The Rose of a Beast
Thank you to all two of my reviewers (hint hint!) so far. If you really want an explanation for why Gaston's alive, his fall was broken rather quickly (after ten feet) by the shingles of the castle roof and he eventually landed in a tree so he did not die, although his strength is not what it used to be and it took him over a year to recover. This is five years after the events in the movie so life has returned to normal. Or has it?
Thank you for the rest of the complements and I hope I live up to your expectations. If I don't, well, one less reviewer, j/k! Please don't go!
Um, for all those of you who abhor Lizzie's last lines, I'm sorry, I hate them too, but I couldn't come up with anything else to say.
Since I forgot it last chapter, the disclaimer - Anything you recognize from B&TB is Disney's, anything you don't was plagiarized from someone else.
Roses are Red; Violets are blue, I no own so you no sue!
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Chapter 2 - Le Bette
Six months passed much quicker than any of the Lerouxs thought it would. Joseph found that the life of an eccentric old carpenter suited him rather well. He had made his fortune in trade, but began his life as a carpenter's apprentice and now found that his old fingers remembered their old skill. He soon became rather famous for his abilities as well as the fact that there were no other wood craftsmen in the town. Joseph worked hard, but was enjoying himself and did not miss the grandiose city life he had lost.
Jacqueline soon found her niche among three, scholarly young men who were studying to become something more than the butcher, weaver and bookkeeper's sons, respectively. She was worshipped for her knowledge and had her flock of devotees (only metaphorically) following her everywhere.
Gabrielle had taken up the vacant post of town beauty as soon as she set foot outside the four walls of her house. With her long, blond hair and clear, blue eyes, she quickly became the new "Belle" so to speak. Gaston had noticed her immediately and was paying almost as much attention to her beauty as to his, about six hours spent per day admiring himself, the other six admiring her. Gabrielle, being on the shallow end of the gene pool as far as brains go, loved the attention.
Elizabeth quickly resigned herself to her sisters' swains as well as her own single status. It was not that she was ugly or unwanted, there were quite a few men who were willing to have her. She just didn't want them. She spent much of her time in the bookstore or riding their horse. He was a gelding named Hermes, docile to the point of boredom. As Elizabeth rode back to the house, she slowed Hermes from a walk to an even slower walk and dismounted in front of the rather makeshift stable. After stabling the horse, she walked in to the not quite delicious aromas of dinner cooking.
Gabrielle was not yet a Cordon bleu chef, but she had learned to cook and the meat had become distinguishable from the vegetables, which was an improvement. Elizabeth had tried to cook, once. After managing to nearly burn down the entire house, as well as melt the pot in which she was boiling the water, Elizabeth left cooking to her younger siblings.
"Hello, Lizzie" said her father jovially, "How was your ride?"
"Slow," she answered. "It was more of a walk."
Gabrielle giggled.
"Lizzie," said Jacqueline, "if I recall, it was you who thought that we should name him after the Greek god of speed."
"I was hoping it would have some effect but, apparently, it does not." Elizabeth retorted.
"Now girls" said their father in mock seriousness, "Don't fight."
"We weren't fighting, we were merely roughing a bit."
Just then, before Lizzie got too sarcastic, Gabby brought out the food and they all ate dinner.
"This is very good, Gabby." Said their father.
"It is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted, what is it?" said Jacqueline.
"It's stew."
Oh, thought Lizzie, I thought it was black soup.
After eating a bit more, the four Lerouxs decided to take a walk to the town tavern, more for Gabrielle, Jacqueline and Joseph than for Lizzie, but she went to keep them company. She also brought the bookkeeper's copy of Belle et La Bette and was editing it for him.
AS they sat down in the tavern, Joseph immediately began to discuss his business with the few other artisans of the town. Jacqueline found a corner of her own and began an earnest discussion of politics with her three devotees. Two of them merely respected and valued her knowledge but, Gerald, the bookkeeper's son was absolutely infatuated with her. Elizabeth hid a smile at his attempts to flirt with her. Fortunately for Jacqueline, she liked him too much and overlooked his pitiful lack of social skills in favor of his knowledge.
Gabrielle had no such problems. She was seated next to Gaston and enjoying quite a bit of attention. She ignored the virulent glares from Gaston's three blond bimbettes: Josephine, Henrietta and Lisette. He was almost paying attention to what she had to say. The almost was probably because he was seated right next to a mirror and he had to look every five seconds and make sure that the cleft in his chin had not disappeared. Elizabeth groaned in her mind. True, Gabrielle could be happy with a man like him and they would go well together, but Mon Dieu, he was egotistical.
Elizabeth was not in the least interested in Gaston's latest exploits, if there were any, so she curled up in the corner and began to proofread the bookkeeper, Richard's, novel.
After making a few minor corrections and adding in a word or two to make the prologue sound better, Elizabeth put the book down.
"This is going to take longer than I thought," she said quietly.
She slipped the book into her bag and began to watch the two men brawling on the pub floor.
"Gabby" she asked her sister quietly, "what's going on here?"
"On, Henri wanted to take Josephine to dinner but George said that he was taking her"
"Charming," said Lizzie dryly.
"Men really have to fight about everything, don't they?" asked Gabby innocently.
That line caught the attention of Gaston.
"It's not a fight, it is a way of expressing anger and dominance in winning the female."
