She ran silently through the woods, glancing over her shoulder occasionally to make sure they weren't catching up with her. She had already lost her shoes and the branches had snagged, ripping her skirt making her wish she had her old rags on instead of this ball gown. All she wanted to do was stop but she was scared of what might happen if they caught her. She didn't know what was on the other side of the forest but the animals kept telling her, urging her to keep running that she was almost there. If they would just tell her where THERE was, what she was looking for, then she would feel just a little easier about all of this. She jumped over another fallen tree when she could finally see a clearing. The deer running with her whispered, "Just a little bit further. We'll get you to safety. No one goes this far."
She wanted to ask WHY no one ever went this far but she was satisfied enough to just keep going. As she broke through the treeline, she took a deep breath for the first time. Then she saw it. It was the largest, darkest, most forbidding castle she had ever laid eyes on. A gunshot and screaming behind her pulled her out of her dream and bolted her towards what she could only hope was salvation. She sprinted towards the castle not truly knowing where the front was. "Princess, dive in the water. Al will show you a secret way in. Just hide inside until everything blows over. The birds will come to you when it's time."
Ella nodded as she dove into the murky water. She felt a long scaly animal swim up next her. "Keep your eyes closed. I promise to get you to the secret door. Just put your hand on my tail." She put her trust in this water monster she couldn't see. They only swam what felt like a couple of minutes when she heard, "Here. Pop up here and right above the surface of the water, there's a small door. They occasionally use it to dump trash in my moat. They haven't used it in a while so you should be safe crawling in. Just stay in the west wing."
She broke the surface of the water and was relieved to see the small door. "Thank you. You didn't have to help me."
She watched the alligator glance above the surface of the water. "No, I didn't but," she looked over as the forest animals drug the lifeless body of the big buck that she knew was protecting her from her wicked stepmother's evil mercenaries. "I got paid just like the mercenaries chasing you, Princess." He licked his teeth as he smiled at her. "Get inside now. As soon as I'm done with my payment, I'll be looking from dessert." He winked at her as he swam back towards the deer floating in the murky water. She grasped onto the door and jerked it open. It smelled as bad as the water she was just swimming in but she knew it was better than waiting around to see what happened next here. She could feel the rough wood and slime as she crawled up the incline towards the opposite end. She could feel the splinters embedding into her hands and knees as she forced herself further and further towards what she hoped was salvation. She shoved against the door hard twice before it opened into a large, deserted room. She collapsed onto the floor, breathing in the sweet smelling air around her before the exhaustion took over and she passed out.
"Dear, you know that Master doesn't care for us to be in this part of the castle." Ms. Potts tried to block Belle's path but only being the height of a teapot made it easy for the grown woman just to step over her and continue towards the door.
"I heard something in here! As long as I'm a GUEST here, I do plan on one day being able to walk out of this castle alive. Now are you going to be part of the problem?" She held up Lumiere who smiled proudly even though he was going to be used as a weapon on whatever was on the other side of the door. "Or part of the solution?"
Ms. Potts puffed some steam out of her spout. "Part of the solution, but we make this quick. Master is due to be back in a couple of hours."
"Ok, just quit worrying! We're on an adventure!" Lumiere said as Belle crept closer to the door.
She pushed open the door slowly, seeing the rose in the moonlight. As she stepped in the smell hit her, "Who opened the door to the moat?"
As they stepped further into the room, Ms. Potts saw WHAT had made that noise. "Oh my, it's a girl. She's," she waddled over towards her to inspect her closer. "Oh,thank God. She's alive but filthy, bloody, and," she motioned for Belle to untangle the choker still around her neck. "She's a princess." She looked at Lumiere. "Why is there another one in the castle?"
Belle set Lumiere down as she looked at Ms. Potts. "I'm not a princess. I'm a weird bookworm that your master is using as leverage." She got down on the floor to start to roll the girl over. "Don't look at me like that, Ms. Potts. I didn't mean it like that. We had a fight before he left because and I quote he 'still doesn't trust me enough for me to go out with him.' I know he's going to hunt Gaston and his little friend for the rumors they spread about me. I just feel like I should be able to get in a few punches before my Beast finishes him off." She smiled slyly as Ms. Potts and Lumiere helped her roll the girl over. She started to cough up some foul water as they got her on her side. "Ms. Potts, get her some cool, CLEAN water to drink. Lumiere, I need more light." She wiped the girl's face with the edge of her dress. The girl's eyes started to flutter. "Oh, don't rush….SHHHH...We have you. You're safe here."
