So, uh… It's been a long time, guys. Over two years, I think. Eeek.

Let me just say that after I was done with the first chapter of this story (I merged the first two together), I went through some big changes: my last semester of high school, my first year of college, and then last semester, I did the Disney College Program (yes, I have seen the Beast's Castle in the flesh.) But I'm back, and I have a lot of time on my hands now, so I finally finished this chapter. And I will keep going as I've been generating a lot more ideas about this story. Don't worry, it won't take me another two years to update. :P

I've also changed some of the first chapter, but nothing too dramatic

Oh, and a HUGE thanks to my beta, Shelby. I put this girl to work and she did the best job. I don't thank her enough, but I could not be more grateful for her as an editor and a friend. Thank you, love! *claps*

So without further ado…

(Disclaimer: I don't own Beauty and the Beast. Or any of Shakespeare's works. Or anything cool like that.)

Chapter 2: Were the World Mine

"'Call you me "fair"? That "fair" again unsay.

Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair!

Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue's sweet air

More tunable than lark to shepherd's ear

When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.

Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor so,

Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go.

My ear should catch your voice. My eye, your eye.

My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.

Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,

The rest I'd give to be you translated.'"

Belle carefully recited Shakespeare's words, her voice light and melodic, but Adam could only focus on the lips that read the lines of longing to him. The couple sat on the edge of one of the garden fountains as the early afternoon sun shone above them. Close together, their individual attentions were worlds apart. Belle was consumed by the poetic and romantically twisted plot that she was reading to Adam, intent on conveying its meaning to him. Adam could only take in all of what Belle was in that moment. Her fair complexion, her large, dancing brown eyes, and soft red lips sent him into a world of fantasy. He breathed in her scent as if it were the very air he needed to survive. All of his senses were heightened around her. He was at his happiest when he was by her side and, after the past several days, it had been as though he was in Heaven.

Since the day Belle had come to her realization about Adam, the two had spent almost every waking moment with one another. Everyday had become a new adventure for the young prince and her. They often went horseback riding through the forest, or went on picnics down by the stream. They also continued their reading sessions in the evening just as they had when Adam had been the Beast. One afternoon, they even returned to the castle soaking wet after going for a playful swim, only to be chastised by Cogsworth for "such irresponsibility and immaturity." During this time, Belle had begun to see that Adam still showed every little bit of what the Beast had been. She saw the same twinkle in his eyes when he learned something new and recognized his familiar frustration when things seemed to not go the way he had hoped. She had found the Beast's stubborn, curious, and charming heart once again in Adam. He was becoming her closest and dearest friend. The loneliness she had been feeling since the night of the transformation had vanished and she now felt the comfort and security the castle had brought to her before. It was no longer filled with strangers, but with people who had always been by her side. Besides her father, Adam and the others of the castle were her only family.

As Belle continued reading to the him, the two were oblivious to the fact that they were being watched through the large French doors that led outside to where they sat.

"You give him the letter," Cogsworth insisted, shoving the letter into Lumière's grasp.

"Oh, no, mon ami, I do not think so. You are the head of household. You've been keeping this from him. You give him the letter," and with that, the maître d passed the letter back to Cogsworth.

"Yes, I am the head of household. My job is to make sure that you," he explained, once again transferring the letter to his companion's unwilling hands, "hand-deliver messages like this one to the Master."

Lumière gulped and looked down at the now slightly crumpled paper between his fingers. Neither one of them wanted to be the one to deliver the news to Adam. The entire household had been hoping and praying that no word from the King's Council would be sent to the Prince, especially such a short time after the transformation. The letter had come a week before and Cogsworth had kept it a secret from the Prince, fearing his reaction to whatever demand the Council could potentially ask of him. The Beast had acted with such ferocity to any unpleasant information he had learned and the two men were not sure his human response would be any different.

Cogsworth wrung his hands nervously as he looked back out through the doors at Adam. "He needs to read it. It has been too long, and God knows what it will say."

Lumière looked to Cogsworth, a smirk playing on his lips. "You know, neither of us has to be the one to give this to him."

