After breakfast the next morning Belle was heading down to the library, hoping to get a new book to read before she went and visited Rumplestilskin.
Unfortunately she wasn't the only one in the library that morning.
"Good morning Belle, you look absolutely stunning as always," Gaston said, he stepped in front of her, blocking the book that she had been reaching for.
"Excuse me Gaston, I want to get that book down," Belle said politely. She remembered her deal with her father and despite her anger towards Gaston, she was determined to keep her word.
Gaston glanced back at the shelf and pretended to appear surprised, "You don't need to read my lovely Belle; you have me to tell you all kinds of stories".
"Like what?" Belle asked, trying to sound interested, even though she could already guess what the stories were about.
"You said that you would go on a few dates with me, so let's have one right now," Gaston said, smiling broadly, his eyes glittering with satisfaction.
Belle grimaced, "Sorry, I have to go check on Rumplestilskin. Maybe later?" She moved to get the book from behind him, but he moved quickly, once again blocking her from the shelf. Gaston moved towards her, hooking her arm with his.
"I'm sure that monster can wait a few hours, besides you made a deal," Gaston pointed out.
"Rumplestilskin's not a monster Gaston," Belle snapped as he led her over to the table and then motioned for her to sit down across from him.
Belle spent the rest of the afternoon listening to how great of a hunter and a knight Gaston was. He talked about how he beat everyone in his year when he had still been an apprentice, and how he had killed a boar on his very first hunt. Never once did he ask Belle's opinion, it was like he just assumed she thought he was as great as he thought he was.
"Oh, I almost forgot, I have to help teach the new recruits. I'm sorry Belle, but we'll have to parts ways until later," Gaston reached for her hand, but she pulled it back just in time.
"Yes, goodbye," Belle said swiftly, then headed for the door, but once again, Gaston cut off her route.
"Oh and Belle, word of advice, next time we have a date, you might want to wear something more princess like instead of those peasant rags," Gaston said, then ducked out of the room, leaving Belle to glare after him, hating him.
She didn't wear peasant rags, as Gaston had put it. Her dress was just much more casual than what princesses usually wore. Hers was a simple blue and white dress. It had been her mother's, which was only one of the reasons why it was her favorite.
Belle sighed, hoping that her father wouldn't expect her to fall for that knight, and if he did, then she had news for him. It wasn't going to happen, ever.
Belle angrily headed down to Rumplestilskin's room, her book long forgotten. When she got there, Mrs. Potts was coming out, carrying a plate of half eaten food.
"He's not very hungry today," she said noticing Belle's look of surprise. "Probably because he's not used to eating on a regular basis". Belle nodded, and went into the room.
Rumplestilskin was sitting on is bed, a faraway look in his eyes. When he noticed her, the look vanished, replaced by fear and suspicion.
"Hello," Belle said, she folded her hands in front of her, unsure of what she was planning on actually doing, "How are you today?"
"I'm fine," he replied, his voice still a little hoarse. He still avoided her gaze, only glancing at her face when she spoke or moved.
"That's good," Belle said. For several minutes they sat in silence, neither knowing what to say, then luckily Mrs. Potts came in carrying a book.
"Ruby said that you left this down in the kitchen the other day Belle," she said, handing the book to her.
"Oh thanks. I was wondering where this had gotten to," Belle said gratefully. She had been hanging out with Ruby while her friend had worked, and had brought a book with her to read when things got busy. She had been looking for it for a couple of days since it was one of her favorites.
"Yep, are you ok to be by yourself with him," she tilted her head towards Rumplestilskin who remained silent, "I have to go help some of the wounded soldiers they're bringing in today."
"Sure, no problem," Belle said, smiling. Mrs. Potts nodded and left the room once again.
Belle turned to her book, and thumbed through it, looking for her favorite part. She wondered if Rumplestilskin liked stories.
"Do you like reading?" Belle asked him, "Because I could read to you if you want," He looked at her blankly for a moment then replied,
"I don't mind," he said.
"Ok, well I'll start at the beginning so you don't get lost," Belle said happily and sat down on the bed with him, unsure of what else to do. Maybe if she read to him, it would show him that she wasn't going to harm him. Yes, that was the obstacle she would tackle next now that his wounds and sickness were being taken care of.
