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Ch. 2

A week after Rosie was born, when Belle was confident the child would latch on to her breast without the midwife's help and the captain of their ship had reassembled the crew from various taverns around the city, Rumpelstiltskin and his wife boarded The Aigéanand set sail for the Enchanted Forest.

The crew was instantly taken with the child. They were a trustworthy lot, scruffy around the edges, but men of honor and fairness. Under the watchful eye of Captain Orgo, a dark-skinned man with a kind smile and gracious manners, the crew of thirty or so seemed to calm the waves and hush the wailing sea wind just for little Rosie.

When the ship set off from port, Belle brought her child to the Captain's quarters and the middle-aged seafarer instantly smiled when he looked up from this large desk. "Well, there." He stood and gave a polite bow to the young woman before him. "Who's this new mate on my ship?"

Rose wiggled in her cream-colored silk blanket and gave a yawn. Captain Orgo reached out and brushed a finger over the baby's cheek. He smelled of salt and seaweed, his fine clothes dirty and wrinkled from lack of washing, but Belle would have trusted him with her child any day of the week.

"Her name is Rose," Belle said, smiling down at her daughter. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Aye. She's as pretty as her mum." Captain Orgo looked up at Belle. "How's the master?"

"Tired. He stays up all night just staring at her, as if she'll disappear."

"No chance of that, my lady," Orgo said. "We'll keep the lass nice and safe here."

Belle smiled gratefully. "Thank you." She switched the baby to her shoulder and rubbed her back. "You can expect a salary raise when we port. You and the crew."

Orgo waved her off. "No need for that, my lady. My crew and I will be just fine."

"No, I insist," Belle said. "You've made our journeys this past year so safe and comfortable. I want to make sure we leave you with something to live off of."

Orgo grinned. "You just worry about that baby for now, miss. We'll talk money when the time is right."

Belle relented and brought the child to the master bedroom in the lower decks of the ship. She set Rose in her fine blue-and-yellow cradle and let the waves rock the baby to sleep. Rumpelstiltskin was on deck with the sailors, watching the port diminish from the horizon as they glided further out to sea. The shipmates saluted and nodded their heads to the master as they passed him by. No one asked why he looked so troubled.

At the bow of the ship, the young seaman, Calden, was winding up some rope along his arm, the cool breeze ruffling his sandy-blond hair. His eyes, as blue as the ocean before them, glanced at the young maid before him, who leaned against the mast. Glissa smiled when he caught her eye.

"What is it, Calden?"

He grinned. "Just admiring the view."

Glissa blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What'd you want to talk about?" Calden asked, tossing the coiled rope on the deck.

Glissa's smile faded and she fiddled with the opal ring on her finger. "I saw something when the baby was born."

"Spare me the details," Calden said cheekily, sitting on a crate.

"No, I mean . . ." Glissa sighed, her pretty face twisting further into a look of concern. "There was this light. This golden light. It was like . . . like magic."

"Gliss, you know the master doesn't use magic anymore."

"I know." Glissa nodded. "But it wasn't like that. It was like the baby had magic. Like she was special or something."

Calden stood and took Glissa's hand in his. "It was probably just the sun playing tricks."

Glissa lowered her eyes. "I saw something else. In the marketplace."

"What?"

The young maid slid her hands away from Calden's and circled around the mast. "I saw a man in black armor. He was watching Miss Belle." When she completed her circle, Glissa looked at Calden. "I think he wanted to hurt her."

"Did you tell the master?"

Glissa shook her head."Gods, no! He has enough to worry about." She looked at the handsome young boy shyly. "But maybe you could come with me to tell the captain?"

Calden smiled. "You've got no spine, girl."

Glissa frowned. "I do too, Calden Cross!"

The boy laughed. "Fine, then. But it'll cost you." He closed his eyes and presented his cheek to the maid. She rolled her eyes and gave him a kiss. Before Glissa could pull away completely, he turned and gave her a kiss on the lips.

Glissa pulled away, blushing and grinning despite her best efforts and gave his shoulder a shove. "Calden, you rat!"

"You'll have to catch me!" He sprinted across the bow, down the stairs to the main deck where more of his crew mates were busy at work, and all the way to the captain's cabin.

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Orgo, though not a stupid man, was wholly unconvinced of the dangers of the man in black armor Glissa had seen at the market. Since it wasn't the first time Belle and Rumpelstiltskin had been the targets of others, the captain figured they were safe enough at sea with a crew he knew like the back of his hand.

Dejected, Glissa focused her attention on Belle and little Rosie. Three days after setting off from port, Glissa sat with Belle in the master bedroom, brushing the madame's hair while Belle nursed her baby.

"How's the lass?" Glissa asked.

"Oh, just wonderful." Belle looked down at her daughter lovingly. They had had their sleepless nights and fussy eating, fits of unrelenting crying and ungodly bowel movements, but Belle thought everything her daughter did, no matter how exhausting or disgusting, was the most precious thing she had ever seen.

"The master is very good with her," Glissa said. "I saw him today on the stern, dancing with the baby."

"He's going to spoil her rotten," Belle said, smiling. When it looked like Rosie was done feeding, she hitched the baby on her shoulder and tucked her breast back into her robe.

Glissa hummed as she brushed Miss Belle's long curls. The baby gave a hiccup, a few strained cries, then spit up on the rag over Belle's shoulder.

"Gods, where does she keep it all?" Glissa exclaimed. She ditched the brush and disposed of the dirty rag in the wicker laundry bin by the vanity desk.

The door opened and Rumpelstiltskin entered, his hair tousled by the sea air. He looked at his wife on the bed, then at the young maid. "Glissa, could you give us a moment, please?"

