The Beast Within The Man

"Will you come down to dinner?"

Belle stood up now. Being the only man in the bedroom, I didn't mind watching as the wardrobe picked out clothes for Belle and Mei. I just smiled as I sat on the bed.

"Well now...what shall we dress you in for dinner? Let's see what I've got in my drawers." The wardrobe said. The one door opened and moths flew out of there. "Oh! How embarrassing!"

Mei giggled.

She picked out two pink dresses for the two of them.

"Here we are! You'll look ravishing in this one!" The wardrobe suggested to them.

"We'll be like princesses!" Mei giggled.

"That's very kind of you, but I'm not going to dinner." Belle said, kindly.

"Oh, but you must!" The wardrobe insisted.

"Do we have to?" Mei asked nervously.

I went over and knelt down at eye level with the sweet girl.

"We don't have to, dear." I reassured gently.

A mantle clock waddled into the room to make an announcement.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem....dinner is served." He told us.

"Very kind of you, sir. But tell him we're not coming. We're his prisoners." I politely said to him.

Mei saw a little female pup that looked just like the dog who guided us to Maurice.

"Hi there! You're so cute!" Mei fawned. The little pup licked her cheek and she giggled. I turned to the male dog.

"Is she yours?" I asked it. The dog nodded.

Suddenly, we heard a loud knock from outside our bedroom, and it startled Mei out of her wits. She hid under the bed.

It was the Beast furiously pounding on the door.

My blood boiled now. Who does he think he is, scaring Mei like that?

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO COME DOWN FOR DINNER!!" The Beast yelled from outside.

"I'm not hungry!" Belle answered.

"YOU COME OUT, OR I'LL—I'LL BREAK DOWN THE DOOR!!" The Beast threatened.

"DON'T MAKE ME COME OUT THERE, YOU GIT!! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" I raised my voice now.

I could hear the Beast through that door and wanted to teach him a lesson in manners. The dog calmed me down as his head nuzzled my leg.

"I know, boy..." I said as I pet the dog, softening.

"Will you come down to dinner?" The Beast asked now from outside.

"No!" Belle responded.

"It would give me great pleasure...if you will join me for dinner...please?" The Beast said dejected.

"No thank you!" Belle said, angrily.

"YOU CAN'T JUST STAY IN THERE FOREVER!!" The Beast yelled.

"Yes I can!" Belle said provokingly.

"Fine! Then go ahead and STAAAAAAAAAAARVE!!!!" The Beast roared. He turned to the objects. "If they don't eat with me, then they don't eat at all!!"

"OUT!!" I roared now to the Beast, my temper flaring.

After a few moments calming down, I went to check on Mei whom was on the verge on hyperventilating. I gathered her into my arms and cradled her to me, soothingly shushing to her in her ear.

"Easy, love...shhh...shhh, I know...follow my voice." I soothed in her ear as I stroked her face. Attached to my pants pocket, I opened the bottle of lavender lotion and soothingly massaged her face, belly and chest.

The wardrobe convinced the three of us that the Beast isn't all that bad.

"The Master's not so bad once you get to know him...why don't you give him a chance?" She said, convincing us.

"If we could...we would; but only if he controls his temper. It's as bad as mine." I said softly.

"I don't know, he's always angry." Mei said, shaking her head.

"I don't want to get to know him! I don't want anything to do with him!" Belle snapped.

"I know, dear..." I nodded understanding.

While still in the bedroom, I began to wonder...why was the Beast is what he is? How do we tame him? Lots of questions were in my mind as Mei laid her head on my lap.

Tammie came through a projection.

"Tammie, I meant to ask you before I came to Belle's cottage...how would you tame a Beast? What I meant to ask was what happened that made the Beast what he is?" I asked softly.

"He wasn't always the hideous beast you came to know, Sweeney...he was a human prince as were the objects that live here...they were human too. The prince was spoiled, selfish and unkind as he grew up. One winter's night, a beggar woman came to the castle and offered the prince a single rose in return for shelter from the cold. He was repulsed by her haggard appearance, sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. However, she warned him not to judge by appearance. When he dismissed her again, the beggar woman turned out to be a beautiful Enchantress. The prince tried to apologize but it was too late. The enchantress saw that there was no love in his heart...and as punishment for his actions, she transformed him into a hideous beast and cast a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there." Tamera explained.

"Blimey..." I whispered shocked. "So there is a spell that needs to be broken?"

"Yes. Which is why Belle is the one who can break it." Tamera nodded.

"How?" I asked curiously.

"The rose that the enchantress gave him was an enchanted rose—which he keeps in his lair. If the Beast could learn to love and earn their love in return, then the spell would be broken." Tamera explained.

"And if not, what'll happen?" I asked.

"He would be doomed to remain a beast forever." Tamera replied. "And as of right now, the rose is already beginning to wilt."

"That sounds serious..." I mused worried.

Of course, there's Maurice; he's probably looking for us now. I thought worried.

"Do what you can to help the Beast learn to love." Tamera encouraged gently. "I know he may be difficult but it only takes the first step."

I nodded as the projection of Tammie disappeared.