CHAPTER 13
"Unlikely Rivals"
With the whirly wintry winds blustering in random directions with changing speeds all around him, Gaston had not heard the footsteps of another stealthily but rapidly approach him from behind. His heart almost jumped through his chest when he suddenly felt two hands clasp around his as he poised his hunting gun in midair, ready to strike. They clamped heavily, from behind him, as if all weight had been placed upon them.
Unsure of what or who to expect, Gaston turned his body around slowly. When he realised who his opponent was, his pale blue eyes grew wide, his clefted chin fell open in shock.
"Belle…?"
Belle said nothing in reply. She glared at him with the fiercest gaze she could manage, her bronze eyes burning with anger and disgust. In truth, Gaston was unnerved a little—he would never have imagined that Belle was capable of exhibiting such a facial expression, least of all at him, despite the fact that he thoroughly deserved it.
Gaston had dawdled during his journey toward the castle, stopping to have a drink with his friends and brag about what he intended to do with all the riches capturing the mermaid would ensure him, at least until the weather had worsened. On the other hand, Belle, with Maurice and Cheeky in tow, had commanded the loyal Phillipe to race to the castle at break-neck speed, therefore she had managed to apprehend Gaston in time.
In spite of the howling wind, Ariel had heard Gaston murmur Belle's name, and instantly her eyes sprang open and she glanced up in hopeful joy, then relief, when she realised that Belle indeed had returned to halt this brutish man.
"Get the hell away from her," Belle said in a voice as cold as the gelid, snow-filled air.
Before the astonished Gaston could answer or plan a movement of any kind, Belle sharply twisted his arms downward and behind his back, causing a sharp pain to shoot up the hunter's brawny limbs.
Gaston broke forward and spun around, managing to maintain grip of his gun, but he did not have enough time to prepare himself for Belle's next attack. In another lightening quick motion, she grabbed his collar roughly with both hands, manhandling him, before forcing his head and upper body backwards over the balcony's edge with a rush of adrenalin.
Gaston was so taken aback that he dropped his hunting gun onto a section of roof jutting out just below them, a panicked grimace now evident upon his face.
The moisture from the blizzard's raging snowfall had slicked the roof, not to mention the balcony's ledge, and a frantic Gaston soon slid backward over that ledge, crashing onto the same section of roof that his gun had previously landed upon, the muscular man colliding with the snowy concrete tiles heavily.
Belle leapt over the balcony railing immediately, landing deftly upon her feet very near to where Gaston had just crash-landed.
Scrambling, his fingers finding difficulty in attaining grip, Gaston seized his trusted weapon, lunging upward and forward in a diagonal motion as he did so.
Although he was fuming, he did not, at this time, intend to harm Belle seriously, but he did wish to startle her and gain the upper hand.
Somehow, Belle managed to stand her ground, just, clasping the gun with both hands as it zoomed horizontally toward her, Gaston's weight forcing her backward significantly.
She groaned, struggling to in turn force him backward, but there was no way she could possibly match his immense strength—not to mention his body weight, which was close to double that of hers.
Instead, having quickly noticed how close Gaston's feet were to the edge of this particular section of roof, Belle struck out with her right leg, landing her right boot squarely into Gaston's abdomen, and he stumbled backward, before losing his footing completely and slipping off the roof's edge. Slamming his torso into the roof's angled side, he clutched desperately onto the slippery roof tiles and groaned in pain.
With a quick glance downward, he realised that if he were to let go, he would remain relatively unharmed, as another balcony that extended from the enormous castle waited not too far below for him.
And with a furious Belle storming toward him, Gaston decided it was in his best interests to indeed let go.
He landed quite adequately, his knees bending a little, only minimal pain occurring from the impact. Fastening his grip on the hunting gun, he glanced skyward to search the section of roof just above him—but Belle could no longer be seen.
He thought of calling out to her, trying to calm her rampaging mood, but before he had a chance to conjure anything relevant to say, Gaston did finally see movement—that of a cracked and decrepit marble statue beginning to topple forward, and toward him. From behind it, Belle was pushing the waist-high gargoyle-style carving with all of her strength, and soon enough the base of the ageing marble statue gave way, the statue hurtling downward with frightening speed.
