An Apprentice in Magic Chapter II

Chapter Two

                Knowing Rumplestiltskin wasn’t a patience sorcerer and wouldn’t walkaway so easily, Maurice was forced to dismiss the guests of his daughter’s birthday celebration. The group: Maurice, Belle, Gaston, and Rumplestiltskin entered the war room. 

                The war room consisted of a long wooden table with ten chairs, tapestries depicting scenes of great battles and tales of the heroics of individuals, a few maps displayed on the walls of the kingdom as well as neighboring ones, and a display of the armor that Maurice wore when he rescued the king’s daughter from the Goblin King.   At the moment, Rumple was admiring this armor touching it with his long, delicate calloused fingers.

                “Such fine armor, Lord Maurice,” he said.

                “Don’t touch that,” Maurice growled, threateningly.

                Rumple chuckled returning his attention back to the deal and the group.  “Testy aren’t we?”

                Maurice rolled his eyes. “You must ask for something else, not my daughter!  There must be something more precious you can ask for.”

                “No, nothing is more precious than a child to a parent.  Your reaction to my price proves that,” Rumple said, “I don’t appreciate when my clients don’t pay the price.”

                “But what do you want with her?  Why must you take her away from me?”  Maurice asked.

                “My rather large estate needs a caretaker,” Rumple said.

                “Oh please, he’s probably looking for another whore for his collection,” Gaston interrupted before Rumple could speak. He stood territorially in front of Belle.  “She is engaged to me and is no one’s, but mine.”

                Rumple narrowed his eyes and glared at Gaston.  “Unlike some, I don’t see woman as property or someone to be treated as if they were less than human.   Belle would just be my caretaker, nothing more.  Despite her beauty and intelligence I have no interest. Besides, Belle would probably be better off coming with me than marrying that brute.” He looked at Maurice pointedly gesturing with his thumb towards Gaston, whose face was now the color of a raspberry.

                Gaston attempted to strike Rumplestiltskin, but Maurice said, “Gaston, it’s not worth it.”

                “Don’t I get a say in the matter?” Belle asked.

                “No,” Gaston and Maurice said at the same time.  Her fathered added kindly, “Belle, I don’t think you understand the situation.”

                “I understand you made a deal with this man to help save my mother.  I understand why you did it, and I understand me going with him is the price.  You always taught me to be honorable, and paying your debts is honorable, despite whom you have to pay them to,” Belle said. 

                “Sweetie, you don’t know who is this man is.  He is the dark one, a wicked sorcerer.  You don’t know what fate has in store for you if you go with him,” her father pleaded.

                “I know father.  No one decides my fate, but me.  If going with him is my fate then I accept it,” Belle said turning to face the man known as the dark one. “I’ll go with you.”

                “It’s forever Dearie,” Rumple warned wagging his finger at her grinning mischievously.

                “I will still go with you as long as you do not harm my father and his people,” Belle requested.

                He hesitated for a second then said, “You have my word.”

                “Then I shall go with you, forever,” Belle agreed and Rumple giggled putting his hands together in excitement.

                “Belle, are you insane?” Gaston asked, “You cannot go with this monster, this beast.”

                “I’m not afraid of him Gaston and I have the right to make my own decisions,” she said defensively.

                 Belle knew, Gaston, despite temptation, wouldn’t harm her for defying him in front of her father or a powerful sorcerer, it would be too much of a risk so she was safe from his wrath for now. 

                Belle approached her father holding him tightly trying to hold back the tears that were trying to escape as she embraced him for the last time.  

                Maybe Gaston was right that this was insane.  Her desire to escape this life, though, only fueled her insanity, but she hated that the price had to be leaving her father behind and her friends as well.  Could she really make this choice?  It wouldn’t really be the freedom she desired.  She hugged Gaston as well, but it was not a warm ‘I hate to leave you’ gesture, but to outsiders it was good enough.

                He whispered, “Remember, Belle you are still mine, and I will come rescue you.”  To many women their betrothed saying that would be flattering, but it just made Belle shudder.

~page break~

               

                Rumple had chosen not to use magic to transport them back to the castle as the girl was unfamiliar with magic.  She obviously knew about it, but it would probably overwhelm her at first.  He took this time to study his new house guest.  She had her mother’s thick, auburn hair, but her face shape, and eye color were her father’s features.  She had a shapely figure that helped him to see the appeal to pig like Gaston, not that it mattered.  Rumple was not looking for a lover.  He had told her father, Belle would be his caretaker, but in truth, she was to be his apprentice.  He knew she had magic bubbling up inside of her ready to be released, but she didn’t know it yet.  Rumple knew her mother Lady Isabelle and that her daughter inherited her mother’s powers.  Belle would help him in more ways than one.

