Origins: Part Eight
A/AN: Thanks for all of the reviews/kudos/likes/follows! I finally have an endgame in mind for this story. Enjoy part eight!
It had taken Belle and Rumplestiltskin another day and a half to reach Astyn. Their feet were leaden and their hearts were heavy the remainder of the journey. Belle coveted a warm bed and a decent wash. The remainder of their rations were diminishing, and Rumple knew they would need to replenish them soon. When they made it to the outer village, he was stunned to hear no commotion coming from the square. There should have been dozens of venders selling their wares, but no one was present as they approached the desolate venue. He clasped Belle's hand tightly in his own as he observed this strange phenomenon.
"Where is everyone?" Belle vocalized what he was pondering. He rubbed the stubble on his chin, averting his gaze to the abandoned stalls.
"Something isn't right, there should be throngs of people out today. The weather is decent and yet no one is." he remarked, approaching one of the stalls which had an array of fresh bread lining the counter. He took a few loaves and placed them in his pack.
"Are you just going to steal from them?!" Belle hissed, glancing around the vacant lot appreciatively.
"There's no one around for me to pay, and we need to eat. We should use our coppers to seek shelter somewhere. There's an inn which conjoins a tavern just up the road. We'll go there and get to the bottom of all of this." he supplied, replenishing their food supply.
Belle sighed, following her husband's lead as they continued up the road. It was still relatively quiet as they made their way to the tavern. "Something isn't right, Rumple." she voiced, surveying the area for any signs of life.
He pushed open the door, closing it immediately. Belle blinked, noting his ashen cheeks. A look of horror painted his features, and she knew her husband had seen something ghastly behind that door. "Rumple, what's wrong?" she inquired, rubbing soothing circles along his back.
"There's at least fifteen men in there with their throats slit. We cannot stay here, Belle." he warned, pushing her onward. She planted her feet in the middle of the road, bringing them to a standstill.
"Didn't you hear me? We have to get out of here!" he jeered. She pulled him roughly by the sleeve and back towards the tavern.
"I've watched hundreds of men die, Rumple! What if there's a lone survivor among those casualties we could help? There might be someone we could spare." she objected. When he didn't budge, she let go of his hand and sauntered towards the entrance. She could hear him calling out for her, but she shut out his cries of disapproval. Belle wasn't novice when it came to death. She'd witnessed what the ogre wars had done to her kingdom. She pushed open the door and walked inside. She pinched her nose shut as the stench of death assaulted her nostrils.
"Is anyone here alive?" she bravely called out to the deceased. She trained her ears when she heard a sputtering cough. She attempted to fixate her gaze on the bloodstained flagstone instead of the glazed eyes of the lifeless men before her.
"Where are you?" she bellowed throughout the tavern, noting a hand that weakly raised itself from amongst the heap of bodies which surrounded her. She rushed towards the victim who was a barmaid with blood gushing from a wound in her chest. The injury was fresh, but Belle knew the young woman wouldn't survive much longer. She barely noticed her husband's presence as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She grasped the young woman's bloodied hand in her own.
"What's your name miss?" she inquired gently to the dying woman.
"Eloise..." she rasped.
Belle brushed golden curls away from her eyes. "Can you tell me what happened here, Eloise?" she questioned the barmaid who was breathing shallowly.
"There was this hideous beast who barged in here moments ago. He had goblin eyes and his skin had a sparkly essence to it. He claimed he was the Dark One and if we wanted to survive that we must pledge fealty to his master, Lacey. Most of the men here were soldiers in the king's guard. They brandished their swords to attack him, but he flourished his hand and their blades turned on them. He massacred them all, including the bystanders. I'm the last one alive. The kingdom has been overrun by this tyrant. You must flee this land or you won't be spared!" she coughed, blood spilling from her mouth. Belle held the woman's hand tightly as she convulsed. She felt her grip lax and her eyes glazed over. Tears streamed down Belle's face as she gently closed the woman's eyes. She stood up, wiping blood on her apron.
"Let's get out of here..." she spoke hollowly to her husband. They wordlessly left the tavern, putting as much distance as they could between it. A million thoughts buzzed in her mind as she recounted what the barmaid had relayed to her. The Dark One was alive and well, and he was terrorizing the kingdom. A woman named Lacey was controlling him. The realization hit her like lightning, and she had to halt in the middle of the road to catch her breath.
"Belle, we need to seek shelter!" he pressed, pulling on her sleeve as she stood frozen in the middle of the path.
