"Very well then." Belle said as she saw her mother pull out a rainbow-colored wand out of her robes. Veronica waved the wand like a knife cutting something. Just then, a hole appeared, Veronica put her wand back in her robes and she and Lydia walked through the hole.
Belle watched the hole close up when her mother and Lydia walked through it. Seeing what her mother could do...made Belle think about what her mother told her, about becoming a sorceress or remain a human. It made her think back to a certain story, about a mermaid deciding to become a human or stay as a mermaid. Belle couldn't keep the thought out of her head, she wondered how this could affect her life and her future.
Just then, there was a knock on the library doors. Belle snapped out of her thoughts and went to the door, she opened it to see Mrs. Potts standing there.
"Hello dearie." She said.
"Hello Mrs. Potts." Belle replied, "How are you?"
"I'm doing fine," Mrs. Potts answered, "staying busy. I just came to look for you, your father wants to talk to you."
"Oh, do you know where he is?"
"He was out near the stalls, last I checked." Mrs. Potts said.
"Thank you. I'll go see him now." Belle said as she closed the library doors behind her. Mrs. Potts just nodded her head and left as Belle towards another direction. She went past the front entrance and went out through the main doors. As soon as Belle got outside, she felt the warm spring wind as she looked up into the blue sky. The sunlight also gave her a very warm feeling.
Belle walked over to the stables, she saw her father, Maurice, leaning against the building. He seemed to be in such deep thought as she approached him.
"Papa?" she said, Maurice jerked his head up when he heard his daughter's voice.
"Belle," he said, "I was wondering when you would show up." Belle saw the smile on her father's face, but his voice seemed worried.
"Um...Mrs. Potts said you wanted to talk?" Belle asked.
"Yes, I did. If I knew my way around this large castle, I would've found you myself." Maurice made a small chuckle at that remark, Belle did a small giggle when she heard her father's chuckle.
"So...what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Belle asked.
"It...still hasn't hit me that...that boy asked your hand in marriage." Maurice explained, "If your mother was around...she would be proud of you...especially when...Gaston tried to force you."
"Don't bring him up, papa." Belle said.
"I don't blame you." Maurice added, "Anyway, to the point I was trying to get, we've been here for a few days, but...we need to go back to the village." Belle's face immediately dropped, "Just hear me out, Belle, I know that village hasn't been keen of us ever since we've moved there, but all of our belongings are in that cottage, including items that..."
"Belonged to mother." Belle finished, "I already know...that we need to go back. It's just...I really don't want to go back after what they tried to do to you and...Gaston almost killed Adam."
"If we work together, we'll be able to gather all our belongings in three days." Maurice said, "We can do it." Belle looked at her father and smiled.
"I need to tell Adam," she added, "he won't like this at all, but...I think he'll understand once I tell him why."
"Go find him." Maurice said with a smile. Belle turned away from the stables and headed back inside the castle.
As Belle walked through the castle, she wondered how Adam was going to take about her going back to her old home, but she defiantly knew that he wouldn't like it one little bit. As Belle was rounding the corner of a hallway, she saw Cogsworth, hiding in a statue's shadow. He looked like he was having a panic attack as he was wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. Belle called out his name.
"Cogsworth?" He jumped when he heard his name. When he turned around and saw Belle, he quickly calm down and came out of hiding.
"Mademoiselle, thank heavens it's only you." Cogsworth said, Belle could hear...and see...that he was very flustered.
"Are you okay?" Belle said as she walked up to him.
"No, not entirely." He answered, "I was just trying to help him and...I've never seen him so angry and upset. He always loved his cousin, what changed his mind?"
"I may not know the answer to that," Belle said, "but would you happen to know...where he might be?"
"Mademoiselle, there's only one place he goes whenever he loses his temper." Cogsworth answered, Belle knew where that was.
"Then that's where I'll go." She said.
"Uh, you might wait until he calms down!" Cogsworth warned.
"It's...somewhat important." Belle said as she turned away, "I think he'll understand."
