Beauty and the Monster ⚤

Chapter Fifteen: A Twist Of Fate

As Belle was leaving the palace with her father, she was scarcely paying attention to anything around her. Clinging on to his arm for support, she walked with her head down, her sorrowful eyes filled with tears.
They were accompanied by an entourage of guards, who always escorted any visitors to and from the palace, and usually Belle would have felt self-conscious, crying in public, but she was hurting so badly she didn't even care.

As King Maurice guided her along the wide path which led to the bifrost, Belle suddenly became aware of him slowing down. And then she heard someone call her name.

At first her heart lifted, filling with renewed hope that it might be Loki.
But of course it was not.
Instead she raised her head to see none other than Sigurd, striding along the path towards them. Hastily Belle wiped her tears away, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that she had been weeping. She couldn't face answering any awkward questions about why she was so upset, not right now.

"Belle!"
Sigurd exclaimed as he drew level with the party.
"There you are! I have been most concerned for you. I made enquiries regarding your absence and heard rumours of you being the Allfathers' ward. So I was hoping to seek an audience with his majesty, King Odin, in the hopes of learning of your whereabouts, but what luck! Here you are!"

Belle forced a watery smile.
"Yes, here I am."
She knew she sounded less than enthused to see him, but it was due to her current churned-up state.
Any other time she would've very much enjoyed catching up with Sigurd, but as it was it was taking a great deal of effort on her part to hold herself together.

At that, King Maurice nudged Belle in the side, with a lot less subtlety than Belle would've liked, making it obvious that he wanted an introduction.

"Belle, aren't you going to introduce me to your charming young acquaintance?"

"Oh, of course. Papa, this is Sir Sigurd, he's a friend of mine from the village..." Belle gestured from Sigurd to her father.
"Sigurd this is my father, King Maurice of Avonlea."

Sigurd's eyes rounded in surprise, and he immediately took a sweeping bow before Maurice.
"Your highness. What an unexpected privilege it is to make your acquaintance. I had no idea that your fair daughter was royalty. You never mentioned it, Belle?"

Belle shrugged almost disinterestedly.
"No I was trying to live a more simple and modest life here in Asgard--"

"Well not anymore."
Maurice interrupted, smiling broadly.
"I'm taking my beautiful daughter home where she belongs."

"Oh, you're leaving?"
Sigurd sounded sorely disappointed, it was evident in his tone as well as his saddened expression.
"Oh, that is a terrible pity. I shall miss you very much. And dash it! I have the worst bad luck!"

Belle looked at him confused. She really didn't have the energy for this right now. As nice as it was having chanced upon Sigurd like this, now was not exactly the time to be renewing their acquaintance.
Belle felt as if she'd left her heart behind in the palace, and the heartache was physically painful. All she wanted was to be away now, and return home where she could shut herself away and weep for all eternity.

"What do you mean, bad luck?"
She asked patiently. More from politeness than any real interest.

Sigurd's brown eyes darted from Belle to her father, and nothing in the nine realms could have prepared Belle for what he said next.

"Well, the truth of the matter is, King Maurice, that up until her having taken up residence in the palace, I had been courting your daughter."