Chapter Four: What Is Love?

The Beast stepped back from Belle and gently, too gently, took hold of Belle's hand. He lead her out of the West Wing and into the ballroom, where he positioned his paws around her in the motion of dance.

As they stepped side to side in perfect union, Beast spoke: "I have never loved anyone like I love you..."

To which Belle replied: "I've never been so frusterated with someone as I am with you..."

Beast sighed into the woman's neck, his breath scented with cheese and olives. His afternoon snack, perhaps? He gathered the woman close and held her tightly, as if willing the two of them to merge and become one perfect, limitless being of understanding. "Love me as I love you," his gestures begged.

But Belle easily squirmed out of his limp grasp and placed distance between them.

The Animal only spoke one word: "Why?" His voice was low and Belle detected a slight growl.

"Because you are not a monster!" Belle shouted, her voice echoing above and all around them.

"Do you really wish for me to be?!" He asked fiercely.

"I want you to finish what you started the day you and I met; I want you to claim me as your own, and no one else's!"

"You were my prisoner..." The Beast said, confusion wrinkling his brow.

Belle's eyes narrowed. "The only prisoner here, is you."

Defeated, the Animal stood stiff, unable to will himself to advance towards her or withdraw. Belle walked up to him, her steps light, teasing; a phantom. "This is no curse," she said softly. "This is a chance to be yourself: I want you to give up your role as Prince and be the Beast you were rightly made to be."

By now she was close enough to touch him. She lifted a hand to stroke his face, but one giant paw snatched her wrist and held it tightly, making her gasp in surprise. The Beast stared deeply into her brown eyes. All he could see there was happiness; she truly did want to be harmed... But could he really let go of the part of him that made him human? Could he- should he- abandon his moral sense to please a mentally unstable woman?

Well... What did he have to lose? Himself, for the price of a woman's love. It seemed worth it. For he was madly in love with Belle, no matter who she was. He knew, deep down, that if he was going to win her love, that he must be a Beast.

His paw still clenching her wrist, the Animal let out a long, snarling growl. "If this is the only way to make you happy... Then I will do as you say-"

With her free hand, Belle struck the Beast hard across his face. "I am Not your master." she told him firmly.

"No..." He said slowly. "You certainty are not." He leaned towards her, attempting to kiss her lips, but Belle started to pull away. He tightened his grip even tighter; Belle cried out, pulling, legs buckling as she tried to duck out of his hold. But then the Beast snatched her up by her long, mouse-brown hair and pressed her face hard against his in a kiss that both smothered and silenced her. When he let her go, Belle fell to the ballroom floor, breathing hard.

"I am the master of this castle." he told her in a loud voice. "The hospitality shown to you these past weeks has now come to an end. You will no longer sleep in your own bedroom; from now on, you will join me in my own."

Belle slowly got to her feet, watching his bright blue eyes scan over her. She pressed a hand into her chest, feeling her heart racing at his words. "Yes..." she said listlessly, the thought of arguing not even crossing her mind.

"You will wear only what I have supplied you to wear," the Beast continued as he laid down the rules. "And you will eat with me at every meal."

Belle's heart slowly settled down. The Animal which stood before her was still acting like a human. A Prince ordering around his pathetic subjects who didn't know left from right- is that what he saw her as? Just a thing to be given orders? Did he not see her needs and wish to accomidate them? Did he not love her-

"And whenever I call your name," he added, stepping one large foot at a time towards her. "Whatever order I command you, whatever that may be, you must obey." He reached her, using one paw to stroke the side of her face.

"What will be my punishment for disobeying?" Belle whispered, nearly swooning with the ideas in her head.

What is love? The Animal asked this question to himself, and thought of happily smiling families of the village. Love is an equal understanding between two individuals. Love is knowing what your partner wants, and being able to provide for them and yourself. Love doesn't have to be sweet. It can be brutal. It can be raw. It can make you squrim. Love can be anything you want it to be, as long as your partner wants the same thing.

"Kindness." he replied. "My tenderness and kindness will be your intolerable punishment." One claw dug into her cheek, drawing blood as he cut a line from her face to the center of her chest. "...I know what it is you want from me, Belle..." His voice a whisper now. "My only fear is that I will kill you in the process of loving you."

"There's nothing I would want more than to die in your arms..." Belle replied.

"Belle."

"Yes, my Beast?"

"I want you to love me."

Belle smiled, wiping the blood off of her face with a white-gloved hand. "I already do."