                Belle was aware of his large amber eyes on her as if he could see through her brave demeanor.  She stared out the window trying not to think about her father, who would now be alone, except his subjects, with no one to talk to.  They had a bond that her father’s subjects couldn’t fill, and she knew how depressed her father could get when he had nothing to distract him from the memory of her mother.  He would be eating alone, would have no one who would offer a challenging voice and keep him grounded, and no one who genuinely cared.  A few tears began to streak her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away with her fingers. 

                “Will I at least be able to write to my father?”  She asked.

                “Not your fiancé?” Rumple asked giggling.

                “Yes my fiancé too,” she said awkwardly.

                He smirked again and Belle narrowed her eyes glaring at him. “What?”

                “Your relationship with Gaston doesn’t seem as affectionate as one would expect dearie,” he remarked casually.

                “My relationship with Gaston is none of your business,” she snapped returning to staring out the window. 

                Rumple giggled. “No need to be rude Dearie.”

                She rolled her eyes and continued to stare out the window.  She didn’t like having to do this anymore than her father did, but she didn’t want her father to be indebted.  If her father’s debt could be paid by going with this man she would bear it with dignity, and wasn’t going to let this man get to her.

                “Yes,” Rumple said after a moment.

                “What?” Belle asked.

                “You can write to your father,” he said.

                “Thank you,” she said a little surprised, “but why would allow me to do that? I could easily plan something of an escape or something.”    

                “I doubt that you would dearie if you know who I am.  You seem like an intelligent young woman and knowing efforts of escape would be futile,” Rumplestiltskin said giving her a warning looking.

                She raised her brow.  'This man, whom her father had referred to as Rumplestiltskin, was not only strange in appearance, but he also had a childish mind set.  She wasn’t sure if it was good thing or a bad thing.  One would think it was a bad thing, but maybe there were reasons that others couldn’t understand.'

          She tried not to watch him as they rode the rest of the way to his castle, and every time she felt his eyes on her she would look quickly away.

~Page Break~

                Rumple was relieved when she had drifted off to sleep because her constant staring was grating him.  He was use to people looking at him in disgust or fear, but Belle looked at him with curiosity and annoyance.  It unnerved him, but her eyes eventually grew heavy and she fell asleep. 

         He observed her as she slept finding her rather beautiful with a loose curl of auburn hair lying on her pale cheek, but shook his head dismissing the thought.  She was quite beautiful and he understood the appeal of her to Gaston, but clearly that’s all Gaston saw was her beauty.  It didn’t matter of course to him, but in his opinion, he did her a favor getting her out of that marriage. 

                The carriage halted to stop with an abrupt jerk startling Belle awake. Disoriented, Belle looked around at the source of what woke her up. 

                “We’re here dearie,” Rumple said pushing open the carriage door.

                He held his hand out to her, and her eyes widen at the gesture, but all the same she placed her delicate hand carefully inside his.  His hand was surprisingly warm to touch, but it was rough and layered with callous’.

                He led her across the moat to his castle, and he could feel the softness of her own hand within his as they walked.    As they entered the castle he had come to discover that she had not removed her hand from his giving bewildering feelings.  Why did she not remove her hand from his lizardish one?  She was a strange one, not normal for a lady of noble birth, but he was sure that by the time she was comfortable enough here she would act the true noble lady with her nose up in the air. 

               

                The Dark Castle was a shadow that watched over the mountain it resided on looming over Belle as if was an overpowering force of magic. A young man with shaggy, long, blonde hair approached them ready to guide the carriage and take the raven black horses to the stables.

                “This is David, my stable hand,” Rumplestiltskin said gesturing flippantly.

                David bowed formerly. “My lady, welcome to my master’s castle. If you would ever like to go riding or just someone to talk I’m here.”

                “Thank you David and I appreciate the welcome, and you may call me Belle,” Belle replied smiling warmly. 

                The David had kind eyes and a charming smile, but the eyes held limited depth to them. 

                David replied, “It is an honor to meet a beautiful noble lady.” 

                Rumple rolled his eyes. “Alright get back to work Charming.  You have duties to attend to.”  David nodded and returned to the stables.

                 She followed Rumplestiltskin into his castle wrapping her arms around her, visibly shaking, as she found the place drafty and damp.  She felt no warmth or welcome in this place.  In the center of the room they first came to there was an empty vase on a table, the room was lit by candles that offered the only source of light and warmth, and there were two doors—one on each side--, and before them was a set of stairs. 

                “Welcome Dearie to the Dark Castle,” Rumple gestured as if he were presenting the castle to her.  “I’ll escort you to your room and then you’ll meet the rest of the household staff.”

                “But I thought,” she started to say furrowing her brow in bewilderment.

                “That I would throw you in a dungeon,” he said finishing her sentence, “no Dearie, I don’t treat my apprentices like that.”

