A Dance of Light and Darkness: HellFire
"Rumple!" A voice broke through his thoughts. "Rumple, Its Regina, wake up!"
"Is it Morning?" He said trying to focus his vision on her.
"Yes My Lord, here, I brought you some tea." Rumplestiltskin drank it hastily. "Were you talking to the Elders? I didn't want to pull you out of your trance, but I've never seen your eyes closed while you're in one. I thought you may have passed out."
"That is none of your concern Regina." He shouted at her. Regina's voice was an irritating sound to him. "Where is Belle?"
"She's downstairs waiting for you." Regina said agitatedly.
Rumplestiltskin threw back this head and finished the tea in one swallow.
"Is everything alright?"
"Why are you still here? you came and got me now go back downstairs and wait with Belle. I will not have her worried."
"As you wish My Lord." Rumplestiltskin thanked the Gods when Regina left and he didn't have to deal with her trivial back talk today.
Regina took her place at the table, eyes down staring at her place mat. "Regina is everything alright?"
A voice spoke before Regina could, "Everything's fine Belle." He said walking into the dining hall to take his chair at the head of the table. "How did you sleep?"
"Much better on a full stomach."
The servant girls were bringing out the breakfast. Fried eggs, crispy bacon, and warm bread with honey and fruit. Along with her food orange-banana juice was being poured into her goblet. She thanked the servant girl and took a sip of the juice. As she brought down the cup from her lips, she again felt the eyes of The Dark One on her and she bit her lip nervously.
"My Lady about your lessons, a teacher will be coming in to teach you the art of wifely and womanly duties of a princess. She will teach you everything you need to know so when the time comes for you to be betrothed you will be ready."
Belle nodded in approval.
"Wonderful I'm glad you accept, she will be here at high sun. I trust you will be ready?"
"Yes My Lord."
Rumplestiltskin looked at his apprentice sparingly. "And Regina I trust you will be ready for our lesson as well, beginning after breakfast"
"If it so pleases you My Lord."
"It does." He said giving her a warm smile
"Belle, tell me more about you. What are your interests?"
"Besides helping the people of my land, I love to read books we have a library at Avonlea. Sometimes I would even sleep in there after being caught in a good book"
Regina rolled her eyes, Rumplestiltskin laughed at Belle's enthusiasm as she talked about books and libraries
"Well why didn't you say anything, we have a library here. Would you care to see it?" Belle's eyes grew large, her crystal blues filled with excitement.
"So that's a yes. After your lesson I will escort you myself to the library." She's so beautiful he thought to himself. She would make a great Queen someday. And she's wise too, it's no wonder her people loved her unlike Regina's. Regina's people turned on her because she thought ruling with fear was what made a great kingdom. She could take some lessons from Belle, you need love from your citizens too so that they would not revolt. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Regina's people did. Her step-daughter banished her so that she couldn't hurt the people of their land again.
Belle finished what was on her plate and stood. "My Lady. My Lord. May I be excused so that I can groom for my lessons?"
"You may." He said waving to call for Emma.
She curtsied and left with the dungeon guard. Rumplestiltskin's eyes never left her until she disappeared through a doorway.
"Why do you stare her down like that?" A voice brought him back down to earth. "She seems to be all you care about."
"I care about all my deals Dearie, even yours. Now get dressed for your training." He saw Regina fixing her mouth to talk back to him. "Now!" He said before she could say anything. Regina jumped from her seat and made her way to the grand staircase that led to her room.
"How were your lessons? I hope the teacher wasn't too hard on you?" Emma was escorting Belle back from the dungeon, when they ran into Rumplestiltskin in the throne room."Thank you Lady Emma I can take her from here." Emma bowed and turned to proceed back down to the cells. He held an arm out for her so that she could intertwine hers with his and she took his lead. Rumplestiltskin knew her studies had come to a stop since her kingdom was at war. There was just no time for it. A princess in a siege does make for a great song but not a great princess.
"Not at all, she's very polite. We went over common courtesies. I'm looking forward to our next lesson."
"Courtesies' are something you have no faults in My Lady. You are a very proper lady as a princess should be." He complimented her.
She smiled and Rumplestiltskin noticed, he thought she would have bit her lip again but her smile surprised him and he hoped to see more of it. Her cheeks were full again and the luster came back to her hair. He felt pride in knowing she was beginning to trust him.
"Through these doors My Lady." When the doors opened, he thought she would faint. With his other hand, that wasn't entangled with hers, he patted her hand to calm her excitement.
"I've never seen a library this big, where did you even get this many books?"
"I've received many throughout the years. I've had to expand the library at least ten times."
"Would you look around with me? I want to find the perfect book to start reading."
"It would be a pleasure My Lady."
As they walked through the library Rumple watched her as she picked up a book, read the title, opened the book, and read a few lines. An unsure look crossed her face and she closed the book then placed it back in the same spot with the spine of the book facing out correctly.
"Rumple do you have ladder I may use to reach higher? I'm afraid my height won't allow me to see what's on the upper shelves." He snapped his fingers and a ladder appeared leaning against the bookshelf. Belle walked over to it and proceeded to climb. She climbed as far as the ladder allowed.
"Belle, please be careful."
"I will Rumplestiltskin. Besides, I think I found what I was looking for-" Her sentence was cut off as she began to fall from the ladder. Rumplestiltskin didn't think or blink before he was catching her in his arms.
Rumplestiltskin hadn't let Belle down on to her feet. He was too busy looking into her eyes, falling within himself. Both still reeling from the shock of the fall, it wasn't until she thanked him did he realize that she was still in his arms. He placed her gently on her feet and looked her over.
"My Lady, are you hurt?" He asked.
