Belle is a maid living in service of a handsome prince who she falls madly in love with. Jealous of all the other women and angry at his refusal to notice her she curses him and turns him into a hideous beast. For years they remain together in the c...
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"How's it looking doctor?" I jokingly ask Adrien who is examining my healed leg.
He holds up a finger signalling for me to stay quiet all while his attention remains on my leg. I look down as his hands turn my leg from left to right checking every bit of the old wound. The whole thing is covered with a big scab, some pieces haven't reached that stage yet but at least walking has become easier, and I can now put more of my weight on the foot.
But, it has been strange not being able to go back to the castle. It was only last night as I was laying in bed looking out my window that I realized how special that place had become for me. Months ago I found it to be a terrifying place occupied by a ferocious beast and other inhabitants that I thought were there against their will. Now... now it's like a home to me and its residents are my family... most of them anyway.
After a while, he removes his hands from my exposed leg and looks down at me.
"And?" I ask getting tired of this stretched silence.
He smiles and nods. "It looks good. It's getting better and lucky for everyone, mostly you, it didn't get infected."
"Hoorah for me!" I cheer. I pull my dress down so that my legs are covered again and I get up off the bed. I'm about to walk toward my door because I know that there are a lot of chores waiting for me, for both of us, but when I see that he isn't moving I decide not to go.
Still sitting on my bed, he nervously rubs the back of his neck and looks up at me with concern shining in his eyes.
Sighing, I fold my arms so that my hands are resting on my hips. "You're worried about me aren't you?"
"No I'm not," he quickly responds.
I shake my head and smile. "You and I both know I was going to get better at some point and I would have to start going back."
This drives him off my bed and soon he's standing right in front of my face. "You can't steal that book again."
"Why not I've been doing it for months?"
He shakes his head. "You don't understand Valerie. You haven't seen Gaston these last few days. He sits in front of that bookshelf all day and night starting at that book. It's almost as if he's obsessed with it."
"He's never been like that before," I mumble with a face flushed with confusion.
Adrien nervously bites his lip and tugs at a few strands of his unruly hair. "He has been this way before. When my grandfather was still alive someone broke into Gaston's house and took some things. When my grandpa and I went to help him fix some of the damage all Gaston would do was sit by the bookshelf and look at the book with the purple cover. I remember he was so worried that the person took it but when he saw it was still there he decided not to let it leave his sight. He even snapped at my grandfather when he tried to get Gaston away from the shelf."
