SUMMARY: Once the former Beast, newly human King Adam, alongside his newly wedded wife, Belle, attending various social gatherings featuring the rest of the Disney Royal kingdom, however, as friendships get tangled, secrets are revealed, and hints of the Curse return ever so slowly...things gets awkward. (Featuring: A Disney cast that are flawed (Inspired by the 2017 movie)

WARNING: THIS FIC CONTAINS HURT AND COMFORT, PAST CHILD ABUSE, DRINKING, CURSING, ADULT SITUATIONS, BLOOD AND GORE, MENTAL ILLNESSES, AND IS BASICALLY NOT YOUR PARENTS DISNEY CHANNEL.

This fic also features Hades, Lord of the Dead, but there isn't really a warning there. He just wanted you to know that. (wink)

It wasn't that this Eric fellow was wrong to be friendly.

In fact, it was common sense to think that the young man, sitting across the long table from Adam, was undoubtedly of the most friendly human beings to ever walk across the face of the Denmark.

It was obvious in every movement of his neatly combed hair, his pleasant grin, his unequal ability to laugh without the gulp of the drink dribbling down and out of his own mouth…unlike Adam.

And, unlike Adam, Eric remained polite and courteous, even with his wife out of the room, with no servants to judge them up otherwise, where Adam barely resisted taking the fine toothed fork and lacing it into his own curled hand beneath the embroidery of the table. Pain was familiar to Adam. Pain he could handle.

Small talk, he could not.

"So," Eric began. "Long trip from France, right? Something odd thousand or so kilometers? I've always wanted to sail there myself…" He paused here briefly, and, without warning, he snapped again to attention, pulling himself forward in a much beloved passion for ships and boats and the navigation of them, his blue eyes wide with giddiness. "Maybe one day I'll repay the visit and come to your Kingdom! Lovely in the spring, Belle was telling me. And, Ariel, God, she—"

And the young prince went on. And on. And—Mon Dieu, must he, too, be good at small talk?

Adam felt positively trapped in his seat. The cushion beneath him was soft, the backing of fine leather quality. The aspired dining room lit red and orange from the large, crystal windows that looked out upon a golden, watery sea. The ocean moved and soaked the sandy beaches below the castle bay like a melting candle, buttery and glossy, with the movement of the waves…

…but, without Belle, without the safety of her guidance, it felt a prison.

Adam sucked in a measured breath.

Eric soldiered on without much cause for concern. Literally, Adam observed.

Clearly, Eric couldn't have actually seen real war. But there was a solid, audacious presence to him. If a childish facade. If his blue blood were to run, it would ruin his father's princely rule to conclude a simpleton's game of regal maths. But, there was a way at which Eric sat at absolute attention, relaxed, but alert, that reminded Adam of his own father—and the several blows that occurred every time Adam forgot to sit up straight. With a fixed, closed lipped nod, Adam faintly wondered in what way Eric remembered to appear so effortless.

Everything took effort for Adam. Everything, a lesson in tedium until his ears numbed.

Belle, Adam chastised himself. It was the least he could do to try.

So, he shouldered himself backwards to keep himself from slouching and the whole bloody chair raked its legs in a loud grating along the floor.

Adam froze, his face draining white. At least he was still seated. He had expected the chair to crack apart, or splinter, at least, for the sound of his own scrabbling claws along the flooring, but the sound never arrived. He was just…there. Limpless in frustration and absurdity, with a 'proper' prince gawking at him in severe bewilderment. It was an all too recent a memory; at the door during their very first introduction, Adam had forgotten the very idea of what it was to shake hands. How could he? So often he still felt had claws…he could tear the armed guards apart if he didn't keep control…would rip open that fresh-faced lad, standing with his arm outstretched in welcome, from dark hair to throat…dead before he hit the floor…

Truly, to be human now was not much different than when he was beastly. People stared.

People always stared.

It wasn't entirely his fault. The sensation of his overwhelmingly human body, now soft, so easily breakable, his non-largeness, his beastness, had yet to leave him entirely. Often it left him feeling disconnected between brain and limb—clumsier than he ever imagined he could be as an adult. Belle, thankfully, found it quite endearing. His live-in family within the castle walls—between servants and staff and even the gardeners, they could not quiet their snickering.

