Chapter one:
All that can change
The moon is reflecting high in the sky as I am cleaning the bar of the Tavern The White Horse. Every night I end with the same chore of cleaning the last dishes before I close the door. A deep sight escapes my lips – I know – It's not the adventurous life I was going to live. As I said, every single night is the same. Wake up from bed – prepare myself for work – serve every drunk in this village his beer – clean the whole place and at the end of the day go to bed. And this all starts over the next morning.
There I sit at the bar. Exhausted. Nipping from my red wine I wonder back to the dreams I had as a child. My father used to tell me I can be anything I can dream of. The only thing I have to do – oh this sound so cheesy – is to believe in myself.
The young girl I was back then dreamt of seeing the world. Sailing to places no map has ever shown. But… Then real life struck me. I'm a woman – an unwedded woman at the age of 23. My mother is too busy with my perfect sister – whom is married with a Lord of some piece of land I can't even seem to remember. Though we are twins, we don't look the same. As her hair is as gold as the beer I serve at this bar – mine is as red as the fierce fire crackling in the fireplace. Her eyes are as blue as the sky, mine are green with freckles of gold in them.
No we didn't look much like each other – luckily! As a child I adored her. Now, seeing her follow her husband as a lost puppy, I think I can only be happy for the strong and independed woman that I am nowadays. Just – a bit bored by the simple life I'm living.
I rinse my glass and close the place up. Ready to go home. Currently I am saving to get my own place. Nothing special though. I'm no farmer and since I'm not a maid, I still need a small place to live. Until then I remain at my parents – who seem eagerly to throw me out the house any day now.
The path is muddy and my slippers get wet of the brown dirt. Maybe one day I will be an inventor and create 'forever clean' slippers. A simple cloak protects me from the cold wind of the night. The way home is a short, but also a dark one as I need to follow the path through the forest.
Ever since I was a child I loved the forest. It made me feel so invisible – like nobody will notice me between the large oak trees. The smell of fresh air hit my nostrils and an owl is hooting happily – probably excited about a good hunt. The best part of the day – walking in the forest, even if it's just for fifteen minutes. Do you know that feeling – when you wonder around and forget all the shitty things in your life. Just enjoying your surroundings. Taking in everything and losing your dark thoughts. Rinsing your mind for just fifteen minutes.
As quiet as I can be I sneak in to the house – hoping I will not wake anyone. Well after six years of working late night, I surly knew every squeak and every crackling. Carefully I undress myself and lay in bed. Tomorrow will be another – but mostly the same – new day.
The next morning I wake up early. The night was full of event and bits of pieces of the dreams stays tingling at the back of my mind. The moments you remember your dreams clearly, but the moment you remember they faint away.
There was…. A path? It led to nowhere. No matter how fast I run or how slow I wander. I just keep following the path. Then – what feels like an eternity – I see a cloaked figure. Red… A dark red cloak. It looked expensive. I shout: 'He! You! Stop it! Where are we?'
I hear chuckling and maybe some odd singing. Well it was not really singing. More like a riddle being spoken in a rhythm. "Well, dearie" It begins "I will answer your questions – your questions, yes!" it cheers. "But we make me a deal! A deal, I tell you, you solve my little tiny riddle!"
I am confused. "Why?" I ask. "I don't need to know. I can walk on you know…? It's just a dream, I will wake up sometime." I blink my eyes and the figure stands in front of me, giving me a clearer vision of itself. The skin of the man being is greenish… - No, more greyish. And pecks of gold make his skin look more like the night sky. It looked human – yet I could only think of it as a beast. "I now you need me. Soon you will come to me. Ask me for a favor. I can only give you this favor if you can solve this riddle." I looked it in the eye. Big amber colored orbs stare at me with an obsessive stare. "A favor. From you? I don't think I would ever do such thing. Why would I?" It grins. "Do you want to know, dearie?" I nodded and a chuckle escaped his lips as a warm breath reaches my face. I remember thinking how odd it was to feel it. So real. Very real.
"Then." Our noses touches "Do. We. Have. A. Deal?" I sighed in frustration. Why on earth do we have to play this childish game of his. "Okay. You have your deal. Now tell me what favor and who are you anyway?" The fiend laughs so hard – it almost made me laugh with him if I was not so damn serious about it. "Well, dearie. First things first. You will solve this riddle and then I will tell you everything." I rolled my eyes and shook my head, red hair swooshing with the movement. "Tell me, imp. For there is no riddle I cannot solve." Oh this sounded heroic. Do I want to impress this thing? He giggles and jumped up and down as his hand mad some elegant movements. "Here is comes." By now his features were turning dark and the glimmer of joy turns into something broody.
