Quick A/N: Wanted to clear up and respond to part of ShortStef's review. The coat Lumiere received in the last chapter is in no way the Beast's ballroom/Prince ensemble. Forgot to mention that. If anyone has seen the musical, it is the coat he wears when he becomes human again. Sorry for the confusion if any!
Chapter Seven
From acquaintances to dearest friends, anyone who knew Lumière well, be they men or women—especially women—understood that few experiences ever found him in a nervous state of mind. He was an entertainer by nature since the day he was born, striving to constantly be the pinnacle of cheer and optimism. To see him in such anxiety as he followed the relay through the forest to the Château Mountains was a rare sight indeed.
When they neared the edge of the forest, the grand splendor of the king's palace, set amidst the highest mountains, came into view, astounding Lumière with its awe-inspiring glory. As they rode closer, over the stone bridge that led to it, its beauty increased tenfold. Rows of stained glass windows set on every floor, each with a story to tell; statues of angels graced both residents and visitors with their impressive presence. To say it was incredible would surely be the understatement of the century.
Leaving their horses in the care of a stable boy, the relay led Lumière inside, which he found to be even more glorious than the façade. The foyer alone could fit at least half, if not the entire de Bontecou château inside of it! A plush red carpet, thrown over a sea of marble tiles, led to a grand staircase at the end of the hall, leading to God knew how many rooms.
"If you could please wait here," the relay said, returning Lumière to reality. "The head of the household will be with you in a moment."
Lumière nodded, watching as the man exited through a door at his left. On the opposite side, its identical twin stood ajar. Curiosity consuming him, Lumière quietly walked in its direction, following the new hallway as it led to yet another door.
"Why am I not surprised?" Lumière muttered to himself, turning the knob to take a peek inside and finding a small sitting room.
With no windows to light it, a roaring fire had been lit in the fireplace in front of a cozy looking chair. Climbing down a few steps, Lumière moved towards the piece of furniture, running his hand over the upholstery as he admired it. After he was completely certain that no one could find him, he sat down, sighing in relaxation. It definitely was a pleasant experience, considering the discomfort of riding a horse for the past few hours. He would be quite content to fall asleep right there.
"Disobeying orders, and sitting in his majesty's chair besides?"
Lumière immediately bolted from the chair, moving as far away from it as possible upon hearing a voice of authority. Turning to where it had come from, however, he could hardly suppress a grin. Before him was a stout little man, a foot, maybe more, short of Lumière's eye level. His round face was framed with a neatly curled coiffure of dark hair and divided evenly with a thin moustache.
"Just arrived and already nothing but trouble," the man said decisively with a strong English accent that could put the finest of London society to shame.
Lumière raised an eyebrow indignantly. "That is jumping to a rather hasty conclusion, non?"
The man's hard expression showed no remorse. "Hasty, perhaps, but nonetheless true unless you could prove it otherwise."
If it were any other day, Lumière would not have let the conversation end there, but with a first impression at stake, he realized that an argument was too much of a risk. Thus, he bowed slightly in respect of the man's obvious superior rank.
"My sincere apologies, monsieur," he said. "Forgive my curiosity; it very often gets the best of me."
The man observed his actions for a moment before nodding in acceptance. "Very well then, it was not a crime after all. But see to it that you learn to keep it under control in the future."
"Control enforced, monsieur," Lumière agreed.
The man reached out his hand to him. "I am Cogsworth, head of this household and second in command to their majesties, the king and queen."
And quite the modest one too, Lumière thought sarcastically, but kept the words in check as he clasped Cogsworth's hand in a greeting. "Lumière, their majesties' new maitre d', but I am certain you know that."
"Charmed and delighted," Cogsworth replied, giving Lumière a final once-over. Possible disobedience and a quick tongue, he thought. This one would require a closer watch than he had anticipated.
Gesturing Lumière to follow, Cogsworth spoke as they walked back to the foyer.
"Forgive me for asking, but exactly how old are you?" he asked. "When I received word of a knowledgeable valet, I assumed that you would be older, more experienced."
"Old enough to handle the position if that is what you mean," Lumière replied. "My father is the finest worker that my former employer ever had. He taught me everything he knows, and if I may say so myself, I am a fast learner."
"I should hope so," Cogsworth said. "The king's staff consists of the most diligent, respectable people that France has to offer. It is a great responsibility, and part of my job is to see that everyone comprehends that. I will not tolerate any funny business whatsoever, is that clear?"
"Clear as crystal," Lumière answered.
"Very good, we understand each other then." Cogsworth said, continuing in the lead.
