Hey wanted to let everyone know I got my first TEA nomination for best fancover with Christmas Wrapping, here's the link to the photo: art/Christmas-Wrapping-517124468 where I am beyond stoke in getting nominated. Just started a new semester so hoping the schedule I have planned work out this time, crossing fingers. Hope everyone is having a good day and here is the next chapter
Belle knocked the old cottage for nearly an hour until her hand began to strain. The sun had not set but this would be the time of day for Rumpelstiltskin to be home where Belle continued to wait in the hope of someone answering the door.
"Excuse me ma'am, are you looking for someone?" Belle turned around finding the voice belonging to an older woman rather portly carrying a large basket full of meat. Due to exhaustion from her quick journey, Belle was not as alert as she normally would be.
"What…oh yes, I'm looking for Rumpelstiltskin. I believe this would be the right area he lives in?"
Immediately the older woman backed away from Belle looking at her with disgust. "Lord Rumpelstiltskin would probably be at the pub at this time of day with someone giving him something of theirs. If I were you child, best be grateful for your misfortunes and walk away. Everyone who makes a deal with him always suffers at the end."
"Uh..Thank you?" Not wanting to be impolite, Belle hands the old woman two gold coins from her purse which she can see the woman did not look at Belle with any pity but scorn as she left clenching onto the gold coins like a prize she had just won. Belle tried not to think about the matter too much and went to the main square of the village finding the pub with ease; she took off her scarf tying her hair back but letting some of the curls look misplaced to avoid looking completely suspicious even though her trousers were somewhat of a giveaway. She found the pub to be full but with easily empty enough to visible enough to spot something, doing a quick glance Belle looked towards her right nearby the stairs finding exactly who she was looking for but not exactly in the way she had pictured him.
Rumpelstiltskin was visible to her but was busy conversing with short man with a beard wearing a red nightcap to notice anyone around him giving Belle a sigh of relief as she tried to comprehend the sight in front of her. Gone was the malnourished tailor with straight brown hair and a large staff that gave him the appearance of crouching and what appeared before barely looked human with scaly skin resembling of a reptile still in the clothing of a peasant but much more cleaner looking and wavy hair. She carefully went to a table close to the pair but far away enough so Rumpelstiltskin would not notice someone was staring at him who to Belle's luck the barmaid realized what she was doing giving her an empty jug and quickly leaving before Belle could properly thank her. She took out a book from her bag pretending to read it getting more of a better look of the companion who started talking about a magic bean and mentioned about how the Dark One needed an item to find the son he had lost but quickly shut his mouth when Rumpelstiltskin interrupted him. It seemed from what Belle could make there he was placing a deal for a magic bean in exchange for immortality causing Belle to chuckle when Rumpelstiltskin suggested the man can start his life over since the Dark One is the only one with immortality. He appeared to not have been happy with this offer but took it excusing himself leaving with a strange feeling something had not been right.
She immediately left the pub following the short man towards the ally, she noticed there was another route she could take where she would be ahead of him before he made it to the port. Quickly Belle started taking off her corset, weapons and scarf to a corner tangling her hair to give it just enough look of wild were some of her face could be covered. Immediately going onto the cobblestone floors finding some dirt to smear on her face, she fell to the ground yelling as the short man came nearby her.
"Are you okay Miss?" he said helping Belle up as she feigned her ankle being injured.
"I don't know, I was heading towards the tavern when I got attacked all my valuables were stolen. My ankle feels strange; I hope I can use it." He quickly lifting her, Belle cleaned herself off a bit taking a good look at man in question who looked worried for her. "I appreciate the help, thank you"
"Is there anyone who I call for you?"
"Actually there is one thing you can do" Before he could saying, Belle quickly knocked him hard on the head causing him pass out when he hit the floor. Her hand started hurting from the reaction where her fingers couldn't close properly. She knew she had a few minutes before he would wake up so she quickly went through his pockets and hat until she found the magic bean on his pocket surprised he had been telling the truth after all. The item look nothing like a bean and more of small pearl where Belle went into her purse looking at some jewelry she brought with something similar to it. Placing the bean into her purse and the pearl back into his pockets, Belle grabbed him by his feet and took him to the ally followed by getting her flask and drenching her whiskey all over him.
