Time turner ⚜️prince Adam ⚜️

Not the one

The sun shines through the window, melting the snow frosting the glass. I'm being smothered by pillows. A knock disturbs me. "Madam! The master has asked to see you." Lumière calls through the solid door. "Thank you!" I rush out of the bed tugging at the now ragged front of my only dress and quickly pad down the hall towards the dining room, my bare feet silent on the frozen tile.

Adam sits at the head of the table, his large head resting on his paw. "You wanted to see me?" I speak softly bracing my hand against the door frame suddenly nervous. Why was I nervous to be around him?

"Océana! I-uh- I was hoping you would join me for breakfast." He paused, his Ivey blues taking in my disheveled appearance. "I woke you. I'm terribly sorry." He looks down, sympathy and regret clouding his eyes. "No. I was awake before Lumière knocked. No need to be sorry. I will gladly join you." I sit down in the opposite head. Lumière appears moments later struggling to balance two cups on his thin gold arms without dripping wax onto the floor. I ride quickly sweeping the cups from his hands. "Lumière ask for help. You do not need to over work yourself." I scold lightly passing a cup to Adam. He watches with admiration.

I place my own cup at the chair beside Adam and follow Lumière back into the kitchen to carry breakfast. Adam watches with no signs of intent to help us.

"You help him, his job as a servant is to serve yet you selflessly step up to help him." He states in awe. "I was raised to help others, not to sit and watch others do things for me." I scoff. Adam looks down in shame.

"I'll leave after breakfast. Any requests?" Adam looks up again meeting my gaze. "You spend more time in the kitchen than I. Anything you think we need, buy it, no matter the cost. I'll give you money." He says going to rise. "No. No. It's alright. I'll buy the usual no need to repay me." He studies me. "I insist. You've helped me and I do nothing in return." "You have given me shelter, food, warmth, someone to talk to and have never judged me for who I am or what my flaws. I think I should be asking how I could repay you." I mean everything I say. Adam shakes his large head again. "I-" "no. I will not accept it. Now eat. It's getting cold." Adam shuts up, falling back into his seat surprised. Clearly few have ever old him what to do.

We eat in silence for a minute, only the sound of my spoon scraping against the side of the glass dish and Adam drinking his can be heard. "I meant. Do you have any requests at all. A book? A picture? Anything at all." Adam looks up. "No." He speaks harshly, I flinch back surprised. He notices. "No. Thank you." He says softer. I nod picking up my bowl and walking back into the kitchen. Lumière sits on the counter with a small smile on his face. "You and the master. It's so nice to see him happy again! To think he could win your affection even without the curse." He smiles boldly. "What are you talking about?" I ask setting my dish down. "Madam the curse has begun anew and now we have a second chance to be human once more! With you and the master it is possible and winning you affection it is obvious we can be human soon!" I scrunch my eyebrows. Is that all I'm here for? Some chance for him to be human? He's using me for his own personal greed? No. The rose didn't grow a new petal until recently, he's been nice to me this entire time. But he's gotten nicer. He's using me.

Adam stands in the dining room doorway. "Is-am I- you're using me? To be human?" I stumble over my words. Saying them out loud makes them seem crazier. Adam gives Lumière a look of icy rage. They were planning this. Both of them.

I turn sharply going for the second entrance. "Océana please!" Adam begs. I don't look back quickly tugging on my boots and cloak I flee down the frozen stairs the front door swinging open wide on its hinges blowing out every candle in the foyer.

I take a firm grip of Florence reins swinging myself up into his back. I take one look behind me. Adam stands slumped in the doorway. His eyes swimming with regret and sorrow. "Please." The words seem to die at his lips never making it to my ears. I tuck my head into Florence mane for a moment and then turn again. Adam is turning back into the castle, his paw rests on the closing door and his figure collapsing in on itself. Guilt pools in my gut.

Villeneuve is crowded as always, the song of sales filling the market when I arrive. I first stop at ma's house collecting my trunk and shoving its content into Florence saddle bags. My second stop is the bakery. Weaving through the crowd I can smell the fresh pastries and sweet scent of lemon tarts.

My thoughts return to the castle though. I suddenly find myself not among the crowds but standing in the ballroom again, Adam standing beside me. He's treated me as nothing less than equal. Shown me compassion and care when he didn't need to. Lumière may wish to be human and try to force something i have never seen between us but Adam has not. He has only ever spoken about how the curse works, never explained that I had to be the one. He has lost all hope of being human again even gone as far as to say he will never be one. I was foolish to take such offense to Lumière's comment.

I'm ripped away from my thoughts by a large hand wrapping around my arm and mouth and dragging me into an alley out of the markets sight. "Océana." I scowl struggling to get away from that familiar voice. Gaston takes his hand off my mouth and pressed me into the wall. "Your mother has been worried about you." He says. There is no concern in his voice. "Gaston get off me. My mother kicked me out. I live with... a friend." I can't tell gaston about the beast.

"Oh, Océana your mother simply wanted to make sure you were okay. She came to me. Asked me to check on you if I saw you. I assured her I would." He smiles, a twisted smile I cringe away from. "Come now Océana, don't be like that. We're family." There's something menacing about his tone.

He runs a hand down the side of my face. I pull back, my skull hitting the bricks behind me. "Now Océana promise not to scream alright?" I squeeze my eyes shut leaning as far from his as possible before something strikes my face. My cheek collides with the stone next to me. I gasp feeling the sting. Blood flecks my scraped cheek. He strikes me again forcing me to the ground. "Next time you may think twice about abandoning your mother and still daring the show your face to this village." Gaston spits before turning and leaving me on the ground.