Belle was fuming, and what made it worse was that Rumpelstiltskin did not appear to notice - Or more likely, decided it was in his best interest simply to ignore it.
She had been so eager to leave the castle the night before that she had completely forgot about the one thing that had been holding Belle as a captive of the Dark Castle for the past half year. Turning the offending sapphire gem over and over in her hand, Belle paced the entry hall nervously, a single bag packed with a change of clothes and three books to read lay at the ready by the front door, awaiting the journey. Rumpelstiltskin arrived in a flurry of movements and paused briefly at the bottom of the stairs and gave Belle an odd look, as if he had forgotten she was going with him, before giving her a curt nod and continuing across the threshold toward the large front doors.
"Good, you're ready and right on schedule," He said briskly as he came near to where she was standing in the hallway. Attempted to bring to Rumpelstiltskin's attention the small matter of her enchanted necklace, Belle took a short breath and stepped toward him,
"Rumpelstiltskin…" she began, but he passed quickly by her and continued to speak, as if he hadn't heard her,
"You can either place your bag on the back of the carriage…" he continued,
"Rumpelstiltskin?"
"Or you can keep it with you. Just remember, should you choose the former, take out the books first because I will not be stopping twenty minutes into the journey because you forgot to pull out your reading material…"
"Rumpelstiltskin if you would just wait for a moment …"
"Oh and wear this," Rumpelstiltskin flicked his wrist and from thin air produced a gold and green brocade cloak and tossed it to Belle. She lunged and was able to catch the finely made cloak before it hit the floor, "It may be spring but it's still quite crisp out. It can also double as a blanket should you…" Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand to emphasize his point and Belle gave him a brief smile in thanks,
"Thank, you it's lovely. Now if you would just stop for a moment…"
"Hurry up maid, I haven't all day! We are losing light."
Rumpelstiltskin was already out the castle doors and had the door to a surprisingly plain looking closed carriage open, the step already unfolded in wait, and Belle quickly descended the stone steps with her bag in hand.
Rumpelstiltskin was still talking when she made it to the foot of the carriage.
"Rumpelstiltskin please!" Belle cried out making him snap his jaw shut and glare at her impatiently.
Sighing in relief, she stopped just at the foot of the carriage and gave him a tentative smile.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked with a quick glance down to her necklace. When he didn't immediately speak Belle sighed and lifted the sapphire up for his inspection.
"I can't leave remember?"
Belle was taken aback when she saw Rumpelstiltskin's mouth quirk in a small smile before pulling Belle's bag from her grasp and placing it on one of the seats.
He then returned to her and held out his hand for Belle to take hold of,
"I have not forgotten and you don't have to worry about that, now get in."
Belle gaped at him in surprise before letting Rumpelstiltskin lead her inside the carriage.
If the exterior looked plain and inconspicuous, then the interior was the complete opposite. With an air of awe, Belle examined the beautifully plush red satin seats and gold brocade detailing along the walls. Sitting down, Belle found that the seats were just as comfortable as they looked and she let out a small sigh of relief. Two days in a carriage was not something one looks forward to, but in Rumpelstiltskin's carriage those two days might not be so bad.
"So did you… turn it off?" Belle asked when Rumpelstiltskin had settled into the seat across from her next to her bag. He gave her a funny look and proceeded to hit the roof of the carriage twice with the palm of his hand, and with a jolt they were moving. Belle strained her neck to look behind her out the window for the driver, but only saw an empty seat. A magical carriage, of course.
"I did no such thing. It's not something one can just turn off." He replied with a look that told Belle she should know better. Belle frowned at him and glanced nervously out the window to the approaching castle walls. If she crossed that barrier who knew what would happen to her, and Rumpelstiltskin's flippant behavior made her very nervous.
"But if you didn't touch it and I cross the line…" Belle began her eyes wide with fear as her hands began to clutch nervously at her seat. They were getting closer to the gate and in that moment Belle knew, for a fact, that she really did not want to die. Quickly she looked to Rumpelstiltskin for any sign of support, but he was infuriatingly absorbed in looking out the window.
"You will be fine." He replied casually. Before she could protest he glanced her way and scrunched his nose, "I may have… exaggerated at the cost of leaving the castle walls."
