This is my gift for theladyofthedarkcastle, the most wonderful gift recipient anyone could have asked for, in the Rumbelle Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2014!
Prompt: Belle seeks Rumplestiltskin, magic lessons
Magic is greedy.
That was the first lesson magic thought Belle and the harshest. Magic was greedy and if you promised anything – please I'll give anything for my people to life!- then that was exactly what it was going to take. That had been her first lesson, but even though it was the one she had been thought at the very beginning, she didn't understand what had truly happened until much later and she had certainly no idea of it, when she stood at the gates of the Dark Castle, her heart in her throat, not quite believing that she was finally there.
Haltingly Belle took another step towards the imposing iron gates and wasn't it stupid, that she faltered now, at the end of her journey? The blue light had guided her all the way from Avonlea, through the Enchanted Forest and finally to the far mountains, and she hadn't once haltered since she had first managed to depart. "Be brave", she whispered and the words materialized in little clouds in the cold air, a tangible proof of her being there. It helped a bit. "Be brave and bravery will follow."
The words had almost lost their meaning in all the times Belle had repeated them since it all began, but they still helped her focus. They were what had kept her from breaking apart that first morning she had woken up in a heap on the floor, crumbled in the middle of her carefully drawn pentagram and half covered in the equally carefully applied chalk, back when Belle hadn't been quite able to believe that the night before had been anything more than a fanciful dream. In the harsh morning light the magical symbols she had copied had seemed like child's play and she still remembered her doubts: If she had lacked even there, how could she possibly have succeeded with the rest, how could the surge of power she had felt when she had finished the incarnations have been real? She was after all neither a fairy nor a sorceress, so when she had woken and nothing had seemed to have changed after her try to summon help, Belle hadn't doubted that she had failed. But everything had changed. When she had gotten off the floor there had been the light, nothing more than a little blue sphere hovering in the air before her, and when she had laughed out loud and turned to the maid whose presence had woken her in the first place, the girl had looked right through her, as if she wasn't there.
In a way Belle had succeeded. There, flying before her, had been the tangible proof of the magic she had called to, spinning away from her, as if urging her to follow, but even as she had promised anything to the magic if it only helped her save her people from the nearing ogres, her heart had seemed to be squeezed by an iron fist when she had realized that the price had been her. Belle had still been there, with the solution to her realm's problems at her fingertips, but to anyone else she had been gone.
She hadn't stayed long after that realization. Seeing her father despair over her disappearance, with no clue left but the mysterious magic symbols on the floor of her room and her with no possibility to tell him that she was well, had broken her heart and so she had repeated her mantra – Be brave, Belle, and help your people. Be brave and the bravery you need will come- and followed the light.
It had led her away from the sea, further away from her home than she had ever been, and no one had seen her. People had looked right through her when she had walked in broad daylight, when she had walked towards them they had evaded her without hesitation and when she had touched them they had turned away, as if they hadn't even noticed. In the end it had been but a little price if she only managed to save her family, her friends, but when she had been so utterly alone even on the most frequented roads, it sometimes hadn't felt like it, no matter how selfish she had known that thought to be.
In a way it had gotten better, when she had finally left the last settlements behind and made her way through the dark forest. At least here, there had been no one to remind her of her predicament and the creatures, that inhabited the deep parts of the forest and made it such a danger to travellers, couldn't see her and so she had been save from harm. Sometimes she had sensed their eyes on her though, searching as if they had known that something had been there, even if they couldn't exactly pinpoint it. Belle had felt more happiness than dreed in these moments. At last a proof that she was still real, not a dream dreamed by herself. When she had finally made her way into the mountains, she had been almost sorry to leave that exhilarating feeling behind, but her guiding light had grown brighter with every mile she had travelled, and Belle had known that her destination, whatever it was, hadn't been far off. She had tried not to think about what would happen to her after she succeeded with her plan. First she had to be brave, and then she could worry.
Still, even though she reminded herself that she had to find a way to fight the ogres and that she really shouldn't hesitate mere feet from her goal, the uncertainty of what lay beyond almost shocked her for another moment. Being brave for a moment was easy, but sustaining that bravery over months was a whole other matter. And suddenly she wasn't so sure anymore that she had managed it… Suddenly an unbidden question came to mind: What if she had travelled the country and sacrificed herself, only for an empty promise of safety?
"What exactly, do you think you're doing there, dearie?" The voice came from directly behind her and Belle gasped more out of shock than fear, before one thought rushed to the forefront of her mind and replaced all other thoughts: "You can see me?"