"No My Lord." Holding a book close to her chest, she blushed.
"What do you have there?"
"The first book I would like to start reading." she showed him the book she was holding entitled 'HER HANDSOME HERO'.
Rumplestiltskin's pride washed over him and he smiled down at her. They intertwined their arms again and he led her back down to her dungeon room before he left this time he waved his hand and a chandelier with bright candles hung from the ceiling of her cell.
"For your reading, My Lady." He was outside the cell door and turned back towards her. "Belle, on the morrow, after your lessons, I would have you to join me and Regina. We will be going into the town for supplies. "
"As you wish My Lord."
Rumplestiltskin smiled and bid her a good night while leaving the dungeon.
The carriage ride was a bumpy one, but Belle didn't mind it. She was too happy to get out of the castle let alone her dungeon cell. Regina and Rumplestiltskin talked the whole ride about magic and spells. Once they made it to the village, the carriage came to a halt. The Dark Lord then stepped out of the carriage and proceeded to hold out his hand so he could help Regina and Belle get out. The first person he helped was Regina who took his hand. Next was Belle, who tripped clumsily but since he was there he made sure she didn't fall. She thanked him again and hoped no one saw, but Regina did and she could not hold back her laughter.
Rumplestiltskin shot her a side glare causing her laughter to stop.
"Regina I believe you have your list of things you need. Take Belle with you, buy her what she wants. I'll come find you when it's time to go."
"Yes My Lord, come Belle."
The princess followed Regina. Rumplestiltskin's eyes never left them until they disappeared into the crowd of people. Then he proceeded to do his own shopping at a relic and herbs hut.
Regina and Belle reached a wooden tavern door and the princess gave the other women a questionable look.
"My Lady, I'm thirsty. We will have plenty of time to shop afterwards."
Belle nodded and the women entered the tavern. As they entered the noisy place all attention was soon on them and the room became still. The women walked over to the dirty table in the center of the room and took their seats. The room then came alive again with shouting and laughter. A tavern girl then approached them.
"What can I get 'ya m'ladies?"
"I'll have your strongest ale and my friend would like-" she let Belle finish.
"A goblet of water."
Regina laughed.
"M'lady we do not sell water, only wine and ale. If it pleases you we have a creek out back, but the water is very murky." The tavern girl replied.
"No, don't trouble yourself. I'll take a half glass of wine."
"Fire or sweet?"
"Sweet." Belle replied.
"Coming right out."
The drinks were brought out quickly. Regina pulled a Queen's coin out of her cloak and proceeded to hand it to the girl but she raised a hand and pointed to a man with his drink in the air, toasting to them.
"The merchant man has already paid for your drinks My Lady." The girl turned and left them.
Regina quickly turned back to the man, and gave him a smile before toasting her horn of ale to him. She took a sip and turned back to Belle.
"He's kind of cute? Right Belle."
"Yes, he does have an agreeable face."
"Gods, you're so proper, loosen the hell up. We are not royalty when under the Dark One's protection."
Regina turned back to the man and used her finger to call him over.
"Belle we can't use our real names. So I'll be Wilma and you can be, uh-, Verna."
Belle nodded unsurely and shrugged it off and began to drink her wine. This time the sweet red liquid did not burn a lot while going down her throat and she actually found it very tasty. The man finally reached the table and bowed.
"My Ladies my name is Will Scarlet. May I say, I am mesmerized by your beauty."
"My name is Wilma and this is Lady B- Verna. It's a pleasure to meet you and we are very grateful for the drinks and your hospitality. "
Belle thought to herself. Now who is being proper?
"Yes, thank you sir for our refreshments." Belle said sweetly.
"The pleasure is mine." He bowed again. "May I sit with you, such fascinating women such as yourselves would certainly make for great drinking companions and alas the women in here fall very short of your beauty."
He talked of his travels as a merchant. His dealings with royalty, Kings and Queens, he said they would ask for him by name to buy his rare tapestry, jewels, and gems he found on his journeys. Belle thought to herself, if he was truly as sought after as he stated, Belle would have surely seen him at Avonlea also. His words were like sugar to Regina she enjoyed every tale he told her. After a few moments more of him talking, Belle soon realized that Will's attention was solely towards Regina. He made her laugh, blush, and whispered words softly in her ear that only made her smile more.
"My ladies, there's a waterfall not far from the village." He looked towards Regina. "We could finish our talks there." Will laughed to himself. "I'm sorry, it seems I've gotten ahead of myself. I'm sure you have other things to do."
"No." Regina shouted. "I – we would love to join you. I never knew this land had any waterfalls."
They left the tavern and walked the path that led through the woods to a creek. They followed the creek north and after a mile the creek was so wide that only a boat could cross. At the end of the creek was a great mountain with water sliding down its face into the creek. Belle was in awe, never had she seen anything more magical and beautiful.
"My Ladies, behind this waterfall there's a cave and it's said to be the most beautiful thing in the realm, besides your beauty. In this cave there are said to be magical diamonds hidden in the walls. Explorers and miners alike are unable to dig them out. And when the sun hits the diamonds through the waterfall, the cave is said to shine like you were in one of the diamonds itself."
Belle thought of how beautiful that sounded. She was probably more excited than Regina was. But it was Regina's excited approval that made the man lead them up the hill and shimmy across the rocks edge to the entrance of the cave.
When they reached the cave and walked inside, Belle's eyes adjusted to the low light and was disappointed to find it was nothing like Will said it was. It was dark, damp and quite slippery. The cave was filled with shadowy corners, trash and old food lining the cave floor. Before she could realize it was a trick, Will unsheathed his sword and called out, two men began to approach them out of the shadows.
"Seize them."