Cogsworth

It was Cogsworth who found the king and queen’s bodies. The other castle servants had given up after a few days search. Most believed that they had simply run away to live a better life somewhere else, but Cogsworth knew them. They were like parents to him, and when they had a son of their own, they still spared moments here and there to greet him and see how he fared.

He found them washed up on the riverbank miles from the castle. They still had on their royal clothes and rings–so it wasn’t bandits. They were as whole as a few days in a river would allow–so it wasn’t wolves. In the end, the consensus was that they tried to ford the river where it was too high and got swept away.

They held a funeral–a simple affair for a simple king and queen. The boy, Adam, only grew wilder as a result. He refused to listen to his servants, and frequently flew into rages then disappeared into his parent’s tower.

Cogsworth followed him once to hear him wailing at the foot of his parent’s bed.

But Adam wanted no comfort or sympathy. He wanted to be in control. The servants all pitied him. He knew it, and he despised them.

Cogsworth did all he could for the prince, but his heart was broken too. He longed for the king and queen to return and bring the broken castle back into relative peace.

His mind was elsewhere too: he respected the king and queen too much to accept their death as an accident. He knew deep down that someone had murdered them. And he would have vengeance.

Belle <= Death of Maurice => Growing up