-Belle-
Belle could hear someone descending the stairs. Her knees were tucked to her chest and she was still sitting in the exact place that the Beast had left her. He must have decided to eat her and save him the trouble, or he decided he wanted to have more fun with her. The women who had been chosen in previous years had returned from the forest saying that they had been chased around by beasts like some sort of cruel game. Belle wouldn't last a minute.
When the footsteps stopped outside the door, dread filled a small pit in her stomach. There was the sound of metal on metal and after some struggle, and lots of attempts to open the door, it finally swung open.
It wasn't him. That was the first thing she noticed. The footsteps were shorter and the breathing was more shallow. She was dealing with a different beast altogether. For a beat there was no sound and Belle felt naked and vulnerable as she was studied by the unknown intruder.
"Hello there." His voice left a slight ringing in the air. If she wasn't convinced that he wasn't the king of beasts, she knew for sure now. There was an awkward pause and Belle didn't know how to react, but she knew she didn't want to move.
The man moved closer and when Belle physically flinched back against the wall he stopped moving towards her. "you're bleeding." he mentioned aloud and Belle did not respond to him, she just tucked her injured arm closer towards herself.
"I should start out by saying that I am very sorry about all of this. My name is Vanderwall, but everyone calls me Vandy. You don't have to speak to me, in fact, if I were in your shoes I would be feeling the same way, but I'm the closest thing that we've got to a doctor in this neck of the forest, and it looks like you're in need of some assistance." He said.
Belle was silent. It was her turn to respond, she knew that, but she was stuck between a rock and a hard place either to accept help from her kidnappers and their offers of service or to possible bleed out and die of infection. Dying only seemed to be a pleasing option due to the horrors she imagined waiting for her in the Beast's castle.
He must have been able to read the expression on her face because he went to placate her further. "I do not intend you any ill will. You won't find a single soul in the walls of this castle that would lay a hand on you. I don't expect you to believe me, but that's the truth. The master- well of course, you have not seen him in the best light I am sure, but he is not cruel. He has asked that I see to your needs, but if you wish, I will leave and not come back at your word."
Belle began to realize that this was her olive branch. If she burned this, there might not be more extended in the future. She didn't know if she believed Vandy, but she didn't have any other choices.
"I would like some help." She managed to mumble out quietly "Please."
She could hear the man move towards the door, "Of course mademoiselle." He said and moved towards her. "May I see your wrists please?" He asked, and Belle held out her wrists towards him. She jumped a little when a rough hand took her arm, it definitely was not human, and she shuddered.
He took her wrists delicately as if he expected her to bolt at any moment. "This is not too severe. I must fetch some supplies to dress these. Are you hungry dear?" He asked.
"Yes." Belle said softly and the man stood up. "I will be back soon with some supplies sit tight." That was the last thing he said before turning and leaving again with his footsteps disapearing with the stairs.
-Vanderwall-
Vandy cleared the stairs two at a time, getting away from the injured kidnapped girl as fast as he could. He couldn't help but feel slightly responsible for her predicament. He was the one who had given the Beast a stirring speech about controlling your own destiny. The poor boy had been in a dismal place for months now. Vandy had only meant to give him some hope, but he didn't mean for hope to mean this.
The kitchen was full. Polly and Anette were at the table covered in flour and handling dough. Anette's two girls were scrubbing dishes and Rex was sitting besides the girls begging for scraps to be thrown his way. When Vanderwall entered the kitchen all of the chaos seemed to come to a halt and everyone turned to him for news.
He avoided their eyes and went to the counter collecting a dish from the cupboard and filling it with the left-overs from their morning meal.
"She's hungry?" Polly asked.
"She's been through a great deal in the last few hours. You would be hungry as well." He said, busying himself with filling a pitcher of water.
He grabbed the small case of medical supplies that they had kept in the kitchen in case of emergencies and Polly pounced on him.
"She's injured?!" Vandy sighed deeply. He didn't need Polly bringing the castle down on top of itself before either of them understood why the beast took her in the first place. This was going to require tact and Polly was not famous for her tact.
"She's pretty." Vandy said, distracting Polly. "and she didn't even scream when she saw me."
"There must be something wrong with her because you're as gruesome as ever." she said standing from her work and walking over to him, dusting off her apron.
"You're going to need help carrying all of that down to the dungeons." Polly said.
