I feel like there's simultaneously zero chance and a decent chance, because I don't know which well-worn plot path this will take (or neither - I could be well wrong). If Beauty's mom traded her life for Beauty's, she's probably very dead even if the last the family knew of her was her vanishing alive to go make the bargain. However, in the original Beauty's mother was wrongly presumed dead and showed up at the end, and there's already a few magical loopholes that will need to be exploited. If it weren't for the precedent set by the original, though, I'd say that Beauty's mom being alive would be gratuitous after all the bargaining scenes, even though the family might think she had just disappeared.
That's all spec! Megan's surprised me before, and I've never been dissatisfied with the results, so don't hold me to it!
"Traded her life for Beauty's" ...we also can't say that this means death. Maybe she sold her soul, or something. Her life might still exist but no longer be her own. I'm speculating wildly of course, but I'm just saying that I agree she could very easily be alive, despite the hints to the opposite. Megan never showed us explicitly, causing us to make assumptions like Beauty did ;) I love it, this is such great storytelling<3
Ok, those are good theories, but I have one more question to ask…could it be that what Beauty's mom traded wasn't her life…but her humanity? Is it possible that instead of bargaining her remaining lifespan, she bargained her humanity away and turned back into a swan as her part of the deal in exchange for Beauty to live?
It is obvious, that this is moms contract about. Going back to her immortal life, giving up her mortal life with Beautys dad, to safe Beautys life. Doesnt seem to bother mom too much. One thing for her was to have a child together with dad and she needed to be mortal for that. It was good as long as it was necessary but also good to go back to the immortal life. All in all just an episode of a decade or so in a life of centuries or millenias.
i am looking forward to learn what will come from that.
Aaaaaand after five hundred pages, we are finally going to learn more about Swan Mom! Yes! I've been dying to hear what Beauty's father and sisters know about her for ages. And did Beauty just assume that her mother died, but never asked what the circumstances behind that were? Oh Beauty, honey....
