See, I told you guys it was coming!
Disclaimer: I don't own Beauty and the Beast, or Disney, or Versailles, or even the French monarchy. That'd be pretty cool, though.
Enjoy!
Chapter 3: Something That Wasn't There Before
The journey to Versailles had been long one for the prince. So long, in fact, that Adam had been unable to keep himself awake for most of it.
The prince's head leaned against the left wall of the carriage as the rest of his tall, broad body was hunched over and cramped in his seat, only moving with each bump that the carriage passed over on its path. Regardless of any jarring motion that was made or any mumbling and grumbling from Cogsworth, Adam remained undisturbed.
The trip had finally come to its end, as the carriage and the horsemen that surrounded it came to a halt in front of the opulent palace that was Versailles.
Cogsworth, who had sat in the small quarters with the prince for close to a week (and wide awake, mind you) was now secretly delighted to wake him up.
"Master," he whispered, leaning over and gently tapping Adam on the shoulder.
Unbeknownst to Cogsworth, Adam had drifted back into consciousness once he had felt the carriage stop. He pretended to still be asleep, though, because he knew what straightening up and getting out of the carriage meant. And he wasn't ready for it.
Cogsworth, however, was not the least bit concerned about Adam's nerves. He had a schedule to keep to.
"Master, please," the older man started again, poking the prince in the shoulder. "I apologize, but we have arrived at Versailles!"
Adam wanted to groan at Cogsworth's persistence, but instead allowed his eyes to flutter open as he raised his head, signaling to Cogsworth that he was awake. The prince straightened out his shoulders and stretched out his legs only to realize that he had fallen asleep with a book in his hand, his finger marking the page where he had left off. It was the book Belle had handed to him before he left. During the inconsistent moments throughout the trip where he had found himself awake and bored of his conversations with Cogsworth, Adam had tried to read through the collection of sonnets Belle had encouraged him to give a chance. Some of his tries had been in vain, resulting in a frustration that would have been too large for the carriage to contain had he let it out. Other times, he found himself making progress, even feeling humble enough to ask Cogsworth for help here and there. Adam had then set a goal for himself: to have a sonnet read and committed to memory before he returned home so he could recite it to Belle. He wanted to come back to the castle an improved man for her. Though he was on this trip to begin his journey of becoming King, he also liked to think he was doing all of this for-
"Master, I am sorry, but we have to hurry!"
Adam's thoughts were immediately derailed, crashing against Cogsworth's demands.
"What?" the young prince replied, confusion distorting his features as he tried to bring himself back into the present.
Cogsworth threw his hands in the air, his nerves clearly unsettled by Adam's lack of cooperation.
"Versailles!" he exclaimed exasperatedly, as he pointed out of the carriage window just before the footman opened the door on Adam's side.
"Oh!" was Adam's only response as he remembered again where he was and why he was there. He felt the nervousness and dread he had anticipated beginning to creep up on him, but with Cogsworth's coaxing, he had no time to worry about it.
Adam hastily descended from the carriage, stepping on the cobblestone below him. He breathed in deeply as he looked around, noticing his new surroundings. He stood within a large, open space, the Palace facing him with walls outstretched to both right and left, meeting a gate that separated the Palace from the rest of the city.
"Wait until you see the inside," Adam heard Cogsworth say in a hushed voiced as he came up behind him. "I hear it's entirely made of gold."
Gold! Adam wrinkled his nose, thinking the idea to be a bit ostentatious. He was unsure if he was related to the man who had the palace built, but he knew he could never be that conceited. Not again, anyway.
While the prince stood looking at the embellishments of the exterior of the palace, he caught sight of an older man approaching him with another man at his heels. The older man wore a black three-piece suit, with gold detailing and buttons. The man who followed him seemed younger, and wore a plainer suit of the same color.
Adam stood still in his place, unsure of what to do and finding that Cogsworth had left him. He felt his stomach begin to tie itself into a knot.
The two men reached Adam and stopped in front of him, the older man finally speaking.
"Your Highness," was all the man said before he and the man at his side bowed before Adam.
Adam, a bit taken aback, looked around himself again as the two men corrected themselves.
"Your Highness, I am Guillaume Rochefort, the First Maître d' here at Versailles," the older man then explained. He motioned to the man beside him. "This is Emile, a member of my staff." The younger man continued to say nothing, only bowing again at his introduction.
"I'm very pleased to meet you both," Adam replied, smiling nervously.
