𝐀 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐬 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

Leta made Maximus go as fast as he possibly could. It seemed like it took forever until they met a cross in the road. There was a tree that split in half, blocking one path. The tree looked as if it had been split by lightning. Maximus went down the pathway and the As they continued on they arrived at the rusty gates of a castle. Leta looked at it in great detail and noticed it was familiar. It was the castle from her dreams. Sure it was a little darker, but it was still
the same place. She started to think about all the dreams and maybe the man from her dreams was actually there. Leta reminded herself of why she
was really there, to find her father.
Getting off of the horse, Leta left Maximus by the doors of the castle. She tried knocking on the door and it opened on its own. Though she was nervous and kind of scared, she walked in "Hello. Is there anyone here?" Leta asked. Her voice echoed throughout the space. She looked around and saw no one. Not a sole was around, just chairs and objects. It was too clean for no one live there "Look Cogsworth, it's the girl" A voice with a very French accent said "Yes, I see it's a girl. I lost my hands, not my eyes" Cogsworth
whispered "She looks familiar though" "She's not just any girl. It's Leta. The girl the prince was dancing with that night. She is the one who will break the spell" Lumière informed his friend "Who said that? How do you know my name?" Leta was scared and confused. She saw no one, so who was talking?
She walked closer to the two objects that were placed on the table. Hearing a cough, she recognized it as her father "Papa!" She yelled. She walked over to the table and grabbed Lumière. Luckily he wasn't talking because it would've scared the girl. He didn't want to ruin everyone's chances of being freed from the curse. Lumière knew that the prince held a very special place for Leta even if it was just one night. She meant something to the prince. Running towards the noise with the candelabra in hand, Leta climbed up the tower. It was a long climb, but she was determined to reach her father "Papa" She called. Reaching what seemed to be a stopping point, Leta saw her father locked up. She placed Lumière down and went to the cell her father was being held in father "Papa. Is that you?" Leta cried "Leta, how did you find me?" Her father asked and Leta grabbed his hands "Your hands are ice. We need to get you home" She tried to plead "Leta, listen. You need to leave here at once. This castle is alive"Phillip tried to reason with his daughter, but she looked confused "Now go before he finds you" "Who?!" She asked loudly, and all the sudden there was a growl. This caused both Leta and Phillip to turn their heads towards the noise. Backing away from the cell, the prince could see the girl clearly now. He stood in the shadows, not wanting to scare her even more "Leta" The prince whispered. Luckily she didn't hear him. For it had been so long since he had seen her. He thought she was never going to come back. She was just as beautiful since the last time he saw her, if not more. Her once dirty blonde hair was full on
brown. Her tears had made her brown eyes puffy, but she was still gorgeous. He had wished the enchantress never put a curse on him because then he would have seen Leta more often. At the time he wanted her to be the one and the enchantress took her away from
him. Never had he been so comfortable around someone. He now felt guilty that the man he had locked up was her father "Who are you?" The prince when exactly who it was, but didn't want
to hurt Leta. He couldn't let her father off that easy though. No matter if he carried some affection for her, he had to stand his ground "I've come for my father" Leta replied calmly "Your father is a thief" The prince told her, making his way down the steps "Liar!" She yelled back. The stomping became louder "He stole a rose" The prince told her calmly "I asked for the rose. Punish me, not him" Leta replied "No, he means forever" Phillip tried to warn his daughter, and Leta turned to look at him "Apparently that's what happens around here when you pick a flower"
Leta looked back at the nonexistent blob "A life sentence for a rose?" The prince had jumped from where he was to in front of her. This caused Leta to jump back a little bit "I received eternal damnation for one. I'm merely locking him away. Now do you still wish to take your father's place?" The prince asked.
