After 3 years of absence, you can still return to a story, can't you? :) I hope it was worth the long waiting... Thanks to Trudi as always for her suggestions and beta'ing!

Chapter 14

The prisoner fell to his knees in front of Adam. "Please let me live!" he cried loudly, the words echoing through the courtyard.

Adam looked down at the man and was struck by the difference in him. He looked nothing like the proud hunter Adam had met in Montville. With that tangled mess of black hair and the rags which were at least a size too big… He looks more like… a beggar, Adam realized.

Adam became lost in thought. The last time he had come across a beggar pleading for his help, he had made the wrong decision. He had learned to look further than appearance. He had learned to love and to see the good in people. That was what broke the spell, which now seemed ages ago.

"Your highness, I beg for your forgiveness," the man pleaded. His hands were shackled, but he was able to grab Adam's boot and looked up at him. "I didn't know who you were."

The desperation in the prisoner's eyes was uncomfortably familiar to Adam. Did I look like this when I begged the Enchantress to spare my life?

Then the man said, "Look, you can have Belle! I don't even want her anymore!"

Adam's expression hardened at the mention of Belle. How could he have felt even a moment of pity for this scoundrel who had tormented Belle and almost killed her? He stepped back coldly, out of the prisoner's grasp.

Sensing that he was losing his chance, the man said quickly, "Please, forgive me my mistakes."

Adam stared at him in disbelief. Locking Belle up was just a 'mistake'? Trying to kill her was just a 'mistake'? Enraged, he pushed away all the memories of what he had gone through once. That's it - he dies!

"Please, don't kill me!" the man begged.

"This is not killing. This is justice!" Adam repeated his own words for the hundredth time - only this time to the prisoner. It sounded more official now that he had said it out loud. He straightened his back and looked into the distance. He took a deep breath and said: "Gaston de Soleil, you have lied to royalty, you have locked up a fellow citizen without the authority to do so, you have attempted to kill that same citizen. I, Adam, prince of France, judge your death as justified."

As he spoke the last word, he inadvertently glanced down at the prisoner, just as the man looked up at him. Again he saw the man's panic and desperation, and again he felt exactly what he had been feeling all those years ago when he had begged someone for forgiveness.

"Please, I'll do anything you want! Let me live!" The prisoner bowed his head to the ground again.

A feeling of helplessness went through Adam. He looked up. In front of him stood the priest, Lumière, and Cogsworth. He locked eyes with each of them in turn. He saw what they were thinking. He knew their opinion. But this was his land, and he had to protect the kingdom. Regardless of what he might feel personally, he had to do what was best. They would never feel the weight of responsibility like he did.

Hesitantly, he let out a sigh. Then he slowly nodded to a guard, who came closer and pulled a sack over the prisoner's head. Adam was relieved not to have to look at those pleading eyes anymore.

"NO! PLEASE DON'T!" the man yelled. "I will do—"

Adam tried to concentrate as the guards dragged the man to the block and placed his head into position. Justice. This is justice.

He was trying to block out the screams and pleas of the man when he suddenly heard birds singing and the sound of bells. That was the sound of… Was it the Enchantress? He looked around eagerly, hoping to see the golden light somewhere. She could tell him if this was the right path. She had known his heart and would know this was the right thing to do!

But there was no sign of her. He desperately looked up at the sky. She had to be around here somewhere! Where are you when I need you most?

"My prince," Lumière whispered softly. "We are waiting for you."

The sky remained empty - as blue as any other summer's day, but no golden light, no Enchantress. And no one here to guide him.

"My prince..."

This was it. One more flick of his hand, one snap of his fingers, and it would be done. It would be so easy. It would only take one second. Nothing more. And he would be forever freed from this man and all his schemes.

But will it solve anything? he thought. A voice in the back of his head answered immediately: You know it won't solve anything. You won't get her back. You did get a second chance - doesn't he deserve one? Now that the moment was here, he was more conflicted than ever.

He heard Cogsworth's voice in the distance. "Your highness?"

"One minute!" Adam looked at the executioner, who was waiting with his axe at the ready. The hunter was now squirming like a worm on the block. Less than a human being. Like a Beast...

At that moment, he made his decision. He stepped forward, knelt in front of the block, and with a swift movement pulled the sack off the man's head. "You say you will do anything to stay alive?"

"Yes, your highness, anything!" the hunter answered without hesitation. "Anything you say, I will do! I beg you, forgive me!"