"And I'm Cogsworth!" Adam then heard a loud voice exclaim. Cogsworth stepped forward from Adam's side, appearing to have come out of nowhere. He extended his hand out to Rochefort. "Yes, I hold the same position at His Highness' home," he added proudly.
His Highness! Cogsworth had never called Adam such a name before. The prince couldn't help but smirk at Cogsworth's extreme attempt to make a good first impression.
Rochefort looked down at Cogsworth's hand before reluctantly taking it into his own and shaking it lightly. "Charmed." Oblivious, Cogsworth was only pleased by the other man's response.
Rochefort turned his attention back to Adam. "Welcome to Versailles, both of you. We've all been anxiously awaiting your arrival."
"'We'?" Adam asked, curious.
"Yes, Your Highness. The King's Council has a great deal to discuss with you."
Adam shared a look with Cogsworth before asking his next question.
"And does my uncle know of my visit as well?"
Rochefort and Emile also looked to each other before Rochefort sighed, gripping his hands behind his back.
"Well, yes, but," he paused, "Your Highness, I must say, the King is in very poor health. He is only conscious for short periods of time. It is quite possible that you will not have a chance to visit with him."
"I see," Adam replied quietly, nodding his head.
Rochefort gave the prince a small, sympathetic smile before motioning to the carriage. "We shouldn't waste any more time, Your Highness. Emile will show your men to the stables."
Emile quickly scurried from Rochefort's side over to the carriage. Rochefort then turned around to face the Palace. "And if you both could please follow me as I show you inside." The maître d' started walking towards the entrance as Adam and Cogsworth followed closely behind.
When the three men entered the Palace, Adam was even more impressed by its interior. Marble floors and statues gave the entire inside a looked that seemed almost untouched. Everything inside this home had been built to be absolutely perfect. Though Adam was destined to be King, He couldn't help but feel as if he were unworthy of laying his eyes upon such extravagance. Beside him, Cogsworth was just as wide-eyed as he was. Though he was the most sophisticated person Adam and the others he kept company with at home knew, Versailles was still beyond anything Cogsworth had ever experienced.
As if he were hearing their thoughts, Rochefort spoke from in front of them. "The Hall of Mirrors is quite a spectacular sight as well."
Now that just sounds excessive, Adam thought to himself as Rochefort began guiding them up a large staircase. Cogsworth, however, was still trying to get into the maître d's good favor.
"Yes, I've heard of it," Cogsworth stated, turning his nose upward. "It sounds absolutely exquisite, Monsieur Rochefort."
Rochefort only returned the comment with silence.
The three men reached the top of the stairs as Rochefort turned right and began leading them through yet another ornately decorated part of the palace. The past a large set of doors before turning a corner and stopping in front another set that seemed to be next to the room they had just passed.
Rochefort turned around to face Adam and Cogsworth. "Your Highness," he began, his eyes focusing on the young prince "this is where the Council meets and will continue to meet for the rest of your stay here."
Adam nodded to signal that he understood. Rochefort continued. "The room next door is the King's bedchamber."
Adam froze. He hadn't expected to be in such close proximity with the King, his uncle, and the only family he had left. He wanted to see him, speak to him possibly. He had so many questions to ask.
"But let us not worry about that for the time being," Rochefort then insisted, disrupting Adam's thoughts.
The maître d' turned back around to face the doors. He put his hand on one of the knobs while giving a small knock on the door with his other hand. Adam breathed in sharply as Rochefort then sent both of the doors open to reveal the room behind it.
The three men stood looking into the large room that was filled with about ten different men staring back at them. They seemed to have all been in mid-conversation before Rochefort interrupted.
The men, most of who were in white wigs, were all well-dressed, wearing similar three-piece suits, only differing in color and detail. Adam couldn't help but shrink back into himself a little, feeling extremely under-dressed and ill-prepared. Even Cogsworth looked more presentable! These men weren't even aware of whom he was yet, and he could tell by the looks on their faces that they were judging him based on his appearance. The prince silently cursed himself for not thinking to change his clothes beforehand.
Rochefort took his position by one of the doors, gesturing for Adam to step forward into the room. Exchanging one last look with Cogsworth, the prince slowly walked towards the group of men, who all continued to give him one collective strange look.
Rochefort cleared his throat before announcing Adam.
"Esteemed gentlemen of the King's Council, may I present His Royal Highness Adam, Dauphin of France."
