Though the boys went after most of the girls in the village, there was one that stood out from the others, one that grabbed all the attention and put any affection they had towards their potential mates second to hers. She was what they considered a true beauty who they all wanted for their wife, but she had her eye only on one.

The slender, wasp-waisted beauty with an impressive chest that turned even the most burliest and toughest men into jelly, straining out of her violet dress was sitting outside the tavern admiring herself in a mirror she was holding batting her long eyelashes against her ice-blue eyes which stared admiringly back at her in the mirror and applying lipstick on her lips, while her long, dark chocolate brown hair was being brushed, as it gleamed in the sun.

She was Amandine LeGume, a twenty-year-old woman who was the niece of Gaston and the only child of his brother, Anton, the man who had been executed for his attempted regicide on King Adam, which had happened before Amandine was born, the result of a short-lived fling with a barmaid, Genevieve La Roux and it had fuelled her hatred for the royal family as she grew up, believing them to be responsible for the deaths of her father and uncle.

She had also hated the princess for taking the attention away from her when she had visited the village.

Amandine had been raised in the tavern by her mother and in fear of losing her only daughter, Genevieve spoiled her rotten, gave in to her demands and let her do whatever she wanted, even letting her take control over their lives- anything to keep Amandine happy.

She then became used to getting her way and used her charms, beauty and master manipulation to get others to indulge her needs and wants, which they were only too happy to do, since she was the last surviving member of the LeGume family by blood and the only good thing that Anton had given the village, even if she was born out of wedlock.

Despite this, she soon became the most loved and admired girl in the village, more respected and powerful than the Beaufort twins and their admiration, attention, the single men flirting and calling out to her, the women idolising and wanting to be her and her ability to manipulate and rule over people, including her own mother and used to getting what she wanted added to her arrogant, materialistic, abusive, rude and spoilt behaviour.

The small girl who was brushing Amandine's hair was her loyal sidekick, Martine Descartes. She was the opposite of Amandine in that she was short for her age and plain looking with shoulder-length light brown hair with stray bits flying out and never stayed down no matter how many times she brushed it (which she didn't do often), with an untidy fringe.

She had green bug-like eyes, a pudgy nose and wore a lavender top with purple patterns and trim with three-quarter sleeves, a purple skirt and light red shoes. LeFou was her mentor and gave her advice of serving a LeGume, like he did with Gaston.

Like Leon, Martine had also been teased (mostly about her looks), but she had chosen to deal with it another way. Amandine, feeling sorry for the girl and needing a sidekick, that would be loyal to her, would cater to her needs without any questions and obey her orders no matter how demeaning they were, picked her.

Martine, being the naïve, gullible, wide-eyed and easily dominated person she was, immediately jumped at the chance to have immunity from being teased and to bask in Amandine's glory. Since then, no one dared made fun of Martine again, instead respecting her as long as she remained Amandine's sidekick.

In her gratitude and not aware of her true nature, Martine became extremely loyal to Amandine, obeyed her every command, followed her obediently like a little pet dog, catered to her every whim and did anything and everything to assist and please her friend, even if it meant hurting others or doing things that she wouldn't normally do.

Too caught up in her role and relishing the glory than Amandine had, Martine willingly put up with being abused and mistreated by her, which happened all too often.

No matter what she did, it wasn't good enough and poor Martine's only 'rewards' for her work were hurtful insults, smacks to the head and was forbidden to talk to Jean-Luc, whom she had a crush on (as did he), which upset her deep down, but had to hide it and still kept serving Amandine.

She couldn't see how pathetic it made her, not being her own person and being a lackey to a cruel, controlling woman but no one could see it, as Amandine hid it behind a mask of beauty and charm.

As Martine duly continued brushing, Amandine sighed admiringly at her reflection, liking what she saw- the perfect, flawless, ivory-white, heart-shaped face carefully made up, the cat-like ice blue eyes, a trait from her father and uncle and the red rose lips.

Her beauty was enough to give Snow White a run for her prince, to make Aphrodite, Venus, Freyja and Hathor look like mere mortals, put Sleeping Beauty to shame and to make the Bimbette cousins and Beaufort twins cry with envy.

How was it that she was so beautiful, so perfect and could make even the toughest men fall to their knees and beg her to marry him? It was something she didn't think about, as long as she kept her looks and men wrapped around her little finger, as she recited a poem she made up herself

Mirror, mirror, do you see?

Is there no one more beautiful than me?

'Why no one, dear Amandine, for you and you alone are the most beautiful in the land,' a silly, high-pitched voice said behind her, as if making the mirror talk to her.

'Martine, I know that's you doing that stupid voice. Cut that out and finish brushing my hair. And do it properly! Yesterday, you got lazy and skipped a few strokes and some bits felt like rats tails!' said Amandine, turning around to see Martine with a goofy grin on her face.

