Welcome readers! This new fic is a bridge between LovelyLadyAllie's In-Between and Beyond series and a new crossover fic that is to come. The backstory for Lumière and Babette can be found in CarolNJoy's Noble series. If you haven't read those yet, you should! They're amazing!

This project is a collaboration between myself (LovelyLadyAllie) and CarolNJoy. We hope you enjoy it as much as we loved writing it!

Shout out to the best Discord group ever: Enchanted Rose for the Beta work. And a big thanks to our editor, Shiloh Grace.

This story picks up about a month after the curse is broken and follows my last one-shot, Midnight Confessions. Everyone is nearly adjusted to being human again when another big change comes sweeping in. The world has arrived and now the real work starts. Can Belle and Adam weather their first storm?


Happily Ever...

by: LovelyLadyAllie and CarolNJoy


Chapter 1-Versailles Comes Calling

The sun was high in the afternoon sky, bathing the gardens in its golden glow. Adam sat on a stone bench, attempting to focus on reading a book about trade history. The text included a detailed list of marriages for political convenience, and how, in particular, the crown had used provincial princes to further foreign relations. Adam had no interest in being a pawn for anyone—least of all his second cousin, who now held the throne. Being so far down the line of succession, Adam hoped that would aid him in his petition to be granted full autonomy in selecting his bride. That, and the fact he'd never been to court categorized him—as far as the nobility of France was concerned—as a complete outsider.

Despite the tension knotting his shoulders, Adam raised his face to the sun's warm rays and took in a deep breath. The garden was so peaceful this time of day and he could just sit and truly appreciate it. The hedges were meticulously trimmed, giving the array of colorful flowers a deep green backdrop that made them all the more beautiful. As the sun carved its path in the sky each day, the blooms opened to the loving attention it provided, and he could certainly relate; it was how he felt around Belle.

He laughed at his poetic musings. The book of sonnets he and Belle had read together in the wee hours of the morning still lingered in the back of his mind. That she kept sneaking to his room each night amused and thrilled him. They'd maintained their mutual commitment to using that private time to simply get to know one another's minds more fully and kept any physical affection to a minimum, but it was getting more and more difficult. Their fleeting caresses and chaste kisses left a lot to be desired. Each time they curled up together, he wanted more, but he kept his need to himself. If she was content with the stolen moments they had, he could be satisfied with them, too.

Setting his book aside, Adam strolled through the maze of foliage. The castle gardener, Florent, had really outdone himself. Taller bushes were sculpted into beautiful topiaries, layered with perfect circles and a sphere on the top. Florent had pruned the more unruly plants back except for one corner that was left to be as wild and untamed as it had been under the curse. The contrast of meticulously pruned beauty next to the freedom and chaos of this little corner was a fitting juxtaposition of his current state of mind.

In some ways, he almost missed being a beast. As bulky as that body was, he felt invincible in it. This human form wasn't nearly as strong or as agile. Shoes were uncomfortable, and clothes fit so much tighter. Thinking on it, he loosened the cravat around his neck and popped a button on his waistcoat. That was marginally better, but not by much.

Then there were his many responsibilities. He'd really taken for granted how simple life as a beast had been. Webster kept adding to the tower of books for him to read that if he stacked them atop one another, they would stretch from the floor to the ceiling in his bureau. Not to mention, he was expected to get through them all this week. Poor Belle's pile was even higher, but she could read much faster than him. He had no doubt she'd finish and be ready for more before he got through half of his. He sighed as he continued to wander. Worry creased his brow, and in quiet moments like this, his confidence faltered.

It had only been a few days since they'd started their lessons, but she was already helping him retain what they were learning. Seeing how he'd been taught much of it as a boy, he should have been the one aiding her, but he never thought he'd ever use any of that old knowledge again when he was a beast, so he'd let it all fade. Having to refresh it wasn't as simple as he'd hoped.

Completely lost in thought, Adam started with a jump when a delicate hand slid into his. Instinctively, his hand squeezed hers, as if rejoicing at finding its partner. She giggled, then tugged him around the bend, further into the underbrush, blocking them from anyone's view.