Belle tried to form words as she tried to think what that had to mean but of course nothing came out. They were approaching the front gate and Belle found herself clutching at the red satin fabric of her seat tightly in panic. This was it, they were crossing the walls of the castle and all Belle could do was close her eyes and wait. When they crossed the barrier the necklace glowed slightly for a moment and Belle felt a small static shock against her neck that made Belle yelp out in surprise. Immediately after the gem dulled back to its usual brilliant blue luster and all was still once more.
Rumpelstiltskin was smirking out the window when Belle turned angry eyes to him,
"What the hell was that?" she asked heatedly, the adrenaline that had been coursing through her veins as they neared the walls of the castle sizzling out quickly and leaving Belle feeling flushed and a bit woozy. Her knuckles were white against the fabric of the chair and Belle winced when she finally loosened her grip and felt her joints soar with pain.
Rumpelstiltskin made a non committal sound and turned his hand back and forth, "I may have exaggerated on the necklace. It wasn't meant to be an excruciating death, but a mere pinch. I could tell by your little squeak that my magic did as it was supposed to."
Belle's jaw dropped as she stared at him in bewilderment.
"You lied to me?"
"Exaggerated." He emphasized raising his eyebrows in amusement at Belle's look of shock.
"Lied." She clarified, clenching her jaw in anger. "Why would you do that?"
The look of amusement on Rumpelstiltskin's face disappeared and was replaced with a calm superiority which made Belle's blood boil,
"I did what I had to; to be sure you wouldn't try and run away."
"By scaring me half to death? You could have told me the truth weeks ago!" Belle huffed, slouching in her seat and glaring at Rumpelstiltskin. "I wouldn't have left anyway. We made a deal." She added before crossing her arms.
"Not everyone keeps their deals, Dearie." Rumpelstiltskin murmured irritably before turning back to his window and looking out.
"Well I do." Belle shot back through clenched teeth. She watched as he worked his jaw back and forth for a while before she continued, "Does it do anything else? Or has the magic run its course and now it's just a necklace without a clasp?" Belle asked snidely.
Rumpelstiltskin glanced at her from out the corner of his eye, his mouth pinched into a straight line.
"Oh it has other uses besides that little spark. Let's hope you never find out what else it can do." He ominously replied.
"Is that a threat?" Belle shot back icily.
She felt a small shred of shame when Rumpelstiltskin blinked at her, a look of hurt crossing his face before his walls quickly went back up and he glared at Belle, returning to his window.
And so they sat for a long while, jostling along with the carriage. Belle continued to sit across from Rumpelstiltskin with folded arms and glaring eyes, while he silently watched out the window, ignoring Belle completely. He needed to apologize Belle continued to tell herself stubbornly, he was in the wrong. However, as the day went by, and they both sat in chilly silence, Belle felt her resolve fade more and more.
Don't let him off easy. He owes you far too many apologies and if you back down now he will keep lying, Belle's conscious whispered to her fervently each time she felt like breaking their silence and trying to salvage their happy little adventure together. No, she will not be the first to give in.
After half the day sped by, Belle grew restless and so, with a determined set of her jaw, she shifted forward and grabbed her leather bag from the seat next to Rumpelstiltskin so that she could bring out her first novel to read. Her movement made Rumpelstiltskin start and he watched through narrowed eyes as she dragged the bag onto her lap, her own narrowed eyes not once leaving his.
Two could play at the silent treatment and Belle raised her brows at Rumpelstiltskin in a challenge, hopefully conveying through her glare that she was still angry at him. Yes, it was passive aggressive, and yes a small part of Belle winced at her own petty stubbornness, but she needed to stand her ground. Didn't she?
Without breaking their gaze Belle reached into the bag and pulled out her first book and noisily flipped it open, turning the pages with extra pressure and nearly crinkling the edges. Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes at the immature gesture and with one last look of indifference he settled back onto his seat and closed his eyes.
Belle huffed angrily through her nose and looked down to the book in her hands. It was the one that Rumpelstiltskin had picked out and Belle almost returned it to her bag, just to spite him, however she had already started reading it the night prior and she found herself once again absorbed in the story where she had left off.
It was real, it was within his grasp. The Aercus Aeterni was a beautifully gilded thing; depictions of the beginnings of all life and the struggle of the first magic users caressed the sides of the box and felt warm under Blackbeard's touch. This was the treasure he had been searching for, this was his destiny.
'The cave is collapsing Captain!' cried his first mate and Blackbeard looked up at the rumbling of the cavernous ceiling.
