Lovers in Time: Part One
A/AN: This plot randomly came to me while scrolling through Tumblr (go figure). This story probably won't span more than three chapters, and I hope you enjoy it.
Colette touched her flat abdomen. She wasn't showing yet, but she knew the baby was there. She wandered into a small clearing not far from the castle, in hopes she would procure some berries she overheard the maid telling a pregnant kitchen servant. They were supposed to cure morning sickness. The berries were meant to be mixed in an herbal brew and taken first thing in the morning after breakfast and again at night before bedtime. She brushed an errant curl from her face while surveying the area. She didn't see any berries, so she decided to wander farther out.
Time had gotten away from her, and the sun had began to set in the distance. She realized she'd wandered to far from the castle when her surroundings became unfamiliar. She knew it would soon be getting dark, and the woods were no place for a woman at night. Maurice would be worried sick but her feet ached, but she didn't want to risk trying to find her way back at night with wild animals running afoot. This area was notorious for bandits, and she chided herself for not bringing along a servant to accompany her.
Colette loathed for others to assist her with every menial task, for she wasn't a woman of noble birth. She'd grown up in the servant quarters of Avonlea, the daughter of the royal tailor. She and Maurice had grown up playing together as children which shifted into a clandestine romance.
Avonlea was a small merchant kingdom so there wasn't a huge push for the prince to marry a noblewoman. Maurice French wasn't going to be the next successor to the throne. He had an elder sister named Lucinda who'd married King Rupert of the Western Isles, a powerful kingdom with legions of soldiers ready to aid them at the first cry of battle. When they'd revealed their secret courtship, the monarchs didn't bat an eye. They weren't concerned with their son's affairs and it had always been that way. She couldn't recount a time when they'd paid him much attention because they were to busy doting over his beautiful older sister.
Colette had grown up motherless and did as she pleased while growing up in the castle. Her father didn't have time to tend to her, because he was too busy tending to the royals' affairs to be bothered. She supposed what drew her and her husband together was their mutual loneliness and affectionate disregard from their families. They'd learned to count on each other when there was no one else to turn to.
She sighed to herself, pulling her cloak tightly around her shoulders. Shadows from the descending sun danced at her feet, and she knew she should seek shelter soon or risk becoming the meal of a ravenous lurking beast. She didn't care for the servants breathing down her neck, but she felt negligent for not recruiting one to aid her with her task.
Maurice didn't know about the baby yet, but she planned to tell him as soon as she reached the castle, if she survived the night. She rested her back against a large boulder, noticing the narrow mouthed cave in the distance. A knot formed in her stomach at what could be lurking inside but it was a chance she was willing to take. She plotted cautiously towards the entrance, feeling like some dark entity had seized her soul and was pulling her there against her wishes.
The moment she entered the cave, an overwhelming sensation of buoyancy encompassed her, and she no longer felt in control of her own body. Her eyelids became heavy with sleep, and she drifted off instantaneously. Waking up the next morning on the cave floor, she recounted nothing of the previous night. She straightened out her stiff limbs while forcing herself to sit up. She stood up and brushed off her cloak, making her way to the entrance. Pale sunlight filtered through the mouth, and she noted the light drizzle which dampened her cloak.
She sighed to herself, hoping she didn't spend half the day trying to find the castle. She pulled her cloak tightly around her shivering frame. She was thankful when she found a dirt path, becoming irked by the excessive foliage. She'd recognized the road but something was slightly off about it. Everything seemed normal, like a shelf full of knickknacks, except for one which was out of place the next time you went over it with a duster. Walking the dirt path felt that way to Colette, but she didn't know why.
After traveling three miles, she noticed smoke billowing in the distance. Her heart leaped with joy at the first sign of civilization. She practically ran the rest of the way, only stopping to catch her breath. She noted several houses dotting the decline.
She continued down the hill, approaching the heart of the village. There were various venders set up selling their wares. Children ran around her feet as many of the townsfolk bartered with each other. She felt like an outsider, uncomfortably tucking her cape around her shoulders. The villagers didn't seem to take notice of her and this brought her relief.
She inhaled deeply, licking her lips as the aroma of meaty pies filled her nostrils. She hadn't noticed her feet had taken a life of their own when she entered the hovel. The door was left wide open, and she felt herself blush when she realized what she'd done.
"Are you here to buy some wool my dear?" the voice of an elderly woman greeted her. She turned around to meet a woman with silver streaked hair and soulful brown eyes.
"I'm sorry to intrude, I was just passing by and the smell caught my attention. I haven't eaten in nearly a day and a half," she admitted hesitantly, staring at her feet sheepishly.
"Well then, you shall stay and have dinner with us. My sister is in town selling wool, but she will be home soon. We shall all sit down and have a meal together," the older woman smiled kindly, halting her foot that was treading the spinning wheel.
"How kind of you...I don't know what to say," she stammered demurely.
"A thank you will suffice! I'm Agnes," the older woman introduced herself as she stood, walking towards her. Agnes held out her hand, and she shook it firmly.
"My name is Colette," she returned.
