
“Some said they were leaving, going back to the Fair Lands or wherever they came from,” Mrs. “Or a plague,” the dustmaid put in icily. Whenever there was a drought, or a crop failure, or livestock weren’t breeding…” Many people already believed les charmantes were the cause of all the trouble in the kingdom. There was an incident involving the death of a normal boy at the hands of one of les charmantes. Right before the curse was one of those periods. But…there have been periods…when people were on…worse behavior than usual, let us say. “There’s always been tension in the principality, as I said,” Cogsworth put in primly. “For obvious reasons!” the dustmaid said with a snort, indicating everyone in the room. “Besides…our king and queen…not everyone…liked les charmantes,” Mrs. But if we’re going to try at all, you need to tell me!” “I think it might have to do with my mother’s leaving us, or disappearing….I really think she’s trying to tell me something. “Look, I think it might have something to do with breaking the curse,” Belle said, pleading. The objects became still, only Lumière’s flames flickering and Cogsworth’s dial ticking. “So what happened to them?” Belle pressed.

“It was a terrible, deadly disease, plain and simple,” Cogsworth added firmly. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, child.” The records tend to indicate that it wasn’t the fever…” “All right…But you said there were almost no charmantes left by the end. Research, ask, investigate, she told herself. “It’s for the best.”īelle reluctantly sat back down. “Wait until tomorrow morning, dear,” Mrs. “If he is in one of his…fits…it would just be best to leave him alone until he calms down.” “Don’t bother,” Lumière said gently, grasping at her sleeve. I need to go find him and apologize…” She started to get up. And there I was, just chattering along about what terrible people they were for not helping…I am an idiot. That’s why he was so upset and rushed out. “Oh, oh my God…” Belle rubbed her face with her hands, feeling panicky and nauseated. “Yes, it took both of them, poor things,” Mrs.


Didn’t matter if you were a peasant or a king or a queen.” “Less than half the kingdom was left when it was over,” Cogsworth added bleakly. And just wasting away with terrible, shallow breathing.” “I was in bed for a month, do you remember? And I was one of the lucky ones! A fever so high you’d like as to burn your thumb feeling a patient’s forehead. “Oh, they were all mostly gone by the third year of the fever,” the shaving strop added. “You used to hear his howls-some hated it, but I thought it were rather lovely. “I wonder what happened to him,” the old gardener said.
