Belle Quotes

“If the Beast gave me a library like he gave to Belle, I’d marry him too.”
― Aya Ling , The Ugly Stepsister

“The golden rays of the moon paid him absolute tribute. He was a buffet of muscles and corded strength.”
― Gena Showalter, Playing with Fire

“That's a poweful ability you've got there. Seriously, I was Contemplating killing Cody so we could be a couple.'
She snorted, but she never stopped smiling. 'We'd never make it romantically. You're too demanding in bed. "Harder, Rome. Now, Rome. Tie me up, Rome."'
'Bitch,' I muttered good-naturedley. It was nice to have my friend back. 'You know you wouldn't be able to get enough of me.'
'I like where this conversation is headed,' a male voice said from the doorway.
I looked past Sherridan and spotted Rome in the doorway.
'Hey, baby,' he said.
'Cat Man.' A more welcome sight I'd never beheld. My heart even picked up speed, my monitor announcing it for all the world to hear..
He stalked to me and unceremoniously shoved me aside on the bed where he plopped down and cuddled me close. 'Mad?'
As if. 'I'm grateful. I was walking toward Sherridan with every intention of making out with her, so you did me a favor. She would have fallen in love with me, and then where would we have been?'
'Now I'm mad at /myself/ for stopping you,' he grumbled, and we all laughed. Men!”
― Gena Showalter, Twice as Hot

“Your library makes our small corner of the world feel big...”
― Belle (Beauty & The Beast)

“Hey, I can cook."
"How do you know? You haven't eaten anything since before the Norman Conquest."
"I've never had any complaints."
"Given the infants you date, I'm not surprised. You could serve them sawdust and they'd eat it with a smile, dazzled by the swing of your broadsword."
"What do you know about the swing of my broadsword?"
"More than I care to. Women talk."
Which shut him up, as he started wondering who'd said what.”
― Angela Knight, Master of Shadows

“Maybe she's got a Facebook page, like every other kid in America. We could put something on her wall."
Her eyes lit up very briefly before she slumped. "No, she's far too paranoid for that."
"I was joking."
"Yes, but you know how kids are about Facebook."
"But she's hiding from an eight-foot-tall sociopathic werewolf wizard who can call down lightning bolts."
"We're also talking about Facebook."
Tristan contemplated her. "I think I need to feed you. Your blood sugar must be getting low.”
― Angela Knight, Master of Shadows

“If the rose is beautiful flower, it is also because it opens. (Si la rose est belle fleur, - C'est aussi parce qu'elle s'ouvre.)”
― Charles de Leusse

“You must not wait for others to save Aveyon. You need to trust your instincts and become the queen you're capable of being.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“I look at the sacrifice Belle made for her father and ask myself "Would I be able to do the same?”
― Bethel Grove, Redeeming the Beast: A Devotional Adventure through Beauty and the Beast

“Je vous connais depuis toujours. Tout le monde dit que vous étiez belle lorsque vous étiez jeune, je suis venu pour vous dire que pour moi je vous trouve plus belle maintenant que lorsque vous étiez jeune, j'aimais moins votre visage de jeune femme que celui que vous avez maintenant, dévasté.”
― Marguerite Duras, L'Amant