Once completely concealed, he brought Belle close, stealing a kiss before she could say 'hello'. One turned into two, three… by the fifth, his free hand cupped her jaw, tilting her head to the perfect angle while he deepened their embrace. They'd only gotten this carried away a few times, but god, he craved her. She melted into his hold and he could feel her surrender to him. It was everything he'd been dreaming of but wouldn't allow. If she didn't step away, he always did when things got heated.

She dug her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer, and Adam had to work to keep his smile from ruining their kiss. Her mouth welcomed him, and he took gentle, sweet sips, keeping to their promise to take things slowly. But it wasn't easy—for either of them. All of sudden, she dropped a hand to his chest, sliding under the lapel of his jacket and behind his waistcoat, pressing her fingers to his chest as if his thin shirt didn't exist.

In the distance, Adam heard the call of his name, and he thanked the heavens he still retained some of his heightened hearing. The elevated sense of smell left him after a week, and just last Tuesday he worried he might need spectacles when his keen vision reverted to normal human sight, but his hearing was sharp as ever, and he'd never been so grateful.

With no small amount of regret, Adam took Belle by the shoulders and set her away from him. Her hazel eyes were hooded and dark; he recognized desire when he saw it. She looked half-dazed and half-disappointed.

Dammit!

Whoever was looking for him could rot…

He was about to yank her back into his arms when the voice, shrill and sharp, bounced off the castle façade.

He didn't know that voice. And it was calling out Prince Alexandre, not Prince Adam. They had to be from Versailles.

"Adam?" Belle asked, her head tilting as she strained to listen to the approaching crunch of footsteps.

"Shhh." He placed a finger over her swollen lips—lips he'd been savoring a moment ago. His hand grasped hers again, pulling her swiftly through the tangle of vines and overgrown hedges.

"Prince Alexandre!" The voice loomed closer but hadn't left the groomed path yet. Adam's hand skimmed along the wall of the castle, letting the cold stone guide him to a door hidden among the vines and climbing bushes. As a boy, he'd used it to sneak out and look at the stars well past his bedtime.

Belle stumbled, and Adam spun around, catching her before she could fall and give away their tryst. His eyes searched her to make sure she was unharmed, but she smiled and shrugged, prompting him to steal another small kiss. When he pushed on the carved stone, a small crack formed. It didn't move easily, so he had to put his shoulder into opening it further. After a few good shoves, finally, the secret entrance let them through. Adam closed it behind them, throwing them into pitch darkness.

Belle's breath tickled his ear as she whispered into it, "Where are we?"

It was so dark, he couldn't see her at all, so he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled into the curve of her neck.

A tiny gasp escaped her. "Adam!" she chastised but didn't try to move. So he stayed, the warmth of her body filling him with calm and peace.

She didn't ask again, or scold him; just let him hold her for a few more moments. They both knew that the arrival of someone from court would put a swift end to their time like this. They had to soak it in, if only for a little while longer.

A commotion from the grand hall made its way to his keen ears. Cogsworth's agitated voice assured the newcomer that the prince would be found at once.

Time was up.

He heard Belle's rustling skirts as she turned around, but he could barely make out her silhouette in the dark. Ensuring he didn't miss her lips, he took her face in his hands and kissed her one more time. "I love you."

Her hands gripped his wrists. "I love you, too."

"Ready for this?"

Without seeing it, he knew she was squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, taking on the stance of a warrior. She was so strong, so fierce, he wanted to kiss her again until neither could feel their lips anymore.

But they couldn't. Eventually, someone would look here, and if they were caught... He could guarantee he'd never get the permission he sought.

Belle's hand found his again, squeezing his much like he'd done to hers earlier. "Ready for anything, as long as you're with me."

Adam smiled at that. "Then follow me…" He guided them through the passageway, turning and winding deeper into the castle. Little slivers of light shone through the dark, and Adam counted them. One was the formal parlor, two was the small parlor he and Belle liked to use, three was the formal dining room, four was the kitchen, and five was his first stop.