"I'm supposed to stay in the west wing. Please don't tell them I'm here! They're after me."
"Ok stop! Calm down! No one comes to this castle." Belle didn't know how much to tell her. "Just trust me. What's your name?" Ms. Potts waddled up with Chip, filled with ice water.
Belle picked up Chip and handed him to her. "They call me Cinderella but my real name is Ella." She took a sip of the freshwater as Chip giggled which surprised her. "My stepmother's a bitch and her daughters are spoiled rotten nymphos who would lay down in the hay for any man who claimed to have more than 2 shillings to rub together."
Belle laughed out loud as she shook her head. "I'm Belle," she reached out to shake Ella's hand. "This is Lumiere, Ms. Potts, and you're drinking from Chip."
Ella giggled as she set Chip down and shook Belle's hand. "Well it's very nice to meet you."
Belle stood up and helped Ella to her feet. She winced on her one foot. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I just wore glass slippers to the ball. Lost one as I was running out of there and the other shattered as I was being chased through the woods."
Ms. Potts started to puff around as her motherly side set in. "Can you help her walk, Dear?" Belle propped up Ella under her left arm to act as her crutch. "Ok, now let's get her to your room where we can get her a hot bath, some clean clothes and I can get some medicine and bandages for your foot."
Belle smiled as they started. "Momma Potts to the rescue!"
Ella soaked in the large tub filled with fresh lavender and sea salt floating in the hot water. Ms. Potts and the dusters washed her hair as Lumiere and Cogsworth pulled the glass shards out of her foot. "Miss, now that we have it cleaned up, it's not as bad as we thought." Cogsworth put his hand through Lumiere's flames to sterilize them as he pulled out the last piece.
"Thank you. It didn't hurt at all." She smiled as Ms. Potts rinsed her hair.
"Ok, gentlemen, if you would please, go out so she can get out of the tub and dress." Ms. Potts waited for them to close the door and then motioned for the dusters to get her a warm towel. "Ms. Belle pulled you some clothes and placed them on the dressing table. We're going to go get you some soup and tea. We should be back in the bedroom before you come out." She smiled as she and the others left the room, leaving her alone for a moment. What the hell is going on here? She looked at herself in the gilded mirror at her reflection. She picked up the clothes laid out for her as she let her mind run. Ok so the fairy godmother said this was my destiny. I was supposed to be at the ball, be beautiful, dance with the Prince and have the time of my life. But instead as soon as the Prince leaned in to kiss me, I'm being chased through the forest and the Prince is being tied down and pulled back into the castle as he screamed for me to run. She slipped the top over her head and looked back at the mirror. "What do we do now, Princess? Do we stay here or do we fight back?" She didn't hear the light knock on the door. "I'm all alone against Lady Tremaine and the girls. How do I …"
"No, you're not." Ella turned to see Belle standing in the doorway. "First, those fit you perfectly. Second, they brought you some food and third, you have US to fight with you." She smiled as Ella appeared to relax a bit. Belle held out her hand and led Ella back into the bedroom. "You're our guest and believe it or not, once I talk to Beast about you and explain what is going on, you'll have an army to march you back into your destiny. Now, you eat and relax a bit. I have a plan to start." She smiled as she walked out the room.
Beast tried sneaking into the castle. He doesn't notice Belle sitting in the dark. "Good evening or is it good morning?"
"What're you doing up still?" He tried hiding the blood in his fur from the scuffle he had earlier. "Are you here to continue arguing with me?"
She looked up from the book she had been flipping through and rolled her eyes. "Let me be honest with you. I'm growing quite fond of you and I truly enjoy your company regardless of HOW our relationship started." She looked at him as he hung his head knowing that how he had lured her into the castle wasn't the best way to meet her. "We have a visitor tonight."
