If you are wondering why this took so long, its because I received so little reviews... 2 to be exact...Also I had writer's block... I genuinely had no clue how to continue from the last chapter so that was a bummer... Anyway, thank you Autobot21 and Iamthebooktheif for reviewing, you are both wonderful :) Thank you alanajk1 and Holycrystal for both favouriting and following my story :) You guys made my day... The rest of my readers please review... Please?
The next morning, slightly before dawn, Babette was doing her usually rounds, dusting away the dirt off the walls, pulling the cobwebs off the ceiling... Humming a somewhat upbeat tune to cheer herself up... While most of her fellow castle staff were ecstatic about the recent developments between their mistress and the young man... Babette was skeptical... As happy as she was about her mistress finally learning how to act like an actual human being and not a hot tempered animal... Was that enough to make someone fall in love with her? Was that enough to lift this horrible enchantment? Babette rolled eyes.
"It will... It must... " Babette murmured but in her heart she wasn't sure...
Babette sighed; her gaze was melancholy as she glanced at the somewhat repaired West Wing. This was when she first met the princess as a curious, mild mannered eight year old. Babette allowed a small smile tug at her wooden lips. On their first encounter she herself was only sixteen years old, new and inexperienced, cowering in her stiff uniform. The two engaged in small talk initially with Babette taking a liking to the charming, pretty little thing. However this only made the bitterness worse as she watched the king and queen harm the little princess. Reducing her to a bitter shell of her former self... Putting an end to their friendship... Babette never forgave the king and queen... or Angela for that matter...
Babette sighed. She knew she was being petty but the little brat... well big brat had condemned her into living as an unbreathing, unfeeling piece of wood... Petty could not even begin to describe what she felt against the princess... The anguish Babette had undergone was one she could not even wish upon her most hated enemies... Adapting was hard but the inability to feel the passionate hands of her love was harder... Babette bit her lip... Ten years was already so unbearable... Anymore she swore she'd kill...
"Babette?"
"M...Mistress?" the feather dust trembled as she suddenly caught sight of Angela staring at her from behind her door. Without a word, she signaled for the wary feather duster to enter... Babette gulped in fear... Had she done something wrong? Nothing she could think of... Well apart from thinking poorly of her mistress... But that couldn't be it could it? Or did her mistress suddenly develop the ability to mind read... Babette sincerely hoped not... Gingerly, she hopped her way into the room.
Angela shut the door gently before the two women glared uncomfortable at each other... Unpleasant memories both transpiring between them... Finally, since Angela was still unaccustomed to it, Babette broke the silence.
"I see you decided to start brushing your hair..."
"Yes I did..."
"Well I'm glad to see that you're starting to take an interest in your personal appearance again..." Babette said bitingly before she could stop herself. She trembled a little, as Angela's piercing green eyes became even more piercing, however to her relief, Angela simply sighed and shrugged.
"I guess I deserved that..." she mumbled
"Forgive me mistress, I didn't mean to upset you..." Babette apologized while bowing begrudgingly. Angela shrugged her eyes traveling to the mirror. She glanced at it for no longer than a second, before turning away with no urge to see her reflection any longer... Her eyes filled with what could only be described as disgust... It was quite a depressing sight... Babette seeing this couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her mistress... She WAS after all the little girl she used to tuck into bed...
"Forgive me for saying this, Mistress, but its alright that you... Well you haven't been human for so long that you've forgotten what it was like. And yet you expect to just become the girl you once were overnight. It takes time, and practice, to remember everything that you once took for granted... il est impossible"
There was no reply... Babette bit her lip. She didn't enjoy the silent treatment Angela was dishing out to her...
"Do you think he likes me?" Angela said suddenly, like she hadn't heard a word of what Babette had said.
"Monsieur Beau?"
Angela nods miserably, feeling almost ashamed to ask... How could she not? T he answer was so obvious to her... Of course Beau didn't like her...
Babette shook her head nervously. "Mistress please... I am only a scullery maid what would I know about..."
"About love?" Angela cuts in bitterly. Slowly, she lowered herself next to the feather duster.
"Because... I see the love you spread everyday... The love you showed me as a child... The love you have with Lumiere is one I could only wish to have with Beau... Please Babette you're the closest thing I had to a sister... I... I need your help..." Angela finally admitted somewhat relieved and horrified that she allowed such a colossal weight to be lifted off her chest.
Babette blinked, surprised by her mistress's heartfelt confession. Furrowing her brow, she pushed aside her indignation and for once really considered and pondered at Angela's question. Finally surprising them both, Babette turns to her with a soft smile and speaks out her opinion from the bottom of her heart.
"Honestly, from what I've seen, yes, I think he does..."
"He... He does?"
"He does but..."
"But?"
"But I think he may not be fully aware of it..."
Angela rolled her eyes.
"What do you mean by that Babette? Specify..." she growled.
"I mean that monsieur Beau does like you... but only as a companion... A friend..."
"Then what can we do to change this?!" Angela snapped. "It's not as if we have time to wait... We'd be dying of old age by the time he makes a decision... and the rose is wilting faster every day!"
"I never forget..." Babette mumbled, her tone slightly colder than usual.
Angela stopped short. The very retort coming from Babette made Angela realize something... Like an epiphany, it was only then she remembered that the rose was as much of a time bomb to her servants as it was to herself... That she was not the only one condemned to live an isolated existence... And that realization suddenly sent a wave of shame upon her, reflecting how selfish and childish she had just acted towards the servants who cared and stood by her all this time... It was unforgivable...
"I'm... I'm sorry..." Angela said softly. "I shouldn't have said that."
"It's all right, Mistress," Babette replied with equal understanding. "I understand."
Neither Angela nor Babette said anything after that, and a long silence filled the room during those few moments... No doubt much was going on in their heads, so many thoughts to consider... and so much more ideas to be discarded... Until at last, a clear image ran into Babette's head and plucking up her courage, she declared her thought to the Mistress.
"I think I may have something that might work..." she said slowly.
Angela's ears perked up. "What?"
"Well what creates a more romantic atmosphere than... than a..."
"than a what Babette? Angela snapped impatiently.
The feather duster smiled...
"Than a ball..."
Yay! Ball tie in... Finally... I was beating myself up on how to pull this off... I hope I did it right... Also, why did I make Babette a more important side character? Because I think she was so under developed in the film... I mean, she was just Lumiere's girlfriend... Also... Babette should know a lot about love if she's Lumiere's girlfriend... Those two are inseparable... Also... Angela needs advice in love... "Why doesn't she just go to Lumiere?" because I feel she'd be more comfortable going to a fellow female... Besides, Angela's goodness must stem from somewhere... I thought if Babette acted like an older sister to her as a child, she must have installed some good values... Also, it gives a clearer explanation why she and most of the servants ignore Angela after they were cursed... Because Angela rejected their companionship... Thats why she became a brat and thats why they all got cursed... Yes its a weird chapter I know... Like I said, a product of writer's block so... love it, hate it... review and let me know :)
