Author's Note: Okay, this chapter is going to be in two parts, one at Belle's house and one at the castle. Please note that they *both* happen at the same time, and they *both* happen pretty much immediately following the events in Chapter 2. I'll put something in to separate the two parts.
Disclaimer: I do not own BatB or its characters.
Lumiere suddenly found himself on a table next to Belle's bed. He set the mirror he'd been cradling in his candlestick arms gently down. It was clear Belle was unable to sleep, softly sobbing into her pillow.
"Poor cherie," Lumiere said softly. "Belle, it's going to be okay, mon amie."
Sniffling, Belle looked up, and was clearly startled to see her candelabra friend on her nightstand. She sat up on the edge of her bed.
"Lumiere...what are you doing here?"
"I've come to help," Lumiere responded.
"But...how...?"
"This necklace...functions similarly to the mirror, only instead of showing you anything, it will take you anywhere you direct it. The Enchantress gave it to me a few minutes ago."
"Enchantress...?"
"Ah, yes," Lumiere said. "It's time you knew. The letter you sent for the Master actually unknowingly referred to it...the spell that is. You referred to it when you mentioned his reaction to the death of the rose."
"There was a spell?" Belle asked, now thinking a bit more clearly. "Ah, and it was connected to the rose?"
"Very connected," Lumiere said. "The outcome of the spell depended upon it. The rose was the ticking time bomb."
"Please...tell me about it," Belle said, at the moment forgetting about the plight she would be facing come morning. "I knew the castle was enchanted from the beginning, as I mentioned after that dinner...but I don't think I had a full idea."
"It was meant that way," Lumiere said. "You could not find out, lest you feel pressured to act and your actions become moot. You see, Belle, the Master was not always a Beast, and we were not always objects, and the castle not always foreboding. We were all humans living in a majestic castle."
"How did that all change?"
"Well, the Master was always selfish and spoiled, and very unkind. Kind of like how he was when you first met him, though of course not so animalistic. One night, an old beggar woman came to the castle, seeking shelter from the bitter cold. But her appearance was haggard, and the Master judged her by it and turned her away. The only thing of beauty about her, a least in appearance, was the rose she offered as payment. She warned him to look on the inside, but he would not listen. So she revealed her true identity...a beautiful Enchantress. She turned the Master into the Beast he was on the inside, and made everything else as you saw it. She gave him the mirror so he could see the outside world, and set the rose as the timeline. It would be in full bloom until his twenty-first year, then would begin losing its petals."
"This is sounding like it could well happen in the stories I so love to read," Belle said. "Let me guess, there was some stipulation...some way for the spell to be broken?"
"That is right," Lumiere said. "He was required to learn to love a woman from the outside, which he did. His reason he gave to Cogsworth for releasing you was that he loved you. Ironic that his love made him let you go, since the other part was to earn love in return."
Belle pondered this for a moment. He had to learn to love, which he did, and also to get that love in return. But wait, she loved him, so shouldn't everyone be human again? But then the intelligent maiden put the pieces together.
"And that's where the rose comes in, isn't it?" she said. "It all had to happen before the last petal fell? That's why he was so distraught when it happened. I...I think I loved him for some time, but I didn't realize it until I saw his distress in the mirror when the last petal fell. I didn't realize it before...couldn't admit it to myself. That was probably required, that I realize it and admit it, before the last petal fell. Which would explain why my confessing my love in the letter to him didn't lift the curse."
"Nice deduction, mademoiselle," Lumiere said, nodding.
"So, my father made it back to the castle okay?"
"Oh yes," Lumiere said. "Though I think there's some post-traumatic stress, making itself known in his reunion with the Master."
"I was afraid of that," Belle said. "I'm hoping he'll get to be okay with your Master."
"There's such a stark contrast from his first encounter with the Master, I don't think it will take too long," Lumiere said reassuringly. "But I believe there's something pretty important to discuss...about tomorrow, which is why I am here."
"Nothing can be done, Lumiere," Belle said, resigned. "I gave Gaston my word, just as I gave the Beast my word. The Beast let me go...Gaston won't...he doesn't truly love me, and I don't think he ever will. Even if he did, my love remains with your Master. It's for him I'm doing this."
"I know it is," Lumiere said. "But the Enchantress came after the Master showed us your letter. She sent me here, she also gave me another mirror to bring to you, so you and the Master can both see each other. I'm here to scope things out, I shall return in a few days and the Enchantress will return and we'll figure out how to get you out of here. The only thing keeping the Master from coming for you himself is that you don't want him harmed. He wants to come save you himself so badly."
