Status: once upon a time, there was a co-write...
Broken Illusion
Belle.
It had been two days since Belle had encountered the Beast, and for those two days her bedroom had been the dungeon of the castle. The Beast had dragged her down there after she'd attempted to flee the castle in order to alert the guards to the creature, and because it was common knowledge that the prince regularly went on excursions to the different towns of the kingdom, he was able to confine himself and Belle into the castle successfully. She knew it'd be assumed she went with him as his help, but she also knew that her father would be worried about her because she was always home before dark in order to make him his supper and tidy before bed. He hadn't been alone for long since her mother died and it worried her that it'd been two days since she'd last seen him.
The Beast had not spoken to her since she'd been locked in the dungeon, not even to answer her question about what had happened to Prince Adam. It was approaching the third day when the door at the top of the stairs opened and the Beast descended them, making Belle crawl across her cell floor and grasp the bars to watch it. "The Prince is never gone for more than four nights. Soon people will start getting suspicious," she said, trying to make the creature see sense and let her go. All she needed was a lapse of judgement, just a moment of release from this cell, and then she could flee from the castle and get help. Who knew what the King would do once he found out that his nephew was missing?
"You mistake me for a fool," the Beast hissed, stalking over to the cell she was in.
"You do not scare me," she replied defiantly.
The Beast stared at her menacingly and all she did was stare back at him, making sure not to let her fear show. "You truly do not know," he said after a moment, his glare faltering as he turned her back on her.
"Know what? That you killed Prince Adam?"
"No!" he roared, spinning back around and hitting her fingers that was wrapped around the bars. She cried out in pain and drew them into herself. "I am Prince Adam. I have been cursed into this form, and for these past two days I have been searching in book after book to find a way to change back – but this curse seems to be nowhere!"
Belle stared at the creature, unable to comprehend that it could indeed be the prince. It looked nothing like he did, asides from the clothing, and being cursed into animals was an aspect of witchcraft that had apparently been phased out in the past hundred years, according to her mother's books. "You are not the prince," she protested, narrowing her eyes at the creature.
The Beast barked out a bitter laugh. "If I were not the prince, you would be dead by now," he snapped, stalking away from the bars. "You are here because I was told that I had to help you if I were to ever become human again. I had to keep you safe otherwise I would be forever cursed to this form."
As she was about to reply, the door at the top of the stairs opened again and a man descended the stairs as he spoke. "When you were told to keep her safe, a little more courtesy would have gone a long way," he reprimanded the Beast, reaching the bottom step and coming into the light. This man was tall and looked rather untidy, even for the town she lived in. He was barefooted and looked more friendly than the Beast did, but he sounded uneducated, like the people of the town just over a day's journey away from them did.
"All I was told was to keep her safe," the Beast snapped.
Belle watched as the man approached the cell she was in and unlocked the door, making her scoot away from the bars and climb to her feet. "Who are you?" she asked. "And why did I need to be kept 'safe'? I am capable of keeping safe on my own."
"I'm afraid this is danger that you wouldn't be able to even predict. Now, how about we use Adam's kind hospitality and take this conversation upstairs?" The man made to grab her arm to lead her away but she backed up a few steps, making him just grab the air instead.
"No, I will not go with you," she said. "I would prefer to remain in this cell then to go anywhere with either you or him." Belle didn't know what was going on but she knew that it wasn't going to be anything remotely good, and she wanted nothing to do with whatever it was.
The man gave a chuckle and looked back at the Beast. "I see why now." He looked back at Belle. "I apologise. I never introduced myself. My name is Aladdin. You don't know me but I know a lot about you, Belle Beaumont. I also know that you are in danger and you could say that I was sent here to protect you."
Belle didn't understand why she would need protecting. It wasn't her who was accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. She was as safe as anyone could be in the kingdom, and yet she'd been kept in a cell for almost three days because she was in danger. The mind of men often confused her because they were never clear with their intentions and always sought to be as vague as possible despite wanting others to put their trust in them. It was something that she had encountered often.
Aladdin sensed her reluctance to believe him and smiled. "You are smart to not trust me because you do not know me. I understand that, but believe me when I say that I'm not here to cause you any harm but rather to prevent harm from befalling you," he explained as the Beast grew aggravated in the background. "As much as I would like to tell you everything, there isn't enough time. What I can say is that I was given visions about you by someone who wants your kingdom to go back to how it used to be. She wants it to be free and happy, where you can live without worrying that you're going to be the next one sentenced to death. But for that to happen, you have to trust me because you are the one who will make that happen. You are the key to this kingdom's happiness."
"Now it is you that mistakes me for a fool," she retorted, putting her hands on her hips. "I am not stupid enough to believe what you are telling. I will not report you or him to the guards, but I am going back to my home." Belle made to leave the cell only for the Beast to lunged forward and grab her roughly by the arm.
"I will not remain in this form because you are too stubborn to listen!" he hissed only for her hand to collide with the coarse fur that covered his face.
Aladdin stepped forward. "Hey now--"
Ignoring him, Belle wrenched her arm from his grip. "I will not lie or listen to the false words that you are speaking," she said, standing her ground.
The Beast went to speak again but Aladdin intercepted. "Let's all take a moment. You, go and calm down. There will be no return to human form if you keep up with this attitude." Both Belle and Aladdin watched as the Beast strode away from them and thundered up the stairs. The man then looked back at her. "Your father is fine, I checked on him before coming to see you. It's important that you do put your trust in me."
