'Katrine, you surely can't be serious!' Cogsworth said. He and the servants were gathered in the den, discussing plans to bring Leon and Rose together when Katrine had suggested her idea that her aunt had told her about.

'There's absolutely no way that we can plan a ball in the limited time we have! Don't you realise that balls require a lot of hard work and planning and I'm not certain that the mistress will be comfortable with hosting one!' he said.

'But I think it is a wonderful idea to bring the mistress and Leon together,' said Katrine, who had more or less anticipated Cogsworth's reaction and rolled her eyes at him, 'There's certainly a spark between them.'

All the others nodded and agreed, for Rose and Leon's close friendship did not go unnoticed by the servants and they could see it for themselves that the two were falling in love, not that they realised it yet.

'Yes, they are practically inseparable and the love they have for each other, that is waiting to come out, is in their eyes,' Babette sighed dreamily, 'If only they would admit it.'

'And what better way for them to declare their love to each other with a romantic ball?' said Katrine.

'Ah oui, mademoiselle Katrine, along with a romantic dinner and music by candlelight, provided by myself, of course,' said Lumiere.

'It truly is a brilliant idea, Katrine,' said Mrs Potts, 'and I can remember singing that beautiful song, watching Belle and Adam dance together so beautifully. I can just see Leon and the mistress doing the same thing and I would love to sing it again to them.'

'I don't know about that,' said George, 'I mean, she never really enjoyed being the centre of attention and we can't just go around and lay their lives out for them, willy-nilly.'

'George, they have practically come together on their own, without our help,' said Katrine, 'and I am just suggesting the idea of a ball, we don't really have to do anything other than clean the ballroom and prepare all the necessary things.'

'But what if she refuses? And the boy might do the same since he is not used to going to such occasions, he is a simple village boy after all. Not to mention some bad experiences she has had at balls.' George said.

'You mean the times those princes and their mothers offered her marriage proposals when she was four?' said Babette.

'Or when those noble ladies kept picking her up and hugging her, cooing over how cute and beautiful she was which made her cry?' said Rebecca.

'Oh, isn't ze princess so adorable? She's such a little darling, a perfect wife for my dear son! Isn't she cute? I just want to take her home and hug her!' she then said, imitating the ladies, which made everyone but Cogsworth laugh.

'What is with everyone doing silly imitations around here?' he said.

'Great imitation, Becks, you really sounded like those silly old bats!' Remy said.

'Thanks, Remy,' Rebecca replied.

'Or when she was six and her parents were hosting that totally boring ball where everything didn't go according to plan..' Remy then said.

'Don't remind me, it was a total disaster and poorly organised and it was when she was just recovering from that dreadful influenza that nearly killed her, so she wasn't really up for it,' said Cogsworth, shuddering at the memory.

'Anyway, she ate too much rich food and drank too much rose water, even though her mother told her not to, because she had just had that flu and that stuffy old bat from Versailles, who was giving everyone grief anyway, picked her up, even though she was feeling queasy and the mistress threw up on her!' said Remy, laughing.

'Don't you remember, it was hilarious, especially when she made such a BIG deal out of it and said...' Remy cleared his throat and did what he thought was a good impression of the cross and disagreeable woman,

'That little beast just dirtied my new and very expensive dress! What sort of a kingdom is this when the princess heaves up her dinner on nobles?'

Remy was a terrible mimic, but it sent Rebecca into fits of laughter, which she quickly hid and Chip and Lumiere also joined in.

'I never realised how funny Remy is,' she said to herself. 'I wonder why I didn't see it before.'

'It was funny, I have to say. That woman sure was a miserable old bat,' said Chip, 'and poor Rose was feeling sick already, so she got what she deserved!' which earned him a stern stare from his mother.

'The poor dear, she really didn't like that. Those ladies should've known better than to leave her alone and Belle did warn her not to eat too much rich food, since she was just getting over that terrible illness and was still feeling weak and dizzy,' Mrs Potts said.

'But then again, she's never really liked being the centre of attention and that disagreeable woman was causing trouble and misery for us, so she did kind of brought it on herself by picking up a little girl who was not entirely healthy.'

'Like I said before,' said George, 'so really, why would this ball with the boy be any different?

'Because, George, it'll be just the two of them and they can just be themselves without prying eyes looking down on them, well, apart from us of course, but we'll watch them with pride and admiration. I think it's the best idea for them to declare their love and break the spell.' Katrine said.

