𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 she reached home, the winds were fervent. The snow was more than just a thin coating on the ground and the temperature was becoming cold enough to freeze the cobblestone roads.

Celine quickly gathered minimal supplies to keep her load light and moved to the front door. She stopped as she felt another presence behind her. She sighed and slowly turned to face her mother.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Celine averted her eyes. She didn't wish to hide anything from her mother, but she also knew if she told the truth that she would be stopped.

"You're going after Belle... the hunter and her father passed by not long before you arrived home."

"I can't just sit idly and do nothing," Celine replied gently, looking up at her mother, pleading.

Celine could tell that her mother wasn't pleased, but it didn't look as if she was going to stop her either. Althea gestured toward the door. "Be safe, mon petit ange."

"Merci, Maman." Celine placed a kiss on her mother's cheek, wrapped a cloak around herself, and ran out into the cold.

The snow slowed as she made her way into the forest and if she wasn't so focused on finding her friend, she might have taken a moment to appreciate the beauty of the evening.

The serene setting was disturbed by the howling of wolves in the distance. She froze in her tracks. Her eyes frantically flashed back and forth as she sought the source. The sound of another howl was the only thing that snapped her out of her trance. She took off at a sprint through the woods.

In the process, she caught a face full of snow from one of the lower branches, tripped and fell down a hill, and skidded across the slick surface of the iced over lake. However, the thin ice cracked and snapped under her feet. She panicked and thrashed before realizing that she was still within the shallows. Inconvenienced and freezing, she stood and shuddered.

She attempted to wring out her dress, but it froze much quicker than she anticipated. She climbed up the hill in front of her and wiped the freezing sweat from her brow. She shuddered again as another shrill wind tried to knock her over.

She pulled her cloak tighter around herself before noticing that the tips of her fingers had started to turn blue. She lifted them close to her mouth and blew on them before rubbing them together in an attempt to warm them.

She caught some movement from the corner of her eye, and turned to see a small clump of snow from a nearby tree drop and land on the spikes of an iron gate.

Normally, she might have been cautious about proceeding forward; however, the cold was louder than her rational thought. She pushed the gates open and rushed onto the castle grounds.

The castle was dark and loomed overhead, but she paid the gothic structure no attention. She entered the castle and forced the doors closed behind her. She kept her back pressed up against them and slowly slid to the ground. Keeping her eyes closed, she inhaled to slow her breath.

The crackling of a fire invited her deeper. Celine removed her cloak and hung it on the nearby rack before taking a seat in front of the fireplace. She extended her hands and sighed with relief as she regained feeling in her hands.

The peace was only momentary as a low growl echoed around the chamber and a hulking figure charged past the archway toward the staircase.

Celine's eyes widened and she raised an eyebrow in confusion. Slowly, she crept forward and ascended the stairs, following after the monstrous stomping.

Celine frowned and winced at the sound of pounding on what she hoped was a door. Whatever creature was at the source roared, "I thought I told you to come down to dinner!"

"I'm not hungry."

Celine froze. She knew the following response had been Belle's voice. Consequently, she hastened the pace at which she ascended the stairs and skidded to a stop at the end of the hall.

The large creature shouted at the door once more, "You'll come out or I'll—I'll...I'll break down the door!"

Another series of voices could be heard, but Celine was unable to determine the source.

"Master, I could be wrong, but that may not be the best way to win the girl's affections."

"Please! Attempt to be a gentleman."

"But she is being so... difficult!" The creature turned almost as if it had been speaking to her, but it had yet to notice her. Instead, he seemed to be speaking to the inanimate objects scattered across the ground.

"Gently, gently."

The creature dejectedly turned toward the door. "Will you come down to dinner?"

"No!" Belle shouted, presumably from the other side of the door.

She couldn't wait any longer. Celine ran forward and pulled at the creature's cloak. "What have you done with her?!"

Now that she saw the creature in the light, she froze and took a startled step back. It was just as Maurice had said, a hidden castle deep in the forest guarded by a monstrous beast. However, it wasn't the fangs or the claws or the horns that frightened her, not even the snarl on his face.

What had caused her to stop was the way the light reflected across the beast's sapphire eyes. Immediately, she was brought back into the vision of her nightmares and the fact that she'd recognize those eyes anywhere.

His eyes narrowed and he snarled, charging toward her. "Enchantress!"

Celine closed her eyes and flinched, shrinking inside herself as she realized there wasn't anything she could do to stop the beast from harming her. However, when she opened her eyes, he had stopped mere inches from her face. "You're not the enchantress... who are you and how did you find this place?"

"What have you done with Belle?" She tried to hide the stutter in her voice as she repeated her question rather than answering the one that he had asked.

The beast glanced back at the door. "Of course you're here for her... having a prisoner is starting to be more of a pain with each passing hour."

"Prisoner?" Celine's eyes widened and she regained her sense of courage. She pushed past the beast and knocked on the door. "Belle, are you alright in there?"

"Celine?" Belle questioned from the other side and the door immediately opened. Celine was pulled into a tight embrace as Belle collapsed in her arms.

"I'm here, you're alright," Celine attempted to console her before breaking away briefly to look the other girl over. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Non, the master wouldn't hurt a fly."

Celine scoffed and turned her head to see that it had been the candelabra that had spoken. Her jaw dropped and she stumbled taking a step back. Belle steadied her in her arms.

