The Light Swan Ch.4 Laying the Groundwork
For @thecompletebookworm
Summary:After escaping from Zelena’s dungeon, Rumpelstiltskin finds him in settling in Avonlea desperately trying to hide his secret.
A03 & FF.net
Chapters : 1, 2, 3
Six Months Later
Robyn scoured the second floor corridor a second time in an effort to convince herself she had been alone. The afternoons within King Maurice’s castle usually were filled with the staff conducting their work, cleaning the castle and no one would take a second glance.
The perfect cover.
Throughout the past five months, her job as a maid in the estate allowed her to memorize Rumpelstiltskin’s routine knowing he would not have been in his room this early in the afternoon due to having a meeting with Princess Belle or spending his time in the straw room understanding quickly it had not been a subject for gossip. Using the towels for a cover, Robyn ran towards the room knocking first before entering finding the bedroom decorated with scrolls and books with the window constantly opened to rid of the dust.She placed the towels on the draped table searching for the cloak.
There were times Robyn wondered why she even had a conscious; Zelena was practically her mother and repaid her by letting the Swan Prince go, only to lose her heart and her beloved Locksley in the process. She can still remember him whinnying hysterically as Zelena boiled the animal alive before taking his horn as an ingredient needed to cross over the Blanche Forest. The worst part she was forced to reassure the horse watching her only friend staring at her as he died in pain.
“You will have only one chance to earn back your heart.” Zelena told her after deciding to unfreeze her handing her a vial of Rumpelstiltskin’s blood and a special potion. “Put this into Rumpelstiltskin’s robes, once he transforms, he will be back to his obedient self.”
It became easy selling a story to the matronly housekeeper Mrs. Potts about a downtrodden young woman named Margot Mills desperate for work after losing her parents quickly gaining the confidence of the staff when they told her different parts of the castle she was permitted to enter. Her only point in staying alive was making sure to never bump into Rumpelstiltskin, placing herself in bed for nearly a week in order to memorize his routine allowing her to avoid him. There were days she had second thoughts in placing the vial, however her nights hearing Zelena speak through using her heart forced her into a time crunch as Zelena’s spell to cross over the barriers of the Blanche Forest would completed fairly soon.
The situation became increasingly complicated after Robyn met Lady Alice.
It was an innocent first meeting with Robyn gathering the laundry in the lady’s room when she became frightened over a noise she heard forcing her to jump into the bathtub. Rather than Alice laughing at her, the young girl helped clean her up apologizing as her room had the occasional strange noise due to the walls being so old. Alice was covered in dirt, her hair mangled, but to Robyn, she was the most beautiful creature she ever laid her eyes on.
After she finished her shift, Alice sometimes invited Margot to join her for a walk in the gardens, the park impressing Alice on her skills with the bow. They bonded over horses with Alice offering sympathy when Robyn confided in her over the death of her beloved Locksley.
There were moments Robyn didn’t have to be Margot whenever she spent time with the blue eye blonde, at times telling herself decency could still exist.
She continued lurking until she glanced at the chest on end of the bedroom. The strange lock got her attention using one of her pins to open it, finding the method impossible as her pin shattered.
Now why would you have an impossible lock for chest unless you have something to hide?
Robyn went through her pocket getting the vial of blood, dabbing it into her finger touching the keyhole allowing the lock to open. Taking off the lock, she opened the chest finding the robes intact and in pristine condition. She took the other bottle, placing the purple potion into the feathers ridding her hands of the matter quickly cleaning up.
As soon as she closed the room walking back into the main corridor finding Alice straight towards her.
“Hey Margot, what are you doing here?”
“I was just placing towels into one of the guest bedroom, when I accidentally forgot the room.” She nervously said. “You know this place can be quite massive.”
Alice smiled back at her. “True, when you’re finished, you can come with me to town? I have to get some items for Belle’s birthday.”
“Sure, just let me get an okay from Mrs. P before I head out;” Margot gave Alice a hug going their separate direction.
Robyn smiled watching Alice walk in the opposite direction; she could still believe decency existed.
“Are you sure about this Princess?” asked Rumpelstiltskin for the third time looking over Belle’s plans regarding the summer palace.
“Yes, I am absolutely sure” she humored him. “The palace is hardly used, the terrains are inhabited by people who believe they have been forgotten by us and there is an increase of opening trade there with some of our Eastern neighbors.” She then points to the library. “This library while not as grand as the one here, comes a close second, this knowledge should not be reserved mainly for the aristocrats. I will make a proposal of it next week transforming into a school at the next council meeting.”
“I am not sure your father will approve.” He stated in a singsong tone twirling his fingers usually to get her in a cheerful mood.
She cocked her head at him then smiled, “then it’s a good thing I have you to help me practice my argument even though you tend just criticize.”
Rumpelstiltskin placed his hand over his heart in a feign offense. “It can’t be my fault you are usually wrong.”
She moved closer to him leaning forward as their faces touched, “I’m right and you know it.”
He moved another inch seeing Belle’s lips part ready to be kissed. “Maybe once in a while” he whispered in her ear grinning at her when she placed her head in an effort to hide the blush on her cheeks.
