"Father! NO!" Belle yelled.
"Isabelle, please control your temper. Sir Philip is a noble man." King John said.
"He may be noble but he's also rude, pigheaded and conceded! He only wants to marry me for the prestige!"
Marlena laughed. "What other reason is there to marry dear? Don't tell me...love right? We all have these grand illusions of Love and Happiness. Happiness comes from marrying well, not for marrying for love."
"I said nothing about love. Marrying Sir Philip will drive me to an early grave! He's boorish and stuck up!."
John raised an eyebrow. "Isabelle, that is enough! This is a good match for you and you'll do well not to argue with me. You are dismissed."
"But Father-"
"I SAID YOU ARE DISMISSED ISABELLE!" John roared.
"Yes sir." Belle held in her tears until she was out of the throne room. She quickly fled to the stable and into Fancy's stall. She hugged the horse and sobbed into her mane.
Shawn heard her footsteps race past. He put up the saddle he has been oiling and quickly surveyed the stable area. As soon as he was sure that there was no one around he walked over to Fancy's stall. He slid open the door and walked up behind Belle, He wrapped his strong arms around her from behind and kissed her neck gently. "What's wrong, chérie?"
Belle immediately turned her attention from the horse to Shawn. "Oh Shawn." She was crying so hard she could barely breathe. She felt as if her life were coming to an end. The past three weeks had been...amazing....her secret rendezvous with Shawn had highlighted the dull days she'd been used to.
"Shh, tell me what's wrong. What happened?" Shawn knew by how she was acting what it was. It was the thing he'd been dreading since he'd laid eyes on her, She was betrothed to Philip. Belle looked up at him and from the despair her saw in her eyes he knew he was right.
"My...he...they arranged it....I have to....." But she couldn't say it. The idea made her sick. Marrying Philip was the worst thing that could possibly happen to her.
Shawn's heart broke for her, for himself. "Belle, it'll be ok."
"No Shawn, it won't! This isn't something you can just make go away with your kisses. MY FATHER IS THE KING OF FRANCE! I can't just say no to him."
Shawn racked his brain for a solution but couldn't think of one. The truth was, Belle was absolutely right. She had to marry Philip and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "Belle I love you."
Belle knew what those words meant. He knew the truth too, there was no way for them to be together. There love may be strong but laws were laws, her father had promised her to Sir Philip and that was what he wanted. Nothing she could say would convince him to let her marry Shawn and bringing it up would only get him banished. There was no question about whether or not she'd marry Philip. She would, even if she didn't want to. No, the question was what would happen between her and Shawn. For the past three weeks they'd been meeting secretly. She loved him with all her heart and found it hard to exist during the too long in between times. His kisses were her sustenance. "Shawn...you won't...we'll still be...you'll still love me...even after I marry him right?"
"Oh God, Belle, I could never stop loving you. Never." Shawn said, holding her tighter.
A scary thought entered Belle's head. "Shawn, I'm going to have to consummate our marriage with him."
Shawn's heart fell to his feet. He knew it was true he'd just been avoiding the thought. The thought of Philip with Belle, his Belle made him sick. But he would still love her, and he knew that the whole time she would think of him. "I know, darling. I know. But it won't change a thing." He hoped he was right. Belle began to cry once more and Shawn held her, soothing her as best he could. He knew that soon Philip would be down to find her. "Belle, you have to relax okay. They can't see you crying, especially not here with me. Come on darling, be strong." Belle knew he was right. She was a Princess, she knew how to have poise and it was needed here. She stood up, holding her head high and wiped the tears from her face. She took deep breaths and slowly she regained her composure. Shawn heard the sound of men approaching. "Be strong my Isabella." He whispered, kissing her before going back to oil the saddle he'd been working on.
As Philip approached Belle clung to the memory of that kiss, not allowing it's sweetness to fade from her lips. She curtseyed as he approached. "Sir Philip."
