Belle sighed softly and shook her head sadly as she finished re-reading Romeo and Juliet for what felt like the thousandth time. such a beautifully tragic story, the ultimate lesson in the dangers of miscommunication. She nosed the book closed and glanced beside her. Beast seemed to be sleeping soundly enough, his leg seemed to have improved much in the days she had spent with him nursing it. She tucked the book carefully back with the others in the large sack Beast had brought for her. She had found books both old and new that she enjoyed and a few she was less fond of. Some sparked smiles and memories from her guardian while others made her want to set them aside and sleep.

She forced herself to her feet and yawned giving a quick little stretch and glancing again at the blossoming roses that had first drawn her in. The memory of Beasts anger trailed right along as well and she frowned slightly. Why was he so protective of some wild flowers?

Beast slept content at Belles side; a faithful lap dog to her in those days that they'd been so close to each other. He'd almost felt like he wasn't holding her here against her will; almost. He'd hoped his leg would never heal; if it meant she would continue to sleep next to him; If it meant he could stay so close to her with out making her upset. If it meant that for even for a short amount of time he could feel like he had someone who cared for him. It was nice; most definitely nice. Even though he was still asleep; when she moved from his side... He frowned; and moved to take up the spot that she had been in; just to feel her warmth against his own. When his leg was better; he would go out again and get her more books. He would come back and woo her; he would make her his of her own free will and he would have a mate again. He smiled now in his sleep as he thought of all those things. How he wanted it to be true.

She turned to glance at him her chocolate colored hair spilling over one shoulder and her hazel gaze trying to determined if he was really sleeping soundly. She tiptoed a bit closer to the flowers and inhaled their sweet scent, intoxicating. Perhaps they were a rare bloom, that might account for his overprotectiveness of the lovely flowers. Her gaze skipped over the rest of the room, pillows of all sizes, mirrors most cracked, and what had one been vivid tapestries. The place was like somekind of paradise gone dark and cold, yet beside Beast she had felt warmed, safe. She turned away from the roses remembering his original wrath, the reason she had fled, the injury he sustained. With a soft sighed she tucked herself back by his side and placed her head down to feign sleep.

Beast watched her approach his roses again but was happy to see when she turned back from them and came to lay down by his side. He curled around her possessively as if he was asleep and looking for some sort of comfort in his dreams. He moved his head over her neck and breathed in her lovely scent before whispering to her. "They belonged to my murdered mate." Before nuzzling into her some more. As if that was all the explination he needed to give for why he'd had such an explosive reaction to her.


She would have continued her ruse of sleeping but his words were startling. He'd had a mate? She lifted her head and looked at him startled. "Oh...I'm...I'm so sorry." She paused a moment the curiosity eating away at her.
"What happened?" She finally managed to ask her voice tentative. "I mean how did she...?" Who had killed her, and what had Beast done about it, she didn't doubt he would have loved her and been enraged at her death. He had looked like he wanted to kill her just for touching those precious rose blooms.

Beast shrugged still laying on top of her; it had happened so long ago... Now he just tried not to think about it. His guardian had told him it had been what she'd deserved but it still hurt. "She'd been caught committing adultry." He told her plainly. One of the deadliest sins to commit. One of the Ten commandments he'd preaches to his herd when he'd still had a herd to preach to. He wondered if he should have told her that he'd been the one to kill her? "The male she'd been committing the act with... had been my best friend at the time. He too was punished."

"She was unfaithful..." Belle murmured softly sounding mildly surprised and wondering what had drove the female to it. The way he said it, so matter of fact sent a mild shiver down her spine. She frowned as he explained about his best friend and her ears fell back.
"Oh, who punished him? Who killed them?" She asked softly warily, she didn't want his answer, not really. Her stomach sank with the knowledge that he had probably been the punisher, that he had murdered his own mate and best friend.

"It doesn't matter anymore. The lord punished her." He replied; not really his own answer; more the answer that his guardian had told him over and over again. It hadn't been his fault. He'd simply been the hand of god; delivering justice for a crime that had been commuted that the bible itself had supported. Even if it still haunted him now; even if it was a lie; it helped Beast and comforted him. "Come lay back down with me Belle~." He said easily; patting the empty space next to him for her.

"The lord?" Belle echoed dubiously and slowly her frown intensified as she eyed him. "It was you..." She whispered softly, her legs trembled a bit under her but she wasn't going to turn and run. She had to understand what had driven him though in her heart she already did. Betrayal so deep he had killed to try and erase it, a pain that blinded him to everything. How could she blame him for stopping her heart when she had so obviously torn his?

