CHAPTER TEN
"What about the emerald gown?" Belle said, perusing the selection of ball gowns Sarah had extracted from her wardrobe and laid out on the bed. "Or the purple?" She'd refused to allow her father to order her a new gown for the simple fact her wardrobe was already chocked full. There was no reason why she couldn't wear one she already had.
"Belle, just pick one for Freya's sake! It's not like Rumpelstiltskin will even be able to see you in it," Sarah hissed, not wanting her voice to carry to the maids bustling about the room helping Belle prepare for the ball. "Next you'll be wanting to dress to match and that is completely ridiculous."
Belle ignored her and held up the silk gown of robin's egg blue she'd worn to sit for the portrait which now hung in Rumpelstiltskin's study at the Dark Castle. "Perfect! He won't have to see me to know what I look like in this one."
"Belle, love, you could wear a burlap sack and still look beautiful," Sarah twittered, chuckling as she followed Belle over to the vanity and began running a brush through her long chestnut tresses.
Belle could hardly remain still through the tedious process of pinning her curls to her crown, her thoughts on the evening ahead. She was finally going to see Rumpelstiltskin! She had to focus all her concentration on remaining calm to keep her magic in check. It hadn't taken her long to realize the stronger the emotion, the more likely she was to lose her firm grip on her magic. That was not what she needed tonight. Her father would have a stroke and she didn't want to have to worry about his health when her heart's desire was nearly within her grasp.
Sarah dismissed the maids as she fastened the last button on the back of Belle's gown and stepped back to take her in. "Beautiful," she murmured, smiling at her friend. "If he could see you, you'd take his breath away."
"Are you ready to go down?" Belle asked, pressing a hand to her throat, feeling as though her heart were about to take flight.
Sarah quirked a questioning brow. "I thought you were going to … you know," she said, wiggling her fingers.
Belle shook her head. "No, we'll go out into the garden. It will be easier for you to slip out the east gate than it would be for you to leave from here. I may be able to teleport myself all over the castle, but I'd be afraid to try to magic you to your home. What if I missed?"
Sarah closed her eyes, her stomach churning viciously at the thought of Belle using her magic on her. There was a good possibility half of her would end up in the Infinite Forest and the other half in the sea. "I still don't like this plan, Belle."
"Yes, so you've said … numerous times," she scoffed in a dry tone. "Hush, Sarah, it will be fine."
They made their way down the long corridors and into the ballroom, taking the time to greet the king and his advisors before skirting around the dance floor to slip out onto the terrace and into the garden. Sarah slipped her arm from Belle's and went to the fourth rose bush from the gate where she'd hidden her cloak, pulling it about her shoulders and fastening the clasp. Dusk was slipping away into darkness and the servants had just lit the last of the torches to illuminate the garden in a romantic glow, the pathways now deserted.
Belle pulled her into a warm embrace. "Thank you, Sarah, for doing this for us. I know Rumpel isn't your favorite person in the world, but it means so much to me that you would help me spend time with him."
"I just want your happiness, Belle," Sarah said, pulling away from her friend's embrace, yet retaining the light clasp of their hands. "He can't be all bad if you love him so much."
Belle's smile was blinding at her companion's acceptance of the sorcerer who had stolen her heart with his letters. "Alright, are you ready?"
"This isn't going to go against the rules of the contract, is it?"
"No, because you'll still be you. You'll just look like me on the outside. Just remember everything we discussed about how you're to act once you take my place in the ballroom. Papa cannot know you are me," Belle warned, taking a deep breath and focusing herself on the task at hand.
Sarah squinched her eyes closed, her face drawn and tight with fear. Her skin prickled with warmth as she felt Belle's hands settle on her face, slowly moving from her chin, up over her cheeks and smoothing over her hair. Dizziness made her stumble back a step, but Belle's hands where there on her upper arms to steady her.
"Are you alright?" Belle asked, her voice tinged with concern. "You look marvelous, by the way," the princess murmured, admiring the identical coiffure and ball gown. It was like looking into a mirror. She was inordinately pleased with herself that she was gaining a firmer grasp on the magic which dwelled within her.
Sarah opened her eyes and blinked several times, not feeling the slightest bit different than she usually did. Although she seemed to be two inches shorter and the height difference was noticeable. "You shrank me!?"
"SHHHHH!" Belle hissed, smacking her hand over Sarah's gaping mouth. "You're not really shorter; it's the spell."
