Second Chance

Chapter 20 Discomfort

Belles POV

I flopped back into the carriage, resisting the urge to take off my heels and unwind my hair.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
12 castles.
12.
My feet feel like they are dying!
Every single one as been exactly the same as the others but Gaston has been adamant that we  see each and every room. Each and every room being dark, dreary and lifeless.
I can't see myself living in any of those places... But then again, I can't see myself marrying Gaston...

But it's going to happen. It's inevitable.
"I really have a good feeling about this one, ah thank you so much for giving up your time to show us round, thank you, yes thank you goodbye!" The sound of the carriage opening and Gaston climbing in made me open my eyes and straighten up.

The horses started up their trot and Gaston gave an exasperated sigh.
"I don't think I've seen a castle quite as disgusting as that," he shook his head.
"But, but you just said you had a good feeling about it?" I frowned, thinking back to what he had just said.
"Belle if you'd have been listening and not in your own world all day you would have realised that's what I've said to all of the owners all day, my love," he said through his teeth.

I narrowed my eyes and opened my mouth to reply but then thought better of it and just gazed out of the window.
"See! All day! You've just had this gaunt look on your face! Belle please, could you just try and act a little bit excited about this?" He said, harsh at first, but then his tone changing and guilt flooding through me.
I looked back at him.
His eyes were rounder, softer than they had been before.
"Oh Gaston I am, really," I tried to give him an encouraging smile,
"I'm just not feeling myself today," I looked down.

He paused a minute before responding,
"Hmm... Well, I suppose we'd better get back to the castle then, leave our castle hunting until you feel better," he nodded, slightly annoyed.

"Oh no I'm fine, please, let's carry on looking, I'm fine," I put on a smile. The thought of spending another day traipsing around the kingdom looking for a castle with Gaston gave me the urge to hurl myself out of the moving carriage.
"Well if you're sure," Gaston said quickly, not giving me even a second to change my mind.

I sigh and return my gaze to the moving forest outside the window.

Great...

Rumples POV

Looking for a castle - already! They've only been engaged a few days, a few hours even...

She looks so tired. She needs to rest. But she's putting on a brave face and Gaston has no idea, or he's choosing to ignore it....

Just mentioning his name makes my blood boil.
She should not be marrying him.
Anyone. Anyone but him.

Suddenly my mind was distracted.
I feel something. Something approaching. Something disgusting.
Ah, people.

I opened the door before the peasants before me could knock.
There was an elderly man, who stood blinking at me, his arm raised, poised to knock.
I giggled, I love doing that.
Stood beside him was a younger woman, a child clutched in her arms, pulling on the top of her dress and fallen bits of hair.

"Well are you going to stand there all day, dearie?" I flicked my fingers, my voice high pitched and sarcastic.
"I - uh, I'm - uh," the man struggling to string a sentence together made me rolls my eyes and flounce away and walk back into the dining room.
I heard them both follow me and made sure I slammed the door shut behind them, the grizzly child going quiet, good, I hate it when they make a racket.
The man was still trying to speak so I span round sharply,
"You know this is usually the sound people make after I take their tongues, not before dearie - spit it out."

The woman put her arm out gently and touched the old mans shoulder, hushing him.
"George, let me try," she gave him a brave smile before looking at me.
"Our family are lost, well, sort of... The curse, if it was that, that you cast to bring everyone here, it, it left them behind..." She swallowed, trying to hold herself together, but the thought of her lost loved ones breaking her.
"Well, that is a lovely story, but what do you expect me to do about it?" I said shrugging my shoulders dramatically. This is the tenth family today who have came to try and make me reverse it, all sad and angry that loved ones have been left behind. So not even an inch to what I'm feeling...
The woman swallowed,
"Please, we will do anything, anything for you to get us back to them," she pleaded.
"Yes, my son, her husband, that child's father, and my wife, please," the old man started to beg as well.
A shiver went down my spine.
Begging.
I can't stand it.
Only if its for their lives.
"I'll do anything, please, think of my son, he needs his father," she pleaded.
I rolled my eyes, trying to pull on my heart strings? Didn't she hear, I don't have one.
"I will do anything! I, I heard you had a maid? Some stupid little princess?For a deal? Well I will be willing to do the same thing and I can assure I will do a better job than some princess, please!" this comment made my eyes snap toward her.
"What did you just say?" My lip started to curl in a snarl.
The woman's mouth gaped open at my sudden change in mood.
"I, I will be your m-maid," she stuttered.
"Before that," I said inching toward her.
"Um..." She was trying hard to think about what she had just said. But she obviously didn't think calling Belle a stupid princess was important.
It is.
"Oh come on dearie, about the stupid little princess," I said, mimicking a stereotypical princess voice.
"Oh that?" She frowned turning to the old man, confused.
"If you had any sense, you'd leave before I stop you," I said, trying to conceal the beast.
"But my family-"
I snapped my fingers and they were gone.
Only to the start of the driveway, but they won't come back.

Is that what people think Belle is, a "stupid little princess".
She is far far from that!
I could feel the rage burning inside of me. The kind that I let get on top of me which becomes a violent. The kind Belle could stop with one touch.

I need to see her.
Even if she doesn't see me, and it is only for a second, I need to see her before I do something I will regret.

-----------------------------------------
Hellooo! Sorry it's been super long since I've updated but like I said I'm doing exams atm😁 hopefully there won't be such a big gap between the next update!!
Please tell me what you think in the comments!!
Thank you for reading - Amy :-)