‘Belle, Edward is a liar. I am his ex, and I am here to help you. He left you here to rot. Made up that story. I feel sorry for anyone who falls by the hands of him,’ she spat.
‘No,’ Edward said, finding his voice. ‘Belle, don’t listen to her.’
Belle looked back at the castle. Caleb entered the ballroom, looking back and forth between Edward and Belle. Belle’s father walked down the middle staircase and cleared his throat. ‘What’s going on?’
Belle look from Lori to Edward, puzzled. ‘I’m not entirely sure.’ After they all moved into the castle, Belle’s sisters grabbed all the jewels in the castle and left for the city, leaving Belle, Thomas, Caleb, and James alone.
James grabbed his sword, which was propped up against the wall, and pointed it at Edward. ‘I believe the witch.’ Lori frowned but smiled as James pointed the sword closer to Edward’s chest. ‘You’ve come back to hurt my mother again! It won’t work. Not this time.’ James looked through daring eyes, and Edward backed off. His hand jolted towards the hilt of his own sword, but he thought better of it. This was Belle’s son.
Edward held his hands up. ‘I swear I’m telling the truth. I love your mother.’ His gaze averted to Belle. ‘I love you.’
Her gaze filled with sadness and her chest tightened, but she didn’t say a word. Instead, she looked at Caleb for an indication of what she should do. Caleb simply shrugged and gave her a sympathetic look. Lori stepped forward and was pushed to the ground with a thud. Stilt grabbed Edward’s sword from him and pointed it down at Lori’s throat. Lori touched the tip and heat ran up the blade until Stilt dropped it. She dodged the hot sword and jumped to her feet, throwing a spell his way, which he narrowly missed.
James stood between them. ‘Enough!’ His voice, although young, was demanding and authoritative. ‘I’ve had it with magic. You all need to leave.’ He looked over at Edward. ‘Especially you!’
Stilt growled. ‘That woman,’ he spat, pointing at Lori, ‘killed my wife!’
Belle gasped. ‘That’s terrible.’
‘You did?’ Edward asked.
Lori groaned. ‘Who cares? She was crazy!’
Stilt clenched his fists. ‘She. Was. My. WIFE!’
Lori looked from Belle, who was looking at Edward doe-eyed, to James. She sensed something from James. Something she could use. However, Belle would never buy her story now. With a flick of her hand, a hurricane of black mist swept from the ground and circled around them. They all stumbled around blindly. Lori touched Belle’s arm and felt her beauty drain. A curse like this would take everything from her. She swept Belle, James, Caleb, and Thomas into the mist along with herself, and with a click, they all disappeared.
‘No,’ Edward cried and closed his eyes. He held back tears, yet one managed to escape and crawled down his cheek.
‘We can get her back,’ Stilt said.
Edward shook his head and sighed. ‘Not if Lori has her way. Still, I must try!’
Stilt nodded. ‘First, we will need something.’ He disappeared through the corridors and returned with the enchanted rose, which he had encased in a glass dome.
Edward frowned. ‘What are you doing with my rose? It is safe here.’
Stilt gulped. ‘I … we need it.’
Edward stretched out his arm toward Stilt and waited for a surge of power to come. Instead, a small spurt knocked the rose from his hand. Stilt knelt and grabbed the rose. Thankfully, the glass did not smash.
Edward looked down at his amulet and took it off. ‘It’s … powerless.’ He narrowed his eyes at Stilt. ‘Did you take my power? Is that why you need the rose? Why you have been spending time with me?’
Stilt pursed his lips. ‘I need it more—’
Edward launched himself at Stilt. Stilt dodged him. ‘Try to understand.’
‘Are you being serious?’ Edward scowled. ‘What could a wifeless, childless man possibly need power more than I for?’
Stilt’s apologetic expression turned to one of hatred. ‘Well, there go the feelings of guilt!’
Edward lunged at him again, but Stilt dodged him with ease. ‘You’ll have to do better than that.’
Edward smirked. ‘Oh, I will. I will take Cinderella from you. I will take everything until you’re left with nothing,’ Edward promised.
Stilt looked at Edward challengingly, clicked his fingers, and disappeared. Edward stood alone in the cold castle, only comforted by the sweet memories he once had there.