As Belle walked towards the West Wing, she thought about how to tell Adam about her leaving. She painfully remembered the last time she left; it made Adam so upset. Upset wasn't the word, he was so heart-broken when Belle left to help her father. It also almost cost Adam his life, she stopped at the stairs as the painful memory came to her; the mob taking her father, showing the Beast's image in the mirror, being locked in the cellar, seeing the Beast at Gaston's feet, reaching out to him, Gaston stabbing him and slipping off to the ravine and the Beast dying in her arms. She couldn't help but feel the painful stab in her heart whenever that memory came up in her mind, she felt like it was her fault that her Beast almost died.
As Belle felt tears sliding off her cheeks, she suddenly heard music. Belle raised her head and opened her eyes; the music was coming from the West Wing. She walked up the stairs and she continued to listen the music. She guessed that the music was coming from some kind of string instrument, but she also knew that it wasn't coming from a piano.
As she approached the doors to the West Wing, she saw that the door was partly opened. Belle peeked in, there was Adam sitting on the balcony ledge. She opened the door wider and went inside, Belle saw that Adam was playing a violin. Adam didn't notice that Belle was in his room because his eyes were closed as he was playing his violin. Belle thought she hadn't heard such beautiful music; she closed her eyes and listened. The music helped her push away the painful memories and bring thoughts of her wonderful future, together with Adam. She didn't know how long she had her eyes closed, nor did she care, Belle just wanted to listen to the violin.
Suddenly, the violin stopped. Belle quickly opened her eyes, just to see Adam standing in front of her. Belle started to turn scarlet red when she realized how silly she might have been listening to his violin.
"Hello Belle." Adam said as he smiled, Belle couldn't stop her face turning red.
"Hello...Adam." Belle stammered, "I didn't know...you could play the violin."
"Of course, I can. I wasn't able to when...I was the Beast." Adam explained, Belle could understand that his large paws and sharp claws would tear the violin to pieces if he tried to. "Now that I'm human again, I can now play it without fear of destroying it." Belle could sense how happy Adam seemed to be as he stared at his violin and placed it on his bed, she really didn't want to tell him that she had to go back to the village.
"This probably isn't a good time to talk to you, so I'll just..." Belle was trying to avoid talking about leaving so she turned towards the door, but as soon as she turned her back, she felt something grab her hand. She had a feeling that Adam would try to stop her from holding something back.
"I always have time for you, Belle." Adam said, "Tell me what might be the problem." Belle felt her stomach twisting in a knot as she turned back and looked at Adam. She took a deep breath and said;
"I know you're not going to like this...but...I need to go back to my old village." Adam froze when he heard that Belle was wanting to go back to her old home, he didn't want her to leave him again! Belle could see his blue eyes grow large, like puppy eyes, it was the same look he gave her when he let her go to her father. She saw the heart-broken look across his human face.
"Oh Adam," she said, trying to make him understand, "I don't to leave you again. I really don't, but...all my father's, my mother's and my belongings are still in that cottage. I...also would think it...would be proper for me to bring my my family's things here since...we're going to get married. I would think you would want my living here permanent, there's nothing more that I want more for us than..." Before Belle could say another word, Adam just grabbed her shoulders and held her close to him. Belle wasn't that surprised that Adam would do this, she knew that this was his way of saying never leaving him again...and that he loved her. She could hear his heartbeat, the same heartbeat she heard when she first danced with him, as she held him back. Belle could feel the sadness from him.
"I do understand why you need to go back," Adam said, "I just wish I could go with you."
"You can!" Belle said as she looked up at his face.
"No, I cannot." he said, "Not without Cogsworth making a big festive announcement about it. Even though he's been a clock for ten years, Cogsworth hasn't changed much."
"Maybe you can ask him not to do that...just this once." Belle said.
"I doubt it." Adam said, "He makes a big deal out of everything he does."
"Maybe not this time," she said, "you really scared him when you and him were talking."
"He told you?" he asked.
"No, I saw him on my way up here. Whatever you did almost gave him a panic attack."
"I really can't talk about it, Belle." Adam said, he turned his head and didn't say anything else after that.
