Chapter Six

Lycanthrope

A/AN: Thanks for all the reviews! We're going to see a new side of Rumple in this chapter. You might like it and you might not, but I hope you do. We'll also be meeting a few new OUAT characters in this chapter! I hope you all enjoy chapter six!

They set out for Elameth before the first light of dawn spanned across the sky. They took Rumplestiltskin's carriage which was quite roomy she had to admit. Belle had packed a weeks worth of clothing changes, a hairbrush, and a few other toiletries she preferred. She also packed Bae's book of Latin they'd been studying, a book of arithmetic, and a few other books she thought Bae might like to read during his downtime. One of the books she'd chosen was an old leather tome with the title "Once Upon a Time" etched in faded gold lettering on the jacket.

Belle had looked through a few of the pages to discover one tale she enjoyed very much: "Beauty and the Beast". The tale was about a beautiful young woman who fell in love with a beast who actually turned out to be a handsome prince. Belle crinkled her nose as she read the ending. Why couldn't the beauty love the beast exactly the way he was? Why did the author have to make the ending turn into an articulately polished tale? Real life was messy and unpredictable and to Belle beauty was only skin deep. A person's heart lied beyond the exterior and most of the handsome nobles she'd met didn't have such hearts. They were beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside. She averted her gaze to Rumplestiltskin who was looking absentmindedly out the window as they rode with his son's head nestled in his lap. She found the scene rather endearing as she watched the boy sleep.

Belle studied her master's face, recounting the night she ran her fingers over those very scars. She wanted to do it again-to touch Rumplestiltskin. She tucked her legs under herself as she began reading another peculiar story about an imp who spun straw into gold. She looked up a few moments later to see Rumplestiltskin staring intently at her. She almost dropped the storybook because he'd startled her.

"They say books are our gateways to other worlds." he pursed his lips and smiled affectionately at her.

"Yes they can also help us temporarily forget." Belle sighed, placing the tome back in her satchel.

"Yes I suppose they can." he retorted, his gaze darkening a bit.

Belle felt her heart begin to tremor in her chest at his unsteady gaze. She pulled out another book she'd brought for their journey, "I found this book in the library about Lycanthrope. I'm almost positive the creatures afflicting Elameth aren't just your common wolf. They sound like the shape shifters who are half human and half wolf. The lycanthrope turn during the full moon cycle but the scary part is that anyone from the village could be the wolf. It feeds on many kinds of animals but its favorite morsel is human flesh. It also states in the book that the person being afflicted by the Lycanthrope probably doesn't even realize they're under the curse. It says the person usually doesn't remember turning into a wolf. It's like you're living in two different realities so whoever the lycanthrope is probably means they don't remember ever turning." Belle illuminated handing him the tome.

Rumplestiltskin opened the book, skimming through a few of the pages before guffawing catching her completely off guard, "Belle these books are based on mythology! These creatures don't exist anymore! They're extinct dearie. " he added wiping a tear from his eye rather amused.

"I'm sorry…I just thought I could help." Belle muttered perturbed turning her gaze towards the floor, her cheeks darkening from embarrassment.

"You can help by staying with Bae while I take care of the wolf." Rumplestiltskin reassured her as he turned his gaze back towards the passing landscape outside.

"Of course." Belle complied obediently realizing the only reason why she was here was to help Bae. How foolish of her to believe he'd needed her for anything else? He thought she would just get in the way if she tried, so she would keep her distance. She would do only as she was told.

The rest of the carriage ride was spent in silence. They made it to Elameth just before dusk. The village was quaint with probably only a couple hundred people who inhabited the area. The village didn't have a castle they could stay in. The only thing Elameth had to offer them was a tavern with an adjoining inn. Rumplestiltskin had procured two rooms for them. He and Bae would stay in one, and she would stay in the other.

Several of the villagers stood by as they watched their coach pull in. One of the guards dismounted his horse and opened the door for them. Rumplestiltskin stepped out first with Bae right behind him. Belle stepped out last hoping she wasn't too much of a distraction. Rumplestiltskin kept his eyes straight ahead ignoring the whispers and murmurs from his subjects. Belle smiled warmly at the townspeople and waved at them. A little girl ran up tugging on Belle's skirts. She smiled down at the child and bent down to her level. The little girl had beautiful blond hair that was tied back in a braid with patches of dirt on her cheeks. The garment she was wearing looked like it had been handed down from a line of other sisters.