'I suppose so, it'll make them more comfortable if it's just them,' said George.

'After all, it's what you did during the first enchantment to bring the mistress's parents together and it worked, didn't it? Because although I wasn't there, Aunt Estelle told me about it, as she tells me everything.' Katrine said.

'Well, Katrine, your aunt didn't tell you the whole story,' said Lumiere.

'Why, what else happened?' said Katrine.

'Yes, it was a wonderful evening, but Belle had learnt that her father was sick, so the master let her leave to go to his side and it led to Adam being heartbroken at her departure, Gaston and his mob invading and attacking us and stabbing the master!' Lumiere said.

'But you managed to fight off the mob and Belle declared her love for him and the spell was broken,' Katrine replied.

'And it all came up roses from there, well, apart from the attempted regicide, the mistress nearly dying from influenza and us being turned into enchanted objects, the masters into stone statues and her into a beast due to an innocent mistake of picking an enchanted rose.

The past is in the past and it'll be different for Leon and the mistress. I know it'll work and besides, in case you haven't noticed, the rose is wilting faster each day and time is slipping from us like sand.

Do you want to be human again or live out the rest of your lives as motionless objects?' she then said.

Everyone shook their heads. Although some had managed to avoid it the first time, there was always the possibility that it wouldn't be second time lucky and they didn't want that to happen.

And they did love the idea of having a ball again that had worked well for them in the past, barring Belle's departure, the mob invading and Adam being stabbed and they saw no reason why they couldn't do it again for Rose and Leon.

'Then, it's settled, we will have a ball for Leon and the mistress,' said Cogsworth and Katrine smiled in relief that her plan was about to come into action.

'But please remember, we have so much to do beforehand and we need to co-operate and work together without arguing!

The ballroom needs to be dusted and cleaned, not to mention the whole castle and we'll need decorations, a menu for dinner, the rose candles need to be lit, since her eighteenth birthday is coming up soon..'

'Now Cogsworth, let's not get too carried away here. I know you're itching to give us orders, but there's no need to overdo it. We will all pitch in and do our fair share and without FIGHTING of course!' Lumiere said, looking at some guilty servants who had gotten into many fights when it came to preparing for balls.

'Mademoiselle Rebecca and I will provide dinner and candle light, of course and it'll be the grandest we've had in years; Amelie and Raymond will do the decorations..'

'Provided, that fussy, cross woman, Angelique, who I hate like poison and always gives me grief when it comes to decorating and tries to tell me how to do my job, won't be helping me, of course!' Amelie said, pulling a face.

She and Angelique had never gotten along, ever since she arrived at the castle as the decorator had felt her job was threatened, although Amelie was an artist and made things and painted rooms rather than hang them up and always fought with each other when it came to decorating.

They were just a bad combination and all too often, they had to begrudgingly apologise to each other after having their fights broken up by Adam, Cogsworth and Raymond, who didn't like conflict and seeing his wife engage in it.

'I'm just glad she only comes out at Christmas, so she won't be annoying me! Doesn't she realise that I'm THE ARTIST who MAKES the decorations and she only hangs them up on the walls and yet she thinks that SHE should do it!

It doesn't work like that, sweetie and you can just stay put in that dark trunk in the attic as a stupid Christmas angel who only sees the light of day ONCE A YEAR!' Amelie said.

'Are you quite done, Amelie?' said Lumiere, 'and just be thankful that your daughter is out with the mistress and Leon, so that she can't hear you badmouthing the woman I..once loved!'

He noticed the dirty look Babette was giving him, for she had hated Angelique too, not because of clashes between styles of art and decorating, but by having been one of Lumiere's lovers.

'But don't worry, Babette, ma cherie, you are the only one I love now,' he said and the feather duster smiled and kissed him in forgiveness.

'Yes, I am, please carry on,' Amelie said, 'Pay no heed to my ranting about a woman I hate with a passion!'

'You and Raymond will provide the decorations and the candles, Katrine will… what are you going to do, mademoiselle Katrine?

The mistress and the boy will need suitable clothes to wear for this occasion and the only garments we have for a grand ball like this belong to her parents and they are at least ten years out of date! And where are we going to find a new, fashionable suit and ball gown at such short notice?' Lumiere said.

'Oh, don't worry about that, Lumiere, I've got that sorted,' Katrine said, with a sly look on her face, 'I won't say anything more, as I want it to be a secret. You'll see closer to the time, but rest assured you, I have it under control.'

