Adam looked a little concerned. "Katie, what is it?"
Katie offered a tiny smile of thanks to Lumiere. She then sobered. "Someone threw a rock through a window, and this note was attached... It says that 'you will pay for what you did to my brother'." she says, showing Adam the note.
Adam glanced curiously as he looked to it. "Hm..." he tried to think back once he saw the name. "I had a friend with a brother named Avenant... But... It can't be the same person..."
Lumiere tried to think back. "We had zhat match in zhe castle after Cerise and Belle left... Zhis Gaston fellow tried to do us in... He looked quite familiar, Master..."
Adam looked a little shocked and worried with that information. "Gaston fell after he tried to stab me... I almost died, but then Belle told me that she loved me and it lifted the curse."
"This must be Gaston's brother... He must blame you for Gaston's death." Katie says softly.
Adam's face paled. "Does it say when he'll strike?"
Lumiere glanced at the note, looking a little worried. He hoped that even evil would take a holiday and not invade on their Christmas party plans.
"Non, it doesn't." Katie says quietly.
"We better be very careful then..." Adam said, very strict, trying to hide his worry. "Lumiere, I want you to look out for anyone suspicious."
"Oui, monsieur." Lumiere promised, being protective.
Katie nodded her head.
"Katie, you can help if you want, but I don't want you to get hurt..." Adam said softly to Katie.
"What do you want me to do, I promise I will be very careful." Katie says, determined.
"I want you to stay safe," Adam said to her as he stood with her. "Keep Cerise, Chip, and everybody else you can safe. If Avenant strikes tonight during the party, we may have to have a 'lockdown'."
"A lockdown, Sire?" Lumiere asked.
"Yes, we'll need to stay in rooms with somebody and make sure that Avenant doesn't hurt anybody."
Katie nodded as she curtsied. "Oui." she says softly.
"I'd hate for anything to happen..." Adam bore a grave expression. "I'm sorry this had to happen just when you came to visit, Katie."
"Don't feel bad," Katie tells him softly. She gave a tiny smile. "I will leave you to what you were doing before." she says.
"Thank you... Just keep a close eye out." Adam advised.
Katie nodded. "Yes, your highness." she says. She then left to do what was needed until the party.
Cherry decided to be in the library this time and she read the book Forte had told her to read. She actually grew to love it and was looking more at it than her phone or computer back at home.
Katie searched for Cherry, finding her in the library. "Nee-bear." she says quietly.
Cherry bookmarked the book and looked up. "Katie Kat..." she greeted back.
Katie went over. "I want you to stick by Forte at the party tonight." she says.
Cherry's eyes widened slightly. "Why?"
Katie explained everything that had happened.
Cherry looked a little worried herself now. "Oh, dear..." she nearly whispered. "When is he coming?" she asked, about Avenant once she heard his name and what he was all about.
"We don't know, but we wanted to be careful... So please stay by Forte, for me." Katie tells her.
Cherry sighed, she was getting used to Forte, she liked him a little better than she used to, but still had some issues with him here and there, but would do this for Katie. "Very well..." she accepted. "Be careful too, I don't wanna live in a world without my favorite Katie Kat."
"I promise I'll be careful." she smiled and hugged her friend.
Mrs. Potts came and found the girls, taking them to get ready for that night's party. Cherry smiled in the hug, then looked to Mrs. Potts as they were going to get ready. Katie blinked as they were pulled along and helped to get ready for that night. Cherry looked to Katie, she hoped this party wouldn't be too bad, what with the intruder coming. What if he happened to show up during the party to ruin everyone's lives? Katie made a gentle hint that Chip should stick close to Mrs Potts, after all Belle would be safe with Adam.
After a while, they were ready, Katie in a blue dress, similar but not the same as Belle's ballgown. Her hair was styled up and she had blue gloves. Cherry's hair was also up, she didn't have gloves, but she wore a green dress that really complimented her skin tone. At least the dress wasn't pink or too fluffy for her taste, as she got older, she was more in touch with her feminine side, but she wasn't going to wear a dress all the time. She looked out the window to see as it was getting dark quickly and the party guests would be arriving any minute now.
Katie looked out too. "Remember, stay with Forte." she says softly to her friend. She hugged her and went to check on everything.
Mrs. Potts had Chip helping her.
Cherry nodded, then went to find the composer himself as he was alone in her room. "Aren't you gonna come?"