NORTHMANNI
Lori stared at the magic mirror with disdain. ‘I look disgusting.’
‘My queen, you look lovely, especially for your age …’
‘I am thirty!’ she screamed.
Henry looked at her wide-eyed, his gaze tracing over every putrid wrinkle. ‘Thirty? I thought you were, if you don’t mind me saying, hundreds of years old. That’s why you make others eat your apples so that you can take their beauty?’
‘I do that,’ she said with exasperation. ‘Because when I cursed Edward, the curse was so strong, it took all of my beauty and youth. The apples are the only things sustaining me. The problem is no one will eat one. No one trusts me. You found one person to eat the apple I gave you. Even you haven’t found anyone to eat anymore.’
Henry nodded slowly and bit his lip. It wasn’t that he couldn’t find anyone to eat them. It was that he didn’t offer them to anyone. It was an unfair thing to do, to take other’s beauty.
The more Lori used her magic, the more it drained her of her beauty. One person’s beauty would sustain her for around ten to twenty-five years, depending on their age. However, using the magic to heal Belle’s father had taken everything from Lori. ‘If I could find someone young and incredibly beautiful, then I would not need anyone to eat another apple for a while. But few possess such beauty,’ Lori pointed out.
‘Maybe you should just accept how you look. It’s all about personality—’ Henry offered.
‘Oh, don’t be dim,’ she interrupted. ‘The king will never agree to marry me when he sees how I look. He may be old, but as a king, he can have anyone he chooses. You need to find people to eat the apples,’ she ordered.
Her chocolate coloured hair was tied up so tightly that it pulled the skin tight on her forehead. She turned her head toward the window of the shack and put her finger up to shush Henry. ‘Belle and James are back,’ she said and forced a smile as she swung open the door. ‘How was your walk?’ she asked an annoyingly beautiful Belle. She had considered offering Belle an apple. It would kill two birds with one stone. Edward would have his true love turned into a hag, and she would have enough beauty to sustain herself for a long time. Even with using magic. However, Henry had opened his mouth before Lori could decide, and now they knew about the cursed apples.
Belle’s cupid bow lips formed a perfect smile. ‘It was wonderful, thank you. We met a girl; she calls herself Red. She walks through the same forest every day to take food to her grandma. She’s sixteen, the same age as James. They get along well. I’m thinking of taking him back there tomorrow,’ she said and grinned.
‘Great news,’ Lori replied, bored. ‘I must talk to you about Edward,’ Lori admitted and took Belle into the next room. James went to sit in the garden with a book in his hand.
Belle followed Lori into her bedroom. The room was lavished with red velvet and gold satin. Although she only lived in a shack, it was surprisingly big and luxurious on the inside. ‘I will get straight to the point,’ Lori said and sat on her four-post bed, which was draped with gold curtains. ‘I imagine you would like to get even with Edward.’
Her smile dropped as his name was mentioned. She felt an unstoppable, wild rage explode within her. ‘I want him dead.’
Lori grinned. The curse she had used on Belle turned all passion and love for Edward to bitter hatred. She must have loved him a lot, for the rage she had for him was overwhelming. ‘Me too,’ Lori replied.
Belle lowered her head, and her expression faltered. ‘I don’t want James t
o get tied up in all this. Maybe I should try to forget him and just hope karma gets him.’
No,’ Lori said a little too angrily. Belle looked concerned, and Lori quickly forced a smile and laughed. ‘I just mean that I need your help. He and Stilt must pay for what they have done to all of us. If we do not stop them, they will continue doing it to whoever they like. Do you want more innocent people to suffer?’
Belle looked at the floor, grinding her teeth. ‘Of course not. I just don’t want James getting involved with it. I want him to have a violence-free, normal life.’
Lori looked at Belle sadly. ‘I am afraid that’s not possible. James is coming of age, and I noticed something about him. He possesses powers.’
‘That’s not possible,’ Belle said. ‘My family has no magical history.’
‘I bet you don’t know much about your ancestors?’ Lori pointed out.
Belle ran her fingers through her long brunette hair and sat down at Lori’s dressing table. ‘No, I don’t.’
