty and restlessness throughout the castle.

Beast was drained. He hadn't felt like this since the curse had been first placed upon him. Not only had he not had any sleep, but he also had to deal with the old man and that girl, and the punishment one of them had to face. He still found it hard to believe that she would give up everything for her father. It made him wonder just how strong of a bond and a connection they had.

Was that what a relationship between a father and their child was supposed to be like?

He wished he had got to experience something like that for himself.

But now he just wanted some time to himself. Just a few minutes of peace, where he didn't have to worry about the girl, or have the servants interrupt him - nothing like that. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Was that too much to ask?

Although he found himself questioning why the moment a girl showed up at the castle, something he had been waiting for years to happen, he didn't want anything to do with her. This was his chance, why didn't he take it?

It mostly boiled down to the fact that he was tired and hungry. He hadn't had much time to think and consider his options yet after so much had happened.

He'd fix the hunger problem very soon, though, as he was heading downstairs for dinner. The food would be waiting for him at the table as always. And while he ate he would be able to think.

He entered the dining room and walked over to his chair, and then settled down to eat. But just as he was about to tuck in, he glanced at the opposite end of the table and noticed that there was another meal laid out.

The servants had prepared the girl a meal. They just couldn't help themselves, could they?

He clenched his fists, and in one fell swoop he knocked several plates and glasses off the table and they shattered on impact with the floor. "LUMIERE!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Beast stood up, and nearly wiped out the chair as he stormed out of the dining room and burst through the kitchen door. The servants were there, gathered on the centre table, looking slightly panicked by his outburst.

"You're making her dinner?" He questioned with a scowl.

Cogsworth pushed passed Lumiere, standing at the forefront of everyone "Master, I just want to assure you, I wanted no part in this hopeless drabble. Preparing her dinner, designing a gown for her, giving her a suite in the East Wing." He rattled on.

"You gave her a bedroom?!" Beast exclaimed. This just kept getting better and better. Didn't he specifically say that she would be treated no differently than the old man? Or did Mrs Potts just so happen to neglect telling them that information? She probably did tell them, and they just chose to ignore it. Did they not take his word seriously anymore?

"No, he gave her bedroom!" Cogsworth replied, pushing Lumiere forward whilst he cowered behind him.

"This is true, but if this girl is the one who could break the spell, maybe we could start by using dinner to charm her." He suggested.

Beast circled round the table, snarling when the stove lit up with roaring flames.

"Good thinking, Cogsworth." Lumiere added, giving the mantle clock a nudge.

"What?!" Cogsworth cried in alarm.

"That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard! Charm the prisoner..." He murmured in disbelief.

"But you must try, master. With every passing day we become less human." Lumiere pleaded.

Beast knew that more than anyone. He certainly didn't need telling. "She's the daughter of a common thief, what kind of person do you think that makes her?" He questioned.

"Oh you can't judge people by who their father is now, can you?" Mrs Potts responded scornfully.

Beast growled at that. He didn't really know what else to do or say. She definitely got him there, it had left him utterly speechless.

Still, he'd definitely have to have words with her about that later, for bringing up his father and his past and using it against him.

He sighed "Fine. I'll give it a try. But don't get your hopes up." He admitted defeat.

"Thank you, master. It's definitely worth a try, and could put us one step closer to breaking the curse." Lumiere stated.

"So what exactly do I do first?" Beast asked.

"Well, the best way to get her to eat dinner with you is to invite her." The candle stick answered. His tone of voice sounded like he was treating what he was saying as the most obvious thing in the world. Technically, it was, but not to Beast.

"Me? Why can't one of you invite her?" He objected.

"Because if one of us do it, then she will think you're not interested. She will think you want to talk to her through us, and not directly. Communication is one of the most important things to have in a relationship. You have to be forward, step up, take a stand, be a... Uh..."

Was he going to say man?

"I get it. Will you show me where she is?" Beast requested.

"Of course! I shall lead the way!" Lumiere declared, hoping off the table and hurrying out of the kitchen door. Beast, as well as Cogsworth, Plumette, Mrs Potts and Chip followed.