The former clock mirrored Lumière's expression, knowing exactly what he meant. There was another person apart of the castle staff who was much more seasoned in delivering letters and who the two would have no shame sending to the Prince.

"It would only make sense," Cogsworth said, more to himself than Lumière, who nodded in agreement.

"Witherspoon!" they then both shouted in unison, before scurrying off to find their intended scapegoat, leaving the couple to their privacy.

"Would you like to read some?" Adam heard Belle's voice say.

Adam's focus was unwillingly pulled from his fantasy world.

"Um," Adam looked back and forth between the leather-bound book and the soft, fair hands that held it out to him. His eyes finally met Belle's, so full of speculation and hope that he would take the book from her and finally surpass his struggle with reading. The look in her eyes was enough make him dizzy in the head and his heart sink deep in his chest. He swallowed hard.

Belle, sensing his uneasiness, pulled the book back into her. "I completely understand if you don't want to, though," she told him. "That's fine. I can just keep-"

"No!" Adam interjected. "I-I would love to." He gave her a reassuring smile.

Belle smiled brightly in return and passed the book to him eagerly.

Adam's clammy hands gripped the book as he searched for the line Belle had left off on. This proved to be a greater feat than he had thought as the words on the page seemed to be nothing more than scribbles.

The Prince laughed timidly. "This is written in French?"

Belle answered his question with an encouraging smile, nodding. Adam could not help but turn a darker shade of pink.

"Of course," he said, laughing at himself again. He scanned the page once more, his thoughts racing. Just find a word you know.

"Um, pardon me, Master."

Adam's eyes immediately left the page to see who the meek voice belonged to. Belle's attention had shifted to the visitor as well.

"Witherspoon," Adam breathed out, relieved by the sudden interruption. "Wha-what is it?"

The small, bifocaled man looked between the two who were peering back up at him, the young woman calmly waiting for him to reply and the young prince looking flustered and wide-eyed.

Witherspoon cleared his throat. "I beg your pardon, Master, but this letter from Versailles has just arrived for you." The messenger extended the letter out to the Prince.

Hearing the word "Versailles," Adam's face turned from confusion to complete astonishment. Not giving himself a chance to think, he stood up with haste, lurching forward to retrieve the letter from Witherspoon's hand. The older man took a step back, his fear of who the Prince used to be not yet entirely mollified.

"M-Master, I apologize, I-I was just-"

"No," Adam said quietly, shaking his head. "No, I understand. I just…" He trailed off, turning the message over in his hands.

Witherspoon, having regained his composure, nodded. "Thank you, Master." He then turned to make his way back into the castle.

After witnessing the very brief and strange exchange, Belle rose to her feet. "Adam?" she said softly, before taking a few small steps towards him.

Adam met her gaze, his eyes once again wide in nervousness. He swallowed and licked his lips before speaking. "This letter, I- I'm not entirely sure if I want to open it."

Belle, unsure of what he meant, held out her hand towards him. "Do," she paused, "do you need me to, um-"

"It's not that I can't read it," he explained. "I mean, I can't," he stopped again to flash Belle a grin, "but I'm not entirely sure if I want to know what it says."

Still not understanding his trepidation, she posed another question. "Well, what could it possibly say?"

Adam breathed, and looked back at the letter "It's from Versailles. I'm a prince." He looked up to match his eyes to hers. "It could say anything."

There was silence between the two for what seemed to be ages before Adam finally handed the letter to Belle. "Could you read it for me? I suppose I need to know."

Belle slowly took the message from him, pressing her lips into a hard line. She turned away from him and began walking towards the gardens as she opened the letter. Adam started to follow close behind, looking over Belle's shoulder as she read. He could only read a few words in the letter, such as "king" and "royal," as well as the name of his uncle, who he had been raised by for a brief time after his parents had died.

Belle's fingertip underlined each sentence as she read it, nearing the end of what the letter had to say. As she finished the message, she stopped in her tracks, Adam gently bumping into the back of her.

"I am so sorry!" he began, apologizing. Belle turned around to face him, a look of tension washing over her beautiful features. Adam noticed her apprehension, frowning. She turned her face away from his.

