Belle is a maid living in service of a handsome prince who she falls madly in love with. Jealous of all the other women and angry at his refusal to notice her she curses him and turns him into a hideous beast. For years they remain together in the c...
"Coming up here reminds me of that." I sit down beside him. "Anytime things get hard for me at home I like to come out here and look down at the village," he chuckles, "Seeing how small that place is shows that it doesn't need to have such a massive hold over my life you know?"
Tears rim the corner of his eyes, and I have to hold everything back to not join him.
"I suppose I can see that." I take a deep breath. "Why haven't you run away?"
He looks at me with pure shock in his eyes and I instantly regret every word that just came out of my mouth.
"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"
"It's fine, I understand why you would ask that," he interrupts me. He shifts so that he's looking directly at me. "I've thought about it many times. A few days before you arrived I was even about to do it."
"Really?"
He nods and chuckles. It's not a happy chuckle, it's filled with nervous energy and even a bit of fear.
"I was, but my dad caught me and well... let's just say things didn't go well for me that day." He hangs his head in shame, and I reach out and gently rub his back in the same comforting way my father would do whenever I was upset.
"I don't understand why he's like that with you."
He shrugs, "Your guess is as good as mine."
I remove my hand from his back and stand up to pace back and forth between the trees.
"Well I think it's bullshit and you shouldn't take it anymore," I snap.
"It's not as easy as it sounds." I scoff and shake my head. "Think about it, Valerie, if I left the village where would I go?"
"When I left home I had no idea where I would settle. The only thing I knew for certain was that I wasn't going to go to Paris. And then one day I stumbled upon your little village and for the first time since I lost my dad I felt at home. I found my place and you can as well."
"But I'm not you, Valerie. I don't have your drive, your strengths, your... well everything that makes you the strong person that you are. I'm not strong, Valerie. I'm just not."
With his head hung low he pushes himself up and starts a slow walk back to his cage.
Before I can join him I look over at the castle shocked that while I can't see the actual building I can see the dark spot in the trees. The unwavering shadow in the distance. Another cage. But this is one where I can help. I might not be able to free Adrien but I will help Henry.
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The chilly night air cuts through me as I creep closer and closer to the castle. Dante neighs and shakes his head as another fly lands on his eye. I keep my eyes trained on the tree line and the bushes around me. I didn't get far from the village before I heard wolves howl in the distance. I knew they were lurking around somewhere, after all, it is rare to travel the French countryside and not find a wolf here or there. As if my thoughts conjured them a howl ripples from the distance and I can feel Dante start to shake under me.
