Chapter II – Flames of Love
Meanwhile, some of the castle household gathered together in the kitchen.
"Irresponsible! Completely irresponsible!" yelled Cogsworth, the head of the household. "Where is that… that… devil-may-care loafer?"
"You must calm down, Cogsworth," sighed Mrs. Potts. "Lumière must be on his way! He probably just went to meet ---"
"There you are, paraffin-headed pea-brain! I asked you to be here half an hour ago! Half an hour!" the major-domo kept yelling.
Lumière entered the kitchen wearing a gloomy expression.
"Lumière, what happened?" Mrs. Potts asked. "If you were still a candelabra, I'd say your flames had gone out," she said lightly, trying to lift his dark mood.
"Things are not going very well at all!" said Lumière at last. "The master is feeling quite down because he thinks Belle does not love him anymore."
"Oh, nonsense!" said Cogsworth. "Never have I seen such pure love! What makes him think such a thing?"
At that moment, Babette, one of the castle's youngest servants, entered the kitchen holding in her hand the usual featherduster. The young lady, slim and sensual, looked happier than ever, murmuring a song and dancing with herself. She immediately noticed the tension in the room, and slowly approached Lumière.
"What's going on, mon amour?"
"It seems like our happy days here are over. If Belle leaves the castle, the master will never recover from the heartbreak," replied Lumière.
"C'est impossible!" cried Babette. "Only moments ago I saw the master heading towards Belle's room. He was so nervous I though he was preparing to ask... the question. I believe you are seeing things, mon chère!"
"The question?" repeated Mrs. Potts a little surprised.
"Could it be possible?" said Lumière.
"Of course it is possible!" interrupted Cogsworth. "As I said before and will say again, Belle and the master share a very strong bond. That's why the curse was broken in the first place! Mark my words… very soon we will be occupied with the wedding preparations. Everything will be perfect! The ballroom will be decorated splendidly, and I myself will personally make sure that every flower, bauble, and bow is in place! The cake will be made by the country's greatest chefs, with only the finest ingredients, and will be seven layers high! It will be the most glorious wedding France has ever seen!" he said with a chuckle.
Waiting for some response from the rest of the household, Cogsworth realized that he was standing alone in the kitchen. The other servants had discreetly followed Babette's steps up to the big library. Here, all waited to see the ending of this small love conflict.
I love her more than anyone has ever loved another. But how can I prove that she is more vital to me than the very air I breathe? Vincent paced up and down, glancing through the window only to discover that black clouds were slowly covering that glorious sky.
As the first raindrop fell, Vincent remembered that memorable day when together they shared their first tender emotions. The day they realized they had much more in common than they had ever realized.
The fire in the hearth had been burning for hours, warming up the grand library and turning it into a most enjoyable and comfortable place. It was the perfect contrast to the miserable weather outside.
Belle sat in front of the fireplace and used the light of its flames to read one of her favourite books. For moments she forgot she was a prisoner in that haunted castle, far from her beloved father.
"«The couple shared a tender kiss. They turned to look at the far-off horizon, their arms around each other, feeling that they had left all obstacles behind them»". Belle gently closed the book and sighed.
Unbeknownst to Belle, the Beast had entered the room, and now stood in the doorway, listening to the girl emotionally reading aloud. He felt his heart melt, something he hadn't felt for years. Was it merely the heat of the fire? Or was it her presence? Was this the right time to take the first step? But no, she could never see beyond his hideous face. Why feel a vestige of hope, when his cruel fate had already been outlined on that cold winter night. How he would give anything to turn back time and change the course of Destiny. She could never understand his personal hell. She would never fall in love with someone like ---
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in…"
He heard her gentle voice, and suddenly fell back into reality. Or was he still dreaming?
"No, it's my fault, I didn't mean to ---"
"You don't have to leave!" said Belle. "I was just about to read another book. If you want, we can read it together. I wouldn't mind the company," she suggested with a smile.
The Beast approached delicately and sat by Belle's side, trying to keep his eyes fixed on the flames.
"The story you were just reading sounded very nice," commented the Beast, trying to disguise his nervousness.
"It's one of my favourites! I love happy endings. I love reading books because they hold the power to transport me into an imaginary world. A world where everything is perfect. A world where…"
Belle stopped suddenly. The Beast, who had been able to relate to all that she said, completed the sentence with his own thoughts.
"Where everyone will accept you for who you are?"
"Yes, that's it!" said Belle eagerly. "Back at the village everyone despised me because they thought I was different. I felt like such an outcast, and everyday I was sure that that provincial life wasn't for me. I so wanted to run away from that village and never return. Who knows? Maybe I'd meet my Prince Charming – someone who would love me for who I am."
Belle got up and walked towards the door. "It's late. I'd better get ready for bed! See you tomorrow…" And without another word she left the library, leaving the Beast lost in his thoughts.
"I understand you," he finally whispered. "I can love you for who you are."
The flames were almost burned out and, feeling hope and fear warring in his soul, The Beast let go of his first tears of love.
Outside it was raining intensely. The castle was silent, maybe a little too silent. Vincent turned around and glanced at the stairs that led to Belle's room. Slowly he walked upstairs, feeling the beating of his heart getting faster by the minute. Much sooner then he had expected, Vincent was knocking on the door. Seconds later Belle opened it, rather surprised to see him. Vincent couldn't help but smile the moment he saw her.
"Vincent? I wasn't expecting you to--"
"I need you to come with me, Belle! I promise you won't regret it!"
Holding her hand, Vincent quickly led Belle to the library, which remained warm and cosy.
Recognizing Belle's suspicious look, Vincent tried to comfort her with a smile. "Come here, sit with me…"
Belle and Vincent sat in front of the fireplace. The flames smoothly illuminated Belle's face, making her look more beautiful than ever. Vincent caressed her hands gently and looked into her eyes.
He recalled his earlier memory. And so clearly her words echoed in his mind: Someone who would love me for who I am. Only this time he was able to do something which, back then, would have been unthinkable.
Vincent placed his hand on her waist. Then, supporting her head and feeling her brown, smooth hair against his other hand, the prince gently pressed his lips against Belle's. She responded, deepening the kiss, throwing her arms around his neck.
Almost running out of breath, Belle ended the kiss and rested her head on Vincent's shoulder. The prince, placing his arms around his beloved, whispered in her ear: "«The couple shared a tender kiss. They turned to look at the far-off horizon, their arms around each other, feeling that they had left all obstacles behind them»".
For moments there was a long silence between them. Then Belle looked up and stared into the Prince's eyes.
"Thank you for understanding. For awhile, I felt as though a stranger had taken the Beast I fell in love with away from me. But it is you, and now I am certain. I'm sorry if I ever hurt you or made you suffer because of my doubts. But now, I am ready to dedicate my life to you."
"I would give you whatever time you needed, Belle. Right now you're all that matters in my life, and for long and for a long time I've wanted to tell you how much I love you, and how much I'm going to love you for the rest of my days."
Vincent gently kissed Belle's forehead and both rested in each other's arms, warmed by the flames of love.
"I knew all would work out!" whispered Lumière.
Some of the servants had discreetly grouped up outside the library door, making sure no one knew about their presence.
"All right, come along!" smiled Mrs. Potts. "It's time we give them some privacy."
The housekeeper silently closed the door and the rest of the household dispersed to continue their chores.