"Give me a second." she pleaded, holding up her finger in protest as her mind began to process the influx of information overloading her conscious. She recounted a history lesson on her family tree presented to her by her tutor. Her teacher had given her a brief lecture about a bloodthirsty monarch in her lineage named Lacey. The queen's reign was short lived but not before she'd slain thousands. She never wed and her sole heir was illegitimate. She'd given birth while in exile, and the child was taken from her before she could corrupt it. She was executed shortly after for her crimes and a regent was placed over her kingdom until her son come of age.
Belle had landed right in the middle of her reign of terror when she'd traveled through time. She knew she had to stop Lacey from reeking havoc but at what price? If she accidentally killed off her ancestor then she would never exist and her bloodline would disintegrate. She had to be prudent about things and it seemed the only way was to thwart Lacey by gaining control of the Dark One. How was she going to do that without getting herself killed? She gazed up at her husband who held a troubled look in his eyes. She swallowed back the lump forming in her throat, realizing what she must do. She had to tell him everything.
~X~
Lacey placed her hand over her mouth, stifling back a yawn. She'd lazed the afternoon away by admiring all of her new treasures. She languidly sat on her throne, admiring the king of Astyn's signet ring which now rested on her finger. The Dark One had murdered the entire royal family, leaving her with the spoils. She hadn't planned on slaughtering any of the villagers until they'd turned on her pet. She let him have his way with them no matter how savage it was.
She averted her gaze to the imp who entered the throne room, holding a sack of new trinkets for her to examine. "What do you have for me today my pet?" she inquired, holding out her hand for him to deliver.
"Some gold and a few jewels. I discovered a ring your majesty might like." he replied, presenting her with a shimmering gold ring with a moonstone settled atop it.
"How, exquisite!" she exclaimed, plucking the ring from his hand and placing it on her finger. She held out her hand, admiring it under the candlelight. She gave him a pleased smirk, gesturing him to come forward. He prodded closer, prostrating himself at her feet.
"Arise my pet." she commanded.
He stood, gazing at her analytically. "What does thou command of me your majesty?" he inquired with a small bow.
"The thing I'm going to ask of you is something I want you to ponder on. I won't command you to do it because I want to give you a bit of freewill. You've served me well during the last several weeks, and I want to present you with an opportunity to raise your station. I'm getting older and there's no one else in the world I've come to trust more than you. I need an heir to the throne, and I want you to provide me with one if it pleases you." she requested, and she shuddered as he cackled manically, revealing to her his ruined teeth.
"So you wish to birth my spawn, do you?" he taunted, eying her dangerously.
"That's right." she answered, gripping the armrests on her throne so tightly that her fingers turned bone white.
"Well my answer is no, the Dark One doesn't desire any children, especially with the likes of you, but he does promise to find the queen someone to sire one for her." he vowed as she released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Fine, go out and find me someone of suitable stature. Let him know I'll pay him handsomely for his services." she replied, and he nodded, bidding her farewell. She slumped back against her throne as soon as he'd departed. Her hands shook with trepidation, and she realized she needed to get a hold of herself no matter how terrified she was. She couldn't allow him to detect any weakness in her if she wanted to succeed in her mission.
~X~
Milah growled furiously as she swiped away another tree branch. Killian took a long drink from his flask. He wasn't sure what had persuaded him to come along on this tedious journey, but he knew he was going to need a lot of rum to endure it. They'd set off without any direction to find this woman who m she was convinced was a criminal. He thought the quest was futile and knew it was doomed to fail. They had no idea where this Belle or Rumplestiltskin were hiding. The realm was vast, and he knew they had a better chance of finding a needle in a haystack.
He cleared his throat awkwardly, turning his attention to her, "Milah, don't you believe we're wasting our time trying to locate two people who obviously have no intention of being found?"
She stopped in the middle of the foliage, averting her gaze to the treeline, "Belle has a lofty price on her head, and I intend to find her and collect the reward money. I want a new start in life and this is my opportunity to do that. Why did you so eagerly agree to accompany me if you were going to continuously dissuade me?" she questioned, giving him a pointed glance.
He sighed, placing his arm around her shoulders, traipsing in sync with her along the path, "It's not that I don't want you to succeed but they could be anywhere. What's your plan if we do find them? If you think they're just going to tag along with you to their execution, then you're a fool. What if the price for finding them is more than you can afford? Revenge may seem sweet at first but it always leave a bitter aftertaste." he forewarned.
