CHAPTER TWENTY
"Hellfire and damnation!" Rumpelstiltskin was about to slam the mirror down on the flat surface of a rock when he remembered that he couldn't withstand seven years of bad luck. He had already had more than his share.
The mirror he had fashioned to communicate with Belle was not working. Allowing his palm to hover over the glass, he frowned. He could sense magic surging through his mirror. No, it's not my mirror…its Belle's that's broken. Knowing the queen, she had found Belle's mirror, figured out they were communicating, and destroyed it. He had only been able to maintain his sanity by looking up on his wife's face and hearing her speak of her day and how their child was fairing. Belle and the babe were his only hope.
Raising his head, Rumpelstiltskin cast a glance back at the encampment. The men and child who fought for the crown were fast asleep, including the king himself. For all that he was, the king had fought hard that day, shed almost as much blood as Rumpelstiltskin himself. Then the royal feasted and drank himself into a stupor before night fell. The effects of the wine would still be pumping through his veins, rendering him unconscious.
The dagger would be with King David, somewhere on his person. But if I were to reclaim the dagger somehow, I could gain the upper hand. Never mind that he couldn't stand to look at the dagger or that his soul felt as though it were on fire when he was in close proximity of it. All the darkness within him cried out, driving him mad. I have to try. If he could retrieve it, then he could free Belle and the others, and this senseless war could come to an end.
Rumpelstiltskin stuffed the mirror back into his vest and on noiseless feet, traipsed back to the encampment. Nearing the camp, his ears twitched at the snores that bellowed and the sounds of pleasure of a few soldiers being entertained by members of the Oldest Profession. He slipped inside the king's tent and found the royal on his pallet, dead to the world.
I could drive a stake through his skull. Then half of his problem would be solved.
Rumpelstiltskin snatched up one of the stakes used to pitch tents, along with a mallet and had it aimed to pound into the king's temple.
He jumped back when King David sprang upright and his eyes snapped opened. The royal looked possessed.
The king shot to his feet and sidestepped him. "You were going to murder me?"
Rumpelstiltskin flung the stake and the mallet aside. "Are you surprised?" he hissed, his scales rising on the back of his neck. "You enslave me, you make me kill, you order me to rape my wife to get her with child, then you want to enslave my child...I want your head on a platter and your wife's beating heart in my hand!"
The darkness was running rampant inside of him, devouring the seeds of goodness that Belle had planted and nurtured. It thirsted for the king and queen's blood to be spilled. But the queen's heart, if he could, he'd slowly crush it. Queen Snow White should feel the effects of all the agonies she caused and then burn for all eternity in the seventh circle of hell.
"Snow was right; to allow you to be in control of yourself would mean travesty for us all." King David countered, the color draining from his face.
"Only because you awoke a sleeping giant. Do not act innocent, Your Majesty." Rumpelstiltskin knew he would pay for it, but he couldn't resist advancing towards the king, growling like a rabid dog. "You are so drunk with power that you had me murder children. Children! Their blood is on your hands, not mine!"
"Please!" King David cried out, fumbling with the flap of his vest.
"Were you always so weak?" Rumpelstiltskin extended his hand and swatted the royal on the cheek. "So useless? So pathetic. I'm surprised the queen hasn't neutered you, now that she is carrying her little snowflake."
Quivering, King David jerked the dagger out from his vest and raised it in front of him, like a shield.
Rumpelstiltskin cowered, his retina's burning at the short glimpse he had of it. He had caught his own name in the blade and his insides fluttered, recalling how the pointed tip had once been plunged into his heart. There were times he thought that he could still feel it sticking out of his chest.
"I command thee to submit." King David's chest puffed out, confident that he now had nothing to fear. "Kneel!"
Rumpelstiltskin slumped to his knees and prayed that the king wouldn't have him slaughter a bunch of innocents in retaliation. Or have the queen abuse Belle.
"Look at me!" King David shouted.
Rumpelstiltskin angled his gaze and was able to see the king by looking beneath the dagger.
King David was gasping for breath, his cheeks hollowing in and out. "If you attempt to attack or kill me, Snow White will kill Belle. She'll wait until the baby is born, then she'll slit Belle's throat." A trickle of sweat ran down the length of his jaw. "You don't want that, do you? Don't try her."
Rumpelstiltskin peered at the king, bewildered by the swift alteration in the royal's mood. There were moments when the king did not sound or act like himself; then there were moments like these when King David showed his weaker side.
"You do everything Queen Snow White says." Rumpelstiltskin held up a finger and studied the royal, then he cursed himself for being so blind. How could he of all people had missed it? "Oh dearie, dearie, dearie. Of course, why didn't I see it before? The harpy queen has your heart, in more ways than one."
Somehow, someway, Queen Snow White was in possession of the king's heart. It explained why the king obeyed her every command, yet occasionally had promised to try and free him. Whether the queen practiced Dark Magic, or had some assistance from the clerics, she was able to control King David via his heart.