"I didn't know you knew words that big, Gaston." responded Elizabeth.
Gabrielle gasped in shock.
"What would you know about gender appropriate actions? You and your books and no household abilities, no one will ever take you" Gaston asked hotly.
"I know more than you do from quoting the Hot Stud with No Brain Manual. Besides, who said I needed to conform to your ideas, mine are so superior."
Thankfully, the door blew open just then. Gaston had just deciphered what Elizabeth had said and was about to lose the last vestiges of his temper.
A loud, feral roar filled the room. It grew louder and louder until it seemed to fill the entire tavern and still expanded.
"Where is my daughter?" the voice roared.
"Who is your daughter?" asked Gaston, brashly.
"You… you bastard, you know who she is," snarled the voice as its owner stepped into the room.
It was the Beast.
Gaston cowered in his chair, remembering his last encounter. Gabrielle hid her face in Gaston's chest, but he took no notice of her.
Pusillanimous moron thought Liz wryly; if he even knew what that was.
The Beast was large, too large to fit fully into the low roofed tavern. He crouched down to fit in and still, he had had to crawl through the doorway like the animal he seemed to be. A mane of dark, brown hair surrounded his face. His entire body was covered in fur of the same color and his forepaws were larger than the size of Gaston's face. His feet were enormous. His eyes were the scariest of all. Amidst the looks of a fierce animal, his deep blue eyes were so human as to be terrifying. It was the combination of man and animal, person and beast that had all the occupants of the room cowering on their knees.
There was one exception. Elizabeth was still standing, not unafraid but refusing to be terrified. She alone knew the story and she wanted to help him.
"Gaston Moncharmin," snarled the beast, "What have you done with my daughter?"
"Nothing, I swear, let me go!"
"Pitiful," Elizabeth muttered under her breath. The beast was at the other end of the room from Gaston.
The beast's keen ears heard that comment and he snorted with something akin to laughter.
"What brave youngster said that?"
Elizabeth wasn't sure whether or not to answer. Should she risk her life and try to help him? Could she ever live with herself if she did not? Her mind was made up, she had to go and help.
"I did." She said. A shocked silence fell over the room. All eyes were trained on the young girl who dared to stand up to this monster.
"Please believe me, Monsignor, I mean no disrespect." Began Lizzie in a small, shaky voice. "I wish to help you. I know for a fact that Gaston has not left this village for more than twelve hours at a time for the last six months." Why was she standing up for Gaston? she asked herself. Maybe it was for Gabby, maybe it was to satisfy her own guilt for all the subtle, yet well-deserved, insults she had thrown at him in the past twenty-seven weeks.
"So who did it?" asked the beast, sounding afraid and unsure. "Who else has a grudge against me or mine? Why would he have sent me here, as a joke?"
"Who sent you here?" asked Elizabeth.
"My brother-in-law is something akin to a seer. He said that I would find the road to my daughter's kidnapper here. So who is it?"
The beast looked around the room with a piercing glare. Suddenly, a green glow appeared in the breast pocket of the beast's coat. He reached in and removed the Magic Mirror from within. He looked in the mirror and a voice rang out.
"Vincent, you're going about this whole thing the wrong way." It was the pleasant voice of a man in his early twenties.
"Well, then, what do you propose we do?"
"We?" asked the voice. "My dear brother, there is no we involved. I get the visions; you go do whatever they tell you to do. Nice symbiosis, isn't this?"
"You bastard," snarled the beast, "My daughter is in mortal danger and you're standing here talking in cryptic riddles."
"You know how much I enjoy aggravating people, " responded the mirror good-naturedly.
"Jo-"
"Shut up, before you say something you'll regret!" said the mirror in a tense and worried voice.
"Now, hold the mirror out so that I can see the entire tavern."
"The beast did as he was told. A young man in a lord's hat, golden doublet and a mask over his upper face peered out of the mirror.
"You are stupid," he said calmly to the beast, who was obviously his brother-in-law. "Anyone with an iota of brains would know that it's the girl."
"What girl?"
"The one who was talking to you."
"What one, oh, her."
"Yes, Vincent, her. Now go away, I was sleeping."
With that, the mirror stopped glowing and returned to its original state, reflecting the astonished tavern patrons.
"Damn, stupid in-laws."
"Er, what do you need me for?" asked Elizabeth.
The beast stared at her.
"You are, apparently, the key to finding my daughter. Will you come back to the castle with me?" He sounded almost afraid of her answer.
"She will NOT!" said her father hotly.
"Lizzie, you can't do this," pleaded Gabrielle and Jacqueline.
"Yes, leave the matter to the monster and his false seer to deal with. This isn't woman's work, anyway," butted in Gaston.
Those words were probably the stupidest thing anyone could have said.
Lizzie stood up, unafraid of the huge monster before her. She walked forward and curtsied slowly before the huge creature.
"It would be my honor to help and serve you in any way I can."
The beast looked at her incredulously. Her father and sisters ran up to her.
"Lizzie, I forbid you to do this." Joseph said immediately.
She merely looked at them.
"Papa, Gabby, Jacques, this is my role. I can't abandon these poor people. I know the whole story and I'm not afraid. This is a chance for me to be in a fairy tale. I have to go. It's my destiny."
The beast stretched his hand out to Elizabeth. "You will come Mademoiselle?"
"I will come."
~ To be continued