Chapter 2: It's Fate

Four years had passed since Belle and her father had moved to the small village they now called home. Every day was just like the day before. Belle would wake up, prepare a meal for her father, complete her chores around the house, then go into town to visit the bookseller. The bookseller was the only person in the village who understood the magic of books. Belle smiled to herself as she strolled along the path leading to town. She was now 20 years old. The past four years had been a change, but she had made it through. She was now accustomed to the monotony of a life without adventure. Well, maybe not entirely without adventure. There was Gaston after all.

For the past four years Gaston had followed Belle around. He catered to her every desire. Even though he despised books himself, he would buy Belle any book she wanted. He had even allowed her to show him one when she told him that it had pictures in it. Other than that, his interest was very limited. He would often tell her about his latest hunt but would always end the conversation by asking her questions about her life.

Belle had gotten to know Gaston well. He had been born and raised in the village. His father had been a small man who didn't speak much. When he died, Gaston's mother had pushed her son to be everything his father wasn't. She told Gaston that he should always strive to be the best. Gaston had taken his mother's words to heart. He was the strongest, the bravest, the quickest, the most popular, and the most sought-after town bachelor. His mother's dying wish was that he would find himself a bride and live a long and happy life. Gaston wasn't going to disappoint her. He had chosen his bride. Me, thought Belle.

She was still unsure if she was going to accept his proposal when it eventually came. He made no secret of the fact that he loved her. But Belle didn't love Gaston. At least, she didn't think she did. Well, I can't expect it to be like it is in my books, Belle chided herself. After all, life is not a fairy tale.

As the village came into view, Belle tried to push the thoughts from her mind. It was true that Gaston wasn't at all like the male characters she read about. He wasn't like Romeo or Sinbad. He was Gaston. Outwardly, he was indeed handsome and brave and was overall impressive. But Belle couldn't help but feel as though there was something missing. She had always imagined that to fall in love would be a wonderful, exhilarating thing. It wouldn't be boring or dull. Yet Gaston never said or did anything to spark her curiosity or imagination. She also didn't feel what was described in her books as the feeling of destiny. She had imagined that love meant that two people belonged together. She wanted a man who was kind, generous, and who could appreciate her books. Well, Gaston didn't love reading, but he did like it when Belle told him stories. And he was kind and surprisingly thoughtful. At first, Belle had believed him to be arrogant and stubborn. But Gaston had proved her wrong. Even though Belle had rejected him at first, he had persisted in trying to get to know her. He would walk with her in the village and talk with her. Much to the dismay of the Montparsse sisters, he often left his friends at the tavern to be with her. Even if they didn't talk, Gaston just loved to be in Belle's company.

Today, the town was as busy as any other day. People hurried back and forth across the street. Some were selling goods from their stands and carts. Others were buying their wares and hurrying home to do one thing or another. Belle made her way into the bookstore. The bookseller greeted her with a warm smile and a hearty "Good morning Belle!"

"Good morning Mssr. Devon. How are you this morning?" Belle had grown very fond of the old man. He was a comical man with white hair that went in every direction all at once. His glasses made his eyes look like they belonged to an owl.

"I'm fine, Belle. What can I do for you today?" Mssr. Devon always had a friendly word for Belle. He was the only townsperson who didn't think that Belle was "odd."

"I'm actually wondering if you have that book yet." Belle was hoping to read the new book of fairy tales that had been ordered for her. It was supposed to be truly magical.

"Why yes, Belle. I was holding it here just for you." Mssr. Devon reached up and pulled a beautiful blue book with gold trim from a shelf. The book looked so new, so untouched, so undiscovered. Belle's eyes began to shine as she touched the book's cover. This was going to be a very special day. She was going to enter a new world of adventure, excitement, and romance. She could hardly wait to get home.