Adam met the eyes of each man in the room as he saw all of their looks of contempt immediately change into looks of astonishment. He could see a sense of urgency send the men into a hurry as they all scrambled to order themselves before Adam, bowing to him as they remained completely silent.
Thrown off guard, Adam looked back at Cogsworth, who only shrugged and bowed at the waist himself, following the same procedure as the men of the Council.
Adam turned back around to face the bowing men, unsure of what to do next. He hadn't seen anyone bow to him in over ten years.
"Um, thank you, gentlemen," Adam finally said to them, hoping it to be the correct response.
Each of the men corrected themselves and continued looking between each other and Adam before a tall, slender middle-aged man stepped towards the prince.
"Your Highness," the man began, keeping a reasonable distance between Adam and himself, "we are pleased you have finally made it to Versailles."
"Thank you," Adam replied, repeating himself and trying to keep his nerve about him. He folded his hands behind his back as began to feel them tremble.
The man continued. "I am Secretary of State Martin Guillou, and these men behind me," he paused to motion to the small crowd behind him, "are a part of the King's Council. We are here for all of your needs and advising." Guillou finished his introduction with a warm smile.
Adam, still a bit intimidated, swallowed hard and responded with a meek smile of his own. "I'm very pleased to meet all of you."
"Yes, yes! I concur! Hello, gentlemen. I am Cogsworth, Prince Adam's for the duration of his trip. I am absolutely humbled to make your acquaintance."
Adam could only cringe at the sound of Cogsworth's booming voice as he came up beside him, once again trying to make himself noticed among this group of new people.
The men of the Council only gave Cogsworth the same look they had given the prince a few moments before. Some looked to Adam to see if he would do anything about the odd man's interruption.
Rochefort broke the silence by stepping forward and placing his hand on Cogsworth's shoulder. "I'm afraid, Monsieur Cogsworth, you and I are not permitted to attend these meetings. If you could be so kind as to come with me, I could maybe find someone to show you around the Palace, or the gardens, perhaps?"
Cogsworth, yet to show any defeat, nodded as he allowed Rochefort to guide him out of the room. "That sounds splendid!" he stated.
"Wait!" Adam suddenly called to them, a panic in his voice. He attempted to follow the two men. "What do you mean he can't stay?"
"I'm very sorry, Your Highness, but the only individuals who are privy to these meetings are the men you see before you and yourself. No outsiders are allowed into this room during this time," Rochefort explained to the worried prince.
Adam looked around the room at the Council, terrified to be left alone with them. He began to plead with Rochefort. "And we can't make an exception just this once? Not even by my request?"
Rochefort opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Cogsworth. "Master, you will be fine," he reassured Adam. "This is what you came here to do."
"Shall we begin?" Adam heard Guillou's voice say behind him.
Cogsworth gave the prince one last comforting nod before turning back to Rochefort so the two could make their way down the corridor.
"Gentlemen," Rochefort said, excusing himself from the Council's presence. He then closed the doors behind Cogsworth and himself.
Adam stared at the closed doors for a moment before he turned back around to the group, all of them waiting on his command. He was now expected to lead this meeting filled with strangers, in a place he'd never been to, and as a person he'd yet to become. He didn't have Cogsworth to guide him, Belle to give him confidence, or his beastly form to give him dominance. Adam conceded that he was just going to have to be himself, though he feared that wouldn't get him very far with these people. If he was unsure of whether or not he could do it, he was just going to have to pretend.
He breathed in sharply, mustering up every ounce of courage inside himself that he could.
"Yes, gentlemen, let's begin."
"Thank you, Papa," Belle said softly as she carefully took the cup of warm tea from her father's hand.
She had escaped the castle for the day after thinking about how much she missed her old home. Not even all of the books in the castle's library could have distracted her from the loneliness she had been feeling all week. Belle realized she could only find comfort in going to see her father. After leaving word with Mrs. Potts, she saddled up her horse for the short journey and returned to the small village she had come from. She had only just arrived at her father's home and was already beginning to feel more at ease than she had been in a while.
"I'm glad you made it here okay," Maurice told his daughter, sitting down at the table across from her. "It's unfortunate you have to keep your head down every time you want to come see me now."
To say that most of the people of the village were distraught by Gaston's death was a bit of an understatement. None of them had any problem placing the blame on Belle, either.
Belle shrugged as she took a sip of her tea. "It would bother me if I had been treated any better by them before."