"Should I?" Forte sighed, feeling like he couldn't fit in in this place anymore, sure he was forgiven by some people, but what he did was just unforgettable and would no doubt be the talk of the party.
"I'd rather not go down there alone or stay in here with you..." Cherry gave him a look and folded her arms.
Forte sighed, he 'put his organ up' for the night and went out the door and saw her in a small light and saw what she was wearing.
Sultan was let out of his room and he wanted to play with Chip. Katie looked around and nodded. She made sure the window was boarded, and then would go to the hall. The people coming to the party were heard, singing 'Deck the Halls'. Sultan started to playfully chase Chip down one hallway as he held a ribbon in one of his hands.
Katie came to help greet people, keeping an eye out. Chip laughed as he ran along. Sultan and Chip stopped at the end of the stairwell as there were people smiling and coming inside to the beautifully decorated ballroom to celebrate the friendly family holiday as Christmas. Forte felt dragged as he came with Cherry, he knew he had to go with her to help keep an eye on her, but he felt a little sick about going through all of this.
Katie smiled as she greeted the people. Mrs. Potts looked for Chip. Lumiere and Cogsworth sang merrily as Lumiere was decorating holly all over the buffet table and Cogsworth thought it was too much holly. Angelique smiled at how lovely the place looked, she even had stained glass decorations that looked very familiar. Katie didn't notice anyone that seemed suspicious. She hummed softly, heading towards the hall.
Sultan joined Chip near the presents after the boy had jumped into them. Lumiere stood by the fireplace, this Christmas seemed decent enough so far, even if they were all given quite a scare earlier. Cherry went around, trying to be social with the others she didn't really know. Chip was laughing.
"Chip, get away from those presents dear!" Mrs. Potts tells him.
"Mama, I found one for me!" Chip came out with one that had his name on. "Can I open it, Mama, can I?"
Cherry had a small smile, then looked to Mrs. Potts. "Why doesn't he open just one and the rest later?" she suggested, it was a common Christmas Eve tradition and she had just started one at her home.
"Please, Mama!" Chip pleads
"Well... Alright, but just that one." Mrs Potts concedes.
Katie glanced in to make sure no one was alone. She then made her way inside. Cogsworth chuckled, it was always nice to see a child happy.
"That dress looks very nice on you..." Forte murmured to Cherry.
"Uhh... Thanks..." Cherry said, looking around, she saw a woman by herself. "Why don't you talk with her?" she asked, trying to set him up to get him hitched.
Forte blinked, he declined. "Non, I have to stay with you."
Katie gave a kind bonjour to anyone who passed by and said it to her. Everyone seemed friendly enough, though there was a raven-haired male that seemed to had been hiding among the shadows. Sultan followed Chip to the others at the fireplace. Katie looked around, and saw him. She frowned softly. She passed by the group, whispering to Lumiere about it as she passed. She thought it would be okay, as there were groups dotted all over the place. Sultan yipped and looked live with energy yet again at the present opening.
"At least he's having a better Christmas than last year..." Forte murmured.
Cherry sighed, rolling her eyes. "I told you, we're all fine... Don't worry about it..."
"Yes, this is much better..." Cogsworth agreed quietly.
Lumiere hadn't seen a man like that before, but he didn't seem to be causing any trouble and allowed Katie to go to the stranger man, he decided to stay close to her though. Mrs. Potts watched her son. Forte jolted a little about everyone talking about last year's Christmas, but he seemed to settle down with what Mrs. Potts said.
"Well, I thought last year was quite nice."
Katie went over. "Bonjour, Monsieur... There is no need to hide." she smiles, friendly.
The man looked to her, she didn't look like he expected, but shrugged to her. "Um... Who are you?" he asked.
Katie smiled. "My name is Katie, I'm a friend of the master of this castle." she says.
"I see..." the man gave a small nod, not giving his name out.
Cogsworth and Lumiere got into a fuss about who 'saved Christmas' last year. Cherry rolled her eyes again.
"Is everything okay over there?" the man asked, seeing the little feud.
Katie glanced over. "Oh yes, they like to argue, but they're friends." she says, looking back at the man. "Comment tu t'appelle?" She asks.
The man blinked a little, he looked a little aggressive now. "Why?" he asked, wondering why she wanted to know his name.
"I gave you my name, it's only polite to tell me yours." Katie frowned softly.
The man looked to her and had a small grin. "Avenant."