Thaw

"𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐧; 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫."

❅

Not sparing a moment, Belle and Fury rush through the forest, the girl relying on the white stallion to help navigate the unknown terrain.

Belle stifles a gasp as Fury takes a sharp right turn, crossing an invisible threshold as the forest quite abruptly turns into snow. Fury lets out another whine as he skids to a halt in front of the wrecked carriage, nudging the now-broken windmill that had fallen out with his nose.

"Keep going, Fury," Belle urges. "We need to find him."

Fury bolts through the looming ice gates just as he had the night prior to escape the wolves, and comes to a stop in front of the grand stairway of the castle.

"Great," Belle huffs, dismounting Fury in one fluid movement and rushing up the stairs. "This is just great," she repeats, picking up a significantly large stick in her ascent. Not that she actually knew how to fight, per se, rather, to make her look more intimidating.

A blast of warm air meets her as she pushes open the large door into the palace, and she unconsciously lets out a sigh of wonder and amazement slip out as she scans her surroundings. The entryway itself was larger than her room back at home, let alone her entire home!

Unbeknownst to Belle, she is being watched by two unexpected figures.

"Look, Clint. A beautiful girl!"

"Yes, I can see that it is a girl. I lost my hands, not my eyes."

"But what if she is the one? The one who will break the spell?"

Belle whips suddenly whips around at the sound of voices behind her, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Who said that?" No answer. "Who's there?"

As Belle cautiously ventures closer to the source of the voice, she hears a cough echo through the halls, putting her on even higher alert.

Swiftly grabbing the golden candelabra in front of her, Belle all but runs up the stairs towards the sound.

"Father?" She tentatively half-speaks half-yells as she rushes up a spiral staircase, relying more and more on the light from the candelabra as she ascends into the darkness above. "Father, is that you?"

"Belle?" She hears her father's raspy voice echo out just as she reaches the top of the stairs, and she immediately spots him in a cell. "How did you find me?"

"Your hands are ice," Belle says instead, reaching through the cell bars. "We need to get you home."

"Belle, you must leave here at once!" The man says instead. "This castle is alive! Now, go, before he finds you."

"Who?" she asks immediately, and is met with a deep growling from behind her. Across the dark corridor, she sees a dark figure looming at the end of the hall, and she quickly scrambles to grasp her makeshift stick/weapon. "Who's there? Who are you?"

"Who are you?" A velvety yet somehow rough voice rasps back in answer.

"I've come for my father."

"Your father," the man sneers, "is a thief."

"Liar!" Belle shouts back.

"He stole a rose," the voice answers with a angry yet calm demeanor, and the figure approaches slowly.

"I asked for the rose. Punish me, not him."

"No!" Phil's voice echoes from behind her. "He means forever!"

"A life sentence for a rose?" She asks the figure incredulously.

"I received one," he all but growls back, still approaching Belle slowly. "Now, do you still wish to take your father's place?"

"Come into the light," Belle says instead as he stops, but she is met with more silence. Scoffing, she grabs the discarded candelabra and brings it forward to the figure's face.

A gasp leaves her lips before she can stop it as she sees the sight before her. A Frost Giant, she thinks to herself, remembering the stories that a few of the ladies in the village would tell children to warn them not to misbehave.

However, instead of finding sight before her to be being utterly gruesome and horrifying, Belle is more interested than anything else as she examines the beautiful markings running up and down the giant's arms and face.

"Belle, I won't let you do this," her father shouts, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I lost your mother, I won't loose you too. Now, go!"

Belle sighs in thought for a long moment before making her decision.

"Alright, I'll leave... but, before I go, can I just have a minute alone with him?"

The giant merely scoffs in reply before turning away, but Belle doesn't give up.

"Are you truly so cold hearted that you won't allow a daughter to kiss her father goodbye?" She sneers before she can stop herself. "Forever can spare a minute."

The giant ponders her words for a moment, but finally turns back towards her and pulls a hidden lever beside her.

"Once this door closes, it will not open again."

Belle rushes towards her father at once, enveloping him in her embrace.

"I love you, Belle," Phil whispers into her shoulder. "Don't be afraid."