'Hoist the anchor! And let loose the sails, the Jolly Roger leaves as soon as we board!' cried Blackbeard as he grabbed the Aercus Aeterni and slid down the wet stones to where his first mate sat in the small row boat, his oars already dancing within the cold salty waters. Rocks began to fall as Blackbeard rowed out of the mouth of the cavern and into the open ocean. The Jolly Roger was close at hand and Blackbeard let out a mighty roar of laughter, they would make it!
The weather turned for the worse, and the blackened water's moved higher and higher, making the small rowboat crash dangerously around. Finally, the dread pirate Blackbeard and his first mate safely made it up the rope ladder and onto the decks of the ship.
Cold rain pelted upon the wooden decks and made it slippery underfoot. Blackbeard stalked the decks, the arc under arm, with no such notice of the vicious rain and panicked yells from his crew as they attempted to sail a safer distance away from Blackheart island.
'Throw your backs into it Gents!' cried their fearless captain as he climbed the crooked steps toward the bow of his ship. Suddenly, the ocean appeared to open up before them, and with a deafening roar and great burst of light, from the dark depth of the ocean arose the protector of the Island, the great Sea Witch. Her large mass caused the waves to crash even harder against the ship, her loud evil scream echoed deep within the fearful hearts of the entire crew, all except Captain Blackbeard who merely grinned at the sea witch, his black eyes glowing with mirth. But then, just as the Sea Witch reared back her mighty trident…"
"We're here." Rumpelstiltskin sang as he jumped out the carriage. Belle looked up startled and gripped the corners of her book tightly before sighing angrily. It was nearly nighttime and Belle realized that they had come to a complete stop.
Belle poked her head out the carriage door and frowned up at the crooked looking building before her. Looking left and right, Belle could see a few scattered houses and a dirty cobblestone road, with no road signs at all.
"Where is here exactly?" she asked with trepidation as she gingerly stepped down from the carriage, her new cloak wrapped tightly around her body in an attempt to protect herself from the chilly spring night. Looking closer, Belle could see now that the building they were stopped in front of was a Tavern of sorts, perhaps an Inn and up in the distance behind the Inn, Belle could make out the mouth of a large cave within an even larger mountain, though this mountain was not as big as the ones surrounding the Dark Castle.
"Moonbright, I believe." Was Rumpelstiltskin's response as he too looked about the area, "We'll stop here for the night and leave in early morning."
Belle nodded idly and then looked back at the Tavern. It was a plain building with basic plaster siding and dark wooden beams, but there was a warm glow and sounds of laughter coming from inside that had Belle feeling both nervous and excited at the same time. She almost forgot about Rumpelstiltskin's dishonesty and nearly reached for his arm in her excitement, but at the last minute she remembered that he had yet to make an apology and so she busied herself with grabbing her bag from the carriage instead to save face before a groom standing nearby led the horses and carriage to the adjacent stables.
"So we will be staying in a Tavern?" Belle asked, glancing up at the sign hanging above the door depicting a pickaxe carving a stone.
"A dwarven Tavern." Rumpelstiltskin emphasized, coming up to stand close to Belle's left side. Her eyes went wide and she turned to look at Rumpelstiltskin, the excitement bubbling up and replacing her irritation.
"A Dwarven Tavern? Actual Dwarves?" Belle gestured with her hand pulling at an imaginary beard. Belle had read about the legends of the dwarves, how they carved out mountains looking for precious metals and instead discovering pixie dust. But Belle had always assumed that dwarves were only from fairytales and that the fabled Dwarven folk actually existed.
"The very same, see that mountain?" Rumpelstiltskin gestured to the mouth of the cave and Belle nodded enthusiastically, "Well, it's a fairy dust mine, one of the largest and oldest within the Southern Kingdoms."
Belle couldn't help but smile animatedly. Fairies and Dwarves, she couldn't believe it!
Belle watched curiously as Rumpelstiltskin lifted the hood of his reddish brown cloak and draped it over his head, obscuring his face from view,
"Wouldn't want to cause a scene." He tittered playfully as he sauntered to the door and opened it widely, waited patiently for Belle to go through it.
