One of you caught my shout-out to Tangled with the smoldering eyes! Yay! I thought it would be double-funny to have Lumiere tell Prince Adam to 'smolder', since he spent the last ten years as a candelabra. Also, someone else correctly pointed out that when Cogsworth called Lumiere 'mon ami' there should be no e on the end of 'ami' as he is speaking to Cogsworth (who is male) and an e would make the word feminine.
Thanks for all the great review guys!
It would be something of an understatement to say that the servants of the castle had been through a lot with the prince. They did their best to care for him when he was a spoiled, demanding child. They shared the burden of the curse with him when he was an angry, isolated beast. And now they granted him patience as a young man wildly in love.
"We must explore the various avenues for your re-introduction into high society," Cogsworth advised him one morning shortly after his transformation, with his arms full of scrolls and treatises, "And the ways in which you can reestablish a relationship with your subjects."
The prince was sitting at his chair in front of the fire, looking absent-mindedly into the flames.
"Do you suppose I should have more blue clothing made for me?" he asked suddenly.
"I—what?" Cogsworth sputtered.
"She seems to like me best in blue. Has she mentioned anything to you about it?" the prince asked.
"Master, we really must—" Cogsworth began, but Lumiere interrupted him.
"Master, the girl fell in love with you when you were. . . in a far less agreeable state than this. I hardly think what color cloak you wear will affect her feelings for you."
"Hmmm . . .yes." the prince muttered. He didn't like to be reminded of the years he spent as a beast, how ugly he'd been when she'd first met him. The idea was an embarrassment, particularly because she had never been less than perfect.
"Do you suppose she finds me handsome now?" the prince asked. Cogsworth looked at Lumiere and shook his head in disbelief, while continuing to juggle his armload of documents.
"Of course. You are quite good looking now that you're yourself again." Lumiere replied, "The girl is yours now, the only thing you have to worry about is keeping the romance alive. Remember, you are French, romance is in your blood. Have you given her that smoldering look I taught you?"
Adam laughed, "I don't think I'm quite as good at smoldering as you are, Lumiere."
"Ah, well, years of practice I suppose," Lumiere responded, smiling.
"May we please get back to the matter at hand and address—" Cogsworth interjected.
The sound of the main doors opening and closing caused the prince to stand up suddenly.
"It's Belle!" the prince exclaimed, "She must be back from her ride!"
He hurried out into the great hall to meet her, with Cogsworth and Lumiere close behind.
"But, please, master, we must discuss—" Cogsworth tried again.
"Yes Cogsworth, just . . .do whatever you think is best," the prince responded absently as his eyes fell on Belle, who was just hanging up her cloak and turning to face him.
"How was your ride?" the prince asked.
"Good. The weather is getting warmer," Belle responded. She walked up to the prince and looped her arms around his neck. He placed his hands around her waist.
"I missed you," she said, looking up into his eyes, "Is this what love does to a person? I can't stand to be away from you for a minute . . ." she trailed off as she tugged him towards her into a kiss.
"I missed you too," the prince muttered, his lips half an inch from her mouth before returning her kiss, grabbing her dress roughly, lost to anything around him.
Cogsworth and Lumiere glanced at each other and left the hall quickly. Clearly the master was done with being counseled for the time being.
"I hardly think the master needs any assistance in keeping the romance alive," Cogsworth remarked to Lumiere with irritation.
"The master is young and in love. Relax. Let him enjoy this time," Lumiere responded.
"Why is it that I am the only one in this castle who seems to realize that our master is a prince, and as a prince he has certain responsibilities that cannot be ignored?" Cogsworth blustered.
"They were ignored for ten years," Lumiere said.
"Yes, when the master was a beast under a spell. And now that spell is broken and he is human again, he is a prince again, and certain matters must be attended to. But now he appears to be under a new spell, her spell." Cogsworth retorted.
"C'est l'amour," Lumiere said, "Nothing will break that spell."
They arrived in the kitchens where Cogsworth laid his documents down on the table.
"The master has much to catch up on. He needs tutoring in politics and the current state of affairs. If he marries the girl and makes her a proper princess, he may yet be received at court in Versailles, but first he must—"
"Has she accepted the master's proposal?" Mrs. Potts asked excitedly, bustling into the kitchen with a tray full of dirty dishes.
"Not yet," Lumiere responded, "The master must convince her that marriage isn't the same as losing her freedom."
"She was willing to become his prisoner, why does she hesitate to become his wife?" Cogsworth asked exasperatedly.
"She just needs more time," Mrs. Potts said confidently, "They've both been through a lot these past few days, more time will be good for the both of them."
Mrs. Potts surveyed the heap of papers Cogsworth had deposited on the table, "Cogsworth! Clear this mess up at once and return those papers to the library where they belong."
"Yes, well, I hoped for a spot of tea before—"
The kitchen door swung open again, bumping Mrs. Potts, who still held the tray of dirty dishes, waiting for Cogsworth to clear the table. The dishes clattered to the floor, many of the plates shattering.
"Oh!" a voice cried out sheepishly, "I beg your pardon!"
Maurice rushed to Mrs. Potts' side hurriedly to help pick up the mess.
"I'm so sorry, I meant no harm!" Maurice apologized, flinching as he cut his finger on one of the broken saucers, "I really must be more careful!"
"Yes, well, just be grateful the spell is broken, otherwise you might have killed someone." Cogsworth remarked, glancing at the heap of broken china as he finished gathering his papers off the table.
Mrs. Potts fixed a stern look on Cogsworth before turning to Maurice and saying, "Don't be silly dear, it was an accident."
"I just wanted to give you this," Maurice said, handing her a teaspoon, "I, uh, noticed you dropped it when you were cleaning up from lunch. I know how tidy you like things, I thought maybe you'd miss it."
Mrs. Potts smiled at him, "Yes, I do like things in their place. How kind of you to bring it to me."
Maurice smiled back and cleared his throat, "You do a wonderful job at seeing to everything around here. You certainly have a way with . . .dishes."
Cogsworth looked from Maurice to Mrs. Potts to Lumiere in astonishment. Lumiere began to smile his knowing smile.
"Pardon me," Maurice said again, looking up at Cogsworth and Lumiere as though he had just noticed them standing there, "Am I interrupting?"
"No, not at all dear," Mrs. Potts said, giving Cogsworth and Lumiere a pointed look, "They were just on their way to the library."
"Yes," Lumiere said, "We were. Come Cogsworth."
Cogsworth looked over at Maurice and Mrs. Potts as Lumiere gave Cogsworth's shoulder a friendly pat and guided him out of the kitchen.
"Has this entire castle gone mad?" Cogsworth blustered once they were out of Mrs. Potts' earshot, "I'm starting to think that everything was much less complicated when we were all pieces of furniture!"
"Ahh, mon ami, but we're human again! What are a few complications. . . " Lumiere said, surveying Cogsworths' papers with a mixture of distaste and apathy, "Compared to that!"