He was hoping she would say yes, so she could stay with him. At the same time he wanted her to be free and live her life "Come into the light" Leta commanded. She had picked up Lumière and placed it in front of the prince's face. Instead of the face of a man, she saw the face of a beast. The only aspect that came to her attention were his piercing blue eyes. They were so familiar, everything in this place felt like a dream to her "Choose" He told her "Leta, I won't let you do this" Phillip told her "I lost your mother
and sisters. I won't loose you too. No go" "Alright papa, I'll leave" Leta told him "You wish to take your father's place? Why?" He never fully understood the concept of family and love. He wanted to, but his chance was taken from him "Because he's my father. I love him. Does that not matter to you?" Leta explained "He's a thief and deserves a sentence for his crimes. He is to stay here" Though the prince wanted to let her father go, he wanted to
give Leta a reason to stay "Then let me have a moment alone with him. Surely a few minutes with my father will make up for eternity since he is bound to stay" "Fine. But you are to leave when this door closes" The prince then
walked away. All he could think about was the pain he had caused Leta. He
wanted her to stay, but she wasn't going to do it willingly. She only offered to stay because she didn't want her father to be stuck there. Meanwhile back in the cell, Leta embraced her father "Oh papa. I should have been with you" "No Leta, listen to me. It's alright, now go. Live your life and forget me" Her father told her. She pulled back and looked at him shockingly "I can't. I can't let you
just rot in here. Everything that I am is because of you" Holding her face in his hand, her father looked her dead in the eyes "You have your whole life ahead of you. I'm getting older and there's not
much else for me. I love you Leta. Don't be afraid" "I love you too papa. I'm not afraid" She hugged him one last time "And I will escape. I promise" Leta pushed her father out of the cell and she closed the door. Her father looked at his little girl, sadness in both of their eyes "So you are taking his place?" The prince asked. There was a little hope
in his heart now, but he was still bitter "Of course. He's my father" Leta stood her ground "He's a fool" He told her harshly, starting to shove Phillip down the stairs "And so are you" Saying that caused a little pain for the prince
that held the girl so close to his heart.
Once out of view, Leta fell to the floor and cried. She had given up her freedom for her father. That's how much he meant to her. He was all she had. She didn't know what happened to her mother or her two sisters. Now she was all alone. In a cold dark cell. All the sudden the door opened "Forgive my intrusion mademoiselle, but I have come to escort you to your room" Leta heard a strong French accent and went to grab the stool on the floor. She held it in front of her defensively "M-my room? But I thought-" She asked nervously "Oh, you thought that 'Once this door closes it will not open again.
Roar' I know, he gets so dramatic" Leta peaked her head out "Hello" She saw the candelabra hanging off the handle.
Leta gasped and Lumière dropped to the floor. She smashed him with the stool from the cell. She screamed when he lit one of the candles "Oh, you are very strong. This is a great quality"Lumière told her "What are you?" Leta asked "I am Lumière" He replied simply "And you can talk?" Leta asked some more, not really knowing what was going on. She heard a clanking noise and looked to the stairs "Well of course we can talk" Cogsworth answered "It's all he ever does. Now Lumière, as head of the household I demand that you put her back in her cell at once" "What do you want to be for the rest of your life Cogsworth? A man or a metal clock?" Lumière asked the cranky old clock.
Both Lumière and Cogsworth were on the floor in front of her "I'm going
crazy. This isn't real. This is all a dream. It's all in my head. This is the place I dream about in my sleep, I am most definitely asleep" Leta muttered to herself as she paced back and forth.
"Mademoiselle" Lumière said, capturing Leta's attention "I hate to be rude, but this isn't a dream" "It has to be. I'm delusional. Maybe I've been reading too many books" Leta tried to reason. She was on the verge of loosing her mind "Listen please. If you will just calm down" Cogsworth tried "No. This isn't-" She then fell to the floor "Oh dear"Cogsworth said, looking at the girl that was now on the floor "Oh dear is correct mon amie" Lumière told Cogsworth. The prince was now walking back up the stairs after shooing Leta's father off. Reaching the top step, he noticed Lumière and Cogsworth
looking at something, someone. Leta was now on the floor passed out "What did you do?" The prince tried to stay calm. He didn't want to wake her and scare her "Sir, she was panicking" Cogsworth started "Yes, she was in a panic. She must have overwhelmed herself and collapsed" Lumière finished "You two caused her to have a panic attack" The prince summed up "Yes"Cogsworth answered, and him and Lumière looked down. The prince looked at Leta. Yet she looked peaceful, he could tell this was a lot for her. First she lost her only family and then talking objects caused her to collapse. This was some day everyone was having "I shall take her to a room and you will provide her with everything she needs. She will be staying for awhile" The prince informed the two talking objects at his feet. Both Lumière and Cogworth nodded. The prince kneeled down to pick up the girl. He noticed that she was light as a feather. Just like how she
dance. So smoothly did she dance and how elegant she looked while doing it. A slight smile fell to his face as he fondled over the memory. Walking down the stairs, the prince took Leta into one of the guest bedrooms. He lightly placed her on the bed and exited. His only hope was that Madame de Garderobe didn't cause her to pass out again.