"Thank you." Belle murmured as she crossed into the entryway to the Inn
The Inn was well loved, she could tell that much, what with peeling plaster walls, warn out dark cobblestone floors coated with a thin layer of straw (probably to help soak up any spilled beer Belle assumed) and warm glowing lanterns sprinkled thorough out, casting friendly glows among the smiling faces of its many patrons in the tavern part of the Inn. Of course being a Dwarf tavern, the ceilings were a bit low with dark oak beams jutting here and there, but Belle found she didn't have to slouch at all for she was just short enough to be comfortable. A glance over to her travel companion showed that Rumpelstiltskin also had no troubles moving about either for he was only a few feet taller than herself.
Looking around, Belle was delighted to see a few tables filled with actual Dwarves, their beards long and their pickaxes piled neatly next to each other. All of the Dwarves were drinking and either singing songs, or laughing loudly. Of course there were others that weren't Dwarvish at all, a few nearly scraping their heads along the low hung ceiling. Belle guessed that perhaps they were fellow travelers, or perhaps they also lived in the village along with the Dwarves? She found herself shyly stepping back from the crowd, the group of people feeling a bit overwhelming for a girl who had spent the past year alone in a large Castle, but she soon felt more at ease as she became more accustomed to the happy noise of people.
For a brief moment Belle had worried that the joyful singing, and lively conversation would end the minute Rumpelstiltskin walked in – He was after all the Dark One and not an easy man to miss with his interesting appearance and flamboyant dress, however to her surprise no one even looked up to see the new visitors, except of course the people working for the tavern itself.
Belle and Rumpelstiltskin walked up to the bar to where a cheerful looking older woman was wiping the counter. She smiled brightly at the two of them and immediately tossed her rag away and wiped her plump hands along her slightly dirty apron.
"Well hello there! What can I get for you two?" she greeted with a welcoming voice, and Belle couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face.
Rumpelstiltskin pulled back his hood just enough for the woman to make out his facial features without really showing his mottled skin and he returned the woman's smile with a warm grin of his own, though Belle noted the look of irritation in his eyes when he glanced at an especially drunk Dwarf who had missed his seat at the bar and fell to the ground, his bellowing laughter echoed by half the tavern.
"My wife and I are looking for a room for the night, is there anything available at this hour?" He asked in an accent that sounded eerily similar to the Inn keepers'.
Belle whipped her head to look at Rumpelstiltskin, surprised at being referred to as his wife, of all things. The Inn keeper however didn't even blink an eye and instead smiled knowingly at the two of them.
"Well of course, we always have room for respectable guests such as yourselves!" she replied before leaning forward, "Newlyweds are we now?" she asked with a wink and Belle felt herself blushing and looking away, a flutter beginning to form low in her belly.
"As of this morning, indeed." Was Rumpelstiltskin's swift reply and Belle was shocked when he reached down and lifted Belle's hand, turning it over and placing an affectionate kiss on her palm before pulling her closer to his side. Embarrassingly Belle's blush deepened and she found herself at a loss for words, the butterflies in her stomach growing flutterier and she found herself smiling stupidly at the Inn Keeper.
"Looking for a place to stop off for the night before heading out to spend the rest of our honeymoon in Southead."
Belle stared at Rumpelstiltskin as the lies flowed smoothly from his lips and she continued to smile stupidly while he and the Inn keeper exchanged payment for the room. Belle and Rumpelstiltskin were quickly escorted up a set of narrow wooden stairs and into a medium sized bedroom, the fire glowing softly in the small fireplace casting off an inviting warmth onto the plain bed, which appeared to be half the size of her own at the Dark Castle.
"Here we are! Now, dinner is of course included in the price. Will you and your wife be enjoying your meals in the room or will you be joining us downstairs? It's a mighty fine crowd we got tonight, nothing but the local folk, and a few people from a few towns over. A hearty bunch but completely harmless and always welcome to new people!" The Inn Keeper was a very talkative woman who laughed quite a bit and Belle liked her all the better for it. She also knew that Rumpelstiltskin would not share her love for the chatty and lively woman. She stole a quick glance at him and grinned at the small look of annoyance on his face.
Rumpelstiltskin opened his mouth to speak, but fortunately Belle was quicker than he.
"We would love to join you downstairs actually. My husband is especially fond of meeting new people."
Belle pointedly ignored what she could feel was a slight glare from Rumpelstiltskin, and instead smiled warmly at the Inn Keeper who nodded happily with another of her big smiles and clapped her hands.
"Excellent! Always love meeting a kindred spirit, I do! My name is Josephine by the way, and I will see you two lovely people downstairs, once your all settled in!" Josephine laughed and with one more big wink to Belle and a nod to Rumpelstiltskin, who had sullenly retreated further into the room, she left.