"Belle," he said, carefully placing his hands on her shoulders, "what did it say?"

Belle looked beside herself before looking back to him. His eyes performed so many emotions; anxiety, concern, terror, and pure curiosity. She bit her lip before she began to explain.

"Adam, your," she stopped to catch her breath, "your uncle... is dying."

Adam felt himself stumble back a few steps, grabbing his head. He didn't need for Belle to say anymore. With her words, he knew exactly what they meant and exactly what the letter said. He may have locked himself away for a decade, but he knew about his family; who his parents were, who his uncle was, and who he was born to become.

Belle, however, seemed to not understand the weight of her words. She herself seemed to be more grieved by the failing health of the King and how it would affect Adam emotionally. "Adam, I am so sorry," she told him, taking his hand into hers.

Adam's eyes went to the sky, as his mind began processing everything that was happening. He began pacing, running his fingers through his long hair. "What else did the letter say?" he asked her, rubbing the side of his face and trying hard to focus on his breathing.

Belle felt a wave of helplessness wash over her as she read through the letter again. She explained the rest of the details to him. "It says you now have royal obligations that must be met and that you are to travel to Versailles so you are able to do so."

Adam whipped back around to look at her. "Travel to Versailles? When?"

Belle sighed. "A week from now; the 25th."

Adam cocked his head to the side in confusion. "That's," he stopped to catch his breath, "that's such short notice. What is the letter dated?"

Belle scanned the top of the letter. "February 2nd."

Without taking a moment to think, Adam swiftly turned on his heel to walk through the nearest entrance of the castle that led him straight into the foyer. Belle started to run after him immediately, afraid of what he might do.

"Cogsworth!" he bellowed at the bottom of the stairs. Without skipping a beat, Cogsworth's stout figure was already rounding the corner to quickly descend the grand staircase, out of breath and frantic as always.

"Yes, Master!" the head of household responded as his feet finally met level ground, Adam's tall figure now looming over him. He then realized why he was in trouble, immediately regretting the decision he had made the week before.

"Could you please tell me," Adam said sternly, grabbing the letter from Belle's hands and holding it up, "when exactly this letter arrived?"

Cogsworth blinked before his eyes grew in terror. He opened his mouth to explain, though nothing came out but a few short sounds.

By then, the majority of the castle's staff had found their way into the room, watching the scene the Prince was now causing. Lumière and Mrs. Potts edged their way closer to Cogsworth, who was now near fainting from fear. Belle, startled by Adam's aggressiveness, had created a safe distance between him and herself.

"Uh, Master," Lumière then interjected, clearing his throat as he calmly approached the enraged young man. "If I may say, no one here besides you has seen what was written in the letter. We did, however, uh," he looked between Adam and Cogsworth, "anticipate that the news it would bring would not be the most well-received."

"Master," Cogsworth began pleading, "I-I am so sorry. I knew better than to-"

Adam paid no attention to Cogsworth as he kept his eyes on Lumière. "Not well-received?" he exclaimed, holding the letter up again. "I have to travel to Versailles within a week's time! And I am just now finding out about it!"

Everybody stopped and looked at each other, thinking of how peculiar the idea of the Prince travelling was. No one had left the castle in years. Adam himself had only barely ventured out past the woods into the village.

"And would you like to know another piece of information that has been kept from me?" Adam questioned, now talking to everyone who stood in the foyer gawking at him. No one let out a single breath until he answered his own question.

"My dear old Uncle Alexandre, King of France, will be meeting death any day now."

The silence that had fallen upon the gathering since Adam had begun his rant suddenly grew tighter. Nobody moved. Lumière, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts all three looked back and forth between each other. Everybody knew what this meant.

Except Belle.

The young woman had been standing there watching the man who had been so timid, vulnerable, and unsure of himself only moments before during their reading session now become this almost terrifying and compulsive person. She couldn't understand the motive behind his actions. Not entirely anyway.

"Adam," Belle said softly, looking around the room at the others as she made a couple of steps towards him, "what exactly does this mean?"

