The Short Stories of Miss.SunFlower

The book is titled Brightly Woven. It only came out like a year ago. It's really very much adorable, and (if you couldn't tell) I love the relationship between the two main characters SO. MUCH.

(and it DOES have a happy ending, at least. ;) )
 
Miss.SunFlower said:
The book is titled Brightly Woven. It only came out like a year ago. It's really very much adorable, and (if you couldn't tell) I love the relationship between the two main characters SO. MUCH.

(and it DOES have a happy ending, at least. ;) )
Click to expand...

I'm glad it has a happy ending. I think I'll see if my library has it.
 
Felt like writing more with these two so I'm kind of expanding on the end they gave it. It's likely not going to spoil the ending too much (you already know it's happy and I won't give away much in the way of earlier plot in this) I'm going to be skipping from POVs throughout it, too.

"What do you say we get out of here?"
Sydelle lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him, cocking an eyebrow skeptically, "You don't want to stay for the celebrations?"
"No," North replied truthfully, "I just want some quiet." He lifted his arm from her shoulder and moved to pick up the bags he'd brought into the courtyard earlier, handing one to her. As she took it, he paused then pushed on with what he wanted to say, "I was thinking, once we get back on the road, I would make you a new loom. Do you think you could describe it to me, exactly how you'd want it?"
"North..." She began, but he wasn't having it.
"Please, it would mean a lot to me. It's something I want to do for you."
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around him. "North I would love anything you made for me," She said. He grinned, nearly helplessly, at those words but before he could respond she had continued. "But, I was hoping you could take me home, to Cliffton."
Unsure he heard her right, North pulled her back to study her face. She was completely serious. She continued, "I realized how much I missed it, and I need to see my friends and family. Please, could you take me home?"
Well, of course, that all made perfect sense. It was her home he had taken her from, with little warning, two and a half months ago. It was her family and her friends she had left behind with only a few letters connecting them this entire journey. But this was also the place she'd been so ready to leave, the place she'd spoke of countless times like a prison holding her back holding her down and how ready she was to be free of it and be on with her life. This had been her chance, and she was asking him to take her back?
And it was more than that too, and he knew it. He'd thought, he'd hoped- after everything they'd been through together... she wanted to go back? She wanted to be with her family, not with him. And though it was nearly impossible, he would have to take her there. He'd promised, after all, when she'd screamed at him for taking her away to begin with. "I promise you, when this is over, I'll take you anywhere you want to go - it WILL be your choice." Sydelle had chosen, then.
He loved her, and he had been so convinced she loved him back. The things they'd been through, the way she'd looked at him... the way she'd kissed him. They'd only done that twice but it was enough for him to be rather sure his feelings were mutual.
He saw her expression turn to concern and realized his emotions were playing out on his face. He smiled, best he could manage. "Of course. I'll take you anywhere you want to go, Syd."
It was a strange sort of routine, being back on the road with her. Everything had changed between them and yet it felt nothing had. He thought about her yelling at him not to touch her as he rested his arm over her shoulder one evening after they'd made camp, or imagined the glares she used to give him as she beamed up at him. She'd changed a great deal. Then, of course, so had he.
North thought more about that as her home grew closer. Sydelle had changed him, and it was embarrassing to say the least, remembering the type of person he was before he'd met her. He never wanted anything to do with that person any longer. But, when she was out of his life again - would he change back? He hardly liked that thought, but he didn't do well without her. He wanted to tell her that, but didn't know how to. This was her choice, and he didn't want to change her mind.
Thankfully, Sydelle never seemed to notice what was nagging at him. She rattled on about this or that, asking him questions about everything just like good old times. It made it easier to pretend that she meant to stay with him. Then she'd throw in the word Cliffton, or bring out their map looking for the faster route to her home and it would come back, like re-opening a sore. And the closer they got to her home the more often it came up.
He thought about telling her more often, too. If he could just find the right way too.

