Chapter two
"Belle, why is the master always going away?" asked Chip while he helped Belle pick some flowers.
"That's because he's the King now," Belle answered. "He needs to take care of things, and sometimes he has to go to far-away places."
"Then why don't you go with him?"
Belle paused for a moment. Why didn't she go? Of course she understood his concern, but still…
"I have to stay behind and make sure everything goes well while he's gone. Besides, it's never more than two days."
"Oh…" said Chip, not sounding very convinced. He picked out the last flower and handed it over to Belle. "Have you decided what you're going to get the master for his birthday?"
"I honestly haven't given it much thought! And I'm running out of time…"
"Didn't the master tell you what he wanted for his birthday?"
"Not really," Belle admitted. "At least I can't give him what he wants right now," added Belle, stroking her belly gently.
"Why don't you give him something that you both like?"
Belle chuckled. "Like what?"
Chip started chasing a small butterfly, running across the gardens. He paused for a moment and looked at Belle. "Well, the master always tells me how much he loves the stories you read him!"
"He does?"
Chip watched as the butterfly flew off into the horizon. He let out a small frown which quickly disappeared as soon as he turned to Belle again. "Yeah! Why don't you write a story for him?"
Belle sat down on the grass and pondered. "You're right, Chip! And that's precisely what I'm going to do!"
Chip smiled. "Oh, boy! What will it be about?"
"Now that's a surprise," answered Belle.
"Oh…" Chip sounded disappointed. "Will you read it to me when it's done?"
"Of course, Chip!" answered Belle with a smile. Chip cheered.
Suddenly the air became cold and a strong breeze blew against Belle's face. She looked around to see the trees whirling around briskly and all the little animals running to their shelter. A small raindrop landed on her nose.
"Maybe we should get inside," Belle told Chip.
The little boy put down the stone he had been playing with and followed Belle's instructions. Belle, however, remained outside a little longer, watching as the clouds darkened and covered the mountains. This is probably just a quick rain, Belle thought to herself. It will be over in a couple of hours. Nothing can keep Vincent from coming back tonight.
She ran into the castle and rested her cloak on the hanger. Hearing voices coming from the hall, she decided to see what was going on. The voice seemed to belong to Cogsworth, and he didn't sound very pleased.
"…What worries me the most is the atrocious storm that is about to hit us! But remember what the master said, Madame Belle is not to know a thing about --"
"What must I not know of?" interrupted Belle, approaching Cogsworth from behind.
"Oh, Belle, I did not hear you c-c-coming," Cogsworth stuttered. "There is nothing to worry about. I repeat: nothing at all."
"Then why is there something I should not know of?"
Cogsworth could feel the sweat coming down his forehead. "Oh!" he said with a chuckle. "We were discussing… the master's party. Of course, the party!" he said with a smile, hoping he had managed to pull it away.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing, nothing," Cogsworth repeated. "Just a few minor details that we prefer Madame not to know about. A surprise," he added.
Although she was not convinced, Belle decided not to insist more on the matter. It probably was about Vincent's surprise that Mrs. Potts had already accidentally mentioned. He was probably already with his uncle Jean Claude and waiting for this quick storm to come and go. Before she knew it, he'd be back in her arms and she would laugh about all her rushed thoughts and Cogsworth's melodrama. Her only worry right now was to start writing that story and finish it before Vincent arrived. There was no time to be wasted.
Belle kindly excused herself and headed towards the library. There she sat down by her improvised desk chair in front of the fireplace and prepared the paper and quill. Then she sat back and gazed into the fire. What could she write about? It had to be about something that would touch his heart and show how much she loved him. Nonetheless, the story could have a moral, so that it could be passed on from generation to generation. A story that could teach the meaning of inner beauty and prove the great power of love.
Finally, it struck her. She was going to write their story. It would be the story of The Girl and the Beast.
In the kitchen, Mrs. Potts helped around with the baking. She was helping a servant cover the chocolate cupcakes with strawberry icing sugar when Lumière came in.
"Mrs. Potts, have you seen Belle?" he asked. He glanced at the cupcakes and his face lit up. "You know, to prevent the master from any food-poisoning, I should be the first one to try one of those cupcakes," he said, drooling at the sight.
"Not a chance," replied Mrs. Potts. "Besides, I've promised Chip he could have the first cupcake, but only when the Master arrives. And yes, I have seen Belle. She's been in the library for the past few hours. It seemed to me she was writing something."
