The Dreamer and the Hunter - A Beauty and the Beast Story

"I Want Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere!"

Belle and Maurice had moved to Villeneuve two and a half months before. Maurice's inventing and travelling to various towns and fairs to display his works had taken them all over the French countryside and to some smaller cities, so Belle had done a fair bit of travelling in her lifetime already. She thought of it as an adventure, though not the same as the kind in her books, with faraway kingdoms and realms, but it was a start. She often wondered what lay beyond the world she knew, and this sense of mystery excited her. Someday, she thought. Someday I'll travel the world in an adventure all my own!

It wasn't that she disliked her cozy life with her father, no of course not, but there must be something more than just this simple provincial town life where every day was seemingly the same, and people didn't give you stares as you went by. Belle knew they thought she couldn't see because she had her nose in her book, but she caught them staring. It made her feel very uncomfortable.

'You know the whole town talks about it...' Gaston had said. Yes, she was already aware that she was a 'funny girl' in the eyes of the village, he didn't need to remind her and rub it in. And he had made his opinions on reading very clear. Ugh! He frustrated her so much it was all she could do to stop herself from hitting him with her book. If that were his opinion then she was more than happy to not be in his company. Another reason why she did not want to give him more of a chance as her father had suggested, for she knew she would just be disappointed anyways. Why get herself all angry and frustrated in the process if she already knew what the result would be? It would be wasting energy, that's what it would be.

She saw how Gaston was treated around the village. He got stares too, but not like she got. Instead, he got wide-eyed stares like he were some prince or something. Everyone in the village raved about him, the 'town hero', a celebrated war veteran - she had heard his name pop up in many a conversation of the townspeople. They all adored him, and didn't miss a moment to show him. No wonder he was so arrogant.

She also knew that he was very judgmental of people about their looks, boasting that he himself was the best before anyone else - she had caught him more than once admiring his reflection in the mirror at one of the shops in town. She was surprised he didn't carry one with him wherever he went! She had always been taught against such a view, her mother always telling her that 'true beauty is found within'.

"You think your mother married me for my looks?" Maurice once joked, many years ago when Belle's mother, Elene, was still alive.

"You're just as handsome as ever," Elene had said, giving Maurice a tender kiss on the cheek. Young Belle had watched them, mesmerized by how in love they were. Since she had been old enough to understand it she had always dreamt of finding a love like her parents'. However, that was proving harder than she had originally thought.

"You're still young," her father assured her. "The right man will come along for you my dear Belle, I just know it! And, it'll be when you least expect it. That's the funny thing about love, it always sneaks up on you."

Belle would thank her father for his assurance but still sometimes doubted it. In her books, love sounded so thrilling, so exiting. And so romantic! Would she ever find something like that in this dull, quiet little town? Certainly not if the only eligible men were like Gaston. The men in her books were so kind and gentle and caring, heroic. Gaston was arrogant, aggressive, and disrespectful. Belle sighed. Reality was so different from the world presented in her books, her books so much, well, better. That's why she so often escaped to them.

(Thanks so much for reading! :) I promise I'll update soon! Oh - for those of you who have seen the new movie, which musical number was your favourite? :))