King David gave a discreet nod and Rumpelstiltskin felt as though he were seeing the royal for the first time. Deep down, the royal was not a depraved man, but he could not control himself. In many ways, he was as much of a victim as the rest of them. Only the gods knew all the queen did to terrorize her own husband.
Rumpelstiltskin bowed his head, feigning meekness. "Very well, I'll be good, Your Majesty."
For now. Rumpelstiltskin added silently.
#
Belle turned the corner of the bed and grabbing handfuls of the blankets, she flung it back, revealing nothing more than a bottom sheet. She made a face and then dropped to her knees and checked in the empty space beneath the bed.
Nothing.
It has to be here somewhere! Belle released an aggravated groan and got to her feet. The mirror was on her vanity the other day. She always kept it there, except for night time, when she placed on Rumpelstiltskin's empty pillow, in case he needed to communicate with her. Or her with him. But now the mirror was missing and for the life of her, she couldn't remember where she put it. As her pregnancy progressed, she became increasingly forgetful. The tension was likely also a factor.
Turning around, she eased onto the edge of the bed and dropped her head in her hands. Every little thing set her off these days.
Belle was in the middle of a good cry when Ruby entered her chambers. Her friend was soon by her side, wrapping an arm around her shaking shoulders.
"What is it?" Ruby inquired, drawing her in for a side hug.
"I want to talk to Rumple and I can't find my mirror. We communicate through it." Belle answered, but didn't elaborate any further.
After months of studying, months of research, months of thinking, she finally figured it out. She had unlocked the secrets of Rumpelstiltskin's curse. The enchanted tree that she had read about in that ancient book, the one that had been extinct for centuries, its name was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Whoever sampled its succulent fruit changed form; the illustration showed a reptilian being, one which reminded her of Rumpelstiltskin. In another book, one of folk stories, Belle read of tales where the tree was located in Dark Hallow, which was now a wasteland. She didn't know how or why, but her husband must have found the tree and eaten the fruit. And the mark on his chest, had been caused by a stabbing, his curse somehow latched onto the weapon and he was bound to it.
Queen Snow White was in possession of it.
Why did it take me so long to figure this out? The truth had been there all along.
Wiping the dampness from her cheeks, Belle longed to let Rumpelstiltskin know that she was on his side and they now had a better chance of setting him free.
Ruby scrounged through her skirt pocket and handed over a hanky. "When you were with the clerics, the maids went through your room."
"We're never going to escape this, are we?" Belle wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
Just when she thought she was getting ahead of the queen, the royal outsmarted her. It was a never-ending battle.
"I don't know."
Belle directed her gaze to her friend. Ruby was weary; her usual optimism having been drained out of her. She was pale, her face narrower than before, her hair lost its sheen. A lover of nature and a creature of the woods, she was fading from being cooped up in doors.
Reaching for Ruby's hand, Belle stroked the back of it. "Ruby, what happened when you were away?"
Her friend never spoke of it, not in so many words. Ruby had buried it all down deep inside of her.
Ruby used her foot to boost herself up onto the bed and drew her knees to her chest. "I went in search of my pack...for my mother. I found her, and then..." Her friend faltered, her chin wobbling.
"What?" Belle probed, as gently as she could.
"Remember Sir Haemisch?" When Belle nodded, Ruby continued, her expression brightening at the mention of the peculiar knight. "He followed me; he said he was bound to me. He and I, well, it doesn't matter anymore."
It most certainly did matter. Belle had noticed from the start that Sir Haemisch was attracted to Ruby and it was plainer than plain that Ruby reciprocated his feelings. Something drove them apart though…perhaps the queen. The queen seemed to be the root of all horrible things.
"Haemisch has stirred up a rebellion and has connections to a woman named Regina. She intends to overthrow Queen Snow White. Perhaps all hope is not lost."
Belle cupped her stomach and rubbed the spot where she felt the baby give a kick. She wanted to believe, to hope. But power was addictive; Regina could easily spiral out of control as easily as Snow White did.
"Perhaps." Belle shrugged. "But there is no guarantee that this Regina would allow us to be free either."
"We must have faith, or we should try." Ruby's eyes lowered to Belle's belly and pointed at it. "For the baby's sake."
"For the baby's sake." Belle echoed. She massaged her stomach, wondering if the baby could feel her touch.
Ruby was right. They could not give up hope, not now. Bleak as things were, she had the baby to think of. The baby relied on her to make things right.
#
Rumpelstiltskin hunkered down at the base of a weeping willow and ran his fingertips across the clear surface of the mirror. He made a noise of disgust and laid it aside. The king and queen had always allotted him a small amount of magic for his own use, but must have curtailed it after his near murder-attempt of the king. Communicating with Belle was impossible.