She winked at Rebecca, who was the only one who knew about it and she was silently grateful that the materials she had needed for the outfits arrived yesterday and that no awkward questions were asked and she had already been hard at work on them.

'I'll take your word for it, mademoiselle Katrine, you seem to know what you are doing,' said Lumiere, who winked at the mannequin, who giggled.

'Now, there's just one thing we have to do now,' said Cogsworth, 'and that is to convince the mistress to actually have the ball.

As George mentioned before, she may not be comfortable with hosting one, having never done it before and she may find it overwhelming and worry about it and the possibility of the boy refusing to come, like he did with that dinner weeks back.'

'I'll talk to her, Cogsworth,' said Katrine, 'I had dropped a few hints to her about it a few nights back when I brought her clothes and helped her with her hair and she seemed to be interested. If there's anyone that can convince her to do something, it's me, her handmaid and I can assure you it'll go down well like a good wine.

And I'm certain that Leon would not refuse to go this time. He and the mistress clearly adore each other, he's no longer afraid of her and they do enjoy each other's company now. I'm certain that he and the mistress will come together as one and confess their love, as it is like a rose, still a bud but blossoming into the beautiful flower that it is.'

'That's lovely, Katrine,' said George, 'you do use such beautiful philosophy,' while grinning sheepishly, with Remy mouthing, 'You like her, Georgie!' and making mock-vomit noises.

'Cut that out, Remy, I was just complementing her! It's not what it looks like!' George said.

'Why thank you, George,' said Katrine, 'I had no idea you liked my metaphors and philosophy.'

'Oh, I do, Katrine,' said George, 'I also l..l…l..'

'Anyway, I'll talk to the mistress tonight about the ball,' said Katrine, before George could finish his sentence.

'I'll come with you, Katrine, you may need moral support, just in case the mistress refuses,' said Rebecca.

'I will too,' said Babette.

'And everyone else can do the jobs that I have assigned, starting with the clean-up of the castle and ballroom, which we can do...' Cogsworth said.

'Tomorrow!' said Remy, 'I mean, why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?'

'That's lazy person talk,' said Chip, 'like you, Remy,'

'Watch it, Chippendale, or you'll get another chip on your rim,' muttered Remy.

'I'd like to see you try,' said Chip.

'As I was saying, we shall commence our ball preparations tomorrow when Katrine has talked to the mistress and everyone is expected to do their fair share and work together, not getting into silly arguments or fighting.

Half of you will do the East Wing, half of you will do the West Wing and the rest will do the ballroom and any rooms that need to be cleaned and dusted. Is that clear?' said Cogsworth, resuming authority.

'As clear as crystal, Cogsie, o great majordodo who is tightly wound as a spring!' said Remy, in a mocking manner, which made Rebecca giggle again.

'I'll pretend that I didn't hear that,' said Cogsworth, getting fed up with the washboard, as everyone else muttered their yeses and promises of not arguing and working together, as they left the den to resume their duties.

Katrine was smiling to herself as she went on her way to her workroom to continue working on Rose and Leon's ball outfits, that her plan was going to work and that it had been well-received and the material that she spent her entire life savings on had arrived in good time.

And George, although she wouldn't admit it, had a crush on, that Rebecca wasn't the only one who had a secret love, complemented her on her philosophy.

She knew that this ball would be the best idea she had thought of. She just had to convince Rose that it was, to bring her and her true love together.

However, the moment was spoiled when she, yet again, got stuck in the doorway and by now, she was getting quite sick of it and couldn't wait until she was human again, so that she wouldn't keep on calling out,

'Little help?' whenever she got stuck.

'I'll be more than glad to be human again, if it means that I won't be getting STUCK like a fly in a spider's web every time I try to go through those blasted, narrow doorways!' she muttered, as she waited patiently for someone to push her out.

'You want me to..host a ball?' Rose said, later that night when Katrine, along with Rebecca and Babette entered her room, trying not to wince at the debris that littered the floor and the decapitated ragdolls and smashed porcelain dolls.

'We were discussing it, while you and Leon were out with the horses and we thought that it would be a wonderful idea for you two to come together and declare your love for each other!' said Katrine, 'just like your parents did.'

'And I can remember you being in the spotlight, impressing even the stiffest and stuffiest nobles with your beauty, charm and manners and everyone wanting to see you and dancing with your father, standing on his feet and everyone saying that you looked so adorable and cute and you wearing the most beautiful ball gowns.' Babette said.

