Chapter Four

A/AN: I lost inspiration to write this story for awhile but it has returned, and I plan to finish it. I've also edited the other three chapters as well. I hope you all enjoy, chapter four!

Belle had never seen such an expansive place in all her life. The castle was gargantuan, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as she imagined her mother living here. The ride to Avonlea had been jolting and uncomfortable. She felt herself becoming consumed by motion sickness. She was thankful when her horse came to a halt.

"We're here, milady. Allow me to assist you," Gaston remarked, dismounting his horse and holding his gloved hand out to her. Belle took it, and he helped her off the stallion. She smoothed out her wrinkled skirts as he looped his arm through hers.

"Allow me to escort you to the castle. The servants will take care of my horse," he insisted. Belle held no qualms about his offer because she was frightened and alone. She knew no one from this time, and she wasn't sure how she'd be accepted. Belle averted her gaze away from all of the gaping stares she was receiving from the castle's occupants. Why were people looking at her so strangely?

Belle had only made silent nodding gestures until being stared at by the upteenth person. "Pardon me, Gaston, but why is everyone looking at me like I'm some bizarre creature?" she asked, growing frustrated.

"I'm not sure, milady, but I'm sure it isn't anything to be concerned about," he remarked, downplaying the entire situation. She shrugged her shoulders in response.

"King Maurice will want to meet you, so we'll head to the throne room first," he explained as they made their way down an elongated hallway. Belle kept her head bent low as they passed by guards and servants. When they approached the throne room, she felt her heart somersault within her chest. She was about to meet the king of Avonlea, and she had no idea what to expect.

She felt as if she was smothering as he led her into the throne room. A plump man leaned back against his throne, rising from his chair as he caught sight of his bravest knight. "Gaston, what brings you here, and who's this?" he questioned, shooting a calculating glance at Belle.

"Your majesty, I met this young woman traveling on the road. I didn't think it was safe for her to be alone, so I brought her here to offer her sanctuary from the ogres. I hope that's all right," Gaston illuminated.

"Yes, it was certainly very noble of you. What's your name, child?" Maurice addressed her.

"My name is Belle, your highness," she confirmed, bowing reverently before the monarch. When she met his gaze, he felt his breath hitch in his throat as he stared into her phantom irises. He blinked confusedly as he caught sight of the strand of pearls adorning her neck.

"Where did you get those!?" he demanded, reaching for the iridescent beads, fingering them slightly.

"They belonged to my mother," she simply stated.

"Your mother!? Who was she?" he asked, attempting to conceal the hope lingering in his voice.

"Her name was Colette. I never knew her. I was handed over to the church after her passing. This is the only possession I have of hers," she half lied, believing it best to omit the part about time travel.

"Gaston, please leave Belle and I to ourselves. I have much I'd like to discuss with her," he commanded.

"As you wish, your majesty," he complied, turning around and exiting the room. Belle felt extremely nervous around this strange man. He was a king, and she was a mere peasant, but she was also curious, because he seemed to know something about her mother.

"You're a spitting image of her. I knew your mother, Colette. We were childhood friends," he revealed, catching her off guard.

"I wish I'd known her. Could you tell me more about her?" Belle inquired, hoping to hear the most menial details about her mother.

"There's so much I yearn to tell you about her. Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?" he asked eagerly.

"I'd love to," she smiled friendlily, immediately feeling drawn to the man with kind eyes. He stood from his throne, hesitantly putting his arm around her shoulders. She would discover he was her father later at dinner. Belle found her life drastically changing as she went from a pauper to a princess overnight. Her heart felt fuller than it had been in years as her father showered her with the paternal love she'd always craved.

As the months drifted by, Belle's belly began to ripen with child. She'd fibbed to the king and told him she'd been wed to a peasant boy at one time. She told him the boy had died tragically in a fire. Maurice set her up with the best tutors and the finest ladies to attend to her needs. He vowed her child would grow up in a house of nobility and would be provided with an extensive education.

Belle was grateful for her father's moral support. The rest of the castle's occupants came to highly favor her. No one could say enough about the king's long lost daughter. After the duration of nine months, she gave birth to a beautiful, pink cheeked baby girl. The tiny infant had a mop of chestnut curls atop her head and her father's sable eyes. She was overwhelmed by emotion as she reminisced about him. A tear trekked down her cheek at his memory, but she wouldn't allow this beautiful moment to be ruined by her heartbreaking loss. She'd grieved for him enough. For a few fleeting moments, they'd created a precious life together. She was eternally thankful for what they'd shared, but it was over, and she had to think of her daughter's well being. She decided to name her, Alina. The name meant light, and in her heart it signified finding light amidst the darkness of losing her lover.

~X~

Rumpelstiltskin wasn't sure how long he'd been kept in this place. His cell was dark and damp, and he was utterly alone. The days seemed to meld together, and he found it impossible to keep track of time. His captor mercilessly kept him alive with stale bread and water. He was never given enough to feel full. It was only meant to sustain him and nothing more. He couldn't figure out why he was being kept alive. He had no one to pay his ransom or come looking for him. The only thing which fueled his hopes was the possibility of seeing Belle again, though he knew not how. One day his cell door swung open to reveal an old woman wearing a dress made of patched rags. "Who are you?" Rumpelstiltskin squinted weakly through his matted eyelids.

