Rumpelstiltskin was sure his son was going to be angry with him. He was also fairly certain that the pretty brunette of a princess he'd brought with him was going to club him with that book he'd let her bring. A quick glance at the princess in question brought him up short. He hadn't really taken the time to look at her before now. She was very pretty, brown haired and blue eyed. The golden dress she wore was loose around her, perhaps from the famine from the ogre wars had not left her untouched.
"Sir?" The brunette asked, face flushed from the magic she'd just experienced. He gave her a questioning look. "What am I to do now?"" she requested to know. "Ah, yes." Rumpelstiltskin tittered in his shrill voice. He gave a little showy hand gesture, a smirk evolving onto his face.
"Your duties here will be minimal, or great, depending on how well you like children." Rumpelstiltskin told her. The brunette, Belle, froze. "Children, sir?" she squeaked, despite the fact she'd been told she would become a tutor to his child. No doubt she'd heard many a story about how he'd kidnapped children. Best to set that to rest, then.
"Just one, lass. My son, Baelfire. Here he comes," he said presently as Baelfire came running up to his father. "Hi papa!" he said excitedly, a boy of seven. "Who is this?" he asked, looking at Belle.
"This is Princess Belle," Rumpelstiltskin said extravagantly. "She will be your new best friend, son." he smiled at his son, and as Belle watched him interact with the child, she rather thought that perhaps the stories of the feared Dark One should be laid to rest.
"Hi Princess!" Baelfire exclaimed, looking over his father's shoulder at the girl. No, she was definitely a woman, Bae thought, since why would Papa have brought a girl to take care of him? "Hello master Baelfire." Belle said, dipping into a curtsy. Bae scrambled out of his father's hold to bow back at her, making himself giggle. For when, before now, had he had such a chance as he did now? To bow at a real, live, breathing princess? She was so pretty, too. Baelfire noticed what his father had not; her kindly smile and the light in her eyes, although the light had dimmed significantly after parting from her family.
"Are you really here to be my new best friend?" Bae demanded to know. "Among other things," Rumpelstiltskin answered for her. "She will be your tutor as well as the one who will protect you should I leave for a long deal." Rumpel continued. "And she will help you with whatever else you can think of." he promised.
Belle found herself nodding along with what Rumpelstiltskin was saying. She could do that, be a friend to this lonely boy. It would be easy enough; the boy seemed very kind and likeable. She took the chance now, with her two masters talking, to look around the room Rumpelstiltskin had summoned them into.
It was a large room, very nicely kept, and had rich colours. The dark reds accented the lush browns, and there were tan coloured couches, as well as a black table in the very middle of the room. The thing about the table that enchanted Belle the most was that each of the chairs were white, but they had childish globs of paint on them.
Belle couldn't help giggle a little at that, the small gesture showing her that yes, there was more to this famed dark one than met the eye. No evil being would have let such childish furniture feature in his house.
She turned, looking over at the corner of the room, where she noticed a spinning wheel, when she felt a tug on her dress. She looked down to see Baelfire smiling up at her. "Yes?" she asked with a gentle smile of her own, unable to stop it.
"Papa says I'm to show you your room." Baelfire explained. Belle nodded, her smile not leaving as she let Baelfire take her hand. He led her gently down the hall, then down another to the left of that, until they reached a hallway with just two rooms.
"Here we are," Bae said cheerfully. "My room is right across from yours," he explained. "So if you get scared, I'll be here to 'tect you." he grinned. Belle laughed softly, squeezing his hand, which was still encased in hers. "Why thankyou, kind sir." she said gallantly, bending down impulsively to kiss his head. She made a vow of her own, silent though it was, to protect this child as well. This child was so sweet, and innocent, she wanted to keep him as such always.
Baelfire blushed from his forehead down to the tip of his chin, but she did not mind. It was clear to her that this little boy needed all the affection she could give him, and by the Gods, she would give it freely.
"Anyway, come in." Baelfire told her, still flushed slightly, but trying valiantly to ignore it. He pushed open the door to the room on the left, and she found herself taking a sharp intake of breath. Somehow, this room, though it was significantly smaller than her one at home, was definitely homier than anything she'd had the pleasure of calling hers.
It was dark blue, with lighter accents, and had a canopy on top of it. There was brown wood that held the bed up, and the blanket itself looked warm and comfortable, dyed a light cyan. She gasped lowly, looking around the room. She was even pleasantly surprised to see a small bookshelf.
