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Description
Belle had never been in a grand dining room before; well, she had but only when she had been serving Queen Grimhilde her meals. Sha had a secret fondness for apple pie, the Queen. But she had never eaten in a grand dining room before and she was careful to act the way she had read about in books where the princesses and ladies would be sitting at a fine dining table such as this. The dinner consisted of soup as a starter, followed by salmon in a creamy sauce with vegetables and then an elegant creme brulee as dessert. All was washed down with fine wine and Belle was certain that even the god didn't eat as well as this.

"This does make a change," she said. "Having my meals served to me instead of being he one to serve them to the Queen."

"You're a servant?"

She blushed. "Y-yes, I am."

He smiled. "I wouldn't have thought it to look at you."

"Even in the dress I was wearing when you found me?"

"I thought you might be a ladie's maid or a noblewoman's companion."

"Well, then, you're very kind," Belle replied with a smile. She was enjoying his company and she liked being here with him, but her mind kept racing back to Snow. Where was she?

"Are you alright?" Belle realised that she had been staring into space. She snapped back to him and attempted a look of calm serenity. "Oh, of course, sorry. I was miles away."

Adam wasn't fooled by her lie. "You're worried about Snow, aren't you?"

"I'm so sorry..."

"It's alright."

"No, I don't want to sound ungrateful to you and your men for all your help, but I know Snow better and I know what she'd do if she were scared; and if she did get scared then she's still out there somewhere. I have to find her."

"Then I'll go with you." Adam got to his feet. "Can you ride?"

"A little."

"Bernard!" called Adam. "Fetch the horses!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Belle didn't need to worry, for Snow was perfectly fine. She had been befriended by some of the more benign animals of the forest; the birds, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, raccoons and an elderly tortoise who had shown her the way out of the clearing...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Here," Adam gave Belle a lift up onto her horse's saddle. "This is Philippe; one of our older horses."

Philippe snorted indignantly and pawed the ground. "Oh, hush," Adam laughed, patting his neck, "I said older, not old!"

"He's lovely," Belle admitted, stroking Philippe's mane. Philippe gave a delighted neigh and Adam swung himself up into his own saddle. They rode in silence for a while, listening out for any noises that might indicate predators were near. But they heard none and soon the forest thinned out a little and looked less threatening.

"Do you know the forest well?" Belle asked, presently.

"Parts of it," Adam replied. "Freddie and I used to play here sometimes when we were younger."

"Were you not scared by the stories of wolves?"

"Not really." Adam shrugged. "We never saw any when we used to play there."

"My father used to tell me to keep to the path and I'd come out of the woods alright." This time Belle couldn't stop her voice from shaking as she spoke.

Adam looked at her with sympathy. "You must miss him very much."

"I do."

"I miss my parents too."

"You know, my father used to sing to me when I couldn't sleep. Not that he could sing very well," she added with a sad smile, "but it was soothing. I can still remember the song."

"Word for word?"

"Yes."

"Sing it for me."

She blushed. "I'm no singer."

"Please?"

She took a deep breath and sang:

"Sleep my baby, at my breast,
’Tis a mother’s arms round you.
Make yourself a snug, warm nest.
Feel my love forever new.
Harm will not meet you in sleep,
Hurt will always pass you by.
Child beloved, always you’ll keep,
In sleep gentle, mother’s breast nigh."

Then, to her surprise, Adam joined her:

"Sleep in peace tonight, sleep,
O sleep gently, what a sight.
A smile I see in slumber deep,
What visions make your face bright?
Are the angels above smiling,
At you in your peaceful rest?
Are you beaming back while in
Peaceful slumber on mother’s breast?

Do not fear the sound, it’s a breeze
Brushing leaves against the door.
Do not dread the murmuring seas,
Lonely waves washing the shore.
Sleep child mine, there’s nothing here,
While in slumber at my breast,
Angels smiling, have no fear,
Holy angels guard your rest."

Adam smiled as she gazed at him in wonder. "My mother used to sing that song too."

"You have a good voice," she faltered. "Soft and low; it's nice."

"Thank you. You have a beautiful voice too."

"Thank you." Belle smiled. "Snow has a lovely voice too; like an angel's. Compared to hers, mine is nothing."

"I think you're exaggerating," Adam replied with a smile.

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"How can someone with a voice like yours think yourself second rate to someone else?"

"Ah, but you've not met Snow yet." Belle bit her lip. "I hope she's alright."

Adam reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm sure you've nothing to worry about. If she's anything like you-"

"Sh!" Belle held up a hand. "Listen."

A melodious voice was echoing through the trees.

"Just whistle while you work
And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place
So hum a merry tune
It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace..."

"Snow!" Belle cried, charging Philippe forwards through the trees.