Nothing personal, but you were getting a shitty deal from this trade.
Composing herself, Belle left the alleyway collecting her items walking bristly towards the pub. All she needed to do was order a room, have a good night sleep and present her leverage before the day would be half over. She patted her purse a few times smiling at how easy the task had been, in her travel with Killian there were talks about magic bean even though most of the known world stated they had long been extinct due to the death of the giants where having one would be worth more than a king's ransom. As soon as Belle went towards the port area, she then heard voices one of them sounded like Rumpelstiltskin.
Could he have been following her?
Another minute he spoke more as he was introducing himself. Belle almost felt sorry for the poor soul who would be making an offer with him but she was sure this was not her problem as she already had her leverage until Rumpelstilskin said something leaving her cold with dread.
"How's Milah?"
No it can't be?
Quickly heading to get a better view, she saw Rumpelstiltskin confronting another man this time one who was all too familiar to her. Killian looked different than how she remembered; he no longer looked like the dashing rouge from her childhood but more old and tired where his smile faded but his eyes still maintained a sneaky charm to them. For the last four years, he would always be in her thoughts wondering if Killian was still alive, retired, captured even dead but it seemed time was not catching up with him as he was not as fast as he once had been. Even defeated, Killian still had an air about him where he still believed he could defy anyone even a dangerous vengeful demon.
She heard Killian state Milah has been dead for some years were after noticing how Killian tried his best not to look at Rumpelstiltskin in the eye, she immediately knew he was lying where some part of was thrilled to know she can still commit her revenge on the both of them. It seemed she would have to wait as Rumpelstiltskin began to draw his sword towards her brother taunting him in the same manner as Killian once did the last time they interacted. They each decided for their duel to conduct at dawn for Killian to get his affairs in order, Killian accepted continuing to be cocky over the fact that he was about to fight. Belle knew her brother was a great swordsman were that could help his advantage but at the same time Rumpelstiltskin no longer looked human so there was no guarantee he would get out of this unscathed but at the same time she wasn't sure how long he became the Dark One to learn how to be an expert on the sword.
While Belle wasn't entirely sympathetic to Killian's state she could not bear to see him in a perilous matter. She headed off to fix the mess before either of them had seen yet Belle was not aware she had been seen by an unlikely person.
She walked around the port district, the lamps were to her delight still bright enough to see what was going on around her but outside of a few bouts of laughter coming from drunks walking around, the entire area became desolated. As she stopped to catch her breath, Belle felt her pouch as her hand accidently touched her hipbone.
Immediately an idea came into her head. If she can give Killian the bean then he can call it a truce saving himself from certain death and it would give him a chance to right thing for once. She assumed the Jolly Roger had been in the nearby docks finding the ship in the spot exactly where had suspected. It still looked the same even with the black flag of the skull and crossbow design blowing proudly including the lack of guards on the ship at this late hour.
The lack of guards were not what had gotten Belle perplexed as there had not been a single person aboard the ship. At times this did not surprise Belle as the crew would rather be on land whenever they were on leave but it would be strange for Killian to have left everything empty although it did give Belle clear access to inspect the ship. The ship had once been her home yet there was nothing familiar about it even though it still looked the same as when she had left it.
Familiar yet still strange.
She headed down towards the captain quarters looking more elegant than she had last remembered or it was perhaps due to amount of gold Killian had now kept in the room. Several Fabergé eggs on the nightstand and chests in which she assumed were of coins that should have been stacked into the lower deck rather than in his room. She wasn't in any position to have judge as there were boxes of gold in her room back in the cottage but they were not in plain view for anyone to have walked in. What drew Belle's attention the most had been on the nightstand next to a Faberge egg containing a golden swan wearing a crown lay her mother's necklace
"I guess good fortune has been bestowed upon me after all". She thought grabbing the necklace
"Is that all you are after Princess?" Belle froze, shocked at what she heard turning around as bile was ready to come out of her mouth. Milah was standing behind the door, staring at her with grand praise leaving Belle trapped with shaking hands slowly going to her holster. "I'm sure Killian's death doesn't mean everything is yours by default."