"That candlestick just spoke..."

Belle nodded in agreement to confirm that she wasn't crazy. "Oui, things appear to be alive here."

Celine bent down and poked the candelabra, who stumbled and fell backward. The clock beside him failed to come to his aid.

Celine's eyes widened for fear that she had hurt the creature and she quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I meant no harm."

"Non, it's quite alright, mademoiselle," the candelabra waved aside her concern, standing and dusting himself off.

Celine took Belle's hands into her own. "Let's get you home. Your father is worried sick."

"My father?" Belle questioned and appeared hopeful. "He returned home safely."

Celine nodded her head. "Oui, but he's returned to the forest with Gaston to look for you. The sooner you're home, the faster we can put all of this behind us."

She gently pulled on Belle's arm to lead her toward the front gate, but Belle pulled away. "I can't..."

Celine frowned. "What do you mean you can't?"

"She's my prisoner," the beast spoke up and took a step forward, once more reminding them of his large presence.

"You can't just take a person prisoner," Celine crossed her arms and insisted, "It's inhumane. What could she possibly have done to deserve this?"

"Her father is a thief," the beast replied, "The penalty for stealing is as I see fit. She volunteered to take her father's place."

"Surely there has to be another way," Celine pleaded, but the beast shook his head and the smaller animate objects looked away. A sorrowful look crossed her face as she turned toward Belle. "I told you to wait."

"Papa needed me."

Celine took a step back, shaking her head. "Non, I refuse to accept this. There must be something that can be done to set her free... or someone."

An idea slowly formed in her head. She straightened and faced the beast, refusing to let him see the fear in her eyes.

"Leave before I lose my patience," the beast warned.

She shook her head. "Non. I'm warning you. This is your last chance to free my friend from your prison. If you refuse, I'll return with an army who will tear this castle apart brick by brick until nothing remains."

She swore she saw a flicker of fear flash across his sapphire eyes. He contemplated her offer for a long while. They stood in tense silence until he slowly nodded his head in agreement.

"She may go—"

Celine sighed with relief, but it was quickly revealed that the beast hadn't finished.

"—if you agree to dine with me this evening."

"What?" Celine looked at the beast in confusion. "What is this? Some trick to trap me here?"

The beast shook his head. "I've come to realize that I should've just kept the old man locked up in my dungeon. The two of you have far too much spirit that I don't have the patience to deal with. It's drawing too many intruders to my home."

"But master—" The candelabra attempted to interject.

"One dinner," the beast reiterated, "then you are free to go."

Celine took a moment to consider his offer and nodded her head in agreement. "I accept."

Belle tried to stop her, "Celine—"

Celine didn't let her deter her from her decision. "Belle, you've always longed for a life of adventure. You're not going to find that if you're locked up as a prisoner for the rest of your life. If one dinner is what it takes, then so be it."

"Have the kitchen prepare the meal," the clock clapped, what she assumed were his hands, and ushered the other household objects that acted as servants away from the master and the ladies.

"But I want Belle sent home now to know that you'll uphold your end of the bargain," Celine demanded.

The beast begrudgingly nodded his head in agreement and called the clock back. "Cogsworth, have Belle escorted back to her village."

"Right away, Master," the clock scrambled away once more, which was an extremely interesting sight considering the creature didn't exactly have feet.

A pair of suits of armor grabbed each of Belle's arms and led her toward the entrance of the castle. Celine chased them down and managed to take hold of Belle's hand just before she was dragged outside.

"Celine... come with me."

"I have to keep my word," Celine replied, smiling fondly, "When you return home, pack your belongings, I think it's time we leave behind the village and set out for an adventure."

Belle couldn't help but release a gentle chuckle as she looked around the gothic castle design. "I think we've already begun one."

Celine nodded her head in agreement with a laugh. "I'll be home soon. I promise."

"I'll hold you to your word..."

It was the last thing Belle said before she was dragged out to the carriage that made its way back to the village without the aid of a horse. The wheels unfolded and turned into a pair of spindly legs that walked off into the forest.

Slowly, Celine turned back around to face the beast. The look of disapproval briefly disappeared from his face and was replaced with one that expressed intrigue. However, he said nothing. He turned on his heels with a swish of his cloak and walked down the hall away from her.

She swallowed and aimlessly called for some direction. "Hello?"

Her eyes drifted toward the ground as the clock below her cleared his throat. "Eh hem, if the mademoiselle would follow me."

The clock led her back to the original room that Belle had been kept locked away inside. A nervous feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as if she feared the beast planned to go back on his word, but she quickly discouraged that thought once she realized she was judging the creature before she had even really spoken with him.

"You'll find a suitable change of clothes inside," the clock bowed and turned to leave, "and you will be summoned once dinner is prepared."

"Change of clothes?" Celine questioned and called after the clock, "That wasn't part of the deal!"

Seeing that she'd been left alone, she sighed and entered the room. She took a seat on the bed then rubbed the temples of her head as she recalled her evening. Overall, it had to be one of the worst she'd experienced in a long while. It was almost over though, one meal and she was free to return home. One meal and she'd finally leave the small-minded village of Villeneuve behind.

It wasn't until she had seen Belle again that she'd made her decision; however, she had no doubts that it was time to travel to Paris and begin experiencing the world. She'd given the small village a second chance, but her mother was wrong: no one could really change that much.