Through an outsider perspective, Princess Belle and Rumpelstiltskin appeared to be a loving couple even though they would need to remind everyone they were merely friends. After she broke the engagement to Gaston, the pair took afternoon tea together in the drawing room, he escorted her to meetings and even playing chess in his room sometimes with Alice chaperoning playing several rounds. When he finally was allowed to remove his stitches, Rumpelstiltskin had then been permitted to dine with her, Alice and Maurice for their regular meals later on accompanying Belle to town. The pair noticed their common interests from spending time together in the library sharing their opinions on various books to a mutual love of Mrs. Potts richly made desserts where Belle sometimes scolded Rumpelstiltskin whenever she caught him taking a bite from her piece of chocolate cake. Once the kingdom had the sufficient gold, Maurice placed Rumpelstiltskin in the position of royal treasurer after the post became vacant a year prior. It allowed him to go over the books finding his instincts to be correct as Maurice had not cheated the kingdom and the funds were dispersed in the correct matter. Another part of the job meant he overseeing any of Belle’s ideas resulting in many hours of disagreements and laughter.
Their only contentment came from Belle practically giving up the prospect of Rumpelstiltskin ever calling her by her given name.
“Have you heard from Rogers?” Belle asked gathering the plans together as Rumpelstiltskin packed his bag
“He said there is a good chance of the treaty being signed now he and Tiana are practically engaged.”
Belle sighed relief. “Good, they have been dancing around it for nearly five years. Tiana could not have found a better man.”
She finished her packing with Rumpelstiltskin sitting in the sofa going over his notes. He appeared to be pensive allowing him to be unaware of his surroundings where at times he used that to his advantage whenever he caught her glancing resulting in some playful teasing.
She had thought many times about kissing him several times usually refraining when it became nearly impossible to conduct it. It would not have surprised her had he suspected she was using him for companionship after breaking the engagement with Gaston as several wives of the advisors suggested she considered her options in the Marshlands or further south.
Unfortunately for Belle, the only person she considered for marriage was only three feet away from her and may not be interested in her.
A knock on the door stopped Belle’s thoughts upset when her father walked in needing her assistance in greeting several early guests.
Both Belle and Rumpelstiltskin bowed wishing each other a good day each leaving the room when Belle walked with her father to greet a woman who came out of a green carriage dressed in a dark green nearly mistaken for black gown which came off as skin tight were the two most noticeable factors were the obscenely large emerald pendant emphasize her cleavage and bright red hair.
“Your majesties” the woman stated bowing to Maurice and Belle allowing Belle to have an uncomfortable view of her guest’s pendant. “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am in attending this ball, it has been an event I have been looking forward to for some months.”
While it had been drilled into Belle’s memory the faces, names and family members of every noble in her kingdom, Belle could not remember where she would place as she was someone would have made their prescene known at least once or twice. “We are grateful you have journeyed a long way Madam..”
“West, your highness, Lady Kelly West.” She grinned with Belle graciously greeting her.
Exhausted from the afternoon meeting, Rumpelstiltskin headed into his bedroom, placing his bag into the table and throwing himself into the bed.
Rumpelstiltskin had not been certain on the precise moment he fell in love with Belle. At first he thought it was a minor infatuate due to her kindness until he began spending more time with her overtime considering the possibility of seeing her as the one he would spend the remainder of his life. There were times he dreaded she would start looking for other options since her prospects increased.
He can still hear Zelena’s laughter, using her soothing voice to taunt him. Continuing to wake up from the nightmares although no longer screaming with the scars slowly fading or have disappeared. Rumpelstiltskin needed to tell himself Zelena was gone when he took his private swims, which became less frequent than he originally wanted.
“You can come out now Alice, I’m too tired to play.” Placing his fingers over his head, soothing his temples.
Alice got out of the bed pouting in annoyance, “has anyone ever told you lighten up?”
“You let me know at least once a week.” He said taking a deep breath opening his eyes seeing her wave at him upside down. “What are you doing here today? I thought you had a date with Margot was her name.”
“We’re meeting later. We have only known one another for a short time but I never felt anything so wonderful other than when I am with Margot”
Alice glanced at the window with a dreamy expression.
Sounds exactly how I feel about Belle.
She left the chair leaning towards when Rumpelstiltskin moved further from her. “What’s the matter, not sure how to break your fowl secret to Belle?”
He sighed never forgetting Alice knowing his secret. She kept it confidential, even watching guard whenever he would bathe where it had led him to place his guard down around her. The thought of Belle knowing however, sent him into a panic where he got up, moved around the room.
“Are you scared Belle won’t accept you if she finds out you are a swan or you haven’t told her yet because you think she will somehow use it against you?”
A little of both
“There is nothing for Belle to accept, we are simply friends.”
Alice place her hand over hip unconvinced by is explanation. “That girl pines over you more than you do for her. You know she changed her perfume last week hoping you would notice it.”
Rumpelstiltskin grinned at the memory of Belle walking into the study smelling of peaches after she had arrived to give him her weekly statement. He thought the scent suited her just as well as her usual rose covered scent hoping she would alternate it.
“You know she does care about you. Maybe there is some rule swans and human can’t mix or something, but she does deserve to know the truth.”
Rumpelstiltskin walked to his chest glancing at his robes. She never told him, but he knew she had usually cleaned them and always with care where not even his mother had ever done that for him.
“I plan to tell her at her birthday ball.”
Alice quickly hugged him, thrilled over the news when they heard a carriage coming into the driveway. They ran towards the window seeing an elaborate coach of seven horses and two liverymen dressed in white stepping foot helping Gaston get out his carriage. He slammed his hand away from the liverymen and walked straight into the castle.
“You would think after being humiliated, he would never show his face.” Pondered Alice.
“Indeed”