"Please don't think that by saying the lord punished her; and by assuming it was me; that I think I'm a god or something." he said looking up at her with a slightly amused look on her face. Trying his damned hardest to not let her really find out; to not give it away so easily. He didn't want her to be afraid of her. Not after how close she was letting him get to her. He'd really missed physical contact like that. He raised himself up with a little bit of effort; limping painfully towards her.

She might have laughed if she wasn't so worried but then he started to get up and she frowned. "Don't..." Yet he was already limping over. She shook her head at how stubborn he was and moved to meet him halfway frowning and softly nudging him. "Come on lay back down...you'll only make it worse doing this." She tried to push him back towards the collection of pillows and throws. She would lay down with him if that was what it took. Despite being shaken she knew that he wasn't going to hurt her, not yet anyway. She was captive here and he had already saved her life...twice proof that he didn't need to see her dead.

"I shouldn't have said anything." He grumbled to her in a sour manner. Wrapping his neck around her and holding her close when she got close enough to him. Almost afraid that if he didn't do that... that she would leave him. But when she showed signs of actually caring for him still; of still being concerned for his health, he allowed a small smile to cross his face and he nuzzled into her. "I don't want to lay down just yet..." He told her honestly. "I would much rather stand, and work out my legs... would you mind to be my crutch?" He asked nipping at her playfully.

She glared at him and frowned "It wouldn't have helped you any to lie to me..." Shaking her head she let him lean against her and moved a bit closer. She gave a little shake off at his nuzzle wondering why he was being so...affectionate. Did he think she would try and leave again just because she found out he had killed? She already knew he was dangerous, now she simply knew that he was even dangerous to those he loved. Yet she wasn't concerned he would snap and go on a rampage, He had killed out of betrayal for the need to avenge himself. She had no intention of betraying him, except perhaps by leaving when she had the chance. Yet he had kidnapped her and kept her prisoner here so she hardly felt traitorous for wanting to leave. He already knew her intent as well as she did, she sighed and nodded.
"I guess you do need to work your legs a bit...we'll just go for a short walk. Your heavy..." She smirked and nipped back at him teasingly.


Beast gave a deep frown, so much for the smile he'd been sporting a few moments ago. "I haven't lied to you Belle." He told her lifting his head in indignation at the suggestion that he would have lie. I avoided your question." He said chuckling darkly now. He didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to delve into it too deeply. For fear that if he did, she would run away again and this time he wouldn't be able to bring her back. And he rather liked having her there to keep him company. When he slept next to her; it was like sleeping next to his old mate. As if she was still alive, and they were still in love, and they were still trying for fawns. That had been her reason for betrayal in the first place. The whore had.... He stopped trying to get that train of thought as far out of his mind as he possibly could. He hated thinking like that; it still hurt; still felt like a knife in his gut that was twisted and turned before being pulled out and plunged even deeper. He gave a polite laugh when she teased him, and pushed his weight into her a bit harder to try and make her stumble. "You're not so light either princess."

She gave a delicate snort at his words, lies by omission were hardly better then outright ones. "Of course you did, but I will find out what really happened..." She added with a huff determined to know the details of what had gone wrong. Why did he live in seclusion and why had he wanted her around? It was all incredibly puzzling and she found she had no desire to entangle herself with danger. Still she was coming to have a certain fondness for the male who was determined to be her captor and rescuer at once.
She stumbled a bit and then braced her legs and nipped him. "Stop your fooling around or you'll send us both sprawling to the ground."

He rolled her eyes when she said that with such determination. She was so determined but there was no one here but himself to tell her what had happened. When she nipped at him and scolded him like that... he couldn't help but laugh. "Yes mother." He teased her poking her in the side with his nose. "The day you mate with me Belle; that'll be the day I tell you." He told her scoffing lightly. As if that was going to ever happen. He made his way out of his room and took a breath of the somewhat stale air. He leaned against the stone wall opposite his door for a moment. He was surprised at how much just doing any of that had worn him out. He felt pathetic. "Belle; will you take me down to the basement? I'm in desperate need of a bath." He said; he could smell himself now. Could smell the dried blood in his fur... with out the aide of the roses strong scent he smelled repulsive.

She glared at him mockingly a moment before smirking. "Hmph you set the most impossible goals for me. I'm sure I'll manage to get it out of you some other way." She walked with him out of the room and frowned looking at his leg and the way he leaned so heavily against the stone. "Maybe we should go lay back down..." She murmured uncertainly before her nose wrinkled. Of course he had been cooped up, she had cleaned his wound but other then that only she had been free to bathe and explore the rest of the cathedral.
Still no matter the scent she was worried if they went down to the basement they wouldn't be able to get him back up. "Are you sure?" She looked at him dubiously.