She jerked away from him vehemently, "Go back to your ship pirate! I don't need you or anyone else telling me what to do!" she snarled, spittle dripping from her mouth reminiscent of a ravenous beast.
Killian held his hands up in defense, "Fine but don't expect for me to be waiting on you when you return!" he countered, turning around and walking in the other direction. Milah stomped in the opposite direction, enraged by his comments towards her.
"I don't need him or anyone else slowing me down! I'll find that wench and gut her myself!" she determined, setting her sights on Astyn.
~X~
Killian continued his trek back to the village where his ship was docked. He planned to set sail at once and never look back. Milah was a raving lunatic and someone he didn't want to get involved with. There were plenty of fish in the sea and crazed catfish definitely wasn't his type. He was caught off guard after nearly running into someone donned in a cloak. A hood shrouded the stranger's face, and Killian staggered backwards, brandishing his sword apprehensively.
"Excuse me mate but you're in my way." he retorted, sidestepping around him. The cloaked figure raised his hand, sending the pirate's blade spiraling into the shrubbery. Killian's hand stiffened at his side as his saber went soaring into the air. He cowered backwards as the figure approached him. He was utterly defenseless with no way to fight back. He surmised he'd reached the end until the entity spoke.
"I'm not here to kill you though I would derive much pleasure from it. I'm here to offer you a deal." it spoke ominously.
"What kind of deal are we talking about?" the pirate quizzed, feeling gooseflesh prickle his skin at the creature's close proximity.
"My master needs someone to provide her an heir and you seem satisfactory enough. If you agree to our deal, you'll be compensated handsomely for your services." the Dark One spoke, allowing his hood to fall around his shoulders.
"And what if I say no?" he challenged, unperturbed by his presence.
"Then I'll have no choice but to kill you." he cackled impishly.
"All she needs is a child, correct? I don't have to stick around to raise the little bastard, do I?" he interrogated.
The Dark One bared his jagged teeth at the pirate, "Precisely, dearie. Are you going to keep asking senseless questions or do I need to rip out your jugular with my teeth?" he threatened lowly.
"No, I don't have anymore questions. I look forward to meeting your mistress." he replied. The Dark One snapped his fingers, whisking them away to Astyn.
~X~
"I need to tell you something Rumple." Belle respired heavily as they stood in the middle of the road.
"Why don't we seek shelter and then we can talk?" he suggested, gesturing to one of the hovels nearby.
"But what if we come upon a scene like we did in the tavern? It wouldn't be right to invade someone's home." she protested, wringing her hands on her skirt nervously.
"Belle, we must take shelter. I have a feeling all of these houses are abandoned. If the owners decide to come back, I'll gladly vacate. Wouldn't you like a nice warm bed to sleep in tonight?" he implored.
She groaned, leaning against his wiry frame."Yes and a nice hot bath would be wonderful too." she muttered. He pat her back gently, leading her to the finest hovel on the lane. It appeared to be more sturdy than the one they'd resided in back home. He rapped heavily upon the door but no one answered. He pushed the door and it swung open with a creak.
"Is anyone there?" he called out, but no one answered. Belle followed suite, closing the door behind them. It dispelled a haunting air to it with the freshly cooked rabbit stew still marinating in the pot and the trough of water someone had filled to bathe in.
"It looks abandoned." she surmised, glancing around the room.
"Aye, it does. Whoever was here left everything and ran. We might as well take advantage of it. I'll go bar the doors just in case the Dark One decides to make another grand entrance." he added. Her stomach somersaulted at the news she must tell him. It had been burning a hole in the back of her mind since her arrival but would he believe her? What if he shunned her like his future self had?
"Why don't you have a quick wash while I have a look around?" he proposed. She longed to tell him the truth but traveling for many days through the woods had left her filthy. She shed her dingy clothing and eased herself into the frigid water. She shivered when her body first made contact with the chilly water, but she would adjust. She picked up a bar of lye soap lying nearby and soaped up her body thoroughly. She unbound her hair next, giving it an intensive cleaning. Rumplestiltskin returned, holding a fleece garment in his arms.
"What's that?" she inquired, stepping out of the bath. She squeezed out her hair, baring herself to him under the candlelight's illumination. He quickly averted his gaze before he gave into his building arousal.
"It's a nightdress, I found it in the upstairs bedroom. It looks to be about your size." he supplied, handing it to her.