Belle nodded her thanks to the jolly older woman before shutting the door firmly behind her and sighing happily.
"I like her." She said with a grin as she pulled off her new cloak and delicately placed it on a nearby chair. Rumpelstiltskin snorted disapprovingly and waved a hand to make the fire in the fireplace burn a bit brighter.
"So, we will be joining all the rest of them downstairs will we?" Rumpelstiltskin sang in annoyance as he tossed his cloak onto the floor and slumped into one of the wooden chairs facing the fireplace, his boots resting on the seat of the chair across from him. Belle frowned disapprovingly at the bottoms of his muddy feet and bent down to gather up his cloak where it was crumpled on the floor, placing it next to her own after a few wipes with her hand.
"You don't have to go down if you don't wish to, Rumple. I however have never been in a tavern, let alone a Dwarf tavern. Besides, I haven't forgotten about your… misconduct from earlier. And I am not about to do everything you want to do, for once I will do what I want to do." She stated firmly before tossing her leather bag onto the bed and rifling through, looking for a new ribbon to tie her hair up.
Rumpelstiltskin stared at her like she was crazy before quickly jumping to his feet and pointing a claw into Belle's face,
"You are not here as my guest, you are the help. The help doesn't tell the master what to do!"
Belle swatted his hand away and rolled her eyes before moving away from the fireplace and to the door, her hair securely tied out and away from her face.
"Are you coming or not? I don't think it would look right for my husband to leave me unaccompanied down in a tavern, do you?" Belle replied with a grin, enjoying the look of surprise on Rumpelstiltskin's face.
Belle was not entirely sure where her boldness had suddenly sprung out of, but she was enjoying it immensely. She waited for Rumpelstiltskin to do something, anything to stop her from leaving their room, but when he didn't she smiled to herself and decided to be a bit merciful,
"I would like it if you would join me, though Rumple. Really…"
Belle grasped the metal latch to the door and turned slightly to face him. He frowned and rubbed his forefinger against his thumb at his side for a moment in thought before letting out an exasperated sigh and stalking toward the door.
"Fine." He snapped, ignoring Belle's look of triumph, "But no funny business. We don't speak to anyone, and don't tell anyone your name, got it?"
Belle nodded solemnly before smirking and exiting the room.
"After you, wife." Rumpelstiltskin murmured, his eyes glinting almost playfully now in the light and Belle found herself feeling nearly giddy at the title, though why she couldn't really say.
"Husband." She grinned before leading the way to the bar, stopping halfway down the steps and turning back to look at Rumpelstiltskin when a thought occurred to her.
"What about your cloak? Aren't you worried you will be recognized?"
Rumpelstiltskin snorted and continued down the stairs, squeezing past Belle and onto the main floor.
"Embarrassed to be seen with me?" he asked with a grin, though Belle noted that his smile did not quite reach his eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous." She scolded gently, "however, don't you think the presence of the Dark One will make things a little… tense?"
Rumpelstiltskin considered her for a moment before shaking his head and holding out his arm for Belle to take. Without hesitating she looped her arm through his and let him lead her into the loud seating area.
"No need to worry about that, I've already placed a bit of glamour on myself. No one will recognize me, not unless they have magic and can sense mine at work." He replied, guiding her up to a darkened booth hidden near the back with a good view of the entire tavern. Belle frowned and looked Rumpelstiltskin from head to foot before sliding into the booth. His skin was still a grey green and his eyes were still larger than a normal human's eyes; all in all he looked exactly the same as he normally did.
"You look the same to me." She responded, sliding all the way to the wall of the booth.
"Well it's not for your benefit, Dearie." He retorted peevishly and sliding in next to Belle.
She opened her mouth to argue when Josephine bounded over with a loud laugh and a tray with two large mugs of mead balanced on top.
"Ah I see our newlyweds have decided to come down from the little love nest!" she laughed jollily and placing the two mugs before them, "Mead is on the house tonight my love's! And Jasper will be by with the stew very soon, I hope you like mutton!"
Josephine barked another loud laugh with Belle contagiously laughing along with her. Rumpelstiltskin smiled politely but Belle could see him grinding his teeth ever so slightly in annoyance, so before he snapped at Josephine or decided to turn her into something small and easily killable, Belle placed a calming hand on his knee and was pleased to see him relax slightly in his seat.