"I was trying to find him, Killian's been caught in a duel by your ex-husband."
"I know, I saw you there when Killian decided to be an idiot, I had a feeling you would try to come here afterwards and it turns out you still believe yourself to be clever. While your brother has no one to blame but himself, I need him alive. Tell your master to call off the duel" She raised her sword directly at Belle's throat feeling the tip poking her uncomfortably.
"Or what, you will send someone else to rape me again if I don't do as I am told?"
"I did you a favor, although your stupidity caused the Killian to finish what you started leaving us stranded out to sea for nearly a month without any supplies."
The words shocked Belle. "I didn't kill the Sheriff?"
Milah laughed back, "He woke up demanding his money back threatening to have us all arrested. At that point we had assumed you either drowned or were sold off into slavery, I guess cutting up your pretty face for the auctioneers will have to be a sad sacrifice.
With a second split, Belle lunged one of her knives towards Milah landing on her shoulder causing her to drop her sword. Milah felt a strange sensation as she could not pick up her own sword or move any part of her body with Belle look at her with smug satisfaction.
"You little bitch! What did you do to me!" Trying to move but still immobilized with Belle coming closer towards her. She took out the knife that had grazed her skin but enough to have touched blood in which Belle showed Milah her blood on the knife as well as a dried black substance on the tip of the sword.
"Squid ink, a little trick I learned in the Atlantica Islands. Your body will regain its mobility within an hour" She goes to the nightstand taking the necklace into her pouch waving Milah as she started heading to the door.
"Do you think you will just leave this ship without any consequences? Killian will find you and he won't hesitate to kill you" Belle turns around seeing Milah pleading towards Belle. Not wanting to hear this woman anymore, she places another knife by Milah's throat ready to attack seeing Milah closing her eyes as Belle makes her move. She then stops and drops the knife taking it back onto her holster and stares back at her former comrade.
"What are you doing? Coward, finish the job, I can see the bloodlust in your eyes. You want to do it"
Backing away, Belle got a good look at Milah. Despite wearing jewels to enhance her features, the woman looked as worn out and old in the same manner as Killian. She was still a beautiful woman but someone whose looks would have faded in matter of years as her expressions continued to give her a cruel manner.
"I want to but it's clear I would just be shortening the inevitable. At first I thought you were some evil viper who lied to Killian and turned him into a monster but I can see now, you are both absolutely perfect for one another. He's always been that way and he gave you freedom, who am I to take it away from the both of you? All I can do is condemn the both of you to be what you are for the rest of your days and I am sure you will find some way in convincing Rumpelstiltskin better than I could. Goodbye Milah, I am sure you won't be telling this to Killian because then you will need to explain how you got bested by a little princess."
Belle walked out of the captain quarters smiling as she took deep breaths heading towards the deck. She did not look back at the Jolly Roger just at her pouch seeing the contents; she checked the sky seeing it was still dark unable to determine the time. Still exhausted from her spending the past week on horseback, Belle's muscles began to catch up with her where she headed back to the tavern paying extra for a room as it was so late into the night. No longer able to think, Belle went to the bed crashing down succumbing to sleep.
Hours later, Belle got up in what must have been early afternoon quickly gathering her items quickly looking at her options. She no longer had any reason to release Killian where the duel was probably over by now and she had a magic bean which was of no use to her but it would bring back a child home to his family help answer her questions regarding why Samuel's kidnapper went to a lot of trouble to take him. Belle made her decision walking heading back to the cottages hoping someone would answer the door this time.
She made there feeling happy and dread walking into the domain of the Dark One, she made sure her weapons were at the correct spots and everyone was exactly where she left it. Belle took another deep breath walked towards the door knocked.
Let me be brave