----

They'd reached the base of the mountain, the first wave of desert heat washing over them, when something in North's demeanor changed.
Sydelle couldn't name it. He'd been himself, to an extent the whole trip back, but she'd had this feeling he was distancing himself. He hadn't done that in months, she thought they didn't have to anymore. She knew everything about him, and loved even his worst faults, and he knew that. So why was this feeling he was still hiding from her?
She herself was getting more and more excited about the prospect of bringing North to her home. When he'd first come it was so short, and at such a terrible time. He hadn't had a chance to see her friends or properly meet her parents. Oh, that would be interesting. North had said some people didn't care for wizard's, and being the first one to ever come to Cliffton, Sydelle didn't know anything about her families views toward them. Surely they would like him, though, if he helped out a bit. Besides, he wasn't a hard person to like, once you knew him.
"I think I can twist the rest of the way." North said, looking at the mountains - not at her. She looked at him, feeling concerned again.
"Are you sure? It looks to be more than a mile." The Wizard's methods of magical transportation were getting better but she still wasn't sure.
He still didn't look at her, "And be forced to navigate all those mountain roads again? No thank you."
She opened her mouth to protest but he'd pulled her close to him and brought the cloak up anyways. She tightened her arms around him as the feeling of falling came over her. She didn't think she'd ever get used to that.
When they finally hit ground North kept the cloak up, as though he didn't want the moment to end. She understood, it felt wonderfully warm and he hadn't really held her like this since they'd started their traveling west again. She'd have happily stayed there, cocooned in the cloak with his warmth surrounding her.
But there was the smell, the smell of rain in the once desert valley. She'd only smelt it once, the day he'd taken her. It was beautiful.
The cloak fell down around them.
They were on a mountain ledge, looking over the valley, one Sydelle had climbed all the time growing up. This was view she knew well. Yet it was one she had never seen before, with gardens dotting the once barren land, an irrigation system being dug and more green than Sydelle had ever remembered her village seeing.
She walked to the ledge and stared, in complete awe.
"Do you not want me anymore?"
That was North's voice, coming out in a rush of breath. Sydelle turned to him and realized he'd been holding those words back the entire trip.
He continued, when she turned her stare at him, awe turning to shock, "Is that why you asked me to bring you back here?"
She blinked a few times, willing thoughts back into her head, as well as an answer to what was likely the most ridiculous thing the wizard had ever said. "No!" She said, "Not that, never!" Not- not want him? He couldn't be serious, yet his face showed no signs of teasing. "You know how I feel about you." She added, more gently.
He shook his head a little, and kept on, "I don't... do well, without you. Who I was before, I never want to be that person again. But I promised you I'd take you where you wanted to go. If you want to stay, if you want me to leave - I will. This is your home, I understand that."
In that moment he looked as though she had stripped him of all his magic. She could knock him into that darkness with a single blow.
But how, after all they'd been through and all they'd done for each other, could he think she would ever leave him?
She looked back into the valley, the village that had been her home and her safety for so many years. There she had family, and love. But she hadn't had hope. She'd had no dream to keep her there. Cliffton had never held her future.
This time, she chose him.
"There's nothing to understand," she replied, coming closer to rest and hand on his shoulder. "My home is wherever you are. I just never had a chance to really say goodbye. So, if you could... would you stay with me here? Just for a little while, help them with rebuild. Then we can go wherever we want- just you and I."
He stared at her, almost disbelieving her words. She held his eyes and watched the first touches of hope reach him. A small, almost nervous smile came to his face, as though he was worried this could fall apart any moment. "That- that sounds nice, he said finally, leaning down to kiss her. At the last second a large raindrop hit her nose, splashing them both. They pulled back, startled, as a steady rain began to fall. Sydelle laughed, and he grinned. He took her hand, and together through the driving rain, the pair walked down the pathway to her home.

YAY for fluff!
 
Aw!!! They're so cute.:) Nicely done. He should have asked her much sooner instead of putting himself through that.:p
 
Miss.SunFlower said:
The book is titled Brightly Woven. It only came out like a year ago. It's really very much adorable, and (if you couldn't tell) I love the relationship between the two main characters SO. MUCH.

(and it DOES have a happy ending, at least. ;) )
Click to expand...
I lurked on the forums for a while before I joined, and while I have yet to completely read through your thread, I really enjoy what I've read.

Brightly Woven sounds great. I checked it out from the library and will be reading it as soon as my sister finishes. Thanks for the recommendation. ^.^
 
I think, again, I'll post it. But again I have to explain the book(s).