She moved over towards the bookshelf, almost without realising it. "Do you like to read, Baelfire?" Belle asked, looking at her new charge as she picked up a book idly, stroking it's spine. Bae's face fell, and he shook his head. "I don't know how to read." he admitted.
Belle frowned to herself, and she offered him her hand. He took it, and she squeezed. "It will be my first duty to teach you then," She said cheerfully. "Reading is my favourite thing to do." she admitted, looking at the book lovingly. It was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
"What's this?" Baelfire chirped, looking at the book for himself. He noticed that while it was very pretty looking on the outside, all that was inside were words. "It's a story," Belle began with a smile, sitting on her new bed and gesturing for him to follow her.
"About what?" Baelfire plopped down beside her, looking at her curiously. "Well," Belle said kindly. "It's about this orphan boy, who grew up with his aunt, uncle and cousin." She told him. "Then one day, when he turned eleven, he found out…." Belle trailed off, looking at Bae slyly.
"What did he find out? That his mama and papa weren't dead?" Bae asked hopefully. He liked a story with a good ending.
But Belle shook her head regretfully. "Something else," she said. "Harry found out he was a wizard." She whispered excitedly, looking at Bae, noticing the way his face lit up. "A wizard? Like papa? Was he a good one?" Bae demanded to know.
"He was a very good wizard," Belle told him. "I'll teach you to read using this book, if you like." She suggested, halfway hesitantly. But Baelfire nodded excitedly. "Yes, please!" he requested.
"Okay," Belle agreed with a smile. "We'll start tomorrow. It's getting late." She pointed out. Baelfire nodded obediently. "Come on, let's see if Papa has supper ready then!" he suggested.
Baelfire hopped off of the bed and took her hand, helping Belle to get up as well before he lead her down the hall and into the dining room, which she'd seen before, but now the table she'd thought so charming was lavished with food.
"I trust Baelfire showed you to your room, Princess?" Rumpelstiltskin asked as they all sat to dinner.
"Yes, thank you. It's beautiful." Belle said gratefully, helping Bae ladle some mashed potatoes from a bowl.
"Baelfire chose the colours," Rumpelstiltskin made a flamboyant gesture. "I simply made the furniture as you're accustomed to." he said.
Belle gave him a small smile before turning to Baelfire. "What a lovely eye you have, Baelfire." she smiled at him, a true smile. The boy was very sweet, how could she help it?
The rest of the meal was, for the most part, spent in silence, although Baelfire did ask the oddest questions at times. Like, "What was being a princess like, Belle?" and "Did she have a husband? Or someone she was going to marry?"
The answer to that last question was a sigh. "Yes," she said at last. "But he was more like a brother to me. I wouldn't have truly been able to marry him for that fact." She explained, and Bae nodded in understanding.
Belle did not particularly mean to look at Rumpelstiltskin as she went on about how she thought love was layered, more of a mystery… And yet she found his gaze smouldering right back at her. She blushed under his gaze, but she did not turn away.
Rumpelstiltskin was the one who eventually broke the stare, he looking down at Baelfire. She smiled to herself before doing the same. "I think it's high time I put my young master to bed, what do you think Sir?" Belle asked, her mouth opening with a click from its disuse.
Rumpelstiltskin nodded, and ruffled Baelfire's hair. "I'll see you in the morning for breakfast, son. Alright? Belle can tend to you if you've a nightmare, yes?" he asked, looking at Belle questioningly. She nodded readily enough. She would not, in all truth, mind at all if this child woke her up. She was sure it would be sweetly enough.
"But of course. What are tutors and friends for if not to be woken when you're upset?" Belle smiled down at Baelfire, who giggled a little. "Okay. Papa, can Belle read to me tonight? If she likes?" he asked hopefully.
Rumpelstiltskin parted his lips in a little 'o' of surprise. He hadn't known his son was interested in reading, belatedly, he realised it was nigh time for him to learn. He smiled at him, however, and nodded. "If she likes." he conditioned it.
"I don't mind at all. But we'll save Harry Potter for lessons tomorrow, okay Bae?" she smiled. Baelfire nodded agreeably, and the two took off together hand in hand. Rumpelstiltskin found himself watching as they left, and noting how comfortable the two looked, even after a day of knowing one another.
He found himself rather liking it, which was odd enough in itself, as he didn't like strangers near Baelfire… But something about this princess, this Belle, made him feel at ease.
Meanwhile, Baelfire and Belle had reached Bae's room, and they were snuggled up together on his bed as she read a story about heroes and villains.