"I can manage it." Vandy said, gathering up the water pitcher and the supplies. Polly grabbed the dish before he could take it himself.
"Nonsense dear. It''ll be no trouble for me." Polly said. Vandy just shook his head, there was never any point in arguing with Polly. She could boss around an oak tree.
-Belle-
Belle had started to drift asleep. She was determined to remain alert until Vandy returned, but her eyes were heavy and her body ached. She had only closed her eyes for a moment when she was woken suddlenly by the sound of the door opening.
"Hello!" A woman's voice, decidedly not Vandy and definitely not the beast. She was shocked awake and still in the thralls of sleep enough to reply without even thinking about it.
"Helllo." Belle said, now realizing that there were two of them. They both crossed the room towards her and Belle sat up more.
"This is Polly, she insisted on coming along because-" Vandy trailed off letting Polly finish his sentence.
"Well obviously I'm here because you boys can't everthink anything through. You thought to bring food but you didn't even bother to bring a simple set of linen for that horrible matress or even a chamber pot?"
"I figured injuries trumped linens." Vandy said, irritated.
"Well yes of course, but you do have the whole staff at your disposal. You could have easily sent- oh, I'm not even going to bother with you. It's rude to argue in front of guests." She informed him pointedly.
Belle for one was slightly entertained by their back and forth. Vandy however did not seem as entertained.
"Argue in front of guests?! I wasn't the one who-" He got cut off by Polly who moved closer to Belle and layed something at her feet.
"here's some food dear. I'm sorry about him. Like Vanderwall was so helpful to point out, I am Polly. I sort of run the castle, or at least I ensure the boys don't burn the place down. What is your name."
Belle blinked suddenly taken back by the familiarity of the woman. She didn't know how to respond she didn't how to react and it was all just foreign to her.
"My name is Belle. It's nice to meet your acquaintance."
The woman laughed. "Oh look at you! So polite! I'm sure it's not very nice to meet the acquaintance of your captors, but I do appreciate your kindness."
The woman crossed the room towards the bed and laid something on the ground next to her.
"Here's your food. It was a pleasure to meet you dear, and I will be back soon. I'll leave you with Vanderwall for the moment while he makes sure you are in tip top shape."
She stood and retreated with the swooshing sound of her skirts, leaving just Belle and Vandy in the room.
"May I sit down?" he asked. The politeness wasn't fake, she could tell that much, it was intentional and respectful. Belle nodded her head and Vandy sat next to her.
"Now let me see those wrists and we'll get down to business." He said.
She held out her wrists to the sound of his voice. They sat a moment together, not saying anything. Belle was wrapped too much in listening to his shallow breathing, to the constant drip in the back of the room. Listening for anything familiar that could place her at home. He scrubbed the wound and covered it with something he said would help with the pain and keep infection out of the wound.
It didn't take him very long, but Belle didn't like the silence very much, it meant she was in the dark. She almost didn't even catch it when he asked her a question.
"This is an awkward question my dear, but do you know what caused beast to be provoked?" he asked and Belle almost didn't believe the question. She was a little offended that he asked the question as if it was her who must have been at fault.
"He seemed to not like me asking about his name at all." She answered fully aware that it sounded insane.
"His name? He kidnapped you nearly mangling you on the way because you asked his name?"
Belle threw her hands up helplessly and traitorous tears started to form in the corner of her eyes, "I don't know. That was the last thing I said to him."
"I see." He said. Vandy was silent for a long moment while his hands stilled as they finished their work.
"I apologize." He said, "My sincerest apologies dear. You do not deserve this."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. You did not lock me up."
"No but I am sorry for you nonetheless. You have been unfairly forced into a situation that is none of your concern and that you should not have to endure."
The question that burned in her mind swelled until it came out in one breath, "Will you let me go?"
Vandy tightened the bandage around her wrist and stood.
"If I would I could dear. I'm afraid that you won't find anyone in the castle willing to go against the Master's wishes, but I can promise you that you will be unharmed and I can promise you every amenity."
He said and her chest deflated and she finally felt the gravity of this situation. She was stuck.
"Is there anything else that you want dear?" Vandy asked, standing at the door.
Belle smiled thinly. "Thank you for you kindness. There is nothing else that you can give me." she said trying to hammer her point home and Vandy slipped out shutting the door behind him leaving her in the dark again.