READ; In the books The Immortals by Tamora Pierce there are creatures called, well, Immortals. These include unicorns, griffins, and dragons. But also creatures Pierce created called Stormwings which are human headed/chested creatures with birds wings and feet instead of arms and legs. A lot of the book has a subplot of the main girl, Daine, and her opinion toward these creatures. She starts out despising them, especially as some work for a human who is trying to destroy the kingdom she's made her home. Anyways, her opinion toward them changes when she meets and slowly befriends one male stormwing throughout the series. He dies, protecting her. It's said in a later book that she named she and her husband's son after him. So I wrote this.

Edit; You also need a cast of characters. There are a lot that'll confuse you.

In order of appearance/mention

Daine Sarrasri/Salmalin(her married name) - A girl gifted with magic that allows her to speak and connect with animals. Demi-Goddess.
Kitten/Skysong - Daine's pet dragon, still a baby as she will be for several decades. Daine looks after her since her mother died.
Numair Salmalin - Mage, Daine's husband. Once taught her how to use her magic.
Sarralyn Salmalin - Daine's 10 year old daughter. Has the same magic as her Ma. Named after Daine's mother.
Rikash Salmalin - Daine's 8 year old son.
Sarra and Wyren - Daine's parents. Her father, God of Hunters persuaded all the other Gods to let his mortal love stay with him after she died when Daine was 12.
Rikash Moonsword - The stormwing Daine befriended when she 15-16.
Alanna - The Kingdom's single Lady Knight, known as The Lioness, the King's Champion
Jon and Thayet - The kingdom's king and queen.
 
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The spring of his 8th year Rikash Salmalin became prone to nightmares.

The winter had been rough on the young boy, with a wealth of bandits and raiders to the point where both parents had to be away frequently to help with one thing or another. He had suddenly reached an age where he was fully confronted with his parents' mortality, as well as the dangerous lives they lived. It was not a pleasant experience.

And so, for perhaps the 5th night, Rikash's mother, Daine Sarrasri-Salmalin, woke to the sound of her son's anguished cry. Beside her, the still-infant dragon Skysong, or Kitten, made an unhappy chirp and attempted to snuggle itself back to sleep.

Her husband heard it, too. "Oh dear," he murmured, for lack of better vocabulary this late – or rather, early.

It was beginning to trouble both parents that they could do little to help ease his pain. Any comfort that they were there NOW, helped little to all parties involved when they all knew that serving the realm meant danger, and that neither Daine nor Numair would let that stand in their way.

Daine breathed out a sigh, rolling over, "I'll go to him."

"No, magelet," Numair replied through a yawn. Daine couldn't help but smile, as she always did, at the sound of the name he would forever call her. "You know it's my turn."

She shook her head, already sitting up, "Sleep, Numair. The moon will not stop its monthly journey because I comforted our son two nights in a row." He chuckled, sleepily, seeming to accept that. She smiled endearingly at the man, and then turned her attention back to their son.

She didn't need bats ears to hear the rustling of blankets or the whispers between her son and his sister, Sarralyn. The girl, two years Rikash's elder, had slept, or feigned it well enough, the past night terrors. She suspected the blunt 10 year old was informing her brother that nothing was wrong and she wanted to sleep more.

However, when Daine pushed the door open it was to the brief flash of movement, and then utter stillness. It only took her a moment to realize what had happened.

"I know you're both awake," she said, mildly, "You've gotten your lying skills from your mother, which means they're terrible. I apologize."

Sarra sat up instantly, absently petting the two cats and a chipmunk her own wild magic drew to her. "Told you," she muttered. Daine figured that was not directed at her, or the animals. Rikash did not move. His mother sighed again, and took her place perched at the end of his bed.

"He was crying," Sarra said, rather unhelpfully, now kneeling at the end of her bed to watch the two of them. "He wouldn't tell me what's wrong. Ma, is he sick?"

So, Sarra had slept through the earlier nightmares. Good, Daine supposed.

"He's not sick, love. Just nightmares."

"I get those, occasionally." The girl said, absently playing with a light brown tendril of her hair. She resembled her namesake, her grandma, more than Daine did; with deep blue eyes and lighter hair than she'd expect a child of her and the charcoal haired Numair to have. She was already beautiful, and being the oldest rather precocious. "I've not cried over them."

Daine shook her head, "I have it on perfect authority you did when you were a baby," she answered with a knowing smile at her daughter. Like Daine, she was, never to admit a weakness, be physical injury or emotional unless absolutely necessary.

Rikash chose that moment to mumble into his pillow, "'m not a baby, ma."

"Ah! He speaks!" She said with light laughter, "Not so asleep, are we?"

