Chapter 10
Granny's Diner - Present-Day Storybrooke
Her hands shook uncontrollably as he left, brushing her shoulder with his arm. A deliberate move on his part, she knew. He thought he could intimidate her, frighten her.
He could. That small gesture terrified her more than words. He had seen Azure, talked to her, gained her trust in just a couple of minutes. He had always been good at that, she'd learned the hard way long ago. He knew. He knew. Everything she'd done to protect her daughter, the steps she'd taken so many years ago…all of those precautions destroyed in less time than it took to read a few pages of a book.
Gone in an instant.
"Mother?" Azure said from the booth. "Are you okay?"
She willed her hands to stay still, stop moving, just STOP! She was a fairy godmother, she had magic, she could turn wooden puppets into real boys, why couldn't she stop her damn hands from shaking with fear? Taking a deep breath, she tried to smile at Azure. "I'm fine, poppet." She motioned to the table. "May I sit with you?"
Azure nodded, glancing down as if not wanting to look Blue in the eye. "I was going to come back over to the school to find you. I wanted to talk to you. I need to tell you something."
Blue slid into the booth next to Azure and put an arm around her, trying desperately to put the encounter with George out of her mind. "I already know. It's okay. I think we have a few things to discuss, but I'm not upset with you. I've been asking too much of you."
"You know I've been leaving school at lunchtime?" She watched for Blue's reaction, unsure of what to expect. "And that I've been going to the library every afternoon?"
Blue nodded. "I know. Ms. Reynolds told me today, but I'd suspected it." She pulled Azure closer to her, resting her chin on Azure's head. "It was too soon for you to go to school. It might never be time, for all I know."
"It doesn't feel right." Azure practically whispered. "I know it's what you want for me, but I don't belong there. At least…not yet." She leaned back and looked her mother in the eye. "And I'm sorry I've been sneaking out of school. I was afraid that you would tell me that I just needed more time to adjust, so I kept it from you."
"I'm glad you were honest with me. We both need to work on that, don't we?"
"Belle told me that it wasn't fair to you. And I realized she was right." Azure pushed a French fry around on the plate in front of her. "You don't like how much time I spend with Belle at the library, do you?"
Blue took a deep breath. "It's not that you're spending so much time with Belle. I understand why you feel comfortable around her – she helped you when you came through the portal, and she knows what it's like to be thrust into a strange world where you feel alone and frightened." She pushed a strand of hair behind Azure's right ear. "I will admit, I'm a bit jealous because you seem to open up to her more easily than you do to me, but again, I shoulder much of the blame for that. I've done much too much talking and not enough listening with you."
Azure leaned her head on her mother's shoulder and reached down to hold her hand. They were silent for several minutes, and Blue closed her eyes, letting her body relax as she listened to Azure breathe softly. Finally, she broke the quiet. "As of now, there will be no more school. I'm not promising that it will be a permanent solution because if we do find a way back to our land or out of Storybrooke into the outside world, you will need an education. In the meantime, I have an alternate proposal to make. We'll need to talk to Belle, but since you seem to be making progress with her at the library, if she agrees to tutor you, would that be an acceptable solution for now?"
"Really?" Azure lifted her head up and her eyes were bright with pleasure. "Really, Mama?"
Before Blue could reply, Azure threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Yes, my girl. Really." Blue blinked back the tears that welled up in her eyes. For the first time since Azure had come to Storybrooke…no, even since before Azure had run away and hidden that last year before Regina enacted the curse…Blue felt the pure, uncomplicated love for her daughter and from her daughter that she thought she'd never feel again.
She wrapped her arms around Azure's small frame and just held her as close as she could. And in the back of her mind, she knew she'd find a way to deal with George. Albert. Azure's father. He wasn't going to win. She'd make sure of that.
A Town Market In The Enchanted Forest – 16 years before the curse
No one recognized her. Not one person. No one asking for wishes. No one asking for her to help them capture the man of their dreams or escape their dreary life as a maid.
