Hello Readers! Welcome back and thanks for reading! Enjoy! :)

~Chapter 29~

Joel

The days in between venturing over to the beast's castle to see Noella seemed to be so far in between. I didn't think it would bother me this much. Eugene had found some leads proving that Rapunzel had come through town again. He received this news while I was away at the castle on Christmas Eve. By the time I returned, Eugene's behavior was anxious. He waited up for me to return home before investigating his leads further. Someone in town claimed to have seen a woman matching Rapunzel's description and Eugene questioned that claim, but it was a dead end.

Maurice's condition was steadily improving after the town doctor made a house call to see him. Eugene and I played nurse to poor Maurice, but we didn't mind. Besides, I think for both of us it was a worthwhile distraction to what we had occupying our minds. This particular evening, Eugene was up with Maurice giving him his nightly dose of antibiotics and I was downstairs standing next to the fireplace pulling out my mirror. I just wanted to check on her just to be sure she was okay. After speaking her name to the mirror, she and Belle were descending a long staircase together both looking beautiful. Noella looked stunning in her dress. I wondered what they had planned this evening. I could only hope something fun since they both deserved that being stuck as prisoners for many weeks. I had never heard of any prisoners ever being treated like guests before. Finally, Eugene rejoined me downstairs after several minutes.

"How's the patient?" I asked putting away my mirror quickly.

"I got him to eat some soup with his medicine, so I hope those will kick in so the poor guy can get some sleep."

"Yeah somebody in this house should." I shrugged.

Eugene looked at me with a mischievous grin.

"So, how's Noella?" He asked with a wink.

"Same as when I last visited." I replied.

Eugene gave me a suspicious look raising a brow.

"It's okay to admit you're checking in on your mirror. It's not worth hiding."

"Hiding? I'm not hiding anything." I snapped defensively.

"Uh huh. Sure." Eugene smirked unconvinced, "Well, I'm going to chop some firewood. Maurice said he was cold, so I'm going to turn up the heat in this place."

I stopped him quickly.

"No, let me. You tended to Maurice already tonight. Let me do this." I insisted.

"Alright then." Eugene nodded casually slunking down in a chair putting up his feet on the coffee table.

"By all means, make yourself comfortable." I smirked rolling my eyes.

"Gladly." Eugene winked.
I quickly went outside and I noticed clouds had really formed over the past several hours. Rain was on its way, so I'm glad I chose to chop now. The chopping block was found about a hundred yards from the cottage behind a tool shed. I grabbed an ax from the shed and began slamming the weapon hard down on some wood blocks. I made quick work of the wood and I gathered the pieces up in my arms. As I began to walk back, the top piece fell from my pile and rolled away from me. I went to fetch it, but someone had beaten me to it. A young woman with long brunette hair wearing a black cloak with a hood walked up to me returning the fallen piece. Seemed rather odd someone showing up out here.

"Thanks." I said quickly and turned to head back to the cottage.

"Glad you can finish some jobs, Joel." The woman replied.

Immediately, I dropped my wood pile and turned to face this random stranger.

"Who are you and how do you know my name?" I said getting in her face.

This woman had a very stoic expression hiding in her dark brown eyes.

"Corissa sent me to do a job, same as you." She replied.

"Ah so that's it." I said crossing my arms sternly.

"Look, she's getting impatient." The woman pressed.

"Well, you can just tell her that I'm doing the best I can." I snapped, "Noella is looking for the mirror as we speak, but consider it like a needle in a castle-sized haystack."

"Noella, huh?" The girl said raising a brow, "You speak so highly of her name. Is this task becoming an issue?"

"No." I said quickly, this woman was fishing for weakness and I refused to let Corissa threaten me like this. "Look, I don't know who you think you are, but I'm Corissa's huntsman and if she has a problem with how I'm doing my job, she can do it herself." I growled turning my back toward the strange woman walking back toward the cottage. Moments later, something strong had gripped my wrist tightly. I looked down to find the woman had her long hair wrapped around my wrist.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

I tried pulling out of it, but I couldn't break free and the woman just smiled maliciously at me.

"As I said Joel, I was sent here to do my job." The woman said circling me.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The right side of her mouth curled up into a smile and she opened her mouth and started to sing. Immediately I threw my hands up to my ears, but the sound was nauseating bringing me to my knees.

"I'm the Nightingale." The woman replied singing an octave louder and in seconds my world went black.