He stood up, his fur on end. "Did someone try to hurt you? Are they still here?"
She raised her hand to signal him to calm down. "No, no one tried to hurt me and yes, she's still here." He looked at her as she patted the cushion next to her. He sat down next to her and she took his paw in her hand. "She came in through the garbage shoot that leads into the moat."
"She crawled up through the shoot? How did she get past the alligator?"
Belle shrugged, "I think she's THIS missing princess from legend." She handed him the book she had been reading.
He looked at the first edition of fairy tales written by Charles Perrault. She opened it to the story of Cinderella. "Are you telling me that Cinderella is in this castle?"
"Yes but the name given to her by her parents is Ella. As in the story, her fairy godmother showed up, got her dressed for the ball," she pointed in the book to the part of the story she was talking about. "She then danced with the Prince, but here's where we divert from the story, her stepmother KNEW she was there and sent mercenaries after her. She said they chased her as they pulled the Prince back into his castle. She ran through the woods until she made it here, covered in scratches and blood." She took the book back to soothe herself. "We had her bathe, gave her clean clothes, and got her some food. I told her I would plead her case to you and see if you would allow us to support her as she goes back to…"
He smiled at her and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Hugging her to him, he smiled and said, "Sweet Belle, you are stronger, smarter, and more caring than I will ever be. Go to bed and in the morning, we'll get a plan together to get your friend home to her destiny."
"Where is she?" Henry struggled against the restraints. "This is an all time low, even for you, Lady Tremaine." He watched the evil smile creep across her face that made him want to spit in her face. "I would never marry either of your … WHORES. They have slept with most of the men in my court already. I would NEVER give them the chance to be my princess, especially after this," he struggled again against his bindings. "Did you actually think that this would make me just fall in love with one of your daughters?"
She looked over at him and snorted in his general direction. "I didn't think the help would show up looking like a princess to win your heart like the prophecy read."
Henry rolled his eyes as he spat back at her. "Your stepdaughter is a noblewoman by birth, not by your marriage to her father. She earned that the moment she was born and had every right to be here tonight." He looked over at his poor parents who were being held by mercenaries in the corner. They had threatened to make him and his father watch as they dishonor his mother but Lady Tremaine's daughters had begged them not to do such a thing. Instead they had taken turns beating on his father until they tired of it.
"Shut up, your spoiled little brat! That little tart is probably dead by now! I sent the best mercenaries money could buy after her. That dumb bitch ran straight into the dark woods. Doesn't she know that there is a savage BEAST out there? I heard he rips girls like her into pieces as he has his way with them." An evil laugh escaped her lips that scared even the mercenaries holding knives to the throats of the king and queen.
"Good morning, Ella." Ella sat up in bed to see Ms. Potts being wheeled in on a cart with fresh bread, butter, jam, and warm tea. "We brought you a bit to help you wake up. Dear Belle spoke with the Master when he got home and got him on board. They said once you are up and dressed, just meet them down stairs in the ballroom. I can bet that Belle already has a plan to get you back to your destiny." She smiled as she poured a cup of tea for her before walking out so she had privacy to get ready for the day.
Ella took a sip of the tea and smiled at Ms. Potts, "Thank you for being so kind to me. I mean none of you know me but you willingly took me in without question." She swung her feet out of the bed and started to stand up. "It means the world to me, especially when everyone I do know in the world turned on me."
"Don't you even fret about that! You're our guest and we want you to feel at home here." Ms. Potts sputtered around feeling both blessed and awkward for being thanked for doing her job. "When you're ready, they will be in the ballroom. We'll serve breakfast there for all of you to have while you discuss."
Ella walked into the ballroom to find Belle with her hair up in a messy bun standing next to a massive, hairy monster. They looked like they were deep in conversation about the drawings they have hanging up on a big board positioned next to the large table. All of the dishes on the table were hopping around trying to get their attention to no avail.
"Oh, Ms. Ella," Lumiere tottered around the crowded table over to an empty seat. "Please sit right here and enjoy your breakfast. Master and Ms. Belle are working and." he looked over at them grumpily, "they are letting their food get COLD!" The flames on his candles got bigger as he yelled.
