Belle and Adam, with Chaux hiding among Belle's dress, went downstairs and told the servants about the letter. The servants were wondering how they found out about the letter, but Belle and Adam didn't tell them how. After telling the servants, Belle and Adam spent time together discussing what else they should do for their wedding, while Chaux went off to get Lady Lydia and Lady Veronica. Once nightfall came, Adam and Belle separated because nighttime meant training. Belle remained outside with Lady Temps while Adam went to his room to meet with his mother. When Adam did meet up with his mother, she told him that she didn't need to train him tonight and what Chaux told her.
"I don't think Belle will ever be her normal self until you or her mother talks to her." Adam said, in his moth form.
"Well, hearing what's going on, both of us should talk to her." Lydia said.
"We might as well see what's going on with her." Adam said, Lydia just nodded her head. Both of them left Adam's room and went outside. When they got outside, all they saw was Lady Temps, standing near the fountain.
"Lydia, it's nice to see you." Lady Temps said.
"You too, Empress." Lydia answered.
"So...what brings you and your son down here?" Lady Temps asked.
"Is Belle around?" Adam asked, Lady Temps just pointed over to a hedge.
"I wouldn't go over there...if I were you, Adam." She said.
"Why not?" he asked, Lady Temps gave him a look that said 'do I really need to tell you"?
"Empress," Lydia said, "may I speak to you...privately?"
"Is it that important?" she asked, Lydia nodded her head 'yes'. "Very well then, I believe your son will behave himself." Adam was surprised from hearing Lady Temps thought he wouldn't behave himself around Belle. Lydia and Lady Temps walked over to the balcony while Adam went over to the hedge bush.
"Belle?"
"Something was telling me that you were coming down here." Belle said, still hiding behind the hedge.
"Forgive me for intruding, Belle."
"Don't worry," she said, "I'm just getting ready. Let me guess, Chaux told your mother?"
"She did. Mother said she is willing to talk with you about it. Chaux hasn't been back yet, so I guess she's trying to talk to your mother."
"If there's anything I don't want to see, it's my mother being sick from wine." Belle said as she came out of the hedge, but when she did, Adam didn't recognize her because Belle was no longer human. What Adam was seeing...was a big deer staring at him eye level.
"Is this...your sorceress form?" Adam asked, still staring at her.
"Yes, it's a little strange getting used to." Belle answered through her deer mouth. Belle was actually a white deer, her fur all over her deer body was white, except her feet. Her legs, from the hooves to the middle, was a lime green color; the hooves were a brown-soil color. She also had antlers coming out of her head, there was little vines tangled in them with little blue flowers growing.
"I don't mean to be staring at you, Belle." Adam said, still looking over Belle's deer body.
"I know." She said. "You're giving me the same look I gave you when I first saw your moth form, so I don't blame you for giving me that look back. Lady Temps says that I might be a reindeer."
"Well, in either form, you're still Belle to me." He said, Belle smiled.
"Thanks." She said. Then the two of them heard footsteps coming their way, they looked over and saw Lady Lydia coming their way.
"Mother, is something wrong?"
"No," Lydia answered. "Lady Temps left to deal with an important matter."
"Oh, then...I don't need to be in this form." Belle said, she then started to turn back to the hedge.
"You might as well stay in that form." Lydia said.
"Why?" Belle asked as she turned around. Just then, there was a pop and the wind started to really pick up. A little twister of sparkles and light green powder came and went around Belle. It vanished behind the hedge and the wind died down.
"What was that?" Adam asked.
"The answer to Belle's question." Lydia said. Belle and Adam looked over at the hedge and saw Lady Veronica come out from behind the bush. She had her left hand over her mouth.
"Mother, what's wrong?" Belle asked.
"I can smell it from here." Lydia whispered under her breath.
"Smell what?" Adam whispered.
"Alcohol" She whispered. "Veronica's been in her precious wine stash."
"I'm not deaf, Lydia." Veronica said, removing her hand from her mouth. When she did, that's when the smell of alcohol reached Adam and Belle's noses. "I may be unhappy at the moment, but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to be there for my daughter when she needs me the most."
"Mother, what have you been drinking?" Belle said, using one of her hooves to rub her nose.
"Wine, some of my good stuff." Veronica answered, "Before we have our discussion, may I ask Adam to leave?"