'Yes, Amandine, sorry Amandine,' Martine said, ' I thought that you would be flattered, since what I said is true.'

'Indeed, my froggy-faced doofus,' said Amandine, pinching Martine on her arm with her sharp, manicured purple nails, which made her recoil, 'Now how many strokes have you done on my hair? Got to keep it shiny and soft, you know. It's a shame I can't say the same about that manky, greasy, rat tailed, sad excuse for your hair.'

'One hundred strokes, exactly, Amandine,' Martine proudly reported like brushing her hair was a special privilege and task that she and she alone was only allowed to do.

'Excellent,' said Amandine, running her fingers down her hair, the gleam shining like a chocolate waterfall, which made Martine look enviously at it, wishing it was hers.

'Oh, to have such lovely, lush, long hair like yours,' she sighed admirably, seeing it neatly fall down to her waist, like it usually did.

'Well, maybe if you actually took the time to wash and brush that disgusting, manky mop that you have the misfortune to call your hair, which makes me sick just looking at it, as do your slimy, froggy eyes and piggy nose, that could be possible, thought I wouldn't get your hopes up.' Amandine said, nastily.

'But that's how my hair always look, Amandine!' Martine said, 'Even when I do brush it, it just sticks back up! Look!' as she used her brush to groom her hair, only for the stray bits to bounce back up into their normal position.

'Like your hair can be as good as mine, you're dreaming Martine, as you will never be as beautiful as me.' Amandine said, getting up from her seat and dusting some imaginary specks from her dress.

'How do I look?' she said, swaying her hips and twirling around, which was a daily routine of hers or whenever she bought a new dress, which she would twirl around, parading herself and ask Martine for her opinion and she would always respond with,

'Beautiful and goddess-like as always!' which she did promptly.

'Good, that's what I like to hear,' Amandine said, as she plumped up her chest, which made a passing boy stop and stare lustily. Amandine calmly shooed him away with a simple hand wave and the boy headed off, no doubt to tell his friends and anyone who was willing to listen about him getting a glimpse of her impressive chest.

'You know how to lure them in, Amandine,' said Martine, 'it's no wonder all the boys love you and want to marry you. They just can't resist your beauty and charms!'

'Indeed they can't. Like flies in a honeypot, they stick to me. But there's one boy that I have my eye on. The lucky boy who will be the envy of the others when he becomes my husband!'

'Ooooh, how exciting!' Martine said, jumping up and down like an excited puppy, 'Who is he?'

'You're a smart girl, Martine, ' Amandine said with heavy sarcasm, for she knew Martine was a few flowers short of a garden, ' Why don't you guess?'

Martine screwed up her face, for guessing games were never her strong point and Amandine often used it to exploit that fact.

'Um, Henri?' she said.

'The leader of the Muscular Men, or should I say the Musher Men? Absolutely not! Why would I marry anyone who is mocking my dear uncle's memory by dressing and acting like him, mocking the very things he was famous for? He and his idiot friends are useless hunters and disgraceful competitors at the Games! Not for me, not in a month of Sundays!'

'Jean-Luc isn't,' Martine said, dreamily, 'He's sweet, kind, friendly and a brilliant hunter, not to mention he came third in the Games!'

'Martine, do you remember what I say to you, what I repeatedly remind you about?' Amandine said, ' If you want to be my sidekick, you are not to talk about or talk to Jean-Luc! If it wasn't for me, no body would know who you are and he's just as bad as the others!'

'But..' said Martine, but Amandine covered her mouth.

'Not another word!' snapped Amandine, 'Carry on with your guessing! We haven't got all day!'

'Okay, Beauden? The winner of the Games this year?' Martine said.

'That, cheating, cocky, show-offy, thick-headed idiot, who I was forced to kiss as part of his prize for coming first in the Games, even though he didn't deserve it? No!'

'Stephane?'

'Wrong again! Come on, Martine, use that mush you call your brain! You're not even trying!'

'I don't know, Amandine! Just tell me!'

'Try, you doofus!'

'Um, Antoine?'

'Antoine? The warden of the Maison de Lunes? I don't think so!'

'Then, who is it then?'

Fed up with this game, Amandine said,

'Alright, mush for brains, your stupidity has once again reared its ugly, bug-eyed head, as I knew it would. The future Monsieur LeGume is over there!' Amandine said, pointing to where Leon was walking along the streets, reading his book.

'Him? Leon Dupont?' Martine said, 'The self-educated boy who is the son of dressmaker Madeleine Dupont and whose father was accidently shot at the Games?

The one who kissed Cecile last year?

The boy who everyone calls 'Duplonk' and 'Swinekisser'?

