Madelaine// Gaston |1|

9

     The next morning, Madelaine walked down into the tavern to see Lefou eating and talking to the bartender. She sighed, walking over to them. The bartender saw Madelaine, and immediately got quiet once she got over there. Lefou looked back, realizing it was just Madelaine. He had hoped it was Gaston, but that's not likely at this time.

     "Saddle up your horse, Lefou. We have to go somewhere," Madelaine said patting Lefou's shoulder.

     "Where are we going?" he asked, standing up slowly. She sighed, shaking her head.

     "I can't really tell you right now, but we're going somewhere," she said, nodding a bit. Lefou nodded, putting a few coins next to his plate. He stood up, taking one glance at Madelaine's face and noticing something was wrong.

     "Mademoiselle, did you sleep at all last night?" he asked as they walked through the tavern.

     "No, I didn't," she replied mounting Gaston's black horse. She had found it in the stables like it was eager to ride because, well, Gaston had been in his house for the past eight days. Lefou mounted his horse, following Madelaine out of the village.

     "You really should get back to the inn and get some sleep, Madelaine," Lefou said, looking over at her.

     "You want me to sleep, or do you want to help Gaston? Your choice, because I'll sleep perfectly fine after I know that he's okay." Lefou looked back at the open trail in front of them, not sure how to respond. So they rode in silence for the next hour. Until they reached the village Madelaine grew up in.

     "Where are we?" Lefou asked as they stopped next to her old house.

     "My hometown," she mumbled, tying Gaston's horse to the stables.

     "I don't understand, what here will help us?" Lefou asked following Madelaine as she walked through the village.

     "Every town has a hero, right?" She looked back at Lefou, who nodded slowly. "Well, we're going to get this one."

     "Mademoiselle Madelaine, I'm not sure giving Gaston competition is such a good idea at this point," Lefou said, shaking his head. "His hunting skills are already perfect, you want him to face someone else who is just like him?"

     "I wouldn't say that they're just like each other," she said, stopping at the fountain. Lefou stopped right next to her, looking around for someone who could be like Gaston.

     "Do my eyes deceive me or is it Madelaine!" a man yelled walking towards the two.

     "Definitely not like each other," she whispered to Lefou.

     "Gaston would've punched him already," Lefou whispered back, causing Madelaine to nod.

     "Philip, it's so nice to see you. Again," Madelaine smiled, putting her hands behind her back.

     "Well, it's not every day that the most beautiful girl in town strolls through for her weekly visit. Which you've missed for the past three weeks. May I ask why?" Philip asked, a smile on his face.

     "You know me, always traveling. And how did you know I visit every week?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He cleared his throat, smiling a bit.

     "People talk," he suggested, causing Madelaine to nod.

     "I presumed that. Philip I have a question for you," Madelaine said, motioning for him to sit on the fountain. Lefou watched carefully, wondering what Madelaine was doing.

     "Anything," Philip smiled, sitting next to Madelaine.

     "Who do you want to marry?" she asked, crossing her legs and looking over at Philip.