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Also thank you Huntress4455 for start reading and for your insight J

I do not Own Once Upon a Time


Chapter 29 – Days 15 to 19: Treachery

Belle was in high spirits. She walked happily through the beautifully decorated castle. Flags were mastered, wreaths hung everywhere, vases of colorful flowers filled the empty walls and corners of the streets. Today, it was Lord Leopold's birthday. Belle thought she could have not timed it better. She felt in the mood of celebrating. Lord Leopold had been prompt in giving orders. This very morning, fifteen thousand soldiers rode to the frontiers, with the task of freeing Armithil from the ogre's claws. Finally, all she thought about and aspired for the last two weeks was being undertaken. Refugees would finally be helped; innocent children freed from the wars, defenseless people would be protected. Belle hoped from the bottom of her heart her father would be quickly released. Belle glowed with the thought her father would be proud of her speech and deeds from the day before. He would be proud to know his daughter had chosen to do the brave thing. And bravery had followed.

She turned a corner and took in the amazing sight of the streets below her. Everybody was busy. People had built improvised stalls with food and drinks before their homes, welcoming anybody that passed by. Here and there were musicians playing happy tunes. Children run the streets laughing and playing with the colorful decorations. The princess walked a bit more, taking in the festive sphere. Suddenly she halted. She saw a row of red roses and her thoughts went immediately to Rumpelstiltskin. She wondered if he too was celebrating king Leopold's birthday. But then she was reminded he had nothing to celebrate, only to regret. Lord Leopold was not his king. He and Baelfire were refugees of an invaded and destroyed kingdom. Worse of all, they had been fooled by the princess of the very same kingdom. Belle regretted dearly her words from two nights ago. She had been unfair. Of course Rumpelstiltskin was mad. Of course he was hurt. He felt betrayed. How could he believe in love at that moment? He had hurt her no less than she had hurt him. Why did love have to be so dificult?

The beauty picked a red rose. It looked exactly like the one he had offered her in Dixterren. She smiled sadly at the memory. Bram had warned her. Plebeians and Royalty don't mix. She surrendered to the rose's scent. A woman was not supposed to deal with matters of wars and politics either, but she did. She managed to change that, why shouldn't she be able to change the society's opinion about social classes? If they both truly loved each other, what made them stop? Belle smiled as she got an idea. She ran back to the castle in search of a messenger. On her way she crossed paths with a dark man, clothed in an exotic manner. He greeted her cheerfully, for her smile and happiness were contagious.


Lord Leopold praised his fair daughter. He talked about sweet memories of his deceased wife and how much Snow White reminded him of her. Belle watched the scene with bitter sweetness. She almost felt envious for Snow. She had her father right next to her, speaking beautiful words, while hers was no doubt locked in some damp dungeon, thirsty and hungry and wondering if he would ever see the daylight again. She could not take it anymore. Belle, very silently, got up from the guest's table and exited the room unnoticed. She stepped to the balcony and wept silently. Belle missed her father so badly. She wanted to be able to look at him, hold him and listen to his kind words. She cried until no more tears were left. It was when the princess calmed down and cleaned the tears of her face, that she saw them. Belle frowned inquisitive and mystified. Outside, on the castle's terrace, under Regina's family tree, stood the queen and the party's guest of honor, Genie. They were standing on front of each other and he gave her an object. Belle shrunk her eyes to envision it better. She would swear it was a small hand mirror. The two separated after a switch of words. The beauty stared a while longer as the queen departed. Belle would have sworn they behaved as lovers. And she would have sworn Regina had seen her and given her a cold smile.


Belle woke up with loud voices echoing in the corridors, indistinct cries being shouted and feet tramping the floor under heavy armor. The princess quickly got out of her bed and opened the door. Guards, knights, advisors and maids were running everywhere looking stressed. Clearly something bad had happened. Belle run a while, disorientated. She met, in the middle of the chaos, a very teary Snow White.

"What happened?" Belle asked, realizing something really bad had indeed happened.

"Daddy…My daddy…is-is dead!" Snow managed to verbalize between her hysteric sobs. Belles' heart sunk. It could not be true. The good king was perfectly healthy. This afternoon still, he had ridden with the princesses in the castle's forests.

"B-But how?" Belle asked completely taken by surprise, already in the brink of tears.

She received no answer, as Snow buried herself in her friend's arms and cried desperately. The beauty stroke her hair while she stared with great unbelief at the state of confusion in the castle. Just two days ago, a festive sphere had hung among the stone walls, fillings everybody's hearts with joy. Now all Belle saw in the faces of people was panic and agony. Suddenly she saw Queen Regina in the middle of the turmoil, her face stained by her hot tears. Their eyes met and the queen ran to them.

"Girls, you shouldn't be here!" She said and quickly grabbed Snow's arm to lift her up to practically drag the girl out of the place in her despair. Belle followed scared and still not believing what had just happened. The queen guided the girls to a quiet room, one of the many guest chambers of the castle. Regina sat Snow on the couch and let out a painful sob.

"It's all my fault!" Regina suddenly yelled.

"What do you mean?" Belle asked with a frown. The queen looked at her, despair and regret in her eyes.

