Flashback 
5 years ago
somewhere in france
Belle was engrossed in the pages of a captivating book, whilst her sister Josephine paced restlessly within the chamber. “What if no callers grace our threshold? What if not a soul arrives, dear Belle?” Josephine’s words bore nervousness as her gown swished with each nervous step.
Unfazed by the fretful pacing, Belle continued to peruse her book, occasionally sipping from her cup of peppermint infusion. Placing the cup with a delicate clink! upon the table, her reading was abruptly interrupted by Josephine, as Josephine snatched the book from her grasp. “I was reading that,” Belle’s protest sounded as she swiftly retrieved her possession, sitting up with an annoyed look.
“Could you pause the reason, if only for a moment? I need counsel, dear sister.” The reasons behind Josephine’s persistent concerns remained a mystery to Belle. Her sister’s constant fretting seemed very misplaced- for if she should worry, it should be about the fact she will get many callers. After all, she was Duke Gabriel’s eldest daughter, the notion that suitors would abstain from her company was nothing short of comical.
“If you want counsel, go to mother, she can tell you all that is needed to be known,” Belle said, rolling her eyes, “There’s nothing I know that I can tell you.” Her gaze returned to the pages of her book. Josephine settled beside her, giving Belle an annoyed look.
“You may not have enjoyed my worry,Belle,”
“What ever is there to enjoy? Not being able to focus because of your constant pacing around?”
“But one day, you too shall need to care about all of this and then you will be in my position.” Belle laughed at that, giving her sister an incredulous look.
“Me? in your position?” Belle laughed, her hand on her mouth, seeing that Josephine was not laughing along, Belle seized her laughing eyeing Josephine. “Oh, you’re serious. You need to stop being so imaginative, people might think you mad or as a witch.”
“The witch trials have already seen their end Belle, and how can I be the mad one when you exist?” Josephine put her hand on Belle’s knees, “One day you too shall need to find love. Perhaps if we are all lucky it would be as pure and beautiful as dear Mama and Papa.”
“Maybe in another universe.”
“One day, you will look back to all this and laugh.”
“And when I do that Josephine, you have the right to strike my face.” Josephine gave her a look before sighing. There was no use arguing with Belle- she was just so Belle, and could not understand there was more to life than books, embroidery and all the other hobbies Belle has- sure all those were fun but did Belle not want to find love?
“I just wish my own sister would be so considerate of my feelings, You know how long i’ve been waiting to get married.” Something Belle would never understand, what was so good in marriage- a marriage where the bride will have to give up her dreams and aspirations to fulfill her husband’s dreams and aspirations, that Josephine wanted. Sure, her parents were not like that, and Belle honestly felt more sorry for her father than her mother, because as much as Belle loved her mother, her mother was so her, but her parents were an odd exception. “And what if I would have to wait even longer?” Belle ignored her flipping pages through her book, “Belle come on, please.”
Belle sighs sitting up front. “Josephine, you will get callers. You are too beautiful, the daughter of Duke Gabriel and Duchess Margot. Our family is praised throughout France, thousands wish for you as a daughter because of your personality, do you truly think you will have no callers?”
Josephine paused, and was about to say something when a maid interrupted them to tell them that a lot of callers had come. Josephine stood up excitedly as Belle went up to call their parents and brothers. Belle was going to spend a very long day in her bedroom it seems.