Mothers-in-law and magical paths

At some point after the whole 'Sleeping Curse' thing, Snow and Charming decided to take back the kingdom. Only King George's kingdom however. Trying to take Snow's kingdom back from Regina could only end in disaster. Of course if they were to decide to go against Regina, Belle would gladly help them kill her. They could decapitate her. Or hang her. Turn her bones to powder, her blood to ash? So many possibilities. And that was the problem Belle was facing today. That she had been facing for a great many days. She wanted to murder someone who had slighted her. Okay, nearly ruined her life, but still. It was becoming harder and harder for her to ignore the tempting power of the Dark One, harder to convince herself she did not want to follow the path of revenge. She needed to do something that would alter her magic's path, but there was nothing to do. Rumple had forbidden her from answering the pleas of desperate souls (he was off answering them himself, fake scales on and fairy wand in hand), so now all she could hear were the cries of Snow, Charming, and the others most closely linked to the curse (including Regina, who was constantly moping about). Unfortunately she couldn't do anything that would alter the course of the curse, as per the dagger's instructions, and anything significant she was forced to do, as per the dagger's instructions. Only a choice made of her own free will would allow her to chose her magic's path, and hopefully quiet the voice of the Dark One.

She was in the Dark Castle (where else would she be?) dusting an odd golden fleece off to one side of the Great Hall when she felt it. The desperation of one faux-Prince, rolling and coiling in mounting waves. She summoned up an enchanted mirror Rumple had given her for this specific purpose, and directed it to find Charming. He was surrounded by George's men just before a small stone cottage, one situated in a series of fields and surrounded by a garden of wildflowers. He fought off the men successfully, without so much as a tear in his leather jerkin. What Charming unfortunately didn't see, and Belle did, was the stray arrow that soared past him and deep into the chest of a grey-haired woman who had stepped out of the safety of the cottage. Belle watched as Charming finished off the last guard, giving him a dramatic sword to the gut before leaving him to fall. It was then he looked up to see his mother clutching the offending projectile, and he rushed forwards just fast enough to catch her as she stumbled towards him. They fell to the ground together, the woman cradled in her son's arms.

In no time at all Snow was there, knelt at his side. With her was the greedy King's trusted General. The dark-skinned Leviathan was quick to announce the arrow in Ruth's body (for that was her name) was poisoned, a poison with no antidote or cure. Fairy magic would not be powerful enough to heal this, but Charming knew of a lake nearby that would surely be able to heal the wound. Belle watched as they loaded up a cart with the woman's frail body, the blood soaking her soft white clothes. She knew full well that the lake was now dried, an unfortunate side effect of killing the Lady of the Lake. But perhaps with her magic she could intervene?

For the remainder of the day and much of the next she watched as they trundled through the woods, Charming and Lancelot leading the cart as Snow remained by Ruth's side, comforting her and tending her wound. Although the forest path was worn but wide, their pace, regardless, remained slow and their journey lengthy, the path not the most direct route to Lake Nostos. As they went Belle was shocked and angry to learn that King George had 'cursed' Snow to be unable to have children. Surely the water of the lake would be able to heal her also? If she were to restore water to the lake, surely that would be able to heal the both of them, and define her magic's path? She watched them a little longer, thankful Rumple wasn't around to disapprove. Ruth's condition was worsening, and although she was angry the other three could be so callous and nonchalant in the face of death, she remembered all too well the day her mother died in her arms, the blood on Belle's hands, the last breath tumbling from her lips as Ogres roared in the distance. If Ruth died now, she knew Charming would blame himself. That and the pain Snow felt at not being able to bear a child decided it for her. As the barren sand came into view at the edge of the mirror, Belle shut it off and prepared herself for the journey.

She appeared at the lake, though visible to no one but herself, just in time to see disappointment spark on the faces of the travelers. She looked down at herself and focused on a glamour spell, altering her outward appearance. She forced her scales to recede and focused on lightening her hair, replacing her red leather and deerskin she wore to free the Yaoguai with the soft blue dress she wore to free Rumplestiltskin. Her black boots were replaced with her white buckled heels, and her hair drew back out of her face. She carefully stepped forwards, mindful of the effects sharp heels had on soft ground, and moved closer to the Prince and the General. The latter was saying that he had grown up by a lake, and that there 'may be water yet'. It was at this point she revealed herself, blue smoke dissipating into the air. "That there is." She gave a gentle, disarming smile and a small curtsy, a little offended when the two men drew their swords. They asked her identity and intention, and she informed them she was there only to offer her assistance. The Prince frowned at her. "We don't want your help." She smiled again and stretched her arm out to the side, parallel to the ground. She sent a surge of power into the dust, deep down to the remains of the lake. With a deep rumble to water leaped up in a powerful spray, and she moved herself from its path as the Leviathan shifted back from its advance. She found herself behind the Prince, his sword now lowered, and gently said "But I offer it anyway." He turned to her in shock and she smiled kindly at him, motioning to the lake.

She was glad he had leaped forwards with his water-skin, because if he'd turned on her with his sword, her path would probably have ended up going in the opposite direction, Rumple's curse be damned. The three now gathered around Ruth's rough cart, Snow supporting her soon-to-be mother-in-law's head as Charming brought the water to her lips. The effect was instantaneous, the woman immediately adopting a more serene expression, her breathing less labored and her eyes with a hidden shine. Snow helped her sit, directing her thanks to a Belle who had remained nearby to watch, enjoying the angered yells of the Dark One as it was dragged a little further the back of her mind. She fluttered her fingers at the thanks, her magic coming more freely and no longer trying to get her to harm instead of heal. As Ruth finally managed to get herself semi-vertical, her worn hands removing the bloodied bandages at her chest, she beamed at her son as he beamed back. "Thank the Gods for that. I was worried, for a moment, that I might not live long enough to see you marry Snow."

Snow smiled as she leaned forwards, quietly whispering "Of course you will." Then she turned to the Leviathan. "Lancelot, does a disgraced member of the Round Table still have the power to perform a wedding?" Lancelot gave a wide smile ("It would be my honour") and turned to Belle, the only one of their number who still remembered her presence. "I don't suppose you could help with that, could you?" She grinned mischievously, more than happy to do so. Not five minutes later, with the sparkling lake as a backdrop, the two lovers stood beneath an arch of wildflowers, matching blooms gripped tightly in Snow's hand. Belle and Ruth, the former invited to stay partly because she had saved the life of the latter, and partly because she was already there, sat on a wooden bench a few paces away, Ruth beaming and gripping tightly on Belle's arm, Belle uncaring of the bruises that action would cause. Lancelot officiated, speaking of a custom in his land that would have the bride and groom drink from a shared chalice, to symbolise eternal life. He scooped the water up from the lake, and it was a discrete and sneaky way to heal Snow without letting Charming know there was something wrong.

When the brief ceremony was over, Charming now kissing his beaming bride, Ruth embraced Belle tightly, overjoyed to see her son so happy at last. Belle awkwardly returned the embrace; it had been a long time since anyone had touched her, longer since that it had been someone that wasn't Rumple, and longer still someone that didn't mean her any harm.

Sometime later, as Belle prepared herself for the taxing journey back to the Dark Castle (taxing because magic was still new to her, and she paid the price herself), she watched as Charming held the swinging medallion over his wife's palm. It swung east to west, and Ruth came to embrace Snow after Charming had gone to prepare the horse for the journey back to the cottage, so that she may be dropped off before they went to continue the war for their kingdom. Now Belle had another piece of vital information to give to Rumplestiltskin and she smiled. Snow White and Prince Charming were going to have a daughter.

Now all they needed was her name.