"I'll explain everything later. Belle is waiting for you," the old woman spoke, helping him to his feet.

"Belle...How do you know her!?" he demanded weakly.

"That's none of your concern. Do you wish to see her or not?" she asked irritably.

"I do, please help me," he pleaded, becoming nauseated by the pungent smell of lying in his own filth.

"The way back to her won't be an easy path. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be with her?" she asked, reaching for a shiny object hidden beneath her cloak.

"Yes, I'll do anything. Just tell me, and I'll do it!" he spat out impulsively.

"Aye, a desperate soul you certainly are, Rumpelstiltskin. All you must do is take the blade and run me through with it, then you'll inherit my abilities," she spoke ominously as she thrust the dagger into his hand. The metal burned his skin, and the moral part of him told him to resist its siren call, but he was too weak. He'd never taken a life before as he run the blade through the old woman's chest who cackled manically. She fell to the ground, blood leaking from the edges of her mouth.

Rumpelstiltskin cried out in anguish as he felt an invisible entity latch onto him, seizing his soul. "What is this!? What have you done to me!?"

"I gave you what you wanted, dearie. Everything comes with a price, and my suffering was too much to bear any longer. The curse now belongs to you and it will help you find Belle again. She's returned to her own time which means you'll have to wait several hundred years to rejoin her," she gurgled, her breathing becoming shallow.

"And how do you know this!?" he demanded, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck.

"Because I can see the future, and I saw you both together again. Your future isn't guaranteed unless you learn to control the darkness within you. There will be many trials and tests along the way, and you'll have to learn to resist the temptation the curse poses. If you overcome these obstacles, then you'll surely be reunited," she expounded, releasing her final breath as her eyes turned glassy.

He dropped her to the ground, her head lolling to the side. He gazed down at his gold shimmering scales and his sharp talons. He was no longer a man, but a beast. He howled out in vexation as he tore the prison apart before disemboweling each one of his enemies. He hid himself away within the confines of an abandoned castle deep within the mountains, praying no one ever saw him like this, especially Belle.

~X~

As the years ticked by, Belle flourished and grew into a beautiful young woman. She gazed down within the coffin which held her father's body. She placed a gloved hand against his right cheek, caressing. She placed a tender kiss against his brow, averting her gaze to her ten year old daughter conversing with her royal adviser, Gaston. Consumption had stolen him away from her, but they'd had ten good years together. She was officially the Queen of Avonlea now, whether she liked it or not. She'd attempted to dispel him from her mind, but she thought of him more and more these days it seemed. Living in the past almost felt like a dream until she gazed upon Alina. He was always staring back at her whenever she peered into her deep sable eyes.

She approached Gaston, touching his shoulder lightly. "Your highness, how may I be of service?" he inquired, giving her his full attention.

"Before I take over as sovereign, I'd like to have an afternoon to myself. I wish to take Phillip out and clear my head. Would you please watch over Alina while I'm gone," she requested.

"Of course, your grace. I'll have one of the servants prepare him for you immediately. Matilda would be a good escort for you. I'll-"

"No. I wish to ride alone, Gaston. I'm going to have servants and nobles breathing down my neck until the day I die. I crave a little peace and quiet to myself before that happens. I'll be fine. I'm not going to ride far," she reassured him.

"All right. Just make sure you're armed," he hissed underneath his breath.

"I shall. I'm very capable of taking care of myself. Just watch over Alina," she remarked as she observed her girl talking to Lord Rowan's daughter, Clarissa.

"As you wish, your grace," he returned. The moment her father was lowered into the ground, she donned on her riding clothes, heading for an unnamed destination. The woods were quiet, enchanting her with a sense of serenity as Phillip galloped through the foliage. She should have turned back hours ago but something deep within her told her to journey onward.

She blinked in surprise when she came upon a castle which appeared abandoned. She should have rode on, but she felt an arrestable pull towards it as she dismounted her horse. She unsheathed her sword, slicing through the thick vines which surrounded it until she reached the entrance. She pushed open the weak oaken door which creaked obnoxiously as she did. The castle was pitch black, so she reached for a match within her pocket, lighting a discarded branch lying at her feet. She held it up, its ethereal orange light illuminating the walls. Her rational mind told her to leave at once, but she found it impossible to as she continued her trek.

She blinked as she came upon a peculiar sight. There was a spinning wheel with discarded piles of straw around it. The scene before her conjured up a long forgotten memory of two comrades chatting away as they worked. She swallowed back the lump forming in her throat, dispelling images of her past lover from her subconscious. Turning back seemed more appealing as she continued to stave off the unwanted memories. She set her sights on the exit, caring little about exploring anymore of the castle. She was unaware she was being followed until a strange creature seized her by the throat, forcing her to turn around.

"What are you doing in my castle, intruder!? Are you ignorant of what the Dark One does to those who dare disturb him!?" he growled vehemently. She gasped, throwing the torch down as she met his goblin eyes.

"I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" she begged.

When he got a good look at her face, he released her. "Belle, is that you!?" he queried.

"Rumple?" she blinked in disbelief as she gazed upon the man she hadn't seen in over ten years.

A/AN: The next chapter will be the last, and it will be posted shortly. Thank you all for tuning in!