The seconds flowed mercilessly, and, in his fair, lighthearted way, Eric now looked amused.

"…Are you all right, my friend?"

"I'm fine." Adam barked, half horrified, half damning himself, half considering the distance of the drop from window to sea, and if it would kill him. "I—didn't mean to startle you."

Eric lifted a dark brow, clearly unconvinced, but he kept his politeness. Adam internally shriveled at the evenness in the Prince of Denmark's voice. "I see. Well, don't worry about the floor or anything. It's pretty old. I rather like keeping the bones of the entire castle as original as possible, even with a few pretty scars."

Of course you do, Adam seethed, his brow puckering, his teeth slightly showing, before he slid his lips down once more. It went without saying that Adam had left to rot most of the original pieces of his palace. Everything had to be replaced. Eric was a friendly, but foolish man. Scars aren't pretty.

Adam's fingers twisted together, apart, the nervousness spidering across his face. He picked up the glass before him, placed it to his mouth to sip, and, thankfully, he swallowed with grace.

Eric mimicked the motion, unsure of what entirely to do next. Here, it seemed natural, normal. A quiet-thing for a thoughtful man to enjoy doing. Eric could get away with it.

Could get away with practically anything rude…unlike me. Arh, would his thoughts never cease?!

'Unlike Adam' was a good summary of nearly everything about Eric. The thought laid heavy on Adam's mind, tethering itself firmly to the base of his skull, forming a headache. Why was he here? Why on Earth—Oh. Of course. Belle. Oh course. She wanted company. She wanted to see the world. It was all Adam could do but to not feel joy himself when Belle looked at him, relishing the very idea of a long, romantic journey by sea that had to end….here.

Please stop, Adam continued, his own eyes blank to Eric's, but his mind reaching far, far, away. We don't have to pretend anymore. The women aren't here.

Eric looked ruefully over the man seated before him. The look of pain subtle across Adam's features. Adam looked the part for those newly found in politics for sure—fairly shaven, washed, but his blue eyes held ice in their sockets. Perhaps he had said something wrong? He seemed amiable before, with Belle doing most of the talking…

Ah. So that would explain it.

With a gentle clear of his throat, Eric stood. He pushed his chair neatly and folded his napkin away from his lap, sliding the chair back into place. "Would you care for some air, then?"

Adam held the glass tightly in his grip, pretending it to be a weapon, or a looking glass, or a magical anything, to wisk him away from here.

Belle, he reminded himself. Belle wants this.

With a low, guttural sound, Adam cleared his throat as well. He stood, gave a little formal wave for Eric to continue, and prayed that Belle was sensing his distress. Wherever she was. Perhaps as soon as she was done with that red waif of a woman in the next room.

Ariel was charming, gorgeous, and, above all, curious. Belle had never met someone with so many questions to all of the books she had ever read. And, without question, Belle was happy to recite, to write down, to recommend the bulk of her small village's authors, among the first few she had just started reading in Adam's—hers—it was getting so strange to say that now—she owned a library—and not just that, but a library bigger than—than many of the fabulous ones in Paris herself!

"I would be happy to send as many copies by sea at once, Ariel. I always wanted a—a sort of get away? Where I could share my thoughts with my friends over books?"

"Like a book club?" Ariel brightened, her eyes warm and clear as the ocean outside. "I would love to write to you!"

"You mean it?"

"Absolutely! I—" Ariel gave a small, bip of a giggle. "I've been told that I can be—overzealous in what I want. Is that okay with you? My writing to you?"

Belle grinned so hard her cheeks felt pinched. "That would be stunning! Everything has happened so quickly—I'm not from a royal family, as you know, so all this bookkeeping and meetings and arranging—It's often overwhelming." Belle chose the word carefully. Her new life was full of wonder and excitement but…there was so much she would have to learn. So much of her life that didn't match the other women she had been told about…royalty after royalty…even as young as Ariel acted, she seemed very at home in her kingdom.

Ariel prodded her gently from her thoughts. "Adam is very," Her lively face seemed distressed as she felt for the right word. "Quiet."

Belle felt her insides tighten. Had it been…too obvious?

"He can be very blunt. I hope you can understand if he is rather standoffish. He's actually very sweet." Belle glanced around the airy hallway, the cream and peach of the hand painted wallpaper, the smell of freshly picked flowers from the bay. It was nothing like the Gothic, darken corners she had grown so used to in France.

