I dreamed that night of being with Cliff. In my dream he called me Angel and we just sat by the stream with Esmeralda and talked. Belle came along with someone that I could not recognize but I felt like I knew them. They brought a picnic with them and the four of us sat and ate together.

I was awoken to Cliff's screaming. He was having a nightmare I could tell. I gently tried to wake him up.

"Cliff, Cliff wake up. It is okay you are safe in camp."

He slowly opens his eyes and looks at me.

"I am sorry Sam. I was having a nightmare about the ogres attacking the camp. They were chasing someone and I tried to stop them. I saw the person fall and I tried to run to help them up. I thought I was too late but I know that it was only a dream. I did not mean to scare you."

"Cliff you can call me Angel now we are in secret. I think that we have known each other enough."

"Then I apologize Angel."

We are face to face and I realize how close we are. I have been with him for some time now but I quickly turn away from him and retreat to my corner of the tent. I feel my cheeks turn red.

"Good night once again Cliff."

He is already starting to fall back asleep again.

"Good night…my Angel."

I close my eyes again and fall into a dreamless sleep this time. I am awoken by the sound of Esmeralda. She is feeling restless with all the activity going on. Even though she has been traveling with us for the whole time she has not seen all of the other horses. They were kept separate from her because of their caretakers.

I go out to her and try to soothe her. I hear someone walk up behind me. I turn and see Belle standing behind me.

"Good morning Master Sam. I have brought you and Master Cliff some breakfast."

I see Cliff standing in the entrance so I wave to him to have him join us.

We sit on the grass outside of the tent and eat.

"Mistress Belle, Sam and I had a chat last night and we agreed that you should ride Esmeralda. After all she is originally your mare."

"Thank you for the offer Master Cliff but I believe that Esmeralda is now under the care of Master Sam."

I point to Esmeralda then to Belle. Then I point to my feet and the ground. Stomping my feet in the process.

"No Mistress Belle. He wants you to have her. It is his duty to walk and make sure that you are safe."

"I accept your offer Masters Sam and Cliff. I wish for you both to accompany me."

Once the nobles are settled on the horses we start to advance once again. It was tricky business getting the nobles to agree to leave their carriages behind. Some tried to sneak their gold and other treasures onto their horses but they were found out easily as the horses tended to be a little too slow. Belle was the easiest to get on a horse. She took only the small bag that she had packed on the first day. In it contained a few books and some clothes.

We travel throughout the day only focusing on moving as fast as we can. By twilight we see Gaston's castle and we surge forward with renewed strength. When we get to the castle gates Gaston is the first to talk with the guards.

The gates open and Gaston leads the way in but he stops to talk with a guard on the way. As I pass through the gates I am suddenly grabbed by some of the guards and dragged away. Belle and Cliff try to have the guards release me but they know that it is useless. I point towards Gaston and they go to talk with him.

I should have known that he would have done something like this the second I stepped into his castle. The guards were under Gaston's orders so even if my father ordered them to release me then they would have refused.

I am dragged to a cell and stripped of my weapons. They leave my armor on me but leave me without my cloak even. I know that I could use magic to escape but if they found out I could use magic then they could use it against me just as easily as I could against them.

Gaston comes to my cell a little while later cleaned and dressed.

"Hello Sam. I suppose that you saw this coming. I warned you not to be so close to Belle. I will give you an option though. It is your choice, you can choose to rot in this cell or you can be banished from my kingdom. I must say though that you are not banished from just my kingdom but Belle as well."

I want to throw all of what I know at Gaston. He may have been arrogant before but I think there is more than I could know. He wants me to either stay here and live the rest of my life or I could never enter his kingdom or see Belle again.

"Do you understand what I am saying?"

I shake my head yes. I point to my head and then hold up five fingers.

"I will give you some more time to think but if you cannot make a decision then I will have to take matters into my own hands."

He walks off down the hallway again.

I turn my head back to my cell and see none other than Rumpelstiltskin standing in the cell with me.

"Well Sam what have you done now? I suppose Dearie that no matter what you choose you pay the price of loss. Do you stay and never see the world again or do you leave but never see your sister again? I believe either choice will prevent you from possibly seeing her again."

I want to talk to him but I am afraid of being overheard so I just keep my mouth shut and think.

"Ah, the quiet approach. You know that one cannot have their eyes on all things at once, things are bound to slip through the cracks. I can do nothing to help you but weigh your options carefully. These prices are steep to pay."

He disappears and a few moments later I hear Gaston's footsteps again.

"Well Sam have you made a decision?"

I nod my head yes.

"Well what is it?"

I point my hand out of the cell down the hall.

"Interesting choice. Know that if I catch you within my village or near Belle again you will not have the option."

I nod my head yes.

He has me released from the cell and I get my cloak back. I am escorted down the hall back to the entrance. When I get there I see both Cliff and Belle waiting.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Gaston I told the guards that I would leave the village if I could not see Sam."

"Even so Belle, I must not let you near this boy he is banished from the village."

"If he is to be thrown out then I can at least give him a proper farewell."

