Thanks to all my new favorites and followers! Seriously, when I get an email saying someone is now following, it makes my day :)
Sidenote: Rusé means "crafty" in French ;)
Gabriella sat with Leah in the darkness of the tavern, the only light provided by a small lantern as she met with an old family friend, Madame Rusé. She had been in business with her father for a while before she decided to start a new career. Leader of the asylum. It was a job she certainly loved. She enjoyed watching the crazies writhe around as they went more and more insane with each passing day.
"I don't usually leave my asylum this late, madam, but I was told that this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," she croaked out. Madame Rusé was quite old, but that didn't mean she was unfit to watch over the crazies. She had a slight hunched back and her skin was quite wrinkled with age. Her appearance was indeed frightening, especially to the crazies.
"You're right," Gabriella smiled. She pulled out a huge sack of cash she had taken from her father. All she had to do was give him her little pity eyes and he handed her whatever she wanted. Getting the money was easier than most things she wanted.
Madame Rusé smiled. "I'm listening."
Gabriella smiled again, having gotten her full attention. "Alright, here's what I have in mind. I want Beau as my husband, but he refuses. I don't know why. After all, I'm the girl everyone wants in this little village. So I need to…lean him in my direction so he sees things my way."
Leah laughed. "He turned her down flat and threw her in the mud!"
Gabriella glared at her and flipped the cup she was drinking from up in her face. The drink went all over her dress. She turned back to Madame Rusé. "Everyone believes his mother is out of her mind. She came in here tonight talking about a…a Beast or something in some kind of…castle, not to mention a talking teapot."
"Madame, Marguerite is harmless."
"Maybe so, but the thing is Beau would do anything to protect his little mother. Especially from being locked away. In an asylum."
"Yeah," Leah giggled. "Even marry someone he hates!"
Gabriella glared at her again and Leah spilled the drink on herself before Gabriella could do it.
"So," Madame Rusé said. "You want me to lock away little miss Marguerite in my asylum unless Beau becomes your husband."
Gabriella smiled and nodded.
"Darling, that's absolutely terrible and conniving." She laughed. "Of course I'll help you. Anything for my favorite girl."
Gabriella smiled. Beau was as good as hers.
Marguerite paced inside her house. She looked at a picture of Beau's father. "Oh, darling, if only you were here. You'd help me get Beau back from that monster." She sighed and began packing a bag. "I've got to try to get him out of there myself. This is all my fault anyway, and he doesn't deserve to be locked up for my problem!" She was hesitant going back up alone after what happened last time, but decided that Beau was more important than anything.
She quickly left the house into the snow and began her trek back to the castle on foot.
No sooner had she left when Gabriella arrived with Leah and Madame Rusé.
"Beau! Marguerite!" she called out to an empty house. "Hello?"
"Oh, well," Leah said. "Guess the whole plan isn't going to work."
Gabriella grabbed Leah by the arm. "They can't stay away forever. When they come back, we'll be ready to put the plan into action." Still holding onto Leah's arm, Gabriella left the house and went down the stairs. She released her at the bottom and ordered, "Stay here and inform me the second those two walk through that door."
"You mean out in the cold?"
"You have a jacket on. Just keep a lookout for them."
Leah groaned and leaned against the railing on the stairs. This was really starting to be a one-sided relationship.
Beau became much more comfortable to walk throughout the castle and talk with the Beast since their little adventure in the woods.
"You know," Beau said as he walked with the Beast through the halls. "I don't believe we ever properly introduced ourselves. I'm Beau." He held out his hand for her to shake.
She looked at it like it was something from outer space. Chandelle mimicked shaking hands with him, so that's what she did, her huge paw contrasting largely with his much smaller hand. "Lovely to meet you," she smiled.
"Do you have a name I can call you? It seems rather rude to keep referring to you as 'she', 'her', and 'Beast'."
She stared at him for a second. Was this boy really asking for her real name? She hadn't told her name to anyone in years. After all, all the servants addressed her as 'mistress' and no one else had come to the castle since the curse. "Um," she stammered. "It's, uh, Adrianna."
"That's a beautiful name," Beau smiled.
She might've blushed if her cheeks weren't covered in fur.
Beau took Phoenix on a little trek around the castle grounds, since the poor horse hadn't been able to walk around in too long. The snow glistened on the ground in a beautiful pure white, making the environment look much less terrifying than it usually did.
Adrianna watched with Chandelle and Cora on a balcony as Beau stroked the horse's head.
"I've never felt this way about anyone before. Even all those suitors who came to see me." Her parents had been determined to marry her off as soon as possible and had all sorts of men come to the castle in an effort to win over her affections and become her husband. She had been attracted to some of them, but that was nothing compared to what she felt for Beau. "I have to do something for him. Look at all he's done for me, and I've barely done anything." She looked at her companions. "What should I do?"
"Well, there's the usual things girls give to young men. Guns for hunting, a new hunting vest, hunting tools…" Cora thought.
"No, no, no," Chandelle said. "Haven't you paid any attention at all? Beau is not a hunter. This needs to be something really, really special…Wait a minute! I've got an idea!"