The …well, creature, for lack of a better word, before her cocked his head. "Well, obviously, you didn't approach exactly stealthily", it tittered, giggling in a high voice, and suddenly the coin dropped. The green scales, the impish voice – she knew him, even though she had always believed him to be nothing more than the stuff of fairy tales. "You're Rumplestiltskin!" she breathed, and suddenly there was her answer: everyone knew the tales about the imp who made a deal for one's heart's desire – for a price.
"And again with the obvious, dearie, since you're at my castle, which no one should find by the way!" The grin vanished from his face as fast as it had appeared and he took another step towards her and Belle had to force herself not to step away from him. So close the magic around him seemed to cackle in the air. "Instead of questioning me you should better tell me how you found your way here. Quickly at best, so as not to make me do something I might regret – or rather not."
Again that malicious grin and Belle forced herself to keep her chin up, as he stared her down with his strange reptilian eyes. She hadn't come this far only to be sent away so close to her goal. Determined she gestured to the light now floating directly between them. "I sought help for my people and the magic lead me here." She swallowed hard, still not looking away. "Please- you are our last hope."
'You are our last hope' – that seemed so meaningless in the face of the slaughter her town would face if nothing was done, but what else could she possibly say? Suddenly Belle felt unbelievably silly for not thinking of a compelling argument through her journey. She had just assumed that the hard part was already over; she'd dealt with the magic, so surely everything would be well now.
He looked at her for a long moment, a look people usually reserved for a pet that had managed a surprising trick, before he finally let his hypnotizing gaze leave her and Belle felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted of her chest, once again able to breathe. What now held his undivided attention was the light that still hovered between them and didn't seem all that impressed, when he pocked it with a slender clawed finger. "Interesting… This is potent magic, although dreadfully underused as is, if what you say is true. How exactly did you come by this?" For a moment he seemed deep in thought and Belle noticed fascinated that his voice dropped to an almost human level then. It took her a second until his actual words reached her through her musing.
'He didn't say no!' It wasn't a big consolation, but it still gave Belle new courage in her conversation with this strange creature. "I found a book with a spell that promised answers to one's problems and it gave me the light."
"You bargained with raw magic?" Rumplestiltskin's attention was back on her in an instant and the intensity of his gaze made her shudder involuntarily. "And what pray tell did you promise to entice it to listen to someone without a single spark of magic to herself?"
Belle swallowed hard, but her voice stayed firm. "Anything it wanted – I'm invisible to anyone, anyone but you. Probably because you are who it was supposed to lead me to in the first place…"
"That might be as it is, but you see, you DON'T have my help yet. Nothing is for free, magic the very least - you should have learned that much at least." He giggled menacingly, but this time it was at Belle not to be all that impressed. What did she have to lose after all? Her life? There wasn't much left of it as it was and if she failed – she couldn't even think about it.
"My people are in danger to be killed by the ogres. I don't even know how far they have neared by now, and everything I have is yours, you only have to ask – I'm willing to give anything, you know that already", she stated as factually as she was able. Belle really didn't want to think about what his actual service would cost, when finding him had already had such a steep price, but opting out now was simply not an option.
"You really should have learned not to say that one so fast", he mused darkly, before he walked around her, his gaze thoughtful. "And what if I said I wanted your life? Your sanity? Your hide?" He giggled again, then stopped abruptly. Her heart was now firmly in her throat, but Belle stood steadfast. She couldn't fail her father, not after she had already hurt him so much in her try to get this far. Belle had always wanted to be a hero and this was her chance to be brave, even though it had always seemed so much more glorious in her stories.
When she didn't protest, he looked at her thoughtfully again, before raising his hands in a gesture of nonchalance. "Well, it's your lucky day. As it happens I may be in a need for a caretaker for my rather large estate." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, but Belle only held his gaze as he waited for her reaction. Her chest hurt from the struggle of forcing her breath to stay calm and she felt as if she would surely break down if she relaxed for the slightest moment, but she managed to keep his gaze. She was his to do with as he pleased if she wanted his help and if he demanded her virtue she wouldn't protest – it was simple as that. At least this way she had the semblance of a choice to whom it was traded away, something she would not have had when it would have come to accepting the husband of her father's choosing. This wasn't so different.
"Well, it might actually come in handy to have a maid around, that doesn't get underfoot when I have guests", he finally thought out loud, before he looked back at her. "Deal?"
