Beast

Councilmen

Pierre Bonfils sat at his desk, surrounded by council members. Gaston had barged in out of nowhere the night before, demanding the law be changed. Pierre would have been happy to change the law for his son. He loved Belle; she was a beautiful and intelligent woman who was perfect for his son. Pierre wanted Belle as his daughter-in-law. But the councilmen were not as flexible. Pierre knew what his son wanted, needed. As a father, it was his job to supply his son with everything he needed. But this time around, it was not as easy as going to work every day to feed his children. This time, he would have to change the laws Piana was created with. The Original Ten laws were never changed. This was the one matter the other councilmen would refuse to even call a meeting about. But as mayor, Pierre had special authority. He demanded the other twelve councilmen meet him in his office where Gaston would speak to them.

"Gentlemen, please, sit down. We can discuss this like adults, can't we?" Pierre stood up in front of the dozen council members. These men had worked with him for decades. They surely would have sympathy for his son, would they not? At this point, Pierre did not know if the men would recognize Gaston as their nephew-as most of the men came to know him as- or just another citizen trying to change a law to benefit himself. Pierre sighed, wiping a hand over his face as the men settled down, looking at him to continue.

"Men, you have known me for years upon years. We grew up together. You were there when I married Marie...I know you all, your wives, children. I know every part of you inside and out. I hope that when you hear our speaker today you remember that."

Gaston stepped in, shutting the door behind him. He leaned against the door frame waiting until it was time to make his case. His jaw line resembled his father's very much. A strong build and thick hair came straight from Pierre when he was a young lad, but those mesmerizing blue eyes were his mother's. They caught every eye in the room, just as Marie Bonfils had a long time ago.

"Councilmen, my son has come here, out of his break hour, to persuade you to let him marry a young woman by the name of Belle Desrosiers. He may now step forward to present the case to you at this time." Pierre stepped off to the side, letting his son take his place. Part of his heart hoped the men chose to let the couple get married. He desperately wanted a daughter, even some grandchildren. But he didn't want Gaston and Belle to make a mistake and ruin the rest of their lives. The process for an annulment and a divorce through the council and church is much harder and longer than having a law changed. And no amount of loopholes or shortcuts provided by Pierre would help Gaston like in this situation.

"Good morning gentlemen," Gaston cleared his throat as he started. He was nervous, terribly nervous, but he masked it well with a veil of confidence. He was going to make it legal for Belle and him to marry, no matter what it took. He scanned the men sitting in his father's office, and then he glanced at his father, a tired man of the age sixty-eight. His wrinkles were set deep in his skin and his smile was almost permanent. But the stress of keeping an entire town safe from the chaos outside the walls was apparent on his features. He was thin from lack of a proper diet and his suit fit him awkwardly. His graying hair was slicked back from his forehead in a way that made him look slightly younger, and his shoes were torn and tattered from many years of use. But for as long as Gaston could remember, this was how his father came home looking. Looking at his stressed father gave Gaston the motivation he needed. He had to marry his Belle so that he could give his father grandchildren, so he could have a break. He took a deep breath.

"I would first like to thank you all for seeing me today for I know how little you do this sort of meeting, especially about an Original Ten law. But I ensure you that this meeting will be worth your while. I would like to request that the third Original law, 'those intending to be wed in the Church must have been through stages of the courting system for two years and be of the age twenty-four to petition for a marriage license' be edited. I have been courting Belle Desrosier for a little over two years but we come to the problem of age. Belle is twenty-one years of age as of April 13, 3999 and I turned twenty-five on July 28, 3998. The four year age difference has never caused a problem for us as a couple, until now. We have courted long enough to know that we would gladly and happily spend the rest of lives together and have spoken of the topic several times. But the law states that I am not allowed to marry Belle until she is twenty-four years of age-"

"Wait a minute, son. If Belle is only twenty-one, that's only three years until the law allows you to marry her. Why not wait for her?" Councilman George Étroit spoke up from the back.

"Sir, with all due respect, Belle and I both believe we have waited long enough. We are meant for each other. Three years could bring a disease, or a car accident, or natural disaster that could affect either of us, destroying the chance of us being happily married.

"The point I make in this statement is that I love Belle Marie Desrosier and I intend to marry her. As the son of Mayor Bonfils I would prefer to do it legally as I was raised. I implore you to change the law to the consent age of marriage to be twenty, allowing myself and other couples not in the age limit to be wed in the Church."

Gaston finished his statement and looked at the councilmen with hope-filled eyes. The older men scratched their beard and adjusted their collars, skeptically eying him from their seats. Nodding his head, Gaston signaled to his father that he was finished. Pierre stepped up to the front of the room again, patting Gaston on the back. Gaston walked to the back of the room, hopeful that the men would vote in his favor. The councilmen started to mumble to themselves, low enough so that he could not hear their decision. Their whispers made him nervous. This was his one chance to convince the council to allow him and Belle to marry. One wrong thing said up there and he could have ruined any marriage for the future. Belle crossed his mind. Her big brown eyes were sparkling and her small lips were pulled into a perfect smile. Her skin was flawless like porcelain and her auburn hair fell perfectly over her face when it was not pulled back. She was wearing his favorite of her dresses, a light blue sundress. Her bright smile encouraged him. It was almost as if she was saying, "You can do this. Do this for us." And he would. She was worth the world in his mind and he would do anything to make sure that she was the one woman he would marry, no matter what it takes.

Belle's image drifted away when the councilmen turned around, final with their decision. Gaston could feel droplets of sweat drip down his brow in anticipation.

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As always, 

love, 

DANI