the Beauty & the Beast

There Is Beauty In Pain

"Bring her here, now!"

"Yes, Monstre Gaston!"

Belle was dragged into the office of the Monstre kicking and screaming, and pushed before him to stand.

Wearing a wicked smile, Gaston approached the trembling girl to look her over. He licked his lips and reached to touch along her shoulders, tracing the pointed tips of his nails along the gilt tattoos of roses emblazoned into her skin. Her families' sigil. "My, but you do live up to your name, don't you?" Lifting his hand from her shoulder, he caressed her tear-soaked cheek, chuckling as she flinched and recoiled at his touch.

She could smell the blood on his fingers, under his nails. The blood of her family that he had spilled. Her father, her mother, and all of her sisters and brothers. "Why?" she managed with a trembling voice. It was all that she could manage, though there was so much more behind the question.

"Why? As in, why kill your family? Or, why spare you alone?"

Belle struggled and failed to choke back her frustrations, too much for her to bear all at once. His indifference towards their deaths, and his apathy towards her fragility– Seeing it in his eyes, she gasped before she broke into sobs again. Belle fell against his desk and gripped at it for all that she was worth to keep herself standing.

"Ah, shh," Gaston clicked his tongue at the young girl as he reached for her again, taking a hold of her shoulders to keep her on her feet. "Why, my little golden rose? Because I have plans for you–monumental plans. With your father gone and out of my way–rest his soul–," he grinned. "I'm free to take over his territories as I please, and now there's no one left to dispute my claim." He watched Belle's eyes grow large as the meaning of his words sank in. "Ah, but you wouldn't oppose me, would you? My Belle. After all, I need you. Yes! I need you to make the transition more palatable, for all of those who'd been under your father's power. I need them to accept me. To accept us." Taking a hand from her shoulder, Gaston gripped the girl's chin, keeping her attention on him. "Be my bride, Belle. It's not a request."

Dumbstruck and wrought with fear, Belle gave no answer.

It didn't take long for Gaston to grow impatient with her silence, and he shook her hard to rouse a reaction from her. "I'm not asking for an answer from you. Nor do I need one. However, it would be most polite if you would at least acknowledge my magnanimousness."

Without thinking, Belle scoffed, unbelieving of what she was hearing.

Hearing her scoff, Gaston struck the girl hard across her face before pulling her back up to face him. Wrenched from her daze, Belle kicked, scratched and screamed as he started into her, as if he meant to kiss her. Terrified and angry, Belle lashed out, biting into his lip until he howled from pain and bloodshed.

Enraged, Gaston threw her at his guards. "Take her to the island!" he barked. "Put her there until I feel generous enough to forgive her! Leave her to the damned ghosts that haunt that accursed isle of mine"

Belle blanched at his order and pleaded not to be sent away.

He scoffed. "I think a little time to work on that brat temper of yours is in order. See if the spirits can sort you out."

Crying out as she was dragged from the Monstre's office, Belle could hear nothing but the echo of his manic laughter as she was forced from his sight.

💛

As the boat struck the dock, Belle sucked in a sharp breath as she was startled awake.

"Get out."

Floundering for words, Belle's eyes frantically searched her surroundings. However, with everything shrouded in a thick, wet, fog, making out anything with clarity was nothing short of impossible. "Where are we?"