                “Apprentice? I don’t understand.”

                “Yes, you are to be my apprentice, not my caretaker.  I couldn’t tell your father the truth because he wouldn’t have allowed it. Though it wouldn’t matter because I could force you to come,” Rumple explained.

                “But I know nothing of magic or have magic in me,” she protested as she stared at him mouth open.

                 “Oh but you do Dearie. It’s just been suppressed,” he said, “now I don’t have a lot of patience so I suggest you follow me.”  He didn’t bother waiting for her, and sighing, Belle gripped the skirts of her gold gown and followed Rumplestiltskin up the stone steps.

               

                Her cloak wasn’t enough to keep out the chill that seeped through stonewalls that surrounded the endless path.  She let the tears fall as she finally realized the consequences of her fateful decision, but an apprentice, she thought, what magic do I have? I chose to make a deal with this man to protect my father, and now I don’t know how I will honor my end of the deal.  My tutors even tell me I’m a horrible student either I have to find a way to renegotiate this deal or try my best to learn magic.  Then how can anyone learn magic unless it’s already a part of them?

                The room he presented to her was large with a canopy bed, a standing mirror, and wardrobe.  There was a private washroom with a washbasin, a gold tub for her to soak in, and small tub for her bathroom needs.  The room had a window where Belle could see vast snow-capped mountains that surrounded the castle. 

“I will leave you to get comfortable and get use to this new arrangement, but one of the servants will come to retrieve at 7:30 this evening for that is when dinner is to be.  We will discuss what I expect from you then, and I expect you to be prompt dearie,” Rumple told her and without giving her a chance to question him left the room.

                Although, irritated by his abrupt departure Belle was relieved to be alone with her thoughts.   She glanced around the room again and felt the tears streak her cheeks once again.

                 “He expects me to be able to use magic?  I don’t know anything about magic.  What if I fail him?  Would he do something to my father?” 

                She spoke these questions out loud as she rested against the door.  “This is my new life now. I made the choice and can’t go back now.  Maybe I can learn magic.  I think I read once that you can learn how to use magic.  For now I’ll just have to except my situation and hope I can learn magic.”  She stepped away from the door to her room wiping away as much of the tears as she could residing herself to her circumstances.

~Page Break~

                After getting situated in her new room, Belle took the opportunity to explore the castle that was to be her home.  She was still confused about the apprenticeship he was offering her, but she wouldn’t question it until he explained the deal. 

                The castle gave her no warm feelings and there was very little light.  She didn’t feel welcome and it was as if the castle itself were judging her to see if she was courageous enough to bear her imprisonment.  She was not imprisoned though for Belle was the Dark One’s student in the magical arts, but she still felt this was more like a prison. 

                Belle tried the handles of several doors, but many of them were locked.

                “Of course,” she said sighing, “another locked door.  I guess there’s nothing for me to find here.”

                “The master doesn’t like anyone invading his privacy,” a voice spoke from behind making Belle.  “Sorry Miss. I didn’t mean to startle you.”  The girl standing behind Belle had her hair, which was the color of a raven’s wings, pinned back with a pendant.  She was wore a simple black dress with a white apron and bonnet.

                “It’s alright, I was just surprised since it’s been since quiet,” Belle said quietly.  The girl carried a bucket full of soapy water and a rag.  “You are another servant of Rumplestiltskin’s?”

                “Yes, I’m Charlotte, but you call me Lottie,” Charlotte replied, and picking up her skirts, not wanting to be accused of rudeness, curtsied to Belle. “Forgive me, I forgot my manners Miss.

                “Charlotte, such a pretty, I’m Belle.  You don’t have to bow to me.  I never liked it much,” Belle said smiling at Charlotte.

                Charlotte returned the smile.

                “How long have you been working for him?” Belle inquired wanting to know some information about him.

                “I was ten Miss Belle.  My mother died long ago and my father left us when I was eight.  We had many debts my father owed, one of them being a debt to Rumplestiltskin.  He took pity on us when my older sister came to him to explain we couldn’t afford to pay him back.  My sister became his housekeeper and I was hired as a maid. 

        There are only a few of us who work for him: myself and my sister, David, Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts.  Oh, and of course Mrs. Pott’s son Chip.  He’s very private and keeps to himself, but he does leave gifts for Chip and me.  If he’s cold and distant be patient with him Miss Belle, but I speak out of turn,” she said curtsying again, despite Belle’s request and departed rather quickly.  Belle frowned in disappointment as she wanted to talk to the girl some more, but she probably had to get back to work.  Belle didn’t want to get her in trouble with Rumplestiltskin.  After her conversation with Charlotte, Belle suspected the castle held many secrets and she would find them out for as long as she was here.