"I'm sure Marcus will notice if I'm several inches shorter, Belle! What if I stay this way? How in seven hells are we ever going to explain this?!" she asked frantically.
"Six hours, Sarah. It will wear off in six hours. That will give us until one o'clock. You won't even turn into a pumpkin at the witching hour," Belle teased. Sarah turned her wide eyes on her and a tiny whimper escaped her parted lips. "Come now, deep breaths. You have to hurry if you're to fetch Rumpel from your house."
Sarah scowled at her dearest friend, squared her shoulders, pulled the hood of her cloak over her hair and slipped out of the gate. Belle giggled, unable to help herself. She imagined this was what it would have been like to have a twin sister. Shortly, she'd be back and with her … Rumpelstiltskin. She turned on her heel and followed the path which would lead her back to the ballroom, nearly giddy with anticipation.
*.*.*
Sarah kept her head down and the hood of her cloak pulled low over her face, her pace swift as she traversed the road leading to her modest home just a short distance from the castle. Several villagers waved and tried to greet her as she passed, her crimson cloak recognizable to so many, but she ignored them all, her mission clear. The kitchen was pitch black when she entered, Marcus on duty tonight as Belle's guard … or rather hers if things went according to plan. A piercing shriek rent the air as she struck a match to light the candle set in the center of her kitchen table as her now blue eyes met a pair of wide amber ones.
Long-fingered spinner's hands gripped her upper arms with more strength than one with such a lithe frame should possess and it took every ounce of her will not to recoil from the unmitigated fury evident in his gaze. "You tricked me," he hissed. With a thought, light illuminated the homey kitchen and he was drinking her in, his eyes devouring every inch of her face. "How could I have been so stupid?!"
"Well, you have that part right, imp," she drawled in an icy tone. The pointy toe of her silk slipper connected sharply with his shin and he yowled, releasing her abruptly. "I should get my frying pan out and bash some sense into that thick head of yours."
"Sarah?" he asked, his mouth gaping in astonishment
"And who else would it be? This is my house after all."
He leaned forward and sniffed. "You reek of magic, woman. What have you and my girl been up to?"
"Oh, now she's your girl again? Just moments ago, you thought she'd tricked you into coming here to break the contract. Ass!"
His eyes narrowed on her for her cheek, but his curiosity was too great. "Who helped you with this little glamour spell to aid my Belle with her deception?"
Her gaze dropped to her hands and she plucked at the sapphire and diamond bracelet wrapped about her wrist. "You think you're the only being with magic in this kingdom? Belle's family is patronized by a very powerful fairy and there are a hedge witch or two who live right here in Avonlea. If one is willing to pay for their services, they are all too willing to help," she said, evading the question so as not to betray Belle's secret.
Rumpelstiltskin tilted his head to the left and regarded her for a long moment until he thought sure she would expire on the spot from holding her breath. "Hm. Methinks there is more to this than you are telling me." When she didn't see fit to answer him, he let it go for the time being and asked, "So what is this plan of yours to allow me to be with my betrothed?"
Sarah grimaced, her pert little nose wrinkling with distaste. "I'm to take Belle's place at the ball so she can spend the evening with you."
"You?" he scoffed. "You're going to take her place among her peers, her father?"
Sarah arched a brow and glared at him. "And what's so amusing about that? You think I can't be Belle for one evening?"
"Oh, most assuredly … until you open that sassy mouth of yours and betray the both of you," he said with a knowing smirk. She looked like Belle down to the last detail, but he knew they were worlds apart in their speech. Belle might be a saucy little minx, but she wasn't crass, and she tended to be a bit more cultured in her speech.
"Don't you worry about me, imp. I can bandy words with those nobles right along with the best of them. Belle wouldn't have trusted me with this task otherwise," she said, smoothing her hand over her skirts.
"Alright. Shall we go? I think we've kept my girl waiting long enough," he said, extinguishing the candles with a wave of his hand and leading her to the door. Once they were on the cobblestone path leading up to the castle, he broached the subject which had been bothering him for days. "How do you propose to keep me from seeing Belle?"
Sarah bit her lip to stifle a giggle, imagining the imp's wide-eyed astonishment when she confided the simplicity of her plan. "That's easy," she said, opening the east gate for the second time that evening and leading him inside. "You're going to be blindfolded," she said, pulling him to a stop and quickly whipping the intricately folded cravat from around his neck.
