As soon as Beauty closes her eyes, she finds herself in the great hall standing before the Queen Mother. She executes a deep curtsy.

The Queen Mother says, "You agreed to be Beast's mate so the father that raised you as his own doesn't have to spend the rest of his life away from his family. Your sacrifice and selflessness shall never be forgotten." The dignified warrior queen reaches out a hand to her.

Accepting the royal hand, Beauty rises and wakes from the surreal dream. She looks up, her eyes drawn to a shadow where the netted curtains flutter in the night breeze.

Shivering, she gets out of bed and closes the window. She wakes with the sun in her eyes the next morning.

"How did you sleep Papa?"

"Surprisingly well my dear. You?"

"I dreamt that I met the Queen mother."

"This place is a little reminiscent of the palace in Paris where you recently spent time with the Count?"

"That could be it Papa."

"Since I can't convince you to go back home, hug me before I kidnap you and have to fight Beast."

"Fight Beast? Really? I'd like to see you try," Beauty teasingly raises both her hands in a boxing stance. "I bet he doesn't obey gentlemen's rules."

Antoine laughs as they walk to the stables where Philippe spent the night. Maintaining her composure, Beauty saddles Philippe, then watches Antoine ride the horse until they disappears into the horizon.

Getting back to the great hall, her face crumbles at the enormity of spending the rest of her life with Beast. Rather than give in to her fears, she gets up deciding to explore her new luxuriously decorated home. If she's Beast's prisoner it certainly is a gold gilded cage.

She walks through the numerous corridors until there's a double mahogany door, with gold engraved words, 'BEAUTY'S APARTMENT'. She twists the knob of the door and is dazzled with the magnificence throughout. What draws her eye is a large library, a harpsichord, and several music books.

"Well," she said to herself, "I see there'll be no time for idleness." Then touching her chin continues, "If I'm staying a few days Beast would not have gone to the trouble of assigning my own apartments. I might be here several weeks or more."

Opening the library, she picks a single book placed on a table with these words embossed in gold.

As my mate,
Speak your wish,
And it will be granted.

"Alas," she sighs, "I desire nothing more than seeing my poor Papa."

No sooner had she uttered the words than a moving image played out on a hand held looking-glass. She sees the farm in Avon and her father's face was contorted in emotional distress.

Her brothers, sisters and brothers-in-law gather around consoling him. Even though her sisters smile intermittently, their father's pain tempers feelings of triumph that Beauty is no longer in their lives.

After five minutes, the moving images playing out in the looking glass disappeared. It resumed being a clear, looking glass.

She has her own apartment, personal items to occupy her time and the means with which to check on her Papa. How did the apartment fit with Beast's primal animalistic needs?

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May, 16, 2015