Chapter 3

Arriving home, he was greeted by anxious daughter and son, and entering the room he saw a preoccupied but uplifted Belle, who took the herbs and immediately went to boil them for tea.

Meanwhile, a wife was glad to see him, and he was too and they all asked him how it went.

He replied it had been hard at first due to the rain, but after it cleared he was able to continue his searching for the plant.

He had an expression of uncertainty and hidden fear, to which his wife asked what the matter was but he relented to answer until he finally spoke.

And he told them, he had become lost in the forest on his way to the mountains and it was raining hard.

So instead, he came across a castle in the middle of nowhere, and beckoned he entered inside and was welcomed by a feast.

To which reminded him and fetched the basket, showing them the food and then went on to explain he later encountered the castle master after he accidentally cut a rose from his garden.

"A beast?"

"The castle master?" they asked, but could not believe as the old father told them that it was indeed, a beast of legends known as an Entei and it had spoken to him about bringing him his daughter Belle in return for his hospitality, mercy and for having cut a rose from his prized bush.

However, he said he was unwilling to send her away to such a creature as he feared the worst and did not fully trust the Entei anyways.

"Please, Belle must not know!" he said, but his children relented and asked him what would happen if he did not keep his word.

"Will it come to hunt us down?" said his young daughter with fear in her expression.

"I do not know, but she must not know. I can't let her away alone to a castle in the middle of nowhere," he added.

His sick wife coughed and told him that he had to return the hospitality he was given, "It will be uncouth of you if you don't. Look, he let you away unharmed and let you stay the storm and fed you and even let you bring in food for us. Perhaps he only wants company from Belle, just for a while."

She also added, with weakness in her voice, that if he was a castle master it would be unwise to make him feel unwanted and prejudiced.

When Belle walked in, she saw her folk all turn at her with preoccupied faces.

She the rose her father held in hand and smiled, "such a pretty rose! Where did you find it?"

Her sister took it from him and said it was hers and that he had brought it in for him, but her little brother then stated otherwise in truth.

"Father found a castle on his way to look for the herbs and the castle master let him stay and served him food whilst the storm ceased. He then cut a rose which angered him and threatened to keep him a servant but when he mentioned he was going to bring the rose to you, the castle master changed his mind. He wants you to go instead, if not we do not know what will happen…"

Belle was slow at understanding was what happening, and did not see what was wrong with going over to talk it over with the castle master.

"What's wrong? Perhaps a small talk may settle things."

"Belle, you do not understand, he is no man apparently…" said her father, sighing with disbelief and discord.

"Father says he is an Entei…" added her little brother, Belle was in disbelief still and not affected with shock but inclined to solve the problem.

"I shall go and settle it, if he wants me then that is fine. I shall see what I can do and settle this," she said, with eager courage and took the rose and her cloak and readied her Rapidash to leave.

"I shall return, do not fret," and with that, she left into the woods in search of said castle she did not believe existed and perhaps had confused for a little cottage or mansion afar.

Belle wondered where this castle was, and asked her Rapidash about it but the horse only kept going in circle until they finally got lost.

All the trees looked the same in every direction, there was not path or road and it seemed she had seen the same rock and twig and plant over and over again.

Until she heard the cawing of a pokemon, she turned to see a perched Murkrow in the trees just watching them.

"Krow… Krow…" it said, flapping its wings and flying, a compelled Belle followed the black bird over stump and mound until she finally came afoot of tall iron gates and black mortar walls and inside, a sky scrapping tall castle in the middle of nowhere.

Belle was marveled, there was indeed a castle she had never heard of before, and dismounting her flaming horse she neared the black gates and called out, "HELLO?"

And the gates creaked open for her, she walked in holding the rains of her Rapidash and unto the big expance from patio of the ominous palace…