Belle knocked on the door of her brother’s room. “Can I come in, Ferdy?”
“Sure, we’re both decent,” he grinned and Derek looked up with a smile as their little sister came into the room. Bartok leaned on her hand, looking around. “Now I could get used to this,” he muttered dreamily.
“What have 당신 got there?” asked Derek.
“A bat.” Belle held up Bartok.
“Yo!” exclaimed Bartok, waving.
Ferdinand jumped. “I didn’t know bats could talk.”
“Have 당신 ever been close enough to one to listen?” joked Bartok. “The name’s Bartok.”
“Well, then, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Bartok,” smiled Derek. “I’m Derek and that’s Ferdinand.”
Pavlova purred and began to rub up to Belle’s ankles. “Looks like someone’s getting jealous,” smiled Ferdinand.
“No, she’s just tired.” Belle picked up her kitten.
“Yeah, that makes two of us,” sighed Bartok, stretching.
Derek nodded. “Empress Maria’s coming to 차 tomorrow evening, don’t forget.”
“And she’s bringing her new bodyguards,” Ferdinand remembered.
“Bodyguards?” Bartok said.
“After that attempted assassination of her last month, she’s not taking any chances,” Derek explained.
“It wasn’t really an attempted assassination in the end, though,” Ferdinand reminded him. “The gun wasn’t loaded.”
“Lucky,” Bartok commented as Pavlova purred and curled up in Belle’s arms.
That was when Anya came into the room. Being the favoured child, she always carried herself in a proud and regal manner. “Belle, there 당신 are,” she sighed, shaking her waterfall of chestnut-red curls. Her hair was naturally thick and wavy and now dressed in a single bow, ready for bed. She was constantly nagging at Belle for letting her own hair go, as she put it. “I thought you’d be in 침대 already.”
“Well, we don’t all spend our spare time drooling over handsome princes,” Derek said before Belle could respond. “Some of us might like to spend time in the 도서관, 라이브러리 once in a while.”
Anya flushed. “The library? Please! It’s so boring in there!”
Belle didn’t want an argument to break out, so she simply said goodnight to her brothers and carried Pavlova and Bartok away to her room. There had been a time when she had had to share with Anya, but not anymore. Now her room was her own and private. “We’re not likely to get disturbed in here,” she told Bartok, putting him down in front of her toy 고딕 castle.
“Cool pad,” Bartok commented, hopping up to one of the toy 성 towers and hanging upside down from it. “Hey!” he added, as Pavlova took a clumsy swat at him. “I thought we’d already established that I’m not edible!”
Belle grinned and picked up the kitten. “She’ll settle down soon,” she said, putting Pavlova in her 침대 and then Bartok made a point of covering his eyes whilst she changed for bed. It was nice to have someone new to talk to for a change, she reflected, someone she could unburden her problems on.
“So, that was Anya, huh?” Bartok asked, with his eyes still closed.
“Yes,” Belle sighed. “Oh, Bartok, I do 사랑 her, but I just wish I knew why our parents give her all the special attention.”
“Not to sound flippant, but have 당신 tried asking them?”
“Each time any of us try, they either tell us to shut up 또는 change the subject.”
“Hm,” Bartok mused. “Sounds like they’re hiding something from you.”
“I know,” Belle sighed, adjusting the 칼라 of her nightdress. “But families shouldn’t have secrets.”
“Well, I wish I could help,” said Bartok.
Belle hesitated. “Wait, Bartok. I think 당신 could!”
“Eh?”
“Well, you’re small and they don’t know about you.”
“What are 당신 thinking?”
Belle bit her lip. “Maybe 당신 could listen in on their conversations 또는 something?”
“You mean spy?”
She blushed. “Well, no, not exactly...well, yes, I suppose so.”
Bartok thought about it. “Ok. I could give it a go.”
“Really?”
“On one condition.”
“What condition?”
Bartok hesitated. “Could I possibly stay here for the foreseeable future? I get so fed up of being alone in the cold out there.”
Belle beamed. “Of course, Bartok! We’d be honoured to have you, wouldn’t we, Pavlova?”
The kitten was already asleep.
The 다음 morning, Belle woke up to blazing sunlight on her pillow. “Too early,” grunted Bartok, but he woke up even so.
“I thought bats were nocturnal,” Belle frowned.
Bartok shrugged. “I get bored of sleeping so much. So, what are 당신 going to do until the Empress comes?”
Belle shrugged. “Not get under anyone’s feet?” She stretched. “I might go out into the garden.”
“I’ll come with you. Gardens can only mean one thing?”
“Flowers?”
“Insects,” Bartok said, smacking his lips.
So it was that they found themselves out in the beautiful grounds of the mansion. Belle loved the garden. It was so peaceful, since no one but her ever ventured there on a typical day.