Pulling a lever, a panel opened, and they emerged into a storeroom. Taking a moment, they let their eyes adjust to the light before Adam kissed Belle's cheek and returned to the wall.

"Lumière should be on the other side discussing dinner options. He'll cover for us and let you assist in creating the menu."

Belle nodded, then released his hand. "Where are you going?"

"To the back stairs and hopefully my bureau. Wish me luck." He smiled at Belle as she hurried to give him one last little kiss.

"All the luck and love, Sugarbear."

His cheeks heated, he gave her a pathetic attempt at a wink before disappearing back into the darkness.

He was already the luckiest man alive so asking for more seemed greedy, but he wouldn't scoff at whatever miracle let him reach his destination undetected.

Now seated in his chair behind the desk, Adam had mere seconds to stick his nose in a thick volume when a knock rapped at his door.

"Enter," he called, lowering the book only slightly.

Cogsworth came in first, his expression frazzled and bewildered. "Sire…" His brown eyes looked around, then back to Adam. "I didn't think… Have you been here long?"

Adam arched a brow, ignoring the severe-looking woman behind his majordomo. "Where else would I have been?" he questioned, a slight smile on his face.

Cogsworth tripped on his tongue again and confusion deepened the lines in the man's cheeks; it reminded Adam of the clock hands that used to tick. "But I checked… twice! How could I have…?"

Impatient, the woman behind Cogsworth nudged him aside and presented herself to Adam with a deep curtsy, using her cane to steady herself. She was tall and thin, with graying dark hair pulled back in a severe bun. From her plain brown dress, she wasn't an aristocrat, but she held herself with the poise of a queen.

"Your Highness, allow me to introduce myself. I am Madame Legacé, court governess to His Majesty. I've been sent to assess, instruct, and fully evaluate your peasant girl for potential admittance into court. If she can't properly conduct herself, she will not be received. His Majesty has given me very clear instructions that I am to follow, Prince Alexandre."

Adam sat stunned. He knew someone would arrive to report back on their situation, but he'd never imagined this. He white-knuckled the book in his hands as his old temper threatened to give this woman, and her demands, her what-for. But for Belle's sake, he reined it in. His refusal would only hurt her chances, and he couldn't risk that.

As reluctant as he was, Adam coolly nodded, his lips pursed and eyes sharp. "I see. But let me make one thing clear: I am to be addressed as Prince Adam, not Alexandre, and if I suspect your treatment of Mademoiselle Beaumont to be unfair in any way, court rules be damned, I'll have you thrown out of here faster than you can say, 'mon Dieu.'"

Cogsworth's mouth fell open for a moment before snapping shut. To her credit, this Madame Legacé didn't flinch. Instead, she flattened her lips, and with a tone colder than the wind at the peak of winter, she replied, "I see. But as royalty, you are to have little to no contact with her outside of mealtimes and joint instruction. Until she is found worthy, you and the staff are to regard her as you would any other peasant. I was told she's residing in the guest quarters. That is unacceptable. She is to be moved to the servants' wing at once."

Adam balked, his jaw tightening. "No."

"Excuse me?"

"This is my castle, and she is a guest here. She saved my life when no one else could. And as far as I am concerned, she's far more worthy of reverence than I am. So she stays where she is." His brow rose, daring this difficult woman to challenge him further.

To Adam, this was a courtesy. He didn't give two figs what the French aristocracy thought of Belle. But unless they were to run away and start over somewhere else, they'd need the support of the King and acceptance at court to be effective rulers in their little slice of France. With that in mind, Adam tried to soften his stance. "If you plan on teaching her the refinements of court, shouldn't she be given proper accommodations? Treated as a courtier?"

Mme Legacé's eyes narrowed, but she nodded in concession. "You make a decent point, Prince Adam." His name dropped from her tongue with a distasteful rasp, and he nearly chuckled. She was a proper French madame, and without being told, he knew she disapproved of his far-too-English name. "But I will be watching, and should you or Mlle Beaumont violate rules of proper conduct, I will have no choice but to oust the little interloper. Am I understood, Your Highness?"

