So happy you guys seemed to like the Lefou and Belle friendship from the last chapter! I'll try to incorporate that moving forward.

So this one is a bit different, I've broken it into two parts. I wanted to touch on a headcanon my friend, Maggie who I've mentioned before, came up with which I loved. About the white roses in the garden that Maurice tried to take at the beginning of the movie. I also wanted to touch upon the relationships between Lumière and Adam as well as Maurice. That's what this part focuses on, the next part will show a heavy focus on Adam and what the roses mean but you get hints here!

Also, there is a small mention of child abuse just so you all know. It's brief, but I know how the subject makes people feel so I thought I'd give you warning. It relates to Adam's father, who I do feel was more emotionally abusive to him. But like I said, a warning for everyone before stepping in.

I hope to have part 2 up in the next few days! Enjoy!

Lumière had arrived at the castle at a young age. His family, too poor to keep another child, found a way for him to work within one of the most beautiful castles in France. It was not an easy adjustment at first, he remembered the nights when he would curl into himself on his cot and let his crying overtake him. Wishing to go back home, wishing for the pain in his bones to fade away. As time went on, he begun to create an air of confidence about himself. To stand out from the other servants, to show he was not just another staffer of the castle.

In that time, he had connected with the young prince. Adam would come find him when he didn't want to study with one of his numerous tutors, listening to one of the many tales that Lumière weaved. The child's eyes, which were as blue as the sky, always filled with wonder and awe and hung on every word. The prince would pepper him with questions afterwards, wanting to know as much as he could about the people within the stories. Where they came from, if they were true. Lumière would find himself laughing, jostling the young boy's hair as he tried to think up answers. Adam would often race back to his mother and, from what he understood, tried to retell those stories to her with the same showman's ship Lumière possessed.

Cogsworth, beginning his time as head of the household, would often try to dismiss Lumière. But he could not fool the younger man, who would often find himself following and teasing Cogsworth. It was fun to get a rise out of him, Mrs. Potts even seemed to find it amusing at times.

But it made the big castle feel more like home to him. The warmth of it oozed from almost every corner thanks to the Queen. A beautiful woman with a striking blonde hair but a kind smile, she would try to learn every staff members name. When she had introduced herself to Lumière and found out who he was, her smile glowed as she shook his hand.

"So you are the young man my son has talked so much about. A pleasure, truly."

Life was funny, how it picked and chose who to take so early before their time.

He could feel the warmth slowly fading in the castle as the queen died. There was nothing that many of them could do but sit by and watch in pain as she slowly wasted away. It was only for a brief moment, but Lumière caught a glance of her. Her cheeks were sunken in, skin almost as pale as the marble floors within the ball room. Her blonde hair looked like wisps and she could barely keep her eyes open.

Not too long after he had seen her, she passed.

The castle was different after that. The king, who Lumière tried to avoid as much as possible, became crueler and colder with each passing day. He carried an air of arrogance around with him, and his eyes felt like ice. Piercing, but nothing behind it. There was no love in him and, much to Lumière's dismay, he took it out on his son.

Adam, who used to smile from ear to ear, who would run around the hallways of the castle with an air of innocence. Who was quickly enraptured by a good story, his eyes showing curiosity but also pure joy. The boy who the castle staff had grown to love with all of their heart.

There were whispers among the staff. Lumière tried to brush them aside as only that. He wanted to believe someone couldn't be so heartless, who would hurt their own child. The thought kept him up at night, staring up at the ceiling of his small room. Mrs. Potts came rushing down to the servants quarters one morning, tears streaming down her cheeks and trying to hold back her sobs. Cogsworth & Lumière brought her aside, trying to calm her down, asking what had happened.

A hand covering her mouth, she tried to stifle the sob, "T-the prince, he tried to...to hide them, but there were these bruises on his arms…"

His heart felt like it dropped into his gut as he listened to the older woman. The two men shared a look, unsure of what to do. What could they do? They were nothing but servants in the castle. The king would have them thrown out even before they could get past the accusation.