"Actually, I think he's charming. In his own way." Ariel began quickly. She suddenly seemed nervous, and Belle felt an ounce of pity for if she had said something wrong. Passingly, Ariel gave a wave of her hand and ushered Belle down a long hall and into a brightly lit drawing room. Ariel sat on the sofa and offered Belle to sit beside her. Her long red hair draped along her face, adding to her youth, her frame smaller than even Belle's. Her cheeks turned a sheer shade of pink.

Belle picked at her own fingertips. They sat in silence for a moment, unsure, before Ariel finally found her courage.

"What I mean, by bringing up Adam, is that I just know how it feels to be…out of place—and I was hoping to improve on my language skills by practicing my French. It will be very rudimentary, you know. Nothing important. But a friend is a friend. And, well, Adam seems…"

"Uninterested?" Belle tested, unable to resist what, undoubtedly, everyone in the couple's kingdom might be thinking towards the newly remembered King of Villeneuve and its surrounding provenances. Adam could scarcely pretend to be happy to be here. He didn't even shake hands with Eric at the door.

"….I was going to say, um, shy?"

If only, Belle thought. Perhaps back home. Perhaps at times, towards her. But Adam was pain and a half to socialize. Belle could absolutely relate to that feeling of being content together, but Adam was a King now…and eventually, he would have to find the will within himself to face his people once more. And other members of Royalty. And the very idea of other friends outside of his nice, quiet, self-contained castle.

But…was Ariel quite serious about such a relationship? At a distance, and with the added benefit of the language being elementary, perhaps she could kill two birds with one stone, adding to her lessons of teaching Adam to read again and gain a new friend? Could her luck truly find itself so fortunate? Belle could hardly contain herself from spinning around to hug her new, welcoming friend to grant such a wonderful suggestion—but she stilled, a dark thread looming.

What if Adam rejected Ariel? Rejected the whole idea? No matter how much she fought him for it…

"Do…you think that's too much? That it's stupid?" Ariel asked, her voice small. "I just really wish to get to know you both. But Adam seems offended, somehow." She gave a little shrug. "I'd don't get to see my own family very much. And, um, most of my other friends are too busy to write back-and you should see my handwriting. It's absolutely frightful—and—"

"Ariel!" Belle interrupted, suddenly alarmed at how much the younger girl clearly had been mulling over for some time—and her family? Belle twinged at the thought of how badly she missed her own father. Seeing Ariel attempt to be this genuinely friendly was a huge relief, so much so, that Belle threw back her head to laugh. "If Adam does enjoy your company, he'd never admit it." She then turned and gave a secret wink to the redhead beside her. "But…I'd be able to tell. I think it's a very kind idea. I'd love to help you both."

Ariel caught on fast. "I'd keep it very discreet."

"Surely better than I could," Belle chuckled. "I'm not one for hiding things. But it certainly sounds promising."

"Then, it's a deal?" Ariel held out her hand. Belle met her grasp.

"I'd be thrilled. Thank you for your kindness, and opening your home. It is lovely."

"It's very pretty a night as well." Ariel hummed cheerfully, before her eyes suddenly lit up as she spied the passing of the sunset over the castle. Oh!" Ariel shot up like a grasshopper, pulling Belle with her to her feet. "The lagoon! Would you like to take a horse to the lagoon? Oh, the stars! You have to see them! You understand some star charts, right? Like in your books? Could you show me some constellations?! Eric loves the stars as well, but I'm sure he's just teasing me. He makes everything up about them! I want real stories! I want real stars!"

Belle would have to find the energy to keep up with her new friend. "Of course! Well, some stars, anyhow! There are far too many to name them all! Let's go—and, it's best we find where the men went off to…you know, before they start making themselves miserable."

Ariel seemed confused. "Eric would be happy to show Adam the grounds."

Belle grasped her friend's arm carefully to slow her down. "Please, don't mind me. He isn't the one I'm worried about."

AN: I hope you guys enjoyed part 1 of 2 for Eric and Ariel introduction/visit. I sincerely hope to get better footing and keep this train moving into other Disney characters! Thank you for reading! Please let me know if you would like me to continue!