Chapter Twelve – Headed Out

Adam looked at his two girls eating together whilst he stood in the hallway. He had cursed Belle to following him down this path just because of his own insecurities. There had to be a cure for the both of them. Belle had wanted for them to stay together and Adam was going to make sure that they did but as for what else he did, that was up for debate.

"Please don't do anything stupid, Adam," Cogsworth said as he approached him and could recognize the anger on his face. "Sire, you have to remember that you just got your family back. The three of you together. Please just take joy in that and relax, everything will work out for the best."

"Things don't just work out," Adam growled as he narrowed his eyes and looked aside. "They take work and planning and a change of mindset. That's what I've learned through all of these years."

"Please reconsider doing anything," Cogsworth began again and Adam looked around feeling hurt but most of all, he hated that Belle had to be a part of this. He shouldn't have allowed her to do that. That was a failing of his own. You don't let a woman take on a sacrifice that big for you, especially not if you love her.

"I'll think about it, I'm going to head into the village. Please prepare one of the horses," he said and Cogsworth opened his mouth to argue as he saw Adam walking away from his family. Instead, the former-clock decided to keep to Adam's wishes as he had been trained to do.

"Are you sure that you wouldn't prefer the carriage?" Cogsworth asked and Adam shook his head. He had learned to ride again after being stuck in the beast's body for all those years. A beast was far too heavy to ride atop a horse but in his human state, Adam had always been a fantastic rider and a little bit of a show off at times. The journey would be easy for him but the destination, not so much.

As Adam entered the town, he could hear people gasping at him and trying to get a better view of him. People were also debating over whether they had actually heard that he had turned into a beast or whether they had imagined that. Adam jumped off the horse as he managed to get to a more crowded area. He heard some girls swoon over him and rolled his eyes before thanking the horse for its work.

"I guess you can stay over here," Adam said gently as he ignored the people watching him. "Thank you for your service." He pulled out a bag of oats and set it in front of the horse so that he could much on them. Adam turned and looked at all the signs before noticing the one that Belle always got excited about, the bookseller.

Adam managed to straighten his clothes after the horseback ride and entered the bookstore which had about four people in it. Belle had said that was more than when she had lived with her father. Adam could see people watching him and he nodded to them before trying to figure out if there were any books about curses or spells. Maybe if he trained himself, he could reverse what had happened to the two of them.

"Your Highness," the bookseller said as he approached Adam and Adam took a step back. He smiled at the formality and nodded, the bookseller bowed. "How can I be of assistance today?" he asked and Adam sighed.

"I'm wondering if you have any books about magic?" he whispered and the bookseller shook his head.

"Afraid not but it would be an honor to track some dow-" he said and Adam smiled. He liked the guy's honesty and more importantly his reservation about asking further questions but he most likely had some back at the castle. He would have to check Belle's library for those.

"No, it's okay. I have my own books but Belle always speaks so highly of this store and of course, of you," he said and the bookseller looked stunned.

He stared at Adam and took a step back. "It's kind of you to say something like this," he commented and Adam shook his head, "How is Belle and the young princess? I always enjoy their visits here."

"They are doing well," Adam lied, "We're all doing well. I have to leave but I'll give them your regards," he said as he turned around. This was a risk to their safety to so publicly acknowledge the use of magic and spells and enchantments but people had seen him as the beast. They knew his story.

"I would appreciate that," the seller said and Adam left. He sighed. He had felt that maybe that had been the easiest possibility but life wasn't about ease or at least, it wasn't about ease without sacrifice. Adam turned to walk past a few more shops before stopping as he got to one shop that sold different pieces of art and his eyes widened as he saw a painting depicting his own beast-form head over a fireplace hung as a dead moose's head might be.

"Excuse me," Adam said as he tried to control his anger, "What is your knowledge of this?" he asked as he gestured to the picture and the artist paused. He raised his chin, glanced over at Adam, and then turned back pretending that he hadn't acknowledged him. Adam rolled his eyes, he had tried to apologize for years about this curse.

Finally the artist spoke, "It's called freedom of speech and artistic expression, your Highness," he said with a mocking bow and Adam shook his head.

