The Beast Inside | ✓

14 | And To Beastly Lairs

Over the course of the next month, Bella resolved to get closer to the Beast. The anguish she had seen in the Beast's eyes during their first dinner together and the sadness that Mrs Potts tried to shove away from her mind fueled her to help them to her best ability.

She did not know if she was capable of loving the Beast. She did not know if she was capable of loving anyone romantically, especially when despite the countless books she read about romance, she had never felt that tug in her heart towards anyone, human or not.

Still, she promised herself that even if she could not love the Beast, she will not let him, or the rest of the occupants of the house, to die without a friend.

The second day she had dinner with the Beast, Bella tried to engage him in conversation.

"So, what do you do all day long?" she asked curiously.

The Beast looked at her for what seemed like an hour, before curtly replying, "Work."

"What work?" Bella asked as she scooped up a spoonful of beef tenderloin onto her plate.

The Beast groaned, as though unwilling to communicate before replying, "Advise. Now, eat!"

Bella nodded, her curiosity sated slightly. Of course, she was obviously going to seek more information from the occupants of the house about the Beast but for now, even forming a tentative friendship (or maybe acquaintanceship) with the Beast was enough to satisfy her.

---

Over the course of the next two months, Bella developed a routine, similar to how she spent her life in the village. In the mornings, she settled in the kitchen with bleary eyes, enjoying a feast in the form of breakfast with Mrs Potts and Casper, the stove.

After that, she holed herself up in the humongous library that the Beast had introduced to her during her second week, his coldness with her thawing with each passing day.

When she had consumed enough literary pleasures for the day, she would seek out the Beast simply by calling his name, for she was not allowed to enter the west wing, and they would take a long yet silent walk along the castle lands, especially through the rose gardens.

Despite the white roses being the reason why she was stuck in the castle, she could not help but enjoy their beauty, spending almost an hour daily basking in its radiance.

They never breached the fence that separated that castle from the forest and Bella always returned to the castle with rosy cheeks and a runny nose due to the cold, yet she could not help but cherish these silent moments of bonding.

After that, they went back to their respective rooms to change before meeting punctually at half past eight to dine together.

During those dinners, Bella learnt more about the Beast than she expected to. She found out that he was the royal adviser to the King, who was well aware of his situation, and that he liked to read books just like her, although of a genre she tended to ignore: non-fiction. He was also a skilled pianist and an absolute flirt, who tended to be quite the party animal during his youth.

Yet the most important thing that Bella learnt, was that his name was Adam. For some reason, this piece of information was significant to her in making him seem humane and breaking any connection of him with a beast.

Despite her doubt if she could ever fall in love with a beast, Bella was beginning to think that she may be able to be the Beauty who would break the curse on the castle.

For Bella was not falling for the Beast, she was falling for the man locked away inside; for Adam.

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