Days In The Sun

The Wedding

It must've been the morning dew. Because it seemed that everyone was so alive within the castle those first few days of becoming human again. It was almost as if there was a constant party going nonstop - except, Cogsworth, as always, was there to stop it.

But what got the staff so excited was not the fact that they were human again - of course, they were excited about that. They were overjoyed about that. But what really got their hearts thumping was the idea that Adam was finally going to marry.

They had waited years, and years, and now, it finally was going to happen.
Oh. What joy it brought them.

As those first few days trailed on into weeks, however, the excitement only grew as the day Belle and Adam were to be married steered closer and closer. It seemed everyone was constantly in a rush to get things done. Even weeks before - everything needed to be perfect.
Belle, being the type of kind-hearted person she was, couldn't stand around while the staff did all of the work - so, she gladly joined them in dusting, polishing, scrubbing - Everything the staff had to do to prepare not only the ballroom but the rest of the castle as well for the wedding. She may have been taking her first few steps into the life of a royal. But she wasn't going to let that change who she was on the inside.
Adam. On the other hand. Didn't help the staff. At least, not voluntarily, as Belle would do. But even when he'd thoroughly state that the servants were only doing their job, he somehow always got pulled into assisting them one way or another by Belle. He loved her. So, when she'd ask for his help, even if she meant it in a rhetorical sense, how could he say no?

As the weeks trailed on in what felt like seconds, Belle felt herself slowly attempting to conform to the life of a Queen - but, she did make some major changes. One of which being wardrobes. One evening, while dusting around the ballroom with a few of the maids, Belle quickly noticed how difficult it was for Madame Garderobe to stand in her large gown after she had taken a seat. This was, of course, because of the sheer weight and hoop that held the large skirt together. So, when Belle had approached the vocalist, she told the woman that she shouldn't have to dress as boldly as she did - for her voice made up for that.
So. Slowly. One by one. The staff slowly also began to conform to life under this new rule. Major wardrobe changes weren't the only thing that had changed, however. Belle also began to pay each staff member for their work, specifically so that when they'd retire from the palace, they'd have something to fall back on. This new idea of paying the staff, at first, didn't sit too well with Adam. At the first mention, or, the first time being told this by Belle, Adam had stated that the staff's form of payment was the privilege of living inside of the castle. But after only one look from Belle, Adam soon ate his own words.
She had informed him that by living in the castle, that was just a place to live. Not a form of payment.
Belle had first thought Adam had been joking, but after finding out he was indeed being serious, the farm girl had no problem putting what needed to be put in its place.

▄

The day had finally arrived.
After weeks upon weeks of preparing, when the glorious day finally came, the staff was able to transform the ballroom into someplace magical.
Somewhere Belle had mentioned briefly but spoke little of.
The staff had picked dozens upon dozens of newly bloomed flowers from the garden, and from there, hung the flowers across on the ceiling, lined the King, and now Queen's thrones with none other than roses, and simply just had loose petals spread across the buffet tables. The entire room smelt as if the garden had been moved in its place - but with the mixture of fresh flowers, and the early morning's sun, the sight couldn't have been any more beautiful.
Belle, ironically, didn't have any time to smell these flowers. For it seemed that just as she had finished assisting the staff in this project, she had been whisked away down the corridor and down into her chamber - which lied within the East Wing.
Once there, Belle was basically hounded by a few female staff members who, at that point, were much more like the girls family then her servants.
It was the day of the wedding, after all, and the women keeping the monarchy alive and running from the ground up needed to make sure the Belle looked just as her name intended.