Fortunately for her, Josephine was called over to another table and left Belle and Rumpelstiltskin to their drinks in peace.
"She laughs too much." Rumpelstiltskin complained, and Belle snorted into her mug,
"You don't laugh enough." She replied before taking a swig of the beverage. It was much stronger than Belle had anticipated and she felt herself sputter and cough a bit in surprise.
Rumpelstiltskin let out a small chuckle at Belle's expense before raising his own mead and clinking it against Belle's cup.
"Best start with small sips." He said snidely with a grin and taking a long swig from his own drink.
They sat in silence for a long while, Rumpelstiltskin scanning the tavern with a shrewd eye and Belle watching the patrons with her chin in her fist.
It was an interesting assortment of dwarves and people co mingling together and talking over each other. Belle watched a table of especially rowdy dwarves sing a jolly song together in their native tongue, the playful way their drinks sloshed to the ground making Belle giggle despite her brooding companion.
"Glad to see you're enjoying yourself." Rumpelstiltskin mumbled into his nearly empty mug and Belle shot him a disapproving look.
"You didn't have to come down you know. You could have brooded upstairs in that room the whole night instead of brooding here."
"I'm not brooding."
"Are too." Belle sighed and sat back into her seat, her glass of mead cradled in her hands. "If you're not going to apologize for lying to me, then the least you could do is not pout all night and just… I don't know… have fun for once."
"I don't have to apologize." Rumpelstiltskin snapped crankily, turning angry amber eyes to Belle. Belle returned his stare and ground her teeth slightly before taking a swig from her mead. Placing the mug heavily down, Belle thrummed her thumbnail against the gnarled wood of the table and continued to stare at Rumpelstiltskin.
"Your right." She said brusquely and Rumpelstiltskin's eyebrows shot up in surprise,
"I am?"
"Of course." She tersely replied her voice coloured slightly with hurt. "Like you said, I'm just your maid, and you are my employer. You don't have to apologize for anything," Belle paused, leaning forward, "however I would appreciate it, as your friend, if you would."
Rumpelstiltskin continued to stare at Belle, his nostrils flaring slightly.
"The Dark One does not apologize." Was his infuriating response and Belle gaped at him angrily and sat back in her seat.
"Did you seriously just refer to yourself in the third person? Why are you always so difficult?"
"Why are you always so difficult!" he shot back with a glare. Belle scoffed in disbelief and quickly grabbed her mug of mead before sliding down the bench and shoving Rumpelstiltskin out of the way.
"Move please." She mumbled heatedly and Rumpelstiltskin jumped out of the booth, his mouth slightly ajar.
"Where are you going?"
Belle shot him a glare and stumbled ungracefully out of the booth, her skirt slightly tangled underfoot,
"I'm having my dinner nearer to the bar, with people who probably aren't afraid of apologizing once in a while." She replied bitingly before stomping across the room and settling at a small table near the center of the room and at the heart of the loud laughter. With a huff she slumped in her seat, not caring about how unladylike it was to slouch. This was her adventure, and neither Rumpelstiltskin nor any code of proper conduct was going to tell her how or where she would sit.
"Trouble in paradise already my love?"
Josephine's loud voice had Belle sitting straighter in her seat and smiling kindly at the plump woman as she set a steaming bowl of soup before Belle.
"Thank you, this looks delicious." Belle replied graciously, slowly taking a spoonful of the brownish stew to her lips and blowing to cool it a bit.
"Family recipe, passed down through the years and landing in my nearly capable hands." Josephine laughed, her green eyes twinkling merrily when Belle made a delighted sound.
"It tastes just as good as it looks thank you Josephine."
The pleasant woman smiled and then leaned forward so that Belle could hear her over the roar of the tavern guests.
"Don't you worry my dear. Whatever he did, he will make up for, just you wait. Men are easy; they can't stand being alone, always wanting approval or company." She laughed. "A lover's spat is always a sign of a good relationship, means you care about each other enough to fight. And I should know! Me an' Jasper been married going on thirty – eight years now, and we fight every Tuesday." She said with a sage nod of her head toward the plump with rosy cheeks man heading the kitchen.
Both Belle and Josephine glanced over to where Rumpelstiltskin had slumped further into the booth, only the tips of his pointed boots shining in the light of the tavern.
"He's a very lucky man, having the love of a one as pretty and sweet as you." Josephine continued with a twinkle in her eye.
