Time turner ⚜️prince Adam ⚜️

Bonjour

A/n: picture is of Océana. Photo is not my own, rights to the photographer.

The trees sparkle in the early sun. The smell of wet leaves and fall crops brighten my mood instantly. I missed the smell of the country, Paris always smelled vile and overcrowded but now I'm home in the small town nestled in the countryside of France.

"Bonjour!" I smile riding through the stone archway. "Bonjour!" I reply slowing to avoid children. The village hasn't changed. The fountain is a flurry of activity. A song of merchants and vendors selling their goods rise to my ears.

The streets are sprinkled with people as I ride through. "Océana? Darling!" My mother wipes her flour covered hands off on her apron and scampers to grab the reins of my horse. "Ma!" I carefully slide onto the cobblestone and embrace her.

"Oh darling. It's so good to see you!" My ma pulls away and frantically dusts flour off my hitched up skirt pleats. "Ma! It's okay. It's only flour. Let's go inside. I'll put away Florence and come in."

Ma nods her head before walking back inside with a smile plastering her face. I slip Florence's face down to my shoulder and guide him into his paddock beside the crooked house on the long cobblestone road. Phillipe, nickers happily as I approach.

I stroke his white snout as I pass guiding Florence into his stall beside phillipe and removing his tack. I dump a bag of oats into his trough and walk back into the house dragging my case. The hollow container making a oddly enjoyable thump sound on the stairs- followed by the antagonizing squeal of metal joints- leading into the main room of the house.

Ma stand working dough in the kitchen with her back to me. I drop my case beside the stairs and walk in taking a cup and pouring tea into it and sitting in front of her. Carefully I undo the straps to the horrible metal trap around my knee and then look to Ma.

"Tell me everything that's been going on. Everything I've missed down to the small details like little Ella's first tooth." I lean into my cup of tea, craving it's warmth.

"Oh, well let's start with the big news. Gaston and belle are getting married. She accepted his offer about a month ago after her father started rambling on about a beast in a castle somewhere the woods. Poor old Maurice, loosing his wife when he did. Ah well." Ma sighs in content. I'm repulsed. Gaston is a vile, monster and down right vain man i enjoyed hating.

"Poor belle." I shake my head. "Océana! He is a fine man. Your uncle would be proud to see what he's become. You should be well on your way looking for a man of your own. A man who can take care of you." Ma scolds putting the dough on a tray. "I've been in Paris trying to find a job mother! I am not focusing on a man when most of the men in this town are small minded and old!" I insist. My mother scowls.

"My daughter, head stuck in the clouds just like belle. Maurice should not have been around you. That man was a bad influence on you." I stand up abruptly. "Maurice is a better parent than papa was! If not for him I would not be able to walk! I am not fighting with you over this!" I snap storming back out of the room. It's hard to walk away angry with a limp. "As hot headed as your father! Don't come back until you've learned your place when you're in my house!" My mother shouts after me.

I growl viciously under my breath taking the pack from my trunk and stomping down the stairs. My mother and I couldn't get along five minutes after I walked through the door. We haven't seen each other in months and this is what she does.

I snatch Florence bridal and reins not bothering to take his saddle and race out onto the bluffs. I ride across them, my burgundy hair whipping in my face, stinging my tear filled eyes. I ride back into the trees hoping to make it back to Paris before nightfall. If I can get to Elizabeth I can have a warm bed for the night.

Florence begins fighting me for the reins, something spooking my horse. "Whoa!" I cry as he haults tossing me onto the ground. I roll down a muddy hill, the trees snapping in my face. Scratching my skin and ripping my dress.

"Stupid horse!" I shout once I stop rolling. I'm sitting in a puddle, my dress soaked and torn. The trail is dense and unfamiliar to me. Florence trots to my side nuzzling my cheek in Apology.

I shove him off and rise to shaking knees. My Right knee gives out and I fall back into the mud. "Stupid knee." I wince clutching the bruising skin. Florence reins dangle in my face. I wrap my fingers through the leather, using his reins to pull me up on to his back.

"Slowly now." I breath leaning into his neck. Florence slowly guided me through the dense path heading deeper into the woods. A frozen wind blows against us. The ground grows dusted in snow. I clutch my cloak tighter curling up on Florence back as the snow becomes heavier. A thin layer of fog covers the path taking my sight inch by inch until the tree look like ghastly figures watching us, waiting to strike us down.

A gate looms up forcing us to stop. The gate looks frozen as I slide off Florence back to push it open. The metal brittles and bites at my touch before making a shrill scream of the hinges. Could this be the castle Maurice spoke of. The home of a beast?

I don't take time into that thought if I do my imagination will run wild through the lush frozen gardens; we make our way through a maze to the heart of the property where a frozen castle reels into view.

I gape in awe. The place is beautiful, old and entirely stone. I tie Floreence to the post at the bottom of the stairs and limp painfully up them, leaning heavily on the cold snow covered rail. Pushing the heavy doors open, they groan through the empty foyer.

"Hello?" I call taking a few brave steps into the entry and collapse placing to much weight on my permanently damaged knee. "Hello? I'm sorry to intrude. I'm so lost. I was trying to go to Paris but my horse threw me. I ended up here. If it is a problem I'll leave, it's just very cold out there." I explain to the empty grand stairs. No one answers me.

Struggling to my feet I push the doors closed to keep the snow from blowing in and practically drag myself to a chair beside an empty fireplace. A beautiful gold candelabra sits on the table next to the chair with an antique clock still ticking beside it.

"Beautiful." I remark glancing back to the stairs. The feeling i'm being watched sends chills down my spine. I pull a box of matches from my pocket and light the candelabra limping back to the stairs. I can make out the dim details of a second floor landing and the abyss of another stair case.

"Hello?" I question stepping up on to the first stair. I have to stop as pain flares up my knee. I should have never taken the brace off. I set the light down taking a shaky breath.

"You're hurt."