Belle turned and laughed, blowing out his large flames. "Ok, Lumiere! Our guest is here now and we'll sit and eat." She grabbed the Beast's paw and led him towards the table. Ella had to admit that even though he was covered in fur, he did look attractive. "Ella, this is the legendary Beast," she smiled up at him as he frowned at her. "But you can call him Adam as I do."
Ella stuck her hand out and shook his paw. "Nice to meet you, Adam. I hope it's not a problem that I stumbled upon your castle in my escape last night."
He pulled out a chair for Belle to sit down in. "Not a problem at all. My Belle is quite taken with you." He sat down and looked across the table. The servants understood that he wanted them to leave. "Lumiere, I'll call for you and Cogsworth when we are ready. Please do get everything ready like I asked before." Lumiere bowed as he ushered everyone else out. "Ella, I went out to the edge of the forest early this morning to listen to the talk from the hunters. Your stepmother is a real piece of work." He shook his head as he took a drink of milk. "Even the mercenaries who she hired were saying that she ordered them to KILL you. They agreed to go back and lie to her about it. One actually mentioned telling her that they watched ME eat you. Just so you know, I don't do that. I just growl and roar to scare people but eating humans," he held up a fork full of eggs. "I'm civilized. I have much better things to eat."
She laughed slightly as she took a sip of the coffee set in front of her. It was soothing and made her smile. "Yeah, sounds like her."
He swallowed his bite as he motioned towards the drawings. "Believe it or not, Henry and I went to school together. I wouldn't say we were friends but we weren't enemies. Many of the men in his court I would call friends. We think we can get word to them to meet us in the woods and then we'll have more manpower than just me and Cogsworth." He smiled at her as Belle shook her head and rolled her eyes at him.
She pondered for a moment. "How do you plan on getting word out to them?" She took a bite of croissant. "I mean," she motioned to him, "you haven't exactly been seen outside of this castle or the woods in years."
"That's one of my major jobs." Belle smiled. "I'll ride into town with an old male friend of mine that I trust from our village. We'll get them here by lunch and be able to get to the castle by dinner. If this woman is doing what some of the mercenaries are saying, it won't be hard to get people on board to help us. Now let's eat, then I'll ride out to pick up Franco and we'll meet up with Phillip. You and Adam can go over the plan and work out the little issues with Luimere and Cogsworth." She picked up a piece of bacon as she smiled towards Ella who nodded at her.
Ella kept glancing towards the window to see if Belle was on her way back yet. She had noticed that Beast was nervous about sending her out with another man but Franco assured him that he would protect her and bring her back in one piece. She overheard him talking to Cogsworth and Lumiere about getting weapons out of the cellar. "Sir, let me come with you! I can burn her to the ground!" She smiled as Lumiere puffed up his chest like a brave French soldier ready for battle. Cogsworth rolled his eyes at the candelabra who truly wanted to ride into battle with their master.
"You FOOL! How stupid would he look racing into to save the kingdom holding a candelabra? No! Master will carry his father's sword like a proper nobleman should!" It was Cogsworth's turn to be proud of himself.
Ella giggled softly as she glanced back out the window. She heard the rumbling of hooves before she saw any of the riders enter the grounds. "They're here! I can hear the hoofbeats!" The Beast looked up smiling. Based just on the sound of hooves, he was excited to see what kind of army Belle and Franco was able to gather on such short notice.
They ran outside to meet them and Ella's heart started to swell. Belle was riding in with the biggest smile on her face. She jumped from her horse and ran up to meet Ella. "We were able to get all of the male court members who made it out of the ball last night. Several are thirsting for a fight once they heard what is happening to the King, Queen, and Henry." Ella continued to smile as the tears of happiness started to roll down her face. Belle pulled her into a hug as the army grew behind her. Belle smiled up at the Beast who looked nervous as he watched the men coming towards him armed to the teeth. She walked over to him and put her hand on his face to guide him to look at her. "Don't worry, Love. They have a bigger threat than you right now. They are here to fight beside you not with you. Most of them were curious to meet you anyway. The legendary Beast of the Dark Forest!" She started to giggle as he rolled his eyes at her. He lifted her onto his shoulders so she could look over the growing crowd before them. "Men, may I present to you Ella, the noblewoman at the center of this situation, and the Beast of the Dark Woods. This is his castle and yes, there is a spell cast upon it but it will not affect any of you so please don't worry about entering. If you will follow us, we'll cover the plan, discuss any tidbits that we might need to know to help the fight, and get prepared to head out. Are there any questions or anyone who wants to turn tail and run?"
