Where the Wind Blows Chapter 2: The Smell Of Magic, a beauty and the beast fanfic

This chapter was very hard to do, and feels incredibly forced to me. I don't know if I'll continue this story. I'm just not that interested in it at this time. I might put out a redone version, but I don't know.

Thank you to my reviewers, and to everyone who read my first chapter.

Declaimer: I'm afraid I don't own Beauty and the Beast, or know who does.

CHAPTER TWO

The smell of magic

"Sophie!" someone called as I entered the kitchen. I looked around and saw a girl about my age with long, silky midnight hair, big brown eyes, and a friendly smile.

"Angeline!" I cried, racing over to her. We embraced, laughing. Pulling back I grinned at her. "You look wonderful!"

"So do you, Sophie! It's so good to see you again. As a human, that is," Angeline said.

We had been best friend for a very long time, practically before I could remember. She had always been the more popular, and I had been the quieter one, but that did not stop us from being friends.

Angeline and I chatted for a while, talking about this and that, and saying again and again how wonderful it was that the curse was finally lifted.

"I'd love to meet the woman that freed us," Angeline told me.

"I have met her, and Belle seems to be very nice," I said.

Angeline gaped at me. "You already met her? Why is it that the most exciting things always happen to you?" she grumbled teasingly.

"What about the time you put blue dye in the Master's shampoo? That was exciting," I pointed out.

Waving a hand, Angeline insisted that it didn't count if it had to do with hygiene. "He was mad, but he got over it when his hair grew out," she said dismissively.

"That's because he had more than blue hair to worry about," I said. Soon after the whole shampoo incident the enchantress had come and things like colored hair wash didn't seem to matter as much.

"Speaking of excitement, have you seen Jacques recently?" I asked slyly.

Angeline blushed. She had had many admirers when she had been a napkin holder, and I was sure that she would have even more now that you could actually see what she looked like, but out of all the young men vying for her attention, Angeline preferred red haired Jacques. He was funny, and sweet, but he also cared a bit too much what others thought of him and had an ego that as just a little too big for him.

"Actually, I have," Angeline said, trying sound casual, but her cheeks had a telltale pink flush to them.

"How is he?" I persisted, smiling.

"He's good."

"Happy not to be a boot, is he?"

"Wouldn't you be?" Suddenly Angeline's pink face smiled in a strange way. "And how is Adrien?"

For some reason the blood began to rush to my face. Unlike Angeline, I didn't have a pretty pink shade on my cheeks, my whole face turned red.

"Um, I saw him a minute ago," I admitted.

Angeline looked far too pleased with this news. "And what did you talk about?" she pressed.

"Not much. We talked a bit about being appliances, and about being human again," I said.

"Anything else?"

"I'm going to meet him at the libra…"

"You are? Good! When?" Angeline asked interestedly.

I opened my mouth, but got a jolt of surprise when I realized that we had not set a time. "I don't know," I murmured.

"How can you not know?" Angeline asked a bit impatiently.

"We forgot to set a time. I was in a hurry to…" Suddenly I remembered that I had been called for some chore or other. "I forgot, I have to work!"

"Don't think you can get out of telling me, Sophie. I'll talk to you tonight," Angeline promised, or perhaps threatened. With a smile she left.

I walked quickly toward the back of the kitchen where the head chef, Aubert, who had been a stove during the enchantment. I would rather be a spoon any day; you have more freedom even if you can't talk properly. Your singing voice improves when you're a piece of silverware, though.

"Sophie! You are late! My meal vill be cold by zee time you get it to zee dignitaries!" he complained loudly. I began to apologize, but he interrupted, saying, "What eez done eez done! Just take my delicious dishes to zee guests in zee dining room." He pushed a cart toward me. I looked at him in alarm, but he already had his back to me.

I was in no condition to be serving kingdom officials. I hadn't done my hair or anything. In desperation I put a head piece on, but I knew it wouldn't be great. Oh, well. If they didn't like it they could complain to the Master.

Putting on my best smile, I turned the cart toward the dinning room door and wheeled it out. The first thing I saw was a cat that must have been the size of a large dog. It was dark brown with a white patch on its left ear, and had amber eyes that stared at me intently. I stared back for a moment before remembering that I was here to serve the dignitaries.

"Ah, the dinner has arrived!" a female voice exclaimed happily. It belonged to a woman in her thirties with long auburn hair. She looked friendly enough.