"Two children are born in the same home, on the same year, on the same day, and have the same father and mother. But they are not twins." I looked at him. This one is easy. He answer pops up in my brain the moment he told me that they were not twins. "Well. The answer is simple." Grinning I twirled a lock of my hair around my finger. "They are not twins. No, the only way two children are born in the same home, on the same year, on the same day…" I see him narrowing his eyes, carefully walking in my direction. "Is that they are triples or quadruplets or… well, you now…" The joy returned in his eyes. "Ding Ding! You're right. Very clever of you, sweetie."
"Well, come on. Will you answer my questions now." And then… I woke up. Not fair! I was so close. Stupid dream. Since it was early I just lay in bed when the bright sun awoke from her dreams and started to climb high up in the sky. In other words – time to go to work.
The bar was filled with pirates this bright and star filled night. I tried not to make too much eye contact – afraid of the stories I heard of these lads. "One beer Sarah." The waitress asked me, putting her tray on the countertop. "Coming…!" I shout while I pour the beer in the goblet. "Here. One beer." She walked away and I follow her. In the corner there was a man. Or at least I saw a cloaked figure hanging lonely in a corner of the Tavern. I knew better then to go wonder who this person might be. A lot of loners come here to drink away their sorrow. Mistakes are made easily and with the Evil Queen hunting for Snow White, life does get more riskier. I heard that she has ordered to burn down a whole village when nobody could – or wanted – to tell her where the young princess was hiding.
"Sarah, stop dreaming and help me shove this barrel out of the way." I snap out of my thoughts and help my scary – but hard working – boss to shove the barrel filled with more beer aside.
"Don't forget to scrub the tables. Those bloody pirates spill beer like the spill blood of a young mermaid." my boss yells at me before closing the door and leaving me to close off for tonight. I look around and sighed at the mess. With no energy left I started on cleaning all the dishes, collecting the laundry and scrubbing the tables. I was in total cleaning mode when I hear the bell of the door jingle. "Sorry we are closed!" I say while throwing the cloth back in the bucket. When no reply followed I turn around, only to get caught by to strong hands around my both wrists and be turned around. "I'm not here for the beer, love. I'm here for you." I can smell the alcohol in his breath which sickened me. "Let go of me!" I scream as loud as I can. Filling my lungs with new air I try to scream again but the pirate put a dagger against my throat. "Ah, ah, ah. Don't want to lose your tongue now, do you."
My heart is pounding in my throat - like a capture pounding on its cell door. When I don't answer the alcohol stinking rat replies: "I didn't think so too." In my head I see a few option flowing by – all heroic – but I'm frozen to my place. I cannot move – even though I want to hurt the man. Hell – I want to kill him – but I am just too afraid to do so. A coward.
He drags me towards a table, throwing me on it. "No! no – no – no!" I yelp, hoping it would make him quit his actions. "Stop it! HELP ME!" I scream while he tries to rip the clothes off of me. It was then I hear a loud pop. "You better lock the door next time, dearie." I hear someone familiar say with a hint of amusement. "Who are you?" The pirate slur at the new stranger standing in the tavern. The stranger giggles and swooshed his hand. Before I knew it the pirate was frozen on a spot – though I still cannot escape his grip for he was still bent over me. "Pleas, help me sir!" I begged the cloaked man behind me. "Well, well, well, dearie." He begins – oh this is not going to end well either way. "Magic comes with a price. Name yours and I will get rid of this drunk pirate for you." I frown. Does saving a helpless girl cost a thing nowadays? "What happened to the good feeling you get from saving a helpless woman? Sure that will be a good price."
In an eye blink he stood before the table I was standing on. "Oh, if that's all your life is worth… well then, maybe I shall leave you too then." He waves off and walks towards the door – which I think is odd, because he can poof himself away from this place. No need to use the door anyway. "Okay! Okay. I'd do anything to get out of this… this…" I search that idiotic brain – who seems to freeze in difficult situations – for a word that describes this moment. "plight." I finish and struggle against the grip of the bloody pirate. I should have thought more of what I was saying. By anything I don't really mean anything! True, my life was worth a lot, but anything… well you get what I mean, right?
