Chapter I
Belle continued pacing back and forth, unable to sit, stand or even read from the limited number of books she had glanced in the desk of her new room.
She couldn't understand what was going on one minute Belle was with her tutor learning about the history of Misthaven until the royal guard arrived taking the tutor away with much fuss until the Captain of the Guard explained the orders came from King Malcolm followed by Belle quietly following the guards into a room towards the south end of the castle near the quarters of Princess Regina.
That was approximately three days ago.
Other than a different chambermaid arriving every four hours with a meal or to clean her chamber pot, Belle was kept in complete isolation. She would ask the maids questions about why she was there and if they had any news of her father were the girls would either ignore Belle's questions as they silently walked out of the room or respond back to her stating they are not at liberty to mention anything.
The room itself became so cramped where Belle stayed in the twin size bed to avoid pacing back and forth as she began to go mad from the isolation. She began to suspect the castle is under siege, King Malcolm perhaps had now been dead and the rest of the party were now trying to escape or had been murdered as well.
What about papa?
She immediately thought about Ruby and the rest of her escort who she hoped where safe. Due to Maurice's arrival in Aurum from Avonlea a month prior, Belle could sense there had been some animosity between the king and father were Ruby began telling Belle how important it was to not become so confident to Regina or even leave her dairy in a place which the maids could have easily find it. Her time around the gardens even the library become limited with letters becoming inspected almost the norm for her she hardly made sense of them.
Belle ran into the door pounding for someone to answer her when she turned to the small window towards the side frustrated even with a chair to prop her up, the window was still too narrow and faced a wall where she was unable to see or hear the commotions of the outside world.
The young girl felt defeated when she placed herself back into the bed ready to write another entry of the madness into her dairy when she heard the door open to find several guards coming in surrounding the bed.
"Lady Belle, you are summoned to an audience with the King and Princess in the throne room." Said the Captain noticing the rest of the men appeared to have been uncomfortable turning towards one another than at Belle.
She got up from the bed, hesitantly smiling at the guards as they escorted her out of the room and into the staircase corridor. Belle never enjoyed walking towards the Throne Room from the royal apartments as the hallways consisted of macabre portraits of Malcolm's most famous killings in battle and the kingdom traitors placed in their final state for all those who request an audience with the king to remember the ones who came before them. The guards opened the door to the room filled with the banners of black and emerald with gold etchings on the leopard standing on top of a pool of blood, the windows were filled stories of Aurum's past as each monarch provides their own personal touch along the two golden ornate thrones placed in the middle of the room on top of five steps towering over the entire room.
"Lady Belle of Avonlea" said the announcer when Belle looked up to see the entire court staring at her whispering and even a few sneering.
She managed to catch one person standing close enough to her stating "traitor" shocking her further when another stated she was the spawn of her father. Further into the room, Belle stared Princess Regina sitting on the throne in all of her lavish splendor despite her insistence in wearing mourning attire for the past three years with only a silver tiara composed of diamonds encrusted on the headband to give the princess the illusion of transitioning.
A widow at eighteen only to be brought back to Aurum two months later after rumors began to circulate within the Guternshnee Court Regina's pregnancy might not have been from the late King Leopold, but that of a stable hand who had passed on around the same time. Despite her brother Killian being next in line, she was given authority to co-rule for her father after the death of her mother the previous year where she was often mistaken as a second wife to the king or even her late mother because the state of authority portrayed her more than her one and twenty years of age.
"Your Grace," Belle caught their attention curtsying unable to look at them in the eye.
"Stand up Milady," proclaimed Regina. "Regardless of the current circumstances, the counsel shares no ill will towards you."
"Thank you" Belle stated standing up becoming annoyed when Regina inspects her high on her throne. She cleaned off the dust on her dress and continued holding her head high. "I plead for the information of my father and the rest of my escort including a safe passage back to Avonlea. I want to continue fulfilling the marriage contract, however I would like to see my family again just before the wedding."
Regina chuckled back inspecting her nails then stood up. "Your father stands accused of conspiring to murder both Killian and the King. Several letters were found in his possession detailing the failed coup which took place a few days prior. He is currently in the dungeon awaiting trial whereas your escort have I am afraid been executed for their part in the crime."
