The King's Bride: Part Seven
A/AN: I would like to thank everyone for all of the reviews! I hope everyone enjoys this next segment of Cora's demise and William's rescue. Is everything finally okay between our two protagonists? Read and find out!
Belle sighed, lounging languidly on the bed, absentmindedly counting the seconds that ticked by. She'd nearly fallen asleep, her head lolling to the side only to jerk herself back to wakefulness. She was ready to give up and recline fully, to give herself over to the arms of Morpheus. She was almost grateful for the light tapping at the door. She wasn't sure why anyone would be knocking since there was a guard posted just outside. Sauntering toward the door, she twisted the knob, startled when it opened freely. On the other side stood the ebony haired maid from earlier, "What are you doing here?" Belle inquired curiously to the perturbed servant.
"Milady! Word has spread that the queen has imprisoned the king of Albannach. I don't know what your connection is to the king, but I think it's best if you flee! I overheard her talking to her adviser about coming to tear out your heart. The queen is ruthless, and I try my best not to get wrapped up in her affairs, but I can't watch an innocent die. There are secret passageways throughout the castle, and I know them well. Let me help you escape!" she pleaded.
"William is my lover, and I can't leave him behind. I'm sure she's taken him to the dungeons. Are there any secret passageways which lead there? There's someone down there I think can help us," Belle stated, her mind flashing to Ruby.
"Milady, I don't advise it, but I can get us there. However, we must make haste," she hissed urgently, pointing to a normal wall. Belle nodded furiously as she watched the other woman press on a certain stone, opening up a hidden passage. They fled into the darkness, the wall closing soundlessly behind them. Cora's guards dashed down the hallway to retrieve Belle, but she was nowhere to be found. They furtively searched her chamber but to no avail.
Belle and the servant walked quietly through the darkened passageways, a single candle illuminating their path. "Thank you for alerting me of Cora's plans. That was very kind of you. If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" she queried.
"My name is Eva, and I've been a maid in this castle for many years. What's your story?" she asked the beauty, and Belle sighed wondering if she should dispel the truth or not. She decided since Eva was helping her, she could be trusted.
"My name is Belle, and I live in Avonlea. The king and I shared a clandestine romance for several years until his father made him banish me. He forbade our union because I was a commoner, and forced him marry a woman of noble birth. I retired to my village where I've been ever since. The war brought us back together for a fleeting moment, and then I was abducted and brought here. Cora is using me as leverage against him. I don't believe there's any use in hoping for a happy ending now. I have someone back home whom I love very dearly and need to protect, and I don't want Cora to learn about him, or she'll use him against me," she remarked secretively, and she noticed Eva smile softly under the candlelight.
"I presume you're speaking of a child? We mothers must do what's best for our children. I sent my daughter away many years ago to protect her from the queen's vengeance. She was embroiled in a misunderstanding with Cora's daughter Regina, so I sent her away somewhere where she would be safe. I haven't spoken to my daughter in many years, but I think of her often. I hope she's happy and has a family of her own now," Eva reminisced, sighing somberly.
"What's her name if you don't mind me asking?" Belle inquired.
"Her name is Mary Margret." she responded, a single tear cascading down her cheek.
"I remember a kind kitchen servant named Mary Margaret back in Albannach. She came to work there around the same time I did. Maybe she's your daughter?" she asked, and Eva nearly stumbled over her dress, dumbfounded in light of this new information.
"I guess there's a reason why I met you then, Belle. Maybe you're supposed to reunite me with my daughter." Eva beamed, and Belle sighed, "Maybe, but I don't think I'll be going back to Albannach after this venture. I do hope you find your daughter though," she half smiled, the conversation halting when Eva stopped near a wall covered in cobwebs.
"Here's the passage which leads to the dungeons. We have to be cautious in case of any guards," she instructed, pushing on the ancient stone. The wall moved, revealing a series of empty cells.
"He has to be here!" Belle exclaimed with new determination as they made their way down a narrow corridor with a series of identical iron doors.
"Your heart will take you to him. True love always finds a way," Eva reverberated, and Belle couldn't help but feel hope stir within her at the kind woman's declaration.