"Leopold was murdered!" The queen managed to articulate. Belle gasped shocked while Snow howled in misery. "They found a two headed snake in his bed…an extremely deadly poisonous snake!" The woman hid her face behind her trembling fingers. She took a few deep breaths and looked again at Belle and Snow. "It's a kind of snake that only lives in Agrahab."

Suddenly all the pieces fell together. Genie, the foreigner from Arabian lands, the guest of honor in King Leopold's party, killed the king.

"He's in love with you." Belle realized, remembering the pair's interaction during the birthday party. The queen nodded dejectedly.

"I tried to put sense in him. I tried to explain Genie that I did not love him back. That my heart belonged to the king…" At this she burst again into tears. Snow got up and hugged her stepmother to console her.

Belle felt the strength in her legs weaken. She let herself fell on the soft couch. Lord Leopold was viciously murdered by a man that desired the king's wife. He killed his friend, cold blooded, because he was in love with a woman that didn't even love him back. How mad and cruel could this man be?


The funeral had been adequately sad and honorable. Black and white were the only colors to be seen in the mournful castle. People from all different ages and classes had come to pay their respect for the King. Lord Leopold, the Good, was gone forever. The castle was extra guarded, bounties searched for the murderer, who escaped in the fatidic night without a trace. Belle watched with compassion Snow White place a white rose on her dear father's black coffin. The queen stood behind her, beautiful in her sadness, fighting back her tears. Belle, like the rest of the guests, silently left widow and daughter in the hall with the coffin. They remained to bid their last farewell to their king, father and companion.

Belle remained the rest of the day in her room. Her eyes were lost in the white landscape. Fairies had brought snow to this day, for the king had always loved the white flocks, their pureness and softness. The princess sighed at the fragility of life. Her heart cried for the Queen, but especially for Snow, who had always depended on her father. If only the beauty could guess that things were about to get worse for her friend.


Belle stormed into the throne room, fuming disgracefully. Behind her stood the always faithful Gaston, looking as outraged as the princess. Queen Regina, dressed in a magnificent black dress, turned around. Her blood red lips drew a malicious smile.

"Prince Belle, Lord Gaston. What pleasure brings you here?" Her voice was like a smooth poison that made Belle's veins burn.

"You sent the armies back? Why did you order retreat?" The princess demanded. The Queen's smirk grew, her eyes flaming evilly. Gaston, sensing the danger, was already holding his sword's handle.

"My dear Belle." Regina spoke with an overly sweet voice. "You could not expect me to let Leopold's mad plan carry on? Sending all those poor young and valorous warriors to risk their lives for a lesser kingdom?"

"How could you? They were the only hope of Armithil! We need them to free our people from the ogres!" Belle and Gaston's blood froze as the queen laughed coldly and amused. The princess took a few steps back, her heart racing madly. She stared terrified at the queen's dark eyes. It didn't make any sense. Unless… "You! You are behind this!" Jefferson's words taunted her mind. She's a powerful sorceress. He had said. I know she has connections with the Dragon Lady. "You are helping Maleficent taking over Armithil!" Both Belle and Gaston were terrified by the icy laughter that came out of the beautifully evil queen.

"I must admit, Belle. You are a very clever girl." She smiled almost sincerely. "I like you. Your assertiveness, your bravery. Teach men to know their places." She said as she gave a disdainful look at Gaston."But I'm afraid you are wrong about something, my dear. I'm not helping Maleficent conquer Armithil." She paused, savoring the suspense she was creating. "She is the one helping me take over Snowland." The queen's words fell like a heavy stone. There was an awful silence in the throne room. "You see, I used Maleficent's desire in revenge to convince her to deal with the Ogres in Armithil. She easily made an agreement with them, something that would be impossible for me to do. The ogres would conquer the castle for her and Maleficent would give them blood in return. After Armithil, the Ogres would invade Snowland, but Genie's presence during Leopold's birthday was simply too convenient. I guess I changed the plans slightly." Regina stared at the couple still with a mocking smile on her lips, but was watchful as a viper for any attack. Belle and Gaston stared back at her in pure disbelief. The princess suddenly remembered her friend.

"Snow. What will happen to Snow White?" Belle asked feeling terror take over her. The queen chuckled amused.

"Oh, I sent Snow for a walk in the forest. You know, catch some fresh air." Belle's eyes widened horribly. She could not mean.

"No…you…you wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?" The queen glared with a fierce look.

"Belle, we should leave." Gaston warned. He sensed the threat thicken. They needed to escape this mad woman.

"Yes, Belle. You should leave." The queen wickedly said. The throne room's large doors opened by themselves. "You are lucky you impressed me at the Great Council. Otherwise I would have already considered you dead."

Belle, still petrified with the terrible revelations, let herself be dragged out of the room by Gaston. She run wide eyed having no idea where her legs were taking her to. It all became clear. It was Regina who was behind Lord Leopold's death. Genie had been a pawn. Only the gods knew what happened to the poor man. Snow was probably already dead. But why? Why would Regina wish the death to the royal family of Snowland? And why did Armithil have to fall in the hands of the Dragon Lady? It were these and many other questions that haunted Belle, while she and Gaston, rode fast out of the castle, escaping once again from the claws of death.


I hope the time/event jumps didn't make this chapter too fragmented or rapid in reading.

So, what do you think about the developments so far?

review ;)