Belle And Adam Quotes

“But my father..." Belle began again.
"What about him?"
"He needs me...."
"He raised you by himself, didn't he? Seems like he's done a more than all right job. He'll be fine for a few days on his own," the Beast pointed out.
Belle glared at him.
Her father couldn't... he didn't...
...make their meals, tend their garden, earn coin for comestibles they couldn't grow or forage themselves, spend days inventing- all things he did before she was old enough to help him... when he was taking care of her....
Her lip quivered. Of course he was fine.
Wait...
"You think he did a more than all right job?" she couldn't help asking.
The Beast shrugged, suddenly embarrassed.
She found herself smiling.
Was he- was he almost smiling back? In his eyes, at least?”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“Come on, let's get you an apron."
There probably wasn't any real point in making him wear something over his fur and ragged clothes. Still, she tied a tablecloth up and around his neck, trying not to make him look ridiculous.
Actually, if the thick white cloth had leather straps, he could easily be Hephaestus or one of his titan helpers working the forge on Olympus.
But they were going to make ratatouille, not swords for heroes.
"...And buckwheat crepes, and an onion tart, and coq au... um... Riesling, in a skillet," she added thoughtfully, looking at the time. The clock in the kitchen didn't talk, thankfully. "We don't have time for a true coq au vin or cassoulet. Oooh, and a tarte tatin for dessert!”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“This is nice," Beast said with a sigh. "Like... one of those paintings where a nymph or Athena is reading to the gods and goddesses."
"And here I was thinking you were an utterly uneducated beast," Belle said teasingly.
"I am a prince," he responded with hauteur. "I am classically educated.
"Plus, nymphs are pretty," he added.
Belle laughed.
"I could stare at them all day," he continued. His tone was carefully neutral, but his eyes never left hers.
And Belle found she could look back. And not blush. And not have to look away.”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“We're prisoners here."
"What would Jack do, Belle?"
When did he become the insightful one?
She mock pouted. "I suppose he would figure out some super clever way around it."
The Beast looked at her with wry amusement. "Since you're the clever one here and haven't come up with a cunning plan, I was going to suggest brute force. Like we're a castle under siege, fighting them off. That's what I know."
"That's a fair point," she ceded, smiling.
"We should... round up everything sharp and cutting," he said. "And hammers and mallets to smash the panes between them."
"Yes, sir, prince general, sir," Belle said, saluting him with a sparkle in her eye.”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“She waved, hoping the little creatures sealed inside the glass and bone chrysalis could see her, and tried not to cry.
The Beast saw her.
"I'll come back. Whatever happens," he promised. "I'm... king now. I need to share the fate of my people."
Somehow that only made Belle want to cry more.
"You aren't out of danger yourself," the Beast reminded her gravely. "You're in the middle of the woods with a beast as the curse grows stronger. I won't be able to control it forever."
Belle had a sudden vision of her body, and blood-stained snow, like something out of a fairy tale gone wrong. She shook her head.
"No. You would never hurt me."
The Beast gave a wan smile.... and then leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.
"I would kill myself first," he whispered.”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“If he were... a prince... a real one, a human one... would he get to just go inside with her on his arm? What would her father say? A prince on the arm of his daughter? What would happen then? Could they... could they marry? There was no one left in the kingdom to object to him marrying below his station.
Would Belle even like him?
Did she like him now?
She hadn't pulled away when he had kissed her, before... and she had kissed him just now. That was something, right?”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“Belle," he whispered, almost a croak.
"You promised to give me my bookstore back," she said, trying not to cry. "You promised me. So I could read more stories about Jack. So I could read them... to you..."
The Beast's mouth opened strangely, his pointy teeth suddenly seeming too large and out of place inside of lips trying to form words it couldn't remember.
Then he suddenly shook himself- like a spooked cat or dog.
He looked down at Belle, his eyes now bright with intelligence.
"I did promise," he said, his voice growing stronger and more human. "And... a king keeps his promises.”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“You managed to stop yourself from becoming a full-fledged beast. Well done! Recovering your human soul and mind on your own, I mean."
The Beast blinked.
"Permanently? I'm not going to... relapse? Go back to being a beast- I mean, in my head- again?"
"Of course not," Rosalind said impatiently. "As long as your love for Belle- and hers for you- lasts. The spell is broken, or mitigated, at least."
Belle and the Beast looked at each other, eyes wide.
The Beast suddenly began to scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment. Belle blushed.
And then she found herself almost overcome with giggles.
"It's pretty obvious," Maurice pointed out with a smile.
"Yes, another factor in my punishment," Rosalind said grimly. "Magic always comes back on itself... of course it would be my daughter who would break the spell. I am an idiot. And now here you are, her future husband. A prince."
"King," Maurice corrected mildly.”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“Your curse still isn't really broken. The castle and everyone in it have been forgotten. No one remembers this place. You could find all les charmantes and bring them here. Bring them home. And get yourself... uncursed."
"Hmmm," Rosalind said, thinking. "Not bad. It's an odd idea, considering this is the place we almost came to our end... but it's intriguing. Yes, I like it. Go find everyone and bring them home. Really, it's the least you could do after what your parents did."
Maurice might have given Rosalind a little frown at that last bit, but she shrugged.
The Beast blinked. "Go... find them? Me?"
"Yes. Why not?" Belle said with a smile, reading his thoughts. "You would have to actually go out into the world that you've been watching for so long in your magic mirror."
"With you," the Beast said without missing a beat. "I could do anything, with you."
Belle grinned and started to answer...
... and then saw Maurice and Rosalind, who were both watching her to see what she would do.
Belle had a family again. She had a mother- the most interesting, perplexing mother in the world- whom she had just met. There was too much to ask her, to talk about.
But this was finally her chance to go out on those adventures she had always dreamed of. Abandoned Greek islands, the hearts of never-before-seen forests, even Paris and Rome.... They would travel the world looking for reclusive charmantes to bring home. Who knew what they might see!”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“Would you come with me, Belle? Help me do this? We may not succeed... I may always be a beast."
"No," Belle said with a smile, touching him on the nose. "You will always be my prince."
"Well, you're not exactly what I wanted out of a son-in-law- because of your parents, not because of your form, I mean," Rosalind said quickly. "But you're certainly a fair bit better than that Gaston fellow... what is his story, if I may ask? Was he also a patient at the asylum?"
Belle almost choked on her laughter. "No, and that was not the first time he proposed to me."
"I think," Maurice said, putting his arms around the couple, "we should all have one last night together before you start out... just the four of us. There are a lot of stories to tell before we see you again."
"And most of them," Belle observed with a smile, "seem to almost have a happy ending.”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time