"My family will be safe, my friends?" she asked, but it was already more of a formality than a real question. Both of them knew what her answer would be.
"You have my word!"
"Then I'll stay with you", Belle promised solemnly, and even though she had already doubted her future in the state she was, she realized that she had still clung to the vague hope of being reunited with her family when her heart clenched painfully. She'd never be able to go back, but if she didn't do this, there would be nothing to go back to.
"It's forever dearie" Rumplestiltskin grinned, before he turned around abruptly. "Well, come along now, there's a lot of dust around here, better you get to work sooner than later."
Belle needed a second to collect herself, before she hasted after him. "And my people?" Rumplestiltskin didn't even turn around, he only snapped his fingers and how could all her troubles be ended by such a mundane gesture? "Consider it done."
Belle followed him dazedly, and when he gleefully shoved her into a dungeon cell, she just sat down on her cot, still numb from all that had happened. Her people were safe – with a snap of his fingers, the ogres had been banished, a feat they hadn't been able to accomplish through years of fights and sacrifices. With a deep sigh Belle curled up and leaned her head against her drawn up knees. If he expected her to despair over her new accommodations she would have to disappoint him. At the moment she simply felt bone tired.
This was and at the same time wasn't like her stories. In her books the heroes were always courageous and never unsure about what was to come. But they also always ended when the danger had been banished. Belle had reached that point, paid every price demanded of her and now she didn't know what to feel. She had succeeded, but the rest of her life seemed to stretch out before her in a never ending trot. Resolutely she shook her head and sat up straighter. No, that was exactly the wrong way to think. It hadn't all been for nothing, her family was safe and no price could be too high for that. She'd make the best of her situation. She'd always wanted adventures after all and what could be more exciting than serving a sorcerer? Not much. Belle smiled weakly. "Be brave", she whispered. "Be brave and everything will be alright."
ooo
When he called for her the next morning, Belle did her best to stand up straight and keep her chin up. 'Be brave', she repeated in her head, a silent mantra as she made his tea in the large kitchen that looked as if it hadn't been used in more years than she had graced this land. 'Be brave', she repeated, as she stepped into the great hall, where she found her master - a word that still sent an uncomfortable chill down her spine - in front of his spinning wheel.
He looked at her expectantly as she neared slowly with the tea things, careful not to stumble over her boots. It was a silly thought, but the mental image of her grubby boots and dirty travel clothes surrounded by all this finery made a nervous smile appear on her face. She was a mess, but he'd chosen her this way, so until he gave her a chance to clean herself and her clothes up there wasn't much she could do about it. It was a surprisingly calming thought. He for his part didn't seem to be bothered over much by her appearance, as he started to detail her duties: "You will serve me my meals and you will clean the dark castle." She nodded absentmindedly, as she tried to tiptoe in a way over to him that would leave her dirty boots in as little contact with the beautiful carpet as possible. "You will dust my collection and launder my clothing, you will fetch me fresh straw for my wheel, oh and you will skin the children I hunt for their pelts."
Belle froze and before she could form a clear thought the tray had fallen to the floor and her heart was in her throat. Rumplestiltskin on the other hand only seemed amused. "That one was a quip, not serious", he added flippantly, as if he couldn't really understand how she hadn't gotten that in the first place.
Belle laughed breathlessly, at seeing his smile, more because of surprise than real mirth at his special kind of humour, but she felt a little lighter as she knelt down to pick up the cups. Somehow knowing that Rumplestiltskin had a sense of humour, however twisted, made her fell a good deal better about working for him. "Right", she murmured drily, but not without a little smile, only to halt again as she cradled the first cup in her hands.
"Oh I'm so sorry, it's chipped." Belle looked up to him apologetically and bit on her lip. She had always been clumsy, and in combination with the shock his 'quip' had put her in, she wasn't exactly surprised by what had happened, but she still felt disturbingly unsure about the incident. Somehow Belle couldn't quite bring herself to believe that even a sorcerer would turn his maid into a slug just because she broke a cup, but on the other hand she really didn't know all that much about her new master and how gravely he would see such an incident. "You can hardly see it", she tried to appease him, as she held it up as if to proof her point, but he only looked at her with a raised brow before stating "It's just a cup" with complete incomprehension and Belle had to smile as the tension left her.
