Chapter Seven

Red Beauty

A/AN: This chapter contains some "Red Beauty" friendship. I realize there were some questions from the last chapter which I promise to answer in the A/AN at the end of this one. Please review dear readers!

Rumplestiltskin had returned a couple of hours later to find Baelfire fast asleep under the covers. Belle was sitting on the bed beside him stroking his hair affectionately like a mother would. He felt something foreign pierce his heart. Milah had never desired to be a mother, and she barely ever showed their son any love. She'd handed him off to Mrs. Potts as soon as he'd been weaned. He cleared his throat gaining her attention. She met his gaze and stood up. She smoothed out her skirts and gave him a reverent bow.

"He wanted me to read him a story and then after that he asked me to play with his hair until he fell asleep." Belle explained to the king uneasily, fumbling over her words just like the first night they'd met.

"Thank you for watching over Bae…You may leave now. I'm going to turn in early tonight. The long trip has exhausted me." he replied giving her plenty of space between them.

"Goodnight your majesty." Belle remarked leaving a pang in his heart. They were like complete strangers since they'd arrived at Elameth but wasn't that what he wanted? He missed her warm gazes and cheeky smiles, but he'd made it clear that she stay out of his way.

"I'll send someone to fetch you when I arise in the morning. I'll be busy all day gathering the hunting party, and I'll need you here to take care of Bae." he informed her before she made her way out the door.

"Of course." she returned never turning around to meet his gaze as she made her way out of the room, leaving a gnawing feeling around his heart. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to feel her soft skin beneath his fingertips. He was aware he could take her if he wanted. She couldn't refuse him, but would he really stoop so low to ruin the friendship they'd kindled in just a few weeks? She'd given him something he'd clearly never had before, and he couldn't let something so precious slip away. He groaned inwardly before he laid down to sleep that night-her beautiful face engrafted in his mind.

~X~

Belle decided she wasn't ready to turn in yet. She had a lot on her mind that she wanted to forget, so she decided to make a visit to the tavern. Belle was still wearing her long hunter green Celtic travel dress with boned front lacing and shoulder ties. The dress was one of the less fancier ones Rumplestiltskin had tailored for her, but she liked it best mostly out of comfort. One of the things she'd embraced in her peasantry was never having to wear a corset. She made her way into the rambunctious tavern, finding a solitary table out of view. There were several men present guffawing and rambling over their ale. Belle smirked at the sights of men and women dancing to a fiddler's tune. She almost thought of joining them until a clean shaven man wearing a red doublet, with black leather breeches, and a white shirt underneath made his way over to her table. The man had a leather belt around his waist which held a sword. He also had dark black hair tied back with mesmerizing green eyes. He was quite a handsome fellow, and Belle immediately realized he was no peasant.

"Hello milady, my name is Gaston. I'm the lord of Elameth." he smiled his suave smile, flashing his pearly whites.

"It's nice to meet you Gaston. I'm Belle." she returned politely giving him a small smile.

"The pleasure is all mine Belle." he said taking her hand and kissing it chivalrously. Belle knew most women would be fanning themselves in that moment, but "Lord" Gaston just wasn't having that effect on her.

"Well it was an honor to meet you." she quickly retorted ready to be rid of his presence until he grabbed by the arm.

"Would you care to dance with me milady? The night is still young and the ale still fresh." he smirked with sparkling green eyes.

"Yes and I should be retiring. I have a very busy day tomorrow I'm afraid." she told him hoping he took the hint but it didn't work.

"Come on all I'm asking is for one dance." he insisted pulling her towards the swaying group of half drunk individuals.

"I'm sorry Lord Gaston, but Belle is needed elsewhere. Granny needs her help, and we all know how she gets when she's angry." a girl with long brown hair and lunar eyes cut in between them.

"Yes Mrs. Lucas isn't one to be reckoned with." Gaston replied, clearing his throat uneasily, "Until we meet again milady." Gaston winked at Belle before sauntering off.

Belle turned to the girl who was currently dragging her to the back of the tavern, into the kitchen, "You looked like you could use some help back there." the girl replied turning to face her.