"I guess that you can tell him good-bye. Captain Cliff I trust that you will hold your duty to make sure that this boy does not try to cause any harm to Belle."

"I will follow your orders Sir Gaston."

Gaston walks into the castle and I am left alone with Belle and Cliff. Cliff leads us back to the entrance. He signals for the doors to be opened. After we exit they are closed behind us. We walk a little away from the walls but only far enough so we don't risk the chance of being overheard.

Belle walks over to me and hugs me. Cliff hangs back and scans the area.

"I am sorry Angel. There was nothing I could do. Gaston was convinced that you were infatuated with me no matter what I tried to show him that you weren't. I do not want to have us leave each other like this again."

"Belle, I was the one who chose to run away before and this is my choice now. I want you to know that I will do what I can to see you again. I do not care what Gaston will do to me but I do not want you to think of me as a coward."

"You are not a coward Angel. The person who has saved me from Ogres not just once or twice but three times is not a coward. You may think that you are afraid but just know that wherever there is fear there is also courage. Even if the fear is great you just need a little amount of courage to help you through. I have seen you grow more on this journey than I have seen in the first 10 years of your life. This was one of the adventures we dreamed about."

She gives me a hug and I fall apart in her arms. She takes a handkerchief from her pocket and uses it to wipe my eyes. I realize that it is a different one from before.

"Belle, what happened to the handkerchief?"

"Someone needed it more than I so I gave it to them."

I do not want to focus my attention on something that Belle gave away.

"I have one last present for you. I know your birthday has already passed but think of this as a belated gift."

She pulls out a folded piece of paper and hands it to me. I open it and see a bunch of drawings. In the center of the page is me wearing my armor while riding Esmeralda. One of the other drawings is of me about to fire an arrow at an Ogre. The look in my eyes sends me shivers. My favorite is the one of Esmeralda grazing. She is by the stream and I am spread out on the grass. Lying next to me is Cliff.

"I have to get going Angel besides someone else wants to say their good-bye. I wish you to be safe and remember me."

"I could never forget you Belle your beauty and voice ring clear."

Belle gives me one last hug and starts to jog back to Cliff. Cliff walks towards me the second that Belle meets up with him.

I feel a great weight on my heart. Even greater than the weight I felt with Belle. I go to put the folded paper in my cloak pocket next to Belle's book when I brush up against something. I pull the object out to find out that it is my handkerchief. I guess Belle must have left it there last night when she was in the tent with us.

"Angel, I am sorry that this has had to have happened to you. I am glad that I met you when I did. I hope our paths will cross again in the future. I have some things for you."

He reaches into his bag and takes out my weapons; my dagger, bow & arrow and my sword. He passes each of them to me but when it comes down to my sword I refuse.

"I am no longer a soldier. I do not deserve to carry that."

"You are talking nonsense Angel. As my newly appointed position as Captain you are to follow the orders of your superiors. I may not be a general but that does not stop me from earning some respect. As long as I am in my post you are always welcomed as a warrior."

He places the sword in my hands. I tie it back to my side again.

Even though a captain does not have much power it is still a better position than being a knight. I knew that he deserved it. But I still had a feeling of emptiness.

"Thank you Captain Cliff. It would be an honor to serve under you. But I must request some time off right now."

I see a smile escape his lips and I feel the warmth again.

"You may refer to me as Cliff if you would like to. But I have another present for you Angel. I may not be able to do magic but I have learned sleight of hand."

He reaches up towards my ear. I feel his hand reach behind my ear but it comes back empty.

"There you are madam. It is a lovely piece of jewelry."

I go to reach up to touch my ear when I feel something on my wrist. I look and see a beautiful golden bracelet.

"How did you do that Cliff?"

"Ah, a good magician never reveals their secrets but I will let you in on a little secret. This bracelet is said to be the halo of an Angel given to man."

I feel like falling apart. I know that I am younger than Cliff but I do not want to leave his side. I look up into his eyes. They are black and filled with depth. I thought it was unusual to have black eyes but as I look in his I know that they belong to him. His eyes tell me that although you may not see the bottom of something you do not have to fear it.

"Cliff just as you have given me a gift I have one for you."

I hand him the handkerchief and he reads the monogram.

"That is the last piece of me that bears my true identity. I want you to have it. You may forget about me but I do not want to leave you with no memory of me even if you do."

I see the tears start to well up in his eyes. Even though he is older than me, I just want to take him in my arms and hold him like Belle held me whenever I would cry.

I reach out and do something that I have never done before I hug him. As he hugs me back I get the feeling that I belong in his arms. I get the feeling that from his embrace that he wants to protect and shield me from the world but at that same time to let me explore it.

"Goodbye my Angel."

I hear his whisper and I know that he feels the same way about me.

"Please protect Belle and take care of Esmeralda."

He bows to me and turns away and walks back to Belle. I feel tears in my eyes as they wave goodbye to me and turn to walk back to the castle. I turn and walk away.

"Well Sam you have chosen an interesting path dearie."

I turn to face Rumpelstiltskin leaning against a tree.

"I just wanted you to know that nothing is forever."

I turn away from him without saying a word and start to walk again.