"My dear Isabelle, there is no need for that formality now. You are to be my wife." He kissed her hand. "I must say I was overjoyed at your father's agreement. You will make a wonderful bride."
"Thank you Sir, you are too kind." Belle said. In her head she wondered how many times she'd used that same dull phrase. She saw Shawn approach and start sweeping the aisle behind Philip. His presence made her feel stronger. Philip was babbling but she wasn't fully listening until she heard one key phrase. "I beg your pardon?"
"I said I cannot wait to have you in my bed." Shawn's head snapped up as well and he was overtaken with the desire to beat him in the head with the broom he held.
"Sir Philip, I really do not think it is proper to speak of such things." Belle said, flustered. He had broken through her calm demeanor.
"Isabelle, you must know that I do desire your body." Philip said. He suddenly grabbed both her arms and pulled her close, pressing his mouth hard against hers. Belle struggled to escape him. Finally he removed his mouth from her. "Darling you are my betrothed. I assure you this is acceptable." Shawn was now strangling the broom. To see Philip kiss her, so uncaringly, as if she were a possession and to see how much she hated it killed him. But the worst was hearing Philip call her darling. She was his darling.
"Philip I need to be alone right now. I need to reflect on all of this." Belle had pulled the excuse out of nowhere but she had to be alone. His kiss had erased Shawn's and she was breaking down. Luckily Philip bought it.
"Of course my lady, then I shall take my leave." He forced his kiss on her once more and then departed.
As soon as he was out of sight Shawn ran to Belle's side. "My love, oh my darling, I am so sorry." He kissed her lightly and instantly Belle felt somewhat better.
"Oh Shawn, it was horrible!" Her hand flew to her lips, which felt slightly bruised.
"I know darling, I know."
"I don't want anything to do with him! He's a...beast!"
"Shh, Belle, I'll fix this somehow, I promise." Shawn vowed to her and himself then and there that he would fix it. He didn't know how but he would find away. He couldn't stand to see his Belle in pain.
"Isabelle, please control your temper. Sir Philip is a noble man." King John said.
"He may be noble but he's also rude, pigheaded and conceded! He only wants to marry me for the prestige!"
Marlena laughed. "What other reason is there to marry dear? Don't tell me...love right? We all have these grand illusions of Love and Happiness. Happiness comes from marrying well, not for marrying for love."
"I said nothing about love. Marrying Sir Philip will drive me to an early grave! He's boorish and stuck up!."
John raised an eyebrow. "Isabelle, that is enough! This is a good match for you and you'll do well not to argue with me. You are dismissed."
"But Father-"
"I SAID YOU ARE DISMISSED ISABELLE!" John roared.
"Yes sir." Belle held in her tears until she was out of the throne room. She quickly fled to the stable and into Fancy's stall. She hugged the horse and sobbed into her mane.
Shawn heard her footsteps race past. He put up the saddle he has been oiling and quickly surveyed the stable area. As soon as he was sure that there was no one around he walked over to Fancy's stall. He slid open the door and walked up behind Belle, He wrapped his strong arms around her from behind and kissed her neck gently. "What's wrong, chérie?"
Belle immediately turned her attention from the horse to Shawn. "Oh Shawn." She was crying so hard she could barely breathe. She felt as if her life were coming to an end. The past three weeks had been...amazing....her secret rendezvous with Shawn had highlighted the dull days she'd been used to.
"Shh, tell me what's wrong. What happened?" Shawn knew by how she was acting what it was. It was the thing he'd been dreading since he'd laid eyes on her, She was betrothed to Philip. Belle looked up at him and from the despair her saw in her eyes he knew he was right.
"My...he...they arranged it....I have to....." But she couldn't say it. The idea made her sick. Marrying Philip was the worst thing that could possibly happen to her.
Shawn's heart broke for her, for himself. "Belle, it'll be ok."