Adam's shoulders dropped and his jaw relaxed as he exhaled to calm himself. He turned to face her. Though his body had relaxed, his intense blue eyes bore into her, causing her breathing to hitch and regret closing the distance between them.

"It means, Belle," he started to say as he scanned the rest of the faces that stared back at him before his eyes fell on her. He swallowed hard.

"It means that I am going to become the King of France."

Belle rubbed her eyes in exhaustion, closing the last book out of the many she had collected from the library shelves almost six hours before. She noticed how much lighter the vast room had become and turned her head to glance out of the nearest window. Sure enough, the early morning sun had already begun to rise, its light streaming into the library and faintly illuminating all of the room's massiveness.

She sighed softly, placing the book into the pile she had made out of all the others she had read throughout the night. She was almost disappointed in herself for losing track of time. After everybody else had retired for the previous evening, she herself had been unable to fall asleep. Her mind had been racing and constantly repeating what Adam had told her only a couple of days before.

"I am going to become the King of France."

Those words had stayed with her ever since, cluttering her thoughts no matter how much she tried to occupy herself and no matter how much Adam had attempted to put her mind at ease. The night before, the eve of his trip to Versailles, she had realized that sleep would be impossible. Belle had crept to the library in search of the answers she needed to know

Obviously, there had never been another prince in the history of France who had been through the same experience as Adam. He had been brought up in a home far away from Versailles after his parents had died and his uncle had become king. He had then disappeared from society, returning years after he was of age to claim his birthright; the throne.

However, none of the books Belle had chosen to read told her what had been keeping her up all night. Adam was supposed to have been raised in the French court, so would he have to leave this castle in the woods and move there? Adam was supposed to be waited on hand and foot by servants at Versailles, so what would become of the loving staff he had now? The Prince of France was supposed to be betrothed at a young age, so was Adam already promised the hand of another royal? And if not, was he expected to get married right away? To who? A princess or a duchess? Or perhaps a smart peasant girl from a nearby village?

Belle decided to shake the last thought from her mind. She returned each book to the shelves she had taken them from, even more flustered than before because she had only been given more questions and no answers. She had thought herself to be an excellent researcher, but no book in the world would provide the information she needed. No prince had ever been trapped as a beast for ten years and no prince's staff had ever been turned into household items. She would have to wait until Adam returned from meeting with the King's Council for her answers.

Belle had been blessed with a great amount of patience, which she then prayed would not begin to regress within the next coming weeks.

She left the library and began towards the balcony behind a large set of doors. She opened them, and stepped out into the morning air, breathing in the scent of the castle grounds. The balcony overlooked the stables and as she walked closer to the balustrade, she noticed a crew of men in front of them. Though the morning twilight had just passed, they were already out to prepare the horses for Adam's departure in only a few hours.

She leaned over to get a closer look at the group of men. As her eyes scanned the ground below her, she suddenly realized that one of the men was Adam. He was giving help loading his own luggage, along with Cogsworth's, who would be accompanying him on the venture, solely for guidance, as Adam had no clue how to behave in high society and Cogsworth consistently acted as if he were a royal himself.

She watched as Adam moved, his tall, strong body carrying the work of any two of the other men down there with him. His long hair fell loose around his shoulders and the first few undone buttons of his cream-colored shirt exposed all of his neck, and his top was tucked unevenly into his black breeches. Belle giggled to herself. Of course Adam was very handsome, but in that instant, he did not seem to resemble a prince in the slightest. He reminded her more of the strong, young men who spent all of their spare time drinking in the tavern of the small village she came from.