Adam felt his anger rise again. Did this man really think it would be this easy? That begging for forgiveness was all that it was going to take? No. Even if this man didn't deserve to die, and should be offered a second chance, he would still have to pay for his crimes somehow.

But that was exactly the issue: how?

Adam aggressively pulled the prisoner's head up by his hair. "I can take your life, your freedom, your sight, your hands, your manhood and whatever I can think of," he hissed. "Give me one good reason not to put you in that torture palace you put Belle in!"

Within an instant, all the blood drained from the man's face.

"I can do all of that and more," Adam continued. "One reason."

"I am-" the hunter stammered. "I-"

Adam let go of him and stood up again. "Bring him back to his cell! Let him think!" he yelled as he walked back to the castle, with Lumière and Cogsworth closely following him.

"Not one word, Cogsworth!" Adam yelled when he heard his butler clear his throat. "Not one word!"

"It's not looking good, Maurice," the doctor said as he stood up from Belle's bed. "The wound is infected. All that moving around..." he sighed.

Maurice kept holding Belle's hand. He was too afraid that if he let go of her, she would slip away, like her mother once had. "But she will get better, won't she?" He gently pushed a lock of hair out of his daughter's face. It was damp with sweat. Her breathing was shallow and irregular. He could see how ill she was, but he was not going to give up on her. She had never given up on him. She had found him in the woods and had rescued him. If it was the last thing he did, he would help her get better. "What can I do?" he asked, determined.

"All you can do is pray," the doctor answered simply. "I have cleaned the wound and will come back tomorrow."

"There must be something I can do," Maurice insisted.

The doctor let out a sigh and gave it a moment of thought. "The infection has given her a fever, so try to keep her cool. Keep the door and window open; fresh air will do her good. Let her sleep for now."

As Maurice let the doctor out, he carefully left the bedroom door open, and gave his daughter a last worried look before he left. She looked so pale. And then the nightmares. Would they ever pass? He looked at the window - yes, it was still open.

Belle had been sleeping through most of the examination. But not all: she had heard the last things the doctor had said. An infection. An infection which could kill her. And by the sound of it, it could happen soon. Just like that, her life would be over. Then there will be no more Gaston, no more Adam, no more castles and asylums, she thought, tired. Would it actually be so bad? At least it would all be over. No more pain.

How did she ever get here? Weeks ago, her life in the village had been boring and mundane. She had wanted adventure and love and romance and excitement - everything she had ever read about in her books. And now, here she was. Was this the adventure she had wished for? In the end, her life had turned out to be more like a horror story these last few weeks. With horror being her least favourite genre, it was ironic that horror would be her final chapter.

You are not dead yet, Belle, she reminded herself. People can recover from infections. She listened to the sound of her father closing the door downstairs. She waited for his footsteps on the stairs, but they didn't came. She did hear another sound though. It sounded like sobbing. Her father was crying, she realized. Oh, Papa… She had never really given it much thought, but what had her father been through all this time?

She couldn't abandon him like this. She had to survive this for him. She couldn't stand the thought of him all alone. She had to get better. Together we will get through this, she thought as she drifted off to sleep again.

Not much later, she woke up again. She had woken up several times throughout the last night and day. With every turn, the pain in her side kept waking her. But this time, there was something else. It was a sound, like bells. Some kind of music had woken her up.

"Papa?" she whispered.

There came no real reply, only the same soft sound of bells again. Belle turned her head to the window, where the sound came from. On the windowsill sat a woman surrounded by a golden glow. It was as if she was covered in sunlight.

Belle gasped at the sight of the woman. She couldn't quite make out her face. However, she had never seen anything so beautiful or peaceful. The woman looked like an angel. Belle felt herself growing calmer. A feeling of rest came over her. She smiled at the woman as she tried to push herself up. She never wanted to stop looking at this woman She knew exactly who this was...and why she was here.

"Mama?"

"Ssssh," her mother whispered as she came closer to the bed. She didn't walk; she seemed to float, with her robes flowing. "Don't exert yourself, my dear," she said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "You need your rest."

"Mama?" Belle felt tears coming to her eyes. She reached out to her mother's hand. "Is it really you? I have missed you so much!"

"I am sorry you are in so much pain," her mother whispered as she let Belle take her hand. "This was never supposed to happen. I never intended this to happen."

Belle didn't care anymore. What was ahead of her didn't scare her. To go to Heaven with her mother…They would be together again. After all those years, it was more than she could bear. "Have you come to take me?" she asked calmly.