"Perfectly. She and I have already discussed the expectations and are more than willing to adhere to what's required." Returning to a relaxed position, Adam moved on. "Then let's discuss what it is you plan on doing here. Cogsworth, have Mrs. Potts bring tea."

It took his majordomo a second to catch up as Mme Legacé elegantly sat in the offered seat. Adam would collect as much information on this woman's expectations as he could and report back to Belle. If anyone could win the harsh governess over, it would be her, but any leg up he could give her, he'd dig for.

With a bow, Cogsworth left them.

The battle started now, and Adam would be damned if they didn't come out victorious.


Cogsworth wiped sweat from his brow as he entered the kitchen. "The Master has requested tea be brought up," he informed Mrs. Potts, who took a singing kettle off the stove.

"I'm already ahead of you, dear." She poured the steaming water into a decorative teapot—one that looked remarkably like she once did. "Should be ready in no time." Her smile was genuine as always, but it did little to reassure Cogsworth.

"Madame Legacé is going to be a difficult addition to the staff, and I'm not sure if we should prepare her a room in the servants' quarters, or the East Wing." His hands worried as his mind raced.

"Best to have her with us, don't you think?" Mrs. Potts offered. "Keep her from snooping around where and when she shouldn't?"

Cogsworth nodded. "Quite right. And her companions?" Three other ladies were accompanying Mme Legacé, all dressed like lady's maids.

"Well, we surely aren't going to put them in nicer quarters than her. The maids' hall still has a few openings, and I'm sure we can make use of them when they aren't seeing to their mistress. I won't have spies lurking about the castle."

Cogsworth sighed. "I'm afraid we won't have much say in that. Mme Legacé seems to have very strong opinions formed already, and she's determined to have them confirmed."

"Pish-posh. We'll just have to help her see past all that. To see what a wonderful ruler Belle could be if given the chance." Mrs. Potts set two cups and saucers on the tea trolley, then added a two-tiered serving plate full of cakes and small sandwiches before placing the teapot with them. "If Belle can win over the Master, she can win over this governess."

The kitchen door opened and Lumière appeared. With a sweeping gesture, he ushered Babette to enter before him.

"Was she really so bad?" the lady's maid inquired.

Lumière nodded forebodingly as he shut the door behind him. "Absolument! Cogsworth here can tell you himself!"

A shiver ran down the majordomo's spine, and he cleared his throat. "A very unpleasant woman, indeed."

"Precisely!" Lumière iterated with lamenting awe. He came to grip his friend at the shoulders in a rather over-done attempt at comfort that the head of the household did not appreciate. "I saw the madame make dear Cogsworth shake in his very shoes! To cause him to fluster and stammer to the point of incomprehension as she did? Zut, I couldn't help but be affronted: That is meant to be my job!"

Now flushed to the roots of his wig, Cogsworth shrugged him off with a scoff as Babette bit her lips to stifle her laugh. "Why, you felonious, irksome—!"

"Oh, come now, I was only teasing!" Even though he was just roughly rebuffed, Lumière wore a broad grin. "Might as well cultivate some humor from our circumstances while we are still able, non? I can already tell that woman's stay is going to be trying and tedious."

"As anything from Versailles normally is," Babette interjected with a bitter pout.

"Unpleasant, tedious, or not, we need to make her feel welcome and comfortable," Mrs. Potts scolded. "The Master wouldn't be pleased if rumors of his home being inhospitable to guests got back to the palace, so we must put our best feet forward."

Cogsworth straightened his coat from his grapple and stated with pride, "Agreed. While I still have my wits about me, she shan't find fault in anyone or anything while she is staying at le Château du Lac." He thrust a finger at Lumière, his stare vehement. "Especially you! Your usual nonsense will be nonexistent starting this very moment." His eyes flitted between Lumière and Babette. "And no trysts either."

Both accused parties balked and undoubtedly attempted to plead innocence, but the majordomo dismissed them with a wave of his hands. "Oh, please, you are not as discreet as you like to think!"

Lumière rolled his eyes. "What else might you expect from two engaged to be married?"