"Why hello there…What's your name?" Belle inquired smiling friendlily to the small child.

"My names Mable, and I picked this for you!" the little girl grinned handing her a handful of blue cornflower which contrasted beautifully with her eye color.

"Thank you my dear, and I have something for you too." Belle replied untying the blue ribbon from her hair. She placed it in the little girl's hand who's eyes immediately lit up. She scurried back to show her friends which made Belle giggle. She wasn't aware that everyone had been watching her exchange. Who was this peculiar woman who'd accompanied the king? She stood up and followed her master who had watched the whole thing, his heart wrenching in the process. She was even more beautiful than he could imagine in that moment. A surge of desire shot through his body that he'd never felt in his entire life for the chestnut haired beauty. Rumplestiltskin felt frozen in that moment swearing to himself inwardly. This wasn't supposed to happen! He wasn't supposed to fall for her, but he was and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had to put space between them before he did anything rash. They made their way into the inn, being led immediately to their rooms.

Belle eyed the room which reminded her of her servant quarters back home with its straw mattress, creaky wood floors, waste bucket, and small chest of drawers. She began unpacking her belongings until she heard a knock at her door.

Belle smoothed out her skirts and opened the door, finding herself face to face with Rumplestiltskin. "I was just unpacking." Belle informed him pointing to her bed.

"Well finish up and come next door and stay with Bae while I'm gone. I have to meet with a few of the town council to discuss what we're going to do about our wolf problem." Rumplestiltskin informed her before making his leave.

"Of course your highness." Belle replied with a heaviness in the back of her throat.

"Oh and Belle…Don't be getting too friendly with the townspeople. I have a reputation to uphold here and your little display of affection earlier could give people the wrong impression about me. You may think I'm a good man, but I'm still a beast deep down inside. You will not corral about while were here. You work for me now, and you will do as you're told if you know what's best for you." He commanded sending a shiver up her spine from his authoritative tone. He'd never spoken to her like that before.

"Of course your majesty." Belle stammered glad when he finally left her in solitude. She collapsed onto the bed, unable to comprehend why he'd spoken to her so harshly. He certainly wasn't acting like the kind man she took tea with every afternoon in the dark castle, but what did she really expect? He was a king, and she was still a peasant after all. She swallowed back her fleeting emotions and made her way over to the other room. Bae was lying lazily on the bed, his eyes half open.

"Hello Baelfire." Belle greeted warmly sitting on a stool beside his bed.

"Hey Belle…Do you care to read me a story?" the boy inquired giving her a lazy grin.

"Of course Bae…I have a book of fairytales in my room. Just let me go retrieve it." she replied making her way back over to her room which was parallel to their own. She grabbed the worn book and made her way back into their room. Bae was still in the same position she'd left him in anxiously awaiting her tale.

"Do you have any favorite stories?" Belle inquired to the prince.

"You pick a story Belle. You're good at picking out good ones." Bae added giving her a warm smile filling her heart at ease.

"All right then…Once upon a time…" Belle began as she engulfed them both in a tale about brave knights and fire breathing dragons leaving Bae on the edge of his seat.

~X~

"Your highness are you sure it's the lycanthrope? They've been extinct for years." a huntsman named Graham inquired completely taken aback by the king's logic.

"That's exactly what they want you to believe. I'm certain they're still roaming about these parts to this day." Rumplestiltskin retorted giving them all slanted looks, forming his fingers into a steeple.

"And what makes you so sure?" a shepherd named David quizzed giving him a disbelieving glance.

"How else do you think I got these scars dearie?" Rumplestiltskin scoffed pointing at his face for full emphasis.

"When do we go after it then?" Graham swallowed hard.

"Tomorrow night we will begin our hunt and come back victorious. I have something that I know this creature won't be able to resist." Rumplestiltskin smirked, feeling his plan begin to piece together in the back of his mind.

"And what would that be?" David asked daringly.

"Another go at me of course…The lycanthrope never forget their victims. It's stalking your village because of me. The only way to make it stop is if one of us dies." Rumplestiltskin replied back cryptically sending a chill through the air.

A/AN: Woo! What exactly is Rumplestiltskin planning? Just what happened to him all those years ago with the Lycanthrope? Why is he keeping it from Belle and is he planning his ultimate demise? Is the real reason he brought Belle along was because he was going off to his death, and he trusts her enough to protect Bae for him? Stay tuned until next time and please review lovelies! Our dear Ruby will be making an appearance soon! :D