Beast laughed at her glare. "Oh so now it's a goal to sleep with me is it?" He asked laughing still, starting to work his way towards the stairs. Not bothering to listen to her worries or her doubts. "No. No. I can do this." He said with a determined look on his face. "It's just going to take me a bit to get there...." He decided; resting against the wall again and looking to her with a some what pained expression on his face. "I think... if I don't get down there... I might start pulling out my fur from boredom. You're great for company and such a wonderful conversationalist; but I need to move around."


"Hardly, the goal is to get what I want out of you without sleeping with you." She smirked for a moment before realizing he was going to actually go down. She slowly frowned and sighed nodding softly knowing she wouldn't be able to dissuade him now. "Just be careful alright? I won't be able to get you back up if something happens..."
She moved down infront of him on the steps her hooves barely gripping the smooth stones at all. Still she was determined to catch him should he slip and start to go down, she just had to brace herself. "Just come slowly..." She looked up at him.

"Is that concern for the big bad beast I hear in your voice?" He asked chuckling; trying not to think on why she would possibly have concern for him, or even if it really was concern in the first place. He did go slowly though; taking each step with care and awareness. Knowing that all it took was one to make him slip and fall and take her with him. And he would be beside himself if he was the cause of pain for her.
He stared at her for a moment as he took his time on the few last steps before the end. God she was beautiful. Even more beautiful than his old mate. And Belle wasn't. Belle was so perfect and pure that sometime he felt like he was tainting her just by being near her. Every time a dirty thought passed through his head he had to do his best to push it away. He wanted her to be clean even in her thoughts.

"If you fall on me we'll both be concerned." She laughed softly and slowly moved down the steps. She tried to keep herself braces incase he did happen to fall. His leg seemed to be a bit stronger but she still didn't like the odds of him falling. "Careful..." She repeated softly and stared back as she saw him staring at her. She tilted her head her hazel eyes fixed on his blue ones.
"What is it?" She asked softly wondering why he was looking at her so intently.

Beast quickly realized that Belle was staring at him and shook his head. Too embarrassed to tell her how beautiful he thought she was. "Nothing. It's nothing." He said firmly. He liked going down the stairs. It was so much easier and far less of a struggle then going up them. He had to think up something to tell Belle... But all of his thoughts kept coming back to her chest nut hair. Or her smile. Or her hazel eyes... His old mate (becuase he refused to think of her name ever. Becuase it made her real in his head again along with all the pain) had hazel eyes... Maybe that's what had attracted her to him... But she was definitely much different than Belle. And definitely not as good. "Look here we are at the bottom of the stairs."

Nothing he said but she had a feeling there was something after all, still she didn't feel like pressing. She watched as he made the last step and moved out of his way. At least he seemed to be a bit better, his leg allowed him to go down the stairs easily enough. "You're good then...I'll be back once you've bathed..." She moved to head back up the stairs not wanting to intrude on his space.

Beast turned his head as she left and he actually panicked. He didn't want her to leave... He liked having someone to care about him; to care about in return. Maybe it was becuase he was obviously suffering from infection but when he looked at Belle... he saw something there wasn't there before. But he couldn't figure out what it was. For one, she no longer shuddered when he touched her... NO. It can't be. He'll just ignore- but then... There's something there that wasn't there before. "Please come with me." He asked as politely as he could muster.

She turned curiously at his tone a brow lifting wondering why his voice sounded so soft. It was sweet and almost kind, which was odd because he had been mean and coarse and unrefined. Yet he sounded dear, how odd she hadn't noticed that before. She turned carefully stepping back down the stairs. This was new, a bit alarming...who'd have ever thought that this would be, she approaching this...beast. He was no prince charming, yet as she approached she was struck again by how he had saved her life. He had brought her books and he had wanted her company in the long hours of his recovery. Her heart gave a tiny strange flutter in her chest and she blushed before moving to help him closer to the water.
"Alright..." She finally murmured though at this point it was rather obvious she was going with him. There was something in him she simply hadn't seen before. All at once their situation struck her, he was going to bathe in truth she knew it was silly to feel shy. Still her guardians silly little habits such as clothing and modesty seemed to have brushed into her mind. A faint blush moved over her muzzle as she looked at him again with a different gaze, an assessing gaze as if for the first time really seeing his masculinity.

Beast felt his heart settle when she came towards him and agreed to go with him. He felt... almost... like he was loved for a moment. He nuzzled into her again; not saying anything before pulling away to move off towards the Beasement again. There would be more stairs. But atleast these were much wider and easier to go down. He smiled at Belle and almost felt like telling her that she thought she was the most beautiful hind he'd ever seen; the most generous; and loving; and just... the most amazing. But he thought that might have made the situation a bit awkward all things considered. So he kept it to himself. "Thank you Belle." He told her before moving down the stairs and into the depths of the basement.