The boy sat. His shoulders were slumped, and trembling; his whole posture radiated with fear and unhappiness. But he met his mother's eyes and repeated, "I'm not a baby."

"No, you most certainly aren't." When he looked down, she tilted his face up, "Now, do you want to talk about it?" The previous nights, the boy had given some shaky accounts of what had happened in the dreams. Upsetting as they were to hear, Daine was glad he could; it made finding the proper words easier. She supposed it fair, that she who had such a bond with animals would find the comforting of her own species so difficult. It was just unfair to her son, without a trace of wild magic, to have to deal with her lack of eloquence on such a matter. Perhaps Numair should have gone.

But now he shook his head, making his black curls bounce a little, "I can't remember, not really," he lowered his voice to a mumble, "and I don't want to."

She nodded, "Then by all means, let us not talk of it." Daine paused, now at a loss of what TO say to her son. "What might help you fall asleep?"

Rikash paused, deeply considering this question. Here, he was much like his father, introspective and thought-driven. All of 8 he could digest Numair's most scholarly comments with the best of them – something that had the mage absolutely tickled. Finally he said, with the embarrassment of someone admitting something childish, "A story?"

"Of course," she said instantly, before her sleepy mind caught up with her, "A story of what?"

Here Sarra spoke again, "Oh! Ma! Tell us the story of you and Da in the Divine Realms!" This was Sarra's favorite story. "Or, about how Grandda loved grandma so much he petitioned to all the Gods so she could live with him forever!"

Daine hid a smile, finding it forever hard to imagine the eternally youthful Weiryn and Sarra as grandparents. "How did my daughter become so romantic?" She said wryly; THAT certainly wasn't from her. "You know you simply like that story because it's of your namesake." A thought occurred to her, "Rikash, how about I tell you about yours?"

Rikash sat up straighter, surprised, "My namesake?"

Sarra shifted closer as well, "I didn't know Rikash was named for anyone."

"I suppose I never mentioned him before." Their mother reflected, silently, that she had never mentioned Rikash Moonsword to much of anyone. Numair, of course, as well as Alanna, Ouna, Thayet, Jon, and a very select few of her Rider friends. Numair knew the most, and was the only one who had really understood when she'd named him among those they'd lost in the Immortals War. She supposed it had been easier not to speak of him to those who wouldn't understand, along with her stubborn way of not talking of upsetting things – a habit she had when she first came to Tortall and one she found she'd likely never shake.

But Rikash Salamalin was now staring at his ma with eyes full of excitement and wonder, and Daine owed him this. "No, Ma. Who was he?"

Daine cleared her throat. Here, now, she scolded herself, you shouldn't have suggested it if you weren't willing to talk about it. It's long happened, time to move forward. "Well, he was a- a friend, a friend of mine and your Da's... though really mostly mine," she said, awkwardly. What she wouldn't give for her husband's legendary way with words. She pressed on, "And he, well, he was a hero."

Somewhere, some realm, Rikash Moonsword was likely listening and even more likely laughing hysterically. Daine shook that thought aside.

Her son's eyes went wider, "A knight, ma? Was he a champion like Alanna?" The children called their adoptive aunt by her first name.

She couldn't have hid her smirk at the simple image of a stormwing knight, "Not a knight, dear," she corrected gently. "A hero."

There's more but it'd be too long if I posted it all.
 
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MORE.
And more characters you need to know;
Maura - Daine's friend, met when she was 14 and Maura 10. She was in the care of stormwings - Rikash in particular - when her own family neglected her.
Immortals War - War fought when Daine was 16 against the ex-Emperor of another kingdom and a legion of Immortals he had on his side.
Ozrone - Once emperor who waged war on Tortall.
Kaddar - Ozrone's nephew. Kind and caring and nothing like his uncle. Took over after the war.


Daine thought fast, trying to see how long she could go telling her son about the stormwing he was named for before having to tell him that he was, in fact, a stormwing. It only took a second for her to know that it would not be long at all.

She looked from one child to the other, willing herself to begin. Though it was Rikash's story and his opinion she wanted, Sarra was the one who gave her the bravery to begin. In her own 10 year old's face, Daine saw the young Maura of Dunlath, the girl without whom Daine's opinion towards stormwings would likely have never changed. Maura had only been 10, and had been able to understand that a creature's nature did not make it good or evil. Perhaps her children would as well.

