When I had made the remark about having supper with Belle I hadn't particularly thought about what that would actually mean. Especially after what had happened last night (even if it wasn't much) I found myself regretting what I had said. And normally I would simply call it off, that's how it always had been. When I had been human I did as I wished and if that mean canceling a dinner party then so be it. What could they do anyway? I was queen. But now I was having clothing pushed towards me as the wardrobe form Belle's room excitedly twittered about finally being able to dress me.
I wasn't particularly thrilled. Certainly some of the dresses would still fit me, even with the extra inch of fur, but the real issue was the bushy tail that stuck out from my rear end. The tailor seemed less than pleased as well as she muttered about finding the right sort of bustle. Eventually he seemed to give into a sort of self-conflict as she pulled a violet vest from one of her drawers. She frowned at it but held it towards me and I slipped it on.
It fit well, tapered around my waist and hugged my bust comfortably. Next came a pair of black trousers, the back of them split and it was my turn to frown at the sight. To think that this would be necessary…I could only hope that the tailor would be able to fix these. It wasn't like I had the ability to purchase more.
Slipping into them I glanced at the full-sized mirror in my room, the glass shattered from one of my many outbursts. I tilted my head curiously, looking at the scattered reflections of my face and figure and for once seeing myself; my human self. It brought a small smile back to my face, only for it to be dashed away by the flick of my unruly tail.
Even after all of this I stood alone, staring at the rose as my fingers brushed against the cool glass. This was foolish. I should simply let the woman go so that she may tell more legends of the beast in the castle. And yet I found myself not wishing for her to leave. There had to be a reason as to why she was here, it had to be another one of the witch's plans, or something of the sort.
I glanced out my balcony at the moon, my stomach turning as I noticed it's form. The months were passing quickly and soon enough the day would arrive again. It was horrible what the witch had done to me, maybe believing it would help convince me to change my ways quicker but the shift back to my human form only made things worse. It made me realize that I didn't deserve to be what I was, that I was in fact a beast.
A knock came from my door and I turned, watching as Cogsworth hesitantly peer around the edge of the door. "Your Majesty, dinner is served." The reminder made me pause before I gave a slow nod, stepping from my haven to have my first meal with another human in decades.