Beauty and the Beast

  CHAPTER 6

FIGHTING FOR LOVE

 

How could I let her go? 

Not only was he condemning himself to an eternity as a monster, but also his servants. It wasn’t their fault, and they shouldn’t have to be punished. If only there was a way for them to be freed, even if he could never be.

A knock at his door pulled him from his dark thoughts to his dark room. 

“What is it, Elgin?”

“It’s the villagers,” he said. “They’re attacking the castle.”

“Attacking the castle?” Dismayed, the Beast knew he was repulsive, but he never thought that Belle would send people to kill him, after everything they had been through and how much they had shared. He understood her not wanting to marry a beast but didn't think she was capable of such a betrayal. Surely, Belle was incapable of wanting him dead. 

“What are we to do?” Mrs. Potts asked in her sing-song voice. 

“Just let them come,” he turned toward their surprised faces. Maybe if he died his servants would be free of the curse. “Save yourselves. Leave me.”

“How can he say that?” Mrs. Potts asked. She never thought that he’d give up.

“We need to fight back,” Elgin stated. “We cannot let these scoundrels destroy our home.”

“He’s right!” Fulbright joined in. “We must protect our home!”

The thundering on the doors stopped only when they burst open letting floods of townsmen to enter the castle. Suddenly the quiet darkness vanished as the men ran in waving their torches and weapons. Their weapons were crude but could still damage their appliance-like bodies.

Fulbright directed many of the intruders down the same corridor Belle had first discovered, directly into the dungeon. Then he locked them in to protect his master.

Others were led into the kitchen where Mrs. Potts and her children dumped boiling tea on the men. They dropped their weapons to shield their heads. The oven flared and the knives sprang into action. These terrified townsmen tore from the castle. 

Another mass of people was headed toward the west wing. They found Belles' favorite room in the whole castle. The library. Perfect kindling to set the castle ablaze. They shoved their torches into the shelves and onto the furniture. 

"Now!" Elgin chimed just in time. The books fell from the shelved, clobbering the arsons and extinguishing the flames.

“The house is fighting back!” One of the few men who were left shouted as he ran out of the castle.

“That’s preposterous,” a plump man shook his head.

“Is it, though?” Fulbright asked. 

The plump man turned to searched for where the voice came from. “Down here,” Fulbright caught the small man’s coat’s hem on fire. 

The men in the castle dwindled to just one man as the rest ran screaming from the Beasts home. 

“We did it!” The servants cheered.

The Beast watched the townspeople scramble out of the castle and felt proud that his servants were able to defend the castle. That’s good. Maybe that’ll mean they’ll be okay after all.

His door swung open slamming against the wall. “I’m impressed you managed to–” he turned, expecting to see his servants, but a man stood in the doorway. “Who are you?”

“I’m Baxter,” he snarled. 

That's Baxter? The Beast had heard about him from Belle. She'd said she couldn't stand him. She must absolutely detest the Beast, if she ran to Baxter for refuge and protection.

“You dared to trap Belle here, but now she’s home. She’ll be my bride and I’m going to kill you, beast!”

“Go ahead.” the Beast didn't move from his window seat, rather resumed his gaze out the window.

Baxter was irritated that the Beast wasn't afraid of him. "I'm a master hunter. I kill every mark I make. And this time, you're my prey." He crept through the room with soft steps as if he were stalking his target to get the best shot. “It won’t be a challenge if you just sit there, coward. Fight!” 

The Beast stood with his shoulders hunched. He had no reason for fighting back. Belle had betrayed him, and it was too late to try again. The only hope he had left was to give his own life to break the curse on his castle and save his servants who had always stood by him.

“That’s better,” Baxter said as he drew his bow and sent an arrow into the Beasts shoulder. 

"GRRR-OWW!" The Beast growled in pain.

"Ha-ha!" Baxter laughed. "Aw, look how sad you are." feigning sympathy. "Pathetic!" He smirked and came closer to the beast. He grabbed ahold of the soft fur on the back of his neck and jerked it toward the window. There's no denying Baxter is strong - he was able to thwark the beast out of the window and onto the balcony. Disappointed he didn't fall to his death; he sent another arrow into his neck. Then he climbed out after him.

The Beast let another tremulous growl that shook Baxter's footing. His anguished cry drew the attention of one more townsperson who was just arriving to the castle. She looked up to see the two men who had persistently asked her to marry him respectively, on the roof. 

"Beast!" She called, hoping her voice would be able to carry all the way up to him. 

The gargoyles eyes glowed at the sound of her voice. They broke free of their stone fixture and flew to the Beasts aid. One took the bow from Baxter's hand two others lifted the Beast so he could see Belle and regain his hope. 

The servants had gathered in the Beasts room and were watching from the window, unable to do anything to help from there. 

"Oh dear." Mrs. Pott's poured over the whole situation. 

The Beast planted his feet and then stood to his full height, far surpassing Baxter. He took a step towards Baxter who retrieved his dagger and swatted at the hovering gargoyles. The Beast leaped toward him on the balcony to defend his castle and those who relied on him but Baxter took his opportunity to plunge his weapon into the beast's chest.  A blood curdling shriek came from the beast and his servants, as if their fate were tied to his. The balcony broke sending Baxter off the roof and down to his death.

First draft of this chapter was written by my sister, Kimberleigh Dixon.

Illustrated and Edited by me.