Adam just nodded his head and went back inside the castle, he wasn't going to argue with Belle's mother when she's been drinking a lot of wine. After Adam left, Veronica rubbed her face with her hands.
"Veronica, are you sure that this is a good idea to have this discussion when you've been drinking?"
"Don't argue with me, Lydia. I'm not in the mood, I'm here to help my daughter."
"I don't know if you'll be helpful when you've been drinking." Belle said.
"Belle, I can pay attention under worse conditions than what I'm under now. Your mother is much more stronger than she appears."
"I'm not doubting my mother, I just hope that you'll pay attention."
"Chaux told me what's going on." Veronica said, "I should go to that village and kill the man."
"Veronica, you darn well that we can't kill anyone unless they try to kill us." Lydia said.
"What's your excuse?" Veronica asked, "You killed your husband."
"He was going to kill either me or Adam! I wasn't to let him take either one of our lives." Lydia pushed, "If Maurice did that to you and Belle, you would've killed him too."
"Don't say that in front of my daughter!" Veronica argued.
"Neither of you are helping!" Belle shouted, Lydia and Veronica looked at her. "I mean it, the two of you need to push this aside!"
"I'm sorry." Veronica said after taking a deep breath, "You're right, let's get back on focus. I still say I should kill that man."
"If you want my advice, Belle, I do think Chaux is right." Lydia said, "He's obsessed with you."
"Anton's been after me ever since I bumped into him by accident. His half-brother, Gaston, didn't come after me until a little after Anton's father tried to get my father to do an arranged marriage."
"If Maurice said anything about that..."
"He didn't want to do it, mama. Papa didn't do it because he knew what Anton had tried to do to me. He attacked me once when I turned fifteen and he tried to attack me again not to long ago. What happens if he finds me again and...he actually does it that time?"
"Believe me, my daughter, I had the exact thoughts when that male friend of mine tried to do the same thing to me."
"The one...Lydia saved you from?"
"Yep, the very one." Veronica answered, "The same thoughts went through my head and I was just as scared as you were, but I realized that the more I think about it, the more power he had over me. So...I was left with two decisions."
"Which were what?" Bell asked.
"Either we could loathe about it and let it bother us for the rest of our lives." Lydia said.
"Or we could pick ourselves up and try and get past it." Veronica added, "I admit that it is the hardest thing to do, but what would rather have? Your mind swirling around about the man that attacked you and let him have control over you...or...have your freedom?" Belle turned her head and thought about what her mother and Lydia said; she realized that they really did have a point. Every single time she thought about the worry of him attacking a third time was giving him attention and Belle figured as long as she fed him that attention, Anton had power over her.
"I used to be independent." Belle said, "I want that back more than anything else. I have to stop letting him control me."
"You've got us, your father, Aunt Celia, your cousin, that's for sure." Veronica said.
"You also got my son and our servants." Lydia added, "You even have Rouge and...our Empress, when needed."
"Well, no matter what happens, my daughter, you have us to help you...and protect you."
"I see that now, Adam's been telling me that for a long time and...I was too scared to open myself back up because of what Anton has tried to do."
"Bring that wall down, Belle." Lydia said, "You can't keep it up to block everyone, not everyone is out to harm you...and I believe my son proves my point, doesn't he?"
"Yes, he does." Belle said as she nodded her head and smiled. "Thank you...to both of you for your help."
"You're my daughter; you're supposed to have help from your mother."
"You're my mother; you're also allowed to let your daughter help you." Belle said, "Chaux told me about what you saw...and why you smell of wine."
"She did, did she?" Veronica asked.
"Yes, you still need to tell papa about you." Belle added, "He doesn't know anything about you because no one has told him or Tintement about you. You have to tell him and let him see you!"
"I know; I need not to let my revive bother me and keep me from the man I love." Veronica said, "Before I forget anything, I brought this down for you." She held out her arms and Belle saw the lime green dress with the blood-red cloak that Lady Temps made for her. "I know that the fur is covering your body; I thought I might as well get you something to wear."
"Thank you, mother." Belle said as she took the dress through her mouth. She took the dress and went behind the hedge to change. Veronica and Lydia just stayed away from the bush while Belle was changing. Lydia just looked around, but when she did, she ended up catching Adam spying on the three of them. She saw him on the balcony of his room. Adam knew that he was caught when he saw his mother smiling at him; he also saw her curl her fingers, telling him to come down there.
