To answer Guest's question about the verse, it is a New Testament Bible verse-the Good Book Maurice was referring to-. Different translations say it differently, but another translation says to, "look after the orphans and widows".

Ella could never shake off the feeling of fear she had when Maurice traveled, but Belle was always confident that he would be safe. It was always the same, but that was a security. Maurice always came back.

The next morning, the girls had happily spent it singing as they made breakfast and quoting to each other from one of their favorite books. They wanted to make a special supper for Maurice when he returned from his trip today. "Oh, dear." Ella muttered to herself. She could not believe it. She grabbed her basket and headed out the door. Belle was feeding the chickens.

"Where are you going?" Belle asked.

"To the bread maker." Ella said as she walked down the steps. "Can you believe we're out already? And I want the nice, braided kind for Father's return tonight. I won't be long."

"Get some flowers too!" Belle called after her as Ella scampered away. She was only going to be gone for a few minutes.

After she was out of sight, Belle was tending the weeds in the garden when she heard rushing hoof-beats. She looked up to see...Philippe! He anxiously cantered into the yard. He was dirty and his reigns were torn! Belle sprang to his side and tried to calm him, but she couldn't rid herself of a horrible sense of dread. "Whoa, whoa, boy!" Belle exclaimed. She looked around the corner but there was no sign of Maurice of the wagon. "Philippe, what happened? Where's Papa? Where is he?!" She demanded. "Show me, boy!" She didn't know where to go, but she was just going to have to trust Philippe to remember.

True to her word, Ella hadn't been very long with her shopping and was humming happily as she returned. Belle wasn't in sight anymore, but that didn't startle Ella. She just decided to go back into the house, but that was when she found a hastily written note sticking inside the door. Curious, Ella pulled it out and unfolded it. It read:

"Ella,

Forgive me, but I couldn't wait for you to return so I could explain before running out. Philippe came home without Papa. Something's wrong. I'm going after him! Be brave.

Belle"

Ella gulped and felt an adrenaline rush race down her spine. She anxiously looked around, then searched around their home. But there was no sign of her sister or the horse. She hurried out of town to the trail that led out where she was sure Maurice had gone when he'd departed. She reached the road and ran, hoping to find Philippe's hoof-prints. But to her dismay, the road was covered in all sorts of different tracks: wagon wheel tracks, foot-prints, hoof-prints. It looked very slim, but Ella though she was scared did not want to give up. She continued to follow the road until she couldn't run anymore and had to catch her breath. If she kept going, she'd end up in the woods, and she was unfamiliar with it. She desperately wanted to follow Belle, to find her and their father, but what if she got lost? What if she got hurt, alone in the forest? That would only make matters worse for all of them.

"If Philippe returned, then Father can't be too far away." Ella said, trying to stay calm and think clearly. "He may be hurt! Well, I should go back and be ready for when Belle brings him back. He'll need tending." Ella said, already warming up to the idea of feeling useful but also her theory about the situation wasn't only comforting, it seemed the most logical to her. "Please be careful, Belle." She sighed. "God be with you. Please bring them back!" She pleaded. Feeling a bit less anxious, she turned to head back home.

Belle had passed her father's overturned cart on the road, so she knew she was on the right track, but there was no sign of Maurice so she urged Philippe to keep going. What was strange though was that it was...was...winter! There was snow everywhere! Snow in June? Belle was confused about that, but she had no time to dwell on it. She rode her horse till he halted in an expansive, broken down castle grounds! Belle couldn't believe her eyes, but she dismounted and grabbing a thick branch for good measure in case something tried to hurt her, she continued her search. Slowly opening the large castle doors, she slowly stepped inside. "Hello? I'm here for my father." She spoke.

"Look, Cogsworth! A girl!" A voice exclaimed excitedly.

"Shush!" An older voice hissed. "I can see it's a girl, you fool."

"A beautiful girl!" The other continued. "What if she is the one who will break the spell?"

Belle quickly turned and looked around cautiously. "Who said that?" She asked nervously. But there was no response. She noticed two intricate objects on a side table, a candelabra and a mantle clock. They were beautiful. Then she heard another voice that sounded farther away. It was coughing terribly. She grabbed the candle and rushed up the stairs. There were two entries at the top, one that led with a beautiful stairway like the one she was on. The other, was much more grim, cold, dark, and damp. But then she heard the voice again. It was coming from the ominous stairway so she hurried up the countless flights of stairs. "Papa! Is that you?!" She called.

She turned a corner and found a cell. There was Maurice, locked inside! His frazzled appearance made Belle so disheartened. His hair was unkempt, his complexion was flushed, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Papa!" She cried and grabbed his hands.