"I beg your pardon," he retorted dryly, catching her wrists as she moved to tie the silk over his eyes.
Sarah snorted. "What did you expect, imp? Were you going to stand there all night with your hand over your eyes? Don't be absurd."
His lip curled over his ruined teeth as he sneered at her, an inch away from being the snarling, snapping beast the realm feared. "You're trying my patience, dearie."
Sarah smiled sweetly, a perfect imitation of the one her friend used on the king when he was being particularly difficult. "And here I thought you didn't have any at all. Now turn around and let me cover your eyes. Belle will be out in moments to join us."
At her assurance that Belle was on her way, the sorcerer's stomach plummeted somewhere around the region of his knees, his nerves returning in full force. His little dearie would be seeing him for the first time and he was suddenly terrified. What if she were repulsed by his beastly exterior? What if she ran screaming in fear? What if she ripped the blindfold off and effectively broke their deal by letting his eyes rest upon her? What if …. He couldn't do it!
"Don't you even think about magicking yourself out of this garden, Rumpelstiltskin!" Sarah hissed in warning as she finished tying the cravat over his eyes. "You're practically quaking in fear."
"Pfft," he managed around the lump in his throat, not wanting to admit his cowardice to the little magpie.
She marched around him and waved her hand before his eyes. When he didn't respond, she stuck her tongue out at him in childlike devilment. Satisfied he couldn't see her, she poked him in the ribs with a sharp fingernail. "You listen to me, imp. If you hurt my Belle … because know this, she was mine first … I will hunt you down. There will be no corner of the realm you will be able to escape my wrath. And I promise you when I do, there won't be enough body parts left to identify you."
"Sarah!"
"Damn and blast," Sarah cursed under her breath as she turned, the sound of Belle's soft voice carrying to her on the breeze from across the hedge. She didn't give him time to protest, sputter or even curse her as she fled the secluded corner of the garden and let her rapid steps carry her to Belle's side.
And just as swiftly, he was left alone with his doubts and fears and the death threat of one very audacious lady in waiting. Did she not know he could end her with a flick of his wrist, a snap of his fingers? He wouldn't, of course. That would likely irk his Belle. The what ifs started up the moment he felt Sarah's presence desert him, and it didn't help that the demon who inhabited his soul was laughing hysterically and calling him ten kinds of fool.
And for the first time in over a century, he agreed with it. "I was a fool for coming here," he murmured, his high-pitched voice barely a whisper on the wind.
"Were you?"
He stiffened as Belle's soft voice crashed over him like an ocean wave at high tide in the midst of a violent storm. She was here. She'd come to him, looked upon his beastly visage and she wasn't screaming or running away in terror. He felt her step closer, could sense her mere inches away and his hands itched to reach out for her, clasp her to him and bury his face in the soft curls he'd become obsessed with just from gazing upon her portrait. His voice was a raspy croak when he spoke, so filled with emotion he felt he would burst from the sheer joy of being in her presence. "Belle ... my Belle …"
"Rumpel …" came her whispered reply as she reached for his outstretched hand and twined her fingers tightly with his, afraid if she let go, he would disappear, and it would all have been another dream. "You really came."
The breath caught in his chest as her delicate hand cupped his cheek and his lips turned into her touch, pressing into her warm palm for a tentative kiss. "I couldn't deny you any longer, dear heart."
Her heart soared at the endearment which fell from his lips, and she sighed in pleasure. She dropped her hand from his, her fingertips ghosting over the silk tied about his eyes. "Are your eyes closed behind this?" she asked.
"Yes. There's no point in keeping them open when I cannot see, now is there?" he teased.
She felt him tense as her hands reached behind his head and began to loosen the knot Sarah had tied. "Keep them closed, darling."
"Belle, what are you doing? You can't," he choked out, fear twisting in his gut.
She chuckled, low and deep in her throat, the warmest sound he believed he'd ever heard in his long existence. It reminded him of a blazing fire on a frigid night and he yearned to draw her against his chest and kiss her until she was breathless and wanting. He was so lost in the fantasy he almost missed her softly uttered words. "Just keep them closed. I want to see you, Rumpel.
Belle simply stared as the cloth fell away from his eyes, now able to see him clearly. Tears stung her eyes as she drank in every one of his angular features, the shape of his closed eyes, his slightly crooked hawk-like nose and his wonderfully formed mouth which was now twisted in something akin to a grimace.