It probably wasn't very smart to judge someone on their reaction on a broken cup, but after that Belle felt better. Maybe this wasn't how she had planned to spend her life, but more and more she felt as if it wasn't such a bad fate to spend her life in the dark castle with him. When she went back to her cell, after that first fateful day, giddy with nerves, and her limbs heavy from the exhaustion of bodily work she wasn't used to, she found a steaming bath, a fresh linen dress and clean boots. When she asked him about it the next morning, he had only stated that he wouldn't want her to dirty up the place anymore –he'd acquired her to clean up after all. Belle had still thanked him and smiled when he turned away, the picture of demonstrative nonchalance.
ooo
Her work turned out to be surprisingly satisfying, once she threw herself into it. Every single inch of her body hurt when she went to bed, but the honest tiredness in the evenings made her feel as accomplished as she had never felt before. Belle relished being useful for once, to work with her hands and do more than a little needlework. But what she enjoyed most was exploring the sprawling castle with all its hidden treasures, while she cleaned.
Her first big find was a room behind the kitchen she had first dismissed as a broom cupboard, only to stumble into a sea of gold when she'd looked for a dustpan. She hadn't wondered where the threat Rumplestiltskin spun every evening went to before, but looking at the mountains of gold wire she suddenly wondered how old he actually was to have had time to make enough wire to fill a whole room, and a large one at that. Most of her other finds weren't nearly as spectacular, but Belle still felt a burst of happiness every time she discovered another of the castle's secrets. There were hidden passages and cabinets full of strange instruments and one morning while dusting she even found a room full of children's clothes; they were old and worn, peasant's garb, and they were in such a stark contrast to the other treasures in the castle that Belle kept wondering about them for quite some time. It was an adventure.
And then there was Rumplestiltskin of course. He always made sure to seem dismissive of her, but then he just happened to be lingering around her far too often for it to be a mere coincidence, even if he made a great show of pointing out spots she had supposedly missed in her cleaning. Belle personally thought he was simply lonely – and she could understand. After her time being invisible, she enjoyed his presence more than she would ever have guessed.
In the evenings, when she was finished with her chores, she took to sitting in the great hall with him and reading one of the books, she had collected from all over the castle, while he spun. She hadn't believed that it could come to such a comfortable camaraderie between them, even when she had admonished herself to be brave, but Belle was content. It would probably be wrong to call the warm feeling, that had settled in her chest 'happiness' -she missed her father too much for that and everything here was still too strange to her - but there were moments she found herself smiling for no real reason and almost forgot her problems.
And Belle was quite sure that she wasn't the only one that was getting more and more comfortable in their arrangement, even though she was certainly the only one who would admit to it. Rumplestiltskin might still have gone to great lengths to underline that she was simply here to take care of the castle, but there was still great kindness in their interactions, even though he did his best to cover them up as nothing but coincidences.
When he presented her with a new room, a bedchamber fit for a queen, he did his best not to look at her as he waved his hand in direction of the stairs and assured her that it was only because he needed his cells after all. As long as she traipsed around down there, where could he take his captives to be tortured after all? Belle had not seen a soul but them in the weeks she had stayed at the dark castle and didn't expect a change in these circumstances, so she only smiled at him and kept her thoughts to herself.
But what really changed her opinion of him wasn't the chamber he gave her, nor the kindness he did his best to cover up, but the incident with the thief.
Usually at this time Belle would have long curled up with a good book either in her chamber, or before the fire in the great hall, listening while Rumplestiltskin spun. But usually she also finished her chores well before the evening. It wasn't even that she had been so overwhelmed from her workload that she hadn't managed that goal today. Her actual chores basically consisted of fixing Rumplestiltskin his meals as best as she could – which wasn't all that good if she was to be honest, but at least she hadn't set anything on fire for quite some time and Rumplestiltskin never complained either way-, bring him his tea – her favourite part of the day, especially when he took the opportunity to talk to her- and keeping at least the most frequented parts of the castle clean.
In the beginning she had thought to tidy up the whole castle, but as it turned out the cheer scale of the building made that task quite impossible. As it was Belle choose one part of the castle a week to clean in addition to the usual area and while that meant that the whole castle never was completely spotless, it at least meant that she slowly freed all its parts from the thick grime that had settled on the unused rooms in what must have been centuries.
All in all it was a quite manageable workload that allowed her to indulge into reading the books she saved from oblivion in a faraway corner of the castle, but that comfortable situation sadly had dangers of its on, as that day had proven. Belle truly had only wanted to thumb through her newest finding, but the book had proven to be captivating from the start and when she had finally managed to wretch herself away from the book it had already been late afternoon and most of her work had still been waiting for her, which was the reason why she was still busy sweeping the great hall so late in the evening.