With a cry, he leapt out of harm's way, his heart pounding furiously, his breathing heavy and quick.
The brittle statue shattered into innumerable fragments upon impact, the sound of its demise loud and startling.
Sweeping wet hair from out of her eyes, Ariel, now standing upon her balcony, strained to watch from above, a gasp catching in her throat as she heard the tremendous crash of the marble statue.
Equally concerned, Maurice tried to decipher what was happening from far below, along with Cheeky, both still upon Phillipe's great back. But the blizzard made it almost impossible to see into such a distance, and the old man feared gravely for his cherished daughter's life.
After a moment, once his breathing steadied, Gaston shouted to his unseen foe: "This is crazy! Are you trying to kill me, Belle? I don't want to hurt you!"
"Well that explains my thumping headache," Belle muttered to herself, still concealed behind another marble statue a floor above Gaston. Despite her actions and in contradiction to Gaston's ideas, she did not wish to kill Gaston. Belle could never have killed anyone intentionally, least of all in such a calculated way. In truth, she had not realised how close Gaston had been to the statue's projected crash path. She merely wanted him to leave her, and Ariel, well alone.
Of course, Belle did not hear Gaston mumble, as an afterthought, the sinister words: "Doesn't mean I won't…"
In the midst of a particular harsh whirl of bitter snow, Belle jumped down onto the balcony below her, landing gracefully on both feet, her hooded cloak billowing out behind her.
Gaston, startled as she suddenly appeared before him, could only stare for a moment. Belle returned his gaze for a long time, as rushes of snow blitzed past and whistling winds howled all around.
"I don't see why you're so against this," Gaston finally began, now wishing to attempt to talk Belle out of her enraged mood. "I can help you become very rich. You can have everything you've ever dreamed of… The finest clothes. A larger house—a palace, if you want. A new… a new… ummm… What's that thing you play?"
"Violin," Belle answered, her face softening none.
"Yeah. One of those." He lowered his gun and relaxed his stance slightly, not eager for the fight to continue.
Belle scoffed with a bitter laugh. "Not everyone cares about money and worldly possessions. Some things are more important…"
"You mean… like status?" Gaston asked, with shallow validity.
Giving nothing but a frustrated sigh in response, Belle shook her head.
Dropping his guard even further, Gaston glanced away in thought, pondering what could possibly be more important than money and status.
And this was exactly the complacency that Belle was waiting for.
Clenching her fist tightly, she suddenly burst forward, intending to punch Gaston square in the jaw. But the experienced Gaston reacted quickly, grabbing Belle's arm in the midst of it being outstretched, before roughly throwing her into a nearby wall.
Belle groaned in pain as she slammed into the concrete, the impact only worsening her headache. A little winded, she clutched her chest with one hand, her aching brow with the other.
"I did say I didn't want to hurt you," Gaston remarked as he slowly strode toward her. "But you're determined to not give me a choice."
Belle only glared at him in reply.
"You can't win this, Belle. You're supposed to be my wife, not my rival!"
I'm not supposed to be your anything!
He was close now, too close for Belle's liking. She backed up against the wall as much as possible, her mind racing to find her next course of action.
But before she had a chance to invent something, Gaston's gun-wielding left hand darted out, the metal weapon firmly pinning her against the sleet-covered brick. In a rapid motion, his right hand then lunged for Belle's neck, and he held her in a stranglehold.
"Come now, enough of this bickering," Gaston's tone was chillingly calm, in contradiction to his violent action. He tightened his grasp on her throat, and Belle began to gasp as he strengthened his choking clutch.
"I gave you your chance. Now we're going to have to do things my way." As he spoke, Gaston pressed his body firmly into Belle's. "You are mine… and so is your mermaid friend. Understood?"
Belle didn't reply. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing.
"Understood?" Gaston repeated, tightening the chokehold even more so. Belle moaned in pain, her airway nearly completely obstructed.
