Chapter Twenty-Five

Mable leisurely sipped her coffee as she tucked her legs up underneath her, more relaxed than she had been in years. She shifted deeper into the soft cushions of the chair, closing her eyes to savor the quiet of the library in early morning, the only sounds the crackle of the fire in front of her. This was a daydream come to life; just her, a comfortable spot, and a good book.

And one that came highly recommended, she thought with a smile as she studied the book Theo had lent to her.

She had been ordered to stay in the library or her private rooms. Under no circumstances was she allowed near the ballroom. Labelle had been in a state all morning, running around making certain that everything from the music to the appetizers was perfected to her exact specifications. She probably would have been irritating, if she hadn't looked so lovely doing it and hadn't been doing it just for Mable's sake.

Mable's smile widened when she recalled Labelle's excited face on the other side of her door this morning.

"Oh, I do hope you'll like it." She had gushed as she had inexplicably handed Mable an engraved invitation.

"I'm sure I will, but Labelle, I really don't need…"

"Oh, don't fret, cherie. I'll send someone upstairs about an hour or two before to help you dress and prepare. Now, why don't you have a simple breakfast in the library and take some time for yourself, yes? I must go. I have to find out where Theo has run off to." Labelle blew her a kiss and scampered off, leaving Mable standing in the doorway to her own room.

After taking a quick half-hour to water her little plant, Mable had made her way to the library, where there was a "simple" breakfast of pastries, juice, and coffee already set up for her. One of the chefs—Henri—assured her that while this was sparse, she should prepare herself for a bigger, more scrumptious feast this evening. Almost everyone she knew—Labelle, Theo, Monsieur Lune, Maddie—were all preparing the ballroom and the entertainment for this evening and would most likely be unavailable but to just call if she needed anything.

Ridiculously pleased that they were all going through this much effort just for her, Mable did as she was told and had spent the past three hours in the library, curled up with a book and nibbling on her food.

She gave a short, guilty glance at the table in the corner, where two or three unopened spell books still lay. She should be searching for a way home, but she had taken Labelle's words to heart. After all, the work would still be there tomorrow, and Theo had said he found more books up in the attic. A day off would hardly set her back in her quest, and it's wasn't like she was making progress anyway.

Glad she had found an excuse, Mable stood up and stretched, lazily perusing the shelves. She had been so involved with finding a way home she had never had the chance to actually see what kinds of books were here, besides the Fairy-written ones she had been researching. She trailed her fingers over the spines. If she had been told, a couple of months ago, that she would end up in a magical castle, with a fantastical library, cursed servants and a furry Master, she would have laughed herself silly. Who knew that this would all end up being real, and that she would find friends who loved her enough to put together a ball in her honor?

Mable glanced upwards and saw that the sun on the ceiling had moved, enough to le her know it was past noon. She should probably head back up to her rooms if she wanted to get ready for tonight.

She gave a quick pull on the bell cord to let the kitchens know she was finished and gathered up a few books to read at another time. She fought the desire to go and peek in at the ballroom, knowing that it would hurt Labelle if she saw her present before it was done. To prevent the temptation, she chose a longer route up to her rooms, down through the foyer and back up one of the main stairways.

She was up on her floor when she heard her name being whispered around the corner. Pulling up short, Mable peered around the corner of the hallway and spotted two maids talking in hushed voices only few feet away. Unable to help herself, Mable pressed up against the wall and strained to hear.

"She is a strange one, but I don't think she's all that bad," said one maid. She sounded young to Mable, not much older than twenty. "I mean, she is always polite, and I don't have to do much in her room in the way of cleaning. She does most of it herself. And I have not heard her order us about or even spoken an unkind word to anyone."

"Yes, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. That girl is not going to break the spell." The other one replied. This one sounded older, and to Mable's biased ears, more nasal than the other.

"I thought Madame Labelle said it didn't matter if she broke the spell." protested the young one weakly.