She realized she was mulling this over too long, and Sarra spoke up, "Well, go on, Ma. Aren't you going to tell us about him?"

"Of course." Daine took a breath, "He was a part of The Immortals War," both children cringed a little. Like anyone, even adults, tales of this war frightened the two of them. Sarra was more fascinated than frightened though, as she was with everything, but that didn't stop the natural reaction. "And he, he was an ally."

Rikash smiled, it was shaky but it was a smile. "Of course he was, Ma. You said he was your friend."

She laughed a little. Gods, if she was going to be this awkward the whole time this would be a long story indeed. Though, Rikash laughing at her was better than him being terrified or unhappy. Steeling herself, she made herself go on, "Yes, he was my friend. A very good friend." She pushed herself forward, trying not to think of how she hadn't even realized such a thing until he lay unmoving on the ground. Without thinking at all now, she bluntly said, "But he was also a stormwing." And then mentally hit herself.

Rikash's eyes widened but it was Sarra who spoke, hesitant, "A stormwing?" She got a nod – Daine wasn't sure she could say anything at that moment. "But everyone say-" The child cut herself off with an embarrassed blush. Like anyone who had known Daine for any length of time, Sarra knew her mother hated little more than the phrase 'everyone'. She attempted to save herself, "I mean- I've heard stormwings were- they're monsters, aren't they, Ma?"

Daine glanced back at her son; he didn't look upset – or at least any more so than he had been – or disgusted, only slightly lost. He waited as Daine answered his sister's question.

"No, dear. Well, no more than any other creature. Stormwings are no more all bad than humans are all good. They have a different nature, that is all."

Both children nodded, but Rikash still looked confused. "But… we fought stormwings in the war, Ma."

"Not all of them. Rikash – Rikash Moonsword, was his name – he and a number of stormwings, they fought on our side." A small number, she thought silently, a very small number. Really, what had they been thinking?

Since when are stormwings wise? She could almost hear his laughter, and see it sparkling in his green eyes. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

Neither child probed for her to continue, but waited silently for it. Daine gave them both the best smile she could produce, "The Carthaki Emperor-"

"The evil one, or Kaddar?" Sarra asked.

Daine grinned. Honestly, the child had no concept of formality, which was just as well. "Ozrone, Emperor Kaddar's uncle," she clarified. "He was allied with stormwings, you know. Rikash included. At first, he and I were on opposing sides, before the war. He was, well, even then he was… kinder, than any other stormwing I'd met." She remembered the brotherly affection he'd shown Maura and how it baffled her, "Not to me, perhaps, but to another human. Maura." She added, as both her children knew her. They nodded, "I didn't understand, then. How a human could ever like a stormwing, but what's more, he liked Maura. I had the chance to kill him, and didn't – and he didn't attack me either."

She shook her head; it had been maddening. He had confused her so much, her stormwing friend. I suppose we're both losing our minds. She hid a sigh. "The next year he was in Carthak when we were," Vaguely, Daine wondered how she had told her children about Carthak without mentioning Rikash before. Sarra loved that story, too. She was convinced it was there that she and Numair had fallen in love. Thinking about it, Daine figured she was right.

"He discovered that the emperor's alliance with his kind was because he held Rikash's queen and her mate captive. Think if Alanna had found out someone held King Jonathan and Queen Thayet," she paused to watch both think this over and cringe expressively. "Exactly. Rikash was just as angry. He wanted Ozrone gone as badly as we did. He had his own reasons, but he helped us all the same. And without his help… I don't much like to think about where we would be now." She ended lamely. Belatedly, she added, "He helped your Da and I in the Divine Realms also. Seemed to have taken a liking to us." She added with a small smile. "Once his queen and her consort were free, he helped us in the war."

Daine stopped herself there, and looked at Rikash. Her son was staring, his eyes wide. He looked more awed than anything, and she reflected that she had made his namesake sound like quite the hero indeed. Well he was, she thought, he was an odd sort of one, but he was.

Sarra opened her mouth but Rikash beat her to the question; "What happened to him, Ma?"

"Well," Daine took a breath and spit it out, "He died, in the war." Telling them he was dead was worse than telling them he was a storming.

Rikash looked down, as if embarrassed he had asked now, but Daine could also see he was disappointed. At least Sarra got to see her grandmother on solstices when Gods and Goddesses could walk the mortal realms. Rikash would never get to meet the stormwing he was named for. "I'm sorry." He added.

