The walk back to her room took some time: she found herself lost, confused even, inside the great expanse of the castle, and she was feeling tired now. She was missing the warmth of the fire, the idyllic smells and crackles that were like her own fireplace at home. She hoped there would be something for her to change into that wasn't so damp.
After the wolf attack, she'd wanted to run. Get on Phillipe and ride home, back to Poppa, back to the small town were repetition at least guaranteed safety, even back to Gaston. She'd had her adventure; she had her story to tell...
But no! Even before those thoughts were fully-formed, another part of her – the odd part, the part of herself she secretly liked, the part that got her into trouble and made her push handsome goons through doors – felt that was a terrible idea; almost a betrayal. Because whatever the situation was, he'd saved her life, her mortal soul: and the look of pain and fear on his face as he collapsed made it certain that he had a life and soul worth saving too. When she ran to him and tried to pull him back to his feet, she felt the warmth in his fur, the gentle pulse at his wrists. When she took hold of him he grasped back, semi-consciously, like a baby feeling for its mother.
"Get up!" she'd cried, in a voice she'd never heard herself use before. "Now! Get up! You can't stay here!"
He groaned like a child that didn't want another schoolday, and his grasp on her tightened.
"Get up this instant!" she said, and she slapped him. She'd slapped a Beast. Looking back now she could barely believe that, but in the moment she'd realised what she had to do. It had been freezing. There'd been no way on Earth she could have moved him. She'd done what she had to.
Eventually, she got him conscious, at least conscious enough to stumble onto Phillipe. The old boy had whinnied under all that weight, and his distress had made Belle's heart feel heavy, but when the horse steadied himself and rose under that giant (almost-) dead weight, her heart had flown off into the sky. You'll have oats and apples and sugarcubes, she thought. Whatever this Beast wants of me, he'll reward my horse. I'll make sure of that.