~X~
He had been dumped in a prison cell to rot. She'd made it crystal clear that no one would come for him. The only comfort he derived from his suffering was he and his beloved would be together soon. Tears rolled down his ruddy cheeks, loathing his very existence … for he had failed her. She was going to die because of him, and there was nothing he could do about it. He confessed each of his sins, hoping it would be enough to offer him penance in the afterlife. He shivered and convulsed violently as a wave of dark energy crackled through his veins. The pain was unimaginable, and he howled in agony as Cora's dark magic coursed through him. An overwhelming feeling of grogginess overtook him, plunging him back into the world of dreams. The nightmares roared violently through his subconscious, one after another. They consisted of his greatest fear, losing her. The same scenario happened hundreds of different ways for what seemed like hours. She would always be right within his reach, but then the darkness would sink its claws into her supple flesh, ripping her apart violently.
Many times he prayed for death, for a release from the pain. His skin burned with fever, a thin sheen of sweat dampening his clothes, a sharp contrast with the frigid stones upon which he lay. If he could just find her, save her … she would help him wouldn't she? Help him escape the nightmare his life had become? His voice felt raspy, his throat raw as it rang through the cavernous catacombs in search of her. "Please … Belle! Where are y-you?" he sobbed, his chest constricting with the pain of her loss, the agony of their separation and the great insurmountable weight of hopelessness.
~X~
It wasn't difficult for Belle to locate him, for his screams gave it away. She picked up her skirts and darted towards the sound. Eva called after her, but her pace was relentless, her need to reach him, to save him driving her onward. Once she found the door, she yanked hard on it, clawing at the timber until her nails bled, screaming his name, her distress evident. Eva pulled the sobbing woman into her arms. "Stop it! We can't get in there without a key and if you keep screaming like that, they'll catch us and our fates will be sealed," she warned.
"It sounds as if something is ripping him apart! Please! I have to get to him!" she begged, tugging on Eva's skirts.
Eva touched her shoulder to calm her, "Milady I didn't want us to come this way, but I thought you might ask, so I stole the guard's keys just in case," she revealed, plucking a large ring of keys from her apron. She cast the girl a wicked smile and arched a brow. "Needs must, after all."
Belle's eyes grew as big as saucers when she saw the keys, "Hurry! Let's try out each one!" she replied anxiously. Eva inserted the first key in the lock and turned it to no avail. After seven failed attempts, she hopelessly turned the last key, feeling her knees tremble with relief as the lock clicked. She barely had time to push open the door before Belle had darted into the chamber.
William writhed helplessly on the floor, babbling incoherently. Belle rushed to him, instinctively pulling him into her lap. The tremors in his body calmed at the simplicity of her touch. His heart rate returned to a normal rhythm at the faintest brush of her lips against his. The darkness withdrew quickly from her pure healing light. After what seemed like an eternity, his eyes flickered open, but it took a moment for him to register her features.
"Belle..." he rasped, reaching up to gently brush locks of hair from her eyes.
"Liam..." she respired, cradling his face lovingly in her hands. "Are you really here, or is this some sort of afterlife?" he inquired.
She shook her head. "You haven't died," she assured him. "No my love...I'm right here with you. Eva, the kind maid who attended me earlier, heard of Cora's vile plot to rip out my heart. She rescued me, and brought me to the dungeons because she'd heard you'd been imprisoned. I couldn't bear to leave you behind. I wanted us to leave this horror together," she reported, and he winced in pain when he tried to move.
"What did she do to you, my Liam?" Belle quizzed, lovingly running her hands over his face in an attempt to soothe. "The queen is a witch. She shot me with a powerful blast of dark magic. I've been convulsing violently for the past hour with nightmares, but then they just vanished. It was when you touched me Belle. There must be something inside of you which counteracted the spell," he concluded.
"True love … The most powerful magic in all of the realms. It can break any curse." Eva interjected from the doorway. Belle was so caught up in being reunited with William, she'd almost forgotten all about the servant.
"Liam, this is Eva … She helped me find you," she announced.
"I'm much obliged to make your acquaintance, Miss Eva, and I'm now in your debt. Whatever you wish once we leave this place is yours," he affirmed, nodding regally in her direction.