Rumpelstiltskin waited with bated breath as he listened for her to say something … anything. The suspense was killing him. And then all his fears crumbled to ash as her fingertips brushed the hair away from his eyes and she whispered reverently, "You're beautiful, my Rumpel. And mine."
He allowed her a brief moment to return the blindfold to his eyes and then she was in his arms, clinging tightly to him in the shared joy of finally being with one another. He was surrounded by her … her sweet floral fragrance intoxicating him more than the headiest wine as he buried his nose in the crook of her neck where it met her shoulder. He could almost detect a faint trace of magic about her mixed in with her sweet scent, but he brushed his concern away, believing it to be from the spell used on her friend. His arms coiled about her waist and crushed her to him, molding her body to his as he continued to breathe her in. He could be content to hold her like that for the remainder of his days … he needed nothing more than the sweet girl in his arms, whispering her joy.
"I love you, Rumpelstiltskin," she breathed against his ear as she stroked her fingers through the soft curls at the nape of his neck. Her lips pressed a soft kiss to his neck, just below his ear and she felt a shiver ripple through him. "I've loved you for so long now, but I didn't want to tell you in a letter. I felt you deserved to hear me say it for the first time."
"Oh, Belle … I —" His voice trailed away as his ears picked up the sound of an amused giggle and he froze. "Someone's coming."
Belle pulled the hood of her cloak over her head … thankfully, she'd taken it from Sarah before her friend had taken her place at the ball … and took his hand, dragging him down the path to a secluded area of the garden where the shadows were long and deep. There they could have all the privacy they desired with no chance of discovery. She led him over to a stone bench and urged him to sit, settling down next to him and nestling against his side.
"You were saying?" she whispered with a soft giggle as she rested her head against his shoulder as his arms wound around her again.
He laughed, a warm genuine laugh of the spinner he'd been long ago, the imp mysteriously absent in the presence of his girl. He bit back the moan of pleasure which rose in his throat as her hands rose to cup his face and draw him forward. The first touch of her lips as they brushed ever so softly against his own could only be described as pure bliss. His nerve endings tingled and surged, and he felt more alive than he'd felt in a century … or two. The Dark One growled in the back of his mind and he wanted to laugh at the demon's glowering displeasure. He was so unworthy of the treasure in his arms, clinging to him as though she cherished him to the very depths of her soul, and he thanked every god he'd ever heard of -and some he hadn't - for the enchantress who had led him to her.
"I love you, my Belle," he whispered against her lips, barely able to utter the words he never thought he'd say to another living soul. "So much I am consumed with it, with you."
She hummed her pleasure, her joy at his words, and her lips parted in awe. He took advantage and drew her bottom lip between his own, fighting down the raging emotion coursing through him. He didn't want to take the chance of frightening her away, yet at the same instance he felt as though he'd never be able to let her go. Oh, how he wished he could see her, the love he knew she shared lighting her eyes, the flush of her cheeks, her lips swollen from his kisses. Then again, he would certainly lose the tenuous hold he had on his desire to whisk her back to the Dark Castle and marry her immediately. He was certain they could find a willing parson somewhere along the way.
Belle whimpered in protest as he gave her one last sipping kiss and drew away to press his brow to hers. "What's the matter?" she asked, worried. "Did I do it wrong?"
He chuckled and hugged her close, delighted by her response to him. "Of course, not, dearest. I just do not want to overwhelm you with my beastly attentions."
Belle snorted and tugged on the ends of his hair, earning a low rumble of pleasure from deep within his chest. "My beast … my love."
"You don't know how long I've yearned to be with you like this."
"Probably as long as I have," she assured him, sighing happily as she tucked her head beneath his chin and relaxed into his embrace. "Rumpel, I truly despise this contract you have with my father." She felt him stiffen and she rushed to explain. "I don't want to marry you because a contract tells me I must. I want to marry you because I love you … because I can't bear the thought of living apart from you."
He was thankful, for the first time since this evening had begun, that he was blindfolded, and she couldn't see the tears he felt wetting his eyes. Even though Winter had foreseen the depth of this girl's love for him, he'd never allowed himself to fully believe it. "You have no idea how happy you've made me … to hear you say you love me, that you want to be with me of your own free will. But, dearest … if I break the contract, your father will never allow us to be together. I won't lose you after I've waited so long for you … I can't."