Belle knew she should be sitting down or somehow sobbing but her legs were not giving her any mobility, her ability to speak left her. She couldn't believe what had come out of Regina's mouth. Her father charged for treason and her friends dead? The one hope she had was that Ruby had not suffered in her last moments. "It isn't possible." She shouted "My father is innocent, a good man beloved by his people, loyal to your father. He had not wanted me to come here until I was of age, how could he be considered a suspect unless someone speaks false to save themselves from the block."
"I know you want to believe in the goodness of your father…"
"He was" Belle interrupted Regina shocking the court. "He is a good man. There is a logical explanation to all of this. I can testify on his behalf, my cousin Gaston can swear the character of my father."
"Do you have any proof yourself regarding your father's innocence?" proclaimed the crown prince Killian who Belle noticed had been in the background towards the side as he began walking to stood by to Belle's direction. Although two years older than his sister, Killian often would be mistaken for Regina's twin due to their close nature only when their eye color caused a second glance regarding their identical features. Belle never could deny the Prince's physical beauty as she was reminded many times throughout her life how fortunate her engagement is to a prince both handsome, accomplished in his naval status and a charm possessing him with a carefree attitude where it became apparent to the court the engagement was more of an alliance of kingdoms than a love match.
The question took Belle aback when she looked at Regina who stood there now pouting her ruby red lips. "I'm afraid the only proof I have is only what I know regarding a daughter who knows her father as a good man." She her voice cracked slightly. "All I ask is for my father to be given the benefit of the doubt in defending himself."
Killian and Regina looked at one another when the princess and some members surrounded her in offering advice. The court had trouble hearing what was said when Killian went to join them for a few more minutes of discussion until Regina stood up in front of everyone.
"The counsel and myself were moved by your pleas of mercy." Stated Regina, "clearly a daughter would know her father better than anyone if she is willing to stand up in court to proclaim innocence with little hesitation. He will be spared; I give you both mine and Killian's word on this."
Belle's smiled at the news praising thanks to both Regina and Killian as she was ordered to be escorted back to her original bedroom with all of her privileges restored.
A sense of relief hovered over Belle when she made it back to her room, noticing nothing was altered when she last left it as she looked to find an elaborate wooden box carved in roses under her bed containing all the letters she exchanged between her and her father throughout the years. All possessing their faint paper scent when Belle detected a fresh scent of rose oil coming from a secret compartment of the box, she opened it to find an unopen black envelope from based on the ink to be recently written. She began to open the letter only for it to continue being sealed whether by a strong adhesive or by magic, she noticed a small note in her compartment containing an unfamiliar scrawl.
"Do not open until after tomorrow."
The exhaustion from the news and testimony became too much for Belle where she had not wanted to ponder too much into the mysterious letter placing it back into the compartment and hiding the box next to her chamber pot then getting ready for bed.
66666
The trial had been packed with spectators throughout the capital before the sun had completely risen. Many of them were members of the court looking for the best view while the townspeople began to clamor towards the lower entrances causing several instances of the guards to keep the peace for fear of a riot. Belle sat with the royals next to Killian in the side while Regina sat across from them in her rare moments of having young Ivy by her side with the company of her nurse Belfrey. In the middle sat Malcolm deep in conversation with his new mistress Zelena who Belle knew very little of other than the gossip surrounding her as midwife who hailed from a failing noble family in Oz. Her attention went back below when the guards announced her father as the former Duke of Avonlea with the townspeople beginning their cheers as few screamed "traitor".
Belle became aghast at the sight of her beloved father. A large, jovial man who wore too much elaborate fur giving him an imposing figure now wrapped in iron with only a simple grey tunic, face filled with mud and sweat from the time in the dungeon. A brief exchange between father and daughter when Maurice called her out before a guard hit him in his back causing the large man to swallow in pain when he fell to the ground.
"Stop this!" Belle pleaded to Malcolm, "he is here to be tried and you are parading him around as though his sentence is being carried out."