Lori looked Belle up and down with envy. Her hair was so soft, long, and when the light hit it, hundreds of shades of brown shone. Her eyes, a honey brown, were perfectly defined. Black outlined her irises, showing off the flecks of golden brown. Her thick black lashes made her eyes more striking than Lori thought possible. The most annoying thing about Belle was, as Lori had noticed, no matter what Belle wore—an old rag, a dress, trousers—she always looked amazing.
‘Your ancestors were powerful sorcerers,’ Lori explained. ‘I realised when you told me your surname was Sparken. Your ancestors are known in the magical world. They had unlimited powers. It often skips generations. James will grow into his powers. He has no idea of the amount that he possesses.’
‘The amount?’ Belle questioned.
Lori elaborated. ‘Every sorcerer has a limited amount of magic. If used properly, it is enough to last a lifetime. However, when abused, most lose their powers. Only three have unlimited power. Merlin, me, and James. Your lineage is famous amongst sorcerers.’
‘I don’t want him to have these powers,’ Belle said quickly.
Lori huffed. ‘You have no choice. Anyway, it is a wonderful gift. He can help so many people with them. He will be able to protect himself against any threats.’
At that, Belle sighed. ‘You make a good point.’
‘Yes,’ Lori said and stood up. ‘It will not take Edward or Stilt long to figure it out. They will come for him. They may not be as powerful as James is, but they are far more cunning, and a billion times more heartless. They’ll kill him. Once it gets out about his powers, and believe me, no matter how much you try to conceal it, it will get out.’
Belle stood up and clenched her fists. ‘I will not let them hurt him.’ She wondered where the sudden anger had come from. She had always believed strongly in forgiveness and had more tolerance than most people. Yet she knew that if Edward were standing in front of her, she’d rip his head off.
‘Then,’ Lori said, patronisingly, ‘we must get to them first.’
Belle frowned. ‘How do we find them?’
Lori scoffed. ‘They’ll come to us. Don’t worry.’
Belle’s stomach twisted in a way she didn’t like, and a voice in the back of her head niggled Murder is wrong. You love him, remember? But then why did she feel so much hatred for the man? ‘I can’t kill him!’
Lori ground her teeth. ‘You have to!’
Belle shook her head. ‘Taking someone’s life from them leaves a mark on the soul.’
Lori shifted uncomfortably. ‘I’ll let you think about my offer. Help me and I’ll help you. I’ll keep James safe and help him control his powers. You don’t want him losing control, do you?’
Belle arched an eyebrow. ‘Are you sure he’s a sorcerer?’
‘Positive,’ she replied without hesitation. ‘I’ll help bring them to the surface.’ Lori waited for a response but got none. She absentmindedly twirled her hair around her finger. Belle said nothing about Lori’s appearance, which had drastically changed in the last month. Over James’s sixteenth birthday, he had become more and more grumpy. Belle was sure it was because he wasn’t around people his own age. Lori was right. If he did have powers, then control was key. Also, she didn’t want Edward and Stilt coming for them. ‘Like I said, think about it,’ Lori added.
Belle had told Lori each heart-wrenching detail when they arrived. Belle, although angry, did see some truth in Edward’s words but would never tell Lori that.
‘I thought he loved me,’ Belle said sadly.
‘Ha,’ Lori said and walked over to the door. ‘He makes a lot of people believe that! You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. Edward lied. He left with Stilt to get his kingdom back. He only returned to get the rose, which held power. I’ll give you some time to consider my offer.’ She left the room, and Caleb and her father returned.
‘Belle,’ Caleb exclaimed. ‘I met someone!’
Belle grinned. ‘Fantastic! Details?’
‘Of course.’ He laughed and sat next to her.
Thomas leant against the wall. ‘He seems nice.’
‘Nice,’ Caleb said, wide-eyed. ‘Oh, he is more than nice. He’s so handsome and charming. ‘He’s my age and so witty. But that’s not all. He said a cottage is for sale in the city, and I was thinking …’
‘You’re leaving?’ Belle gulped.