After a brief silence, she gasped: "Yes."
Gaston smiled at her with a mixture of menacing and cockiness. "Good." At last he let her go, and Belle immediately grasped her own throat in relief, inhaling deeply. Her eyes stared downward for a long time; all the while she remained completely silent. She was certainly not planning to concede defeat as yet, even if Gaston had been fooled into thinking that she had.
Her eyes were still focused upon the mounting snow of the concrete tiles beneath her feet when Gaston let his gun fall softly onto the ground, before moving to grip both of her shoulders with his mighty hands. Then, he pulled her to him for a forced kiss. Belle's first instinct was naturally to shove him off, but at this time she remained still, hoping he did not intend to hold her lips hostage for too long.
Eventually, Gaston pulled back, Belle failing to look at him as he did so. "We could be quite a team," he began, taking a step backward to finally give Belle some personal space. He then straightened his posture and outstretched his hand with the intention of a pact.
"No more fighting this," he continued to Belle, who still averted her gaze, "no more fighting us. Come, agree to this now, and I promise we'll split the profits of our mermaid venture fifty/fifty."
Belle glanced up at his powerful, gloved hand, then further upward and into his ice-blue eyes. Without a word, she placed her hand in his, gripping it tightly.
But before Gaston had the chance to smile an arrogant, triumphant smile, Belle's right knee flew up, and with precision she forcefully kneed him in the groin.
With an agonised scream that could well be heard over the howling blizzard, Gaston instantly fell to his knees, both hands now clutching his injured manhood.
With an expression of intense pain visible upon his face, tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes, Gaston leaned forward, gasping for oxygen.
Like quicksilver, in one rapid, fluid motion, Belle swooped to seize the nearby hunting gun for herself. Gaston sensed her actions, and automatically spun his body around so his back was to the balcony's surface.
His wide eyes directly met the large circular barrel of his very own hunting gun.
"No… no! You couldn't!" Gaston's bottom lip quivered as he pleaded for his life. "Please! I'm sorry Belle, please believe me! I'm sorry!"
Belle scowled at him for a long moment, as she stood ominously over him, her finger near the gun's trigger. She thought of all the consternation he had caused her, of all the times he had harassed her, of all the innuendos and finally, she thought of how, only moments ago, he was poised to harm her.
Before long however, Belle's facial expression softened. She knew she was nothing alike the malicious Gaston, that the cruel nature of what she seemed to be contemplating was not something she ever wished to be capable of.
With a slight shake of her head, Belle hurled the gun far over the roof's edge.
As if responding to Belle's mood, the weather began to calm, as the howling winds lessened and the falling snow eased.
Gaston exhaled deeply. "Whoa Belle, you had me worried there. But I knew you didn't have it in you."
"Shut up!" Belle scolded him. "You pitiful man. You really have no idea, do you?"
Gaston could only stare at her in stunned silence. Finally, he asked: "What do you mean?"
Belle sharply turned away, her face almost crimson with anger. "Don't say another word, Gaston. Just leave, and don't even consider returning. I don't ever want to see your face again!"
Before Gaston even had the time to become angered and attempt to retaliate, a voice from above distracted both of them.
"Belle!"
Belle spun around, pushing a wayward section of damp, wavy hair away from her face as she did so. She looked up, and could not help but begin to smile; her mind instantly forgetting about the conquered Gaston.
"Ariel…?"
The storm was beginning to clear, and Ariel could now see below her, into the distance with ease, just as simply as Belle could see Ariel standing on her balcony, above.
Thank goodness you're alright, Ariel thought to herself as she leaned over the balcony railing and outstretched her right hand, beckoning for Belle to come to her.
With a sweet smile, Belle instantly began to navigate her way back up toward Ariel's balcony cautiously, taking care not to lose her footing on the slippery roof tiles. Snow still fell, but much gentler now. The winds had all but died, with only a fresh zephyr softly blowing across the castle's exterior. Belle's voice was a whisper, as the wind now was, as she said to herself: "Ma petite sirene…"
Gaston, still in considerable pain, slowly sat up. He watched with intrigue as Belle inched closer and closer to the awaiting Ariel. Teeth gritted as he tentatively rose to his feet, Gaston decided to silently skulk behind Belle, his mind overwhelmed with a mixture of anger, determination, and curiosity.