She sighed as she continued to watch him, almost admiring him, her heart seeming to rise in her chest as it did every time she saw him. Belle had become surprised at herself for the sudden effect Adam had begun to have on her. She had realized that the closeness between them had been rekindled, and spending even more time with him had sent her into another whirl of confusion. She could never quite figure out her feelings when it came to him. She often found herself daydreaming about him when they weren't together and unable to stop herself from blushing when they were. The way he spoke to her was gentle and pure, and he made her feel like she was the only person in the world he wanted to spend his time with. Every small touch from him sent a small wave of electricity through her body. The dynamic between them had changed. She was starting to think that maybe she was even in-

Before Belle could finish her thought, Adam had turned around to see her gazing at him from the balcony. Her heart almost leaped from her chest and her cheeks immediately turned a deep shade of red, though not from the amorous thoughts she had been having. Her whole body seemed to fill with embarrassment. She had almost felt invisible watching him, never imagining she could be caught in the act. However, Adam did not find her presence on the balcony unusual. His face broke into a smile as his hand sent up a meek wave. Belle gave a small jump of surprise before returning his gesture, coupled with a nervous giggle. Mortification continued to wash over her, but then quickly subsided when she realized he was waving down towards the stables, beckoning her to come and join him.

Belle nodded, grinning, and then briskly walked out of the balcony and through the corridors before bounding down the stairs that led out of a door directly across from the stables. The air outside seemed warmer than it had been only moments before, though Belle couldn't know for sure as her growing excitement could have also been the cause.

She approached the group of men, Adam already waiting for her, beaming.

"Belle," he breathed out as she reached him. "Good morning." The same smile from before had yet to leave his face. He suddenly felt more awake than he had all morning.

"Good morning to you as well," Belle replied, her face betraying her once more as her cheeks turned scarlet again. She ignored Adam's stare as she swallowed hard and tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear.

"Did you sleep well?" Adam asked softly, praying to himself that her eyes would meet his again.

Belle found this question amusing, as she hadn't slept at all. A small grin played on her lips.

"I, um," she cleared her throat while looking down at her feet. "I was actually up for all of the night in the library."

Adam couldn't help but chuckle at her confession. It was so like Belle to keep herself up all night lost in a book. Her mind never stopped working. He took one of her hands gently, which seemed to surprise her, but also finally urged her to look back up at him.

"You little bookworm," he teased, finding relief in the fact that Belle couldn't help but smile in return.

He continued. "Were any of the books you read interesting?"

Belle's amusement then turned into hesitation. She wasn't so sure that she wanted to reveal to Adam the type of research she had done throughout the night. She was certainly afraid of what he might think as it wasn't exactly her place to be concerned about his current situation.

"Yes, actually," she replied slowly, choosing her words, though she wasn't too keen on lying either. "I read a few biographies and glanced through your collection of encyclopedias."

That's truthful, she added to herself.

Adam opened his mouth to ask her yet another question, but Cogsworth then approached the two, having his own question to ask. Belle could not have been more grateful for the interruption.

"Pardon me, Master, Mademoiselle," Cogsworth said as he nodded to both of them before he focused on Adam.

"Yes, Cogsworth?" Adam asked, clearing his throat and taking a step away from Belle, turning his attention to the older man. Although he was annoyed by the disruption, the Prince also understood the importance of today.

"I was just coming to tell you," Cogsworth began again, "that we are planning to leave within the next two hours. Will you be ready by then?"

Adam glanced over at Belle, who peered up at him, not showing a response to Cogsworth's words.

"Yes," he answered, still keeping his eyes on Belle, who held his stare. She bit her lip to keep herself from showing any type of emotion. She had finally realized that they were soon going to be apart for longer than they had ever been before, and this upset her more than she would have liked. She couldn't take her eyes away from him, though. She had been doing that for too long already.

Cogsworth, watching Belle and Adam continue to gawk at each other, sensed that his presence was somewhat unwanted, if not most definitely ignored. He started to excuse himself before he caught sight of one of the stablemen preparing the carriage in a way he himself did not see fit, and promptly stalked off to scold him.

Adam had finally collected his thoughts and turned his focus to the ground, breaking the silent conversation between Belle and him.

"I must go," he told her, his voice almost a whisper.

Belle nodded slowly, dread creeping into the look in her eyes. She wasn't entirely sure she was prepared for his goodbye at that moment.

Adam was quick to notice that Belle had placed a heavier meaning to his words and immediately revised his statement.

"I mean, I must go change!" he exclaimed, feeling terrible for his lack of an explanation.

Belle, not quite sure how to respond, gave him a weak smile and then turned to make her way back into the castle.