There were five guests in all. The other four were men, two that seemed to be in their late sixties, one in his mid forties, and the fourth seemed to be in his early twenties.

"I've got the boiled salmon," said one of the elder gentlemen. He had a rather bushy mustache that made it hard to see him talk. The mustache just kind of jumped up and down when he said something.

"Here you are, Sir," I said politely, putting a plate of delicious looking pink salmon drowned in a brownish sauce in front of him. He rubbed his hands together and picked up his silverware, waiting for me to serve the others so that he could begin eating.

The other elder man had a chicken dish, the woman a thick, creamy stew, and the other two gentlemen both had duck. The only one who thanked me –or noticed me at all- was the younger lord. I couldn't help but think the cat belonged to him, since their hair and eyes matched.

After making sure that they were satisfied, I stood in the corner of the room and waited for them to finish. I hoped one of them would ask me to get them something so that I could do something to my hair to make it more presentable; it had gotten pretty windblown during my run to the kitchen.

The cat had followed me as I had served the guests, watching me all the while with its large eyes, but not in an unfriendly way. Now it was sitting slightly off to the side of the table, keeping me in its sights. I seemed to fascinate it.

Unfortunately the dignitaries finished their meal without any requests at all. So I began to gather the dishes, messy hair and all. It wasn't so bad; none of them paid me much attention.

"Miss," the young lord motioned for my attention.

I turned to him. "Yes?"

"Please give my compliments to the chef," he said with a smile. I nodded and continued with my work. It was nice that he had thought of that, though. Aubert would appreciate it tremendously.

The cat began to follow me as I left the dinning room, but the young lord murmured something to it and it halted its advance.

"The young lord compliments the chef!" I called out the Aubert as I pushed the cart through the kitchen. He smiled and began to talk to the nearest servant, no doubt about his food.

I was in a good mood – why I wasn't exactly sure – when I left the kitchen and made for the library. I figured that I could either go look for Adrien, taking a ton of time since I didn't know where he hung out as a human, or spend enough time in the library that I would catch him as he came in.

Suddenly the world tipped, and the stairs beneath my feet seemed to pull away. My head spun, and I felt a pressure all around me, nearly crushing me. Then there came a powerful scent of magic, old magic. And then it was over just as abruptly as it had begun, leaving me winded and dizzy.

I sat on a stone step, breathing hard, a hand on my racing heart. I didn't know what had happened, but I recognized magic when I smelled it. It was different than the enchantress' spell, though. It was a bit odd, but definitely not weak.

As I puzzled over what it could be, I thought about how strange it was that magic had a smell at all, but it did. It was generally a little metallic, but also very clean scented. This whiff was very metallic. I wondered what it meant. Finally I decided that I wouldn't solve it sprawled all over the stairs, and got up to continue my trek to the library.

I was hoping to encounter someone on my way and ask them if they had felt the magic as well, but I saw no one as I approached the large green doors.

One of my favorite things to do was walk into the library; that first look always made me feel as if I was flying. All around me were towering shelves of books on all subjects, along with desks, soft carpets, and huge windows that overlooked the castle grounds. It was my favorite place in the whole castle.

Looking around, it appeared that no one else was in the library. I walked in, happily glancing over familiar and new titles, a tingling sensation rushing through me as I thought of starting a new book. I ran my fingers over a few on a lower shelf, looking up at the ones by the ceiling. Unfortunately I was afraid of heights, and so had no idea what was up there.

Sighing, I picked out a book I could reach and looked at the title. Romeo and Juliet. I didn't particularly enjoy that story, but I had not read in a while. I took off my shoes and settled into a comfy chair, my feet very happy as they moved around on the fluffy carpet.

For a while I lost myself in the world of the story, not noticing anything in the room. That is until I felt someone watching me. I looked up quickly but saw no one. With a shrug I began reading again, but I still felt as though I was being watched.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore and snapped my book shut, standing up quickly only come face to face with a smiling Adrien. More like smirking.

"We forgot to set a time," he said. I could hear a bit of a laugh in his voice at catching me off my guard.

"Yes," I answered slowly. My face was getting hot again. Maybe it was because he was so close.

"Enjoying your book?"

I stepped back and nodded, reaching for my shoes.

"You're staying for a while, right? You don't need your shoes," Adrien pointed out.