"I would like to accompany you and your men back to Albannach. Belle assures me my daughter works in the castle," she supplied.
William sat up a little straighter in Belle's arms, feeling strength slowly seep back into his body as he drew from her indomitable spirit. "What's her name?" he inquired.
"Mary Margaret. I sent her away with some traveling merchants when she was just a small child. They promised to secure her safe passage into another kingdom, and Miss Belle seems to believe she resides in Albannach," she replied anxiously.
"Aye … Mary Margaret is a very kind lass. She's married to my captain, David. They just had a daughter some five years ago, Emma," he responded.
The maid clasped her hands over her mouth, joyous tears spilling over her lashes. "I can't wait to see her then … Knowing she has a family of her own will only make our reunion much sweeter," she laughed.
"I'd be glad to bring you home to your daughter, but first we really need to get out of here. Will you show us the way, Eva?" he asked, standing with Belle's hand firmly clasped in his.
"I can..." she nodded, ready to lead them out of the cell, but Belle halted her,
"Wait! There's someone else who needs our help. I can't leave her at Cora's mercy," she insisted, her thoughts flashing to Ruby.
"All right, love … Lead the way," he encouraged her, kissing her temple lightly.
Belle instantly remembered her old cell was close to the stairs, "Eva, my cell was close to the entrance. Can you take us there?" she inquired.
"I can, but it'll be risky heading back that way. It's highly unusual Cora didn't have any guards posted at your cell, your majesty," she said, eyeing William speculatively. "I presume she didn't think you would survive her attack, so she didn't worry about you escaping. I can take you back that way, but there's a chance she'll have a few guards down that way," Eva surmised.
Belle sighed and lifted her chin defiantly, steadfast in her decision to free the wolf girl. "It's a chance I'm willing to take."
~X~
Ruby slumped lazily against the stone wall, pondering on what her old cellmate was doing. It had been nearly a day since she'd seen her, and she wondered what had happened to the girl. She blinked hazily, surprised when she heard the door creak open. She'd assumed it was the guard, bringing her the daily allotment of gruel she was allowed. Her eyes lit up when Belle entered the chamber, accompanied by two other strangers.
"Belle … What are you doing back here, and who are they?" she inquired, eying the two other strangers. "Staging a prison break was beyond your capabilities … or so I'd assumed."
Belle smiled tightly at the girl. "I'm just full of surprises," she said cheekily, "but I don't have time to explain, Ruby. I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for ever doubting you. You were right about Cora and her magic. She hurt my lover, Liam, and Eva is going to help us escape. I came back for you. I don't know who or what you are, but I couldn't leave you here at her mercy. Come with us," Belle explained, proffering her hand.
Ruby's gaze shifted uneasily between them, "I'm sorry, Belle, but I'll have to decline your offer. However, you're right when you say I want to be free. I want to go back to my home in Misthaven which is a place far from here. The only way I can leave is by procuring the amulet around the queen's neck. I'll need to kill her first though," she smirked, licking her lips ravenously.
"Do what you must," Belle respired, swallowing hard. Ruby gave her a toothy grin before darting out of the cell and up the stairs. The trio stepped outside the doorway, her blood red cloak lying precariously on the floor. A wolfish howl resounded throughout the dungeons along with the screams of the men guarding the hallways.
William shuddered as screams of death reverberated throughout the castle, his stomach churning with bile. "Get us out of here, Eva!" he commanded, and she nodded wordlessly, leading them to another hidden passage.
~X~
As she approached Cora's chamber, Ruby licked the blood from her lips, residue of the entrails of the three guards she had just devoured. She could sense the magic oozing from her, the garnet amulet calling her home. She effortlessly threw her immense weight against the wooden door, the barrier splintering beneath her massive razor-sharp claws. She crunched the chips between her fangs for good measure, hoping to send the queen into a panic. Already, she could smell the sweet twang of fear in the air. Her jaws curled slightly with pleasure as she inhaled deeply.