Her mother didn't answer immediately. She hesitated.

Belle really wouldn't mind. Only… She turned her head to the open door. Her father was still downstairs. Alone. She could still hear him. "But what about Papa? I cannot leave him here," she whispered.

"I have come to take something." Her mother nodded slowly. "But it isn't you. You are not done here." She turned back the covers and revealed Belle's bandages. She reached into her robe and took out a small lily-like flower. It was almost as gold as she was, only less glowing. That is, till the woman began to sing softly - then it started to glow like the woman herself.

Flower gleam and glow,
Let your power shine,
Make the clock reverse,
Bring back what once was mine,

Heal what has been hurt,
Change the fates' design
Save what has been lost,
Bring back what once was mine,
What once was mine.

Belle gasped as the song was sung. She felt the pain from her wound rise. It went right through her bandages and the flower somehow absorbed it! It was unbelievable! With every second of the song, the flower started to glow more and more. It was just like magic!

"There." Her mother smiled as she took the flower and put it back in her robes. "Doesn't that feel better?"

"How did you…" Belle stammered. She placed her hand on her side, but there was no pain. It was completely gone! With trembling hands she undid the bandages. The scar was still there, but the wound didn't look infected anymore. It looked calm. She no longer felt feverish. She could feel her head and her mind clear as if the sun had started shining through the clouds.

Belle softly whispered: "Thank you, Mama." She couldn't believe how much better she felt - as if all the days in the asylum had never happened.

"A few days and the wound will be fully closed and the scar will disappear," her mother promised. "Give it time."

Belle sighed happily. She felt some regret that she wouldn't be going with her mother. But she could stay here with her father, and she could take care of him for as long as he lived. "Thank you!" she said from the bottom of her heart. "I never knew angels could do this!"

The woman gave her an encouraging smile as she stood up from the bed. "Angels can't, my dear."

Belle gave her a confused look. If she is no angel… then… She looked at the woman as she floated back to the window. It was painful to realize that this hadn't been her mother after all. But then she remembered. Something Adam had told her weeks ago. The golden light!

"Wait!" she said hastily. "I know who you are! Adam told me about you!"

The woman turned around, and the golden light disappeared suddenly. In the room was now standing a woman, like any other ordinary woman. For the first time, Belle could clearly see her features. She was beautiful...and young, almost as young as Belle herself. And she looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Please, stay for one more moment! I need to ask you something!" Belle begged.

"My name is Alexia," the woman said. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes for a second. "Yes, I placed the spell on Adam in the first place, but I never meant for all this to happen!"

That was not what Belle had wanted to know. What had happened, happened. It was in the past now, but maybe they could do something about the future. "I must know," Belle said. "Did he do it? Did Adam…execute Gaston?"

The woman made a vague gesture that looked like an apologetic shrug. "I have seen the prince's heart. And so did you. That broke the spell," she said softly.

"What if his heart changed again? Will that undo the breaking of your spell?" She gasped at the idea . Adam being cursed again and turning back into a Beast… No, the Enchantress couldn't be that cruel. No one could do that to another human being!But was she human?

"I have to go. I have one more thing to do." The woman turned back to the window. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.

"Wait! Come back!" Belle exclaimed. "That's no answer!" She jumped out of bed and ran to the window, but the woman was truly gone.

Gaston sat in the corner of his cell, his head buried in his hands. He was shaking. He had seen death, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Or smell. The smell of that old sack they had pulled over his head was still in his nose. He could still feel the splinters of the wooden block against his skin. He bit his nails nervously as he looked at the door. What if the prince changed his mind and came back?

He had never been this close to death and lived to tell the tale. Not even on his hunting trips had he ever been this close. No animal alive stands a chance against Gaston, he thought grimly. But he had never thought about a prince. What kind of chance does a man have against some prince who 'judges your death as justified'. This was no justice! He had done whatever was necessary to make Belle his wife. That had been his right. But if that prince wanted to claim Belle, he could have her! She would never forget Gaston, no matter what that prince did. He would always be the one who had married her first, who had kissed her first!

He had to get out of here by his own means. He couldn't count on Belle anymore. She was out of his reach now. He was definitely not going to hope that the prince's reprieve was permanent. The prince could change his mind at any moment. He could still take Gaston's life if he wanted to...or any of the other things he had mentioned. The thought of having to live without his manhood, like a eunuch…he'd rather be dead!