"Belle…" Ariel sighed this time as Belle's hand finally locked with hers. Gazing at her adoringly, Ariel then helped the exhausted Belle over the railing and onto the balcony alongside her.
Belle's face was pale, her hair messy. Her eyes seemed dim, and she appeared almost ready to collapse.
But when she smiled her endearing dimpled smile, Ariel believed she was the most enchanting sight one could ever imagine.
"You came back," Ariel said, her voice barely above a whisper, as she affectionately placed a hand on Belle's shoulder.
Belle shook her head slightly, drawing Ariel close to her with both hands. "No… I came home."
"I thought I'd never get to see you again." With these words, Ariel gently shifted her hand from Belle's shoulder up to her face, before lovingly stroking Belle's cheek.
Her exhaustion was instantly forgotten as Belle felt a wave of electricity course through her body from the sensation of Ariel's tender touch. For a brief moment, she was paralysed, unable to even blink as she stared into Ariel's luminous, welcoming eyes.
She was only roused to reality when Ariel murmured the concerned words: "Belle, you… you really don't look so good."
With a soft laugh, Belle rolled her eyes. "That's always a pleasure to hear."
Ariel also managed a gentle laugh, her thumb still caressing Belle's warm cheek. "You know what I mean."
Gaston was only several feet away, below them, but failed to hear the conversation. The girls were talking far too quietly. What are they saying? He strained his neck to listen, his eyes fixed on them with hardened intensity. He could glimpse both their faces, their enticing female forms side-on from the angle of his viewpoint.
Ariel was closest to the balcony's railing, her back turned to it. Their body language seemed incomprehensible to the gawking young hunter. How lost they were in each other's gaze, how close their bodies were… how close their faces were. Close enough to…
Ariel bit her bottom lip. She could feel her heart rate quicken. Do it! The words raced over and over in her mind. Raising her other hand to Belle's corresponding free cheek, Ariel slowly closed her eyes and leaned forward.
For one of the few times in her life, Belle's mind became blank. She could only succumb to the kiss, a kiss she too had wanted to eventuate for so long. Her eyes closed as she felt a knot of anticipation form in her stomach. Her hands rested tentatively upon Ariel's hips, and her heart rested entirely in Ariel's possession, as she knew now it always would.
At last, their lips met. The kiss was slow, achingly slow, careful, heartfelt. The pair became oblivious to the existing world around them once their soft, warm lips pressed, their minds filled only with thoughts of each other. They were alone, totally alone, wrapped in an enchanting snow-covered silence. Nothing and no-one else mattered.
But in harsh reality, they were not alone. A single pair of eyes witnessed the trepid but soulful kiss being shared.
On the snowy roof tiles below, Gaston stood and stared. After a brief moment of awed shock, the stark truth hit the young man like a deluge of cannonballs, crushing him.
Belle is in love with another woman.
He grimaced in disgust, as a turbulent mixture of emotions infused him to act. Gaston was humiliated that Belle would prefer another female over himself, whilst also being revolted by the very idea. Not to mention the fact that he was also seethingly jealous.
Forgotten completely was his earlier notion of capturing the mermaid and her talking sea creature friends for the sake of a money-making prospect. He now had only one thought on his mind: revenge.
Outraged, Gaston wanted justice. Fetching a hidden dagger from within his boot, he proceeded to carefully climb closer. His jaw was clenched, his eyes ablaze. HOW DARE SHE.
Hopelessly lost in each other, in the meaningful kiss that they shared, neither Ariel nor Belle knew the young hunter was still present… that he now knew the truth. Dreamily content, Ariel sighed inwardly, before allowing her head to tilt slightly, wishing for the kiss to grow deeper.
But their loving embrace was far too short lived.
Ariel wrenched back suddenly as a far more powerful sensation overtook her. Belle's eyes sprang open in alarm at the sound of Ariel releasing an ear-piercing scream.