"Wait!" Adam called after her. Belle turned around, curiosity now replacing her disappointment.

Adam closed the space between. "Have you, um- have you had breakfast yet?"

"No," she responded, suddenly realizing how hungry she was.

"Well, then, come," he said, extending his hand out to her. "I'm sure Mrs. Potts has been expecting us."

Belle couldn't help but grin as she took his hand. Adam tucked her arm through his and the two began to make their way towards the castle.

Adam paced slowly back and forth in front of the loaded carriage, waiting. Everything was ready for the journey and Cogsworth sat impatiently inside, watching Adam waste his time with growing annoyance.

"Master, she probably fell asleep, or started reading a book. Or got lost," he called out of the carriage window, suggesting anything to settle Adam and coax him into the carriage so they could finally take off.

Adam shook his head, standing still now and facing the main doors of the castle.

"No. She said right after breakfast that she would come before we left." And this was true. After the two had finished their meal together, they had parted ways; Adam to go prepare for the long travel to Versailles, and Belle promising him to be the last person he saw before he departed.

Cogsworth sighed audibly, not caring to hide his frustration. Adam ignored him and started toward the entrance of the castle to go find her himself, but after his first step forward, he saw Belle burst through the doors.

"Forgive me! I was looking for something!" Belle pleaded, breathless from running through the endless corridors.

Adam guffawed, more amused by the fact that Belle expected him to be anything but happy to see her rather than her lack of composure.

Belle giggled as well, happy that he hadn't grown cross at her tardiness.

"No, no. It's completely fine," he told her, looking down at her hands, which were clutching a book.

"You were looking for a book?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Belle swallowed. "Um, yes," she replied, smiling sheepishly. She held the book out to him. "It's a book of sonnets. Shakespeare. I found it for you so you could, um, practice your reading while you were away." She then blushed, avoiding eye contact and hoping she hadn't just offended him.

"Oh, great, more reading," Adam responded sarcastically, chuckling as he took the book from her. Belle was relieved. She matched his expression, her heart feeling like it had been set on fire.

"Master! We really must be going!" Cogsworth screamed, interrupting the two for the second time that day. He paid no mind to the fact that he was hanging halfway out of the window.

Adam, who had turned his attention to the desperate calls of his self-proclaimed baby sitter, looked back to Belle, rolling his eyes. She pressed her lips together to keep herself from laughing.

"I, uh," he stopped to clear his throat, "I suppose I must be going." The mood between them abruptly changed, as if everything around them had fallen still.

"Yes," Belle agreed reluctantly, forcing a smile.

"There's no need to fret. It'll only be for a few weeks," Adam told her reassuringly. His eyes seemed to make that promise to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and Belle felt her breath catch in her throat.

Adam smirked. "Don't miss me too much," and before Belle could respond, he planted a kiss on her right cheek.

"Goodbye," he whispered as his face moved away from hers. He turned and walked towards the carriage, climbing in beside Cogsworth, who muttered a "Finally" as Adam sat down. The Prince continued to disregard his comments.

As the carriage began to move, Adam waved to Belle, who still stood at the threshold of the castle doors. He settled into his seat as the carriage headed towards the forest. His journey had begun.

Belle had not moved an inch. She watched doe-eyed as the carriage began to cross the bridge and ride down the path towards the infinite landscape before it. She kept her eyes on it, each breath of hers barely escaping her lips as her palm rested on the cheek that Adam had just delicately kissed. It felt like he had burned a hole into the spot; it felt permanent, and she wanted to keep her hand over it so it could never go away.

She couldn't stop staring off to where she had last seen Adam's carriage disappear behind the trees. Still idle, she longed for him to come back and create the moment again.

Her heart now felt as if it were an eternal flame, and her head felt as light as the early spring air around her. She hadn't felt like this before. Not in a long while, at least.

Then she realized it.

She knew now. There was no more questioning it. She had found what she had been looking for.

She had fallen in love with Adam all over again.

There ya go! Hope it was worth the wait!

Oh, and did anyone catch the Little Mermaid moment I put in there? ;D

Reviews are definitely encouraged! Thanks, guys!