"Ahh, I shall call you Colette then unless there's another moniker you prefer? Why don't you have a seat, and I'll make us some tea," the woman offered. Colette sighed, feeling relieved at the thought of putting something on her stomach. She knew her child would be elated as well. She wasn't sure how far from Avonlea she was, but she surmised it couldn't be more than a day's journey on foot.
"That sounds lovely and please call me Colette," she insisted before sitting down on a stool. In a matter of minutes, the older woman returned with a piping hot cup of tea. Colette didn't care what kind it was as she plucked it from the older woman's hand, drinking it greedily. The hot liquid scorched her throat, but she was parched. She hadn't had a drink in so long.
"My goodness missus! You must be quenched!" the older woman exclaimed, amazed at how fast she'd downed the tea.
"I apologize for my rudeness, but my thirst has overcome me. May I have some more?" she requested, holding her throat in agony, earnestly regretting her decision of scarfing down the hot tea.
"Let me get you a cup of water," she supplied, giving her a sympathetic glance. After devouring her first cup of water, she had three more. The spinster noticed how frazzled she looked and offered her a bed to rest.
Colette hadn't planned on sleeping but a couple of hours, but when she awoke, the vibrant light of the setting sun filtered through the dirty glass window. She rubbed her eyes drowsily, placing both feet on the floor. She walked out of the room and made her way to the kitchens. She intended to ask the spinster for lodging for the night. After she returned to Avonlea, she vowed to return to the village and pay them handsomely for their troubles.
"Agnes, I apologize for napping so long," Colette announced, placing her hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn. She halted when a small boy with straw colored hair met her gaze. She couldn't seem to find her voice, becoming mesmerized by his ocher depths. She sensed inside them dwelt an old soul who'd been abandoned time and time again. Something inside of her made her want to take him into her arms and console them, but she refrained as her attention was averted to the spinster's greeting.
"It's good to see you're up Colette. I would like you to meet my other house guest, Rumplestiltskin," Agnes interrupted, causing the dirt cheeked little boy to gaze at her inquisitively.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance missus," the young boy smiled and bowed respectfully. She bathed in the afterglow of his smile, something truly infectious about it, she would never grow tired of.
"It's nice to meet you as well, Rumplestiltskin." Colette smiled pleasantly, followed by a ladylike curtsey. She noted his cheeks tinge a soft pink when she spoke.
"How about we all have some supper then?" Agnes suggested, and she followed her into the kitchen behind Rumplestiltskin. Colette found herself devouring three pieces of meaty pie and surmised her budding appetite was due to the babe growing inside of her. Agnes was quite pleased that her dinner guest was enjoying her cooking. She worried for the girl who hadn't eaten in so long.
"Where's your sister you spoke of?" Colette inquired, attempting to iniate a conversation between them.
"My sister Gladice has retired for the night. Market day is always a tedious chore for us, and I usually accompany her but today we encountered some unforeseen events," she illuminated, averting her gaze to Rumplestiltskin who was absentmindedly fiddling with his utensils.
"I see," Colette remarked, wondering what the little boy had to do with any of this. A half and hour later , Rumplestiltskin was put to bed for the night, leaving the two women to converse privately. They sat by the fire, both nursing a steaming cuppa herbal tea.
Agnes stirred her tea silently before speaking, "The boy was brought to us yesterday by his father while he gambled at the tavern. When he didn't come for him this morning, Gladice grew concerned and went to the tavern to check on him and found out he'd gotten drunk and was stabbed by one of the king's knights for cheating him. The boy has no mother, and we can't just throw him to the wolves. It's going to be hard with another mouth to feed around here but hopefully we can teach him our trade, and he'll be able to commit to his share of the household earnings," she expounded, and Colette felt her heart break for the newly orphaned boy.
"Perhaps, I can help! I know I didn't mention this before, but I'm actually a woman of nobility. I lost my way while looking for some wild berries in the woods. I ended up spending the night in a cave before I wound up here. I'm married to King Nathaniel's son, Maurice. I intend to repay you for your kindness and lodging for the night," she promised as she observed the confusion in the elder woman's eyes.
"Missus Colette, what kingdom is it you're from?" the spinster probed, and she wondered if she'd wandered farther than she thought for the villagers not to even recognize the name of their own king.
"Avonlea," she remarked hesitantly, and the spinster stayed silent for a long time, contemplating her answer.
"What year is it, lass?" she probed. Colette felt perturbed by her strange inquiry, but she answered accordingly.
"It's 1743 of course,"she supplied.
"It will be 1743, two hundred and forty-three years from now. The cave you wandered into was connected to a worm hole which allowed you to fall through time. There are ancient vortexes scattered all throughout the realm and to fall into one was no accident. You were brought here for a purpose," Agnes illuminated while clasping her hand tightly in her own.
"I'm sorry, but what sort of trickery is this? I have to get back to my husband now! I'm pregnant, and he doesn't know! I refuse to buy into such foolishness!" she scoffed, and stood from her chair irately. She was going home and that was it! This woman was mad by playing such a cruel trick on her, and she would return later for the boy after she explained his unfortunate circumstances to her husband. She wouldn't allow him to be subjected to such lunacy by being made to live here.