Lumière took advantage of the following silence to explore the new hallways as they journeyed onward. In one, the open-to-view floors proudly displayed the vast, enormous size of the castle as one was topped by another. Down another smaller corridor, he was met with stunning architecture and suits of armor from the medieval years.
"I must say, this is quite a beautiful palace," Lumière commented. "More so than I ever imagined."
"It is stunning," Cogsworth agreed. With a bit of a proud smile, he explained, "In this hall particularly, the pseudo façade was stripped away to reveal a minimalist rococo design. Note the unusual inverted vaulted ceilings, right there."
Lumière's gaze followed to where he had gestured, but he only nodded. Architecture was not one of his specialties to comment on.
Cogsworth, on the other hand, continued, "It is yet another example of the neo-classic baroque period." Leaning in closely as if he knew the secret of secrets, he muttered, "And as I always say, if it's not baroque, don't fix it!"
Lumière stared blankly at the Englishman as he burst into hysterical laughter at his own joke. The terms "cruel and agonizing punishment" came briefly to mind, and whatever their destination, Lumière prayed they would arrive as soon as possible to spare him of any more puns.
Cogsworth's merriment slowly faded seeing that his audience was clearly not impressed. Impudent little twit obviously did not appreciate good humor when he heard it!
"Right, come along then," he muttered, and before long, they had arrived in what appeared to be the kitchen.
Well-carved cabinets lined one wall, most likely with dishes, glasses, and cups piled neatly inside. Along the other, pots of every size were hung orderly leading all the way down to the stove in the corner. In the center of the room was a fine table, which Lumière gave a solid knock with his fist.
"Strong and sturdy," he said with an impressed nod. "Oak, is it?"
"The finest there is, monsieur!" a voice called as the owner, an older woman, entered the kitchen.
Cogsworth stepped forward, addressing each in a manner of introduction. "Ah, perfect timing! Mrs. Potts, this is Monsieur Lumière; he just joined our ranks today, filling the maitre d' position. Monsieur, this is our dear Mrs. Potts, the best cook and housekeeper in the business."
Lumière reached for her hand, kissing it politely as a gentleman was honor bound to do. "Enchantée, madame."
"Pleasure is mine, monsieur," Mrs. Potts replied with a small curtsey and warm smile. Like Cogsworth, her accent revealed that she was English. She was not an old woman, but she had long surpassed her girlhood years. Her hair was a bit more on the white side of blond than golden.
"Mrs. Potts and Chef are constantly found here in the kitchen," Cogsworth explained to Lumière. "The three of you, as you know, will definitely be working closely together."
"Have you shown him the dining room yet, Cogsworth?" Mrs. Potts asked.
"Not yet," he answered. "But if Monsieur will follow me, I most certainly will."
Lumière nodded, and after offering his regards to Mrs. Potts, followed Cogsworth into said dining room. As the head of the household drawled on about matters Lumière knew quite well, he glanced around the new room. Needless to say, like the rest, it was the most extraordinary he had ever seen. A long banquet table and chairs sat in front of a fireplace the size of the wall itself.
"Well now," Cogsworth concluded. "I trust you would like to unpack before I show anything else?"
"If I may," Lumière agreed, following him to the servants' quarters.
His room was not far from the hallway leading to the dining room itself. Quite appropriate, Lumière thought with a grin. Not a large room, but assuredly bigger than his room at the château. Sitting on the bed, he smiled as he found it more comfortable than anything he had ever known.
"Here we are," Cogsworth said. "You may settle in, unpack your belongings, and then we shall continue. I expect you in the front hall as soon as possible."
"Oui, mon capitan!" Lumière announced with a grin and salute. As Cogsworth returned the blank stare he had given him before, the smile degraded from broad to meek. "Of course, I will be right there."
With a nod, Cogsworth left, and Lumière began to unpack the few things he had brought with him. Feeling a bit more content with his new home, he could not resist a tiny smile. Life was unquestionably wonderful, and it could only get better.
Reviews Time...
TrudiRose: You know I always look forward to hearing your kind words! Thank you so much again for all your help!
ShortStef: Thank you for two reviews ASAP :-) Hope the a/n at the top cleared up the coat confusion! So sorry about that! My little Babsela will have her big moment and arrival in the next/upcoming chapters, (not sure how I'm arranging that just yet)so she's on her way. And if Peter's the one you're imagining as Lumiere, then I am most certainly doing my job right! LOL Thanks again!
Fairly Odd: You're so forgiven, hun:-) Hope KH isn't giving you too much trouble! It's a very promising story, so stick to it! Thanks:-)