"Oh I just love when they say that!" A creepy smile appears on his face and then he says; "Here is a deal. I get that rat off of you and you will work for me. In my castle. Like… a maid or something." I scoff at his offer. "That is… rude! My life is in danger here. You know what pirates do. They kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot." He giggles. This makes me irritated. The way he bargains over my life. "Well, love. That is my price. You can either take it – or leave it." Quickly I think about what I can do to escape this mess – but as you already expected… there isn't much choice here. Just two: Get raped by a pirate and probably get killed – or – be the maid for a mage – sorry a dark mage for like eternity. Well, the latter won't get me killed, but is being forced to be a – what? – slave not the same? All freedom gone – poof – like the purple smoke from this wicked man. "Okay!" I kind of yelled at the fiend. "Okay." I say one more time, just a bit calmer. "Okay what?" He taunted as I feel furious for the smile he has on his face. "Say it." He pushed. And then I say it: "We have a deal."
A contract floats in front of my face. "Then sign here." He said while pointing at a line at the far bottom of the scroll. I tried to free a hand – but no success whatsoever. "Oeps – I forgot. A simple nod will do the trick." I nod and the feather writes my name with curly letters. "That was that. Oh-" He waved his wand ever so gracefully and the pirate turns into a mouse. It scurries away with hectic noises.
"Good now with that out of the way – shall we?" He takes out his hand for me to take, smiling like the cat that's got the cream. "But… don't I get the chance to say goodbye? Do I need to leave, just like that." He giggles. "Just like that." I am stunned. Sure – I had a shitty life down here – but that didn't mean I didn't love them. I need to say goodbye to them. "Just let me say goodbye – so my parents know what happened to me. I promise, I'll be back." I think it worked, for he seemed to reconsider. "Alright. Before sunrise, you will be back here again. If you don't I'll kill you and all your loved ones." Wow, two deals in an hour. Isn't that just great. "Sounds like a good deal." I reply putting away the bucket and then almost run out of the tavern. "Don't be as foolish as to run away. I will always find you." I hear him say after me. I rise my skirt a bit as not to trip over the fabric. The wind gashes through my face and I hear the owl hoot again. I haven't got much time which made me quite nervous.
As I reach my home I run upstairs. I know they are fast asleep, but this will actually be the last time they will see me. "Mama, papa!" Shaking their bodies and pulling the blankets away, I call again: "Mama, papa wake up!" My father grumbles something and waves me off. "I came to say goodbye." I say, hoping this will ring some alarm bells. But no, they just turn away from me and told me to shut up.
Well so much for good parenting. Running down stairs and grabbing a peace of parchment I write:
Dear mother and father,
By the time you read this, I'm already gone. The Dark One has made a deal with me, one I could not decline. I hope I'll see you again, someday.
I love you,
Sarah
I put the note on the table and run out the door for I see the sky turning lighter – meaning I haven't got much time left. I couldn't help but feel abandoned. Sure, if my sister would come running in – screaming to them to wake – they would surly wake up. They would even probably go with her to say goodbye. For me – well you just saw – they don't even open their eyes.
Well maybe I was better off. I hope they feel the same pain as I am feeling right now. I really wish they do. These thought run around in my head the whole way back to the tavern. I've just reached it on time, for the golden light of the sun shines away the darkness.
"Dark One! I'm here!" I shout at no one in particular. Just an open spot in the forest with the tavern in the middle of it. Soon all the guest would be awake and come down for breakfast. I can smell the owner is already baking his bread in the oven made of stone.
There was no answer – I thought. Somewhere deep in the forest I see two amber colored orbs looking at me. "Rumpelstiltskin…" I whisper and made my way to it.
I walk and walk but I don't seem to get closer. "Is that you?" I call out - hoping I didn't have to wonder around this dark place the whole day. "I'm over here, dearie." He sits on a rock not far away from me. "Have you said your goodbyes? Did they all tear up – you know – all get sentimental on you?" He asks and I can just hear the amusement in his voice. Had he been watching? I mean – he is the Dark One. He can do whatever the heck he wants.
"Yes. Just do whatever is you must do." I reply, hoping he wouldn't prey into this too much. The expression turns from amused into a serious one. He stood and with a simple plop he was right in front of me. "Let's go then." It is a dark and harsh sentence. His Scottish accent clearly in it. As soon as I put my around this outstretched arm I felt a pulling and spinning in my head.
I blink my eyes as I'm pushed away backwards. It's darker and dustier here. High castle walls with enormous paintings hanging on it – all looking pretty serious. The old reddish curtains were shut tight and the floor is made of dark polished wood. Much fancier than at our simple farm. "Welcome home." He gins and with a poof a simple silver bracelet appears in his left hand. The moment I see it – it's also gone. Well not gone – the stupid thing was bound around my wrist.