Well, at least it wasn't as if she was missing something more captivating… Rumplestiltskin was still out on one of his ominous deals and while she enjoyed the stories he brought back from them, she felt the loss of his presence keenly. Belle had never been overly social and always content enough when she had been left alone with her books, but she had also never shunned company and after the experience of being invisible to every other being, her time in his presence had become especially precious to her. If he was here now, he'd surely mock her for her tardiness, but he would also make her laugh while she worked and maybe even make some of the dust vanish - of course only when he thought she wouldn't notice.
So when she heard a crash from the hall, her first reaction wasn't dreed but a smile. While she felt as if she had gotten at least closer to knowing Rumplestiltskin in the last weeks, he still puzzled her often enough and a few broken things at his arrival weren't the strangest thing she had experienced with him by far, so she simply got back to work.
What did startle her, was the man that strode through the hall when she turned around. She froze in her movement and the broom fell out of her hand. It fell down to the floor with a deep thump and Belle stopped breathing when the stranger whirled around to her. Rumplestiltskin was nowhere in sight and everyone who managed to bypass the castle's wards was sure not to be impressed by a maid armed with a simple broom. 'Or not even that', as she had to amend with a look to the floor. She had to do something before he decided to act, but quite unlike her stories, where the heroes always got the saving idea when they needed it most, her mind seemed purged from all thoughts. The only thing left for her to do was to face the situation and try to get through it – but when she looked up, determined, but with her heart razing in her chest, the stranger looked straight through her.
The curse! Belle had to stop herself from laughing out loud. How could she have forgotten her predicament? Such a monumental thing? It seemed almost impossible, but when she thought about it the answer was almost too obvious. Rumplestiltskin had seen her after all and with him as her only company, and good company at that, she had barely thought about the fact that his was the only company she would ever be able to have again.
Belle was so lost in her thoughts that she needed a moment to notice that the intruder had seemingly dismissed the noise as nothing and was now once again walking towards Rumplestiltskin's treasures.
"Stop!" She knew that he wouldn't hear her, but she couldn't help herself. She just couldn't stand by and watch him steal from Rumplestiltskin, not after what he had done for her, payment or not. But what could she do? Belle still had no more ideas for a great plan than she did before, but she ran after him all the same. The man had picked up the slender wand that had always rested on one of the display cases Rumplestiltskin treasured so and without further thought Belle grabbed for it. Rumplestiltskin had always forbidden her to even think of touching any of the magical items in the castle and Belle truly believed that it was for her own good, especially with regards to her own experiences with magic, but she just couldn't let him take it. "Let go!"
The thief still didn't notice her, but he surely did notice that the wand suddenly didn't move anymore. He frowned. "A magical barrier?" he whispered to himself and she only pulled harder. He was stronger than her by far, but the month of labour had given her at least some strength and she held on for dear life. At least he hadn't guessed at her presence. Maybe he would just give up, if he thought that the wand was protected by some kind of magic and not just a girl who grew more and more tired by the moment. Whatever happened she wouldn't let him steal it and in a last effort of her strength Belle let herself fall with all her weight and his grip slipped.
The fall knocked the breath out of her lungs and a sharp pain shot through her head as it cracked on the stone floor. For a moment she saw nothing but stars, but she had the wand and as she caught her breath again she had to laugh. She got it, now she only had to get away from here and he wouldn't be able to get the wand back. If she could only get her legs to obey her again, but for the moment her head still swam too much and she had to content herself with watching him.
At first he simply looked startled, but he still got his bearings back before her and then it was too late. Belle hadn't even noticed his bow until he trained it on the general direction of the wand – and her. To him it had to look as if the wand was flying a little over the floor and it seemed as if he had come to the conclusion that the wand couldn't truly land so awkwardly on its own.
"There you are. Almost lost sight of you and the wand. What are you, a ghost?" His gaze searched the ground around the wand, but he still looked right through her. She should be able to get away without him noticing, but she didn't know how she could take the wand with her. Maybe she should just throw it and then run after it, while he shoot into the empty air? She sat up, but her head still hurt too much to even think about sprinting out of the hall and his next words made her plans null and void anyway.
"If there's someone I'd recommend giving me the wand", he said calmly, still aiming at her. "Any arrows from this bow always find their target and I don't think you want to find out for yourself what it can do to you."
