My Eric/Belle fic

[fathomsbelow]

I got an idea for writing a fanfiction about an Eric/Belle romance from the Eric thread at LittleAriel.com forums. I'm sorry it doesn't have a clever title..I hope to come up with it when the entire thing is completed, since this is still a work in progress. I have to thank the amazing Frida for looking over the first couple chapters.

Chapter 1
Eric yawned as Grimsby attempted to educate him in the basics of the French language.

"You see Eric, bonjour means good day. You will address the princess with--Eric? Eric are you listening to me?"

Eric took his hand off of his cheek, as he was busy daydreaming about the sea again. "Sorry Grim. You were saying?"

Grimsby scowled. "Eric, how many times have I told you? Your father christened me to be your guardian, and see that you'd be-"

"Happily married and ready to take the throne by age nineteen." Eric finished. The speech was nothing new to him. "I know, Grim, but these things can’t be rushed." Eric protested, visibly exasperated. “You can’t expect me to marry the princess without knowing a thing about her. It’s like you expect me to propose the moment I set eyes on her.”

Grimsby began to voice a retort, but a call from the coach driver interrupted him.

"The horses are tired, Sir Grimsby, and they'll need food and rest before moving on."

Grimsby turned to Eric. "We'll discuss this later." He exited the stopped carriage.

Eric sighed and looked out the window. France wasn't at all like his native Italy, and to be honest, he was homesick. Eric opened the door of the carriage and stepped out. They seemed to be in some sort of village. Curious, Eric began to stroll through the town.

"Eric, where are you going?" Grimsby inquired, seeing the younger man walk away.

"I'd like to stretch my legs.." Eric replied.

"Oh, well don't be too long." Grimsby replied, and resumed speaking with the driver.

Eric continued to advance toward the village. The people began to glance at him, surprised at the newcomer. However, Eric thought nothing of it, as he made his way through the town.

[WickedElphie]

Not a whole lot here yet, but what you have looks good. Grim and Eric's dynamic is very natural, and I like how Eric is both homesick and curious about the new place he's found himself in. Looking forward to seeing more.

[Coral]

Very nice start! You do have a good handle on Grim and Eric's relationship and it's nice to see that written about more. It's overlooked far too often.

Looking forward to more!

[fridamoonbeam]

Yes, I love the Eric and Grim relationship and you write it really well.

It may be a small chapter, but it's cute that Eric is so not expecting anything special... but he'll be wrong we know

[fathomsbelow]

Thanks everyone. Sorry about the wait, school has been hectic, but this chapter is a bit longer.

Chapter 2
“Belle, it’s about time you got your head out of those books and start paying attention to more important things.” boomed Gaston. The handsome yet brawny and egotistical hunter annoyed Belle. He was always following her around and trying to win her over with his charms. That worked on the three flirtatious young girls Belle had nicknamed the Bimbettes, but not on her. The Bimbettes were followers of Gaston–an 18th century “fan club”. Lefou, a smaller man with a rather large nose, was also a fan of Gaston. He was his idol, and he dreamed of being as great as him someday. These four weren’t the only ones who loved Gaston–the whole town did. Belle was really the only one sensible enough to see he wasn’t as great as he ( or anyone else ) thought he was.

“Like you?” Belle asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Exactly!” Gaston replied enthusiastically. “The whole town’s talking about it. It’s not right for a woman to read, soon she gets ideas, and thinking. Ugh!” He flinched at the idea, and tossed the book he had grabbed from Belle into the mud.

Belle reached down for the book, but her hand brushed another hand before she could retrieve it. Alarmed, Belle looked up to see the owner of the hand. He had dark hair, like Gaston’s, but shorter and messier. He was fairly muscular, and Belle couldn’t help admitting that he was very handsome. And like Gaston, he had blue eyes. Except these eyes were kinder and gentler. The man was dressed in a white shirt with billowy sleeves, and navy blue pants held up with a red belt. He smiled at Belle, wiped the mud off the book with his sleeve, and handed it to her. They both stood up.

“Thank you.” Belle told the man graciously with a smile.

“Oh, it was my pleasure, miss.” Eric responded. “I couldn’t have you reading a dirty book. I mean–“ His cheeks reddened at his mistake. For some reason, he found himself nervous around girls who weren’t trying to flirt with him.

Belle laughed. “I’m Belle. I haven’t seen you around here.” She wondered who this man was. The town rarely got newcomers–she and her father had been the most recent.

“I’m Eric.” He introduced himself, grinning again. “Belle..what a wonderful name.” Wonderful? Where did that come from?

“Thank you.” Belle smiled again.