"Sit down Colette and listen to me," Agnes instructed, and she blinked hazily, wondering if it was all true as she began to second guess herself. She obediently sat down in the chair, feeling frozen with fear. Deep down, she knew it was as the memory of the cave's gravitational pull infiltrated her subconscious. She blocked out her rational senses as Agnes continued on about ancient prophecies and destiny. None of it even mattered as the probability of being stuck here indefinitely with no way to reassure her husband of her well being crushed her. The one thing she was sure of was she would be making her way back to the cave first thing in the morning. She would get back to her own time if it was the last thing she did.
~X~
Colette awoke early the following morning with the intentions of returning to the cave. If she could travel back in time then she should certainly be able to move forward. She still wasn't convinced it had really happened. All she knew was she had to get home to her husband. She assumed there was probably a hoard of men searching for her by now. She quietly let herself out of the hovel, soundlessly shutting the door behind her. She was going to make a speedy exit and be a long way from the village before anyone else awoke.
She'd made it back to the forest in no time, realizing the trek hadn't been been as lengthy as she first thought. She searched tirelessly for the cave, and wept bitterly at her futile endeavor. The cave was gone if there ever was one, and she was stuck in this bloody time. She ceased her crying when she heard underbrush breaking. She whirled around, fixating her gaze on the foliage.
"Who's there!?" she called out to the concealed presence. Whoever was there didn't want to be discovered and it vexed her.
"GO ON AND SHOW YOURSELF!" she bellowed into the wood, followed by a flock of startled sparrows scattering the trees from her outburst.
She gasped in a surprise when a young boy with straw colored hair emerged from the clearing. She immediately recognized him, the young lad who'd recently been orphaned by his father.
"Rumplestiltskin, what are you doing here?" Colette inquired, marveling at how he'd followed her without detection.
"I heard you get up this morning, and I was worried about you being out here all alone. A lady should never go anywhere unaccompanied, especially in these woods. My father told me many mysterious happenings take place here." he replied cryptically, and Colette felt a shiver creep up her spine from his retort.
"Those are just stories, Rumplestiltskin. I think I should escort you back to the hovel. What do you say?" she proposed, dismissing his childish fantasies.
"Well, I haven't had breakfast yet." he grinned cheekily, and she smiled at his innocence. Being with him helped take her mind off her current predicament, so she vowed to spend more time with him after that day.
Colette made peace about never being able to return home. She focused her energies on mothering the docile orphan boy fate had placed in her hands and the child she would soon deliver. In her mind, they would all become a family but it didn't quite happen that way.
~X~
The day she gave birth to her daughter was on a cloudy and dreary day. The pain was unbearable, and she'd lost an unforeseeable amount of blood. Agnes wiped sweat from Colette's brow who took in heavy deep breaths. She'd been in labor for the past seventeen hours. The village midwife stood between her parted legs, ready to receive the babe she would soon deliver.
"I wish Maurice could be here," she mumbled to Agnes. The spinster stood by her side, holding her hand tightly for moral support.
"It'll all be over soon lass," Agnes crooned, patting her arm consolingly. The old woman knew Colette was fading fast and wouldn't survive the birth.
"All right, Colette, I can see the head! I just need for you to push for me one more time!" the midwife instructed. Colette felt like she couldn't take another breath, overwhelmed by exhaustion, but she had to do this for her child. Deep down, she knew she would never see her child grow up, but she would give up hers to spare her offspring. She prayed to the gods that her babe would return home when she was older and find her father. It was her only plea. She pushed with all her might, her mind focusing solely on her child until she heard her newborn's cries.
"It's a girl!" the midwife announced exuberantly, picking up the squalling babe and swaddling her. She handed the tiny fussing infant to its mother who couldn't focus on anything but her pain moments ago. Yet when she saw her bundle of joy, all of her misery faded. She was overcome with emotion when she opened her brilliant blue eyes.
Tears washed unbidden over her ashen cheeks as pride swelled in her heart."You're so beautiful," she gushed to the tiny infant, who affectionately grabbed her finger with her wee hand, her cries temporarily ceasing.
Colette felt her vision become hazy and it suddenly became hard to breathe. She turned to Agnes, handing her the child, "Please take good care of her and give her, her best chance. I wish for her to be named Belle. The French name is her birthright even though she may never return home. Give her the title of her royal family and please tell Rumple I love him," she requested, her breathing becoming shallow between syllables.
"I will do everything you've asked Colette. I promise you that she'll always have a home here with us just as you have," the kind spinster vowed. She observed a serene look wash over her features as she inhaled one final breath before fading away.
Agnes stifled back the tears brimming in her eyes as the infant began to cry again. "Shh little one. Everything is going to be all right, I promise." she cooed. She watched as the babe's countenance softened. She would need a wet nurse soon to provide her with nourishment. The spinster could hardly fathom what had happened to the noblewoman. Agnes knew she was brought here for a purpose but it couldn't be to die. She fixated her gaze on the newborn and sensed it was her destiny instead of her mothers but only time would tell what purpose that was.
A/AN: The next chapter will focus on Rumple and Belle's childhood friendship and eventual romance. Reviews are lovely!