When I came to, I was alone and I glanced around again looking for the woman. What did she do to me? Regardless, I don't know how long I was out, but I picked up the firewood and ran toward the cottage. As I made my way back, I noticed a horse standing just outside the cottage that wasn't there before. Had she come back? I ran inside the door and Eugene was sitting on the couch and I put the wood beside the fireplace in a rush.

"Where is she?" I asked Eugene.

"Upstairs." Eugene replied.

I walked to the bottom step glancing up the stairs.

"Noella?" I called out.

To my surprise, Belle emerged from the upstairs bedroom.

"Joel?" She replied.

"Belle?" I answered in surprise.

"And I'm Eugene…" Eugene chimed in clearly mocking us, "Now that we're reintroduced, what's the matter?"

"Where's Noella?" I pressed.

"We went our separate ways." Belle explained, "I had to get back to papa and she went on to find her mother."

"She did? She said that?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm sorry." She said joining us downstairs.

"It's fine, but I'm going back there." I insisted, "Eugene, you coming with?"

"Joel, it's late." Eugene complained, "Let's wait until morning for once."

"Fine, I'll go alone." I snapped.

"Alright, I'm coming. I don't like your current mindset." Eugene replied getting up quickly.

"I imagine it's how you feel wanting to find Rapunzel…" I persisted.

"That's not fair." Eugene replied defensively.

It was a low blow, I'll admit bringing up Rapunzel like that, but I swore to myself that I'd apologize later. Returning to the beast's castle was the only thing on my mind right now to follow her tracks going from the castle. Eugene and I hauled up on our horses and prepared to move out when off in the distance coming nearer from the town, I saw fire. Curiously, I looked in that direction and I saw a large mob of people heading right for the cottage.

"That doesn't look good." Eugene said.

"No kidding." I agreed.

Quickly Eugene hopped off his horse running back toward the cottage.

"What are you doing?" I yelled.

"I'll meet up with you later. Go find Noella. I'll see what these people want and come join you." Eugene yelled back.

As my friend went back inside the cottage to warn Belle of the incoming people, I reared my horse to race on toward the beast's castle. Instead, I cantered away from the cottage, but hid nearby out of sight because whatever these people wanted I knew it couldn't be friendly, especially when they got close and I saw that Gaston was leading the way. I was far enough out of sight for nobody to see me, but not close enough to hear the conversation as Gaston pounded on the door of Belle and Maurice's cottage. I didn't like this at all, but I stood my ground out of sight. Within minutes, Maurice was being taken away as Belle yelled at them to stop. Eugene got in Gaston's face trying to stop whatever was going on. Belle suddenly ran inside the cottage, but then came out holding up a mirror. It sparked up an eerie glow, but soon I saw the beast's image through the mirror. The entire crowd of people were shocked by the sight. Gaston soon took the mirror from Belle and forced Belle, Maurice, and Eugene into the house. Then he mounted a horse leading the crowd of villagers onward toward the castle. I didn't like this and as soon as the crowd was gone, I rode back to the house. After a few tries, I busted down the front door to release my friends.

"Joel!" Belle exclaimed.

"So much for my door." Maurice said glumly.

"I think you prefer freedom." I replied.

"I thought you left already." Eugene chimed in.

I smiled putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hard to leave my friends in the hands of a mob." I winked.

Belle quickly grabbed her cloak slinging it around her shoulders.

"I must go back. Adam is in trouble and it's all my fault." She muttered sounding frustrated.

"This isn't your fault." I reassured her.

"But I showed him to everyone in mirror." Belle pressed going out the door and we all followed her.

"Gaston is a bonehead." Eugene added.

"And you were trying to protect me, Belle." Maurice nodded.

"In any case, papa stay home please. You're still unwell." Belle said mounting herself on Phillippe. Maurice grabbed the reins quickly.

"Papa." Belle complained.

"I'm as healthy as a horse." Maurice said holding back a cough, "You're not going alone."

I quickly got on my horse walking right up beside Belle.

"And she won't be alone." I nodded.

Eugene put a hand on Maurice's shoulder smiling reassuringly.

"We'll be right behind you." Eugene said quickly.

I nodded rearing my horse.

"Let's go, Belle."

The two of us raced off to the castle and in that time clouds settled in and rain began pelting down. Muddy terrain formed quickly, which made it that much of a harder ride. Eventually the castle was in our sights when my horse slowed down not wanting to keep moving forward especially on his rear leg on the right side. Belle stopped as I hopped off and inspected the leg and there was a large rock stuck in the horse's hoof. I tried to pull it out, but it was stuck good. I needed tools, but for now it couldn't be helped. The castle wasn't far, so I hopped on Belle's horse leaving mine to come back for later. When we reached the castle doors, they were busted through and there was a ruckus coming inside. There was a fight inside between the castle servants and the town villagers. It was an odd thing to walk into, but the servants were just defending their home. Belle and I dismounted quickly.

