The Beast Inside | ✓

1 | You are a Beauty

"From the depths of the dungeons,

He came climbing out with an air,

That stank of overconfidence,

Which helped me kill him there and there," Jennifer sang, which made Arabella cover her ears with her flour-coated hands and shudder in fear.

"Why do you keep singing all these horrid songs, sister? Why not something light and breezy? Like a romantic tale of a knight and peasant who had a happily ever after?" Bella suggested airily, as she washed her hands and ears thoroughly before checking on the cookies she was baking.

"Romance? Pssht! There are too many love songs already. I want one with action and murders and mysteries and if no one makes it, I shall make one myself," Jennifer declared proudly as she continued writing her newly-composed lyrics into her small, black book.

Bella blinked before shaking her head. "I still do not know how Kaden married you, knowing you both are so different. He is so gentle and you are so, so eccentric. How does he even handle you?" Bella muttered.

Jennifer grinned while confessing, "That's because he loves me, dear sister. One day, you will find someone just like Kaden. Someone who would love you for who you are."

Bella smiled at her sister. Who knew that Jennifer, always impeccably dressed and singing weird songs, could be so wise? Maybe, if Bella ever had any other problems, she could come and ask her sister for advice.

With that thought in mind, Bella hardly noticed Kaden walk in through the back door of their cottage.

The cottage was small, made of wooden structures and adorned with souvenirs that Arabella and Jennifer's father bought from other villages. It was comfortable and cozy, giving a feeling of home that the family could feel nowhere else.

"What are you both beautiful ladies talking about?" Kaden asked, bending down to give his wife a long kiss.

"How are you, my sweet? And how's the baby?" he muttered to her, placing a hand on her stomach.

"The little one is healthy but making her poor Mama a little more tired every day," Jennifer smiled as she placed a hand on top of his.

Bella turned away from the scene. Living with her sister and brother-in-law while her father was away meant that she was almost always intruding in their moments of affection.

Her heart ached at the thought of finding someone like her sister had described. She couldn't wait to fall in love with someone, who, for once, did not just love her for her physical beauty.

Grabbing her empty basket, she eyed the cabinets in their tiny kitchen. She needed to hurry if she wanted to get the groceries she needed to make dinner.

Sighing, she wondered how she didn't realise while cooking lunch that they were running out on essentials. If only she had not overslept and forgotten to go the market in the morning.

"I'm going to the market. Do you all need anything?" she asked in her usual soft voice.

The couple shook their head simultaneously, making her smile as she strapped her pouch to her waist and took off to the village market.

"Good afternoon, Aunt May! Hello, Uncle Sam!" she said, calling her neighbours as she went on her way.

"Hello Bella!" they replied cheerfully.

"My zear, Bella, pleasure to find ze here. I have an hour break from the shop so I waz planning to spend it with ze anyways. Are you going to ze market? My, ze iz terribly latez," her best friend Meridiana said, assuming a horrible French accent.

"Diana, I am glad to see you too. And yes, I do know it is late to go to the market now. All the produce must have probably been taken. But, I forgot to come by in the morning because I overslept and then I had to make breakfast and lunch and bake Jennifer some cookies and tend to the garden so I had no time. Now, I need to get the groceries quickly if not I won't be able to make dinner," Arabella confessed, red coating her cheeks.

Diana frowned, reprimanding her, "Ara, why do you always do so much work? You are not the servant of the house. I know Jen is with a child but she should at least help you with some of the chores. And were you staying up late thinking about your Prince Charming again? Honestly, it's become a bad habit of yours."

Arabella blushed. She had, indeed, been doing thinking about her future love throughout the night but she could not use words to admit that to her best friend. She only looked away, smiling to herself.

Also, she did not want to say anything bad about her sister. It was true that Jen never helped her around the house, since before she was pregnant, but Arabella didn't mind. Staying busy all the time made her happy and didn't give her time to over think the little things that happened in a day.

"Come on, let's go. I'm getting late as it is," she said, changing the topic instead and hooking her arm with her best friend's.

"Of course we are," Diana muttered, letting Arabella drag her down the road.

As she happily walked around the market, thankful that there was still enough vegetables for her to make a satisfying dinner, Arabella turned to see what her best friend was doing.

Her eyes widened and she skidded to a stop as she saw Diana arguing with the only man Bella despised in the entire village. The man who never failed to make her life miserable every time she had the misfortune of meeting him.

Cassius.

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Welcome to the land of Beauty and The Beast!! I hope you enjoy your stay and laugh, cry and stick around with our lovely MCs till the end of the book.

To start of this journey, let's answer a simple question.

What is YOUR favourite fairytale/ Disney movie?

Mine: Mulan takes the cake but I definitely love all the rest too!!

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