Blind and the Beast

Plots and Princes

-Gaston-

As soon as he was sure he had escaped the Beast's clutches, Gaston decided that no single man could take on the monster alone.

He began his retreat, hell bent on gathering dozens of men to come with him to storm the Beast's castle, but when the night fell quickly and the forest became alive with horrific sounds and stray movements right and left, Gaston found a small hollowed out log and spent his night stuffed into it for his own safety.

"If the Beast had not taken my sword, I would be walking brazenly through the forest without any fear," He thought to himself as he lay in the tight space.  

When morning barely peaked, Gaston dragged himself out of the fallen log and traveled until he came into the nearest town.

When he broke through the tree line, he was finally able to relax. The sight of civilization was a welcome one. The city had put up a wall with a small pathway that stood as an entery to a quaint town.

Upon his approach, the guard on patrol took one look at him and lowered his sword. 

"Two in one shift. You have got to be kidding me!" He said to himself before half heartedly raising his sword, "State your name and business!" The man said and Gaston smiled.

"It is I Prince Gaston Legume, I have just come from battling the King of Beasts and I am weary." Gaston said, and it had exactly the reaction that he was looking for. 

The guards sword dropped and his mouth opened in amazement.

"It was you then? You were the one who rescued Belle?"

Gaston frowned, turning his head back towards the forest and then back to the guard with exhaustion. "I tried my best, but I'm afraid my best was not good enough, I fought the beast with all I had. I even buried my sword into it's chest and delivered it a great wound, but the Beast is a bloody thirsty monster, and I barely escaped with my life." He said, leaning haggardly against the guard. His back was still sore from sleeping in a cramped space all night. 

The guard began leading him into the bulk of the city. "No your highness, you may not think you succeeded, but you must have injured the beast well enough because Belle returned last night! You saved her!"

Gaston froze in place his mind left behind three paces back when the guard had given him the news.

"You're saying the maiden returned home safely last night?" Gaston asked slowly.

The guard nodded enthusiastically, "Yes I reunited her with her father myself. I will taking you to the Lord's manor immediately, he will want to thank you personally for the service you've done!" 

Gaston's shock was no act, and an idea struck him that overwhelmed him with triumph. He'd planned on lying to coerce his way into a hunting party, but things seemed to have miraculously worked in his favor. He wrapped the guard in a sudden hug, overcome with the rapture of his plotting. 

"Thank you! You will never know how relieved I am that she made it home safely!" Gaston said, and then he let the guard lead him to the Lord's manor as he detailed out his plan with a relieved smile.  

-The Beast-

Consciousness came slowly. He could hear Polly and Vandy fighting before his eyes were willing to open and his thoughts turned to Belle and then he forced his eyes open to keep from dwelling on painful memories. 

He turned his neck to look at where Polly and Vandy were sitting, leaning on each other and sharing a snack. They were too distracted by some oddball argument that they were having that they didn't even notice him staring.