Chapter 10: There's a Girl in the Castle
The Beast was hungry. He paced the empty dining room of the castle, irritably snarling as his stomach grumbled. His body demanded to be fed. It yearned for meat. The need pulsated in each of his swollen muscles, in his very bones. His mind blurred in a red haze as he pressed his snout to a nearby window and fogged it with his hot breath.
He smelled something through the glass.
A musky aroma, so strong it caused his nostrils to flare, skittered across the greensward below. How far away? He sniffed again deeply and judged it at 50 arpents, at least. He could almost taste the sweat moistened hide of the buck. His frenzied mind imagined the tangy blood rushing past his fangs and onto his fur. He licked his gullet with a rough tongue and scraped against the glass with an impatient horn.
There was a clamoring behind the Beast that drew his attention and he turned with a feral snort. A slender man with long yellow hair approached slowly and bowed low over a tray. Walking with deliberately diverted eyes, he set his heavy burden on the long wooden table in the center of the room.
The Beast growled and landed on all fours. He moved his body low to the ground, never taking his eyes off of the man.
"I ordered you to leave it outside, Lumière." The Beast snarled deeply as he stalked forward.
The man fumbled as he opened the tray and removed large, raw slabs of beef. With a heavy grunt, he swung them down, watching with distaste as they landed on the floor with a wet thud.
"For-forgive me, your highness. Mrs. Potts forbade me to leave it outside and she is more fearsome than you or I. N'est-ce pas?" He stepped away from the food and backed hastily to the door. "She will have my-my skin if she finds I fed you on the floor."
"Leave." The Beast demanded sharply.
Lumière scurried and bowed. He gathered his serving tray, loudly clanging it in his rush, and backed out of the room.
As soon as the blonde servant departed, the Beast began to devour his meal in large chunks. The meat was cold and caused his taste buds to revolt but he forced himself to swallow. The Beast tore into the sinew. He licked and crunched the bones until there was nothing left. Then, with his hunger appeased, he sat back on his hindquarters in silence.
Letting his massive head roll forward, he stared down at his paws. He flexed them straight and extended the claws tucked within. The silvery spikes shined in the candlelight and sent menacing shadows onto the walls. They were the talons of a monster, curved like scimitars and just as sharp. They were meant to kill.
Turning from his deadly appendages, the Beast's attention went back to the window. He still felt the overwhelming desire to hunt. He stood and stared down below. His shocking blue eyes focused in on the deer. He breathed in and out deeply and squeezed them shut.
No. He denied the demanding need within and growled in frustration.
It had been this way since the transformation, the constant animalistic urges to feed, to maim. He found that no matter how hard he fought, his thoughts would always return to the feral instincts of a monster. He slammed his mighty head into his hand in frustration. Was there no part of the man left? Every thought was tainted, every impulse corrupted by darkness.
Things that had once been familiar now seemed foreign. It was unnatural to dress, to eat, or even to speak like a man. The smell of cooked meat repulsed him. The feel of cloth on his fur, irritated. Worst of all, when he became enraged, the impulse to attack was almost undeniable. This mutilation of his soul frightened him. The darkness that had plagued him his whole life felt unleashed and threatened to swallow him whole. The fingers of rage stroked his heart endlessly. His mind was corrupted. He could no longer trust his thoughts. The man within was fighting to control a Beast that wanted to devour the world, and he didn't know how long he could hold him back.
With one last glance at the deer below, the Beast turned angrily to the door. His powerful stride pulled up short as the entry unexpectedly swung open and a round woman in a white hat walked in.
"Have you finished your meal, love?" Her voice was gentle and held a note of worry.
The Beast just growled and turned his back.
The woman looked on the table where the tray had been and followed a trail of liquid to the floor.
"Oh dear, you didn't eat off the ground again, did you?" The little lady pulled a rag from the waist of her crisp white apron and knelt to clean the ivory and gold speckled marble. "What would your subjects think? And all these lovely dishes going to waste."
The Beast simply bared his claws. The old woman did not blink. She had raised him since the nursery and could never fear the man, nor beast, he became.
"Put those away, Master." She waved her rag at him with a frown. "I know it is difficult to eat properly with those claws, but you must try. Besides, the Savior will be here soon and you can't go scaring her off by behaving like a savage."
The Beast retracted his claws and shook his head. "She is taking too long."
"I know." The lady tilted her white capped head to the side and gazed at the Beast. Her soft face pulled into a somber expression.
"I don't know if I can hold it back." he confided, his voice coming out tight, strangled. "The hunger is..." The Beast backed away from the lady and shook his head as if to clear it. "And the desire to hunt...", he looked back at her and she was shocked by the ferocity in his stare, "consumes my mind."
"You must keep yourself busy, your highness. Have you found anything about the dark beast in that library of yours?" Mrs. Potts questioned, standing upright and straightening her skirt.
The Beast made a frustrated sound deep in his throat. "Nothing of use. Some maps. Might be helpful when the witch finally arrives."
"And you're sure she is strong enough to help?" Mrs. Potts inquired hesitantly.
The Beast glanced over sharply and nodded. "She is the Savior. She must be powerful." He began to pace again. The waiting was too much. The blasted creature needed to appear before there wasn't a kingdom to save.
Mrs. Potts watched him patiently. Her eyes were filled with the same sweet fortitude he remembered from his childhood. Instead of providing solace, though, he found himself growing more agitated.
"It will be fine, love." She soothed from across the room.
"Fine?" The Beast sneered. "How can you say that? My entire kingdom is in jeopardy. You are a prisoner here." He moved farther away and stood at the other end of the extensive table.
