The Ensnared
Written by: Adventure-Seeking-Juliet
When: While I should be writing an essay...
Disclaimer: The ownership of Once Upon a Time belongs to ABC. I only dabble in their wonderful world.
A/N Much thanks to the lovely reviewers! Despite the terribleness that is this chapter, I hope you enjoy it. My muse was trying to push me off a cliff the entire time...so you are lucky to be reading this right now.
Chapter Two
Conditions in the prison were worsening, but Belle hardly noticed. She distracted herself with Rumpelstiltskin's notes. They were a wonderful blessing, she knew, he told her jokes, that weren't really all that funny, but she always laughed anyway, much to the anger of the guards.
And at night, when the cries of the other prisoners were louder than ever, Belle thought about the loopy curves Rumpelstiltskin used to write her name. She had memorized his handwriting like one would memorize a face or a voice.
She hoped that one day she would be able to memorize his face and voice too, but it was becoming more evident that her hope was futile one.
Each night Belle woke to the sound of jangling keys. The guards were removing prisoners all the time now. Of course, the prisoners rarely returned, but Belle was sure they were being sent somewhere nice.
In fact, Belle didn't think they were being sent anywhere at all. They were dying, she was sure of it.
Belle only wished she knew why.
She stayed up at night, trying to think back on her life...trying to remember a time that she might have done something to make another royal hate her, but Belle didn't even recall meeting another royal.
Her father's kingdom was secluded from most other places by the Dark Forest and the mountains...the only people who had ever visited their home were merchants.
She hated to think back on her life. It made her think of her father, of his smiling face, of the home she could never return to. Even if she escaped her prison, how would she ever find her father?
The thought made her chest ache and her head pound. She had never been so afraid before. What would she do?
Belle sat up, intending to write to Rumpelstiltskin. He always knew how to quiet her fears, either with a kind word or a funny story. She knew it was selfish of her to wake him in the middle of the night, but she feared she would break down if she did not talk to him.
She sat for a moment, hoping to let her eyes adjust to the darkness of her cell. It had to be late...close to midnight, perhaps. It was hard to keep track of the time of night, but Belle knew that the guards always came to take a prisoner in the hours just before dawn.
And the guards had yet to come, so it wasn't too late.
When Belle could finally make out the vague shape of her cell, she stood and walked to the left, letting her hands slide across the squalid surface of the wall, searching for the tiny hole that housed their notes.
She kneeled on the stone floor, wishing she had memorized the location of the hole like she had memorized Rumpelstiltskin's handwriting.
Finally, her hand brushed something coarse and dry, a stark contrast to the wet and slimy stones of the wall. The paper.
She smiled and pulled the paper and pen into her cell, feeling relieved.
She leaned close to the cold stones, worried he wasn't even awake to write her back, and said," Rumpelstiltskin?"
There was a moment of silence, then," Yes, dearie?"
Belle smiled at the sound of his melodic voice. It was deep and rough, probably from the lack of water given to them in the cells, but it was the most beautiful of sounds to her.
She did not answer him, knowing it was dangerous to speak more than a few words inside the dungeon, lest the guards hear you. Instead, Belle unraveled the paper and replied with written words.
It was harder to write in complete darkness than she had expected, and Belle panicked for a moment, worried that Rumpelstiltskin would be unable to read her note.
Belle peered out to the edge of her cell. It was actually a good deal bigger than she had thought it was, but no one ever dared to sit at the edge next to the barred teeth.
She bit her lip, staring into the dim light reflected from the narrow hallway, then scooted up toward the light so she could write more legibly.
Belle had always wanted to be brave, but she never thought this would be her defining moment of courage. Life was truly unpredictable.
I'm sorry to bother you so late at night, but I couldn't sleep. I was just thinking...even if we escape, how will we ever find her our families? It will be impossible. What if we never find them?
She quickly retreated back into the darkness of her cell, slipping the note and pen back into the hole as she did.
Belle tried to ignore the goosebumps rising all over her body, but the night was growing cold, and the stones were like ice under her legs. So she curled up, leaning her head back against the wall, and listened to the sounds of Rumpelstiltskin scurrying around in his prison.
He was replying to her, she could hear the sound of his pen scratching the paper.
She smiled to herself as she curled her arms around her knees. He was the only one who could make her happy in a place as terrible as their prison.
Not a minute later, she heard him slip the paper back into the hole, and it took all of her self-restraint to stop her from snatching at the paper like a petulant child.
She once again crept into the dim light, trying to ignore the dark spots of blood that adorned the corridor.
You are never a bother, Belle. I do not sleep in this place. We shall search together, and that will make all the difference. We will find those we love, and if we do not, then we will always have each other. You might not feel as I do, Belle, but I love you. I realize that you are young and probably cannot find any interest in an old and lame spinner, but I will always feel this way about you. You have made these tortures bearable.
Belle felt her heart twitter inside her chest. Rumpelstiltskin loved her? The idea filled her with a warmth she hadn't felt since she was a little girl.
But she knew she was being ridiculous, clearly he only loved her as he would love a child. As he loved his son, perhaps.
You are the only light in this darkness, and I love you very much. However, I am confused by your feelings. Do you love me as a child? As a daughter? Or as a woman? As a woman you would wish to spend your life with? I must confess I do not love you as a father or an uncle. What I feel for you is much deeper...it is something completely different.
Belle had only just inserted her letter into the hole when she heard the footsteps. They were loud and heavy...
The Guards.
She scrambled further into her cage, until she was once again lying on the hard slab of her makeshift bed, scarcely breathing.
Who were they coming for this time? The steps steadily came closer, and Belle found herself shaking. What if they took him?
The one who loved her...the one she loved in return...the idea of losing him to the wretchedness of the prison guards made her stomach drop helplessly.
Belle had the sudden urge to throw up. She was making herself sick with worry for him, but she couldn't stop herself.
She hated to be weak, but when it came to him, she had no choice.
The keys jangled...but they were closer than she had thought them to be.
And that was when horror struck her, the keys weren't jingling in the lock of his cell, the guards stood outside her cell.
They were stone-faced and apathetic. One held a lantern, but it barely illuminated their faces. All Belle could see were dark lines and empty eyes...
"Are you Belle, the daughter of King Maurice?" The man's voice was monotone, and so unlike the melodic tenor of Rumpelstiltskin's accent that Belle was shocked.
It was the first voice she had heard, besides Rumpelstiltskin's, in months. And it was cruel.
But Belle was a brave soul, so she stood on shaking legs," I am."
"Then you need to come with us. If you remain docile and quiet, we will let you walk. If you try to fight us, we will be forced to drag you."
Belle smiled, despite her watering eyes," That will not be necessary, gentleman. I can walk."
She followed them into the blood stained hall; they would not see her beg.
She was a brave soul.
A/N Well, that wasn't as good as would have liked...but I hope you still enjoy it. The plot is moving along nicely now..please review?