Belle had read about inflation. It made sense she supposed but it was still unfortunate when wage didn't always rise in tandem with it. Of course in this world or indeed in Storybrooke she'd never had to think about currency. Never had gone without as long as she'd been with him. And of course there was still a lot of it, it had been planned ahead, if he was taken by the seal Belle would still have money enough to do her for some time. Emma of course had grown up very much without money. It made Belle sad to think of her friend in that kind of position. Suffering like that.
"That's awful?!" she exclaimed. "The place you were, it couldn't have spared some money to make the children happier? It wouldn't have taken much I'm sure. Ugh some people!" Belle was offended on Emma's behalf, horrified even. And she knew that Snow and Charming had little choice in what they'd done. Knew even that they had sent her with someone who had promised to look out for her, and of course had it not been for Regina she would have grown up happy and content with her family. The blame fell soley on Regina and Belle was tired of hearing her so defended.
As for growing up in their world. It hadn't always been perfect but it was home. It would always be home.
"My fathers lands were peaceful. Until the Ogre Wars. We were friendly with a great many kingdoms and duchies. Your parents, while we didn't really know them or anything, we knew of them. Of course we did, everyone did. Your birth would have been a great celebration. Growing up really did depend on who raised you, and my father was kind, if protective after the loss of my mother. He wanted to see me wed and wed well, and I was bethroed to Gaston from such a young age. I always just assumed I had to marry him. It was the done thing and I just assumed I'd never find a love like there was in my books. We'd grown up together. Oh he could be a pompus ass when he wanted to be, greatly inflated sense of his own importance but he'd just sort of...always been there. He used to show off awfully though."
She shook her head at the memory. He'd been an idiot. But mostly he was harmless.
"I don't think its so awfully different to here in some ways. Oh the things they have here, I can't even begin to understand yet no matter how many books I read. But people are people no matter the world."