“That’s a strange flower,” Bartok pointed out, indicating one that hadn’t bloomed yet. Belle had to agree with him. It looked like a large red poppy, but it was curled up tight like a rosebud. At any rate, something about the colour and shape of it was unusual and she had often wondered what it was.
“It’s been there since last winter,” she replied. “I thought the frost might kill it but it’s persistent.”
“Hm,” Bartok mused. “We’d better keep an eye on that one. Who knows? It might be magical 또는 something.”
Belle smiled. “Well, I could certainly use some kind of wish right now.”
Bartok nuzzled up to her, comfortingly. “Or it could just be a very rare phenomenon, worth thousands,” he said, trying to change the subject.
Belle giggled. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Bartok. I wish 당신 could come to 차 tonight, but my parents will probably think you’re vermin. Sorry.”
“Ee,” Bartok shrugged, “that’s ok, sweetie. I’ll take a nap 또는 something.”
Belle did really want Bartok there, though. She felt nervous meeting the Empress again after so many years.
“It’ll be ok,” Derek told her, giving her a comforting hug.
“Will it? Last time I barely got to say two words to her before I got hustled away 의해 Papa; it was pretty embarrassing.”
“You’ll be fine,” he insisted. “She’s probably forgotten all about it 의해 now.”
Even so, as they made their way to the dining hall, Belle found herself wishing the evening would pass 의해 quickly so she could hurry back to her room again.
Before she could go through the door however, a voice said “Pardon me, ma’am, is this the dining hall?”
Thinking at first it was Ferdinand playing some kind of joke, Belle couldn’t help but respond with sarcasm. “No, it’s the Natural History Museum.”
“Sorry?”
Belle sighed and looked up. At once she realised her mistake. It wasn’t Ferdinand, but a man dressed in golden armour. She felt the colour rush to her cheeks at once. “Oh, no, I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I thought 당신 were my brother playing a trick.”
“Oh!” The man smiled, kindly. “I see. Very good.”
“It really wasn’t,” she said, feeling foolish.
“Well, I take it that is the dining room, then?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Good.” The man signalled to two men down the hall. “All clear; the Empress can come through.”
Belle realised. “You’re the Empress’s new bodyguards?”
“That’s right. The name’s Phoebus, ma’am.” He bowed and flashed her a charming smile.
“I’m Belle,” she stammered, dropping a curtsey.
Well, maybe this evening wouldn’t be a complete disaster after all.
“Sure, we’re both decent,” he grinned and Derek looked up with a smile as their little sister came into the room. Bartok leaned on her hand, looking around. “Now I could get used to this,” he muttered dreamily.
“What have 당신 got there?” asked Derek.
“A bat.” Belle held up Bartok.
“Yo!” exclaimed Bartok, waving.
Ferdinand jumped. “I didn’t know bats could talk.”
“Have 당신 ever been close enough to one to listen?” joked Bartok. “The name’s Bartok.”
“Well, then, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Bartok,” smiled Derek. “I’m Derek and that’s Ferdinand.”
Pavlova purred and began to rub up to Belle’s ankles. “Looks like someone’s getting jealous,” smiled Ferdinand.
“No, she’s just tired.” Belle picked up her kitten.
“Yeah, that makes two of us,” sighed Bartok, stretching.
Derek nodded. “Empress Maria’s coming to 차 tomorrow evening, don’t forget.”
“And she’s bringing her new bodyguards,” Ferdinand remembered.
“Bodyguards?” Bartok said.
“After that attempted assassination of her last month, she’s not taking any chances,” Derek explained.
“It wasn’t really an attempted assassination in the end, though,” Ferdinand reminded him. “The gun wasn’t loaded.”
“Lucky,” Bartok commented as Pavlova purred and curled up in Belle’s arms.
That was when Anya came into the room. Being the favoured child, she always carried herself in a proud and regal manner. “Belle, there 당신 are,” she sighed, shaking her waterfall of chestnut-red curls. Her hair was naturally thick and wavy and now dressed in a single bow, ready for bed. She was constantly nagging at Belle for letting her own hair go, as she put it. “I thought you’d be in 침대 already.”
“Well, we don’t all spend our spare time drooling over handsome princes,” Derek said before Belle could respond. “Some of us might like to spend time in the 도서관, 라이브러리 once in a while.”
Anya flushed. “The library? Please! It’s so boring in there!”
Belle didn’t want an argument to break out, so she simply said goodnight to her brothers and carried Pavlova and Bartok away to her room. There had been a time when she had had to share with Anya, but not anymore. Now her room was her own and private. “We’re not likely to get disturbed in here,” she told Bartok, putting him down in front of her toy 고딕 castle.