“Belle is planning to host a series of salons," said Lio, appearing out of nowhere to fill her silence. It had been his first promise to her, in those wild days right after they broke the curse, when they talked feverishly about their most cherished dreams and whispered their deepest fears to each other. Back then, Belle's only fear had been her own ignorance. She had told him of her wish to travel to Paris and attend a salon herself, perhaps one that counted some of her favorite philosophes and encyclopédistes among its members. He had said her dream was toon small and that she herself should host one.
The Mademoiselle de Vignerot smiled politely. "What will the subject be?"
"Oh, everything," said Belle. Her enthusiasm elicited laughter, but she was entirely serious.
The comte de Chamfort cleared his throat, his lips curling into a sneer. "That is very broad, madame. Surely you have a more specific interest? My parents used to attend the famous Bout-du-Banc literary salon in Paris, but that was a very long time ago."
Belle gave him her best patient smile. "I don't wish to be limited, monsieur. My salons will invite scientists, philosophers, inventors, novelists, really anyone in possession of a good idea."
The comte guffawed. "Why on earth would you do such a thing?"
"To learn from them, monsieur. I would have thought the reason obvious."
Marguerite snorted into her glass. Belle sipped her drink as Lio placed his hand on the small of her back. She didn't know if it was meant to calm her down or encourage her.
"Whatever for?" the comte asked with the menacing air of a man discovering he was the butt of a joke. "Everything that is worth learning is already taught."
"To whom?" Belle felt the heat rising in her cheeks. "Strictly the wealthy sons of wealthier fathers?" Some of Bastien's guests gasped, they themselves being the children of France's aristocracy, but Belle was heartened when she saw Marguerite smile encouragingly. "I believe that education is a right, monsieur, and one that has long been reserved exclusively for the most privileged among us. My salons will reflect the true reality."
"Which is what, madame?" Marguerite prompted eagerly.
Belle's heart rattled in her chest. "That scholarship is the province of any who would pursue it.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“It had all seemed so simple after they broke the curse, when everything felt like a fairy tale. Back then, Belle would have said that their love would be enough to weather them through any storm, and she still believed it. But she hadn't anticipated that the storms would grow and multiply, or that she would find herself adrift, unsure of what side of the battle line she should stand upon.
A part of her feared that by marrying a prince and living in a castle, she would become someone she didn't recognize, someone like those ignorant courtiers who had access to the best books and educations money could buy but used them to make their worlds smaller.
And then another part of her feared that by resisting the change, she would move further and further away from Lio, and she didn't want that either.
Her heart belonged to Lio, but what about the rest of her?
Where would she be if she hadn't met him, and if the embers of revolution were stoked all the way to Aveyon? Would she be fighting alongside the men and women she had seen in the gardens of the Palais-Royal?”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“She had been adamant that she would never be Princess Belle, eager to avoid the false trappings that came with a title so flimsy in a principality. But queen of a kingdom in its own right? That was no empty title.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“Of all the luxuries that came with her new life, Belle was certain she would never grow accustomed to the sheer vastness of knowledge available to her.
Her library.
She had plans to seek out a specific book, the one that had been gifted to her after she read it so many times it had imprinted in her mind. It had everything she loved in a book- an unfamiliar, faraway setting, magic spells and sword fights, and characters in disguise. She had brought it from home and added it to the library only a few weeks before, shelving it hastily before they left for Paris. Normally she would wander the stacks aimlessly, taking the time to pause and pull books from the shelves.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“Yes, and then it will be just as nice to luxuriate in your thousands of books, knowing in your heart that each one has been accounted for, and that even if you lived a hundred lifetimes you'd never be able to read them all."
She looked over to him, her ruse falling away. "I wish to catalog them so we can open the library to all of Aveyon, actually."
He paused to study her. "Truly?"
"Truly." She hated that her plans surprised him, but she hated how much it bothered her even more. "If you'll excuse me, I have to see to some things."
She left him standing there in the courtyard, dumbfounded, and it gave her a small bit of pleasure.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“My point is that amid all this upheaval, you can stay the same. You can be the constant the kingdom needs you to be." She looked out to the horizon. "The person you are now is the same person who saved our kingdom. Why should you ever want to change into someone else?”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“The happenstance of someone's birth should not determine whether or not they are impoverished. It is up to those of us with power in whatever form to work to make the lives of everyone better, starting with those less fortunate than us”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“The stables were dark, but she knew where to find Philippe. She stepped up to his stall and whistled a familiar note to her dear Belgian draft horse. She hadn't had reason to ride him in months. He whinnied excitedly and pressed his velvet-soft coppery nose to her outstretched hand, searching for the treat he knew she'd brought him.
"Are you ready to go on a small adventure with me?" she whispered into his ear while removing the apple from her pocket and holding it to his mouth. He made a noise that could have been an agreement and made quick work of the snack. She saddled him in the dark, working from memory since she couldn't quite see what she was doing. Philippe stood patiently and waited for her to mount him.
Together they left the stables. Philippe seemed to understand the need for secrecy. Belle guided him through the gardens and out to the northernmost edge of the castle grounds, where there was a small breach in the wall no one had gotten around to repair yet.
"Think you can make the jump?" she asked. Philippe grunted as though the question was an insult. Her trotted over and made the jump with ease, earning a gracious scratch around his ears from Belle.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“Sacré, Belle!" Marguerite had exclaimed upon entering, and though the grandeur of the room had never dulled for Belle, it was a treat to see it through Marguerite's eyes, and only made Belle more certain that opening it to the public was the right decision.
"I know. It's magnificent, isn't it?" Belle replied dreamily.
Marguerite ran her hands along the gilded banisters encircling the spiral staircase. "I've never seen so many books in all my life." She turned back to Belle and gave her a wry grin. "Is it true that your husband simply gave it to you during your courtship?"
A blush crept up her neck. She had thought of her time in the castle as many things, but a courtship was never one of them. "Something like that," she admitted. She wondered if she would ever feel close enough to Marguerite to tell her the truth.
Marguerite let out an appraising whistle. "No wonder you married him."
Belle blushed as she pulled her through the stacks, pointing out favorite books along the way. She ushered Marguerite to her favorite chaise nestled in her favorite alcove.
"This spot is best for a gloomy afternoon," Belle told her, pointing to a red velvet settee next to a small fireplace, framed by a window almost as tall as the room itself. "The patter of raindrops on the glass mixed with the warmth of the fire..."
"It must be heavenly," said Marguerite.
"It is."
Marguerite spun back around, head tilted to the ceiling, before collapsing in a heap on the plush carpet and motioning for Belle to join her on the floor. Belle acquiesced, lying down beside her friend and noting the view was even more remarkable from that new vantage.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“I thought the only threat against us came from the rogue noblemen who are plotting a revolt under our very noses. Not the Aveyonian commoners you've spent weeks assuring us are content, happy even."
Bastien eyed her as though seeing her in a new light. "Threats can take many forms, madame. It would not be prudent in times like these to invite them into your home."
"If we are willing to open our doors to the rich, then we must also be willing to open our doors to the poor. You speak as though wealth precludes someone from committing a crime, and that has not been true in my experience."
"I think I speak for everyone, the king included, when I say you are perhaps not thinking clearly."
"And I speak for myself alone when I say you're wrong. Do you forget that I am a commoner? That I grew up in a poor village with the very people you seek to malign? I do not fear them in the same way I fear a rich man who believes justice is a fluid concept and that innocence can be bought." She let them sit with what she had said for a few moments before continuing. "I called this meeting as a courtesy. This is how I envision the salon, and I believe it will be beneficial for all the people of our kingdom. You still get the prestige-raising, economy-boosting aspects, only now the doors are open for everyone. If you cannot abide by that, then I suggest you remain in your estates for the duration." If she had ruffled the feathers of the advisers before, it was nothing compared to how they viewed her now. "All in favor of the amendment to the salon?" They mutely assented with barely raised hands, but it was enough. In a way, it seemed they almost feared her. No one protested or voiced any concerns, and the meeting ended in near silence. She would take their unease over their disdain. She thought perhaps it was time for men like them to fear what a woman could do.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“Belle had come a long way from her desire to leave Aveyon behind forever in search of adventure like those she had read about in her books. Now she understood that adventure didn't have to mean chasing endless horizons. Adventure could be gathering brilliant minds like Marguerite and her father and others to her court so they could challenge her. Adventure could mean traveling to every corner of her kingdom and meeting people from all walks of life in order to learn from them. Adventure could be working to make her kingdom a better place for everyone in it, with the man she loved by her side.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“Belle was different now too, from the poor, provincial girl she had once been to a queen in her own right.
She stood tall in a gown as golden as the sun. It hearkened back to the dress she had worn the night she dined and danced with the Beast, when he had shown her a vision of her father and let her go to him, despite the fact that leaving meant an eternity as a monster. It was hard to understand how much had changed since then, and how far they had come.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“It was a simple gold diadem inlaid with small rubies that had once belonged to Lio's mother. Belle's husband had offered to have one made for her, but she insisted on wearing Delphine's, knowing it meant a great deal more to him that she would be wearing the same crown his mother once did. Maurice had arrived home from his travels just in time to present her with a piece of gold used as a conductor in one of his old inventions, now braided along the base of the crown. Her father had sacrificed so much to make sure Belle had more opportunities than he did, and the crown meant more to her now that it had a piece of her father in it.”
― Emma Theriault, Rebel Rose

