"This is really good my love, Thank you." Zane said finishing off his food.
"I wanted to do something nice for you." She smiled.
"I'll take these to the kitchen and be up to read some more to you." He said.
Bella ran to bed and opened her book. It did not take long before he was there climbing into be.
"Where are we at?" He asked.
Bella told him what she read and pointed to where he could start.
"Is this another beauty and beast story?" he asked.
"Read and find out." She smiled.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ BEARSKIN cont.
It was a pity the man's face was covered with dirt and hair, else one would have seen how glad at heart these words made him.
Bearskin took a ring off his finger, broke it in two, and, giving the youngest daughter one half, he kept the other for himself.
On her half he wrote his name, and on his own he wrote hers, and begged her to preserve it carefully.
Thereupon he took leave, saying, "For three years longer I must wander about; if I come back again, then we will celebrate our wedding; but if I do not, you are free, for I shall be dead. But pray to God that he will preserve my life."
When he was gone the poor bride clothed herself in black, and whenever she thought of her bridegroom burst into tears.
From her sisters she received nothing but scorn and mocking. "Pay great attention when he shakes your hand," said the eldest, "and you will see his beautiful claws!"
"Take care!" said the second, "bears are fond of sweets, and if you please him he will eat you up, perhaps!"
"You must mind and do his will," continued the eldest, "or he will begin growling!"
And the second daughter said further, "But the wedding will certainly be merry, for bears dance well!"
The bride kept silence, and would not be drawn from her purpose by all these taunts; and meanwhile Bearskin wandered about in the world, doing good where he could, and giving liberally to the poor, for which they prayed heartily for him. At length the last day of the seven years approached, and Bearskin went and sat down again on the heath beneath the circle of trees.
In a very short time the wind whistled, and the Evil One presently stood before him and looked at him with a vexed face.
He threw the Soldier his old coat and demanded his gray one back.
"We have not got so far as that yet," replied Bearskin; "you must clean me first."
Then the Evil One had, whether he liked it or no, to fetch water, wash the old Soldier, comb his hair out, and cut his nails.
This done, he appeared again like a brave warrior, and indeed was much handsomer than before.
As soon as the Evil One had disappeared, Bearskin became quite light-hearted; and going into the nearest town he bought a fine velvet coat, and hired a carriage drawn by four white horses, in which he was driven to the house of his bride.
Nobody knew him; the father took him for some celebrated general, and led him into the room where his daughters were. He was compelled to sit down between the two eldest, and they offered him wine, and heaped his plate with the choicest morsels; for they thought they had never seen any one so handsome before. But the bride sat opposite to him dressed in black, neither opening her eyes nor speaking a word.
At length the Soldier asked the father if he would give him one of his daughters to wife, and immediately the two elder sisters arose, and ran to their chambers to dress themselves out in their most becoming clothes, for each thought she should be chosen.
Meanwhile the stranger, as soon as he found himself alone with his bride, pulled out the half of the ring and threw it into a cup of wine, which he handed across the table. She took it, and as soon as she had drunk it and seen the half ring lying at the bottom her heart beat rapidly, and she produced the other half, which she wore round her neck on a riband. She held them together, and they joined each other exactly, and the stranger said, "I am your bridegroom, whom you first saw as Bearskin; but through God's mercy I have regained my human form, and am myself once more."
With these words he embraced and kissed her; and at the same time the two eldest sisters entered in full costume. As soon as they saw that the very handsome man had fallen to the share of their youngest sister, and heard that he was the same as "Bearskin," they ran out of the house full of rage and jealousy.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇
This story was indeed another beauty and the beast and with a happy ending at that.
If he asked Bella to marry him now would she. She said yes the first time but then she lost that memory. If he asked, would it trigger her bad memories and make her run or would she agree once again to be his bride.
He had to move carefully because he never wanted to make his beauty run again.
He watched her as she slept close to him. He loved this time with her but hopefully she would let him become closer.
He pulled up his phone and did a search.
[Fairy tale proposal]
1. KEEP THE ENTIRE PROPOSAL PLAN QUIET.
2. FIND A PLANNER WHO WILL BE YOUR "PARTNER IN CRIME."
3. CHOOSE A FAIRYTALE LOCATION TO POP THE QUESTION.
4. CONSIDER THE GIRL'S TASTE, AND RUN WITH IT.
5. DON'T SPEND ALL OF YOUR MONEY ON THE RING.
6. CHOOSE WORDS THAT HAVE INTIMATE MEANING TO BOTH OF YOU, AND DON'T RUSH THEM.
7. DON'T PROPOSE ON VALENTINE'S DAY.
8. DON'T STRESS-EAT BEFOREHAND.
9. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE TIMING — IT'S EVERYTHING.
10. PRINCE CHARMING BEST GET DOWN ON ONE KNEE. IT'S THE ONLY WAY.