"No Shawn, it won't! This isn't something you can just make go away with your kisses. MY FATHER IS THE KING OF FRANCE! I can't just say no to him."
Shawn racked his brain for a solution but couldn't think of one. The truth was, Belle was absolutely right. She had to marry Philip and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "Belle I love you."
Belle knew what those words meant. He knew the truth too, there was no way for them to be together. There love may be strong but laws were laws, her father had promised her to Sir Philip and that was what he wanted. Nothing she could say would convince him to let her marry Shawn and bringing it up would only get him banished. There was no question about whether or not she'd marry Philip. She would, even if she didn't want to. No, the question was what would happen between her and Shawn. For the past three weeks they'd been meeting secretly. She loved him with all her heart and found it hard to exist during the too long in between times. His kisses were her sustenance. "Shawn...you won't...we'll still be...you'll still love me...even after I marry him right?"
"Oh God, Belle, I could never stop loving you. Never." Shawn said, holding her tighter.
A scary thought entered Belle's head. "Shawn, I'm going to have to consummate our marriage with him."
Shawn's heart fell to his feet. He knew it was true he'd just been avoiding the thought. The thought of Philip with Belle, his Belle made him sick. But he would still love her, and he knew that the whole time she would think of him. "I know, darling. I know. But it won't change a thing." He hoped he was right. Belle began to cry once more and Shawn held her, soothing her as best he could. He knew that soon Philip would be down to find her. "Belle, you have to relax okay. They can't see you crying, especially not here with me. Come on darling, be strong." Belle knew he was right. She was a Princess, she knew how to have poise and it was needed here. She stood up, holding her head high and wiped the tears from her face. She took deep breaths and slowly she regained her composure. Shawn heard the sound of men approaching. "Be strong my Isabella." He whispered, kissing her before going back to oil the saddle he'd been working on.
As Philip approached Belle clung to the memory of that kiss, not allowing it's sweetness to fade from her lips. She curtseyed as he approached. "Sir Philip."
"My dear Isabelle, there is no need for that formality now. You are to be my wife." He kissed her hand. "I must say I was overjoyed at your father's agreement. You will make a wonderful bride."
"Thank you Sir, you are too kind." Belle said. In her head she wondered how many times she'd used that same dull phrase. She saw Shawn approach and start sweeping the aisle behind Philip. His presence made her feel stronger. Philip was babbling but she wasn't fully listening until she heard one key phrase. "I beg your pardon?"
"I said I cannot wait to have you in my bed." Shawn's head snapped up as well and he was overtaken with the desire to beat him in the head with the broom he held.
"Sir Philip, I really do not think it is proper to speak of such things." Belle said, flustered. He had broken through her calm demeanor.
"Isabelle, you must know that I do desire your body." Philip said. He suddenly grabbed both her arms and pulled her close, pressing his mouth hard against hers. Belle struggled to escape him. Finally he removed his mouth from her. "Darling you are my betrothed. I assure you this is acceptable." Shawn was now strangling the broom. To see Philip kiss her, so uncaringly, as if she were a possession and to see how much she hated it killed him. But the worst was hearing Philip call her darling. She was his darling.
"Philip I need to be alone right now. I need to reflect on all of this." Belle had pulled the excuse out of nowhere but she had to be alone. His kiss had erased Shawn's and she was breaking down. Luckily Philip bought it.
"Of course my lady, then I shall take my leave." He forced his kiss on her once more and then departed.
As soon as he was out of sight Shawn ran to Belle's side. "My love, oh my darling, I am so sorry." He kissed her lightly and instantly Belle felt somewhat better.
"Oh Shawn, it was horrible!" Her hand flew to her lips, which felt slightly bruised.
"I know darling, I know."
"I don't want anything to do with him! He's a...beast!"
"Shh, Belle, I'll fix this somehow, I promise." Shawn vowed to her and himself then and there that he would fix it. He didn't know how but he would find away. He couldn't stand to see his Belle in pain.