Belle ground her teeth together and ignored the stinging pain as she finally got up and took a step back. She could feel her hands shake violently, but she only griped the wand tighter. She wouldn't let him get it and he seemed to have come to the same conclusion, as he let the arrow fly. "How I love magic!" His voice barely registered with her as one thought fought its way to the surface of her mind and ended in one last scream: "Rumplestiltskin!"
And suddenly he was there, in front of her.
"As do I!" His voice was darker than she had ever heard it, but her heart still leaped at hearing it. Somehow she couldn't believe anything bad could happen now that he was here.
"Rumplestiltskin!" In Belle's ears the intruder sounded strangely shocked at seeing Rumplestiltskin in his own castle, but that might have had to do with the manner of his arrival. Still, he seemed to share her disbelief.
"Indeed, the question is who are you, and what are you doing in my castle?" The question reminded her of her own first meeting with him, but this time his voice was cold as ice. He seemed darker than she had ever seen him before and Belle had to remind herself that he was protecting her in order not to be afraid of him. Haltingly Belle laid her hand on his back, and somehow the warmth under her hand helped her keep calm. They had a deal and when she had called he came and now he was there, protecting her. Still, she almost had to admire the stranger when he managed to keep any trace of fear out of his voice when he answered. "I need the wand and you better get out of the way. This bow never misses its mark, and next time I will aim right for your black heart, not your hand!"
The words sent a cold rush through Belle. The arrow! With Rumplestiltskin appearing she had all but forgotten about it, but when she stepped around Rumplestiltskin, away from the protection of his body, she saw that he had gripped the arrow out of the air, the shaft piercing right through his hand. "No-"she began, but Rumplestiltskin's gaze only got grimmer, as he looked at her. "Oh, now I'm afraid", he taunted, as he turned back around to the archer and then the arrow hit his chest.
Belle watched frozen as he gasped - and the suddenly giggled! "Sorry, but it takes far more to harm me!" With a simple gesture of his hand the arrows vanished, with another the bow was out of the thief's grasp and with a third he was bound by thick ropes and only then he finally turned around to Belle.
It was stunning how fast his expression changed. From one moment to the next the hard look melted from his features and he was her Rumplestiltskin again, not the Dark One, even though he still looked slightly annoyed, as he gestured for her to turn around. She almost shrank back, when warm fingers softly touched the back of her head, where her hair had become wet with blood from her fall.
"My maid on the other hand is quite another matter." His tone sounded almost conversationally, but Belle didn't miss the hard undercut as he caressed the back of her head and her skin prickled for a moment, before his magic closed her wound. "When I wanted a maid that wouldn't get underfoot that wasn't what I had in mind."
Now the thief sounded honestly perplexed. "Maid?"
"Yes, the one you treated so poorly. But I think I'll get you to tell me how you thought taking or harming what is mine was a good idea." He whirled around again and even though Belle couldn't see his face, she knew that his dark expression was back. "As you seem so fond of magic, I'll give you your first magic lesson: All magic comes with a price and in your case that's me."
Belle turned around in time to see him drag his prisoner in the direction of the dungeons and suddenly she felt sick to her stomach, as she remembered how she had laughed at the idea of the cells coming into use again. She'd never hated being wrong more than right then.
ooo
Belle had known that this was a bad idea, but even though she had assured herself that she hadn't planned this when she had gone down to the dungeons to bring their prisoner some food, she had already been dimly aware back then that she was only lying to herself.
The would-be-thief looked bad, but not as bad as she had imagined when she had seen Rumplestiltskin come up in his bloody apron. His face was pale and there were dark spots on his shirt, but he still seemed to be in one piece, even though he looked worn out. She was glad, but at the same time she had the niggling thought that a prisoner that was hurt too badly couldn't talk anymore and hadn't she seen how effortlessly magic could heal just yesterday? Her stomach turned, as she opened the door, and her knuckles turned white around the tray she was holding.
She hadn't be able to sleep at all the last night, Rumplestiltskin's menacing grimace still too fresh on her mind. They had settled in such a comfortable routine that Belle had all but forgotten the grim stories about her master. Belle had never taken tales at face value and when she was confronted with his covert kindness on a daily basis, she had all but forgotten the tales about his darker dealings, but suddenly she couldn't anymore and that had left her more shocked than she could believe. He was dark, he was brutal and whatever she had thought about his nature seemed to be proven wrong, looking at his prisoner.