“Belle? Belle are you listening–oh.” Gaston glanced at Eric with disdain. “Who’s that?”

Belle shot a glare at Gaston. “Gaston, could you possibly be any more impolite? This is Eric. I believe he’s new here. Right?” She looked back at Eric for confirmation.

“Actually, I’m just visiting. I was on my way to see a friend..we–myself and the people I am traveling with–decided to stop here for supplies.” He explained. “It’s a very charming town so far..the architecture, the food smells delicious..” Eric trailed off. “It’s my first trip to France.” He added.

Gaston and Lefou exchanged looks. He’s just as odd as Belle, They both thought. The former was rather jealous of Eric. Belle seemed to be focusing all of her attention on him. Gaston cleared his throat and stepped between the two. “I am the mighty Gaston. I’m a superb hunter–perhaps you’ve heard of me?” He asked, training his eyes on Eric.

“Yeah, Gaston’s the greatest hunter in the whole world!” exclaimed Lefou.

“Oh. This is Lefou.” Gaston added, rolling his eyes at the smaller man. “So, where did you say you were from?”

Eric raised an eyebrow at the cocky hunter, and looked at Belle, who rolled her eyes. “Well, uh, it’s nice to meet you, Gaston. I’m from Italy.” He didn’t want to tell them he was a prince–at least not Gaston. Belle seemed nice enough, though. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready to reveal his identity–after all, they had only just met. Still, he couldn’t help noticing her evident beauty. He tried not to stare.

“Italy!” Belle exclaimed, surprised. “Have you seen the sea?” She inquired curiously. Belle and her father, Maurice, had moved a lot before they had finally settled in the village, so she had seen the sea once. It was beautiful. She enjoyed reading about it, but seeing it was entirely different experience.

“Yes, I have.” Eric replied excitedly, his eyes lighting up. “It’s beautiful! The wind blowing in your face, the salty sea air, the waves..” He sighed. “I live on a beach, and I love sailing. I’d love to just get away and see the world..I sound dumb, don’t I?” Eric stopped, feeling embarrassed.

Gaston snickered and Lefou began to nod. Belle ignored the two and answered, “No, not at all. I’ve seen the sea myself, and feel exactly the same way. I’d also like to go on some adventures..oh, I forgot! I’m so sorry, I have to go home and help my father!” Belle exclaimed.

“Haha! That crazy old loon needs all the help he can get.” Lefou commented, laughing uncontrollably.

Eric looked at Lefou disapprovingly, and was about to say something when Belle exclaimed, “Don’t talk about my father that way!”

“Yeah, don’t talk about her father that way!” agreed Gaston, striking Lefou.

“My father’s not crazy–he’s a genius!” Belle insisted. Just then, a cloud of smoke billowed out from a nearby house.

“Oh, no, it’s my father!” Belle exclaimed worriedly.

“Then let’s go.” Eric replied. They both ran off toward the building as Gaston and Lefou chuckled.

“What’s a genius?” questioned Lefou with a confused look on his face.

Gaston struck the little man again and glared at Eric’s back. “I don’t like him. Lefou!” He grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to his feet. “I want you to keep an extra close eye on Erin.”

“You mean Eric?” Lefou corrected. He ducked as Gaston swung at his face.

“Keep an eye on Eric, and make sure that he doesn’t do anything to steal Belle from me. Understand? Now go!” He kicked the younger man towards the house, not waiting for an answer. He sullenly stalked off toward the tavern.

[Coral]

I like how you're mixing in scenes from the movie!

[fridamoonbeam]

Hehe! Such cute interaction. I love how you don't make Belle completely oblivious to Eric's appearance. True, looks are not the most important thing to her, but the girl's not blind.

[WickedElphie]

So sweet. Poor flustered Eric. I like how Belle's sort of silently taking stock of him.

[fathomsbelow]

Thanks everyone.
Chapter 3
Eric coughed as they entered the house, which was filled with smoke.

"Papa, are you alright?" asked Belle worriedly.

"Doggone it!" Belle's father exclaimed, frustrated.

"Papa, this is Eric." Belle introduced her new friend, smiling a bit at her father's reaction.

"Oh! Well, hello there. I'm Belle's father, Maurice."

"Bonjour, monsieur. It's nice to meet you." Eric replied politely, smiling as he had remembered Grim's lesson.

"Papa is an inventor. He loves making things." Belle explained.

"Oh.." Eric marveled at the machine in front of him. "Er, what exactly does it do?" He asked, scratching his head.