Maurice only sighed in response, sympathizing with his daughter. All she had ever received was judgment from these people and she deserved none of it.
"I miss you, Papa," Belle told him, breaking the silence.
Maurice had turned his attention to a pair of glasses that were on the table and began fiddling with them, not looking up at Belle as he responded. "I miss you, too, dear. I worry about you a lot, but you have good people there with you, right? How's that prince fellow of yours?"
"Adam, you mean?" Belle corrected her father, smirking.
Maurice's focus was still on the glasses. He'd realized they were broken and he was now trying his best to repair them.
"Yes, yes, him! How is he?" He looked up at his daughter to flash her a smile before correcting the end piece of the glasses that had been bended out of place.
Belle, who was used to her father being engaged in another task during their conversations, sighed and leaned back into her chair. "He's fine, Papa. He's actually on a trip right now to-" She stopped herself, thinking twice about how she wanted to respond. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell her father about Adam's situation, or if she was even allowed to.
Maurice looked up from his glasses at Belle, expecting her to finish her sentence.
"To visit his uncle," she amended nonchalantly as she brought her cup to her lips. That was the truth, after all.
"Oh, I see," her father responded, looking over his glasses once again. "And is he a beast?" Maurice cracked a smile at Belle.
Belle rolled her eyes as she visibly tried to suppress a giggle. "No, Papa. Not that I know of, anyway."
Maurice chuckled. "Good to know it doesn't run in the family. That would be a mess."
"What do you mean?" Belle questioned, raising an eyebrow at her father.
"Well, you two are getting married, aren't you?" Maurice exclaimed as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
"What?" Belle almost choked on her drink. "Papa, whatever made you think that?"
"Isn't that why you're still living at that castle with him? It seemed pretty inevitable after the celebration they had for you both."
Belle cleared her throat as she calmed down again. She began to explain to Maurice just how things were between her and Adam, feeling guilty that she had left her father in the dark about it for so long.
"You see, Papa, I'm just unsure at the moment. I care about Adam a lot, and I've been missing him since he left." She paused, smiling to herself at the thought of him. "He's my best friend."
Maurice mirrored her smile, seeing something in his daughter that she couldn't see herself. Or something that she was just denying.
"I see," he replied as he started to get up from his chair, holding onto his knee for support. He stretched his back and walked over to the kettle on the fireplace to pour himself a second cup of tea.
"But if you're not ready to marry him, then why are you still keeping yourself there with him?" Maurice inquired.
"I don't know," Belle answered honestly, resting her chin in her palm and tapping her fingers against her cheek. "I guess I'm, well," she paused to find the right word. "I guess I'm curious."
"Curious about what?" Maurice continued to probe.
Belle shrugged, looking off into the distance. "To see what will happen, I suppose."
Maurice gave her an odd look. "As long as it makes sense to you, Belle. I just want you to be happy."
Belle nodded, sitting up straighter. "I actually think you should come live with us, Papa. There's nothing for you in this village. You're here by yourself all the time, anyway."
Maurice shook his head in protest. "Oh, I couldn't leave this cottage even if I wanted to. Not unless you could find some way to fly my entire workshop over there!"
He then paused, raising his finger to his head. "Actually that's not a bad idea…" He trailed off as he started rummaging around the room, looking for his sketchbook.
Belle couldn't help but smile at her father. With him now distracted and having a new conversation with himself, she stood up from the table and wandered over to the bookshelf across the room from where she was sitting. She began looking over the books neatly placed on the shelf, exactly how she had left them. She would have loved to have taken them to the castle with her, but knew it was best to leave them with her father, if only for his sake. She didn't want to completely remove her presence from their home.
Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Aesop's Fables, The Fairy Tales of Madame d'Aulnoy. Belle read each of the titles to herself, running her fingertip over the spines of the books. She felt the itch to pluck one of the stories from the shelf and settle into her father's armchair. She wanted to be taken away from all of her worries and thoughts, if only temporarily.
She then came across a spine that had no title etched into it at the end of the shelf. Leaning against the book before it instead of resting upright and in order, it was one she had never seen before. She carefully took it from its place to look at the cover. There was no title or an author's name, but only gold embossed detailing. The covers were connected by a clasp and a lock in the form of two indented hearts. It appeared to be a diary.
Belle tugged gently at the lock, hoping it would fall open, but to no avail. She turned the book over in her hands, trying to find some clue as to where it came from.