She laid the tray on the ground before him and startled when he laid his hand on it. "Wait, it's you, the maid, isn't it?" His voice was a little rough, but that could be as well from thirst as from screaming his throat raw and Belle quickly set the jug of water on the ground before him. She truly wanted to answer him, but how, when he couldn't see, couldn't fell her? But he seemed to have detected her presence when he noticed the tray, so she tried to take the porridge bowl away again and he nodded shaky. "Yes, you are. He didn't only make you invisible, did he? I have to concentrate to notice you, even when you interact with object… It's as if the things simply vanish…" He trailed off and Belle felt a new rush of frustration. Whatever crimes Rumplestiltskin had committed, her predicament wasn't one of them, but how could she tell that someone who couldn't even properly notice her?
For a few moments they just sat in silence and Belle felt her stomach knot again. Suddenly she was back on the road, alone while being surrounded by people, but this time it was almost worse. This time there was someone, who knew that she was there, but she still couldn't talk to him.
"I'm sorry, you know?" His voice was quiet, when he spoke again. "I didn't want to hurt you, but I needed that wand more than anything else and now… Now my last chance is lost…"
He sounded so honestly sorry and Belle saw Rumplestiltskin before her inner eye. Rumpelstilstkin as she had gotten to know him and not the cruel sorcerer. She closed her eyes. She knew what she had to do.
ooo
It hadn't taken him long to find the cell empty, and barely any longer for him to find Belle, who had sat in the great hall, a book in hand she had been too overwrought to read. She had stared at the pages without seeing anything when Rumplestiltskin had come to her, shouting in a rage as great as she had never seen before. Rumplestiltskin had still worn the bloody apron, in his hands a knife and even though his manner had lost most of his artificialness, he had seemed even less human than ever before and for the first time Belle had been truly afraid of him.
But that had been exactly the reason why she had had to stand up to him. She had seen good in him, had truly believed, that there was more to him than first met the eye; kindness if one only got past his guard. Then, his face a mask of cruel mockery and the thief's blood still on his clothes, she had felt incredibly silly, especially because she still hoped that she hadn't been completely wrong, but she just hadn't been able to let him go through with it. Not only for the thief's sake, but his own.
He had only scoffed at her suggestion that he must have had a reason for stealing the wand and now she was trailing behind him through the forest and Belle couldn't think of a thing to say that could possibly stop him from shooting the man with his own bow. She had already appealed to the good in him, but without success. Maybe she had truly been wrong about him, the only person she would ever know again and the thought made her stomach clench.
"You know it's still not too late to turn back", she tried again. They had been walking for a long while now and they hadn't seen a trace of him yet. Maybe Rumplestiltskin would become bored by this hunt, if it only took long enough. In truth, she didn't believe it herself. "I'm not going to stand by and watch you kill a man."
Rumpelstiltkin snorted. "You're welcome to sit if you like, but you are going to watch. That's the whole point of our little expedition, remember? To see what your actions wrought." His tone cut her to the bone and Belle was still searching for words to answer him with, when she saw him. The thief was standing under a tree, not a hundred feet away from them.
"Found him." There was obvious mirth in his voice and Belle looked away. She didn't want to see his face. Still, she couldn't stop trying. "Look, he's waiting for something", she whispered as a cart appeared. A card with an obviously ill woman.
"That woman…" she whispered and for the first time in a long while she started to hope again.
"That must be the one he stole from the sheriff", Rumplestiltskin agreed and Belle did her best not to think of the sleazy man they had met on the road. In that moment she had been truly glad for her invisibility.
Whatever had happened with the sheriff, life hadn't treated her kindly. Her skin was sallow and even though she looked glad to see the thief she seemed unable to move on her own. "She's sick, she's going to die."
For Belle, the reason behind the suicidal theft had suddenly become clear, but Rumplestiltskin didn't seem to be moved by the same epiphany. "So is he", he said and already drew the bow, when Belle pulled his arm back. She couldn't let him do it! "Stop!", she shouted and gestured at the pair before them. The man had drawn the wand and started to heal the woman. "I'm right about him, that's why he stole the wand! It's so he could heal the woman he loved." Belle stared at him imploringly. Surely he couldn't remain unmoved by this revelation. If there was any good left in him he just couldn't ignore this reasoning.
"He's still a thief", he argued, but he didn't sound nearly as enraged as before and Belle found new hope. "And she would have died if he hadn't stolen your wand!"