They could do nothing but watch.

Each passing year, the prince would grow colder and colder. He wouldn't give most of the staff a passing glance, would lock himself up in his room at any free moment that he could. Watching what this boy was slowly becoming killed Lumière, his heart aching to reach out and comfort him. Those blue eyes that were once so warm had grown cold, devoid of almost anything. He could see beyond the mask the prince had formed for himself. That boy was still there, but had been buried deep. To keep the pain from resurfacing, to allow himself to get hurt anymore than he already was.

The night before the curse would change their lives, Lumière had decided to confront the prince in the days to come. He would try to get through to him, to apologize for not being there when Adam needed it the most. That he would always be with him and help him in anyway he could. He wouldn't let the prince hurt anymore, not alone.

Then the curse happened and everything flipped on it's head. He was nothing more than a candelabra, is beloved a feather duster, and the prince...had become something he had never seen before. The staff wouldn't utter the word out loud, afraid of being within earshot of the prince, but it all lingered in their minds. A beast. Even through the years when the prince would lash out on the small staff, Lumière didn't let it deter him. It may have not been spoken out loud, but he had promised Adam. And beyond the claws and fangs, he could still see the young man who was so desperate to hide himself.

When Belle had walked through the castle doors, Lumière knew she would be the one. An unexplained feeling, but in his heart he could feel it. There was a different air to this girl then others he had seen years ago. Watching her counter the prince, even through his rage, only cemented those feelings. He and Plumette would discuss different ways to get them alone after they had witnessed the two bonding in the library. He kept an eye on them from afar, delighted with the rest of the staff when he heard their master's laughter. It had been years since such a thing was heard.

The curse had been broken. The moment he laid eyes on the prince, who looked disheveled but with a smile that was almost exactly like the queen's, Lumière couldn't keep back his joyus laughter. They embraced and he could hear Adam's laughter in his ear, whispering how good it was to see him, and the former candelabra had to fight back the tears forming in his eyes. It was too good to be true. Life had handed them a dreadful hand, but they all made it through. He wouldn't allow Adam to fend for himself alone anymore.

Now, as he saddled one of the horses that had been attached to the carriage, fear welled up inside him. It was a bad idea, he had known that, but Adam had insisted on going. Maurice, Belle's beloved father, needed to make a trip to one of the neighboring villages and the prince had volunteered to join the older man. Maurice insisted he didn't have to, flustered at the thought, but Adam didn't back down.

"I have been away for so long, it's only right that I see the village's that we are sworn to help, is it not?"

Stubborn as a mule the boy was. Even Belle couldn't deter him from this trip. He would keep a low profile, dress down to something a commoner would wear, and just take in what the village was like. It would be only a few days, Maurice would be selling his music boxes, and Adam was eager to help. Lumière thought Cogsworth face couldn't get any more flustered as it were and quickly volunteered to tag along with the two.

The trip went well. As Maurice set up his display, he and Adam walked around the small village. The air held a chill, not entirely normal for the early autumn weather. The prince didn't seem to pay it any mind though, his gaze flickering to almost every building they walked by, every person they saw. It reminded Lumière of the attentive child he had met all those years ago and he couldn't help but smile, Adam asking what he found so amusing.

"Oh nothing sir," he deflected, "the village seems very quaint, no? Let's head to the market to see how it is there."

The day before they departed, Lumière noticed that Adam looked slightly more flushed than he usually was. Brow furrowed, he watched the prince take careful steps with Maurice as they carried the music boxes back to the display in the market. It was subtle, but having watched the younger man for so long, Lumière picked up on it quickly. His steps were measured, slower than normal, and once he had to catch himself quickly before tripping over a small branch.

"Sir, are you feeling alright?" he asked as he pulled Adam aside from the display.