You want him as your husband?'

'Yes, Martine, he's the one for me,' said Amandine.

'But why him?'

'He's the most handsome boy in the village, contrary to what you said earlier, as he is the one more beautiful as me. And in my eyes, that makes him the best and isn't that what I deserve?'

'Of course you do, but you do realise that he's considered odd, since he doesn't hunt and fish and likes reading. Not to mention that he kissed a pig.'

'Yes, yes, but I'm willing to overlook those things and get reading out of his system. Imagine, Martine, when Leon and I are married, we'll be the most beautiful and powerful couple in the village!

Uncle Gaston might not have been successful in getting that wench who was our queen, Belle,'- Amandine spat as she said the name Belle, 'but I won't make the same mistakes he did!

I always get what I want and that is having Leon as my husband, my trophy and a hard-earned prize to be won! Now, Martine, come and help me woo Leon!' she said.

'Come on,' while clicking her fingers like one would do when calling a dog and Martine obediently trotted behind her.

'Three feet behind me,' Amandine reminded her and Martine duly did so.

'If only I could get my true love,' she muttered sadly to herself, thinking about Jean-Luc. Maybe someday, she thought, knowing that would be impossible, as long as she was in Amandine's presence.

Leon was nearly at the path on the way home when he gave a groan as he saw the very person he had hoped never to see, who he took great lengths to avoid whenever he was in town, who once had never paid attention to him when they were children, but as they became adults, became infatuated with him.

He never understood why, out of all the boys in the village, he was the object of her desire and unwanted affection (but he knew it was because he was handsome).

It was Amandine, followed by Martine, as she literally leapt in front of him, blocking his path and gave him her smile, the one that made all the boys melt and stare hungrily and lustily at her, which they were doing as she did that but Amandine took no notice of them, as her eyes were focused solely on Leon, her prize to be won.

Leon may have let himself be tricked by Violette into dating her, but he was way too smart to fall for the charms of Amandine as he could see who she really was- a cruel, selfish, spoiled, manipulative, rude and abusive woman behind the façade of a lovely beauty and repeatedly rejected her advances, but that didn't deter her and only stepped it up.

It was like the more he rejected her, the more she wanted him.

'Well, hello Leon,' Amandine said, seductively, smiling at him and putting one hand on a nearby wall, making her chest strain against her dress, which made the boys stare like children in a sweet shop and Leon uncomfortable, avoiding looking at her chest.

'Bonjour, Amandine,' Leon said politely but clearly not interested in her advances, 'Bonjour, Martine,' he said, acknowledging the small girl whom he felt sorry for, as he had seen her be abused by Amandine.

'Hello, Leon,' Martine said, only to be shushed by Amandine.

Amandine then put her arm around Leon, making him feel uncomfortable at her touch, while digging into his bag, not caring for privacy or respecting his things.

'Hey, those are my things!' he said, as she pulled out the royal family candles, scowling at them like they were her deadly enemy and carelessly threw them on the ground.

'I paid good money for those candles,' Leon protested, as he picked them up, which were still intact, despite being roughly dropped.

'Money better spent on hunting gear,' said Amandine, as she continued digging in his bag. She found the science text-book and frowned at it.

'A science text-book? Seriously, Leon, you call this fun?' she said, before finding the book that Leon had been reading and flicked though it without bothering to read it properly.

'Amandine, may I have my book back please?' Leon said, irritated, as he reached out for it, but Amandine kept it out of his reach.

'How can you read this boring book? There's no pictures, the hero's a bore and the princess is a hideous monster! Talk about bad writing! The plot has more holes than a Swiss cheese factory!' Amandine said.

Leon, trying to restrain his anger over Amandine's unfavourable opinion about his favourite book, calmly said,

'Well some people use their imagination, something that your pretty little head doesn't have. When they read a book, they picture the story in their head, they see the characters come alive and they feel like they're part of the story, as if they are actually there interacting with the characters..'

'Oh, blah, blah, blah, that's all I'm hearing! said Amandine, ' Leon, it's time you thought about other things besides reading and studying.'

'Like what?' said Leon.

'Like.. me for instance,' said Amandine, using her fingers to trail along Leon's arm, which he brushed off, 'I'm nearly of marriageable age and no future husband of mine is going to waste his time reading silly fairy tales!'

'What do you mean your future husband? And who is the poor, unfortunate soul willing to sacrifice his life for you?'

'Why you, of course! You're the perfect husband for me, Leon!' said Amandine, which made the boys gasp at hearing the news.

'Amandine wants to marry Duplonk? That's not right!' gasped Pierre.

'Why is she wasting her time with him? She can do so much better than that! Like me, I practically worship and idolise her uncle and act like him! She should like that, would she not?' Henri said.