"What does the Enchantress plan to do?" Belle asked. "Visit a spell upon Gaston? I don't see any other way out. If you're just scoping things out to find the best time for the Beast to put in an appearance...well that's just too risky. I don't want him hurt...I agreed to marry Gaston specifically to prevent that."
Lumiere looked up at a clock and realized it was almost two in the morning.
"We'll worry about all that later," he said. "Try to get some sleep. I'll be with you, watching tomorrow's events, but I'll be staying out of sight except for when no one is around."
Lumiere dimmed his flames, and watched as Belle fell asleep.
**********
After Lumiere left, the Beast turned his attention back to Belle's father, still obviously suffering extreme anxiety. He wished he could undo all the trauma he had caused, but he could not. He could only try to gain Maurice's trust, and make him understand that things had changed. He looked down at the cowering old man, trying to figure out what to say that might help.
"I did not keep your daughter locked in the tower," he said, softly, having formulated his words. "After sending you home, Lumiere suggested I offer Belle a more comfortable room, which I did. She did run away that night, but that was my fault as I gave her quite a fright. She got surrounded by wolves and I rushed in and fended them off. I was injured, she brought me back and helped me. Then I really don't know how to explain it, but it wasn't long before we began to get closer. I let her look at you in the mirror, and when we learned you were sick in the woods I told her to go to you."
Maurice stood there, trying to wrap his mind around what the Beast just told him. He was relieved that Belle was never actually locked up, but he just couldn't totally shake off the fear. Suddenly, he remembered something.
"The mirror," he said, reaching into his bag. "She had me bring it back to guide me here." He held it out, backing up so that it was a full arm's length away from him. He and the Beast both realized he was beginning to relax when he did not toss the mirror into the air upon seeing the Beast's paw moving to collect it, as he had when giving him Belle's letter. He was still shaking, but it was at least some improvement. The Beast took the mirror and walked over to the table, setting it down next to the bell jar that held the now dead rose, the stem no longer floating, instead horizontal among the petals. He placed his paw on the glass cover.
"The rose..." Maurice said. "And the Enchantress...the...spell...what of all of that?"
The Beast's paw slid down to rest on the table as he turned back to the elderly fellow.
"I was a human," he explained. "So was everyone on staff. The castle was majestic. I was a prince, though spoiled and selfish. A fool, really. One night in winter, an old haggard beggar woman came seeking shelter for the night. The rose...would be payment. I just scoffed, and turned her away. She warned me not to be deceived by appearances, but I would have none of it and dismissed her once more. She turned into the Enchantress and placed the spell on the castle. Making me a Beast and my staff the objects that they are. I had to learn to love another and earn her love by the time the last petal fell for the curse to be lifted. It was Belle that I learned to love."
"She loves you," Maurice said. "She said in the letter. Shouldn't you be human again?"
"I'm guessing she wrote that after the last petal fell. Actually she must have, she mentioned seeing my reaction in the mirror when it fell. She probably didn't start the letter until after." The Beast looked sadly at the dead rose. "I don't know what would have happened had I told her I loved her before she left. I wanted to, and planned to...before we learned you were in trouble. But I couldn't. I still held to my notion that no one could ever learn to love a Beast...so I just watched as she left."
"Uh, Master," Cogsworth interjected. "I don't mean to interrupt, but it is a quarter to two AM. Might I suggest you both get some sleep?"
The Beast wasn't sure he would be able to sleep, but knew Cogsworth was right. He should at least let Maurice rest. He walked over to him, stopping some distance hoping not to frighten the old man.
"I'll show you to your room," he said. He saw as Maurice reflexively cringed. "It won't be the dungeon."
He began to walk, turning back several times along the way to make sure Maurice was following. He was, and so were Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth. Finally, they came to a bedroom and the Beast opened the door and gestured for Maurice to enter, which he cautiously did. But the Beast was concerned that Maurice's anxiety might cause him to try to leave.
"Mrs. Potts?" he said, looking down at the teapot. "Would you be so kind as to stay with him for tonight, and make sure he is all right?"
"Yes, sir," Mrs. Potts said, hopping into the room. "I'll be glad to."
The Beast stood there for a moment, looking into the room, before gently closing it and walking back to the West Wing. He wanted so badly to just go rescue Belle right then and there. It would to be a very long night.