Disclaimer: Ditto

A/N: As a reminder astricks () mark the more mature scenes so if you don't feel up to reading it don't. Thank you to everyone who has shown interest in this story too. I was planning on getting so many good reviews on it.

Bella Noir Chapter Three

Bella woke up moving stiffly. She was in a strange but pleasant room and her head was sore. She touched the side of her face and winced as she recalled the past two days events. Bella couldn't help but look around for the creature she had been left to, jumping at the sight of a steamy bath tub filling itself with hot water and scented soaps.

Hanging up on the wardrobe was a gown but Bella took more interest in the painting on the wardrobe instead. It was a landscape painting of a kingdom that, instead of showing the whole kingdom and the Lord's manor or castle that the land belonged to, it was through the eyes of someone standing in the ruling house looking out over their people and their land. Done in bright vibrant colors and showing groups of children playing with each other and dogs chasing cats, horses being groomed. Everyone in the land seemed to be happy.

Something seemed to gently push Bella towards the bath and she went willingly stripping down and sinking into the hot water with a sigh. After she was done washing her body she reached for the hair soaps only to be stopped by a gentle force that leaned her head back and soaked her hair with warm water then lathered up soap gently massaging her scalp.

Bella wasn't a stranger to magic even though she didn't know magic could have fingers that worked through her long chestnut red hair, but she wasn't going to complain. She needed a bath so bad after everything and this was perfect.

Once the magic bath was done she got out and walked to the gown that was now laid on her bed along with underclothes and soft padded slippers. The gown was a dark green velvet that left her shoulders bare, showing more skin than she was used to. But once again, given the outfit she had been forced to wear before, this looked like something the church nuns would wear.

Ignoring the slippers that looked uncomfortable Bella slipped from the room barefoot and silent but for the soft swish of the velvet gown. As she walked candles lit themselves ahead of her lighting her way until she stood in the doorway of a dinning room with enough food on the long rectangular table to feed an army. Her stomach rumbled loudly and she looked around guiltily to see if anyone had heard it. Not that there seemed to be anyone in the castle with the exception of the Beast she had met earlier, who was no where in sight.

Bella took the smaller chair at the end of the table and sat down reaching for the bottle of wine. She started when the wine moved on its own accord and poured itself into her glass and the dishes began to move towards her in offering putting food on her plate when she nodded her approval.

She was just debating whether she should start to dine or wait for her host when a dark voice purred out from behind her. "I see you've gotten settled in well. I didn't know what you liked so I just told the kitchens to make a variety of food." Bella started, when had he entered the room? She liked his voice though, it was thick like molasses and tugged at something low in her body. She turned in her seat and looked up at him she wanted to smile but she just couldn't do it.

"Thank you." She said very softly and her green eyes lowered from his brown ones as the tears began to well up. "If you hadn't stepped in I'd still be with him. I... I owe you everything." She stuttered out cursing herself because she was usually stronger than this.

"You owe me nothing. You can look at me without wincing and without fear, that is payment enough Bella." While he talked he knelt down to the side of her chair and she met his eyes with hers, though he didn't try to touch her and for that she was grateful. She didn't want anyone to touch her now, in case they became as tainted as she.

When the Beast was done he walked out leaving her to her own thoughts. Having suddenly lost her appetite she stood and walked to her room holding back tears the tears until she had shut the door behind her, stripped out of her dress and crawled between the soft sheets of her bed. Only then, with a pillow to smother her sobs did she cry and fall into a dark helpless dream.

"Come here my Bella Noir." Danton whispered to her. And she came willingly to him knowing the consequences if she didn't. She was wearing a silver silk dress that was cut down all the way to her navel making a large gap. Danton smirked as he pulled the dress off of her lovely body turning her so that they stood in front of a mirror and she had to watch what he was doing to her. "You can never escape me Bella." He purred cruelly in her ear as his hand slid down the apex of her thighs. "I'll always haunt you because you'll always be mine. You gave yourself to me willingly and now your filth. Nobody will ever love you, this is all you'll ever be." His finger plunged into her harshly hurting her and she cried out wanting to defy him to tell that she wasn't his but he continued to torture her all she could do was remain silent. She didn't even tell him no as he tossed her to the ground and placed his body over hers. He was right she deserved this...was her last thought as he stabbed into her making her scream.

Beast stopped his restless pace around his tower room when he heard a scream. Quickly he leaped down the flight of stairs with cursed cat grace and threw the door to Bella's room open looking for the threat. He found none, just Bella tossing under her covers in a restless sleep. Beast knelt beside her once more and brushed her hair back from her face murmuring soft comforting words to her until she stilled with her soft flushed cheek resting against his callous palm.

He stayed with her a few minutes afterwards just looking at her profile in the moonlight. She was beautiful but not in the typical golden beauty way that the court ladies used to have. Her's was natural, with no powder needed and exotic with her wide bright cat shaped eyes and reddish brown hair. She was kind to, he could tell from the soft look in her eyes, but she was a fiery spirit who wasn't made for taking orders. Beast sighed remember the tears he had seen earlier that evening. She was hurt so bad and he didn't have the slightest clue as to how to fix her. Giving her cheek on final stroke he stood and whispered a good night to her. "Sweet dreams Bella."