She brushed some of his curls out of his face, and spoke softly, "When the war was over, and everything had calmed down – to an extent – " calling things calm in Tortall was rarely a truth, "no one really understood why I was upset about a stormwing's death, even an ally one. Your Da, of course, knew, but few others. I felt, naming you after him was in someway giving him honor he deserved. And you're a fair wonderful boy, you know. I'm sure if he could see you he'd say so as well." She added with a grin. Truthfully, she didn't know what Rikash would say or do if he were still alive, but she had a feeling he'd be grudgingly fond of her children. Her son blushed, but nodded.

"Ma, do you think I could be a hero like that?"

Daine simply laughed, and gave him a little nod. Clearly, by the wonder in Rikash's eyes, the ghosts of his nightmare were long gone. Daine, herself, felt remarkably better. Again she reminded herself that this was why her friends told her to talk about things that upset her. No matter how many times they told her it always amazed her when they were right. Rikash yawned, which set her off and knocked her out of her thoughts. "Ready to try sleeping again?"

He nodded and she got him tucked back into his bed, kissed his forehead and did the same for Sarra, who was already half asleep. She murmured that she loved her Ma's stories just before slipping into slumber. Daine shook her head but smiled at her. Perhaps she was better at this than she thought.

Slipping back into her own bed, she was aware Numair was awake enough to hold her when she was unable to contain a sniff. She let him, remembering him doing the very same the days after the war when she was still mourning their losses. He kissed her forehead, much as she'd kissed their son's, and said nothing. Which was just as well, because a second later Daine, exhausted – physically and emotionally – but in many ways content, was asleep.
 
So Once Upon a Time gives me a lot of feelings, and this recent episode, the one that is in my siggie and all of that has given me the most. And when I have lots of feelings. I write about them. So I wrote a short fic about Belle from this episode.

Basically, if you don't watch but you want to read here's what you need to know:
It's Beauty and the Beast but... not. Belle is a princess and the character of Rumpelstiltskin is the 'beast'. He was cursed with this sort of dark power through a deal he made in order to protect his son, whom he eventually lost anyways.

There you are. Enjoy. :)

Heroism

When the Dark One – more commonly known as Rumpelstiltskin – had named her as the sole price for his protection of her entire village Belle didn't hesitate. It wasn't going to be nice, or easy and there was no sense fooling herself otherwise. But she wasn't going to let her entire village suffer because she was weak willed.

This was her chance to be brave. Brave like she'd always dreamed.

So brave she would be.

Within weeks the bravery was no longer necessary. For all the stories Belle had heard of this Dark One – all of which were very much true – Rumpelstiltskin was not cruel to her in any sense. In fact, it was a rare day indeed when he spoke a word at all to her, save for the occasional quip. Quips that Belle soon found genuinely amusing, despite their tendency to be on the more morbid side. She didn't know why she found this darkly quirky humor catching but she did. Perhaps it was the fact that this man could joke. It made him seem more approachable – if only by the slightest bit.

And the more approachable he became the more she did approach him. Question him. Study him like a diagram or drawing in one of the many books she had at her old home. By the end of her first month she was beginning to think of theories. On what he was, truly. On why he cared so much for deals and technicalities. And, most importantly, on the pain that transformed his face when he thought she was concentrating on pouring tea, or reading during one of her lulls in chores. Lulls that were fairly frequent as the weeks passed – it hadn't taken long to initially clean the castle, and after it only required period maintenance.

It intrigued her, in a heartbreaking sort of way, to know that he had a tragedy somewhere in his life. She wanted him to tell her about it, but what would telling do? There was nothing she could do to change what fate had befallen him. The more she thought about that the more upsetting it became.

For as the months piled on one another, Belle came to admit that she liked Rumpelstiltskin. In their own strange way they had become something more of companions. She wasn't afraid to talk to him and he began to thaw past one syllable answers, revealing a surprisingly gentle and humorous personality beneath all the pain and darkness that trapped him.

It was when he asked her why she came, some four months into their association, that Belle recalled her heroic wishes. As she trimmed her new rose – and what an enchanting surprise that was –, she recalled her thoughts the day he'd arrived, silently mulling over whether they were still true. She had saved her village, given up her chance to travel the world. That was heroics, was it not? The look of wonder bordering on admiration that he gave her certainly made it seem like her captor thought so.