Heavy footsteps squelched along the embankment near the river. Rumpelstiltskin sniffed the air and wrinkled his noise. The pungent stench of alcohol mixed with the sickly-sweet humidity. A shadowy figure paced, as though he were waiting, nay, encouraging him for a confrontation.
Rumpelstiltskin grabbed the mirror and rising, he climbed out of his hiding place and ambled down to the man. Unlike other humans, his eyes adjusted well to the dark and on closer inspection, he could make out the identity of the visitor.
"Sir Haemisch," Rumpelstiltskin greeted, offering him a stiff nod. "What brings you to my neck of the woods, dearie?"
The knight gave him a mock salute. He reeked of spirits and his appearance was more unkempt than it was the last time. His shaggy hair was limp and the stubble on his chin and cheeks were long enough to be considered a beard.
"To let you know that the rebellion is succeeding," Sir Haemisch declared proudly. "And our army is sixty miles from the castle."
Sir Haemisch and Regina's endeavors were commendable and Rumpelstiltskin understood the people's plight. He, too, wanted the rebellion to be successful. However, they had no concept of how depraved Queen Snow White was. She would stop at nothing until she achieved all that she desired.
"That is no matter." Rumpelstiltskin countered. He didn't want to destroy anyone's hopes, but better they accept the truth now, rather than lay their lives down for a cause they could not win. "The royals will continue on with their bloodbath, until they silence you."
Sir Haemisch was unmoved and dismissed Rumpelstiltskin's objections with a half-shrug. "In a sense, they already have. You killed a woman today; dark hair, fiery eyes, cut near the lip."
Rumpelstiltskin swallowed, but the bile continued to rise to the back of his throat. He had killed a fifty or so today, their existences etched into his memory. One woman had had dark harm, but he hadn't looked at her face. He could no longer watch their expressions freeze on his kill's faces as their lives slipped away. Much as he still hated Cora, it was soul crushing that he had killed his former lover's daughter.
He fumbled, anxious to latch onto something and then he knew what he was groping for. Belle. Whenever something horrendous happened to him, he'd seek her out for comfort and she could chase away the darkness. But alas, she was unreachable.
"I killed Regina?" Rumpelstiltskin whimpered and closed his eyes in shame. "I killed Cora's daughter?"
"Don't act so shocked, you were very thorough." Sir Haemisch withdrew a flask from his belt, unplugged the cork, and took a hearty swig. "Another will take her place and lead us to victory. You and the king will return home, once you look over the corpse, of course." He held it out for Rumpelstiltskin to take and scowled when he didn't. "What?"
Rumpelstiltskin ran a mottled hand over his face. He had waited for weeks to return to Belle and the babe and now was his chance, but the price had been Regina's life. Since he had been at the frontlines, he had taken hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives.
"Belle won't want me, not after all I have done." His usually high-pitched voice was oddly low…low enough that it sounded like a normal man's voice. "I've killed children."
"You had no choice." Sir Haemisch replied, "I'm not coddling you, but they king and queen forced you." The knight was speaking the truth, that much he knew. The man was a vessel of the crown; his life was dedicated to the slaughter of others. "And they will pay for what they have done. Their time is coming."
Rumpelstiltskin made no response. The knight may have been right, but that didn't make his situation any easier.
Sir Haemisch took another drink, plugged up the flask, and returned it to its rightful place. "Is Ruby at the castle?" he asked.
"Aye, she is with my wife." Rumpelstiltskin chuckled and raising a finger, he jutted it at the knight. "Right, you and the Wolf Girl. She'll be safer there than roaming the woods."
"It's my fault Ruby was captured." Sir Haemisch blurted out. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and shook his head. "I followed her to make sure she was all right, I wanted to help her. I ended up leading Gaston straight to her. Her mother was killed."
Rumpelstiltskin didn't know why the knight was confiding in him. Aside from Belle and the baby, I know nothing of the matters of the heart. But he couldn't disregard Sir Haemisch's blithering. In his own cold manner, the knight had tried to console him for killing Regina.
Rumpelstiltskin had forgotten about the mirror in his hand until his fingers gripped the handle tighter. His mirror still worked, but there was no point in hanging onto it since he couldn't reach Belle. Besides, once the royals realized that Regina was dead, they'd return to the castle and he'd be reunited with Belle.
Passing the mirror to the knight, Sir Haemisch shot him a bewildered look.
"When I return to the castle, I will try and make one for the Wolf Girl, then you two can communicate." Rumpelstiltskin hoped that would be enough for Sir Haemisch until the knight could see Ruby again. That's the best I can do.
Sir Haemisch nodded his gratitude. "Thank you." The knight turned sharply on his heel and departed.
Rumpelstiltskin wrapped his arms around himself, envisioning them as Belle's. Soon enough they would be together again and hopefully she would not reject him. He knew he was unworthy of her and the baby, but he'd beg her on hands and knees to have mercy on him and take him back. As long as he could be in her and the baby's lives, he'd never ask her for another thing.