"We've got somebody watching us." Lydia said, Veronica just looked at her as Belle came out from behind the bush, wearing the lime green dress and back in her human form. Just then, Belle looked up and saw Adam flying down at them. When Adam got to the ground, his fur was hiding it, but he was very embarrassed that he was caught spying on them. Before anyone could say anything, the wind started to pick up again. Belle saw another small twister coming near them, but this small twister was white. When the wind died down, the twister disappeared and in its place...was Lady Temps.
"Empress, you're back." Lydia said.
"Yes, I needed to take care of something. That's why I left." Lady Temps said, but there was the sound of irritation in her voice. "Trust me, it's something that should bother you, but there's another reason on why I'm back and...I need to talk to Adam and Belle...privately." Lydia and Veronica looked at each other and decided to listen to Lady Temps. They turned around and went inside the castle.
"Lady Temps...is something wrong?" Belle asked.
"No, nothing is wrong, but I have a question for you, Belle." Lady Temps said, "When you were still living in that village, did you notice...anything strange or out of the ordinary?"
"Meaning what?" Belle asked.
"You didn't feel anything strange as you walked through the town?"
"No, ma'am." Belle answered, Lady Temps just nodded her head.
"I just wanted to ask that. Now the real reason that I'm back is because I have something to give the two of you." Adam and Belle looked at each other and then they saw Lady Temps taking out two cases. The case Belle received was long rectangle and the the case Adam received was a large square. Belle decided to open hers first, inside the case she found a sword. "It's the infamous Rose Blade." Lady Temps said, "It's a legendary sword in the world of magic and it's been waiting for the next owner. It's only used by a magical being with the power of Spring. Belle, you're the only one who fits that description. Pull the Blade out."
Belle grabbed the handle and pulled out the Rose Blade out of its sheath, she stared at the colorful sword. Half of the blade was red and the other half was pink, the handle was a lime green color with a small chain of leaves with a rose on each end. "Lady Temps, I'm not a fighter. I don't know how to use a sword." Belle said as she put the Blade back in its sheath.
"Don't worry, once you learn how it's used, you'll be able to protect yourself. Now Adam, open yours." Adam open his square case and inside was a pair of fingerless-gloves with four sharp daggers coming out of them like claws. The daggers were the same green color as Adam's fur on his moth form, but the fingerless gloves were black like his tiny scales on his butterfly form. "Now these are the Silk Dagger Claws, you just put them on and remove them like you would with gloves. The Daggers can magically hide inside the gloves until the owner needs them. They are called the 'Silk Dagger Claws' because the gloves they hide in is made of silk."
"Lady Temps, like Belle, I'm not really a fighter." Adam said as he touched the gloves.
"As I told her, once you learn how to use them, you will be able to protect yourself." Lady Temps repeated, "The Rose Blade and the Silk Dagger Claws have been waiting a very long time for new owners to wield them. They are sometime picky about their owners, but not only is Belle a deer sorceress with the power of Spring and, you, Adam are a moth sorcerer with the powers of silk, you were able to touch and wield them. That alone is proof enough that the two of you are their new owners. I will also tell you that these weapons will hide from humans, even become invisible, but if you are in danger, they will reveal themselves and their power. You won't any kind of weapons like this in this world, only in mine, so all I ask from the two of you that you take care of these weapons and yourselves."
"Don't worry, Lady Temps." Belle said calmly, "We will."
"All right then. Well, I think the two of you should get some sleep. I need to take both of your mothers for a discussion, don't worry, it won't be here." Adam closed his case and bowed to Lady Temps; she just smiled and bowed back. The three of them went inside the castle; when they found Veronica and Lydia, they and Lady Temps disappeared.
"Belle." Adam said, "Can I have the honer of taking you back to your room?"
"You could, but..." Belle sighed as she smiled at him, "if it's okay with my lovable moth prince, may we...spend the night together?"
"Hmm, your lovable moth prince, huh?" Adam chuckled, "Well, my beautiful deer bride, I don't think there will be any harm in that, but there is one condition."
"Mmm, what might that be?" Belle asked sneakingly, just then, Adam grabbed her and picked her up in his furry arms, with one arm under back and the other under the knees.
"This." He smiled, Belle smiled back, put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Nothing could express what Adam was feeling, he thought that Belle, his independent Belle, was back.