"Belle!" Maurice cried back. "How did you find me?"

"Oh, your hands are like ice."

"Belle, you must leave!" Maurice warned her, coughing.

"I'm not leaving you!" Belle protested.

"No, listen to me. You have to go! This castle...it's...it's...alive!" Maurice tried to explain. Belle just stared at him.

"Who did this to you?" Belle asked angrily.

"Please. Go! You must go before he finds you!"

"Who are you talking about?" Belle asked. Just then, there was a loud groan above their heads from around the corner. "Who's there?!" Belle called.

"What do you want?" A shadowed voice asked her.

"I've come for my father." Belle answered.

"Your father is a thief."

"Liar!" Belle gasped, hurt and deeply insulted. Maurice would never do anything like that. And no one could talk that way about her father!

"He stole a rose."

Belle's face fell, and she felt guilty. "I asked for the rose." She confessed. "Please! Punish me, not him!"

"Do you wish to take your father's place?"

"Yes." Belle said bravely. "Take me instead."

"No, Belle!" Maurice begged. "He means forever. Apparently that's what happens around here when you pick a flower." Another cough crept into his chest.

"A life sentence for a rose?" Belle sputtered.

"I received eternal damnation for one! I'm merely locking him away." The voice growled, coming closer. "Now, do you still wish to take your father's place?"

"Come into the light." Belle said. The enormous figure she still couldn't clearly make out was lurking around the corner. He just stood there. "I want to know who I'm talking to." Belle said firmly, grabbing the candle and approached him. What reflected from the flames was unlike anything she'd ever seen! She gasped. She was gazing into the eyes of a...a...a beast! What a beast it was, with brown fur, large, powerful claws and piercing blue eyes. Belle just stared at him."Please let my father go. Can't you see he's sick?" She begged.

"Truce." The Beast huffed at her. "Now...do you still wish to take your father's place?"

"If I do, will you let him go?" Belle asked cautiously.

"Yes." The Beast mumbled.

"Yes. I will take his place."

"Belle, no! Don't do this! I lost your mother and I'm not going to lose you too!" Maurice pleaded, coughing again.

"All right, Papa. I'll leave." Belle sighed. "Just let me say good-bye to him."

"No." The Beast said and turned away from her.

"You're so cold-hearted." Belle moaned. "You won't even allow a girl to kiss her father good-bye. Forever can spare a minute." The Beast stood there, unable to fathom what was going on. He turned and unlocked the door. Belle began to enter but he looked right in her face.

"Once this door closes, it will never open again!" He said firmly.

"Agreed." Belle nodded then ran to her father. She threw her arms around him and he clutched her tightly to his heart. "Are you all right?" Belle asked tearfully.

"I'll be all right." Maurice said reassuringly. "Now, you must go."

"Not without you!" Belle argued. Her father's willingness to remain in his dreary cell forever was breaking her heart.

"Look, it's all right." Maurice said with a broken smile. "I've lived my life, you have yours ahead of you. Belle, go back home. Take care of your sister. She needs you more than I do. I'll be fine. Forget about me."

"Forget you?" Belle said through tears. "Everything I am is because of you!"

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid." Belle shook her had. "I love you, Papa." Maurice pulled her into a warm, what he thought was to be their last embrace. "And I will escape, I promise." Belle whispered. Maurice's eyes widened. And before he could do anything, Belle shoved him out of the cell and slammed the door shut. Maurice fell to the floor, the Beast standing there utterly confused. He stared at Belle.

"You took his place." He said in astonishment.

"He's my father." Belle said, as if this was a normal occurrence.

"He's a fool." The Beast muttered. "So are you."

"Belle!" Maurice cried when another coughing fit racked his body as the Beast dragged him away down the stairs.

"Please don't hurt him!" Belle shouted. "He's not well! Take care of Ella, Papa!" She raced to the tower window in her cell and watched as her dear father fled from the castle. What was done was done. Maurice was free, but Belle was locked in this dungeon...forever. She already felt homesick, but was thankful that her father would not be rotting in here. "I'm sorry, Ella." Belle sighed. "I'll miss you. But don't worry too much. Take good care of Papa. And I will find a way to get back to you!" With that said, she slumped down against the wall. Her father, her sister...would she ever see them again?

I'm sorry to disappoint you all. I know it would've been so different and interesting if Ella and Belle had searched for their father together, but the reason Ella is left behind on the home front is because I have plans for what happens with that later on! And it involves a certain, dashing, but dastardly town hero that we all know! I can't wait to post those chapters, but it's not time for them yet.