Belle woke up just in time for dinner, and she had another hearty meal with her husband in the dining hall. While they talked about various topics, they carefully avoided the serious ones—anything related to Nightbrook, the king, or even that dreadful hunt that still sent a shudder through her whenever she remembered it.
It was a memory she didn't want to touch. Every time it surfaced, she was overcome with a sense of helplessness, as though she had been more cowardly than she truly was. It always left her wishing she had done things differently and had at least tried to save a friend, who had risked her own life for her. And so, to avoid stirring that feeling at all costs, she refrained from speaking about it with him and stayed on the safe side of simple, lighter topics.