"Well, it's supposed to automatically chop wood, but it just went 'ker-plunk'." Maurice said sadly. "The fair was delayed because the road is blocked, so I'll have plenty of time to work on it."

"The road is blocked?" Belle and Eric asked at the same time, the latter with a look of shock on his face.

"Yes, by snow. We always get blizzards this time of year. See?" Maurice explained, jerking a finger at the window.

Eric glanced at the window and stifled a gasp. When he had arrived, the skies had been clear and it was a relatively cool fall morning. But now, the ground was white with snow, and the snow was still falling.

"You're welcome to stay with us for the night." Maurice told Eric.

"Oh, thank you, but I really must get back to my guardian and my driver." explained Eric.

"They're welcome as well." Maurice smiled kindly at Eric. "The more the merrier."

Eric grinned. "Thank you, sir. If you'll excuse me, I'll go tell them." He began to leave. "Good afternoon, miss." He told Belle with a smile as he left.

Maurice grinned at Belle.

"What?" She asked her father, tearing her mind away from Eric.

"Quite a handsome fellow, isn't he? And well-mannered."

"Yes, he is." Belle replied distantly. "Papa, I know what you're thinking. I just met him!" She added when she saw Maurice's sly look. But she knew he was right. Eric was very good-looking, and unlike Gaston, a gentleman.

"All right." The elderly man chuckled, holding up his hands in defense. He knew quite well that the other villagers gossiped about Belle, and she was always the odd one out. But Maurice was optimistic--he knew one day she'd find her special someone, just as he'd found his. His wife Anne had died when Belle was younger. He knew that he couldn't be around forever, and though Belle was fully independent, he wanted to make sure she was taken care of.

As if she could sense her father's thoughts, Belle softened and said, "When the time is right, I'm sure I'll find him."

"That's all I ask." responded Maurice as he embraced his daughter.

[Coral]

Love the interaction between Belle and Maurice! They've always been one of my favorite Disney father/daughter relationships.

[fridamoonbeam]

Aww, LOVE the daddy daughter relationship! Such a nice father.

I'm curious if Eric is going to have a little run in with a certain hunter. Hmm? LOL

[WickedElphie]

I have to go with the majority yet again. I loved the interaction between Belle and Maurice.

Eric's confusion as to what the invention was for was cute too.

[fathomsbelow]

Thanks. I wanted to include some scenes with just the two of them because they're my second favorite Daddy/daughter duo

And Gaston's not in this chapter, but he'll definitely be in the next one.


Chapter 4
“So, how long do you think it’ll take for the road to be cleared?” Eric asked his driver. He had returned to see Grimsby and the driver sitting in the carriage, wrapped up in their coats.

“I’d wager about five days..a week at the most.”

“A week?!” Grimsby exclaimed incredulously.

Secretly, the Prince was happy. He hadn’t really wanted to meet the princess of France. And he did want to get to know Belle. He cleared his throat. “Well, the town inventor has offered to let us stay for the night.”

“Eric, you’re a prince! Shouldn’t-“ Grimsby began to protest.

“It’s either that or the tavern.” Eric replied, jerking a thumb at the building. A drunk was thrown out of the door at that very second.

“Right, then. Eric, where is this inventor’s house?” Grimsby asked, suddenly warming up to the idea.
Eric led the two men to Maurice’s humble abode. He knocked twice and smiled when Belle answered the door.

“Hello, Eric.” Belle greeted him with a smile. “Good evening, messieurs.” She addressed Grimsby and the driver. “Please, come in.”

“This is my caretaker, Edward Grimsby. And this is my coach driver Anthony.” Eric introduced the two men.

“It was very kind of you to allow us to stay, madamoiselle.” Grimsby replied.

“It’s our pleasure, monsieur. This is my father, Maurice.” She gestured towards her father, who had joined the group.

After they had exchanged pleasantries, Belle and Maurice excused themselves to prepare dinner.

Eric was aware that Grimsby was eyeing him, something he only did when he wanted Eric’s attention. “What is it?” He finally asked the older man.

“You didn’t tell them you’re a prince, did you?”

“No, of course not! I don’t think it would be very wise anyway..I mean, I trust them, but if someone overheard..” His mind flashed to Gaston. “..I couldn’t let that happen.” He could be kidnapped and held for ransom. If he told everyone he was Prince Eric Marinelli of Italy..who knew what terrible things might happen? “Besides, I don’t want anyone treating me differently solely because of my status.” Eric added.

“Well, then, that’s sage of you. But do try to remember who you are, Eric. Can you imagine what people would say if they saw you with a peasant girl?” asked Grimsby.