"Thank you so much!" Belle rushed out of the shop and began reading immediately. She could hardly believe it. A new world of stories had opened up to her. She lingered over the words of the first chapter. They began to work their magic spell on her. Once upon a time, in a kingdom not so far from here, there lived a handsome young man. He was the son of a miller, born in humble beginnings. He was as handsome as the sun but he was proud and vain. Belle tried to suppress a laugh. The image of Gaston flashed before her eyes. The image flashed a warm smile that made the hearts of other women melt into puddles.

"Good morning Belle," said the image. Belle came crashing back to earth. Gaston stood before her, as magnificent as ever, smiling like a man who knew something that she didn't. Belle couldn't help but admit that his hair did look soft when the sun hit its black strands at this angle. His head was encircled in a ring of light. He almost looked like what Belle imagined one of the Greek gods must have looked like.

"Bonjour Gaston," greeted Belle. She wasn't about to let him know that she found him the least bit attractive. It was probably just a side effect from her stories anyway. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm wonderful, Belle. And very soon, you will be too." Belle raised an eyebrow and searched his face for some clue as to what he was planning. "Belle," Gaston said, bending on one knee before her, "I feel as though we have waited long enough. We both knew this day would come. I know I should properly court you first, but I can hardly hold it in any longer. This is the best day of your life, Belle. Every girl in town would love to be in your shoes right now. Today, all of your dreams come true." Beaming at the thought of her happiness, he reached into his pocket and presented Belle with a small box. "Open it."

Belle's fingers were trembling as she reached out for the box. Oh no, Belle thought. This is it. What do I do? What do I say? As the lid of the box opened, Belle saw the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It was a simple ring made of silver with small diamonds embossed in the top. One diamond stood out larger than the others. It shone brightly as the sun played in the prisms of its depth. Belle gasped.

"I know; you're speechless. But what do you say Belle? Will you marry me?" Gaston's eyes shown with the light that Belle had seen when he had made a prize kill or had a really good day hunting.

"I….I….I don't know what to say." Belle searched Gaston's eyes. Why was he asking her this now? What had prompted him to do it today? When she couldn't find the answer there, she lowered her gaze to the ring. It was beautiful. And she knew that Gaston would provide for her. She would never want for anything; except the feeling of romance and true love. Like the characters in her stories. But they weren't real. The stories weren't real. Life wasn't like that. Maybe this is what it was supposed to feel like. Belle looked up and stared back into Gaston's eyes. "Very well," she answered. "I will marry you Gaston." His eyes danced with joy as he grabbed her around her waist and lifted her into a spinning embrace.

"Belle, you've made me so happy. Come, let's tell the whole village!" Gaston took Belle by the hand and raced to the tavern. Before Belle could protest, Gaston had announced to the entire village the news of their engagement. When they finally reached Belle's home to tell her father, they had acquired a very large crowd of followers, well-wishers, and in the case of the Montparsse sisters, hysterical mourners. Maurice gave a surprised look when he heard the news, but warmly welcomed Gaston into the family. After Gaston had sent the crowd back to town, he turned to his bride.

"Belle, I must go and arrange the wedding. I will come for you tomorrow and we will decide when we will celebrate the ceremony." With a quick kiss to her hand, Gaston was off to the village. Lefou followed him closely, asking every question that came to his mind. Belle turned back to the house.

"Oh Belle," Maurice beamed, "I was wondering when this day would come. I had almost given up hope of Gaston ever proposing!"

"Yes Papa," Belle answered. "To tell you the truth I was really surprised myself when he asked me. I didn't know what was happening, and then I said yes. Papa, do you think I did the right thing?"

"I think you followed your heart." Maurice beamed. "Everything will turn out fine. But this means I'll have to work extra hard at my invention so that it will win first prize at the fair. That way, we can use the prize money to help with the wedding. I'll go work on it now." Maurice left Belle to her thoughts while he went down stairs muttering about springs and axles. Belle sat down in her favorite chair and thought about all that had happened. Her eyes fell to the ring. What had she done? Maybe she did love Gaston. At the very least, she could learn to love him. Yes, she could learn to love him.