Belle snuck into the forbidden tower. It was the only place in the beast's palace she was forbidden to visit, which made it that much more alluring. She didn't know what the big deal was really. There was nothing up there but a single rose in a glass dome perched on a small table.

But Belle sighed every time she laid eyes on the flower, for its radiance and beauty struck at her very heart. "Welcome back, Belle." The rose whispered.

Belle didn't think anything of the talking plant, after all, the candlestick, clock, and teacup all talked to her too. Oh, how the enchanted objects of this castle loved to chat, and the stories they told! "I'm good Rose and, how are you?"

"I'm good, I guess," Rose whispered.

"What's the matter," Belle questioned the Rose.

"I wish I could tell you," Rose said. "But the master will be here any moment. "Belle you better run, before he catches you."

"Okay," Belle said biting her lip in worry. "But I'll be back." She hurried down the tower steps before she was caught by the beast.

The beast walked into the tower and looked at the enchanted rose. She lost another petal. If she lost her last petal before he could get the girl to love him, he would be stuck as a beast forever. He didn't have long. "My poor master." The rose clucked.

"I don't need your pity." Beast roared.

"I just hate that you must pin all your hopes on that girl," Rose said.

"She's pretty." The beast groaned.

"Too pretty, if you ask me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Beast asked.

"Pretty people tend to be selfish people and selfish people can't love. Remember how you were when you were one of those pretty people?" Rose asked.

"She's not like me," Beast said.

"It's just an observation," Rose said before Beast roared and stalked out of the tower.

"I'm back!" Belle whispered later that day.

"Oh, Belle." Rose said, "It's so nice to see you again. You're such a sweet girl coming to visit me."

Belle smiled. "Don't think anything of it." She reassured the rose. "Besides, you seemed sad when I was here earlier."

"Oh, that! I'm not sad for me." Rose said. "I'm never sad for myself."

"Then who?" Belle asked she sat on the floor, positioning herself in a ladylike manner, in front of the flower.

"You dear!" The rose said. "You are such a sweet child. You don't deserve to be locked away by the beast."

"He's not so bad." Belle defended.

"You don't trust him?" Rose asked.

"Why shouldn't I?" Belle asked.

"Oh, mistress the beast is near. You must flee before he finds you here."

Belle grabbed her skirts and stumbled out of the room, racing down the hundred and three steps that it took to get to the bottom of the tower; however, on the bottom step she came face to face with the beast.

"How many times have I told you, not to go into the enchanted tower." The beast thundered.

"I'm sorry." Belle cried.

"If I catch you again. You'll be locked in your room!"

"I'm a grown woman." Belle held to her skirts tightly looking the beast in his blue eyes, "You can't ground me."

The beast roared before stomping up the steps to check on the enchanted rose.

"Oh master, thank Betsy you're here," Rose said once the beast climbed all the steps.

"What is the matter?" Beast asked.

"That girl tried to remove my dome!"

"What!" The beast thundered.

"I told her, not to do it, because it would hurt you."

"What did she say?" The beast asked.

"She said she wanted to hurt you!" Rose cried.

"I see." The beast sighed. For once he didn't raise his voice. He didn't thunder. He didn't stomp down the steps. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he quietly left the rose alone in her dome.

"Good Morning, Rose." It had been a few days since Belle's last visit. The Beast kept an extra special watch over her since he caught her coming from Rose's quarters. Finally, after two days of intense scrutiny, Belle was able to sneak off on her own.

"Belle, oh thank Betsy, you're still alive."

Belle giggled. "Why wouldn't I still be alive."

"Because the Beast said he was going to kill you!"

"I'm sure it was a figure of speech." Belle smiled and shrugged. "He forbade me from coming up here and I came anyway. I'm sure he was angry. But he's over it by now."

"Don't be so sure." Rose's voice turned sour.

"The Beast saved my life, he's not about to kill me."

"He's twisted," Rose said. "He only saved you so that he could kill you himself."

Belle shook her head. "You're wrong."

"Don't be naïve, girl, at least make a plan to protect yourself if it comes to it."

"But how?" Belle asked.

"Take one of my thorns," Rose said. "It could kill the beast."

"No." Belle shook her head.

"Girl, you must do it now," Rose hissed, "before he catches you."

Belle quickly pulled the dome off the top of the Rose and snapped off a thorn. She hoped Rose was wrong but took the thorn anyway just in case she was right.

The beast cleared his throat while Belle still held onto the dome. "So, it is true!" He said in a low growl.

Belle quickly turned around facing the best. "I can explain." She said.

"Oh master, thank Betsy, you're here. She tried to kill me."

"No." Belle shook her head. The beast slowly strode towards Belle his face turned into a scowl. He reached out to grab her arm with his claw. Belle stabbed the beast's arm with Rose's thorn and he yowled in pain before dropping to his knees.

With Beast's death, the petals reformed on the rose as the new Beast of the manor made her way down the tower steps.