Belle felt her face heat and she was slightly ashamed at lying to Josephine. Opening her mouth, Belle wanted to clarify her relationship with Rumpel, but Josephine held up a hand,
"Now don't try and argue with me. I know love when I see it, and you and him are the real thing. Just remember, whatever it is your fighting about, don't go to bed angry! Some wise advice from one married woman to another, alright love?" And with another wink and a friendly pat on the arm, Josephine was off to refill more goblets at a table of dwarves behind Belle. Belle glanced once more to where Rumpelstiltskin was hiding away and when both their eyes met, they each turned quickly away and attempted to finish their respective meals in silence.
Rumpelstiltskin was the first to disappear from the room and Belle watched his back as he quickly moved up the narrow staircase toward their accommodations and she sighed bitterly. Reaching into her skirt pocket, Belle pulled out a small pocket book on the different plants that could be found within the vicinity of the Dark Castle and she began to read it in silence, slowly sipping at her third mug of mead, poured by Josephine's heavy hand. As the fires died down, so did the loud and gay laughter of the patrons , and was soon replaced by a gathering of both Dwarf and Man at one of the long tables near the fire, sharing stories from their childhoods and singing songs from their hometowns.
Belle slowly abandoned her place at the small table and carried her mead with her to join the others. A few of the Dwarves stood and nodded to Belle in happy greeting, letting her into their closely knit circle. She sat there quietly and simply listened to them speak, each attempting to outdo the other with salacious stories or beautiful song. Three of the older Dwarves began to sing an old Dwarven hymn and she felt lulled into a calm and peaceful silence by their low rumbling baritone voices;
In Moonbright, high within the misty mountain side,
The mighty axe swung swift, mighty and true
It pierced the glittering rock with both strength and Dwarven pride,
Revealing the sparkling magic of the Fey.
Our purpose was found, our lives were bound,
To magic, our mistress, our guide…
The lyrics were simple, but Belle found herself smiling wistfully none the less, and the entire inn fell silent as they dwarf song continued on in low almost hypnotic tones. A few of the men fell into a light slumber, slouched drunkenly in their seats and their mugs of mead tipping precariously in their fists.
"Hey Moody, tell us the one about the Dragon!" one of the Dwarves said with a nod to a dark bearded Dwarf who stood a whole foot taller than the rest of his Dwarf brethren.
"Oh I don't know about that, you sure that's an appropriate story to tell in front of our fair maiden here?" Moody winked at Belle's direction and she laughed merrily along with the rest of the group.
"Oh don't be shy on my account, I love a good story." Belle replied with a smile and the small group of elves and men hooted and grinned, elbowing Moody in his side.
"Go on Moody; make it a good one this time!" One of the men called from the back of the group, his pipe already billowing a great cloud of grey smoke which circled around his head which just barely touched the roof.
"Alright alright, listen carefully, for this is a true story. I heard it from an acquaintance of mine, and he heard it from his mum who heard it from her mum…" Moody elaborated, and a small portion of the group booed at him playfully and urged him to get on with it. Moody let out a deep laugh and continued,
"The story is about a Dragon. But not just any old dragon, but one with Magic. A dark magic, the darkest in all the land. Legend has it that the dragon was once a normal man, the spinner they called him…"
"Why'd they call him the spinner?" a Dwarf shouted from the back of the room, but the rest of the group threw pieces of bread at him to get him to shut up. Moody shrugged his shoulders and went on with his tale;
Nearly two hundred years ago, the spinner found himself thrust into the heat of battle. The Ogre wars were the most terrible of all the wars in ALL the seven kingdom. Man and Dwarf banded together to fight the Ogres, but they were too strong. The spinner was not a man of great strength, nor was he a man of courage, but he powered on until one day he was injured by a great Ogre, his leg nearly severed in half by the Ogre's mighty jaws.
And so the spinner returned to his home with his body disfigured and his spirit broken. The Ogre wars went on for fourteen whole years and soon, the spinner's son was old enough to go into battle. The boy was far more courageous than his father, though courage is completely worthless against the mighty Ogre's. The boy's mangled body was returned to the spinner and his wife and the spinner grieved so loudly that the entire village could feel his pain.
The spinner locked himself way, disappeared into his hovel and soon he grew cold and angry at the injustice of the world. They say he made a deal with the originator of evil himself- turning him into a fierce and mighty dragon. The dragon burst from his hovel, and in a burst of fire he flew across the kingdom and to where the Ogre war was raging on. The mighty dragon destroyed the entire Ogre army with one breath of fire, melted the forests and destroyed the land, before turning back into the man once more.