"Belle, wait!" Adam called, charging his own horse after her.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philippe surged through the undergrowth and suddenly Belle reined him in as a startling sight met her eyes. A small neat cottage sat in the middle of the green, beside a small stream and a ton of forest animals were there, doing the laundry it looked like. Belle looked up and saw Snow brushing dust out of the door with a broom. "Snow!" she shouted, dismounting as Adam came up behind her.

"Belle!" Snow dropped her broom and the two friends ran to hug immedietly.

"Thank heavens you're alright!" Belle cried. "I thought you'd been murdered or something when I heard you scream!"

"I nearly was! The Queen sent Humbert to kill me!"

"What?" Belle gasped.

"But he couldn't do it. He told me to run into the woods where she can't find me."

"And here I was worried over her reaction to a broken cup," Belle muttered.

"Belle?" Adam came up to her. She turned to him. "Oh, Snow, this is Adam. He's been helping me to find you. He saved my life from some wolves."

"It's an honour to meet you, Snow," Adam said, giving her a small bow.

Snow smiled and curtseyed. "Glad to meet you too, Adam."

"Well, if you'lll be alright now," Adam said to Belle. "I'll leave you. But if you ever need me for anything, don't hesitate to find me out."

"Thank you, Adam. You've been a great help," she replied, hugging him swiftly. Snow smiled and looked away.

"Oh, keep Philippe," Adam added. "I don't like the thought of either of you going through the forest on foot with wolves about. You may be in need of a horse at some point anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I know I can trust you to take care of him."

"I will," Belle promised, taking Philippe's bridle and stroking his nose. "We both will."

"Well, goodbye then, Snow." Adam bowed to her again. "It's been a pleasure to meet you at last."

"The pleasure's all mine, good sir," she replied, with a smile and curtsey.

"Bye, Belle." To her surprise, and pleasure, he kissed her cheek lightly before he mounted his own horse and was away with a wave.

"Goodbye, Adam," she whispered...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Snow, what is this place?" Belle asked once she had tied up Philippe by the water trough and followed her friend into the cottage.

"The animals brought me here when I asked them where I could stay."

"But someone lives here already, surely?" Belle pointed out, indicating the clean dishes and dusted-off stools.

"That's why we cleaned it; maybe when they get back, they'll let us stay."

"They must be very small people," Belle observed.

"Orphans," Snow explained, "so the deer tell me. Come on, let's see what's upstairs."

Belle shook her head as she followed. To say that the Queen wanted Snow dead, for some reason she didn't seem too worried about it. But then, Snow had never really been that practical...

(Suo Gân is a traditional Welsh lullaby by an annonymous composer)

Description
Belle had never been in a grand dining room before; well, she had but only when she had been serving Queen Grimhilde her meals. Sha had a secret fondness for apple pie, the Queen. But she had never eaten in a grand dining room before and she was careful to act the way she had read about in books where the princesses and ladies would be sitting at a fine dining table such as this. The dinner consisted of soup as a starter, followed by salmon in a creamy sauce with vegetables and then an elegant creme brulee as dessert. All was washed down with fine wine and Belle was certain that even the god didn't eat as well as this.

"This does make a change," she said. "Having my meals served to me instead of being he one to serve them to the Queen."

"You're a servant?"

She blushed. "Y-yes, I am."

He smiled. "I wouldn't have thought it to look at you."

"Even in the dress I was wearing when you found me?"

"I thought you might be a ladie's maid or a noblewoman's companion."

"Well, then, you're very kind," Belle replied with a smile. She was enjoying his company and she liked being here with him, but her mind kept racing back to Snow. Where was she?

"Are you alright?" Belle realised that she had been staring into space. She snapped back to him and attempted a look of calm serenity. "Oh, of course, sorry. I was miles away."

Adam wasn't fooled by her lie. "You're worried about Snow, aren't you?"

"I'm so sorry..."

"It's alright."

"No, I don't want to sound ungrateful to you and your men for all your help, but I know Snow better and I know what she'd do if she were scared; and if she did get scared then she's still out there somewhere. I have to find her."

"Then I'll go with you." Adam got to his feet. "Can you ride?"

"A little."

"Bernard!" called Adam. "Fetch the horses!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Belle didn't need to worry, for Snow was perfectly fine. She had been befriended by some of the more benign animals of the forest; the birds, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, raccoons and an elderly tortoise who had shown her the way out of the clearing...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Here," Adam gave Belle a lift up onto her horse's saddle. "This is Philippe; one of our older horses."

Philippe snorted indignantly and pawed the ground. "Oh, hush," Adam laughed, patting his neck, "I said older, not old!"

"He's lovely," Belle admitted, stroking Philippe's mane. Philippe gave a delighted neigh and Adam swung himself up into his own saddle. They rode in silence for a while, listening out for any noises that might indicate predators were near. But they heard none and soon the forest thinned out a little and looked less threatening.

"Do you know the forest well?" Belle asked, presently.

"Parts of it," Adam replied. "Freddie and I used to play here sometimes when we were younger."

"Were you not scared by the stories of wolves?"