"Do you all have to come with me?" Beast questioned.

"We just want to accommodate you to make sure that nothing goes wrong. You can be rather... Headstrong." Cogsworth replied.

Beast growled and shot him an angry glare. "I wasn't trying to insult you!" He blurted fearfully.

"You're making the right decision, master. Just think, if this goes well, we might finally be able to break the curse. This girl is our chance!" Lumiere exclaimed excitedly.

"I already agreed to do this, you don't have to keep badgering me about it." Beast grumbled.

As he followed Lumiere up the stairs to the East Wing, he couldn't quite believe that he had agreed to this. He couldn't believe that he was taking advice from the servants either. He had to relearn how to woe a woman. His old routine wouldn't work, as he was assisted by his beauty a great deal back then, and even if he did, Belle didn't seem like the type of person to appreciate flattery.

"Sorry." Lumiere apologised for going on for too long. "Just focus on getting her to come out of her room and we'll sort out the rest." He advised. "Oh and she thinks that we gave you the room under your orders. I thought you should know, just in case she brings it up."

"Why did you tell her that?" Beast asked.

"It makes her think that you're generous and have her best interests in mind, so that you become more appealing to her." He explained.

"Have you been strategically planning this the moment she arrived?" Beast questioned.

"I wouldn't say we planned any of this, we've just been making it up as we go along." He replied.

"I see..." Beast murmured. It was smart thinking though. It was clear that the servants were trying to push him and Belle together in any way they could.

"Here we are!" Lumiere declared, unveiling the door that led to Belle's new living quarters.

Beast furrowed his brow "You gave her one of the best guest rooms we have?"

"Of course. Like I said, it proves that you care, that you want what's best for her."

"It proves that I'm soft! I'm supposed to be her captor, I shouldn't be so lenient." Beast protested.

"You won't earn her affection by talking like that. You need to be kind, caring, someone worth loving."

"I'm none of those things." Beast replied.

"Deep down you are." Lumiere told him. "Deep, deep down somewhere." He added.

Beast scowled again. "Thank you, you've filled me with so much confidence." He said sarcastically. He then turned his back on the servants and walked over to the door. He may as well get this over with.

He lifted his arm but paused before he could knock, and allowed it to drop to his side again. "This is stupid, I can't do it."

"Yes you can, master. You can't give up now when we haven't even begun." Lumiere encouraged him.

He sighed and lifted his arm again. He could feel the servants' eyes on him, each one staring at his back, watching his every move with bated breath.

Beast slammed his clenched paw against the door three times. "You will... Join me for dinner... And that's not a request!" He demanded, saying it with as much authority that he could muster.

"Gently master, the girl lost her father and her freedom in one day." Mrs Potts said.

"Yes, the poor thing is probably in there scared to death." Lumiere chimed in.

"Exactly." Mrs Potts agreed.

Beast huffed, hot air escaping from his nose and mouth as he lifted his arm for a third time and knocked on the door with extreme and exaggerated care, resulting in it barely making a sound.

"Just a minute." The girl called out.

"See, there she is. Now remember, be gentle." Lumiere advised.

"Kind." Mrs Potts added.

"Charming." Plumette also added.

"Sweet." Cogsworth chimed.

Beast glanced at each one of them, trying to take all of their words of advice on board. It had been so long since he had talked to a girl... He was very rusty.

"And when she opens the door, give her a dashing debonair smile. Come, come show me the smile." Lumiere encouraged him, smiling at him in order to give him something to work off.

Beast stared blankly at him for a moment before curling his lips back and giving the servants a large, toothy smile.

Their reaction wasn't too pleasing. They were all taken aback, and he heard Mrs Potts breathe "Oh my dear."

Beast's fake smile cracked and faltered, and he closed his mouth, hiding his hideous fangs with his lips. He then turned back to the door "It would give me great pleasure... If you would join me for dinner." He stated, although nothing about his tone of voice was convincing and he was saying it through gritted teeth. The corner of his lips turned up slightly as he did a quick smile, even though the girl, nor the servants could see it. His face went back to its resting frown immediately.