The callous Gaston had plunged his dagger deeply into Ariel's side, puncturing organs. Instantly a river of crimson flowed from the wound, as Ariel lurched forward to clutch tightly onto the material of Belle's clothes for support.
Gaston, one hand grasping onto the balcony railing as he balanced behind it, cleanly removed the weapon. Uncertain of his next move, he could only stare at Belle, as he panted through gritted teeth. A significant part of him wanted to harm Belle also, thrust the knife deep into her, preferably straight through her heart. But he waited, wanting to witness her reaction before he decided her fate.
At first, Belle could only stare in shock and confusion at Ariel's pain-distorted face. Gradually, her eyes shifted to notice Gaston looming behind Ariel, holding aloft the blood-covered dagger. He glared at Belle, his cold, blue eyes menacing and full of unforgiving hatred.
Belle only stared vacantly in return, her mouth slightly agape.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Gaston shouted, pointing his dagger at Belle now, coaxing her to react.
In a sudden flash, Belle's eyes burned with rage. Her teeth clenched. With a fierce, thoughtless movement, she shoved Gaston in the middle of his muscular chest with as much strength as she could manage, whilst screaming at the top of her lungs: "NOOO!"
Aided by pulsating adrenaline and gravity, the force of Belle's push was enough to send Gaston violently backwards. It was now his turn to scream.
"AAAAHHHH-!"
He plummeted from the castle roof, arms flailing like a windmill. The castle's exterior whizzed past him in a blur as his mind filled with panic.
Soon enough, his mind thought of nothing at all. His scream remained as an echo for sometime after he had hurtled to his doom.
After the last heard evidence of Gaston's life faded into oblivion, an eerie silence filled the snowy air.
Belle stared at the vacant balcony edge where Gaston had just been. For a second, just a short moment, she felt overwhelmed by the reality of what had just happened. I… I killed him…
But this, along with everything else that had transpired, with any other thought that dare enter her mind, became meaningless to Belle as she felt Ariel slowly sinking away from her embrace, Ariel's knees buckling inward.
Readjusting her grasp so Ariel could lower no further, Belle glanced around in distraught panic. Quickly noticing that Ariel's lush canopy bed was not too far away, easily accessible back inside her castle bedroom, Belle gently aided Ariel over to the comfort of the bed.
Ariel winced, gritting her teeth as she struggled to cope with the immense pain from her wound. Knowing Belle was being as careful as possible, Ariel fought the need to vocalise her pain, not wanting any gasp or moan to escape as this would only upset Belle more so.
As Belle slowly eased Ariel down onto her bed, Sebastian, Scuttle, Tip and Dash gathered just inside the bedroom door, watching in woe and heartbreak at the sight of their fallen princess.
Directly opposite the creatures, far across the room, the enchanted purple flower of the sea that indicated when the spell upon Ariel was to be ended had left only a single, silken petal. None of the quartet noticed this, however—their saddened eyes were all focused solely on Ariel.
Belle sat on the edge of the cushy bed, her body bent forward, her arms cradling Ariel's limp form.
Ariel's breathing was becoming more and more erratic, and she finally let free a groan. Her head sank heavily to one side, resting against Belle's arm, that arm itself leaning upon one of Ariel's frilly edged pillows.
"Ariel…" Belle whispered her name, replaying in her mind the scene that had happened moments earlier on the balcony… Ariel pulling backwards as she screamed. Gaston's blood covered knife, his hateful words. The sound of his scream as he plunged to his death…
Belle wished, with every fibre of her being, that is was she who took the dagger in the side. That she had been closest to the balcony's edge… Why didn't that bastard stab me instead? It should have been me!
"Belle…?" Ariel managed to murmur through uneven gasps, her eyes closed. At the sound of Ariel's voice, Belle banished her macabre, guilt-ridden thoughts. Tenderly, she placed her free hand upon Ariel's down turned cheek and slowly lifted her head, so she was squarely facing Belle.
"It's OK Ariel," Belle soothed in a cracked whisper, "I'm right here."