"Is it about this cousin of yours?" Belle asked, Adam quickly snapped his head back at her. "I saw your reaction in the library, I don't need to get you upset again. I will say this...I am interested about your cousin, mainly because you never mentioned him, but as I said, I don't want to push you."
"I don't know what to do," he said, "Cogsworth is right, the only way I could accept my role as prince...is that a family member announces it and gives it to me...and Sagittarius is the only living family that I know I have."
"Maybe coming out of this castle may help your decision." she suggested, "I know you haven't left this castle in over ten years...maybe you should come with me." Adam knew that Belle spoke the truth, he hadn't left the castle in over ten years. Adam always wondered what was beyond the forest, but he couldn't leave without knowing that he wasn't human.
Adam released Belle and went to his bedroom door.
"Cogsworth!" he shouted, "I need to see you!" Belle smiled, even when Adam doesn't notice it, he sometimes still acts like the Beast she knew. Him shouting for Cogsworth was just another example.
They heard Cogsworth scampering up to the door, there was a knock.
"Enter!" Adam said, the door opened and Cogsworth walked in.
"You called, sire?" Cogsworth said.
"Yes," Adam answered, "Belle needs to go back to her old cottage to get her family's belongings."
"I'll gather the servants and ask for volunteers." Cogsworth said as he was heading to the door.
"Not so fast! I wasn't done!" Adam said, Cogsworth turned back to him. "I'm also going with Belle and her father. Don't even think about making this a big deal, Cogsworth!"
"But sire," Cogsworth said, "this would an opportunity to show that you want to accept the crown!"
"No buts!" Adam said, "I'm not ready for that yet! Do we understand each other?" Belle could sense that Adam was trying very hard not to yell at Cogsworth, but she saw his reaction to the crowd of servants. She had to agree with Adam, he was not ready for that kind of attention yet. Cogsworth took a deep breath and said;
"All right, sire. I won't do anything of the sort...this time."
"Thank you." Adam said, "Now go tell the servants, we'll be down in a little bit."
"Yes, master." Cogsworth said, "Mademoiselle." He bowed to Belle and left the room.
"You were right." Belle said once Cogsworth was gone, "He does like to make everything a big deal."
"He can't help himself." Adam said as he went over to his closet, "He thinks everything needs to be taken care of as soon as possible."
"What are you doing?" Belle asked as she watched Adam go through his clothes.
"If I'm going with you," he said, "I don't want to make a royal affair out of it. I'm not ready for those, so I'm trying to find some simple clothes."
"I'll help you." Belle said as she walked next to him. It took a while to gather some simple clothes because Adam had a lot of suits, but she managed to find a simple plum-purple jerkin with matching trousers.
After choosing some clothes for Adam, they went downstairs to find Cogsworth with three other servants, Lumiere being one of them.
"Sire," Lumiere said, "I, including with these two other servants, would like to go with you and the Mistress to help." Belle blushed when Lumiere said 'Mistress', she didn't think she should be called that.
"Thank you all," Belle said, "Where's my father?"
"He's helping with the other servants," Cogsworth said, "making sure there's enough to hold everything."
"Let's go then." Adam said. The six of them walked out to see four carriages, full of trunks, connected together with two horses at the reins. Lumiere and the two other servants got on three of the carriages while Adam helped Belle and Maurice get on the first one, where the horses were pulling first. Once everyone was seated, Belle snapped the reins, which told the horses to go forward. Adam saw all the servants waving good-bye, he couldn't help but wave back.
When the castle was out of sights, Adam turned back to the road ahead.
"So...how far is the village?" Adam asked, trying to get comfortable.
"About an hour's worth, at the pace we're going." Belle said, "We'll get there with enough time to get some work done, might as well try to get comfy until we get there." While Belle and Maurice kept their eyes on the road, Adam looked back to see Lumiere and the other two servants look all around them. He forgot that they haven't left the castle for ten years either. Adam also took in the new sights around him, spring was starting to surface and baby animals could be heard. He wondered if his worries about Belle's village was all for nothing, but he won't know until they got there.