5-Aug-2001
::yawn stretch:: Good morning MLers! I have another chapter ready for you. ::hears nothing but silence:: Hm...everyone must still be in bed. Oh, well it's summer and a good time to sleep in. ^_^ Well, since I'm up, I'll post. ::hits the send button::
Author: Tigress Pern
Title: Beauty and the Beast
Archive: Gundam Wing Addiction
Type: drama/fairy tale
Warning: Une+Treize, some OOC
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, please don't sue!
The next few days followed the same routine. Une would get up, her maids helping her to dress or setting up a bath. Breakfast would be served, followed by her leaving for the stable. After giving Aries a run, she would return to the stable where the stable hands would have his stall freshly cleaned for him. Then she would meet the Beast for a walk through the gardens and orchards. In the orchards she would pick fruit or vegetables from the greenhouse which she would use in cooking that afternoon. They would eat lunch together before adjourning to the library to read. After an hour Une would walk to the kitchen and after having a few words with the chef, then start cooking. The kitchen staff were always trying to help, but sometimes they got in the way. One afternoon she finally got so mad that she sent them all out while she worked. They apparently were quite put out and showed it by grousing about it during desert that evening. The Beast had had a few words with them, but it was Une’s decision to become, as Hilde put it, 'nasty' that finally resolved the issue.
Slowly Une began to get to know the Beast, although he kept much of himself hidden. As her one companion, Une shared much with him and hoped in time that he would do the same. He did offer to send Hilde a present from Une on her birthday, but Une declined. It was a lovely gesture, but she would rather go home and deliver it in person. She wasn't sure how her father would react to the sudden appearance of a gift. That was good because in actuality the Beast wasn't sure how he would have managed it if she had agreed. He didn't believe his magic would allow for it, but he was willing to try for her sake.
"Well he certainly seems to regard her well." Une's invisible maidservant to the other one evening while Une was dressing for bed.
"That he does." The other said cheerfully. "In fact most everyone seems to be getting along well with her."
"Even the kitchen staff seem to be turning around. Rashid was furious that the lady of the house was cooking."
"He's a stickler." The first replied trying not to laugh as she did. "But she got around him anyway." Une was hearing more and more of the servants as the days passed. She'd already heard several names, although she hadn't matched them up to breezes yet. Rashid apparently was the main chef in the kitchen, she would have to remember that.
"That she did."
"You know, over the years I think this place has become more liberal."
"I've noticed that too. If she'd been here five years ago, Rashid wouldn't have backed down." The second agreed. "You think he'll let me back into the kitchen?"
"After he choked on your stew? I don't know."
"My stew wasn't that bad!" the second exclaimed. "I don't understand what his problem was! Trowa ate it and he was fine."
"That's because Trowa is you little brother and will eat anything you put in front of him."
"Wufei ate it too."
"Wufei's too polite to say he didn't like it."
"Now you're just being horrible!" The first laughed as the second huffed around the room. Une tried not to laugh; they might stop talking if she did. If that happened then she might not learn more about the Beast and the chateau. As her maids flitted about, Une mentally made notes about her maid and her little brother. It would come in handy later, probably.
"Catherine, I'm sorry."
"You didn't even taste my stew." Catherine sounded hurt.
"If Rashid ever allows you in the kitchen, I'll try it. Deal?"
"All right. We better fetch the towels, she looks like she's done." Now Une wanted to find out even more about this stew, but she bit her tongue and prayed for patience. No sense tipping her hand too early in the game.
Seasons changed, but Une didn't notice. It was always summer on the chateau's estate. The Beast continued to walk with her through the gardens although they avoided the walled rose garden. One morning they got lost in the hedge maze and it took them the better part of an hour to get out. The Beast was glaring at the hedges by the end and Une was certain someone had purposely moved them. She had begun to notice that every so often the library door wouldn't open when she and the Beast were in the room together. Occasionally she would trip over a bouquet of flowers in the morning when she got up, little things like that. It all hinted that the servants were playing Cupid, at least that is what she suspected. Even the stable hands appeared to have gotten in on the act. Twice she'd found a snowdrop attached to Aries halter in the morning. She'd looked up the flower in a book on herbal and flower lore and learned that it meant hope. She'd found the flower mixed in with the bouquets as well. Hope for what? That she would marry the Beast? Une wasn't exactly sure what they were hoping, but she certainly had her guesses.
"I think your servants think they are Cupid." Une exclaimed picking up a bouquet that lay at her chair in the dining room.
"I'm beginning to suspect that too. Especially after that incident with the maze." He looked about him and Une could feel the entire staff shrink back from his gaze. "I would appreciate it if they would cease."