Ariel's eyes at last fluttered open upon feeling Belle's gentle touch. She glanced up with those eyes, those usually sparkling, vibrant eyes full of adventurousness and wonder now appearing dull and glazed over. She managed a weak smile, clutching onto Belle's arm for comfort.
"You… you came back… just like you said you would…" Ariel struggled to speak, her voice quivering and barely audible, her life force continuing to drain away. "You're… you're not too late… I thought… I wouldn't get the chance to tell you…"
Belle placed a finger to Ariel's soft lips, signalling for her to become silent, to save her strength. She smiled warmly at Ariel for a long moment, but was unable to stop her eyes from becoming filled with tears.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay… here with you… always…" After she spoke those words, Belle placed her free hand up to her brow, and firmly shut her eyes, as if she was suffering from the onset of a migraine. "Oh, this is all my fault… I'm so sorry, Ariel…" She opened her eyes once more, leaning forward to embrace Ariel tightly, before repeating in an anguished whisper: "I'm so sorry."
Letting her forehead rest against Ariel's, Belle let out a weary, despondent sigh. A single tear escaped her moistened eyes to trickle slowly down her cheek.
Frowning for a moment at what Belle had just said, Ariel then managed to quietly argue: "Don't… don't be stupid. This isn't… your fault." Focusing all of her strength so she could form a silly smile, she then stuttered: "Stupid… stupid know-it-all… human."
Belle couldn't help but smile faintly, despite her tears. "That's me."
Ariel sighed, gazing deeply into Belle's glistening eyes. She desperately wanted to provide Belle with emotional comfort, to ease her sorrow. Swallowing hard, Ariel chose her next words carefully.
"Belle… please… please don't cry. You must… know something… You must know I… was going to die anyway."
Belle pulled back suddenly, becoming very visibly upset. "What? What are you talking about?"
Ariel blinked slowly, her eyelids heavy. "I'd much rather… it like this. With you here…" She flickered a tiny smile, hoping that Belle could find comfort, any ounce of comfort, in those words.
Indeed, Ariel was actually grateful to be facing her mortality in this circumstance. She had envisioned a wretchedly slow, lingering death for herself once she was to return to mermaid form, doomed never to see Belle again, to hear her voice… To put the suffering upon her loyal sea friends as they watched her gradually wither away, unable to help, knowing all along that this was to come, but helpless to prevent it.
For her death to be by the hands of another, to be quicker, to have Belle with her… it was somehow wonderful. Heart wrenching still, but wonderful.
"No, Ariel," Belle began slowly, her voice shaky, her tears flowing freely now, "you're not going to die…" Obviously in denial, Belle was most likely trying to convince herself of the truth in those words more so than Ariel. "You're not going to die… You can't! I… I need you…"
She leaned in again, running her hand gently through Ariel's thick auburn hair once their foreheads met. Knowing death was now very near, Ariel angled her chin forward, wishing for a goodbye kiss. With sorrow becoming evident in her voice also, Ariel softly whispered: "Belle… just… just hold me…" before her trembling lips met Belle's.
For Belle, this moment was the definition of bittersweet. She stroked Ariel's silky hair again, her mind becoming hazy as she lost herself in the kiss.
As the embrace lingered, Belle pressed her body against Ariel's as lightly as possible. With one of her last conscious thoughts, Ariel was certain she could feel the beating of Belle's heart against her own chest.
Wanting, desperately hoping that this kiss would last forever, it was all too soon that Belle felt Ariel's sweet lips pull away, her head sink heavily back against Belle's arm.
A tiny smile was just noticeable upon Ariel's pretty face as she sighed her final breath, her eyes locked with Belle's for their final glance.
Then, Ariel's head fell sharply to the side. Her eyes became closed.
Her face streaked with tears, Belle gazed at Ariel for a long moment, her eyes filled with panic, sorrow, soul-destroying heartbreak.
For the silent sea creatures nervously watching, Belle's mournful expression as she stared down at Ariel's still body lying upon the bed made the raw reality of the situation far too perfectly clear.
Ariel was gone.