"I have to find Adam!" Belle said nervously.

"Go, I'll find Noella." I pressed.

Belle ran upstairs and I was left downstairs making my way around the crowd of villagers. The servants seemed to have a handle on things, so I began looking around frantically for Noella. The castle was in chaos and it was hard to make heads or tails of the place. I glanced down the main halls on the ground floor and didn't see Noella anywhere, so I decided to follow suit after Belle and ran up the first staircase. It was a bit quieter up here so maybe looking for someone would be easier. Soon, I heard her call out to me and I spun around. She just came in the castle doorway dripping wet and soaked to the bone from being outside. Quite the change from when I last saw her in that dress. I ran back downstairs while she ran toward me and we met right in the middle of the main hall embracing tightly.

"You okay?" I asked quickly taking in this moment.

She nodded her head in my shoulder.

"Are you?" She asked pulling away looking at me nervously.

"Fine." I nodded reassuringly.

"Well, that's one thing taken care of." Noella shrugged, "Where's Belle?"

"She ran upstairs, but after that I don't know."

"C'mon then." Noella pressed grabbing my hand leading me back upstairs.

We began calling out for Belle, but no answer came just the echoes of our voices reverberating off the walls. However, after a few moments, there were some distinct roars from an animal heard loud and clear.

"I know who that is." I said.

"Come on, we gotta hurry." Noella pressed.

We followed the noise all the way up to what Noella called the West Wing and through some double doors leading to a large open room with a table and a glowing rose underneath a glass dome. Normally, such things would stop me out of curiosity, but in an enchanted castle, it wasn't unusual. Near that table, the glass window just ahead of us was broken through. Just down below on the roof of the lower level, there was Gaston fighting the beast. They were really going at it too. I quickly took out my knife that Noella gave me from my belt.

"I'm going to help." I insisted hopping up on the balcony railing.

"Be careful, Joel." Noella told me nervously, "I'll climb over from the balcony lower down."

I nodded hopping my legs over the rails and I ran down the side of the roof watching my footing very carefully. One slip up and I'd be a dead man. By the time I got to Gaston and the beast, Gaston was being held by throat over the ravine below.

"Please, don't hurt me!" Gaston begged with panic in his eyes, "Anything...I'll do anything."

I was just about close enough to help, but the beast's anger softened pulling Gaston back from over the edge.

"Get out." The beast growled as he released Gaston.

"Adam!" A voice rang out suddenly.

All of us turned and there was Belle on the balcony that I had just climbed down from. The beast immediately looked so happy climbing up after her. Gaston stood up brushing himself off glaring at me.

"What are you looking at?" He snapped.

Then I saw Noella pop out onto the balcony just lower down. With the situation diffused, I climbed my way down to her carefully. The rain made the roof shingles especially slippery and I did not have my climbing tools with me, Eugene had them, so I was extra cautious. Once I was close enough to the balcony, I moved to my side sliding carefully the rest of the way down joining Noella.

"Whew, that was dicey." I said as Noella offered her hand to help me up.

"Everyone okay?" Noella asked.

"Just fine...everyone except Gaston. He…" I started to say looking up toward the balcony and Gaston had climbed it pulling out a knife right behind the beast. Before I could warn anyone, Gaston stabbed the beast in the back and a huge bolt of lightning struck the castle wall damaging the integrity of the wall. Gaston slipped being disoriented by the lightning and fell off the wall plummeting to his death below. We weren't out of the woods yet, Noella and I watched as Belle pulled the beast toward the balcony so he too wouldn't fall, but I saw a lot of blood soaking the back of his white shirt.

"Oh no, Adam!" Noella cried out. "Hang on!"

Noella turned to go back inside, but stopped in the doorway to wait for me. I moved toward her when I noticed a large slab of rocks loosening in the wall and small pebbles were starting to drop. My heart was in my throat and I reacted in the only way I knew how. I would die before I'd let Noella get hurt, so I forcefully pushed her out of the way as the stone fell crushing me to the ground. This wasn't even a choice for me. It was instinct. I-I had fallen in love with her and I couldn't lose her. Soon her face blurred as she looked over me in panic and my world went dark.

AN: Oh snap! Joel finally admitted his feelings to himself. It was killing me building this up over the course of the story so far XD. Anyways, hope you're still enjoying the story. Please review if so inclined. Your support is appreciated! :D