Caleb pulled at his collar. ‘It’s just the friends I have made all live there, and he lives there. Plus, the fruit market is booming, and I was thinking of buying an orchard and setting up exportation to the other kingdoms. Everyone knows Northmanni has the best apples.’ Caleb couldn’t hold in his excitement. ‘Edmund knows all about it. He’s given me some tips, and I think I could get somewhere with it. The orchard is selling for only one hundred gold coins due to the flooding, but it’s nothing that some hard work won’t sort.’
Belle forced a smile. She was happy for him, but sad that she’d be saying goodbye. As if he read her thoughts, he smiled sweetly. ‘I will still see you.’
‘You’d better,’ she warned and grinned. ‘So he’s called Edmund then?’
Caleb nodded. ‘Yep. Well, Thomas is taking me to look around the orchard and cottage again. So I’ll be off. Tell James I’ll be back for our fighting lesson this evening.’
Belle waved goodbye to them as they rode off on the horse and cart and sighed. James might need those sword fighting lessons more than she thought.
DEAL?
Edward eventually pulled himself out of his slump. He looked around the empty castle and felt afraid for the first time in years. He was without a friend in the world, and everything he loved had been taken from him. Lori was back, which was a shock. He didn’t know how he felt. He loved Belle, of course, but something stirred inside him when he thought of Lori and the many happy years they had spent together before he ruined everything. The ghost of Belle’s laughter echoed as he walked through the ballroom. The room where he realised he had fallen for her. Everything, for him, changed at that moment. He had spent a month in the castle, moping.
‘Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin,’ he said. It was an old wives’ tale. If you say his full name three times, he would appear. He waited anxiously and sighed when nothing happened. Suddenly, a loud pop sounded behind him, and he turned. Stilt stood there sporting his sword. The one he took from him just before they went to the castle and threw to the ground.
‘Damn spell,’ Stilt muttered.
‘You betrayed me,’ Edward said. ‘I thought we were friends.’ The childish words escaped his lips before he had a chance to think. Stilt looked unfazed.
‘You were an ally,’ Stilt replied. ‘You have nothing left to offer me. My wife is dead. Everything I loved has been ripped away from me. That tends to bring the darkness out, even in the nicest of people.’
‘Give me back my powers or I swear I will find a way to take away the one thing you have left in the world!’ Edward promised. He noticed that Stil
t was sweating, his hair was stuck up in places, and he looked like he had just left a war. ‘What the hell happened to you?’
’Your father,’ Stilt said, his mouth twisting in disgust. ‘We have a contract, but he won’t let me see Cinderella.’
‘Hurt’s, doesn’t it?’ Edward smirked. ‘When people break their promises.’
Stilt laughed in response.
‘What so funny?’ asked Edward.
Stilt laughed again. ‘That you honestly think it hurts. I’m used to people breaking their word. A person’s word means nothing these days. Power is everything. It’s an annoyance. It did not hurt me. You’re such a pansy. ‘Hurts, doesn’t it?’ mocked Stilt.
Edward would have launched himself at Stilt and hit him, but he didn’t have the strength. He felt emotionally and physically drained. ‘You vile old man.’
Stilt nodded in acknowledgment. ‘I must be going.’
‘Wait,’ Edward shouted. ‘Lori will be coming back for you. Lori is using Belle and James for her own gains. I need to find out why. If you leave me here, you’re on your own. I will find a way to get back and make sure that little Cinderella never gets to meet you. Or if I have to … I’ll kill her myself.’
‘Or I could just kill you now?’ Stilt pointed out, grinning.
Edward laughed now. ‘You could try.’ He glinted dangerously. ‘Or you can help, and when I am king, I can offer you everything. We can find a way together. To keep your daughter safe. I have the ability as a sorcerer to regain my powers somehow. With your help, we can be a team. Deal?’
Stilt considered it for a minute and sighed. ‘You’re right.’
‘You’re making the right choice,’ Edward said.
‘I know,’ Stilt said. ‘I won’t kill you, and I will help you get your powers back.’ Stilt extended his hand. Edward touched his wrist, and they both vanished and reappeared in a familiar place.
***
Belle watched James and Caleb as night fell. They were in the woods. The sounds of swords hitting each other and the occasional gust of wind was all that could be heard.
The Enchanted Kingdoms (Haunting Fairytales Series Book 1) Page 12