Gaston had gone too far this time.
Ever the brute, he transcended mere buffoonery into outright malice as he locked Belle and her father in the sanitarium while he whipped the townsfolk into a frenzy. They marched off into the woods with pitchforks and torches, bound for the Beast’s castle. With luck and a bit of magic, Belle managed to escape her cell, but only had time to free herself. She promised she would return for her father, and then set off towards castle.
As Belle rode, she thought back on her year with the Beast. How she slowly eroded his savagery through compassion and tenderness. Beast proved to be kind and thoughtful, and eventually granted her access to his magnificent library. It was there that she discovered the rose.
He told her that once as a boy there had been a great storm. Through the lashing rain and thunder, he heard a rapping at the door of his castle. When he answered it, he found an old woman, begging him to let her weather the storm inside. Being a young boy, and fearful of strangers, he turned her away. The old woman then revealed herself to be a woods witch, and cursed him for the slight, transforming him into the snarling monstrosity that Belle now looked upon. He was given a single rose, and told that his curse would be broken only with true love’s first kiss before the its last petal fell. Then he would become a prince again.
In her captivity at the sanitorium, Belle realized that it was Gaston and his men that were the true beasts, always seeking to destroy what they did not understand. Her Beast was terrible to behold, and yet in his chest beat a kind and gentle heart. Gaston, on the other hand, was handsome and strong, a great warrior and hunter, but he was vain and arrogant, and saw winning Belle’s hand as conquest rather than courtship.
She had been a fool, realizing that she loved the Beast. She only hoped she wasn’t too late.
When Belle arrived, she saw the gate of the castle was ripped from its hinges, the front door hacked to splinters. She entered and saw the floor was littered with bodies, as well as broken furniture that Belle knew contained the souls of those that had once served the castle. There had been a great struggle. She ran up the great staircase, stepping over more dead villagers, more shattered friends. She knew where she’d find her love.
The library was in ruins.
Even in the wake of the devastation, she was heartbroken to see so many rare books destroyed, but she needed to press on. On her way to the balcony, she notice the case that contained the rose shattered on the ground, the flower nothing more than a withered stem.
On the balcony she found Beast, crouched and cradling the body of Gaston. His huge muscular shoulders hitched with quiet sobs, mourning the destruction of his home and what he had been made to do to protect it.
“My love.” Belle said, clutching at her chest as tears filled her eyes. “It wasn’t your fault. You had no choice.”
The Beast shuddered, and continued weep, but as Belle listened, the sobs became titters and then crackling laughs that were terrifying to hear. The Beast stood and turned on her, his mouth and doublet awash with blood. Only then could she see that he had been eating Gaston, the hunter’s eyes rolled in their sockets, his face frozen in a red-toothed howl of fear and agony.
“Not my fault, hrm? That’s a relief!" The Beast’s voice had become a guttural mockery of human speech, underlaid with the low, vibrating growl. "Here I thought someone would come and punish me for all I’ve done!” Belle backed away, her grief turning into horror. “Didn't you ever ask yourself why I was cursed?” He advanced on her, his shoulders forward, his movements as coiled and menacing as a lion about to pounce. “Not because I turned that crone away during the storm. Though, I grant you, she was spot on about what I was as soon as she saw me. That spell was on her lips before I could act. Too quick on the draw, I’m afraid! But I still got her in the end, and her bones are somewhere in the cellar along with all the others. And yet, for all your cleverness and book learning, you couldn’t see it, could you? Too eager to see the good in everyone, I’d wager. I thought I'd make you fall in love with me to restore my original body, and once again seek my delights unnoticed, but do you know, I think this body will serve just fine." He tilted his head mockingly at her. "Now," He flexed his dripping claws and bared his sharp yellow teeth, "how about that kiss?"
Ever the brute, he transcended mere buffoonery into outright malice as he locked Belle and her father in the sanitarium while he whipped the townsfolk into a frenzy. They marched off into the woods with pitchforks and torches, bound for the Beast’s castle. With luck and a bit of magic, Belle managed to escape her cell, but only had time to free herself. She promised she would return for her father, and then set off towards castle.
As Belle rode, she thought back on her year with the Beast. How she slowly eroded his savagery through compassion and tenderness. Beast proved to be kind and thoughtful, and eventually granted her access to his magnificent library. It was there that she discovered the rose.
He told her that once as a boy there had been a great storm. Through the lashing rain and thunder, he heard a rapping at the door of his castle. When he answered it, he found an old woman, begging him to let her weather the storm inside. Being a young boy, and fearful of strangers, he turned her away. The old woman then revealed herself to be a woods witch, and cursed him for the slight, transforming him into the snarling monstrosity that Belle now looked upon. He was given a single rose, and told that his curse would be broken only with true love’s first kiss before the its last petal fell. Then he would become a prince again.
In her captivity at the sanitorium, Belle realized that it was Gaston and his men that were the true beasts, always seeking to destroy what they did not understand. Her Beast was terrible to behold, and yet in his chest beat a kind and gentle heart. Gaston, on the other hand, was handsome and strong, a great warrior and hunter, but he was vain and arrogant, and saw winning Belle’s hand as conquest rather than courtship.
She had been a fool, realizing that she loved the Beast. She only hoped she wasn’t too late.
When Belle arrived, she saw the gate of the castle was ripped from its hinges, the front door hacked to splinters. She entered and saw the floor was littered with bodies, as well as broken furniture that Belle knew contained the souls of those that had once served the castle. There had been a great struggle. She ran up the great staircase, stepping over more dead villagers, more shattered friends. She knew where she’d find her love.
The library was in ruins.
Even in the wake of the devastation, she was heartbroken to see so many rare books destroyed, but she needed to press on. On her way to the balcony, she notice the case that contained the rose shattered on the ground, the flower nothing more than a withered stem.
On the balcony she found Beast, crouched and cradling the body of Gaston. His huge muscular shoulders hitched with quiet sobs, mourning the destruction of his home and what he had been made to do to protect it.
“My love.” Belle said, clutching at her chest as tears filled her eyes. “It wasn’t your fault. You had no choice.”
The Beast shuddered, and continued weep, but as Belle listened, the sobs became titters and then crackling laughs that were terrifying to hear. The Beast stood and turned on her, his mouth and doublet awash with blood. Only then could she see that he had been eating Gaston, the hunter’s eyes rolled in their sockets, his face frozen in a red-toothed howl of fear and agony.
“Not my fault, hrm? That’s a relief!" The Beast’s voice had become a guttural mockery of human speech, underlaid with the low, vibrating growl. "Here I thought someone would come and punish me for all I’ve done!” Belle backed away, her grief turning into horror. “Didn't you ever ask yourself why I was cursed?” He advanced on her, his shoulders forward, his movements as coiled and menacing as a lion about to pounce. “Not because I turned that crone away during the storm. Though, I grant you, she was spot on about what I was as soon as she saw me. That spell was on her lips before I could act. Too quick on the draw, I’m afraid! But I still got her in the end, and her bones are somewhere in the cellar along with all the others. And yet, for all your cleverness and book learning, you couldn’t see it, could you? Too eager to see the good in everyone, I’d wager. I thought I'd make you fall in love with me to restore my original body, and once again seek my delights unnoticed, but do you know, I think this body will serve just fine." He tilted his head mockingly at her. "Now," He flexed his dripping claws and bared his sharp yellow teeth, "how about that kiss?"