"And why should I?" she countered.
Aladdin smiled at her. "Because I will tell you things that you have only heard whispers about. I can help you understand why you hear certain things that others do not. No one else can."
The Beast had not spoken to her since she'd been locked in the dungeon, not even to answer her question about what had happened to Prince Adam. It was approaching the third day when the door at the top of the stairs opened and the Beast descended them, making Belle crawl across her cell floor and grasp the bars to watch it. "The Prince is never gone for more than four nights. Soon people will start getting suspicious," she said, trying to make the creature see sense and let her go. All she needed was a lapse of judgement, just a moment of release from this cell, and then she could flee from the castle and get help. Who knew what the King would do once he found out that his nephew was missing?
"You mistake me for a fool," the Beast hissed, stalking over to the cell she was in.
"You do not scare me," she replied defiantly.
The Beast stared at her menacingly and all she did was stare back at him, making sure not to let her fear show. "You truly do not know," he said after a moment, his glare faltering as he turned her back on her.
"Know what? That you killed Prince Adam?"
"No!" he roared, spinning back around and hitting her fingers that was wrapped around the bars. She cried out in pain and drew them into herself. "I am Prince Adam. I have been cursed into this form, and for these past two days I have been searching in book after book to find a way to change back – but this curse seems to be nowhere!"
Belle stared at the creature, unable to comprehend that it could indeed be the prince. It looked nothing like he did, asides from the clothing, and being cursed into animals was an aspect of witchcraft that had apparently been phased out in the past hundred years, according to her mother's books. "You are not the prince," she protested, narrowing her eyes at the creature.
The Beast barked out a bitter laugh. "If I were not the prince, you would be dead by now," he snapped, stalking away from the bars. "You are here because I was told that I had to help you if I were to ever become human again. I had to keep you safe otherwise I would be forever cursed to this form."
As she was about to reply, the door at the top of the stairs opened again and a man descended the stairs as he spoke. "When you were told to keep her safe, a little more courtesy would have gone a long way," he reprimanded the Beast, reaching the bottom step and coming into the light. This man was tall and looked rather untidy, even for the town she lived in. He was barefooted and looked more friendly than the Beast did, but he sounded uneducated, like the people of the town just over a day's journey away from them did.
"All I was told was to keep her safe," the Beast snapped.
Belle watched as the man approached the cell she was in and unlocked the door, making her scoot away from the bars and climb to her feet. "Who are you?" she asked. "And why did I need to be kept 'safe'? I am capable of keeping safe on my own."
"I'm afraid this is danger that you wouldn't be able to even predict. Now, how about we use Adam's kind hospitality and take this conversation upstairs?" The man made to grab her arm to lead her away but she backed up a few steps, making him just grab the air instead.
"No, I will not go with you," she said. "I would prefer to remain in this cell then to go anywhere with either you or him." Belle didn't know what was going on but she knew that it wasn't going to be anything remotely good, and she wanted nothing to do with whatever it was.
The man gave a chuckle and looked back at the Beast. "I see why now." He looked back at Belle. "I apologise. I never introduced myself. My name is Aladdin. You don't know me but I know a lot about you, Belle Beaumont. I also know that you are in danger and you could say that I was sent here to protect you."
Belle didn't understand why she would need protecting. It wasn't her who was accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. She was as safe as anyone could be in the kingdom, and yet she'd been kept in a cell for almost three days because she was in danger. The mind of men often confused her because they were never clear with their intentions and always sought to be as vague as possible despite wanting others to put their trust in them. It was something that she had encountered often.
Aladdin sensed her reluctance to believe him and smiled. "You are smart to not trust me because you do not know me. I understand that, but believe me when I say that I'm not here to cause you any harm but rather to prevent harm from befalling you," he explained as the Beast grew aggravated in the background. "As much as I would like to tell you everything, there isn't enough time. What I can say is that I was given visions about you by someone who wants your kingdom to go back to how it used to be. She wants it to be free and happy, where you can live without worrying that you're going to be the next one sentenced to death. But for that to happen, you have to trust me because you are the one who will make that happen. You are the key to this kingdom's happiness."
"Now it is you that mistakes me for a fool," she retorted, putting her hands on her hips. "I am not stupid enough to believe what you are telling. I will not report you or him to the guards, but I am going back to my home." Belle made to leave the cell only for the Beast to lunged forward and grab her roughly by the arm.
"I will not remain in this form because you are too stubborn to listen!" he hissed only for her hand to collide with the coarse fur that covered his face.
Aladdin stepped forward. "Hey now--"
Ignoring him, Belle wrenched her arm from his grip. "I will not lie or listen to the false words that you are speaking," she said, standing her ground.
The Beast went to speak again but Aladdin intercepted. "Let's all take a moment. You, go and calm down. There will be no return to human form if you keep up with this attitude." Both Belle and Aladdin watched as the Beast strode away from them and thundered up the stairs. The man then looked back at her. "Your father is fine, I checked on him before coming to see you. It's important that you do put your trust in me."
"And why should I?" she countered.
Aladdin smiled at her. "Because I will tell you things that you have only heard whispers about. I can help you understand why you hear certain things that others do not. No one else can."