She emitted a small squeak as he hugged her just a bit too tightly, but she refused to ask him to release her. "We can't go on as we have been these past six months, Rumpel. I can't stand it. As much as I cherish your letters, they are a poor substitute for being held in your arms, hearing your voice, seeing your smile with my own eyes. I need to be with you."
"Your honesty astounds me, my dear," he said, his voice muffled against her hair. "But then, so does your naiveté. Do you really think now that I've had you in my arms, I would so easily let you go? Monster, remember?"
She poked him playfully in the ribs. "You're not a monster, darling. A beast, perhaps, but never a monster."
"Regardless," he said, his lips curling into a smile. "Now that I have you, I find myself craving your company even more than before. Shall we continue with these clandestine meetings … say at least once a week?"
A diabolical smirk turned up one corner of her mouth and her eyes narrowed. He could practically see the gears in her brilliant mind turning as she plotted and schemed. The sight of it made the Dark One sit up and take notice. "No. There will be nothing clandestine about it. If you won't carry me off to the nearest cleric and bind me to you immediately, then I demand a proper courtship."
"Belle," he sighed wearily. "Your father will never allow it."
"No, papa said he wouldn't relent and remove the clause stating you couldn't see me. He never said anything about allowing me to see you … as if the dear man could stop me," she murmured, her mind whirling with plans to continue spending time with her husband to be. "You will come here once a week if your schedule permits. We've already proven the blindfold is effective in helping you to abide by that infernal contract."
"This will cause conflict between you and your father. Are you prepared for that? You still have a year left with him, sweetheart. Do you want to spend that time with bad feelings between the two of you?"
"Rumpel, I've tried to make him understand just because I'm marrying you doesn't mean he has to be cut permanently from my life. It's him who refuses to see reason," she huffed indignantly and then paused, suddenly unsure of herself. "Um … you are going to allow me to visit, are you not?"
He scowled against her hair and pressed a tender kiss to her temple. "I wish only for your happiness. If visiting your father will make you happy, I suppose I will allow it."
"How magnanimous of you, darling," she muttered dryly. "Now back to this courtship thing … I want to see you as much as your schedule will permit. I want flowers and chocolates and," she giggled, "promises you don't intend to keep."
His fingers drifted over her ribs, finding a particularly ticklish spot. "You do, do you?" he snarled playfully.
"Yes. Now stop that before we draw attention to ourselves," she warned, pressing her lips to the hollow of his throat.
He forced down the surge of desire which flooded his body at the warmth of her lips against his skin and tilted her chin up to his, his breath fanning her face. "Perhaps we should discuss a compromise," he suggested. He shuddered at the thought of a formal courtship. He'd have to keep a respectable distance and contend with the various chaperones, not to mention the constant guards and the king himself. He wouldn't be allowed a moment like this again if the king had his way about it.
"What do you have in mind, love?"
"I will … ah … come to visit you in secret three times a month and once in the presence of your father to prove my good intentions."
She sighed as his thumb brushed lightly over her lower lip. "I think I would like that very much." Belle tugged on the curling ends of his hair and brought his lips to her, lightly kissing the corner of his mouth. "Do we have a deal, my Rumpel?"
His chuckle came out in a huff of air against her rosebud mouth. "I believe that's my line, dearest."
She delved both hands into his hair and pulled, reveling in the low rumble deep in his chest as his mouth claimed hers in a sweet, loving kiss. She didn't need him to say anything, his kiss said it all. The deal was struck.
A/n: Sorry for the delay. I wanted to go over this chapter one more time. The age thing may be a bit touchy for some of you, what with Belle having just marked her 17th birthday. However, in my defense, Belle and Rumpelstiltskin are not living in the new millennia. According to nairaland dot com …
In the Medieval Times, with parental permission it was legal for boys to marry at 14 and girls at 12. A betrothal often took place when the prospective bride and groom were as young as 7 years old and in the case of higher nobility many were betrothed as babies. But a marriage was only legal once the marriage had been consummated.
Therefore, I don't believe this should be an issue. At some point, the contract will be broken, and they won't be waiting around for her next birthday to marry. If this squicks you out, I completely understand if you do not wish to continue reading. Thank you all SO much for your support and love for this story so far. You don't know what it means to me.