“Cool pad,” Bartok commented, hopping up to one of the toy 성 towers and hanging upside down from it. “Hey!” he added, as Pavlova took a clumsy swat at him. “I thought we’d already established that I’m not edible!”
Belle grinned and picked up the kitten. “She’ll settle down soon,” she said, putting Pavlova in her 침대 and then Bartok made a point of covering his eyes whilst she changed for bed. It was nice to have someone new to talk to for a change, she reflected, someone she could unburden her problems on.
“So, that was Anya, huh?” Bartok asked, with his eyes still closed.
“Yes,” Belle sighed. “Oh, Bartok, I do 사랑 her, but I just wish I knew why our parents give her all the special attention.”
“Not to sound flippant, but have 당신 tried asking them?”
“Each time any of us try, they either tell us to shut up 또는 change the subject.”
“Hm,” Bartok mused. “Sounds like they’re hiding something from you.”
“I know,” Belle sighed, adjusting the 칼라 of her nightdress. “But families shouldn’t have secrets.”
“Well, I wish I could help,” said Bartok.
Belle hesitated. “Wait, Bartok. I think 당신 could!”
“Eh?”
“Well, you’re small and they don’t know about you.”
“What are 당신 thinking?”
Belle bit her lip. “Maybe 당신 could listen in on their conversations 또는 something?”
“You mean spy?”
She blushed. “Well, no, not exactly...well, yes, I suppose so.”
Bartok thought about it. “Ok. I could give it a go.”
“Really?”
“On one condition.”
“What condition?”
Bartok hesitated. “Could I possibly stay here for the foreseeable future? I get so fed up of being alone in the cold out there.”
Belle beamed. “Of course, Bartok! We’d be honoured to have you, wouldn’t we, Pavlova?”
The kitten was already asleep.
The 다음 morning, Belle woke up to blazing sunlight on her pillow. “Too early,” grunted Bartok, but he woke up even so.
“I thought bats were nocturnal,” Belle frowned.
Bartok shrugged. “I get bored of sleeping so much. So, what are 당신 going to do until the Empress comes?”
Belle shrugged. “Not get under anyone’s feet?” She stretched. “I might go out into the garden.”
“I’ll come with you. Gardens can only mean one thing?”
“Flowers?”
“Insects,” Bartok said, smacking his lips.
So it was that they found themselves out in the beautiful grounds of the mansion. Belle loved the garden. It was so peaceful, since no one but her ever ventured there on a typical day.
“That’s a strange flower,” Bartok pointed out, indicating one that hadn’t bloomed yet. Belle had to agree with him. It looked like a large red poppy, but it was curled up tight like a rosebud. At any rate, something about the colour and shape of it was unusual and she had often wondered what it was.
“It’s been there since last winter,” she replied. “I thought the frost might kill it but it’s persistent.”
“Hm,” Bartok mused. “We’d better keep an eye on that one. Who knows? It might be magical 또는 something.”
Belle smiled. “Well, I could certainly use some kind of wish right now.”
Bartok nuzzled up to her, comfortingly. “Or it could just be a very rare phenomenon, worth thousands,” he said, trying to change the subject.
Belle giggled. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Bartok. I wish 당신 could come to 차 tonight, but my parents will probably think you’re vermin. Sorry.”
“Ee,” Bartok shrugged, “that’s ok, sweetie. I’ll take a nap 또는 something.”
Belle did really want Bartok there, though. She felt nervous meeting the Empress again after so many years.
“It’ll be ok,” Derek told her, giving her a comforting hug.
“Will it? Last time I barely got to say two words to her before I got hustled away 의해 Papa; it was pretty embarrassing.”
“You’ll be fine,” he insisted. “She’s probably forgotten all about it 의해 now.”
Even so, as they made their way to the dining hall, Belle found herself wishing the evening would pass 의해 quickly so she could hurry back to her room again.
Before she could go through the door however, a voice said “Pardon me, ma’am, is this the dining hall?”
Thinking at first it was Ferdinand playing some kind of joke, Belle couldn’t help but respond with sarcasm. “No, it’s the Natural History Museum.”
“Sorry?”
Belle sighed and looked up. At once she realised her mistake. It wasn’t Ferdinand, but a man dressed in golden armour. She felt the colour rush to her cheeks at once. “Oh, no, I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I thought 당신 were my brother playing a trick.”
“Oh!” The man smiled, kindly. “I see. Very good.”
“It really wasn’t,” she said, feeling foolish.
“Well, I take it that is the dining room, then?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Good.” The man signalled to two men down the hall. “All clear; the Empress can come through.”
Belle realised. “You’re the Empress’s new bodyguards?”
“That’s right. The name’s Phoebus, ma’am.” He bowed and flashed her a charming smile.
“I’m Belle,” she stammered, dropping a curtsey.
Well, maybe this evening wouldn’t be a complete disaster after all.