Hearing her father shuffling around in the next room, she walked over to the doorway, pausing before it to see what her father was doing. Maurice had found his sketchbook and was now leafing through it in hope of finding an old idea that could contribute to his new one.
"Papa?" Belle said, watching her father and hoping to steal his attention. Maurice continued to look at his drawings as if he hadn't heard her.
"Papa," she repeated more loudly.
Startled, Maurice turned around to look at Belle. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. What is it?"
Belle looked down at the diary. "Papa, I just wanted to know…" She stopped to hold it up so he could see it, "Where did this come from?"
Maurice moved closer to Belle to get a better look at what she was showing him. When he realized what it was, Belle saw his expression change from fluster to delight.
"Oh! You found it!"
Belle held the diary close to her. She was still confused. "Well, yes, Papa, but what is it?"
"It was your mother's, actually!" Maurice answered as he scurried past Belle back into the main room and placed his sketchbook on the table. He sat down and opened the book to a blank page.
Belle stood frozen in place as she clutched the diary tighter against her chest. My mother's. She repeated the words over again in her mind.
Maurice continued to explain the diary as he drew feverishly. "I found it while I was cleaning out my workshop. I'd almost forgotten about it, but she used to write in it every single day. Right up until before she got sick. I was so happy to find it, and I knew I had to give it to you!"
Belle swallowed hard as she turned around to face her father. She felt like crying.
Maurice saw the look on her face. "Why, Belle, what's wrong? I thought you would be happy about this."
Belle shook her head vehemently, fighting back tears. "Oh, Papa, it's wonderful. I just can't believe this was hers."
Maurice's heart swelled with love for his daughter. He knew exactly how she was feeling. His wife had been gone for a long time, since Belle was a little girl. She didn't remember her like he did, and she had so little memories with her. He knew how much this diary now meant to Belle.
He stood up from the table again to move closer to Belle and took one of her hands that was still gripping the diary into his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It is yours to keep, my dear."
Belle beamed at her father as her emotions subsided, thrilled that she now had her mother's whole life in her hands. She couldn't wait to run up to her room and open it so she could read it.
She then remembered what hindered her from looking through it in the first place. "Papa," Belle began as she turned the diary around to look at the lock, "did this come with a key? It has a lock on it that I can't seem to open."
Maurice released Belle's hand as he began to think of the answer, trying to recollect how his wife used to unlock her diary.
"Oh, yes!" Maurice exclaimed, finally remembering what it was as he snapped his fingers. "Do you have that necklace your mother gave you? The heart-shaped locket?"
"Not with me, Papa. It's back in my room at the castle," Belle told him.
Maurice nodded. "Well, if you press it into the lock, that should open it."
"Really?" Belle was delighted. She wanted to get back to the castle as soon as she could, feeling the complete opposite of what she had been this morning. "Oh, Papa, please forgive me. I know I said I would stay awhile, but I am just so excited to read this!" She paused, feeling a bit guilty. "You wouldn't mind if I went back to the castle, would you?"
"Of course not, Belle!" Maurice reassured her, chuckling.
"Oh, thank you, Papa!" Belle started rushing to gather her things. She wrapped her cloak around herself and slipped the diary into her side bag. She hurried towards the door, but then stopped in her tracks and turned back to her father. She gave Maurice a kiss on the top of his head. "I promise I'll come back soon."
Maurice only smiled as he saw her open the front door to the cottage and make her way towards her horse. He stood in the doorway to bid her farewell.
Belle quickly mounted Lilly and took off as she waved to her father one last time. "I love you, Papa!" she called to him. Lilly began to pick up speed the farther they rode away down the trail at the sense of Belle's urgency.
Maurice returned the wave and then watched Belle ride away until he could no longer see her. Sighing, he returned back inside his home, closing the door behind him. He sat back down at the table and continued working on his new idea. As he started flipping through the pages of his sketchbook, Maurice felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Lately, it had been a rarity to see Belle so genuinely happy, and he was thankful that he had been able to give that to her.
I hope it was worth the wait! And if not, then sorry, but I don't know what to tell ya.
Oh, and a reader wanted to point out that I stole the last bit from Princess Diaries? Well, if that occurred to any of you as well, please know that that didn't even occur to me. I really love that movie, so maybe it was in the back of my head, but I wasn't sitting there while writing this chapter and thinking "Teehee, let's see if I can get away with stealing the idea of a diary from a dead parent!" Nope. Didn't happen.
Anyway...
Review, review! And Happy New Year to all of you!