"I think Madame Labelle said that because she knew the girl wouldn't break the curse even if she did end up staying with us. Lady Mable is well-mannered, and helpful certainly, yet she is not…Lady material."

The young one whispered "Whatever do you mean?"

"Remember Lady Liana? She was such a beautiful, sweet tempered woman. You know how much the Beast treasured his Lady mother. Why would he choose someone who is her opposite, in both looks and personality? No, I do not think the Beast would choose someone like Lady Mable to be the Lady." Mable heard the woman let out a sigh. "It is a shame that he and Labelle grew up like siblings. Madame Labelle would be the perfect Lady."

"Well, perhaps, but have you seen her and Maestro together? They are so in love, and I would hate for that to be broken."

"I would like more for this curse to be broken." said the older one gruffly. "Ah, well, let us not dwell on things that shall never be. Come, it's almost dinnertime. We'll finish here later."

Mable heard the soft thumps recede as the two servants wandered in the opposite direction.

She continued her way back to her room, in a daze. She didn't know why the maid's words hurt her so much. She knew better than anyone that she was not cut out to be the Lady. This just confirmed it.

She half trotted the rest of the way, fighting back stupid tears. When she got there, she threw the door closed and plopped herself on the bed, allowing the tears of self-pity to fall. She cried silently for a while, not really sure why.

The worst part was the women were right about Labelle. Mable knew that the beautiful woman would make a far better Lady than she would. Mable didn't know how to deal with servants at all, she had a quick temper and even quicker tongue, she was clumsy, and she did not have any of the class or sophistication of a Lady. Mable wondered if Labelle really did think that Mable couldn't be the Lady. That didn't sound like her friend, who was optimistic to a fault.

Mable rolled onto her stomach, forcing her face into her pillow. She didn't want to be the Lady! She reminded herself. Why was she getting so worked up over something that didn't even matter to her? She felt sorry for the residents of the castle, truly, but she didn't want to have all that responsibility. There was no reason for her to be something she wasn't.

Then why did it irk her so much?

Mable got up from where she was laying prone and took a good look at herself in the mirror. She wrinkled her nose when she saw her face was bright red and her eyes puffy, but other than that, did she really look so bad? Was it really so hard for those women to picture Theo falling in love with her?

She half laughed at that thought. There was no need to get presumptuous. She was certain that Theo only thought of her as a friend. Frankly, she had never had such good friends as the one she had here. She had not had very many close friends since her father got sick. Taking care of him took up a lot of her time, time she couldn't devote to other relationships.

Who cared what people thought of her? The ones she truly cared for didn't think of her that way.

Mable felt her spirits rise as she gave herself that little pep talk. What the servants said of her was not of any consequence, really. And hadn't they called Theo "Beast"? Which meant that they were the ones who thought it was Theo's fault for getting the spell put on this place. Mable picked up her hairbrush and ran it roughly through her hair, acting out her disdain.

"Idiots." She muttered darkly. Anyone with half a mind knew that it hurt Theo just as much as the curse did everyone else. Those two women were nothing but troublemakers, chatty hens who had nothing better to talk about.

"You shouldn't have taken it so personally," she scolded her reflection. "It's just gossip."

She put the brush down and tenderly touched her necklace. Just handling it soothed her. She took a couple deep breaths and retreated to the bathroom. She washed her face quickly, making sure all traces of puffiness were gone before she returned into her bedroom.

There was a soft knock at her door, and when Mable opened it she saw Cecile standing on the other side.

"Good afternoon, Lady." said the maid cheerfully. Mable moved out of her way so that she could put the large box she was holding on the bed. Cecile turned to give Mable a bright smile but narrowed her eyes when she got a good look at Mable's face. "Are you well, cherie? You looked rather pale. Do you have another fever?"

"No, no." Mable lied. "I'm fine. What is in the box?" She hurriedly tried to divert the other woman's attention.

It was harder than she thought. "Are you sure you are well? Because if you are feeling sick, I can just go tell Labelle that-"

"No, please don't." Mable grabbed Cecile's hand. "I'm really fine, and she's been working so hard all day to make this just for me. It's nothing, I was just…in a mood."

