Aiden

I found myself walking back through the garden, the same rose garden that Belle often sat reading a book. The same garden she'd often disappeared to when she spent her first few days here. It was exhausting having to find her everyday, the first few robbing me of so much energy, I'd sworn it wasn't worth it after thinking she might've run away. The thought of her escaping constantly plagued my mind and that made me ever hesitant to leave. I'd feared returning and finding her gone. I wasn't fearful because I was attached, no that formed much later, too late actually.

I'd thought of Belle as a capture, a prisoner to be held here. A sacrifice of her people for the greater good. For them at least. I knew she didn't want to live here, she wanted to be with her family; her own kind and I knew despite my attempts, her contempt for me would only grow. It did nothing then in the past few days or weeks to follow, to change my mind. I spent no time with her, residing myself to my study or room,