>>112177541why? well, she was the last person who lived there, of course. she knows the castle well, especially given she was able to evade the monstrous creature for so long. nobody else in the land has a stronger claim after all, not since the er, incidents with the royals in the big cities.
'and also,' says the busty blond woman as she narrates from memory, 'he sends a personal apology for maurice, for not believing him that first night he returned to the tavern. because of my arrogance, maurice was endangered and belle was forced to spend far longer than she ever should have away from her home and the people who love her. i am truly sorry.'
belle can't tell the truth about the beast now - the town is wealthier than ever before, and they all think that she is partially responsible for their great gains, for suffering under the beast's yoke and exposing the riches that were lying in wait within the castle. riches that were bequeathed almost entirely to her. she tried to make the magic mirror show her the beast, once, but it didn't. it was just an ordinary mirror now.
the library is hers too, entirely, not even the string of having dinner with the beast attached. children from the town come in little groups to ask if they can read, and sometimes their parents and grandparents come too. grand weddings and dinners and parties are held in the great hall.
she doesn't get more than the odd glimpse of gaston for a long while, until one such party a year later. it's snowing, the castle is bursting with light and life that it didn't have even when the lights /were/ alive.
from a balcony, taking a break from her father's exuberant dancing, she sees something odd. (3)