Cecile's face made it clear she didn't believe Mable for one minute, but with a subtle lift of her brows, she let the matter drop. "Well, if you say so, my dear. In that case, we should probably get you ready, no?" She waved her hand towards the box. "This is a gift from Lune and Maddie. They claimed that since Labelle was giving you a dance in your honor, then you should have a new outfit for the occasion. It was made especially for you."

"They didn't have to do that." Mable said, touched.

"As if you could tell Lune or Maddie that they didn't have to do anything." said Cecile with an affectionate smile. "Now, why don't I start a bath for you, and you can open this."

Trying not to appear too gleeful, Mable darted over to the box while her friend went into the bathroom. She opened it with a gasp as she peered at the gown inside.

It was a gown the color of twilight, a delicate grey near the shoulders that darkened to a midnight blue on the hem of the skirt. It was made of fabric so light and flowing, when Mable pulled it out of the box to admire it was like trying to holding on to water. Grey netting was used in place of sleeves, running down the arms like strands of moonlight on the skin. There was a train made of the same delicate material, sewn between the shoulder blades and fanning out, so it was as if the wearer would be followed by mist.

"Cecile, there is no way I can wear this." Mable babbled as the other woman came out of the bathroom. "It's too beautiful, and probably way too expensive-"

"Don't be silly, dear." Cecile smiled at her. "Monsieur Lune and Maddie had this made especially for you. It would hurt their feelings if you didn't wear it tonight."

"But why did they have it made for me? I could have just worn something from the closet." She bet if she had asked the castle would have supplied her with any dress she wanted.

"I think that they wanted you have something that would be yours alone. A special dress, not an ordinary one you could just find in your closet. One that would make you feel beautiful when you wore it. Of course," Cecile's eyes glinted ominously, "if you would rather wear something from your closet, I can just tell them you didn't feel comfortable enough to wear it."

"No, no." Mable pulled the dress to her protectively. "I just wish they hadn't gone out of their way."

Cecile shook her head. "Don't worry, dear. They gave it to you as a gift because they wanted to, not because they felt they had to. Now, why don't you take a bath and we can get you dressed?"

Mable hadn't spent this much time primping since she was a bridesmaid in her older sister's wedding. First there was the hot, scented bath that made her skin feel satiny-soft. Then there was Cecile brushing her hair slowly as it dried, using a little magic of her own to make it curl into ringlets. Cecile arranged some of her red-gold curls into an elegant knot on the back of Mable's head, surrounded with delicate white blooms she had brought up from the greenhouse. The rest of Mable's hair she let fall, cascading over Mable's shoulders like a wave.

With precision, Cecile used make-up from the various jars on Mable's vanity on Mable's face, darkening her eyelashes and brightening her cheeks with blush. Mable closed her eyes on her plain, ordinary face and opened them to stare avidly back at the beautiful woman who suddenly appeared in the mirror.

"Jewelry, I think." Cecile said with finality.

Mable touched her necklace protectively. "Can't I just wear this?"

Cecile cocked her head, green eyes thoughtful. "If you wish. But perhaps some earrings to go with it?"

Cecile helped her put a pair of glittering diamond studs in her ears. Then, finally, they put on Mable's dress, and she actually sighed at the silky coolness of the fabric as it touched her skin.

"Well, my dear." Madame Cecile's lip curved in a proud smile. "Don't you just make a glorious picture? Come, turn around and see." She whirled Mable around so she could get a good look at herself in the mirror.

Mable stared at her reflection. "You must be some kind of miracle worker." She murmured. "Either that or this dress has some sort of spell woven into it."

"Don't be ridiculous, cherie." Madame Cecile fussily straightened a flower in Mable's hair. "The gown just enhances your natural beauty. No spells required." She patted the vanity chair, and Mable sat down as carefully as she could. The skirt of her dress pooled around her feet. "Now, I must go and prepare myself for this spectacular event. You sit here and someone will come to escort you."