The girl nodded, curtsied, then left the room. Belle smiled at her husband. He was decked in his seafaring clothes, a simple white shirt, tight slacks, and a blue kerchief around his neck. He went to Belle and held out his arms, a signal that he wanted to steal the baby for a moment or two. Belle handed the child off to him, her smile fading when she realized her husband had a grave look in his eyes.

"What is it, love?"

Rumpelstiltskin stared at his child, beaming proudly, and rocked her gently in his arms. He glanced at his wife. "I don't want to alarm you. It's probably nothing."

Belle stood from the bed and pulled her robe tighter around her waist. "Tell me."

Rumpelstiltskin kissed the top of Rose's head. "We're being followed."

Belle's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"It's probably just a merchant on the same path as us. Many cargo ships use this route—"

"Have you spoken to the captain?"

"He's the one who told me." Rumpelstiltskin looked at Belle. "I didn't want you to look out the port window and get alarmed. Orgo raised the warning flag."

Belle nodded. The warning flag was a small white flag with a golden emblem, a snake with two daggers crossed underneath. It told other ships that they were armed but meant no harm.

"Has there been a response?" Belle asked.

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "Nothing. White sails, plain hull. Not out of the ordinary for these parts of the water."

Again Belle nodded and reached out a hand to touch Rose's soft black hair. "Maybe we should dock at the next port. Just in case."

"You've already sent word to your father. He'll be worried if we don't show up on schedule." Rumpelstiltskin set his daughter in the cradle. "Besides, the sea is no place for a baby."

Belle crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the floorboards. Rumpel put his hands on his wife arms and squeezed reassuringly. "There's nothing to worry about, love. I promise you, we're all safe aboard this ship."

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For the time being, Rumpelstiltskin may have convinced his wife, but Captain Orgo was on edge since spotting the tailing ship from the crow's nest. With Glissa's warning about the man in black, he began to wonder if she wasn't as hysterical as he thought. And rumors of the child's magic (no one knew what else to call it—a burst of golden light was nothing if not juicy gossip amongst the ship) troubled Orgo further. Did the master and his wife know something he didn't? Was that why they paid him and his crew so handsomely, to keep them from figuring out the truth—that, perhaps, Rumpelstiltskin was still using magic?

Orgo pondered these things as he studied a map of their course. They could reach the Enchanted Forest within three more days if the weather was good. He turned and looked out the large window of the stern. The mystery ship was gaining on them.

In the hold, Glissa sat in her room, chewing her fingernails and ignoring the dress she was mending for the baby. If a ship really was following them, that meant the man in black really did want to hurt Miss Belle. And what if they gained closer? What if she had unwittingly brought trouble on all of them by not telling the master about the man in black?

A knock sounded at the door and Glissa bid them to come in. Belle entered, having traded her robe for a green gown with fur trim, and the young madam was frowning.

Glissa stood. "My lady?"

"I need to tell you something."

Glissa nodded and motioned for Belle to sit on the bed. Belle took Glissa's hand in her's.

"I need your word you won't tell anyone," Belle said.

"On my life, my lady."

Belle sighed and looked at her hands. "I know about the ship. Rumpeletiltskin says it's nothing to be worried about, but . . ." Belle swallowed the anxiety climbing up her throat. "Before Rose was born, when you saved me from Jack's dungeon, I was visited by the Blue Fairy."

Glissa's eyes widened. She had heard tales of Ruehl Gorm's magic, but never once met anyone who had actually seen her. "What did she say?"

"She said that I would have a child with a great gift. That it was my destiny to bring this baby into the world."

"And you think that's Rose?" Glissa said, lowering her voice to a whisper.

Belle nodded. "I know about the golden light. I was in pain, but I could see it. She came out of me and it was like . . . like magic."

Glissa touched her mistress's face as a tear spilled down her cheek.

"Glissa." Belle's voice trembled. "I think my baby is in danger."

"Miss, you have to tell Rumpelstiltskin. He can protect you!"

Belle stood and wiped her tear away. "No. I don't want him worrying. He isn't sleeping as it is, and we're only a few days away from port—"

"But the ship is getting closer! The captain said—"

"Glissa, please!" Belle cried. She put her hand on the girl's shoulders. "You gave me your word not to tell anyone."

Glissa shook her head. "Then what do we do?"

"Tell Calden to assemble some of the sailors to keep watch on our door at night. Be discreet."

"My lady—"

"Please," Belle begged. "If we're wrong about the ship, it won't matter."

Glissa lowered her head and looked at the soft yellow dress she had been sewing for Rose. So small. So delicate. "My lady, is Rumpelstiltskin still using magic?"

Belle shook her head. A sad smile appeared on her face. "No. But sometimes I wish he was."

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That night, Captain Orgo settled into bed after leaving a few men on the night watch. He tossed and turned, anxious about the merchant ship that was most definitely getting closer. It had no flag, no emblem, just an eerie presence and an extraordinary pace.

The sea was as still as glass, barely a breath of wind to help them along. The ship was quiet, not even a wail from the newborn babe to jolt him from the fuzzy sleep that clouded his brain. He sank deeper into slumber, fully enveloped by darkness, so out of it that he didn't hear the clatter of men's footsteps from the bridge above, the clashing of swords, the cries of battle as the sailors fought large men in dark armor.

Captain Orgo didn't even hear his cabin door open. He didn't hear the heavy boots coming towards him. It was only until the dark figure unsheathed his blade that the captain opened his eyes. The only thing he heard then was his own throat being slit.

To be continued