"Hell NO, my lady! We fight for our friend and his one true love! We fight for our King and kingdom. We fight for justice! We fight for …" Phillip looked around and shook his head smirking as he did it. "Yeah, we just want to fight!"
After long hours of discussion and arguing, the plan came together and they geared up. Beast watched as Belle and Ella went ahead of them through the woods. Phillip leaned over. "They are two of the toughest women I have ever dealt with. They'll make it to the other side. Ella can talk to animals?! I mean they have an advantage we don't." Phillip jumped up on his horse as they started after them. "I'm not 100% loving that Ella is going to be used as bait but if we can draw out our Lady Bitch, let's get moving."
Beast nodded as they slowly started through the woods. "With us splitting into three groups, we should maximize the surprise on them. I fucking hope that Belle sticks to the plan and doesn't get herself …"
"Don't think that! Don't even put that thought out there for the fates to hear it. They have the plan, and it'll work. We're literally five minutes behind them." Phillip guided his horse into a careful trot through the dense woods ahead.
Beast started to laugh. "So how many of you have already bedded her stepsisters?"
Phillip smirked. "Well," he laughed as he faked a gag, "all of us except Henry. Henry said he would rather fuck Gaston than put his dick near either of them. He said he knows where they have been and knows how twisted his friends are." The Beast roared with laughter, echoing off the forest around them causing Phillip to jump slightly before he smiled at the Beast who rode next to him.
"I'm sure Gaston has slept with them too if they're as easy as you say. Thinking about that makes me agree with the Prince. There is no way I would get close to them either." They both laughed and let any thought of the plan falling through fade away with the sunset.
Belle ripped the skirt Ella was wearing a little bit more. She could feel Ella getting nervous. "Stop worrying! I can feel your nerves. This plan will work," she motioned for the man hiding in the shadows to come out. Once Ella saw him, she jumped trying not to yell. "This is Marcus."
He bowed before Ella. "My lady, I beg your forgiveness for what pain I had agreed to do to you for money. I am a shallow man but once I understood exactly what she wanted us to do," he caught a sob in his throat. "I couldn't go through with it. I hid in the trees until they lost you. I heard that they were as appalled with her requests as I was but they needed the money more than they needed manners. The manbeast found me early this morning still listening to their conversations. I thought he was going to eat me but instead he asked if I wanted to help defeat the shewitch. I agreed to go back into the castle and get some information. I also checked on the royals. I can tell you that they are doing better than they were last night but the Prince is still refusing to marry one of her daughters. He wants you."
Ella looked at Belle who smiled at her. "Marcus will handcuff you and bring you to the front door. He'll demand for her to come out to pay him more money or he'll let you go, possibly running back to the Prince. Then the plan goes off as scheduled." Ella nodded as Belle put the handcuffs on her. She smeared more mud on Ella's face. She hugged Ella tightly before handing her to Marcus. "Keep your head high! We got your back. Once your stepmother walks out, I bet every one of her hired hands will follow her out."
Ella giggled as Marcus took her hands. "Especially after they find out she is broke." Marcus turned and looked at her shocked. "Yes, there is NO MONEY to pay any of you."
He smirked as they started walking. "Then we have an ace in the hole! I may need to be a bit rough with you to sell this. I'm just warning you."
Ella nodded, "Understood. I'll play my part...tears, screams, the whole bit."
He smiled for a moment. Then both women saw his demeanor change into a ruthless killer. "Let's get this show started." He tugged on the hand cuffs and started towards the castle. Once they were in sight of the front, he started to be rougher with her. "Open the damn gates! I have to bitch she's been hunting down." He tossed Ella to the ground in front of him, never letting go of the handcuffs. "She put up a fight but I got her."