"Belle? Writing? What could she be up to?"
Chip jumped up and down with joy. "She's writing a story for the master!"
"What a nice idea!" Mrs. Potts commented.
Cogsworth walked into the kitchen hurryingly. "Mrs. Potts, Lumière, quick! An urgent matter has to be discussed!"
Mrs. Potts quickly put down the bowl of icing sugar and Lumière stopped staring at the cupcakes.
"What's the matter, mon ami?" said Lumière.
"Not here," replied Cogsworth, looking more worried than ever.
Mrs. Potts and Lumière followed him out of the kitchen and into the West Wing, the one place where hopefully no one would interrupt them.
"Where is Belle?" asked Cogsworth once they door of the West Wing was closed.
"She is in the library. I'm sure she'll stay there for a little longer," replied Lumière. Cogsworth let out a sigh of relief.
"What ever is the matter?" asked Mrs. Potts, seeming a bit agitated.
"The master," Cogsworth began. "He has not yet arrived at his destination. His highness Jean Claude has sent out some of his finest guards to look for him, but with no success. They just arrived to inform us. Worst of all, this storm is knocking on our door!" Cogsworth concluded.
"Mon dieu!" exclaimed Lumière. "You mean the master is still out there with this storm?"
"Exactly," agreed Cogsworth. "But please, Belle cannot find out!"
Mrs. Potts shook her head. "We won't be able to keep this as a secret for long."
"I know," said Cogsworth. "But we must try our best. Everyone should keep preparing the party as if it were for tonight. Belle only expects the master to arrive tomorrow morning, and hopefully we'll have news from him until then."
"Maybe we should go out and look for him," suggested Lumière.
"Are you insane?" yelled Cogsworth. "It is too risky, and besides, we have absolutely no idea which route they took to Jean Claude's castle. The master could be anywhere!"
"Now, now! We must all calm down," said Mrs. Potts. "The master isn't alone. The best castle guards went with him! Surely they're somewhere safe. We must all just be patient."
"I hope you're right," prayed Cogsworth. "For the sake of us all, I hope you're right."
It was cold, so cold. Vincent leaned his head against the cold stone and closed his eyes. Luckily one of the guards knew how to start a fire using only small twigs. It helped them to keep warm despite the big storm outside. But Vincent was still cold. His heart was frozen.
He began to recall what had happened earlier on. After the carriage had over turned, they unhitched the horses and started walking to the nearest town, but they were on a long stretch of road that was far from the town.
Then it started raining, so they had to take shelter. The best they could find was a small cave, where they decided to rest until the storm wore out.
"Master, is everything all right?" said one of the concerned servants that had been summoned to accompany him on his trip.
Vincent opened his eyes and smiled. "Yes, Louis, thank you. I just need some rest."
The servant nodded and turned away to join the rest of the guards gathered around the small fire.
Vincent closed his eyes again. In his mind he could picture Belle, running across the castle gardens and tempting him to try and catch her. Her brown locks danced with the wind and her voice reminded him of a soft melody. He imagined himself running after her, until she finally let herself get caught. She was happy; he could tell by her laugh. Instead of pulling away she wrapped herself in his arms. He slid his hand down her body and rested it on her belly. She placed her hand on top of his. Their baby.
A sudden thought crossed his mind. I'm going to be a father. A new life was about to be born and he was going to be responsible for this small human being. He was going to watch the child grow into a handsome young man or beautiful young woman. Most importantly, he wanted his child to be smart and caring… like Belle. But how would he pull this off? How sure could he be that he was not going to fail as a father? Belle had taught him a lesson. Was he ready to teach this lesson to another?
Vincent got up and walked to the entrance to the cave. It was raining hard and the wind was strong. He could feel himself getting all wet by the rain. When would it stop? When would he get back home? I want to be with Belle and our baby.
He walked towards the small gathering. "Companions, I think it's time we head back home."
"But master," said one of the guards. "The storm is still strong. It is dangerous!"
"There has to be a way," insisted Vincent. "We have no time to waste. From what I see, this storm could go on for days! We can't stay in here forever!"
The rest of the servants consented, although they weren't very keen on facing the storm outside.
"Besides," Vincent added softly, "I promised someone I'd be home tonight."