"Lumière, I'm fine." Adam reassured, a tight smile playing on his lips. The older man scrutinized his face, arms crossed over his chest with a frown. There was sweat on Adam's forehead, his cheeks slightly flushed, and there was something about his eyes.

"I'm just making sure," Lumière said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "if you do feel unwell, you are free to tell me. I'll help anyway I can."

An emotion crossed Adam's face, one Lumière couldn't read, but it was quickly gone, "You'll be the first to know."

Shaking his head from the memory, Lumière turned quickly away from the horse and made his way off the dirt path. Following a smaller path, the sound of running water grew louder and he quickened his pace. He pushed through the bushes, careful of the thorns, and dashed to two figures below a large tree on the side of the river.

Maurice's head snapped up, giving Lumière a small wave and placed a damp cloth over Adam's forehead. The young man's eyes were closed, breathing slow but raspy.

Maurice stood up, meeting Lumière a few steps away from the prince, "I'm not sure if he's sleeping now, but he should be fine until you get back," he whispered, glancing from the body on the ground to the concerned eyes of Lumière, "His fever seems to be in the same place but we should get him back as soon as possible."

Cursing under his breath, his eyes lingered on Adam. A storm of emotions raged within Lumière as he watched the prince's chest rise and fall slowly. The boy was stubborn as could be! Why didn't he say anything to him yesterday? Why didn't he come to him like he asked?

A weight on his shoulder brought Lumière from his thoughts and his eyes found Maurice's, which held understanding, "I know you are worried. I am as well, as the carriage breaking couldn't have come at a worst time. I will keep a close eye on him, but you must race ahead. We are not far from the castle."

Breathing through his nose, calming his thoughts, Lumière nodded, "I will be back as soon as I can. I must tell you, the master has a tendency to...talk while he is under a fever."

Chuckling softly, Maurice gaze drifted back to Adam, "Belle was the same way when she would be ill. I'll manage until you get back."

Lumière brushed past Maurice quickly, kneeling down next to the young prince and laid his hand down on his forehead, moving the cloth. The heat spread over his hand, the prince's skin clammy to the touch. A sigh escaped his lips, "I will be back as soon as I can master…"

"L...Lumière…"

Adam's eyes were cracked open, glazed over and unfocused. His mouth was opening, like he was trying to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. Lumièrefought back a chuckle and let a small smile cross his lips as he looked down at the prince.

His hand left Adam's forehead, "Rest. We can talk when you're back at the castle, healthy."

As he stood, a limp hand rose open, grasping onto Lumière's fingers with little to no strength. A pained look was on Adam's face, his eyes still unfocused, "I...I'm sorry...Lumière..."

"There is no reason to be master," he whispered, squeezing his fingers before guiding his hand back to the ground, "Rest. I will be back soon."

Giving Maurice one final nodded, Lumière dashed up the path back to the horse he prepared. The castle was only a few miles and nothing would stand in his way. As he mounted the horse, the memory of the queen lying on her deathbed flashed into his mind. The prince's skin looked so similar, the way his eyes looked. How desperate he was for contact. Galloping on the forest path as fast as the horse could, he banished the thought from his mind.

He would not allow his prince to die.

Sifting through the items they could salvage from the broken carriage, Maurice bite back a sigh. Taking off his glasses, he ran a hand over his face. Thinking back to the beginning of the day, he should have seen this coming. As they packed to leave the tavern in the morning, he had noticed Adam moving a bit more sluggishly than normal. Maurice had chalked it up to not sleeping well, Belle had mentioned that the prince had lingering nightmares that kept him up most nights.

But it just wasn't the way he moved that should have tipped Maurice off. His complexion was paler, his breathing haggard, and the air around him was different. It was hard to explain, but he could feel it any time he was close to the young man.