"Lady Tremaine wanted her killed," the guard stationed at the front said as he flicked his cigarette butt at her skirt. She thought that he probably hoped that her skirt would catch fire but he didn't get that joy.
"I know but I thought that I might make a bonus if I let her watch me torture and kill her on the grounds." The guard's face cracked into an evil smirk. "We could even frame the Prince for her death. Maybe make it look like he raped her and murder her for his own weird kinks. Then one of her daughters swoops in to marry him to save his reputation?"
He motioned for the other guard to go in and get everyone out. "You've thought this through. You don't look that smart."
"What can I say? I'm one twisted fuck." He smirked at the guard as he petted Ella's head. "Let's just say my childhood wasn't all green meadows and unicorns." He jerked on her handcuffs making her yelp in pain.
"Preaching to the choir." He lit another cigarette offering Marcus one. "She'll be down in a minute. I don't really know why she hates this pretty girl but maybe she'll let us all have a turn before we kill her." He rubbed the front of his pants causing Ella's stomach to lurch at the thought of any of them touching her.
"Lady Tremaine," the guard bowed as he entered the room. The stink of the night before was so heavy inside of it that he was trying to breath through his mouth so it wouldn't stay in his nose. "One has brought the girl to the gate."
"Is she dead?" The sentence hung in the room as he looked up at her. She looked older than her forty-six years. She looked tired and worn, like she fought the world and lost.
"No ma'am. He brought her so you could witness her tortured and killed. He thought you would pay more for a show."
She cackled an evil laugh that made even her daughters cringe. "I like the way he thinks. Bring them all! Let them see how we put down house help who don't follow the rules, who think they are MORE than gutter rats!"
One of the men pulled the King and Queen up off the dirty ground as another one started to cut Prince Henry out of the chair he was bound to. He leaned down and looked the man in the eyes. "You know that SHE is the gutter rat, not this beautiful girl we're about to go down and watch die."
"Yes sir I do but I'm too far in now. She owns my soul. If I don't do this, she'll kick my family off their land and sell it."
"Help me," he looked over the man's shoulder to make sure Lady Tremaine was occupied. "I promise your family will stay on their land and the castle will buy all of their overage every year."
He watched as the man's eyes smiled. "Every year? At price?"
"You have my word."
He nodded as he jerked the prince out of his chair and swung him in front of himself. He leaned in close so he could whisper, "I pledge my allegiance to you, your highness. Wait until we get outside and we make sure your parents are out of the way." He watched Henry nod as they followed everyone out into the courtyard.
Ella had started softly crying as the guard and Marcus laughed at her. She hoped that this plan went the way they hoped. Being on her knees listening to these two men speak of horrible things they wanted to do to her body was by far the most degrading thing that has ever happened to her. She glanced over towards the edge of the woods and could see Beast and Phillip hiding waiting to sound the alarm. Phillip nodded to her, giving her courage knowing that nothing these men were saying was going to happen to her as long as they were there. "Where is the little bitch who thought she could steal a prince from my daughters?" Just the sound of her stepmother's voice made the anger take over her mind. "Well, well, well! Aren't you just a dirty little girl? Torn skirt, dirt on your face, blood running down your legs...did you let that Beast who lives in the woods have his way with you to allow you to live long enough to be caught?" She cackled as Ella jerked her head out of her hand. "Oh I bet that after he defiled you he just handed you over to Marcus! That's excellent!" She turned to see that they had Henry standing there looking at her and Ella. "Are you ready to see what these men are going to do to the body of your little tart?" She pulled her up by her hair off her knees. "I mean it looks like she isn't as fresh as she was when she ran out of here last night."
He looked at the tear stained face of Ella. "I honestly don't care if she did lay down with someone to survive the night. She's my other half and there is NOTHING you can say to change my mind about it."
Beast smiled at Phillip. "That's my best friend since we were in diapers. He'll die for her if he has to."
"We're not going to let that happen." Beast pulled out the explosives that Lumiere had made for them the night before. "A little gift from the French."
"Nice! How are we getting these in there?"