"She will come." Mrs. Potts insisted. Then she jumped at the crashing sound that followed. The Beast had slammed his enormous paws onto the table and caused the thick wood to splinter beneath him.
"She better!" His voice rang high into the rafters and Mrs. Potts covered her ears with her hands.
After a moment, the silent maid dropped her hands and sighed. "You really must learn to control your temper, Master." She shook her head as she went out the of the thick golden door.
He was getting more and more difficult to handle. Though he had never been warm, there was always a goodness about the prince. Now, she feared he was losing that. She secretly wondered if the Beast had taken over more of his mind than she had initially believed.
Mrs. Potts had reached the end of the armor lined hallway when the frustrated voice of Lumière reached her.
"I know a girl when I see one!" He shouted in his unmistakable voice.
"Yes, I know!" Cogsworth voice dripped with sarcasm. "We all know."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Lumière answered defensively.
Mrs. Potts heard Cogsworth's grunting laugh. "Figure it out, you low level Lothario!"
"Why, you corpulent..."
Mrs. Potts rounded the corner and came face to face with the squabbling duo. Lumière, tall and lanky, stood towering over the pudgy, red-faced butler. They seemed dangerously close to coming to blows. Again. Mrs. Potts sighed and stopped in front of them. Her hands rested firmly on her thick waist.
"You two should be ashamed of yourselves! Causing such a fuss while the Master is within earshot!" She admonished in a hushed voice.
The blonde manservant turned pale and bowed coolly. "Mrs. Potts, I have spectacular news!"
"Oh please, save us your fevered dreams of beautiful girls traipsing through the gardens. She was probably a maid." Cogsworth insisted derisively, waving his hand away in dismissal.
The slender man appeared genuinely affronted. "You think there is a maid I have not met personally? You don't know me at all, old friend!"
"I am not your 'old friend', you egotistical…" Cogsworth began, bouncing up and down in rage.
Before he could continue, Mrs. Potts intervened. Turning to the blonde man she asked, "What is this all about, monsieur?"
Lumière smiled charmingly and continued his initial story. "I have spectacular news. There is a girl in the castle!"
Mrs. Potts inhaled loudly and clapped her hands. Could it be true? "Where? We must bring her to the Master at once!"
Satisfied that he finally received the reaction he desired, Lumière's smile widened. "Yes, Mrs. Potts! I saw her out the window of the south parlor after I left his highness his meal. But how shall we bring her to him? I fear with this spell it will only frighten the girl if I were to talk to her."
The old woman shook her head, "Witches have seen many enchantments. This one is not so terrifying."
"So you say," the handsome manservant turned away dramatically, "but I have not seen my reflection in all these long days. That terrifies me!"
"Yes, well I have seen you," answered Cogsworth, bitterly, "and that is no joy either!"
The butler turned to Mrs. Potts with a serious expression. "The windbag does have a point, though. If the girl is not the witch, and she becomes aware of our enchantment, I worry what the master will do."
Mrs. Potts nodded, deep in thought. "Where is the girl now?"
Lumière shook his head in pity. "The stables. She appears to have ridden through the night." A small smile formed on the side of his mouth and wicked eyebrow shot up, "I'm sure she will want a warm bed…"
Mrs. Potts stared at him hard and pursed her peach lips. "I think you have helped quite enough, Mssr. Lumière. Cogsworth will bring the girl inside to the Master, thank you."
The man looked like a disappointed child who had lost his favorite toy.
"But I…" He started just to be ignored. The white-capped woman had turned away. Lumière huffed and flipped on his heels, stomping down the halls.
"At last!" Cogsworth breathed thankfully, though his smile disappeared with a stern look from the old woman.
"You must go quickly, now. Be careful. Have her follow you at a distance. She does not need to know of the curse unless the master decides to enlighten her." Mrs. Potts gave the warning.
"As you say." The stout man nodded deeply, not quite making it a bow.
Mrs. Potts watched Cogsworth waddle away and breathed a sigh of relief. The girl had come at last. Soon she would defeat the dark beast and they would all be free of the Enchantress's spell.
She could not wait to visit the village of her family again. She had been tempted to travel there against the Master's orders, but could not force herself to make the journey. What would she do, confronted by her loved ones but not able to make herself known? To see but not be seen, she had wondered, tearfully. The spell that kept them safe also kept them secret. They were invisible to the eyes of everyone, save those affected by the curse.
Mrs. Potts wiped a dismissive finger under her eye. It was a burden to be cheerful for the others. She was careful to never let her fear or sadness show. It was not an easy task.
With a heavy heart, she turned to her chores. There was much to be done. There was laundry to press, rooms to refresh, tea to brew. It had been many years, long before the spell, since they had a girl visit the castle. Mrs. Potts thrilled at the thought of using her skills.
Now, if only the Master would control himself, she thought, deflated, as another crash in the dining room echoed down the hall. Poor girl! Who will save the Savior from the Beast?
A.N. All characters belong to The Walt Disney Co.
Hello, readers. Meet our Beast. He's big. He's hungry. He's in for a huge surprise. What are your thoughts on our hairy hero? Let me know, or any other thoughts you might have, and there might be a huge slab of beef waiting for you!
Thanks so much for the feedback! I would like to especially thank some new reviewers, meandmynotebook, Isabelle Sumner, and Mistress 0f Dragons. You all have helped me more than you know. Mistress 0f Dragons, I loved reading your thoughts as you read my story. Very interesting!
Isabelle Sumner has some beautiful work on her page that some of you might have read. I am currently reading A Tale of Angola when I'm not writing and it is a work of art. If you feel like reading a historically accurate and remarkable take on Beauty and the Beast, you should give it a shot! Thank you all again for reading, reviewing, following and/ or favoriting! -S