"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, two twin brothers worked for their father's plumbing business. Unfortunately he soon passed away from a fire that started in their shop. The fire left them homeless and without any money, so when the princess of their land was kidnapped and the majority of the kingdom's army was off fighting their enemies, the two brothers in exchange for money agreed to go rescue her, though the soldier who had made the deal with them didn't believe they could do it," Belle read.
Belle spent the next few hours reading to him, and though he didn't want to admit it, the princess's calm and even voice soothed him. It made him temporarily forget what had happened to him, and where he was.
Unconciously, he scooted a little closer to hear her better, and tilted his head to watch her facial expressions as she read to him, rarely looking up. This was the first time he had actually looked at her face. Every other time, he had avoided looking at her face as a good slave should, or at least that's what Cora had taught him. He still remembered the first time he had bend bent to her will without prompting from the dagger.
"You are to always call me mistress understand pet?" Cora hissed, her face inches from his. They were in the forsaken dungeon, where Rumplestilskin was kneeling down before Cora, his head thrown back so he could look at her. Not that he had much choice, she was holding the dagger's blade at his throat forcing him to.
"Never," he snarled. He wouldn't break, not for the sake of Bae.
The pressure left his throat and then slid across his face, cold and fast. He bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain. Then she slid it down his neck to his collarbone and dug it into his flesh. This time he couldn't keep himself from whimpering in pain.
"Stay quiet," she snarled and slashed at his ribs and chest. She continued to slash at him with the dagger until he fell back, losing conscious from how much blood he was losing. That only made things worse. Instead of slashing at him with the dagger, she kicked him vicously in the stomach, chest and his legs. Once she even kicked him in every guys' number one weak spot, which made him see stars.
This proceeded for several hours until finally he managed to choke out in a barely audible voice, "Please mistress". Cora paused in her cruel treatment of him and grinned, clearly pleased.
"I'm sorry mistress," she said, prompting him.
Rumple swallowed hard, tears flowing from his eyes, not just from the pain but also from the humiliation. "Please mistress, I'm sorry for disobeying you".
"Rumple," Belle said quietly, snapping him out of the memory. He looked over at her and saw that she had stopped reading, and was looking at him with concern.
"You're trembling, are you ok?" she asked him. This was not what he was expecting; he had expected her to hit him for being so close to her. Instead there was only worry and concern in her eyes.
Her eyes, his heart skipped a beat. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue he had ever seen. He opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out.
Belle watched him, afraid he would jerk away as he had before. At first when she had looked up, she had been happy and pleased to see that he was sitting closer to her than he had been when she had started reading. Unfortunately she had then noticed that he was trembling.
He still didn't answer her question.
"Are you ok?" she repeated, wanting desperately to give him a hug and soothe his worries and fears away. She didn't know why she was so protective of him, she just knew that she wanted nothing bad to ever happen to him again.
"Y-yes, I'm ok," he finally managed to say.
"I'm sorry, did I say something that scared you?" she asked, watching him closely for any sign that he may retreat back to the end of the bed.
"No, I just got wrapped up in my thoughts is all," he said. Belle smiled, this was the first time he hadn't sounded hoarse or scared.
"Belle," Lumiare poked his head inside the room, "You've missed dinner. Ruby saved some food for you down in the kitchen.
"Ok thanks Lumiare," she said, then she turned back to Rumplestilskin, "I have to go, I'll see you again tomorrow ok?"
"Ok," was all he said. Belle nodded and hurried out of the room, leaving Rumplestilskin alone with his bad memories and dark thoughts.
I'll never be able to complete my mission, he thought miserably. I've failed Bae.
He put his face in his heads, even though there was no danger of crying now. Not after what Cora had put him through.
He was about to start thinking about what had happened at Cora's palace when he saw Belle's book lying on the bed still. She must have forgotten it again, he thought. To his own surprise, he found himself amused by this. Obviously the princess was very forgetful. Or was she, his thoughts once again took a darker path. Prehaps she had left it here on purpose to see what he would do with it. Other than that, he couldn't think of any other reason she would have left it.
Eventually, tired of his own thoughts and memories, he picked up the book and settled back against the pillow, deciding to enjoy the peace while it lasted. It would help him survive when the pain and torture came.
He found the page Belle had bookmarked and began to read.