It had from bad to worse when the carriage's wheel collapsed. There was a ditch he must have missed as he listened to Lumière and Adam bicker back and forth about the young man's health. Everything happened quickly, Lumière fell backwards to the back of the carriage, Maurice grabbed onto the reinings as he calmed the horse, and Adam was tossed out of his seat. His body landed a few feet away in the grass, face down, and hadn't moved when the two rushed over to him.

Maurice took the cloth from Adam's forehead, careful not to disturb him, and quietly walked to the river next to them. Dipping it into the river and ringing the excess water from the cloth, he couldn't help but worry. Sickness was something that Maurice had feared feared all his life. Even before he met Belle's mother, sickness had sunk his claws into his family. His father died when he was a boy thanks to a fever he developed while he was out at sea. It devastated him and though his mother put up a strong front for him, he could hear her crying at night when he was supposed to be asleep. It seemed to follow him anywhere he went.

Settling himself down next to Adam, he carefully placed the cloth back onto his forehead. He hoped that the young man was sleeping, rebuilding his strength, but from experience that probably wasn't the case.

Maurice still pinched himself sometimes since he moved into the castle with Belle. So much had changed in their lives because of this prince. He never imagined the beast who took him prisoner over a rose would turn out to be a human. At the time, he was lost in the furious gaze of the beast's eyes, who towered over him as he laid on the snowy ground. There had been something about those eyes that, looking back on it now, seemed human. He couldn't place it. There was so much fear running through Maurice at that moment as he was dragged up the numerous staircases that he didn't ponder about the possible "human" side of the beast.

Belle did though. She explained to him what had happened in the castle, how she could have escaped at one point but decided to help the beast. A sadness crept into her eyes at that, "I wanted so badly to be home with you Papa...but I couldn't leave him to die in the snow, not after he saved me."

His daughter showed more compassion than any person he knew. It was a trait that her mother had, one of the many things that shined about her. As Belle continued to speak about her time in the castle, he saw his daughter lose herself in all her stories. Her eyes would shine when she spoke of the prince turned beast. About how he had given her the library, how they discussed different literature. It was something she had yearned for while in the village, someone who understood her. She had grown up to be such a beautiful and smart woman. Like her mother in many ways, but her own person.

A series of coughs made him blink, snapping him from his thoughts. Adam had rolled on his side, back to him, and his shoulders shook as more coughs racked his body. Leaning over him, Maurice lightly grabbed his shoulders and rolled him back onto his side, sitting him up. Carefully he lifted a water jug to Adam's lips, slowly allowing him to drink.

"Take you time there," he instructed calmly, placing the jug off to the side, "that's it, easy…"

Adam's eyes stayed cracked open, slowly taking in what was around him. His gaze found it's way back to Maurice, who was trying to keep the small reassuring smile on his face.

" Lumière will be back soon and we'll have you back at the castle in no time," he reassured, "you should rest Adam."

"Lumière…?" Adam whispered, his voice raspy, "He'll b...be back?"

"Of course, he was very worried. He's gone to go help from some of the others."

His blue eyes clouded over again, a tight smirk tugging on his lips, "Lumière...is too kin-kind...to someone like me…"

Maurice's eyes widened. There was a sadness lingering in his voice, as quiet as it was. Did he think himself unworthy of Lumiere's concern? It could be the fever talking, but he felt there was something more behind the words. Something the young man wouldn't say, that he kept to himself.

"You should get your rest," he whispered, "your fever is still high."

"Maurice…," it came out like a whisper, Adam fingers curled around the edge of his coat, "I-I'm sorry...for what I...I did, I was...I was so angry…"

He made a shushing noise, shaking his head as he placed the cloth back over Adam's forehead, "We've discussed this Adam, I forgave you long ago. You don't need to apologize."

A hitch caught in the prince's throat, eyebrows furrowed together, "They were...they were so important to-to me...I couldn't let...let anyone take them, like-like they took her…"

Confusion came over Maurice. Took her? His mind racing, trying to think back to the many things his daughter mentioned about the prince. Was he talking about Belle? Or was there another? Watching him, the distress of Adam's face was clear. There was something stirring within him, that had been buried deep. But why mention it to him?