Gaston jumped up and carefully studied his surroundings. There was no way he could get out of this cell on his own: the walls were too thick, the window too high, and the bars unbreakable. He needed help from outside. He paced up and down the cell to think who could help him. And then it hit him: he would bribe the guard! That was it! Brilliant! Being a guard was a job that didn't pay well, and everyone needed money.

"Guard!"

He would bribe the guard, get out of here, and then hide some place where the prince would never look for him. Lefou could hide him. Or the mayor. Or Michelle and her sisters. They would hide him, and then when things had calmed down, he would get his money and start a new life somewhere else. Somewhere in the South, far far away from Montville, Belle, and the entire royal family. He would start over.

"Guard! Anyone out there?!" he yelled louder. There must be someone who could hesr him.

The door opened abruptly and slammed against the walk. A young guard entered the tower. "Don't make such a racket! Is someone dying?" he asked with a slight smirk.

No, and I am not planning to! Gaston bit his tongue. He was not going to argue. This young man was going to do something for him. He couldn't be more than eighteen years old. He probably had only just started his service. Which was good. The younger he was, the easier he would be to influence.

"Well, what is it?" the guard asked impatiently, tapping his foot.

At other times, Gaston had only had to throw a coin to someone, like he had done with Paul D'Arque so often, and then Paul did what he said. But he didn't know this boy yet, and he didn't have any money with him right now. All he could do was promise it.

Gaston shrugged. "Just wanted to talk to someone. I'm not used to being locked away from everyone."

"If you want to talk, I can get the priest."

"A priest is only going to quote the Holy Book to me." Gaston grinned, leaning against the wall. "Just talk to me. What's the soldier's life like? Any time for drinks or games?"

"Every week," the young man said after some hesitation. Which was odd to Gaston, but he didn't pay too much attention to it. As long as he could get him to talk, he would find a way to bribe this boy.

"In Rouen, right?" he said. The young man nodded. He seemed still on his guard, but it was enough for Gaston to keep talking. "There is only one tavern in Montville, but I've heard good stories about the taverns in Rouen. There is one right before you enter the city, run by that gypsy tribe. Those gypsies have the best brew...and the most gorgeous girls to serve it."

The young guard looked away. "It's okay, I guess."

"And they are not really bound by the gambling laws of the city, am I right?" Gaston grinned. "Some cash is all you need for a great night away from everything: a good game of cards, a beer in one hand, a girl in the other, what more could a man want?"

As the young man didn't speak, Gaston was convinced he was on the right track. He stepped closer to the bars and spoke in a softer, more confidential tone. "How would you like to make some extra money?" he said. "A young man like you is probably always in need of some extra cash."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have money," Gaston said in a whisper. "Help me get out of here, I need to leave this country and fast. You can help me and I will pay you a nice sum of money."

The young man was clearly taken aback. He probably never thought about the power he had as a guard. And what power could bring to you, if used wisely.

"I can make you rich," Gaston continued.

"I am a guard in service of his highness the prince. I will not betray his trust for a few coins." The guard stepped back and turned to the door.

"Wait!" Gaston yelled, louder than he had intended. He started to whisper again. "Don't go!"

The young man let out a sigh and turned back. "What?"

"I am not talking about a few coins here," Gaston explained, "I am the richest man in Montville! Honest, I can make you rich as well!" He tried to think fast. How do you persuade someone who doesn't want to take a bribe? Jealousy? "There's not a guard in this castle who wouldn't love to be in your shoes. This is the day... your dreams come true!"

For a moment there was a smile on the young man's face, but then his expression hardened and he looked straight at Gaston. "What do you know about my dreams, monsieur?" he said, slightly aggressive.

Gaston tried to reel the man back in. Everyone could be bought somehow. He just had to find the right way. "Well, how much does a soldier earn these days? You are one of thousands of soldiers in this land. It can't be that much."

"I get by," the man said, trying to dismiss the topic.

"If you don't like taverns, what about your family? Your wife and children? You want them to be comfortable, right? You want them not to have a care in the world. Especially with a job as dangerous as yours. You want to provide for them like every man wants."

The man stepped closer to the bars and gave Gaston a smirk. "No wife. No children. I am married to the army." He paused for a second and then added in a whisper, "I'm not every man. "

There was something about the way the man said that... "I remember you..." Gaston said slowly. "You are that guard..." Suddenly the dots connected. He had been joking about this guard having unnatural preferences, but what if it wasn't a joke?

