Blowing Off Some Steam -- Hollow Bastion, Belle and Beast's room [COMPLETE]

[livre_du_coeur]

When Belle got back to her room she finally allowed herself to show the emotion that had built up during her conversation with Sora. She wasn't truly angry, more annoyed, really. His whole attitude had rubbed her the wrong way. And those comments about the Council, treating her as if she was just trying to keep him under their thumb. Maybe she

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[twisted_face]

Beast dropped his thoughts at the sound of Belle's return and exited the bedroom. He had a slightly annoyed lecture about her safety and her health prepared until he saw her collapse into one of the chairs, her face more irritated than he had seen in a long time. He swallowed his own minor grumpiness in exchange for concern.

"What happened?" his voice came softer than he felt. He strode over to a chair opposite his wife, and took a seat. Who was she talking about? Sora?

[livre_du_coeur]

Belle sat up a bit but folded her arms in front of her. If Adam was going to let her vent, she might was well take advantage. "I should start at the beginning. We've had a rather busy morning."

Belle paused to take a breath, then began her explanation. "We've discovered a seventh Princess. She's here now. It turns out she's also an old friend of Sora's, and he's been hiding her. We kinda let him have it for not telling us, and I could tell he was really upset. But when I tried to talk to him after, just as a friend, he threw it in my face."

Belle stopped again to breathe. She wasn't even sure why it annoyed her so much. She was certain he hadn't meant it personally. He wasn't like that. He'd just gotten out of being dressed down by all six of them at once, it was only natural he'd be upset, and not necessarily in the mood to talk to any one of them. She should just let it go.

[twisted_face]

"A seventh Princess? Who--?" Adam stopped short, the episode inside Hollow Bastion all those years ago, when he had first met Sora, came back from his memories. He had been there. He had witnessed the fight between Riku and Sora, and the aftermath, when Sora had stabbed himself to free the Princesses and the girl he had come to rescue. What was her name....? Hadn't she been a Princess? At the time Adam's focus had been on his own captured Princess, so he had only caught snippets of the interactions.

His eyes narrowed a little as he tried to remember, "K-Kara?"

[livre_du_coeur]

Belle's eyes widened as her husband stammered out something close to the correct name.

"It's Kairi," she said flatly. It was one thing for Sora to have concealed his knowledge of her. His reasons at least made a sort of sense. But for Adam to have been aware of her too? The Council would hit the roof if they found out. "How did you know?"

[twisted_face]

It was Adam's turn to cross his arms in front of himself. "Don't place the blame on me. Sora's the one who took her away." Apparently the kid had hid her afterwards. Not that Adam could really blame Sora; if Adam had the choice, Belle wouldn't be in this Council at all.

"And how can you be so mad with him." He gestured hotly towards her, "You know I would do the same with you if I had the option."

[livre_du_coeur]

That was a step too far. She didn't mind his concern, enjoyed it in fact, but to imply he could tell her what she could and couldn't do? She nearly jumped out of the chair.

"And what gives either of you the right to make that decision for us? We all have to take our own risks. Keeping someone safe doesn't mean locking them in a cage. You of all people should know that! You already had to let me go once in order to keep me. Remember when Papa was sick? If Kairi doesn't want to be involved, then she doesn't have to be. But it's her choice, and mine!"

[twisted_face]

Beast stood, beginning to get angry. "I never kept you away from the Council. I've done nothing but tolerate you going back and forth between the castle and here," he said through gritted teeth. If he didn't growl out the words like that, he would end up yelling.

Taking offense at the reference to how he had treated her early on, he added, "And don't you dare throw the past in my face like that!"

[livre_du_coeur]

Belle glared back at him, hands on hips. "Oh, you've tolerated it, that's big of you. I wasn't the one who decided you had to come with me every time." Could she say something without provoking him? "And I wasn't trying to throw anything in your face, I was just making a point. You trusted me to do what I needed to then. Has that suddenly changed?"