Cora stood up and swung around to face the intruder, power crackling through the air, exuding from the magical talisman around her ivory throat. She would be powerless without the enchanted artifact. Ruby lunged at her throat, tearing into the evil woman's jugular before the spell could leave her lips. The wolf landed upon Cora's chest, her claws digging deeply into her chest. The beating of her heart as it slowed could be felt against Ruby's claws, the sensation only fueling her blood lust. The Queen thrashed in her own blood as Ruby clutched the talisman between her teeth and gave a vicious tug. The last thing the vile queen of Aginard saw before meeting the blackness was a green swirling vortex of light which sent Ruby back home. Cora's reign had come to an end.
~X~
William, Belle, and Eva stood outside the castle with the remaining men in Albannach's army. Cora's men had counterattacked after he'd been imprisoned, but somehow they'd held them off. Eva gasped as Aginard's remaining soldiers dropped to the ground, bloody wounds appearing all over their bodies.
"What's going on?" David demanded, rushing over to the trio as he watched the queen's men dropping like flies.
"The queen is dead," Belle announced, realizing Ruby had fulfilled her duties. Relief washed over her. The war was over.
"How do you know?" David inquired, staring inquisitively at Eva.
"Because she's a wicked sorceress who attacked me with dark magic. If Belle hadn't rescued me, I might not be alive," William explained, turning to gaze into her cerulean depths.
"Let's storm the castle and take it by force! They'll have to surrender then because the fortress has weakened!" David surmised, brandishing his sword, temporarily averting his gaze from Eva who oddly reminded him of his wife for some reason.
"Wait! Inside the tallest room in the castle resides Regina. Cora locked her away several months ago because she was caught with the stable boy. She isn't a terrible woman like her mother. Free her, and I'm certain she would be more than willing to draw up a treaty with Albannach. Haven't both kingdoms suffered enough without more bloodshed?" Eva chimed in. All of the men gazed at her awkwardly. Most of them found it barbaric for a woman to speak so impulsively, especially a servant.
"You make a fine point, Miss Eva. Show us the tower and let us make amends! Tonight we end this war!" William shouted victoriously, followed by the echos of his soldiers.
"Check for any armed guards David. I'll be with you shortly," he commanded.
"Yes Sir!" he saluted before leading the remaining army into the castle.
William turned to Belle and smiled ardently at her, tucking an erratic curl behind her ear, "Come back inside with me Belle. I want you to be there when I sign the treaty, and then we can be on our way home to Albannach." he proposed. "We can go home."
Belle sighed, pulling away from him. "I'm sorry William, but I'm afraid this is where I must say goodbye. I have someone back home I need to protect. This war has proven it's far too dangerous for us to be together." She swallowed hard at her admittance, and she felt tears burn at her lids at the undeniable heartbreak flashing in his sable eyes.
"What about that night at the inn, Belle? Didn't it mean anything to you?" he protested, and she sighed placing her hands firmly on his shoulders,
"Did our life … our love … before your father's decree, mean anything to you, Liam? I'm sorry … I shouldn't have said that. Of course it did, but one night of passion doesn't equate to a lifetime of love. We once had something beautiful, but I'm afraid I can no longer keep living this lie," she replied dejectedly.
"I don't understand … Are you in love with someone else? Is there another lover I don't know about?" he probed anxiously.
"Yes, and I'm sorry Liam, but I did what you asked. I moved on," she fibbed, tears streaming down her ashen face. She kissed his cheek quickly before walking away, unable to gaze another second into his broken eyes, without fear of giving herself away. She walked until she met the bend of the road, far from Aginard's seat of power where she was sure he couldn't see her any longer. Only then did she slip into the forest and collapse from the weight of her despair where she could howl her anguish to the four winds and have them carry away on the the night breeze.
He watched her walk into the distance, tearing his gaze away from her painfully, feeling as though the whole debacle had been for naught. "I will come for you Belle. I swear it," he vowed under his breath before storming into the castle. "You are MINE! My love, my life, my queen and your place is at my side."
A/AN: Ugh! The heartbreak! I apologize to everyone for so much heartbreak, (she doesn't mean it! she's getting her jollies by making us suffer - Charlotte) but in the next chapter we get to see William confront Belle once he finds out the truth about his son! Please review!