Still A Beast

Chapter One

After the castle had returned, bringing back people who had been servants there where some of them didn't have families within the castle and their own families had believed them to be dead, there was a huge mix of emotions. Although Adam had stood in front of all of them with plenty of apologies the decided murmur through the hallways was that Adam had been an eleven-year-old child who was often abandoned by the king and queen and without that type of love had become selfish and rude and self-involved but still, he shouldn't be answering the door himself.

His mother and father had been expected to return that day but had left word that it would be another week until their return. When he had heard the doorbell, he had ran to it but seen someone hideous and with the anger that a child would naturally have when their parents made them feel unwanted had projected those thoughts onto someone else.

It had been Cogsworth as head of house who was supposed to take responsibility. It was the king and queen who had left him alone, unable to love him who were most responsible for not leading with unconditional love and yet everyone blamed Adam. Adam had been given a picture of who he would have become to mock him, it was the future shown to him if he hadn't acted so ugly. A cruel trick by one who shared that beauty.

"I understand that you all deserve to have your own lives and I want to help each of you in connecting with your families. I take responsibility for what has happened," Adam told them as he stood in front of all of them. They had all fought that night against humans and they had all taken on their past appearances. "If you no longer wish to remain in the castle then I want to make sure that you have safe travel no matter what the cost. If you do wish to stay, you have my deep gratitude for your loyalty."

Belle put a hand to Adam's chest. She knew that despite his now human appearance, he had been stabbed quite violently and she had no idea if the wound was gone for good or if it would reappear.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she pushed her face into his chest, "I should have…I should have figured things out…I'm so sorry," she apologized and Adam shook his head. He wrapped her up in his arms before standing there showing a new, humble side to him. A dozen of the servants left but the majority of them stayed – much to his surprise.

Adam looked over his shoulder at two of his staff members who were closer than family. "Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, please ensure safe travel and a fair settlement to be gifted to those who have resigned. If they need places to stay, please find them lodgings."

"Of course, sire" Mrs. Potts said and Adam reached out to her, he put his hand gently on her upper arm and shook his head.

"Adam," he whispered and she smiled, happy that he was embracing the person whom he had always been.

"Please feel free to take the evening off. If there is anyone who needs to be treated then please," he looked to a young man who had been the castle's medical professional, "allow them to be treated. I am so grateful that you chose to protect this castle," he told them before going into the west wing with Belle. She led him to the bed where he felt it was too big and the groove in which he had slept was too big for him. Belle walked over to the magic portrait and put her hand over it, spreading her fingers as she should have realized that this was how he truly looked.

"Belle, you don't have to be here," he told her as he groaned, lying onto his back but rolling into the area that he had used to occupy. He felt so small and human in this room now, it was so different and he didn't feel steady on his feet without his tail giving him balance.

"I am here because I love you," she told him as she brushed his hair back. The rain had really soaked him through but he had spent more time caring about others and feeling guilty for his mistakes to take care of himself. "I'll light a fire," she told him and his eyes went to the glass dome where the rose used to be. It was no longer there which meant that that part of his life was over.

There was the sound of a carriage pulling up and Adam looked at her. She gently let her hand rest against his cheek. He was gorgeous and although she cared more about his love than his looks, this type of foreign beauty wasn't beyond her notice. He appeared more glamorous even than Gaston had been. Gaston's death would be a problem but hopefully there had been others who had seen his fall.

"Go," Adam whispered. "You asked for someone to bring your father here. I am sure that's him and I'm sure that he doesn't want to see me," he laughed weakly and Belle kissed his cheek. She grabbed a warm towel before placing it over his forehead. She kissed him again before leaving and going down the hallway. As she left, she saw Cogsworth there and went to him.

"Hello, my fair lady," the former clock said and Belle smiled.

"Hello, my friend," she replied and Cogsworth's expression softened. "Would you mind tending to Adam in my absence. I am not sure of the extent of his wounds but he appears rather exhausted. My father has just arrived and I need to make sure that both of them are okay."

"Of course," Cogsworth nodded as he went to the west wing to check in on the once-again-human prince.

Belle took a look back and then went to the front doors. She wrapped her arms around Maurice as she saw him getting out by the gate. "It's…it's good," she smiled to him and he studied her carefully. Belle smiled weakly. "He survived. It's a miracle."

"The way that this place looks is the real miracle," Maurice commented, "an enchantment…one that is broken by the love shared between two people, remarkable," he said before turning to Belle. "However, I don't think that you're thinking clearly Belle, by entering into another contract with that beast," he worried and Belle was surprised as she went into the castle and saw Adam at the top of the staircase, his face pale. "He abused you, didn't he? Stockholm Syndrome?"

"He trapped me here, yes, but he allowed me to have fun and to make friends and discover a place in which I could be myself. I know that he has his faults but Papa, I love him, he makes me feel proud to be myself," Belle said and looked up at him.

Maurice turned his gaze to the stairs and then looked at Belle quickly before shifting his gaze again. He turned to Belle and saw the loving way in which she was gazing at him. So, the hideous beast had been this handsome man underneath…well, looks didn't have anything to do with the kindness within someone's heart.

Adam slowly and carefully descended the stairs before stopping and getting onto one knee, bowing before Maurice as a man would kneel before he became a lord. He took slow breaths, ready for the rejection. "I know that no words, no apology can make up for what I have done. I have been selfish and angry and that is no reason to have acted so cruelly. I deeply ask for your forgiveness or at least for your consideration of forgiveness."

Maurice blinked at the man of royalty who was treating him as a superior.

"Adam," Belle worried, "You've been through battle and transformation. You'll strain yourself. You need some rest. I believed that you were going to take some rest," she said as she knelt beside him. She put her hand to the back of his neck and felt the high fever. "Papa, he needs some rest."

"I…I…oh, oh yes," Maurice nodded. "I want to forgive you for my daughter's sake. She truly loves you and I was intruding. I very much hope that I can learn to forgive," Maurice told him. "You should stand up. My daughter is my treasure and she needs for you to rest. I am sure that anything requiring an explanation can be dealt with later in the day if not tomorrow."

Adam stood shakily and Cogsworth rushed to catch him before he collapsed.

"Sire, please remain in the bed this time," Cogsworth chided him and Belle grinned as she saw him being led back to his own room.

Belle turned to her father. "He kept me here but it was only in the beginning that I felt his prisoner. There is so much joy here that I found it hard to leave. Adam wants you to live here with us as well," Maurice looked at her, Belle didn't seem to be in any harm and she had chosen to come back here. He had to believe that she would have come back here anyway and returned to him.

It would take some time to wrap his mind around this, wrap his mind around how someone so attractive and handsome could have become lost beneath all of that ugliness and anger.

End of Chapter One

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