"Thank you." Belle said, intrigued by her peculiar eye color.

"I'm Ruby Lucas. My grandmother owns this tavern. I watched you pull in this afternoon with the king." she added giving her an uneasy smile.

"My names Belle…I'm-" but Ruby didn't let her finish her statement before butting in, "Yes everyone knows your name except Gaston apparently. If he knew who you were, then he wouldn't be messing with you. If the king had witnessed what he just did, then he would've stripped him of his title."

"Why would Rumplestiltskin do that? He just wanted to dance with me." Belle shrugged with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"It's Gaston, and I can assure you that his intentions weren't that pure. He has quite the history with women." Ruby emphasized with a roll of her eyes as she grabbed a cup of ale, taking a long drink.

"I take it you two have history together?" Belle quizzed with a raised brow.

"Almost every wench in this town has history with Gaston. He never runs out of bodies to warm his bed, that's for sure." Ruby scoffed, her voice laced with bitterness.

"So Elameth has a wolf problem I hear?" Belle asked quickly changing the subject.

"Yes it's been terrorizing the town for months now. Granny told me that it isn't a common wolf, or we would've been able to get rid of it by now. She claims it's some hybrid cross between human and beast." Ruby said taking another swig of her ale.

"Really isn't there some way to kill it then?" Belle inquired curiously, a plan forming in the back of her mind.

"The only way to kill it is with an enchanted silver tipped arrow. Granny happens to have some but all the hunters think she's out of her mind and won't heed her advice. You cant kill a lycanthrope with normal human weapons. You need something enchanted to pierce it through the heart to do the job effectively. A normal silver tipped arrow will temporarily paralyze it but it won't kill it." she explained with piercing lupine eyes.

"Rumplestiltskin says the lycanthrope are extinct though. I found a book about them in his library back at the dark castle, and he practically laughed himself silly when I broached the topic." Belle supplied.

"Maybe he's hiding something from you? I doubt he'd want you to get in his way if he planned on hunting it himself. He probably has his own agenda in mind." Ruby suggested with a mysterious air in her tone.

"Perhaps…Say Ruby does your grandmother happen to have any of these enchanted arrows on hand? I believe I've studied up enough on the Lycanthrope to track it myself. I also have pretty good aim as well." Belle said with a wicked gleam in her eye. She hated defying her master, but she wasn't going to allow him to put himself in danger. He was a father, and she knew what it was like to be an orphan. She wouldn't allow Baelfire to meet the same fate.

"I don't know Belle…This wolf isn't one to be reckoned with. No one in the village has been able to defeat it." Ruby returned, apprehension in her voice.

"Then I guess I better get a clean shot then." Belle remarked with determination, fueled by her feelings for a man she wasn't sure felt anything for her.

"Granny isn't going to hand over her arrows that easily Belle, especially to a young woman like yourself." Ruby responded, but Belle wouldn't allow her hopes to be dashed.

"What time does she go to sleep? I'm sure the wolf will be out tonight won't it?" Belle inquired surprising herself, but she wasn't holding back anymore. She was going to do whatever it took to protect her stubborn master from going off to his death, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

"I suppose I can fetch you the arrows under one condition." Ruby held out her pointer finger with a smirk on her face.

"And what's that?" Belle inquired to the peculiar girl.

"I'm coming with you!" Ruby declared with a grin.

"Let's go get us a wolf then!" Belle laughed, bravery swelling in her heart at the thought of saving the village. If she could carry this out then perhaps she could face her stepmother back in Avonlea and take back her kingdom.

A/AN: Well there was chapter six! I also wanted to point out in this story there will be some magic but Rumple nor Cora have any. I've also altered the idea of the lycanthrope. You are born with the ability to turn. You cannot be cursed with it by being bitten. I guess I'm going with the concept of the wolves in Twilight lol.

Kat: Rumple still doesn't know Belle is a princess. He can't turn into a Lycanthrope, but he was attacked by one. I'll get more into that soon. Please review and tell me what you think!