Chapter 8

Belle, Adam, and their remaining children traveled by coach until they reached the castle where they'd first met each other those many years ago. Surprisingly when they got there, the castle was in much better shape that they'd thought it would be since it had been abandoned for so long. There even seemed to have been improvements made to the property, much to their astonishment.

As they walked across the courtyard and gardens, Belle commented

"Oh look Adam, not only has all of the overgrowth of weeds been cleaned out, but also a beautiful rose garden has even been added! I didn't know that you had contacted a gardener ahead of time so that one could be planted!"

"I uh didn't. Belle, I beg your pardon, but I never promised you a rose garden...though here one is now, and I do have to admit that it is beautiful." Adam commented.

Adam and Belle continued to walk throughout the garden, hand in hand, admiring the roses. Suddenly they hear a russeling and the sound of people's voices in the garden, so Adam decided to go investigate what it was all about.

"Belle did you hear that? I think we might be able to learn who is behind this rose garden and discover who has been maintaining the property lately" he said.

"That's fine, just be careful." she said.

"I can take care of myself, remember." he said rather gruffly.

"Yes I know, dear, but you're not as young as you once were. Just remember that dear...And try to control your temper..." Belle reminded him.

Adam just glared back at her, then stalked around the corner of the arbor as stealthily as possible, although Belle ended up following behind him anyway.

What they discovered though was a young couple in their early 20s, making love, or at least attempting to. The young man had short cropped hair and beard and was of Arabic lineage, while the girl was a slender, rather exotic looking young French woman.

Furious, Adam stormed up to the couple and managed to pull them apart and then bellowed,

"WHO IN THE WORLD ARE YOU? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING IN MY GARDEN?!"

"What do you mean YOUR garden? This has been MY garden for the past year or two! I found it in disrepair and planted all since then." the young man retorted right back.

"Well thanks for the garden, but still you didn't answer me, who ARE you, the gardener?" Adam growled, still holding the young man by the scruff of his collar.

"Unlikely! Unhand me you knave, I am Orassmyn, Prince of Purrrsia!" the younger man purred angrily.

"Ha ha ha unlikely! Prince of 'Purrrsia' indeed, more like one of Ali Baba's Forty Thieves , I would imagine!" Adam gruffly laughed and shoved the young man away from him.

"You dare insult the Prince of Persia? Well..." Orassmyn growled back.

"Well if you're really who you say you are, why are you here and not in Persia? How did you even get here?" Adam inquired, his tone hard like a tempered steel sword.

"Well you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you..." Orassmyn growled back threatening to punch him.

Both women suddenly came forward and tried to stop the potential fight between their men, seeing to argue was probably useless.

"Adam, dear, watch your temper..." Belle said.

"Mon Ami Lio...erm Oh Rassy don't hit the old man!" the young woman said.

"Old man? Old?!" Adam exclaimed. Then both men said simultaneously

unaware of the other's declaration...

"Stay out of this Belle!"

"Belle? Your wife's name is Belle?!"

"Yes, I think so...well actually she's not really my wife yet...Baby you're name's Belle isn't it?" Orassmyn asked his girlfriend.

"Oui mon ami..." the younger Belle said.

"Hon, you're name's Belle isn't it?" Adam asked his wife.

"We've been married for almost 20 years, dear, what do you think? Yes of course it is." Belle said exasperatedly as she momentarily rolled her eyes .

"Actually Rassy my real name's Isabelle, pon merci..." the younger Belle said as she walked over to Orassmyn.

"Okay so both of our women are named Belle, or something like that. Interesting coincidence, but no big deal. Anyway you still didn't answer my question of how you got here from Persia in the first place." Adam inquired doubtfully.

"Well sir you probably wouldn't believe me, but here's the story...up until this morning I was a lion." Orassmyn told him.

"A lion?" Adam asked sarcastically.

"Yes, Izzy can vouch for me, up until this morning I was a lion." he said.

"Oui is true Rassy was a lion, until I came to him!" Isabelle interrupted.

"All right go on with your story, I want to hear it explained." Adam said.

"Well it actually started about five years ago when I was back in Persia, I sacrificed a camel with a scar, so a jinn punished me by turning me into a lion, mane and all. Coincidently it was the season for my father's royal Lion Hunts, so I had to avoid the hunters, including my father. It was strange being a lion although it was cool at first because I met up with these two lionesses who were brought in for the hunt and...haha..." Orassmyn explained.

"What? You did it with two Lionesses? Ewww..." Isabelle interrupted.

Orassmyn glared at her, then went on, "Well after the hunters got the lionesses it was dark times, dark times. I even traveled to India to be with other real lions, but they didn't want anything to do with me, either way, so I was all alone. Then I remembered what a sailor had once told me about French women, so I traveled to France and happened to find your castle. It needed repairs, but I did what I could as a lion. Then Isabelle's father happened upon here when I was in another dark time, and I convinced him to bring his daughter who wanted a rose to me...so she came. We had it pretty good, she cooked for me and her pets, then had to go home. I injured myself accidently and then..."

"And then I came back as I said I would! My poor injured Mon Ami, le grande chat. I tried to patch up his wounds because I cared for him, then suddenly voila he turned into Rassy! Ooh am I not the lucky fille no?" Isabelle exclaimed.

"So your love turned him into your handsome prince, then?" Belle asked with a sly smile.

"Oui I suppose you could say that..." Isabelle said.

Adam and Belle winked at each other, as they shared a look that read volumes.

"What's up with you two? Anyway I'm taking Izzy back to Persia with me, so that we won't be invading your castle anymore..." Orassmyn said defensively.

Belle winked at Adam and said "Do you think we should tell them our story, dear?"

"Well, ha, I suppose so, if you want to dear." Adam laughed as he told her.

"Tell us what? Anyway we have a few questions for you two, like explaining the stained glass windows, the torn painting, the broken bell jar on the west wing...You must've had vandals in there before I arrived because I certainly didn't do that..." Orassmyn asked.

Adam and Belle said "Oh it's a long story, but if you have the time we'll tell you our story...or at least our first few years together." Then they went on to describe the story of how they met, and to answer some of the questions that the younger couple had addressed earlier. It was quite the evening for all.

After the story had been told, Orassmyn and Isabelle laughed at the coincidences between their stories and wondered if a higher power, fate, or God had a hand in bringing them all. together, but whatever the reason it was quite interesting indeed.