They say that to this day, the dragon hides away in the mountains, surrounded by his gold and mourning the loss of his son, killing all those who dare enter into his solitude…
Moody grinned ominously at the group as they cheered in approval at the tale.
"I heard a tale like that, only it wasn't a dragon but an imp that ended the ogre wars." Said a plump young man across from Belle,
"No no no, it was a dragon for sure. No imp could destroy a whole Ogre army." Argued a particularly short dwarf in the back of the group,
"If the Imp was a powerful sorcerer he could," retorted the plump young man before hiccupping drunkenly.
Belle sat back in her seat and listened for a while to the group arguing about the different versions of the same story. Belle laughed along with the group as they continued to tell their own versions of various dragon tales and she slowly felt her annoyance with Rumple dissipating slightly.
Every so often she glanced up to the stairs, thinking about what she should do. She was not in the wrong, that was for certain. However, would her pride ultimately ruin the pleasant camaraderie she and Rumpelstiltskin had finally found within the past month? With a sigh Belle lifted her mug up to take another drink only to find it completely empty and she pulled it back to stare at the emptiness.
"someone pour the lady a drink!" one of the dwarves called out, nodding in Belle's direction, and each member of their small party let out a rumble of approval and a call for more Mead. Belle giggled a bit drunkenly and shook her head vehemently, noting how her hair was loose from its ribbon. It must have dropped somewhere on the floor…
"Oh no, thank you. I should be heading off to bed, I have an early start."
The group let out a small moan of protest as Belle stood from her spot and bid the group adieu with a bright smile.
"Visit us again wont you my Lady?" Moody laughed, lifting his mug of mead in a salute to Belle. She grinned but didn't dare give him a straight answer, for in truth she greatly doubted she would ever see them again. With one more shout of farewell, Belle made her way a bit unsteadily up the narrow flight of steps and to her room.
Tentatively Belle opened the door and poked her head in, surprised to find that Rumpelstiltskin was sitting in the same wooden chair by the fire he had been in earlier, staring contemplatively into the glowing embers. He looked up when Belle closed the door behind her and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly upwards in a half smile, before it drooped back down.
"I see you've had a good time." He murmured, once again staring intently into the fire. Belle sighed slightly at the stubborn man, her head spinning ever so slightly from the mead. Before she could think up a sarcastic retort Rumpelstiltskin was nodding to the spot directly behind Belle.
"You may take the bed, I find I don't require as much sleep as I used to." He said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Belle glanced at the bed and frowned and sighed again, before sitting on the bed and slowly pulling off one boot then the other. She would have to sleep in her dress she supposed, and she blushed when she realized she would be sleeping in the same room as Rumple. If he decided to sleep at all that is…
"Oh and uh, this is for you."
Belle lifted her head and looked at Rumpelstiltskin who had stood from his seat, producing a small purple flower from his vest pocket. Belle blinked down at the flower in surprise and looked back up at his face.
"It's a flower." She said dumbly, gently reaching forward and taking the delicate thing from Rumpelstiltskin's outstretched hand.
"Obviously," he replied sarcastically, "It's not just any flower, it only grows within these mountains. It's tainted with pixie dust, gives it that unnaturally translucent purple sparkle."
Belle turned the dainty flower in her hands, and inspected the nearly clear petals which indeed sparkled gently in the light when Belle turned it a certain way.
"It's beautiful." Belle smiled softly before bringing the flower close to her chest. Though he did not outright apologize, Belle decided that this small gift was good enough for her and her soft smile turned into a slightly drunken grin. "I accept your apology." She replied with a playful twirl of the flower. Rumpelstiltskin frowned at her before he shook his head,
"It's a flower, Belle, not an apology."
Belle only chuckled and dipped her head shyly before standing and taking a small step toward Rumpelstiltskin. She looked up into his large eyes and smiled appreciatively at him.
"Thank you for the flower then." She said before rising up onto the tips of her toes and giving him a soft peck on the cheek in thanks. She could have sworn she saw a bit of colour blossoming in Rumpelstiltskin's face, but Belle just attributed it to a mixture of the fire and her slightly drunken imagination as she pulled back and gave him a small nod to which he merely watched her hesitantly,
"Goodnight Rumple."
"Goodnight, Belle."