Mable jerked her head towards the other woman. "You aren't going to escort me down?"

Madame Cecile smiled wickedly at her from the doorway. "No, no, a lady should be escorted by a gentleman." She told Mable, her eyes twinkling. "I will see you soon. You look beautiful." She blew Mable a kiss as she walked out the door.

Mable had a pretty good idea of who her "gentlemen escort" would be, and her heart pounded as she sat waiting for him. She nearly jumped out of her chair when there was a soft, almost timid knock, at her door.

"Come in." she squeaked. She stood up, fighting to keep her nervous hands still. A true Lady wouldn't be so nervous, she thought to herself. Taking a deep breath to calm the rapid pace of her heart, she attempted to smile graciously at Theo as he walked in the room.

Theo was also dressed up for the event, in a splendid outfit made for a ball. A cream shirt was hidden under a crimson jacket, elaborately embroidered in gold. Unlike the rest of his clothes, these had obviously been sewn especially for tonight, and fit his larger form better than the rest of his wardrobe. His sleek, black pants did not quite hide his shoeless paws, but these too had been made to fit him perfectly. She didn't think she had ever seen him dressed so elegantly before, and the knowledge that he had done so just for her made her smile more genuine.

She felt a stirring in her chest when he stopped midstride to stare at her, gold eyes wide as they took her in.

He opened his mouth, closed it…and opened it again.

"You think this is fancy enough for a ball?" Mable queried, fanning out her skirt for him to admire.

Theo couldn't seem to stop staring at her. "You look…" he started, but couldn't seem to get the words out.

"You look nice, too." Mable helped. It was strangely gratifying to see him so thrown off his stride.

Theo let out a sharp breath, and seemed to gather his composure. "Nice. Right." He returned her smile, his eyes glowing. "Well, Lady Mable. I have been told—ordered, really—to escort you down to the ballroom. Your doting friends await you." He held out a paw and she took it, ignoring the strange shivers of pleasure that raced up her spine.

"We should hurry." He told her as they walked out the room. "I think if we are even a moment late, Labelle is going to explode."

Mable grinned at him. "I can't believe she put so much effort into this."

"I do. Especially when she had a couple of willing slaves like me and Lune to do all the manual labor."

Mable stifled a giggle at the dry exasperation in his voice. "So, her role was to just boss you and Lune around?"

"Oh, she bossed Carnier and Jacques around too." They had come to the ballroom doors. Theo stopped to smile down at her, gold eyes bright with warmth and humor. "Since it was for you, we didn't complain…much."

He went to pull her inside but Mable stepped back. "Sorry, I just…I need a minute." She answered his surprised expression with a nervous smile, not letting on that it had suddenly become hard for her to breathe. "This is my first ball, and you guys have gone through so much trouble just for me. I'm afraid that I am going to go in there and make a total idiot out of myself." She clenched her fingers in her skirt, letting her true fears out in a rush. "Or worse, I'm going to go in there and disappoint you all because you'll all see once and for all that I am not Lady material."

Theo looked positively horrified. "Mable, we did this to please you, not the other way around. Labelle considers you one of her closest friends; she would never plan all this and then reject you for not being who you are." He placed a gentle paw on her shoulder. "I personally do not care for one moment whether you are Lady material. In fact, if you tell me, right now, that you want to change out of that dress and go back up to that delightful movie room and spend the whole night watching movies, or reading in the library, then that is what we will do."

She studied the earnest expression on his face. He would, she realized. He would risk Labelle's probable disappointment and Carnier's inevitable wrath just so she could feel safe.

And just like that, she could breathe again.

With a smile, she patted the paw that was on her shoulder. "No, you are completely right. This room is full of people who are my friends. Friends who have spent all day working on this ball just for me. I'm not going to disappoint them by not going in." She took a deep breath, threw her shoulders back. "Ok, let's do this."

Theo opened the doors.