Malcolm stood up ordered Belle to sit down and keep quiet when Killian took her back to her seat. A small comfort when she noticed the prince placed his hand over hers that she briefly smiled at him when she turned back to see the trial.
When it became announced Maurice was charged with conspiracy and murder with the evidence of incriminating letters and a documented attempted on the king's life a week prior, the crowd cheered harder where it became difficult for anyone to hear Maurice's pleas as he began to allocate until Malcolm stood up demanding the prisoner be heard.
"…I am guilty of the crimes against me. I plotted to murder the king, speed up the marriage between the crown prince and my daughter to seize control of the throne." Maurice looked up at Belle seeing the tears in her eyes when he looked back down. "Belle had nothing to do with it, she is completely innocent from my crimes as were all those who served under me when Belle first arrived to Aurum to finish her education." The stress of the irons became too much for Maurice when he went on his knees placing his strength to face the royal courts directly at Malcolm. "My only concern has always been the welfare of my people and family where Aurum depends on the wealth of Avonlea to sustain it status within all of Misthaven."
Belle quickly caught on to the king changing his demeanor to a shocked expression when he began to squirm as he slowly got up regaining his composure.
"Lord Maurice, your crimes upon this kingdom are of a great offense where I am brokenhearted at offering my gesture of friendship. It has come to my attention there was a deal in place where in exchange of the allocation, you will be stripped of all your titles and banished to your summer palace."
"Yes father" Stated Regina proudly, "the counsel and I felt it was the most appropriate decision after we gathered the evidence and taking Belle's pleas into consideration."
The king quickly ignored Regina's explanation continuing to respond back into his sentence. "While it is well believed those who have money and ranking are able to have an easier sentence or even their crimes are looked the other way, I have a firm stance of the upholding the law. Maurice, your crimes proved to be a great offense to those who trusted you and for that you will meet the block effective immediately. Begin the execution."
The king sat down as everyone around him were shocked but the outcome when Belle began pleading for him to show mercy as Regina ordered Belfrey to take Ivy away. "Father this was not what we had agreed upon."
"Regina you are too soft. The man was a traitor and therefore the punishment must fit the crime." Malcolm decreed seeing Belle screaming and crying when he smiled back at her.
Belle tried to run out when she was grabbed by the guards only to see Killian come in turning her head towards the execution. "You need to see this." The sounds coming from all corners were no longer audible with her senses disoriented when she saw her father staring back at her in what can be described as a peaceful expression as he lowered his head allowing the axe to fall upon his neck killing him instantly which led to Belle to see black.
When Belle woke up, she found herself back in her bedroom seeing the bruises on her arm realizing the morning itself had not been a dream. She went to the door for once thrilled it was now locked and it was not the opportune time to meet for meals or be ordered a tray. She went around her room looking at the window seeing Regina and Ivy happily playing in the garden with a feeling of sickness creeping upon her. She hurried to the chamber pot hoping the last of the bile left her mouth when seeing the letterbox close by caught her eye. Immediately remembering the mysterious letter, Belle hurriedly picked the box up opening the compartment with to her luck the envelope was able to be opened with ease.
To the Daughter of the Duke of Avonlea,
By the time you read this letter, your father will have met his unpleasant end in an unjust matter. I express my condolences to you and your family as I have been called upon the House of Legume for any assistance they seek regarding your current predicament.
Should you need to write further, use the compartment than the post. Less of a hassle don't you think?
The letter contained the same unfamiliar scrawl from before where Belle wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry at the thought of Gaston seeking assistance without having to give up something of value for him. While she cared for her cousin, she had trouble trusting him but knew seeking allies meant a great advantage for her.
She gathered a parchment from her desk and began writing to the mysterious letter even asking if it was possible to receive Gaston's letters should she need to directly communicate with him. As she began to finish, Belle started writing her name but when the ink touched the parchment, she realized the implication of placing her name should it somehow fall into the wrong hands. She began thinking of an alias where none she cared for until she noticed on her jewelry box contained a sapphire necklace made from the precious stones found in mines of Avonlea.
"That's it" she said to herself heading back to her desk finishing her letter ready to send it into the compartment.
…..Thank you for your assistance,
Lady Sapphire