"I don't want the Master to come in and see me without them," I muttered. That would be a bit strange.

"I don't think he would mind, but if you insist," Adrien shrugged.

"Adrien," I began, deciding that he was as good a person as any to ask about the event on the stairs, or possibly to get my mind off of how near he had been to me, "Did you feel anything odd a while ago? Or smell any magic?"

Cocking an eyebrow at me, Adrien shook his head.

"I did, and it was strong. Do you know of anything that could have caused it?" I asked. I wondered if he thought I had lost my mind… or what was left of it, at any rate.

Before he could answer, the library doors opened and Belle walked in. "Oh, I didn't know there was someone here," she said. Then, glancing at us, asked, "Am I interrupting?"

"No," Adrien and I said at the same time. He gave me a sideways glance.

"I was just going to put this book back and get another," she explained walking in and heading for a ladder. She climbed it and reached the landing it led to, and put the book on a shelf. Then, as I watched enviously, she ascended a ladder that led to the topmost shelves and began searching for a new volume.

Adrien must have seen my longing glance, for he asked, "Have you ever been up there?"

I looked at him. "No; I'm terrified of heights, remember?"

"Yes, but I thought you might make an exception for books," he teased.

I shook my head, sad at the thought that I hadn't, but glad that Adrien and I seemed to be a little more relaxed with each other, at least enough for him to tease me a bit. Soon Belle returned to the ground floor and bid us good day before leaving, clutching a blue book happily.

"I'm happy for her," I murmured.

"What?" Adrien asked, turning to me.

"She got what she always wanted," I said thoughtfully, "An adventure, someone she loves, and a fairytale life to look forward to. She is marrying a prince, after all."

"How do you know that's what she wanted?" Adrien asked curiously.

I shrugged. "Before the spell was broken, and after she was more comfortable here, she talked about life in the town she used to live in, books she loved, and how she had always wanted a more adventurous life." I paused. "She would talk to some of the kitchen appliances that she got to know rather well, and I was usually nearby, being a spoon and all, so I heard," I explained.

Adrien nodded, looking thoughtful. "And you?" he asked suddenly.

I looked up, a little surprised. "I don't know, exactly. I mean, who wouldn't want that kind of life? But... well, it's unlikely that I'll ever..."

"That you'll ever what?"

"Well, meet someone that feels the way about me that the Master feels about Belle," I said before I could think. My face turned red and I tried to hide it by grabbing my shoes and putting them back on, and then returned Romeo and Juliet to its place.

"I doubt that," Adrien said seriously.

I turned around and looked at him. "I could, I know, but life isn't usually like that. I mean, only a few people ever find the person they're supposed to spend the rest of their life with," I said.

"And I think you'll be one of them." He looked very sincere, and walking closer to me.

I thought it was very sweet of him to say so, and smiled at him. "Thank you, I appreciate that."

Just as Adrien looked as though he was going to say something else, the doors opened again. This time it was the young lord from the dinner. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," he said politely, then smiled as he recognized me. "You're the one that served dinner, aren't you?" he asked. I nodded. "I am Antoine Devareaux."

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "How is you stay, lord Devareaux?" he asked.

"Joyful. It's a relief to have our king back," Antoine replied.

It was interesting to look at Adrien and lord Devareaux facing each other, one a servant the other a court member. Both were tall, lean and muscular, but lord Devareaux wore his hair long and tied back, and had a court mask and stance that befitted his standing in society. Adrien, however, stood in his casual manner, with his open, steady gaze, his short black hair flopping a little over his forehead.

"I hope the rest of your time here will be as enjoyable," I said politely. Then turning to Adrien, "I haven't seen the refurbished wing of the castle yet. Would you like to take me? And you are welcome as well, lord Devareaux."

Adrien had an odd look on his face, but consented.

"No, thank you, Miss," the young lord said politely, "I have things I must attend to, but I appreciate your offer. Perhaps another time?"

"Certainly, my lord."

With that Adrien and I walked out. I wondered at the look on his face, but shrugged it off. Suddenly I felt a bit of the strong magic again, but it passed quickly, and I couldn't sense it or smell it.

"Is something wrong?" Adrien asked.

I realized that I had been standing there for a few moments, trying to figure out what I had felt exactly. "I don't think so," I said, starting to walk again. Whatever it was, it could wait. I wanted to have fun right then, and there was an enjoyable afternoon with Adrien ahead.