Rumplestiltskin looked at her for a long moment, then he turned away again. "And now he gets to die and she can tell all of Sherwood Forest what happens when you steal from Rumplestiltskin!" He sounded determined again and Belle wanted to reach for him, to stop him from making this mistake, but he was faster than her and with a cloud of purple smoke she was suddenly stuck to the waist in the ground. "That should give you a good view." There he was again, Rumplestiltskin the sorcerer, Rumplestiltskin the showman, and Belle felt a new wave of desperation overcome her, as she tried to free herself.
"You don't have to do this, I was right about the thief and I'm right about you!" Her voice shook and by now her words were as much for herself as they were for him. She had to believe that there was more to him, she just couldn't let go of the memories that hinted at so much more, when it came to him. She just couldn't give up on the last person she had left. "Look", she called in a last fit of determination. "She's pregnant, you're not the kind of man to leave a child fatherless - no!"
Rumplestiltskin had shoot and Belle felt her world come apart around her. She had truly thought to see hesitation in his expression, but then he had done it anyway. Belle closed her eyes and fought back the tears. She had truly hoped to be right about him.
"I missed." Rumplestiltskin's voice was strangely calm and it took Belle a moment to understand his meaning. She first stared at him, then at the arrow that had burrowed itself in the wood of the cart. A smile bloomed on her face as Rumplestiltskin freed her from the earth with a wave of his hand. "Get back to the carriage, I'm bored of this forest." His tone was carefully casual, but Belle didn't buy it for a moment.
"You're not going after him", she stated, still smiling at him. He didn't look at her as he answered. "Not worth the effort." It sounded as if the topic was closed for him, but Belle wouldn't let this go. "You sparred his life!"
Rumplestiltskin actually had the gall to look appalled. "What? I did nothing of that sort." Belle had to stifle a lough, as she walked towards him. "That bow has magic in it, it never misses its target", she reminded him softly, but Rumpelstilstkin remained steadfast.
"Maybe the magic simply wore - " He hesitated, as Belle stepped even closer to him and looked her in the eyes "-off", he finished lamely.
He could protest all he liked, but Belle knew the facts, knew that he could have killed him in an instant, if not with the bow, then with his own magic, but she kept quiet. Rumpelstilskin was a creature of marvel, keeping his secrets close to his chest and his real character even closer, but she knew now, more keenly than she had ever before, that he had a good heart underneath it all, no matter how much he tried to protest. Belle smiled at him and without thinking hugged him close to her. His skin was warm even through her cloak, even though his cloak, and he smelled like sharp spices and straw. He froze under her touch, apparently too startled to react and her grin grew even wider, as she burrowed her head against his shoulder. His attitude was truly nothing but smoke and mirrors. The smile was still firmly on her face, as she took a few steps back and made to walk back to the carriage. A few feet away she turned around. "Aren't you coming?"
ooo
Something had changed between them that day and Belle had the feeling that she wasn't the only one to notice.
It still was too early for any sort of well-grounded assessment of her new master – the latest events had proven that at least- but Belle still thought she slowly had the first trace of a measure of Rumplestiltskin: He took great pleasure in shocking those around him – or at least her, the only person she had observed him interacting with- and took delight in their reactions, but when she simply laughed along with him instead of quivering in shook, he seemed strangely pleased. Rumplestiltskin seemed to think that he had to remind her of his beastly nature, but the more he tried to scandalize her, the more Belle came to the conclusion that his words were truly only that: words.
In the weeks she had stayed with him he had been nothing but kind to her, if not in words then in deeds, and whatever he had said that first day she had pledged her service to him, he hadn't come to her bed that night or any other and Belle blushed at the thought of the warmth that had overcome her, when she had hugged him so close to her. Maybe she wouldn't quite mind now… He had his dark sides, but in the end he seemed to choose the right way, even though he seemed to feel the need to justify his good deeds and wasn't that a strange habit?
When he gave her the library he had assured her that it was only another room her for to clean, but Belle knew how to take that by then. If that was his way of apologizing, she wouldn't force him to explain himself. What truly mattered wasn't the gift itself, or even the apology behind it nor the warmth she had felt curse through herself when she had held him close, but the fact that for once Belle truly believed that she could make a life out of her situation and maybe even a happy one at that. She still missed her father terribly, but he was save and that was worth every sacrifice. She had already more than she could have hoped for when she made this deal and Belle swore to herself that she'd make the best of it.