“Belle couldn't even begin to sort out her thoughts, or what she wanted to say to Gaston. Her feeling ran from kill him to oh, why waste the effort, he's hopeless...”
― Liz Braswell, As Old as Time

“Belle trusted that her earthly father had her best interest at heart. Do you trust that your Heavenly Father has yours?”
― Bethel Grove, Redeeming the Beast: A Devotional Adventure through Beauty and the Beast

“After years of yearning to see beyond the borders of her provincial little town, the thought of journeying someplace new, even if it was only to show her father's invention at a neighboring village's fair, made her heart race.
Maybe she would encounter a merry theater troupe on their way to perform the latest play. Or maybe merchants traveling with their wares to trade on the Silk Road. Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful to meet a newly married couple heading to Paris or Verona to celebrate their honeymoon? Who knew what types of adventures awaited her!”
― Elizabeth Lim, A Twisted Tale Anthology

“Her most difficult choice had been which book to bring. She couldn't decide between something she'd never read before and one of her favorites.
So, of course, she'd packed two: a pirate adventure story she'd borrowed from the bookseller just the day before and the beloved book of short stories her mother used to read to her when she was a child.
A warm smile stretched across Belle's lips at the thought of her mother and the love of reading she'd instilled in her only daughter. She'd also nurtured Belle's sense of adventure.
"I'm finally going on one of my own, Mama," Belle whispered. "A true adventure.”
― Elizabeth Lim, A Twisted Tale Anthology

“You raised me to be brave, and to make smart choices. I'll make you proud. You'll see."
"I am always proud of you.”
― Elizabeth Lim, A Twisted Tale Anthology

“The same people who'd mocked her for her love of reading, and gossiped about her father, now cozied up with a good book while enjoying a fire fueled by wood cut with her father's wood-chopping machine. Many minds had been changed those past few years.
Particularly when word of her father's prize-winning invention had spread and Monsieur René le Prince, an entrepreneur (a new profession, funnily enough, born out of the word adventurer,) proposed a partnership. With Monsieur le Prince's resources, Maurice's knack for machinery, and Belle's cleverness, they had formed a formidable team. They traveled to other fairs and looked for new innovations to support, Belle often finding successes in the inventors no one else would take a chance on.”
― Elizabeth Lim, A Twisted Tale Anthology

“Belle had learned to love the idea of having a small special corner of the world to return to, of having relationships to maintain.
Through her parents, her books, and her neighbors, she found her path onward, the most rewarding journey of all--- the journey home.”
― Elizabeth Lim, A Twisted Tale Anthology