"I love you too, Father," she says, relishing his touch one last time. "And I'm not afraid, I promise."

And with her words, she shoves her father back with enough force that he stumbles out of the cell, and Belle swings the door shut before he can even realize what just occured.

"You took his place," the giant says in disbelief, peering at her through the cell door.

"He's my father."

"He's a fool. And so are you."

"Father!" Belle shouts as the giant begins to drag Phil down the stairs of the tower. "Please, don't hurt him," she begs as both her father and her captor descend back down into darkness.

❅

Belle is suddenly snapped from her thoughts as the door to her cell reopens just hours later.

"Pardon my intrusion, Mademoiselle, but I have come to escort you to your room," a voice rings out from the hall.

"My room?" Belle repeats. "But I thought..."

"Oh, what? That 'once this door closes it will not open again'? Ugh, I know. He gets so dramatic sometimes," the voice says as Belle slowly inches her way out of the cell, still extremely cautious of this new voice.

She lets out a small cry as she turns to see none other than the candelabra from before hanging off of the lever controlling her cell door.

"Bonjour!" It--no, he-- says in response, doing what only can be assumed as a candelabra's equivalent of a greeting.

"What are you?" Belle asks, still taken aback.

"I am Thor," the candelabra replies blankly.

"And... you can talk?"

"Of course he can talk," another voice rings out. "In fact, that's all he ever does," Belle turns to see the mantel clock from earlier struggling to make his way to the top of the stairs. "Now, Thor, as head of this household, I demand that you put her back in her cell at once."

"What do you want to be for the rest of your life, Clint? A man, or a mantle clock?" Thor whispers before turning back to Belle. "Ready, miss?"

Belle, at a loss for words, simply nods at Thor's words and tentatively grabs him in her hand before descending down the stairs.

"You must forgive first impressions. I hope you are not too startled," Thor begins once the pair is halfway down the spiraling stairs.

"Why would I be startled?" Belle asks sarcastically. "I'm talking to a candle."

"Candelabra, please," Thor corrects. "Enormous difference. But consider me at your service; the castle is your home now, so feel free to go anywhere you like."

"Except the West Wing," Clint adds from behind, hopping down the steps one at a time.

"Why? What's in the West Wing?" Belle asks, her curiosity suddenly piqued.

"Nothing," both Thor and Clint answer at the same time.

"Just storage sp-"

"Storage space," Thor nods. "Now, this way, to the East Wing!"

❅

For probably the billionth time today, a gasp escapes Belle's lips as she enters the bedroom before her.

"It's modest, but comfortable," Thor announces, making his way over to the large, four-poster bed.

"It's beautiful," Belle remarks as she gazes upon the ornate walls decorated in a light green and gold design.

"But of course! Master wanted you to have the finest room in the castle!" Thor beams, jumping on the bed as a cloud of dust emerges from the impact. Coughing, he adds, "oh, dear. We were not expecting guests."

"Enchantee, Mademoiselle," a voice from behind Belle says, whooshing into the room. By this point, Belle was somewhat used to the idea of inanimate objects in this castle being alive, so she's only moderately shocked as a cross between a feather duster and a swan flies into the room."I am Natasha. Do not worry, I will have this place spotless in no time!"

Suddenly, a half-belt half-cry erupts from behind Belle, and she turns in shock to see the wardrobe standing before her, looking to be very much alive.

"Ah, meet Madame Wanda Maximoff, the greatest opera singer of our generation!" Thor announces.

"When she can stay awake," Clint adds with a sneer, and Natasha elbows him in the side. Or, well, whatever a mantle clock's equivalent to the side would be.

"Silence, Clint. After all, a witch needs her rest!" She says, dramatically fanning herself with her cabinets before turning back to Belle. "Oh my, a woman! Finally, I have someone to dress! Oh, look at you dear, pretty eyes, beautiful hair, proud canvas. I will find you something worthy of a princess!" She cries excitedly.

Belle can only gulp at the scene unraveling before her. Just yesterday, she was dreaming of embarking in a life of thrill and adventure, and now a wardrobe was standing in front of her complimenting her looks.

What the hell did she just get herself into?

❅ ❅ ❅