The first thing she noticed was how bright the room was, even though it had gotten dark outside some time ago. The room was filled with light, from the candelabras that had all been lit to the chandeliers above. The mirrored walls reflected the light so that Mable could admire the shine of the floors and the gleam of the piano further in the room. Across the room she saw a large table had been set up near the balcony, in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The giant table took up less than a quarter of the giant room, with enough space to spare for dancing later on.

For the first time since she had gotten here, Mable felt as if she was truly in a fairy tale.

"Mable, you look simply divine!" crowed a familiar voice, and Mable smiled when Labelle sauntered over to give her a hug.

"I don't know, I don't think I could compare to you, Labelle."

Labelle was dressed somberly in a floor length black gown, with a high neck that should have seemed austere. On Labelle, it simply made her more elegant. The gown twinkled as she walked, making it go from plain to ornate in a step. Labelle wore her dark hair in a chic knot on top of her head, and her sensual face was subtly touched with make-up.

The other woman waved her compliment away, but her eyes glowed with pleasure. "Nonsense, my dear. You are a vision. Now, come in, come in. We'll have some dinner first. I hope you are hungry, Carnier made enough for the whole castle."

Mable laughed. "I can tell." Even with ten places set for their group, the table was so laden with food it dwarfed the beautiful gilded dishes and silver flatware. Mable spotted a whole ham, a platter of roasted chicken, several bowls of carrots and potatoes, tureens of soups and stews. She was sure that the table would simply fall apart under all that weight.

Monsieur Carnier was standing next to his artwork, his arm around Margot, who was dressed out of her normal apron and in a pretty violet dress, her dark hair hanging in loose curls around her cheerful face. Monsieur Carnier was as well-dressed as his wife, in dark blue slacks and a jacket. His blonde hair was brushed for once, and cleaned of all flour and sugar dust. This was actually the neatest Mable had ever seen him. His bright blue eyes took her in, and he gave her an exuberant grin.

"Labelle is correct, ma cherie. You truly are lovely." He bowed over her hand, but Margot came over to give her a hug.

"I hope you don't mind," she said, eyes twinkling. "but we used one of your recipes for one of the courses." Mable searched the table and grinned when she saw a huge bowl filled with spaghetti and meatballs hidden among the high-class entrees.

"Mable, you should sit next to me." Maddie had come up behind her. She was dressed up in a little-girl gown of deep maroon, with a black sash tied across her waist. Her hair was tied back in a stylish braid, entwined with maroon-colored ribbons. Her father had followed her, though all he had to wear to look stately was his typical uniform.

"Lady Mable will sit where she pleases, Maddie." He told his daughter firmly. For her, he gave her one of his rare smiles. "I do hope you enjoy our gift, lady."

Mable caressed the silky fabric of her dress. "I love it, Monsieur Lune. It's beautiful."

"It was my idea." Maddie boasted.

"Perhaps we should let the lady sit so that we can start the festivities?" Maestro stood next to Labelle, dressed handsomely in a crisp, white dress shirt covered by a bold, royal blue jacket. Attached at his hip was a scabbard, encrusted decoratively with sapphires and diamonds. The hilt of his magicked sword was dull, by comparison. His formal look was a mixture of grace and danger, with his black hair brushed carelessly so it looked windswept and his black eyes glinting in the candlelight. He looked like a devil next to Labelle's angel.

But Mable had noticed there was someone missing. "Where's Madame Cecile?"

As if she heard her name being called, the doors to the ballroom opened again and Madame Cecile tapped in, looking more glorious than Mable had ever seen her. Her gown a deep ivory that made her dark hair and emerald eyes stand out. She seemed to float through the door, her glittering heels making no noise on the hardwood floor. The dress was sleek and classy, shimmering down her torso, and ending just above the floor. She had on little jewelry except bright emerald drops in her ears and a long, gold chain around her neck.

Madame Cecile favored the rest with a nod, but she saved her warmest smile for Mable. "Well, cherie." She said cheerfully. "Shall we begin?"