Freedom.
In the many years that she'd been alive, she'd never experienced true freedom. The freedom that came with being a normal height, wearing the same kind of dress as any other young woman in the market, and most of all – the freedom of not having those blasted wings attached to her back everywhere she went.
Of course, the wings disappeared when she took human form, but those occasions were so rare. Not only that, but Esme discouraged them from doing that too often. She was strict about many things, but she was known as a tyrant when it came to appearing in human form in front of others.
"Only if absolutely necessary." She'd sniff. And she rarely, if ever, found it absolutely necessary for anyone.
Blue knew that being out in the open like this was a risk, but it was a risk she wanted…a risk she needed to take. Living under Esme's iron fist for so many years was breaking her spirit. She wanted to have fun, enjoy life a little, maybe even see what it was like to fall in love. She'd seen so many of her fairy goddaughters swept off of their feet after falling in love with a dashing knight or soldier. Wasn't she entitled to feel that kind of joy?
So she'd done it. No need to pack, if she needed anything, she'd just magic it up for herself. As much as she wanted to say goodbye to her friends, to Seren and Carys, she knew that she couldn't say anything to them. She'd just slipped out of Fairy Glen one evening, fading into the mist and traveling from town to town. She'd been careful about divulging any information about herself, but now that she'd gone a considerable distance from the Glen, she could relax a bit.
She wandered through the stalls at the town market, stopping briefly if their wares seemed appealing. A display of shiny jewelry caught her eye, and she paused to peer at a gold necklace with small green jewels embedded within. The stall keeper paid her no attention, apparently presuming her to be one of the many young women who were drawn to the sparkle, but had no pennies to pay for their heart's desire. She didn't mind. It meant she could admire the jewelry in peace.
"That would look lovely on you."
A deep voice behind her caught her off-guard. She turned to see a man smiling at her. He appeared to be slightly older than her, handsome with graying dark hair cut short. She didn't answer him, just offered a shy smile and turned her attention back to the display.
"Please pardon my impertinence." The voice spoke again. "I simply believe that a beautiful woman is entitled to be adorned with beautiful jewels. I mean no harm."
She faced the man, amusement playing across her face. "Do you buy jewels for women often?"
"Very rarely." He answered, gazing at her intently. So intently that she had to look away, and she knew she was blushing. "In fact, I believe the last jewel I bought was for my mother." He made a small bow. "My name is Albert. I am quite honored to make your acquaintance, Miss…"
"Beyla." She spoke the name before she thought about it, giving the name that was sacred among the fairies, the name they only ever shared with others in their glens. Instead of regret, though, she felt lighter, as if giving this man her true name broke that last bond to her fairy life, and she was now truly free.
"Miss Beyla." He took her small hand in his, kissing it softly. "An enchanting name for an enchanting woman."
"How do you know I'm enchanting?" She challenged him, a playful edge to her voice. "You've just met me."
"I'm a man who trusts his instincts, and my instincts tell me that there is much more to you than meets the eye. " He replied, softly. Only then did she realize that he hadn't released her hand from within his. She wasn't sure she wanted him to let go, if she was being honest with herself. "I am on my way to a nearby inn to take my supper, and although they serve a delicious roast chicken with blackberry currant jam, I'll enjoy my meal much more if you'd consent to join me."
She hesitated, even though she wanted to tell him yes, she would love to dine with him. She wasn't sure she'd ever wanted anything more. She knew where the hesitation came from, it was a holdover from her former life, where the consequences of every decision had to be weighed before she could grant an answer. She didn't have to do that any longer. She could follow what her heart told her to do.
"I'd be very glad to have supper with you." She gazed at him, lashes lowered. Something about this man enticed her. She couldn't put a finger on exactly what it was about him, but she was intrigued enough by her own feelings to try and find out.
"Shall we?" He held out his arm to her. Without a moment of hesitation, she took it and they began the short walk to the inn.