Beast smiled as he lit the bomb and THREW it over the castle wall into the courtyard. "Like that." The explosion shook the wall, causing Marcus to let go of Ella and the other henchmen to run leaving their captives free to run towards Belle who was waving for them to the tree line. Belle gave a shout telling Beast that she had the King and Queen safe. "Now we storm the castle."
"ONWARD HO!" Phillip yelled as he and Beast kicked the sides of their horses. He leaned over and shot the first guard in the neck, twirling him around violently. They heard shots come from all around as they watched Henry dive for Ella. He laughed as she slipped out of the handcuffs and threw them at Lady Tremaine who stood there dumbfounded.
As Phillip tossed Henry a gun to join the fight, Ella lifted her skirt to pull the pistol she had strapped to her thigh out. "Beg for your life!" She screamed as she held the barrel of the gun to her stepmother's head. "Give me one reason NOT to pull this trigger!" She smiled as she watched Lady Tremaine glance over at one of the mercenaries who was trying to get to his feet. She took a deep breath and yelled to all of the men fighting for her stepmother. "Gentlemen may I have your attention for a moment?" She cocked the trigger as the fighting stopped for a brief moment. "This woman who says she will pay you large sums of money for your loyalty does NOT have a shilling to her name! All of her jewels are fake. She has sold off all of her furs and has been whoring her own daughters out for food to put on her table every night." She watched as they dropped their knives and guns and just held their hands in the air.
Philip yelled for the men of the court to start taking them in custody as the Beast made his way over to Ella. "My dear Ella, would you please take Prince Henry to Belle and make your way to my castle to clean up the King and Queen? Ms. Potts is getting medicines together and is cooking a feast for all. I think they need more attention than this hag does." He smiled at her as he took the gun from her hand. "I know you THINK killing her will make you feel better but," he looked her in the eyes, "let me tell you from experience, it doesn't. Phillip will lock her up for her crimes against the crown." He leaned down and kissed her on the top of the head as he whispered in her ear. "I'm sure she'll be hung from the gallows until her feet quit kicking but don't put her blood on your hands. You will be the Queen of this kingdom one day and I want you to be celebrated for the woman I know you will be."
She smiled as Henry grabbed her hand starting towards the treeline. Beast looked at Phillip who was overseeing all of the men of the court and royal guards rounding up the last of the unwanted guests. He held the gun on Lady Tremaine. "Don't you worry, my Lady. We have only the best dungeon in the kingdom for you." He laughed as the Beast lead her back into the courtyard.
"Tell this ANIMAL to keep his paws off of me! I am a LADY! I deserve respect!"
Phillip handed his sword over to one of the royal guards as he walked over to the Beast. He took the pistol from the Beast and pointed it at her. "You deserve NOTHING! You call him an animal but the only animal I see is YOU!" He held the gun at her, trembling with anger. "The man standing behind you is named Adam and he is one of the most honorable men I have ever met. But you," Phillip spat at her. "You … nevermind! Thomas, come take her away before I shoot her myself. Make sure they are all locked up in the tower. We have to go check on the King and Queen." Thomas put her in handcuffs and led her away.
Ella stood in the ballroom looking out the window. "Ella?" She turned to see Henry standing in the room. He smiled as he twirled around showing her the outfit Lumiere pulled together for him. They both laughed as he walked over to her. "May I have this dance?"
He held out a hand to her as she looked confused. "There is no music."
"Oh you're right. So we've danced, you ran, so I guess the last thing to do is this…" He put his arms around her waist, pulling her into their first kiss. Once they broke the kiss, they heard the applause behind them.
Phillip smiled as he, Beast, and Belle stood in the room surrounded by cheering household objects. "Finally! You sealed the deal!" Henry rolled his eyes as Phillip turned to Belle. "Now Mademoiselle, we have found the last two. Dinner is calling because arresting all of those criminals gave me a hunger that needs to be addressed."
Belle smiled, "Yes. Ella, if you and Henry would come with us. has already taken the King and Queen to the dining room." Ella grabbed Henry's hand as they started out the room. She giggled as Belle smiled. "As fairy tales say 'And they lived happily ever after!'"