However, watching him, and seeing the warmth of a man in a face he felt was monstrous made Belle feel rather useless. He deserved to be free from what pained him, he deserved so much more than she could give him.

And then, just to make her feel more conflicted Rumplestiltskin then let her go.

Oh, no. I expect I'll never see you again.

~~~~~~~~~

Belle walked quickly, head and heart in turmoil. She wasn't even sure where she was going. To town. To get him straw. But why, if she never planned to return to him? She didn't plan to return to him. Did she?

Curiosity warred with desire to be free. Desire to be free warred with desire… oh, desire to be in his company again. For all her technically being a prisoner, those past few weeks she had felt happy. Certainly happier than she had been in her old palace with an arranged marriage and no one who understood her. And Rumpelstiltskin did seem to understand her… if nothing else he actually made the attempt to try.

She'd told him she wanted to see the world, and he set her free to do just that. She wanted to be glad – oh, she was glad –, but she couldn't begin to plan her travels in her mind, thinking only of him, alone once more. And his son, the one he'd lost. There was nothing she could do about that, of course, but she felt that his telling would help him, even if only a little bit. Having someone, having her, had helped him. And if she never returned she'd never hear how he lost his son, or how deep his tragic story went.

So when the woman with her black hair and black clothing pulled up in her black carriage, far too outspoken and rather rude, it had only taken a few short words before Belle's thoughts on her rudeness and her theories of her relationship with Rumpelstiltskin were pushed far out of her head.

Sounds like a curse to me, and all curses can be broken. A kiss born of true love would do it.

A kiss? True love? Truth be told, there had been many a time when she'd meet his eyes or laugh at one of his ridiculous comments, usually meant to distract her, and think about how easily she could love a man like him. With his humor and the subtle affection in his eyes that grew less subtle by the day when they caught and held her gaze.

She knew full well what he was but she now also knew who he had been and who he could be and she found herself realizing with that strange woman's words that she did very much love that man.

And a kiss? A kiss would be enough? He'd be a man again?

An ordinary man.

She'd do it. Oh, of course she would. He would be free, free from this curse, this pain that constantly plagued him. He wouldn't need to cover up his mirrors or call himself a monster. He could have an ordinary life. He could have happiness. He could have her, and she him.

She bid the woman a much warmer goodbye than she probably deserved and continued her walk to town with something of a skip in her step. She wanted to be back as soon as she could. She had something she needed to do.

She wanted to be a hero – and what was more heroic than saving the man she loved?

~~~~~~~~~

She admitted to some nerves upon returning to the castle. The woman had made it clear that it was true love's kiss that would break this spell. Were her feelings towards Rumpelstiltskin enough for it to work? Were his feelings towards her enough?

If he loves you he would have let you go.

But he did let me go.

So he loved her. But she knew enough of love – from books, admittedly – to know love was not meant to be so simple. Then again, this love, the love she felt for him – and a love that grew stronger every time she thought about it – was far from simple. She wanted nothing more than for him to be happy, and for her love to save him? It was a happier ending than she could have ever imagined.

She didn't plan to kiss him that night. Simply talk with him again, just like they often did. Let him know she cared enough to return to him and let it run it's course. When the time was right for it, the kiss would happen. She found that she quite looked forward to it.

Entering the dining hall, where they spent most of their time together, any doubt or worry she had evaporated. There at the wheel sat Rumplestiltskin. But he wasn't spinning, with his expression vacant, staring at the wheel without truly seeing it. He had his stool positioned so he could be facing the wheel while watching the door. Watching for her. He'd seen her coming. He'd watched for her. Waited for her. Belle felt overjoyed.

He tried to play it off, of course, which only made her laugh. It was useless and they both knew it.

Oh, come on. You're happy that I'm back.

I'm not unhappy.

She beamed at him. She wondered if he'd still be so silly with his affections once he was a man again. She wondered how many more kisses they'd share. How many more roses, how many more quips. She looked forward to all of this. She looked forward to the stories told of how a young woman's love saved her dearest from his dark curse, and they lived happily ever after. A story where love was found between the most unlikely pairing. The story of a beauty and her gold-hearted 'beast'.

There you are. :)
 
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That's really good, Maggie! :D I haven't seen any of that show, but it looks really interesting, and this story only made me more curious. :p
 
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