(1-2) You offer to go with Belle

"I'll leave with Belle," you declare.

Belle looks at you in astonishment, "Cora, you..."

You look back at her, "Belle, I can't let you go alone. This is too dangerous for you to do by yourself. We don't know what the beast's intentions are, but if it wants to harm you, I will grab you and run. You wouldn't be able to escape if you went by yourself," you stated.

Your father looks at you two and shakes his head. "No, Isabelle, Coraline. The reason why I am telling you two this is because I don't want you three to worry if I suddenly leave. I cannot put my daughters at risk. On the third day, I will leave for the beast's castle, alone. Arianne has a job as a server girl in the city. Coraline can find a job as a seamstress, and Isabelle can manage the farm animals..."

Your father's voice drifted off.

Your father is leaving you three and returning to the beast by himself? This can't be happening...

"Father..." you and Belle start at the same time.

"I will receive no objections," your father waves his hand to dismiss both of you. "You girls must have stayed up all night waiting for me. Why don't you catch some sleep, and we will continue this conversation in the morning when Arianne is up as well."

"But, Father..." Belle stubbornly opens her mouth again, but you grabbed her hand.

"Belle, Father is right. We will talk this over in the morning. It is too late for anyone to think clearly." Belle is ready to protest again, but after a short pause, closes her mouth. She looks down and quietly nods her head.

A spark of suspicion rises within you as you look at your youngest sister. Belle relented?

But you quickly shake your head. Belle must also understand that this is not the time to be stubborn.

You soon follow Belle into the bedroom shared by you three sisters.

As you lay down in bed, thoughts swirl within your mind, preventing you from sleeping. After a long time, drowsiness finally hit you again, and you sway between consciousness and unconsciousness.

That is when you hear a squeak.

The sound chases away all the drowsiness, and you sit up in bed. Although the room is dark, you can tell by the vague moonlight that Belle is not in her bed.

Maybe she had woken to use the outhouse.

But a suspicion within you whispers otherwise. You quickly climb out of bed and tiptoe out of the bedroom. The main room of the cottage is empty.

"Belle?" you whisper.

There is no response.

An eerie creak and a gust of cool wind startle you. You look in the direction of the creak and find one window slightly ajar. You look around, but Belle is nowhere to be seen. Carefully, you walk to the window to shut the wooden panels, and that is when you see.

Through the slit in the opened window, you can see the stables, and Belle is presently opening the stable doors!

Closing the window, you quickly rush to the cottage door, slip on a pair of shoes, and hurry out the door. Running to the stables, you catch Belle before she mounts the horse. "Belle! Just what are you doing?"

Being caught, Belle looks away nervously, "I...Cora, I can't let Father risk his life."

"So you believe you can risk your life without telling us?" you fumed.

"Cora..." Belle twists her head to look at you, then quickly looks back at the ground. "I'm sorry, but it's all my fault any of this happened. If I had not asked for a rose, Father would not have angered the beast. Father would not have been in danger." As Belle spoke, her voice tightens, seemingly about to cry.

"Belle, it's not your fault. Nobody would have suspected that Father would stumble upon a palace within the forest. Nobody would have suspected that there would be a blooming rose bush within the palace, nor that the beast would spare all luxuries but a flower. Do not feel that you must atone for a crime you did not commit," you soothe.

"But, Cora. If I do not go, then Father must. I just cannot..." Belle's words cut off with a sob.

She is still blaming herself.

"Belle, let us talk this over in the morning. You are not thinking straight with the lack of sleep," you try to persuade.

Belle violently shakes her head as she swiftly mounts the horse.

Alarmed, you stepped forward, "Belle! Get down from the horse! I'm telling you, we will find another way to solve this. Sacrificing yourself will not solve anything!"

Belle grabs onto the reins tightly, "I'm sorry, Cora, but I must."

"Belle! Wait! Wait." You can't let your youngest sister dive into danger like this so recklessly. "Did I not say that I will come with you earlier? I will leave with you."

Belle looks at you with a moment's hesitation.

"Listen, I will go with you to see what the beast wants. If it intends to harm you or lock you up, I will grab you and run. If the beast knows where we live, then we can grab Father and Ari and settle down in another city, another country, far away from here. The beast can't cross countries just to revenge us for taking a flower, can he?"

You manage to squeeze a stifled giggle from Belle.

Belle finally nods her head, "Alright."

You breathe a sigh of relief. At least your youngest sister isn't recklessly running into danger alone now.

"Come on," Belle mentioned for you to climb up the horse, "Let's go."

***

After retrieving the map to the castle from your father's coat, you and Belle ride on the same horse to the beast's castle.

Dawn is breaking, and you have just arrived at the palace shining in the morning sun. With the little amount of sleep you sneaked in while you were waiting for your father and the hours of riding, you were exhausted by the time you two arrived.

Belle must have been even more tired, as she had not closed her eyes even once throughout the night.

You descend the horse first and lend your sister a hand. Belle's face indeed looks exhausted.

Belle holds onto the horse's reins as you two approach the gate. You knock on the gate once but find that the gate door creaks open as your knuckles touch the rusty iron. You look at Belle once and enter with her, intentionally leaving the gates open, in case you two had to make a quick escape.

Walking through the paved stone path to the main castle, you can't help but notice how big the palace grounds are. There is a large fountain to the right, a silver porch swing in the distance to the left, and a garden all around. Ivy climbed everywhere, dressing the palace grounds in an ancient coat, but the clean stone path told you that someone did live here. A blur of brown near the fountains catches your attention, and you stare piercingly at the fountain until you realize that it is just a rabbit.

Soon, you arrive at the doors to the castle. You try knocking on the door again, but just like before, the door creaks open easily. Before you step inside, Belle calls out to you, "Cora."

You look back at Belle.

"What should we do with Sugar?" Belle looks at the horse whose reins she is holding.

Of course. You can't bring a horse into the main building of the palace.

It wouldn't take long for Belle to tie the horse, but what if something happens to her while you are in the palace? Is the inside of the palace safer or the garden safer?

*************************

You enter the palace first. (Go to chapter 1-4)

You tie Sugar outside. (Go to chapter 1-5)