"From you two engaged to be married? Too much—and that is my point! If she comes across anything out of place, we could jeopardize Mistress Belle's chances of taking her seat beside the Master. Not only do they both desire it, but we all agree it is where she belongs. Do we not?"

Lumière and Babette glanced at each other, weighing the sacrifice. As stubborn as both of them could be, they mutually looked to Cogsworth and submitted with resigned shakes of their heads.

"Good. Then it's settled," Mrs. Potts declared. "The two of you will display the utmost propriety at all times for as long as Madame is with us—as will the rest of the house." A bob of her head concluded the discussion, and she wheeled her cart to the dumbwaiter.

As she prepared a tea tray to bring to Belle, Babette perked up, her eyes sparkling with a bit of mischief. "Perhaps we should—" But she promptly pursed her lips and tried to pretend she hadn't said anything. Lumière's hand moved to casually rub his mouth.

Mrs. Potts's hand paused on the handle of the dumbwaiter and eyed them warily. She knew the maître d' was trying to hide a smile. "You were saying, dear?" she prompted nicely yet sternly.

Babette exchanged a look with Lumière, who gave way to a stifled snort, causing the maid to giggle. "Well…" She politely cleared her throat, though a small smile persisted. "It would not be my place to say in any other company but those present, as it cannot be repeated elsewhere…"

Babette tapped her lips in what looked like a thoughtful way. "Mademoiselle returned from the gardens rather… bright-eyed and invigorated. Her lips were looking quite supple as well. More than usual..."

"Mais oui," Lumière confirmed with a devilish smirk. "We must not leave them uninformed of the new rule!" To Cogsworth, he inquired cordially, "Would you like to do the honors, or shall I?"

Even though Cogworth's cheeks had just returned to their normal color, they reddened once more. "We will do no such thing!"

But Mrs. Potts chuckled. "Oh my… I had hoped they hadn't indulged so far yet, but young love is rarely tame. And with the Master having spent so long neglected of any physical affection, I suppose it should have been expected. But were they to be discovered…"

She didn't need to finish the thought for her friends to understand her meaning.

"Precisely!" Cogsworth anxiously insisted. "So I do not see the need for why this subject should ever be brought up again."

"On the contrary!" Mrs. Potts countered. "I think this is exactly what should be brought up to them—in the strictest confidence, of course. Babette, as her lady's maid, you will speak to Belle."

Babette blinked in surprise but inclined her head in utmost respect. "I would be happy to!"

"And Lumière," Mrs. Potts addressed, "I can think of none better to raise the topic with the Master. Be sure he fully understands the consequences. And I do mean all of them."

With admiration in his eye, Lumière bowed to her. "Oui, madame, with the most genuine and heartfelt pleasure!"

Cogsworth audibly groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine, fine, fine. But do be delicate about it. I know for a fact his education prior to"—he temporarily dropped to a whisper—"the curse… did not teach him much about that."

Lumière spread his arms as he looked at Cogsworth in disbelief. "Look who you are talking to, mon ami! In the past decade, I have practically made a career of putting things delicately. Where were you when we were tableware attempting to keep a beast pacified?"

Exasperated, Cogsworth answered, "Right beside you, where I always seem to find myself—and, I'll remind, with great reluctance."

Babette stepped up to her fiancé's side and slid her arm through his. "I promise, monsieur, you do not need to worry about Lumière and I," she assured, the picture of sincerity. "You can trust us to speak to them with just as much tact as understanding."

"Wonderful." Mrs. Potts clapped and turned to leave. "Well, I've got tea to serve." She nodded at Babette's tray. "And it appears you do as well."

"Quite right," Cogsworth interjected as he headed for the door. "Back to your duties. And Lumière, find him as soon as his meeting is finished. It is imperative he keep on the straight and narrow."

At Cogsworth's trepidation, Lumière gave him an exaggerated salute and wink. "You can count on me, mon capitaine! Fear not: I will provide the Master with clear and thorough instruction, such that is rarely ever seen on the subject."

Under his breath, Cogsworth bemoaned, "That's what I'm afraid of…"