She slipped it over her head and sighed, "It's comfortable but it feels like were taking advantage of the people who live here by using their things."
"We'll wash our clothes and keep everything as we've left it before we depart." he assured her, and she nodded, going to stand by the roaring fire. She rubbed her hands together, attempting to warm up after her glacial bath.
"I'm going to clean up and then we'll have a bite to eat." he remarked, stepping out of his clothing and tossing them aside. His teeth chattered as he lowered himself into the trough. He wondered how Belle withstood the chilly temperature as he washed the grime off of his skin. He gave his head a quick scrub before getting out. He grabbed an oversized nightshirt he'd found and pulled it over his head. It came to his knees, and he surmised the man who owned it was stocky. He joined Belle by the fire to warm himself. He noted the hollow look in her eyes as he touched her shoulder gently.
"Belle, what is it you were going to tell me earlier?" he inquired, moving behind her and wrapping his arms securely around her waist.
"It's a long story and one you might not want to hear or believe..." she challenged as he rested his head on her shoulder, tightening his grip around her waist.
"You can tell me anything sweetheart," he assured her in his lilting brogue.
'Do the brave thing and bravery will follow.' she repeated the mantra over and over in her head before relaying her tale to him.
"I'm from a distant land called Avonlea where my father is the king. I'm a woman of noble birth, but I lost all of my ranks and titles after the ogres' war. I called upon the Dark One to spare our kingdom, and he took me as his price. I served him as his maid for two years. I fell in love with him and he with me. We shared a kiss and his curse started to break. He couldn't stand to lose the power, and he believed I had conspired with the queen to take it from him. True loves kiss is said to break any curse, and I truly believed we were meant to be together after the curse started to break. He threw me out and told me to never come back. I made my way into the forest, seeking refuge in a cave after traveling for three days on foot. I awoke the next day and found your village. I wandered into your hovel after smelling the meaty pies your aunt was cooking. I hadn't eaten in so long and then I met you again..." she respired, feeling the knot in her chest loosen at her admittance.
"Your tale is quite intriguing Belle, but what do you mean again?" he inquired, and she turned to face him, gazing deeply into his sable eyes as she recounted the rest.
"I'm from the future and the Dark One who procured me was you. I fell back in time and met your past self. I should have resisted the pull, but I already loved you so much and couldn't stand the thought of losing you again. I know you might not believe any of this and if you want me to leave, I will." she assured him, averting her gaze back to the burning embers.
His head was spinning with queries, and he momentarily believed her to be a mad woman. Perhaps, she was if she'd loved him as the Dark One and still chose to love him after knowing all of that. He felt in his heart she was being truthful regardless of how fabricated the story sounded.
"I don't completely understand it, but I believe you. It changes nothing between us and I still love you. I have many questions but the one tugging at me the most is, why would I become the Dark One?" he inquired, quietly clasping her hand in his as they stood in front of the roaring hearth.
"You had a son named Baelfire who was to fight in the ogres' war. They began recruiting children to fight for the duke's cause. You couldn't bear to lose your son so you burned down his castle and stole the Dark One's dagger from him. You became the Dark One after ignorantly stabbing the beggar who told you about him. The beggar's named was Zozo, and he no longer wanted to be the Dark One, so he lured you into taking the power for yourself. You stopped the ogres' war but the power became too much for you and it consumed your soul. I'm not sure what will become of us, but I never want you to go down that path again." she confided, pulling away from him slightly, but he only bid her closer.
"It won't as long as your by my side but there is something I still want us to share." he stated, planting a sensual kiss on the back of her neck.
"And what's that?" she moaned as he continued to trail kisses down her collarbone.
"I wish for you to bear me a son, and I firmly believe that even if you've changed the future that it's still possible for Baelfire to exist. The only difference is you'll be his mother." he affirmed, moving to kiss her lips. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he hoisted her into his arms. He deposited her on the bed in one of the spare rooms the previous owners had vacated. He tossed her gown aside, opting to warm her with his body heat instead. She'd never felt more complete than in that moment because he'd accepted the truth from her. The remaining walls erected between them came tumbling down. The boundaries which had separated them had been vanquished. As he spilled his seed inside of her, she knew in her heart she would bear him a son that would never be lost to him. The future had shifted, and the existence she'd left behind was gone. He would continue to stay on the right path, and they would be together forever.
A/AN: This chapter was longer the usual ones I write for this fic, but I hope you enjoy it because I won't be updating for awhile. Please review!