If this soldier wasn't sensitive to money ,there might be something else... He gave the man a once-over. He was slenderly built with narrow shoulders and there was something about his face that was different from other soldiers. Everyone knew what happened in the army to some men. Some got confused when always surrounded by men.

It made Gaston sick to his stomach what he was about to try, but if it got him out of here alive, it was for a good cause. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

He kept his eyes on the man and slowly rolled up his sleeves to show off his biceps. He flexed his muscles and leaned against the bars. It was going to be hard to do in these tattered clothes, but it was all about the man in the clothes. And he could look good regardless of his clothes. "Tell me, boy, what's your name?" he said with a smouldering smile.

"Stanley," the young man said warily.

"Hey, Stanley." Gaston kept smiling. If it worked on the triplets, it might work on men as well. He had never tried. He ran his hand through his hair and started over with the conversation. "As I said, I want to get out, and when I am out, maybe you and I could go away together."

The guard gave him a confused look. "Together?"

Gaston nodded. "Picture this, just you and me, we will get a couple of horses and ride far away from here. To a place where nobody knows us…" His voice had dropped to a whisper. He reached through the bars and touched Stanley's collar. "Stanley, I need you to help me."

"When you are in need and you ask someone for help," Stanley said slowly with narrowed eyes. "You expect the other person to help you."

"That's what any good citizen would do." Gaston smiled. He reached a little further and was able to rest his hand on the young man's shoulder.

"And when I let you out, what exactly will you offer me in return?"

"I am sure you can think of something." Gaston winked. He spoke just like he used to talk to the triplets whenever he wanted them to do something. A smile, a wink, and within seconds they were like putty in his hands. "I have money, but maybe you and I can think of something else as a reward."

Stanley stepped back and shook his head. "I had hoped you would be different, monsieur." He let out a frustrated sigh. "Not everyone can be bribed with money, or can be persuaded by acts of the flesh."

Gaston held up his hands and added immediately: "No, no, no, Stanley, I'm not bribing anyone. The prince has already decided that I shouldn't die. But do I really need to rot in a cell as small as this?"

"You lie and manipulate." Stanley lowered his voice, almost hissing his words. "You will do anything to get your way. You are spoiled, selfish and unkind."

"I am not. I do want to share everything I've got. With you," Gaston emphasized the last words as he gave the man another wink. "You'll see, I will make it worth your while."

"I am not interested."

"How can you not be?" Gaston asked as he flexed his muscles. "I can be yours. All you need to do is to open that cell door."

"I am not the man you think I am," Stanley whispered. He reached into his pocket and took out a long, thin wand and flicked it. Immediately a bright light filled the room, so bright that Gaston had to cover his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, Stanley was gone as if he had never been here. In his place now stood a beautiful young woman, glowing in golden light.

Witchcraft! Gaston panicked. He was standing eye to eye with a witch! That scared him even more than the thought of death. "What kind of demon are you?" he exclaimed as he backed away and pressed himself against the cell wall. "What do you want?!"

The young woman stepped through the bars towards Gaston. Her eyes were fire. "I had hoped you would be different than you seemed. That you would offer me something sincere!" she said angrily. "In exchange for my help, you should have given me something you truly cared about!" She shook her head. "I should have learned my lesson by now, but you are the most evil, selfish, manipulative human I have ever come across!"

"Wait, what lesson?" Gaston asked, confused. What did he have to do with her? How in the world had he angered her? This was the first time he had ever seen her. And if it was up to him, he would never see her again. He wanted to stay as far away from witchcraft as he could!

The young woman aggressively pointed her wand at him. Terrified, Gaston crawled into a corner of the cell. Trembling with fear, he averted his eyes and waited for the witch to cast her spell. "Please don't," he whimpered.

"Even though you do not deserve to live, she continued, "I am convinced there is good in every human, and that everyone deserves a second chance! Even you!"

A second chance? A second chance was good! "What are you going to do with me?" Gaston asked, cautiously daring to look up again.

"You want to go to the South, right?" the witch asked. "I will make sure you get there."

Adam was back in the library, reading book after journal after annals – everything he could find of what his father had ever left to him. He wanted to read all about the sentences his father had given to prisoners. Now that he had decided that his prisoner Gaston de Soleil could live ,he had a new problem. How to get rid of him, without killing him?

He could lock the man up in the asylum. That would be poetic justice. There were surgical treatments they could perform on this man. Adam had read about some procedures, that by removing certain parts of the brain or body people became docile, like a rabid dog. Unfortunately, he was certain Belle wouldn't approve of that. Just like she wouldn't approve of killing the man who had done her wrong. He couldn't physically harm this man in any way.