"Paint whatever you want. Depict me however you choose. Pictures and words are not actions…yet," he said as he showed some of the anger that he had been attempting to tame for so long. "I am interested in where to find Gaston."

"Gaston died," the other man said and Adam sighed as he shook his head. He cast a nervous glance to the image that was meant to insult him again and tried to remind himself that he wasn't the same as he had been. The residents didn't have any reason to fear him anymore and especially not in this form. Adam went back to the horse before hearing the sound of a crash in the distance. He rode the horse in that direction hoping that he'd somehow find the magic needed to undo all of this.

Gaston chuckled to himself as he managed to destroy the dam in the middle of the river. He had seen animals attempting to build it up for their home but animals were meant to be stuffed and eaten. They were good target practice before he got to the real thing. Gaston sighed and directed his attention to the side.

He was getting to feel extremely hungry, maybe there was some big game animal that he could kill and prepare and eat. He hated having to do all the cooking, it was beneath him but he was supposed to be dead. He couldn't just go into the center of town and announce his return.

There was the sound of footsteps behind him and Gaston listened to them. They sounded more human than anything else but with the pace of someone who was ready to issue a challenge to him. There weren't many people who would do that and even less who knew he was alive. Gaston sighed and turned before Adam punched him in the face, his eyes focusing on the man who had wanted to make his life a living hell for his own amusement.

"Wow," Gaston said, rubbing his cheek again, "The royal welcome. I thought I took care of you."

"Think again," Adam told him with a challenging smile which then turned severe as his eyes started to show how fierce and angry he truly was. "Are you ready to fight me man to man?" he asked and Gaston almost choked as he laughed.

"You, a man, that's rich?" he said before striking out a hand and Adam managed to catch his wrist and struck him in the chest. Gaston managed to break the hold and use his knee on Adam's side which stunned him for a moment. As the fight continued, it was obvious that the two men were equally strong and powerful. People had said that Gaston was the most manly and the strongest and bravest man alive but none of them understood the training that being inside the body of a beast allowed someone.

"You do know that I have magic, right?" Gaston said as Adam managed to get him onto the ground and Adam grabbed a dagger from under his vest. Gaston's eyes widened but he touched the prince's face and let his hand run over it whilst whispering. Soon Adam had vanished and the knife dropped down in the ground below them. Gaston grinned as he picked it up.

He would prove that he was worthy of Belle. He would go back to her, force her to be with him. She wouldn't be able to argue with him, especially since her precious prince had sunk down to the depths. He went over to the horse who tried to attack him and then fled from him. A castle was fit for the taking if there was no prince and right now there was no prince.

…..

Belle had grown worried about Adam since he had left without telling her anything. He would always have these plans in his head and he wouldn't tell her about them but it was hard for him. He had been isolated for such a long time before she had come into his life. He had emotional problems but if you had been seen as an animal since you were eleven years old, that would cause all kinds of problems.

Belle was waiting for the night to come when she would transform alongside him but he hadn't come back and she was scared of going through it alone. She had only done this in order to stay together with him as a family.

Belle waited patiently but as soon as she heard the sound of the front doors being opened, she rushed down the stairs. She hadn't been expecting to see him though. He was cackling and Belle felt a shiver down her back and a plummeting feeling pushing down in her stomach. Something was wrong.

"Your precious Beast is dead," Gaston said as a few of the servant's came out. Gaston tossed down a sack that looked like it was stained with blood. "I am the master of this castle now. You will be my slave, Belle. Only to answer my every whim," he told her and Belle opened her mouth to argue.

"Get away from her," an older man said as he came forwards holding a knife. He stepped between the two of them and Gaston laughed again. This man couldn't be a threat to him, was he serious? Belle turned to look at Bouche. He never tried to stand out much, usually in the kitchen working on whatever he was interested in or whatever they requested but he was truly trying to protect her now.

"You're not the only one to have learned magic these past years," Bouche said and Lumiere quickly went to receive the bag. Gaston looked unimpressed until a ring of fire surrounded him and Bouche had quickly moved Belle out of the way. As the former stove approached the man though, Mrs. Potts and Lumiere opened the bag and were horrified as Adam's decapitated head rolled onto the ground.

End of Chapter Twelve

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