Take them. The words replayed in his mind over and over. Then it clicked.

"Are...are you talking about the white roses?" he asked, disbelief lingering in his voice. Someone had been taken by the white roses? Were there others before him that tried to take the roses as well? The phrasing was confusing to him but he wanted to understand what it meant. It seemed important to Adam.

"She loved the-them...so much," his voice hitched again, eyes fighting to stay open, "we'd...we'd go in every day to...take care of them. I couldn't...wouldn't let you take them….cause they were all…I have left of her…"

A piece fell into place. Carefully, Maurice took one of Adam's hands and squeezed it, "Adam...you don't need to explain, I understand. Rest…."

"Those roses…always roses," he whispered, "I'm...so sorry Maurice…"

The running of the water was the only thing that could be heard. Adam's eyes were closed, his fingers uncurling from the coats fraying edges. Maurice studied his face, the worry that was building within the pit of his stomach only growing. This boy's soul was deeply troubled. Even before the curse, which didn't help matters, something tragic happened to him.

The white roses he was so protective of the night they met...they held a meaning. A meaning that Maurice slowly started to piece together and broke his heart as he theorized. Adam's mother. They were her roses. Which meant that something happened to the mother.

A sadness settled into his heart as he looked over the young prince. For so much turmoil to happen to someone so young, Maurice couldn't fathom the thought. Adam didn't believe himself to be worthy of his staff, of the people he loved. That much was clear and it troubled the older man to his core. There was so much self-loathing in his heart and yet Adam didn't display it, at least not around him. He assumed it was like that for the rest of the staff. If there was anyone he would tell, it would most likely be Belle.

There was a piece of his past Maurice was missing, to have it all make sense. But was it his place to ask? They didn't start out on the best foot, but Maurice slowly started to see the man his daughter fell in love with once he moved into the castle. He had been so eager to help Maurice on this trip, which took the older man by surprise. There was a desperate plea in his eyes and Maurice couldn't deny that. The trip didn't end on the best note, Maurice flipped the cloth on it's other side of his forehead, but being able to interact with Adam outside the castle was refreshing.

He was curious, asking about his music boxes as they placed them on display for the village. How they worked, what made him choose the themes he did, finding the little details to make each one different and special. The tension that he often saw in the prince's shoulders was gone, he would turn each music box over and over again in his hands. Curious, but careful. It was unknown to him, Maurice realized, as he watch Adam look out into the crowds of people in the village. Being amongst the people he ruled, seeing their day to day lives. He had mentioned wanting to know more about the people, to try and connect.

Though Adam rarely spoke of it, he admitted that before the curse that he was an uncaring ruler. Cruel, unkind. Didn't give a second thought to the villages who needed his help. He wanted to change that, to offer any help he could, desperate to show he wasn't the monster he thought himself to be.

Sighing, Maurice pushed back the strands of hair that stuck to Adam's sweaty forehead, "You think yourself a cruel man...but you're not," he whispered in a comforting tone, "misguided, perhaps. But in your heart, you are good. Caring. Don't think you are unworthy of the love of the people around you. Because you are."

A chorus of neighs brought back Maurice, his head shooting up in the direction of the sound. He prayed it to be Lumière and the others. They needed to be at the castle, to be safe, and be able to take care of Adam in a proper way.

Looking down at the prince again, a swell of sadness settled over him as he continued to put the pieces together in his mind. Something or someone in his past allowed these thoughts to fester in the boy's heart. He had a suspicion, one that filled him with an anger he rarely felt, but he would keep it to himself.

A group of men appeared through the bushes down by the path and Maurice could see it was Lumiere instantly. Relaxing, he gently took one of Adam's hand in his own and gave it a light squeeze, "I told you he would come back," he reassured, "you won't be alone."