Eric blushed. “Look, Grim, I just met her, okay? And even so, if I’m in love with someone, I honestly could care less if she was a princess by birth or not.”

“But, Eric-“

“If I’m not at liberty to choose my wife then I don’t see the point of marrying..” He interrupted.

“I know that, but..I just think you should seriously consider the fact that the woman you marry will be the Queen of Italy. As a queen, she’d have to be-“

“An inspiration to both the people and myself. A good ruler who is ready and willing to serve her country. I know, Grim.” Eric sighed. “But I just wish you’d trust my judgement.

“I do. I just want what’s best for you. I’m on your side, you know.” Grimsby replied.

“I know, Grim. Thanks.” Eric said with a small smile.

Little did the two men know, a certain peasant girl had overheard their entire conversation.

[Coral]

Ooh, the plot thickens!

Love the interaction between Eric and Grim.

[fathomsbelow]

I decided to post some more of the story, since I was looking over my writing notebook last night. Just noticed that Belle met "Prince Charming" in the beginning and didn't figure out that he was a prince until Chapter 3...yeah that was a lame reference to the movie XD. On with the show!

Chapter 4

The next morning, Belle went to town alone to return her book. She couldn't bring herself to finish it, for it was a romance novel, which only reminded her of Eric. Besides, she couldn't concentrate. All she could think about was what Grimbsy had said. Eric was a prince! But the thing that hurt Belle was what the old man had said about her.

Can you imagine what people would say if they saw you with a peasant girl?

Was that all she was to Eric? A peasant girl? And to think...she had actually liked him. She thought that he was sweet and sincere. Perhaps in time, they could have become great friends, maybe even more--but she mentally chided herself for daring to think such thoughts. He probably saw her as some poor, provincial girl. Belle was still meditating over all of this when she entered the bookshop.

"Ah, Belle! Finished already?" the elderly owner asked.

"No...I suppose I just lost interest in it. Here you go, monsieur. And thank you." A ghost of a smile graced Belle's face as she turned to go.

"Now wait just one moment!" the bookshop owned called. "You've never returned a book before finishing. I've known you long enough to tell when you're upset. Is something the matter? Would you like to talk about it over some tea?"

Belle turned around to face the store owner. He was right. He was her only friend and almost like a second father to her. And he was the only one in town who didn't think that she and her father were crazy. Except for..no, he was just being polite. He's a prince. And this isn't one of my fairy tales.. "Yes, monsieur. I'd like that."

*********************************

Gaston strutted down the main street of the town ( which was a simple dirt road ), showing off both his biceps and his latest kill, a handsome buck. Where was Belle whenever he did something impressive? That girl's probably at the bookshop, no doubt, the pompous hunter thought with disdain. He changed direction and headed over to the section of town that the store was in.

***********************************

"A prince, you say? Well!" the kindly owner exclaimed.

"Yes, but please don't tell anyone! He may not be as nice as I thought, but well..."

"You care for him, don't you?" The elderly man could see it in Belle's eyes. She reminded him of his young daughter Marie. She had fallen in love and married, but had died giving birth to her first child. Soon after, the baby died as well.

Belle blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Oui, cherie." the owner replied with a chuckle.

"What should I do, monsieur?"

"Well, I can't tell you, since it is your heart. All I can say is, you are a fine young woman...princess or not, and you have a good heart. If the Prince can't see that, maybe he just isn't the one. It's his loss, not yours."

Belle listened to her friend's advice carefully. "Thank you, monsieur. She hugged him gratefully before exiting the bookstore. "Au revoir!"

************************************

Gaston retreated into the shadows when Belle walked out the door of the book shop. A prince? That little weasel is a prince? Gaston thought, shocked. And Belle was in love with him! No, no, she's just playing hard to get. I'm much more beautiful, he assured himself. Nevetheless, 'princey-poo' had to be taken care of. Gaston marched off to the tavern, a plan already forming in his mind.

[faya27]

Oh no! Gaston is going to hurt Eric!! Run Eric run!!

Please update!

[WickedElphie]

Oooh! So happy to see more of this! I really like Belle's reaction. It feels very genuine and in-character.

[fridamoonbeam]

Aww, I love how you created conflict in this. Kudos since that's one of the things I always pegged as would be missing in an Eric/Belle pairing. But you did well bringing it in. Its not over-dramatic, nor is it a small deal. And the scene with Belle and the Bookstore owner was darling.

OOh, Gaston is up to no good. He'd have to be extra sneaky since trying to get rid of a prince as competition could end VERY badly for him.....

[Coral]

My apologies for being SO late in reading this!

You've got a great handle on Belle. She's wonderful!