A/N Buckets of love to everyone who paused to say they enjoyed the story. My only regret is that i cannot properly thank anon reviewers, just know that it's heard and appreciated and i'd certainly be glad to reply to you personally.
And since Friday 13 is my fav day ever, i thought i'd post a chapter earlier. The regular Saturday update will be on time :)
Belle entered the dining room a quarter of an hour later to find that the previous choice of dishes was replaced by a selection of croissants and tea. It made sense since it was still too early for lunch, besides she did not feel particularly hungry. The girl picked clothes that were both comfortable and as unrevealing as possible. She had on a white loose cotton blouse which came up to her neck and displayed no cleavage, and grey woolen pants. Neither her shirt with the foamy lace down the front nor the breeches showed off any of her curves, but seeing Belle fully dressed only reminded him of her nakedness not so long ago.
He moved behind her to push the chair, his fingers lingering on its back a moment longer than they should have. She was so close he could smell the rosy scent of her skin. Belle's hair was still damp and looked darker than usual, although it had already began to curl up at the tips. Despite her trying to towel it up the best she could, the wet strands left marks on the fabric of the blouse. Rumpelstiltskin swallowed noisily when he noticed that the shirt turned almost transparent where the moisture hit it. He darted back to his seat for he was sure that another second of being so close to the girl would make him lose his mind entirely.
Belle ate quietly, oblivious to the effect she had on the man. Rumpelstiltskin, however, did not touch the food for it would make him divert his gaze from her. She looked up, reaching for the tea pot and caught him staring. Her eyes went back to her plate immediately, but her cheeks flushed and she put the pot back on the table with more force than necessary. Her blush triggered more memories in him. Before, Rumpelstiltskin was too worried and concerned about her harming herself to pay attention to her nakedness. But now his mind seemed all too eager to provide the images of her in the tub, her wet hair plastered to her shoulders as the color spread from her cheeks down her elegant neck, almost but not quite reaching down the soft curve of her small breasts.
He groaned internally, trying to put that image out of his head. He was already semi-hard just remembering her pale skin, the light-pink nipples contrasting with her dark hair which only set off her creamy composure. Mentally he could see the sheer droplets of water trickling down her chest and… and he had to stop before he overexcited himself.
Rumpelstiltskin told himself to quit staring and to act normal. He ignored the need to adjust his cock under the table and poured himself a cup of chamomile tea, his mouth dry. Alas, the herb failed to calm his nerves. What the heck was wrong with him? It was not like he hadn't seen a naked female body before, but Belle's effect on him was unexplainably strong. He desired her more than anything, and even though he did touch her in prison, it only seemed to fuel his thirst for her.
Gods, he had to consider the consequence before taking her into his castle. He was both aroused and ashamed of those feelings. He had always been proud of his self-control and ability to calculate his actions, but the girl reduced him to a single-minded lascivious creature in a matter of weeks. He shifted in his seat, his cock still hard and throbbing uncomfortably in his leather breaches. Belle was almost finished with her meal and he could not stand up from the table in that condition.
Rumpelstiltskin muttered a spell, sighing with relief and disappointment as his erection deflated with the whisper of magic. He would probably have to constantly cast that enchantment or wear his leather coats indoors, neither of which seemed a pleasant alternative.
"Are you ready, dearie?" he asked when Belle emptied her cup and set it on the saucer.
The girl nodded and he motioned for her to follow him. Rumpelstiltskin let her pass through the doors first and she walked at his sides, making several springy steps to keep up with his confident long strides. Belle tripped on the stairs and he steadied her by her elbow, but he let go off her immediately when she mumbled her thanks.
She shivered upon entering the tower; the air in his laboratory must have been cold but he never paid attention to such things after becoming the Dark One. He closed the window and ignited a fire in the mantelpiece, offering her to take a seat at the table. He opted to walk around the room instead as he tried to find the right words to share some of his knowledge with her.
"As you may know, dearie, the magic is all around us," Rumpelstiltskin began and was pleased to note how Belle listened to him. She was carefully absorbing his words and he was flattered to be the center of her attention. "This world was created by it and despite the fact that it seems chaotic, everything is regulated and balanced by magic. It is a matter of whether people can sense it or not."
"The magic in its essence is neutral; it is neither good nor bad as it's got no mind of its own. It is what you make of it. Fairies and demons draw their powers from the same source. However, a witch, a warlock. a wizard or an enchantress - the name does not matter - the conductor has to be strong and confident to bend the powers to his or her own will." He paused and his dark eyes swiped over her figure as if trying to appraise whether the girl was fit for the task. "Otherwise, the magic will consume those who are weak and destroy them. Consider it a mare with volatile temper that may let you ride her but kick you off her back when you least expect it."
"There are thousands of curses and incantations, for most people believe that it's the words that guide the power. This is not true. The most potent are the basic elements that require no enunciation." Belle nodded at those words, more to herself than to him, but made no attempt to interrupt the man.
"By basic elements I mean water, fire, earth and air, of course. Such a division is only relative, for water runs on earth and under it; there is water in the air and air in the fire. You may find in the books that some practitioners distinguish wood as a separate component, but magic trees are mostly gone now. While it is important to master all of those elements, the majority of conductors tend to be more skilled and receptive to just one of them. Which brings us down to this." Rumpelstiltskin snapped his fingers, making a tall glass of water appear in front of the girl. She looked at it wide-eyed and he almost smiled. She'd been living in the enchanted castle for several days now but some simple display of magic as summoning of an object did not fail to amaze her nevertheless.
"I want you to transfigure it. Make it boil, evaporate it or freeze the water. Just remember that nothing can be born of or disappear into nowhere. You have to balance it. The power is all around you, so try to embrace and use it. I cannot help you with it; you have to discover your own way of doing things."
The last part was not entirely true. He could prompt her to use emotions, to fuel her inner energy with anger and intertwine it with the forces surrounding her. It worked with Regina and Cora but it felt wrong with Belle. He wanted to try a different approach; the girl was too sweet and innocent, her nature gentle and forgiving. Rumpelstiltskin doubted whether she had actually truly felt anger, the kind that was blinding and over-consuming. Most likely her least happy memories were connected with the death of her mother. And him.
He opened one of the volumes, picking up at the place he left off. For the next couple hours he read, while Belle frowned at the glass until her hair had dried up and she'd shake her head from time to time to get it out of her eyes. She tried staring at the glass, waving her hands over it or even whispering to the water, but the fluid remained just as it was. Rumpelstiltskin did not underestimate the girl's stubbornness. The look of determination on her face was proof enough of that. She would eventually make it work, given enough time.