If he locked up the man in a prison in France or sent him abroad, Belle would live in constant fear of the man coming back and coming after her. Adam couldn't let that happen. What kind of life would that be?

Then a thought occurred to him: What if I tell her he is dead? Then Belle would be free. She would never have to worry about the man ever again. She could do whatever she wanted. The only problem was: she would hate Adam, for the rest of her life. She would never forgive him for this.

Adam sank back in his chair and rubbed his temples in frustration. Whatever solution he thought of, it would not bring Belle back. He had lost her forever. He was sure of it, and that thought alone was enough to send him into an immediate depression. Wanting her back was never going to be enough.

However, this wasn't about what he wanted. He couldn't be selfish in this. He had to think first of the people most affected by this man's actions, and that wasn't him. That was Belle. This man's sentence had to be about her, and what would help her most.

There was a knock on the door . Cogsworth came in and coughed. "Your highness," he said. "I know I shouldn't disturb you, but there is something that needs your attention. We have a situation, that is, how shall I say it-?"

My life as a beast was certainly a lot easier! Adam thought as he turned around. There were never 'situations' back then. "Yes?" he sighed.

Cogsworth hesitated. This was clearly going to be a 'situation'. "There is a crowd at the gate. People from Montville ask for the release of your prisoner and not to execute him."

"Is that so?" Adam said slowly. "What did you tell them?"

"Nothing, your highness!" Cogsworth answered immediately. "However, I don't know how they found out we even have a prisoner, as we didn't announce the execution ,and the execution, well, as your highness knows… it didn't happen."

Belle, Adam thought with a sigh. Belle knew, and she had told the people of the village about the plans he had. Had this been her plan to stop the execution? It wasn't necessary anymore, but it said something about how angry she was with him. And there was only one way he could make it up to her. He could give her peace of mind, without her knowing the truth of what had happened. She would be free forever.

He would have to learn to live without her love, but with the reassurance that she would turn out all right. She would have a chance to have a normal life again. That was worth everything to him.

"Did you tell them that?" he asked. "Did you tell them we didn't behead him?"

Cogsworth shook his head. "No, I told them to wait, your highness." He let out a sigh and gave an apologetic shrug. "I unfortunately didn't know what to tell these people."

"I do." Adam said.

Not much later he walked down the path to the gates of the castle, where indeed a small crowd had gathered. He recognized the little man whom he had seen in the forest with his prisoner. But there were more people, including a man who looked better dressed and was wearing a livery collar - he must be the mayor of Montville. Some sobbing blonde girls who looked like they hadn't slept in days. Plus a dozen others. And they all came to speak well of this prisoner. If they only knew…

"Citizens of Montville," he proclaimed loudly as he stood behind the bars of the gate, holding on to the package he had asked Cogsworth to bring him. "My name is Prince Adam, eighth in line to the throne of France. I am the ruler of this district. What is it you want?"

The mayor bowed deeply, then rose and stepped forward. "Your highness, we beg you, do not execute Gaston de Soleil. He is a citizen in my village, and I assure you that he didn't mean to harm you. We all have come here to speak on his behalf."

"You are too late," Adam said as he pushed the package into the hands of the mayor. "The prisoner was executed this morning at sunrise. Like all criminals, he will be buried in an unmarked grave, in an unknown place."

There was a loud gasp from the crowd and the three girls fainted. Several people cried, saying it wasn't true. That it couldn't be. Not Gaston.

"What is this?" the mayor said with a trembling voice, holding the package as far away from him as possible. "It's not his head, is it?"

Adam gave the man a look, as if he would ever do that. "It's his personal belongings, monsieur. His clothes."

The mayor swallowed and closed his eyes for a second. He tried to sound formal. "What about his house and money? All possessions of a convicted criminal go to the crown. Do you claim them as your own?"

"I don't care what you do with it," Adam shrugged. He hadn't thought about it, but what would he do with it? "Do with it what you like."

"With your permission, your highness, I will offer it to Belle," the mayor said. "I will inform her about the death of her husband. When she is recovered, it might be of some consolation in her grief."

Adam shook his head. "Give it to her if you wish. But based on the evidence that led to his execution, it was concluded that the prisoner married Mademoiselle de la Vallière under false pretences. The marriage was therefore annulled when he died." Besides the peace of mind never to look Gaston de Soleil in the eyes again, this was the last gift he could give her.

Belle was now free, in all aspects.