I didn't have to ask the how's and why's for he says: "This, my love – solves the part of you not running away. And the part of me not worrying about such stupid inspirations. From now on you are bound to this castle – but most importantly – to me!" with that said he grabs me by the wrist and almost drags me down a dark stairway. I don't know where we are going – but I just know it wasn't a nice room with a hot shower and a soft bed. He opens a wooden door and shove me into it.
"This – " he made a gesture towards to small dungeon looking place "will be your room." He slams the door shut as I put my hand around the bars from the tiny window in the door. "You can't let me live here for… eternity!?" I yelled at him – seeing him leave and not even caring to answer me.
So – well – this is messed up. Saved only to be imprisoned. So far my happy ending. I had other ideas when he asked me to be his employee. At least I expected a room with a bed. Not a cell all the way down the dungeon. There is no light other than from the torch outside my cell. It doesn't make sense tough. He saved me – yes so much the positive side of this story. He also asked me to work in his castle as a maid – not to be his prisoner. I grumble in my thoughts – hoping the beast upstairs can't hear me.
'Was this really better than the 'other' fate that was written for me' – 'Why has this to be me?' – 'How many stones did it take to make this bloody cell… 1..2…3..4..' – '2501, 2502, 2503, 250.. damn I lost count.'
I don't know when I fall asleep – must be somewhere around 95482 – but when I wake up there was this loud noise on the other side of the door.
"Did you sleep well, love?" I cringe at his voice – the voice of the dealmaker. I look down at my bed made of scraps of straw. "Like a princess" I answer sarcastically and made it to stand up – brushing of the dust and sand. "Good. Now get to work." He said bluntly and opened the door with his magic. "Of course, sir." I see him flinching at the word 'sir' – but he doesn't make any comment on it. "Where can I find what I need." I ask and walk passed him – feeling his magic when my right wrist lightly touches his arm. Without thinking I raise my hand to stroke my wrist. It was nothing hurtful – just a sparkling sensation. Not the dark pain I would expect from such a dark creature.
"The castle will provide you of it. Just look for the place where you would put it – and it will be there." He closes the door with one flick of his hand and says: "But first I will give you a tour around my humble estate." He giggles impishly and took my wrist to lead me the way upstairs.
Quickly he gives me a tour around the house – telling me where to and not to go. "If you excuse me now. I have business to attend to." And with that he just left me alone in this huge castle. Without thinking I wander towards the kitchen hoping to find a bucket and a cloth. It was silent. The only sound in this place was my own breathing and the rubbing of my brush scrubbing the stone floor of the dining room.
It needed to be said – this castle was filthy! How could he live like this. As I scrub the floor for – what? – fifteen minutes and my water was as black as the night sky. As I stand up for filling the bucket with fresh water – the castle provided it for me. I looked around – but didn't saw any magical dealmakers or anything of the sort near me. So the castle provides me everything, eh?
I think about lavender soap and – pop – lavender soap it was! I didn't know what time it is but when my stomach grumbles I know it is time for lunch. I had finished scrubbing the floor and was now tackling the odd furniture in the same room. I prepare some sandwiches with only fresh ingredients that I hoped were in the cabinets. He didn't lie tough – everything was here. I just had the think about it. I first made some for the dealmaker and walked back into the dining room to find it empty.
Hoping he would arrive soon I place the platter on the table and looked around. There had to be some polishing done around here. I decided to skip lunch and aim for dinner. As time passed the master of its castle didn't return. Feeling somewhat disappointed – strangely - I throw away the sandwiches and went for preparing dinner.
Just as lunch – he didn't show up. Was I mistaken? It's hard to tell the time when all the curtains are closed. I walk over to the entrance to check the big fairy-like clock. Nope – I wasn't mistaken – it sure is dinner time. After three hours of waiting I am becoming impatient and frustrated. Fine! I don't care. Starve yourself to death. Do whatever you want – I'm going to bed!
As I had cleaned everything I retire to my 'room' and lay on the straw. It is cold and soon I am shivering my bones out. Annoyed, I pull my legs up and hug my arms around me. I haven't heard a thing. Good thing tough. It meant that no stranger had come in. Then again – who would be daft enough to steal from the dark one. You'd be out of your mind to do such a thing. Tomorrow I will go find a blanket or else I'm afraid I won't make It to see the next spring sun lights.
Hoping tomorrow would be better I closed my eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.