'But I have no idea how to host a ball!' said Rose, ' I was so nervous back then, that I couldn't walk into the room without holding Papa's hand and some of them were dull affairs, like meeting those horrible princes and their mothers, who were offering me marriage proposals.

Those horrid ladies who kept picking me up and squeezing me so tight that I couldn't breathe and that particular ball, where I had just only recovered from that flu and ate and drank too much and throwing up on that horrible noble woman from Versailles, who called me a 'little beast'.

What if I do the same with Leon? I've forgotten how to dance, how to behave at balls and he'll probably refuse to come, since he only likes me as a friend and I'm worried that I'll look like a fool in front of him.

Not to mention that I haven't got anything to wear for a ball!'

'Don't get your frillies in a knot, Mistress, we'll take care of everything,' said Katrine, reassuringly, 'All you have to do is invite him and just be yourself, that's what's important. Who knows, this may lead to something special, like declaring your love for him.'

'And you care very much for Leon, don't you?' said Rebecca, 'I may be just an assistant cook with little experience in relationships, but I can tell Leon is more than just a friend. We can all see it in your eyes, Mistress, there is a spark between you two.'

'Oh, yes I do, he's the best friend I ever had but that's all he sees in me, just a friend. I don't think he will ever love me. After all, who could ever love a hideous beast?' Rose said, slumping on her bed.

'Leon can' said Babette, 'He loves you very much, Mistress, he just doesn't realise it yet and now that the rose is wilting faster,' as the rose suddenly glowed and another petal fell, 'there's no better time to confess to your true love with a romantic ball, just like your parents did.'

'And it's only the two of you, so it's not like you're in front of two hundred people, so you can just relax and have fun. What do you say, Mistress, will you have the ball?' Katrine said.

Rose thought about it for a moment. Yes, a ball would be perfect for her and Leon to have fun and to dance, even if neither of them were very good at it, wearing a beautiful ball gown that her mother had promised her and confess her love for him.

It had been growing stronger inside her ever since the day she gave him the library and without any prying or disapproving eyes watching, apart from the servants, it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

And with Leon giving her the courage and patience to get over her nervousness and self-consciousness, Rose couldn't see any reason not to, especially since her dear servants have gone into all this trouble to help bring them together and to free them from the curse that they certainly didn't deserve and she had faith in them to organise every little detail, down to the very last thread.

Seeing the anticipation of her answer in the faces of Katrine, Rebecca and Babette, Rose took a deep breath and said,

'Yes, we will have the ball, because I'll take your word for it and I have faith in you,' to the delight of the mannequin, ragdoll and featherduster who whooped and cheered at hearing the good news.

'Oh, Mistress, everyone is going to be so excited!' said Babette, 'Another wonderful ball is about to take place, just like it did with your parents!'

'That's great, Mistress and don't you worry, we'll do all the work in preparing for this special night. All you have to do is to invite Leon to be your guest and hopefully, he will accept!' Katrine said, beaming with delight.

'Of course, he will!' said Babette, 'He truly cares for the mistress now that she's herself again and this will definitely lead to something special.'

'And there won't be any sleazy princes and noble ladies to give you unwanted hugs and to throw up on!' said Rebecca, which made everyone laugh.

'Thank you all so much for this,' said Rose, embracing her loyal and dear servants who had been like big sisters and an aunt to her, 'I only hope that Leon will come. He may not have ever gone to a ball before and he'll find it overwhelming.'

'I'm sure he will, if you ask him nicely, like the lady that you are inside, the princess who everyone loved and adored and will be again, once you break the spell.' Katrine said, as she, Rebecca and Babette left, pushing her out of the doorway when she yet again got stuck.

'So I won't get stuck in doorways again!' Katrine called out, while Rose giggled to herself and listened to them excitedly discussing their plans about the ball and how excited they were about bringing her and Leon together.

Rose was pondering what she was getting herself into by agreeing to host a ball, that she had never done before, yet she couldn't help but smile about the idea of dancing with Leon in the ballroom, with the boy she had now deeply fallen in love with, enjoying a romantic evening together and when the time was right, would confess her love for him.

But there was a nagging thought in her mind that she couldn't shake off, as she looked at the wilting rose, ever reminding her that time was fast running out and whispered,

'Will he ever love me?'