'At least I got a kiss from her, you losers,' Beauden said, smugly.

'What's this sudden interest in me, Amandine?' said Leon, 'You never once glanced in my direction when we were children and now that we're adults, all of a sudden, you want me as your husband? Why is that?'

'Yes, I was the belle of the village and you were the social outcast back then, but when you grew up, you became very handsome, more so than Pierre and Beauden combined and I like that!' Amandine said.

'The whole village thinks you're odd enough as it is Leon,' she then continued, ' Men aren't supposed to be reading and studying, they are meant to be hunting, fishing, competing in the Gaston Games, getting drunk in the tavern and providing for their families!

And what am I supposed to say when people ask me about you? 'Oh, my husband likes reading and is self-educated! He doesn't hunt and fish like yours do!' Not a great conversation starter!'

'But aside from that, I think that we'll make a great couple, Leon, we have so much in common. I know what it's like not having a father in your life,' which made Leon twitch.

How on earth could he have ANYTHING in common with that shameless harlot? True, they no longer had their fathers, but that was as far as it went and they had died in different circumstances.

'That's true, but Papa was accidently shot by an idiot Gaston Games competitor and he didn't even want to go there in the first place, whereas yours chose to commit attempted regicide against the king, so he brought his death on himself' said Leon.

'That's not a crime is it? He attempted to, it's not like he succeeded, so it can hardly be serious and he didn't deserve to be executed horribly, leaving me fatherless and being raised by my mother by herself, didn't he?' Amandine said, shedding a fake tear, hoping to get sympathy, in which Martine put her arm around her, but Leon wasn't fooled.

'Amandine, do you even know what regicide is?' he said.

'No, what is it?' she replied.

'It's the DELIBERATE murder of a monarch, which is INDEED a very SERIOUS crime, as your father had attempted to kill the king for no reason other to avenge his brother and also tried to harm the queen and their daughter, which is why he very deservedly got executed so that he could never harm anyone again!'

'So he should have killed him, because that beastly king was not only responsible for the death of my father but my Uncle Gaston as well, robbing me of the chance to know him!

I HATE HIM, HIS WENCH OF A QUEEN AND THEIR BRATTY, ATTENTION GRABBING DAUGHTER!' Amandine screamed at the top of her lungs, picking up a glass ornament that was nearby and threw it furiously at the memorial, smashing it, shocking the people near it.

Seeing what she had done and the shocked villagers looking at her, Amandine composed herself, smiled and waved at them as if nothing was wrong. They smiled back and carried on with what they were doing.

'Anyway,' Amandine said, calm again, ' Why don't you come to the tavern later on, Leon? I've just got myself a beautiful new dress that is screaming for your opinion and to see me in it! And while you're at it, you can have some beers with the boys, to show them that you can be a normal man for once and listen to the Etiennes play wonderful music. Doesn't that sound good?'

'Maybe some other time,' said Leon, 'Now if you would excuse me, I have plans and they don't involve talking to you. I have to get home to Mama to help her with dinner.'

'Oh, your mother!' sneered Martine, hoping to impress Amandine, ' Madame Independent, too good to work with the ladies in the dress shop, because she doesn't like their snooty attitudes? Someone needs to take her down a peg or two, that quirky weirdo!'

'How dare you talk about my mother in that horrible way!' shouted Leon. Unfortunately for Martine, Amandine was not impressed with her remark and hoping to win Leon's favour, said,

'Yeah, Martine, how dare you badmouth my future mother-in-law! What is wrong with you? Maybe I ought to take you down a peg!' she said, hitting Martine on the head.

Fed up with Amandine and not wanting to stay in the village any longer, Leon was finally able to head home.

'What's wrong with him?' said Pierre, as he had watched the scene and Leon rejecting Amandine.

'He's crazy,' Francois said.

'No, he's not, he knows what's up with her,' Jean-Luc said, but quietly, for he was also not impressed by Amandine, but as he had to do, act like he did.

'She's beautiful!' Henri, Beauden and Stephane said together.

'You know, Amandine, I don't think Leon likes you,' said Martine, as she and Amandine watched him walk down the path to his cottage,

'Oh, he does alright,' Amandine replied, 'He's just playing hard to get, that's all.

So be it, it only makes me want him more. Mark my words, Martine, by the end of the week, I'll be Leon's wife!'

Amandine was determined to make good on her promise and she didn't care what she had to do or who she hurt to ensure that she got it. For she always got what she wanted and Leon would be no exception.

So there you go, a relative of Gaston lives in the village and is just like him in many ways. This was a fun chapter to write, sorry if it's a bit long and you get to meet Leon's mother, Madeleine in the next chapter.

Thanks to those who read and reviewed and Happy New Year!