Blind and the Beast

Dinner

-Belle-

"I could happily die right here," she thought to herself dreamily. She had finally found it after nearly a week of exploring the castle. The perfect chair. It was outside in the garden near some type of plant that smelled beautiful with the perfect amount of sun to be warm.

She had not realized how much tension she had been holding on to since her father volunteered her at the Blood Moon feast. Now that she had an ally and she knew where she stood, it didn't seem so impossible anymore.

She had only just closed her eyes taking in the sun when she heard familiar footsteps walking up to her. She could not stop her smile. It was Adam.

He usually came as the beast, not bothering to change between patrolling the forest and sleeping, but she heard his boots and was intrigued about what he could possibly want to talk to her about.

They had fallen into a content role with one another. He would find her when he was done with his duties in the forest and update her on any information that he had. It was all business the first time he talked to her, but by now they usually traded insults gleefully until one of them surrendered.

She wouldn't admit to keeping score to him, but the score so far was 5 to 3 in her favor.

"Belle." He sounded stiff and awkward, and she sat up a little.

"Adam." She said, copying his tone.

He stalled then, running out of words, something that seemed to happen often. For someone who strikes fear into the heart of every man woman and child, he almost acted as though he was the one who was afraid of her.

"You sound like you are in poor spirits. I guess the hunting party hasn't been spotted yet." She said, helping him out.

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, I think the moment you spot the hunting party you will be so thrilled with the idea of getting rid of me that everyone will hear you skipping over to tell me."

He laughed and she smiled, she liked that he was always easy to laugh. Her father was always stoic. She never had any hope of figuring out what her he was thinking, but Adam was the opposite. He thought out loud and was always quick to laugh.

"It is the opposite really. The only reason you would ever hear me skipping is if I had locked you in and thrown away the key."

"tsk tsk, someone has got to tell you at some point that there are better ways to make friends. Your highness."

"You are one to talk, love. I am not the one who wandered into the Beast King's forest on a blood moon because that was the only way you could get someone to talk to you."

Belle laughed, "That was a low blow." 5-4 her favor still.

"Peace then, please." He said, ending their exchange. "I only came to invite you to dinner."

Ever since she returned from the forest with Adam, Belle had taken dinner in the dining room with Polly, Vandy, and the rest of the castle staff, but Adam hadn't shown his face. She was beginning to think he feared her.

"Is this a trick? I did not know that you even knew where to find the dining room."

"No tricks. If you accept, I will get directions to find the dining room by tonight."

She smiled, he sounded worried that she might turn him down. Two weeks ago she would have walked through glass before accepting an invitation to dinner from the Beast, but for Adam, she was starting to realize that she liked spending time with him.

"Of course, If you are not too busy for me, I would love to."

He closed in on her and picked up her hand sending shivers down her arm that went all the way to the tips of her toes. His touch sent waves of warmth into her and she felt all the heat rush to her face.