"The flowers are nice, but they would be better if they were from you." The words were out of her mouth before she realized it. The Beast looked at her and Une swore he was startled, but the flickering candlelight made it difficult to be sure. "Would you like to try some of this spice cake I made this afternoon." She said hurriedly. Inclining his head, Une quickly ordered the cake she'd made earlier in. A servant brought in and set it in front of her. As the wind retreated Une noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure, but they looked like a pair of ghostly hands.
Picking up a knife, she tried to calm her suddenly racing heart. Une had learned that the Beast didn't like to eat in front of her because he couldn't chew like a human. His mouth was full of sharp teeth, like a cat. This made it difficult to eat neatly and he tended to have to toss his head slightly and gulp at the same time. He feared that it would unsettle her, so he normally took a later private meal in his chambers. Une had pressured him into at least trying a bit of her crepes at dinner the first time she had made them. He'd finally given and let her feed him because he couldn't hold utensils. After that she cut whatever she had made into small pieces and urged him to try each dish, although she never watched him actually eat.
Piece of spice cake in hand, she leaned over to where the Beast was sitting at her right. He dutifully opened his mouth, having learned that it was simply easier to comply. As she turned away, the Beast hastily swallowed as to not make a mess of crumbs on his green velvet vest. It was good, but then again everything she made was good. Her recipes were normally simple compared to the extravagance of the chateau's cuisine. Everything here was the best and the most elaborate. That included the food, it was nice to have something that didn't require hours to prepare or a seven-course meal to build up to.
"What do you think?" Une asked at length.
"I was delicious, thank you for sharing."
"Mrs. Noventa gave me that recipe when we first moved to the village after my father lost all his ships. Privateers of our country's enemy attacked them. Then a storm caught them and they were delayed even further. Only one survived to make it back to port, but it was too late."
"I am sorry. Many innocent people are hurt because of war. It does not just affect the participants."
"No, it doesn't. I do not understand why it must continue. Both sides must be hurting by now. We've lost the heir to the throne. The next person in line is his young cousin, Duchess Dorothy and she is only my little sister's age. If the queen dies, the duchess will not be able to assume the throne for two more years. I know nobody wants Quinze as regent. The advisor to the queen has not won over many people, at least amongst the 'commoners'."
"Really?" The Beast replied leaning on the table and folding his paws together. "What is their opinion of him?"
"That the man wants to nothing but to continue fighting until every last man, woman, and child of the enemy's kingdom is dead. He has been urging the queen on for years. My father's friend, Duke Dermail, the oldest brother of the queen, has said several times that the man will bring this country to ruin. In my opinion, it would be best to end this war swiftly. Perhaps the other side is as tired as we are and we should negotiate. Quinze won't agree to it though and the queen cannot seem to forget that they abducted her son. It is a bad combination and has caused seven years of misery in every sector of this kingdom." Une paused here remembering that while her father had prospered because he was daring enough to sail the waters, others had suffered greatly. Her father's luck had finally run out though. The Beast waited patiently for her to continue, hoping that she would say more.
"My sister, Hilde, she was an orphan. Her father had been a soldier and was killed on the front lines. Unable to deal with the loss, her mother drank herself to death. She died and left Hilde to her devices when she was six." Une closed her eyes, holding back the tears the memory incurred. "My mother discovered her digging through our garbage one afternoon and could not bare it. She picked up the frightened child and brought her inside. I remember helping to give her a bath and was shocked by how thin and frail she was. Hilde is one of the lucky ones. My parents adopted her as soon as they could and she has been part of our family ever since. There were others though, so many more. Children wearing nothing but rags, dirty and hungry. I saw so many while my mother volunteered at the local orphanage. We couldn't take them all home, no matter how much she wanted."
"It sounds like your mother was a wonderful caring person."
"She was." Une said softly. "I miss her terribly."
"If you don't mind, how did she die?"
"An epidemic broke out at the orphanage, she became sick and was forced to stay there during the quarantine. No one who was locked inside there survived, even the kindly old priest and young nun fell victim. They didn't allow physicians in because they thought it was too dangerous."
"That is terrible. Was there anyway it could have been avoided?"
"That is the truly sad part, yes it could have. If the proper sewer lines had been put in then the refuse wouldn't have been piling up. It was one of the projects Duke Dermail has been fighting for, but it is always put off because of the war. Things much be better off in the capital city, still a ruler should look out for their people. She just doesn't notice what is happening within her own borders."
"Apparently so." The Beast replied sadly. "I am truly sorry for your loss Lady Une."