"Not really." Adam shrugged. "We never saw any when we used to play there."

"My father used to tell me to keep to the path and I'd come out of the woods alright." This time Belle couldn't stop her voice from shaking as she spoke.

Adam looked at her with sympathy. "You must miss him very much."

"I do."

"I miss my parents too."

"You know, my father used to sing to me when I couldn't sleep. Not that he could sing very well," she added with a sad smile, "but it was soothing. I can still remember the song."

"Word for word?"

"Yes."

"Sing it for me."

She blushed. "I'm no singer."

"Please?"

She took a deep breath and sang:

"Sleep my baby, at my breast,
’Tis a mother’s arms round you.
Make yourself a snug, warm nest.
Feel my love forever new.
Harm will not meet you in sleep,
Hurt will always pass you by.
Child beloved, always you’ll keep,
In sleep gentle, mother’s breast nigh."

Then, to her surprise, Adam joined her:

"Sleep in peace tonight, sleep,
O sleep gently, what a sight.
A smile I see in slumber deep,
What visions make your face bright?
Are the angels above smiling,
At you in your peaceful rest?
Are you beaming back while in
Peaceful slumber on mother’s breast?

Do not fear the sound, it’s a breeze
Brushing leaves against the door.
Do not dread the murmuring seas,
Lonely waves washing the shore.
Sleep child mine, there’s nothing here,
While in slumber at my breast,
Angels smiling, have no fear,
Holy angels guard your rest."

Adam smiled as she gazed at him in wonder. "My mother used to sing that song too."

"You have a good voice," she faltered. "Soft and low; it's nice."

"Thank you. You have a beautiful voice too."

"Thank you." Belle smiled. "Snow has a lovely voice too; like an angel's. Compared to hers, mine is nothing."

"I think you're exaggerating," Adam replied with a smile.

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"How can someone with a voice like yours think yourself second rate to someone else?"

"Ah, but you've not met Snow yet." Belle bit her lip. "I hope she's alright."

Adam reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm sure you've nothing to worry about. If she's anything like you-"

"Sh!" Belle held up a hand. "Listen."

A melodious voice was echoing through the trees.

"Just whistle while you work
And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place
So hum a merry tune
It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace..."

"Snow!" Belle cried, charging Philippe forwards through the trees.

"Belle, wait!" Adam called, charging his own horse after her.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philippe surged through the undergrowth and suddenly Belle reined him in as a startling sight met her eyes. A small neat cottage sat in the middle of the green, beside a small stream and a ton of forest animals were there, doing the laundry it looked like. Belle looked up and saw Snow brushing dust out of the door with a broom. "Snow!" she shouted, dismounting as Adam came up behind her.

"Belle!" Snow dropped her broom and the two friends ran to hug immedietly.

"Thank heavens you're alright!" Belle cried. "I thought you'd been murdered or something when I heard you scream!"

"I nearly was! The Queen sent Humbert to kill me!"

"What?" Belle gasped.

"But he couldn't do it. He told me to run into the woods where she can't find me."

"And here I was worried over her reaction to a broken cup," Belle muttered.

"Belle?" Adam came up to her. She turned to him. "Oh, Snow, this is Adam. He's been helping me to find you. He saved my life from some wolves."

"It's an honour to meet you, Snow," Adam said, giving her a small bow.

Snow smiled and curtseyed. "Glad to meet you too, Adam."

"Well, if you'lll be alright now," Adam said to Belle. "I'll leave you. But if you ever need me for anything, don't hesitate to find me out."

"Thank you, Adam. You've been a great help," she replied, hugging him swiftly. Snow smiled and looked away.

"Oh, keep Philippe," Adam added. "I don't like the thought of either of you going through the forest on foot with wolves about. You may be in need of a horse at some point anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I know I can trust you to take care of him."

"I will," Belle promised, taking Philippe's bridle and stroking his nose. "We both will."

"Well, goodbye then, Snow." Adam bowed to her again. "It's been a pleasure to meet you at last."

"The pleasure's all mine, good sir," she replied, with a smile and curtsey.

"Bye, Belle." To her surprise, and pleasure, he kissed her cheek lightly before he mounted his own horse and was away with a wave.

"Goodbye, Adam," she whispered...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Snow, what is this place?" Belle asked once she had tied up Philippe by the water trough and followed her friend into the cottage.

"The animals brought me here when I asked them where I could stay."

"But someone lives here already, surely?" Belle pointed out, indicating the clean dishes and dusted-off stools.

"That's why we cleaned it; maybe when they get back, they'll let us stay."

"They must be very small people," Belle observed.

"Orphans," Snow explained, "so the deer tell me. Come on, let's see what's upstairs."

Belle shook her head as she followed. To say that the Queen wanted Snow dead, for some reason she didn't seem too worried about it. But then, Snow had never really been that practical...

(Suo Gân is a traditional Welsh lullaby by an annonymous composer)