Blind and the Beast

The First Dance

-Adam-

When he came back out of breath and stupidly happy from head to toe, she was not where he had left her, but she had made it into the library and had left the door open.

He turned to his surprise and motioned for them to wait, and he entered the library. She was tucked into the corner of the massive lounge chair and held an old book up as if she were reading it.

"You know, it is entirely unfair that you keep the best chairs in the library. What use does a blind woman have for a library? I have decided that this is the best spot in the castle." He crossed the room and stood in front of her. She was still holding the book open and still pretending to read from it.

"What are you doing?" He asked surprised to see that she was holding an old worn poetry book.

She lowered the book a little and gave him the kind of smile that told him she was about to say something clever.

"I am reading."

"Really? Is it any good?" he asked, thoroughly amused by everything she did.

"Oh it is great. It is about monsters and forests and castles and a king."

"It sounds awfully tragic." he said causing her to snort.

"That is exactly what he wants you to think. I think the king secretly likes to be pitied."

"May I?" Adam asked grabbing onto the book and she blushed deeply as he sat next to her. A voice in his head told him he was sitting closer than he should, but he ignored it.

He took the book from her hands and made a show about loudly flipping the pages loudly, and then he stopped at a random spot. "No, you see? Just right here it says and I quote, "awfully tragic"."

"I guess you are right. Although, that is probably in the first half where he kept himself holed up away from everyone. Content to let everyone think he was some great evil."

"Yes the first half does say awfully tragic. The last half is surprisingly triumphant with the evil Beast King being vanquished by some gallant knight giving the book a happy ending."

She jerked her head towards him and he thought for a second she was going to protest, but she just took the book from him and flipped it upside down, "I do not think we are reading the same book."

He laughed, "That might be in part because only one of us can actually read."

She looked up from the book then completely and scowled at him.

"What?" he asked, laughing again.

"You won that one. The score is 5-5 now. We are tied"

"You are keeping score?" He asked incredulously and she flushed a gorgeous shade of pink.

"No."

"I am not the only bad liar."

"Fine. You got me I am keeping score, and I warn you, I will win."

Suddenly the door creaked open and Jareen stuck her head through the door.

"Your highness?" she asked and Adam waved her and her sisters in, pointing to the other side of the room.

"Who is that?" Belle asked, her curiosity piqued. She had her head tilted, listening to the sounds of the Nymphs walking in. He had completely forgotten them outside the door. Somehow she had distracted him from the best idea he'd had in years.

He shook his head, amazed. "How do you always do this?"

"What, keeping score? It is easy. You start with one and then-"