"Manners." Cogsworth whispered.

"Please." Beast mumbled.

"You keep my sick father locked away in a cold, dark dungeon, then you take me as your prisoner instead, and now you want to have dinner with me? Are you insane?" The girl responded coldly, her voice slightly muffled by the door.

Beast growled angrily, gritting his teeth together as he inhaled and exhaled sharply, his anger beginning to boil over. Why was she being so insufferable?! In a fit of rage, he punched the door, nearly putting a hole through it. Some of the wood and old paint chipped away and splintered off after his fist made contact. He then kicked it repeatedly, and the whole door shook. If he had attacked it anymore, he might have knocked it off its hinges.

"You come out of there right now or I'll- I'll- I'll break down the door!" He shouted, after he was done taking his aggression out on said door.

"No! I'm not doing anything you say!" She retorted.

"You can't stay in there forever!" He yelled.

"Yes I can!" She shouted back. "I'd rather starve before I ever ate with you!"

"Fine, be my guest! Go ahead and STARVE!" He roared.

He whirled around, noticing that the servants were all crowded fearfully in the corner, distancing themselves from him as much as physically possible.

He stomped towards Lumiere, getting merely inches away from his face "If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at ALL!" He shouted, practically spitting on him, before turning and rushing down the hall. "Idiots!" He exclaimed as he stormed off. Why did he let them put him up to this? He was such an idiot himself.

He went back to his room and slammed the door behind him. The door frame shook violently. He needed to take his anger out on the nearest thing, so he lashed out with his paw and knocked over the tall candle stand beside the door. It was rather rash of him to do that, as something could catch fire. But in that moment, he didn't care, he didn't even think.

Beast stomped across the room and climbed the stairs, approaching the rose. He shot daggers at it with his glare, as he scooped up the enchanted mirror. He kept a watchful eye on the rose for a little longer, before he held it up the enchanted mirror, and caught a glimpse of his face. He tried to ignore it and avoid staring at his blue, human eyes. "Show me the girl." He requested.

The surface of the mirror rippled, and the image of his face faded and was replaced by an image of the girl.

Belle was sitting on the floor beside the door, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. She looked scared, so vulnerable, so fragile... Was this really the girl that stood up to him? Who never missed a beat and constantly argued back?

Was this what he had done to her?

His hardened expression softened as he watched as she buried her face into the skirt of her dress. His anger melted away, and all that was left was the feeling of remorse. Why did he always let his rage get the better of him? Why was he filled with so much hate? Why did he take it out on everyone around him?

Looking at her now, he realised that... Deep down, behind her brave, strong facade, she was afraid, of what was going to happen to her. Just like him.

The image faded, and he saw his reflection once more. Seeing it now... He had become numb to it at this point. Which was equally as horrifying as his appearance. That would be the same face that looked back at him in any reflective surface for the rest of his life... And it was the face that he had come to associate with himself.

He lowered the mirror and stared sorrowfully at the rose. He drew closer, resting his paw on the pedestal, and watched helplessly as a petal slowly peeled away and gently floated down to the base of the stalk. As soon as it landed on top of the other petals, it became blackened and withered.

Beast's heart dropped, and he could feel a sob caught in his throat. He swallowed hard, and looked down at the floor, his brow becoming knitted with sorrow as the castle rumbled and he heard the sound of falling debris.

For a moment... Just a moment... The servants had convinced him... He had convinced himself that there was a chance that he could break the curse.

For a moment... He actually had hope. A small, tiny, glimmer of hope. But like a burning flame it had been... Snuffed out, quicker that it had been ignited.

A/N - The writing process has been completed. I'll start posting more regularly, perhaps Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Does that sound good to you guys? Or would you rather it stay how it is so you don't get left behind and have to catch up?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The dinner invitation scene is pretty funny, and I liked writing it, until it got to the sad part where Beast looks at Belle in the mirror. Next chapter is a new plot line that I've written to add on to ideas presented in the movie. There's quite a few chapters coming up later that are like that. I look forward to sharing them with you all.