"There must be a way to reach the queen, but neither you nor I can do it. We are prisoners here."
"In time the kingdom may rebel against her if she is not careful then?" Une thought about that for a moment.
"Perhaps. The people will eventually grow tired and may attempt to wrestle power from her. I cannot say for sure. All I know is that it is easy to forget the outside world while you are in here. I don't want to do that though."
"I understand." The Beast was silent for a moment before he continued. "I have never thought of trying to break that which holds us here. Maybe I should try. If I can manage," he took a deep breath. "I could let you visit your family and village. I would hate for you to forget the world outside this chateau. But I could only do it for a short time. The magic here is very powerful and once you are part of it, you can never be truly free of it."
"Thank you for your generosity, but I have come to terms with my imprisonment. It was my choice to replace my father as your companion. It was the right decision too, I cannot imagine you asking my father to marry you every evening." She laughed lightly. The Beast smiled and chuckled.
"It would have been strange, but I would have sent him home. He's a little old for me." That only made Une laugh harder. She could not imagine the Beast proposing night after night to a man with graying hair and a beard. The Beast found it amusing and joined in. The servants even got in on the joke, tittering about and rattling plates in their mirth. That night for the first time, the Beast didn't ask Une to marry him. He was too busy laughing to remember.
"The ivy is creeping into the vegetables again."
"Then we better find some clippers and cut it back."
"Yes, I think you are right. It wouldn't do to have them strangling the beans." Une sat on a stone bench in front of one of several vegetable gardens listening to the gardeners. Their ghostly hands placed on invisible hips. She had begun seeing more and more hands of the servants recently, even her maids. It had disturbed her to begin with to see disembodied hands everywhere. It was the chateau she kept telling herself, the Beast had told her about its magic.
"I think we should just get rid of it all together." The first gardener said. "The magic that holds this place makes it grow faster than normal. I know I've cut that thing at least twice this week!"
"Shh, Noin. She'll hear us."
"Relena, she can't hear us."
"Are you sure? I mean he can hear us."
"That's because he's part of the magic here, like us. She came in after the spell had been cast."
"I don't know." Relena didn't sound convinced. "She's staring at us like she can see us or at least hear us."
"She's waiting for him and she's staring into thin air, she does that when she's thinking. At least that's what Catherine and Sally keep telling me." Une smiled. She was beginning to pick up names and their duties. She had found out that one of her stable hands was Catherine's younger brother, Trowa. Zechs was the Beast's personal servant and the topic of much gossip. Apparently one of the gardeners liked him and Une was curious as to which. Currently she had to choose between Relena and Noin, but she didn't know enough about either to make an educated guess.
"Good morning Lady." The Beast said appearing behind her.
"Good morning Beast." She turned and looked up into his face. Blue eyes, the color of the sky stared down at her.
"Where would you like to walk today?"
"I was thinking we could just sit for a bit and stare into thin air." She said slyly.
"SEE!" Relena announced. "I think she can hear us!"
"Maybe you are right, but it could have been a coincidence. Come on, we need to get those clippers." The two pairs of hands headed off in the direction of the tool shed while Une tried very hard to hide a smile. The Beast regarded her with a perplexed look.
"Lady?" Une patted the bench beside her.
"Sit, please. I wanted to ask you a few things about the chateau."
"Such as?"
"How many servants there are total." The Beast hesitated.
"Fifty total."
"Not many for a chateau of this size."
"Well, the magic helps keep away dust, weeds, insects, and other vermin. It also keeps the storerooms full and helps make the laundry dry faster. Normally there would be one hundred and fifty keeping it and the grounds clean."
"But the magic makes that number unnecessary."
"Exactly." The Beast glanced away. He seemed to take in his surroundings before continuing. "What else did you wish to know."
"Names."
"That could take a while."
"I would like to know whom I am addressing in my bed chamber and in the stable at least." Although Une knew Catherine and Sally were her maids, she wanted to hear the Beast say the names, this way it would look like she learned them from him rather than by listening."
"Catherine and Sally are your maids. A rather interesting pair, Catherine is fairly upbeat and Sally is more practical. Catherine's younger brother Trowa is one stable hand and Heero is the other. I only have two."
"I understand, we only have one horse here." The Beast nodded. "That should do for now, I'll ask you about the other's later."
"It is difficult to tell them apart when you cannot hear or see them." The Beast commented. "In time you will begin to do both." Une stood, as did the Beast.
"I look forward to that." The Beast sighed. "I find it easier to put my foot down when I have a pair of eyes to look into." He chuckled at that and offered Une his arm. She took it and they walked off to look at the gardens again.
End Chapter Five
Tigress Pern