by Jenni James
She inhaled swiftly and pulled back, her lips forming a perfect O of astonishment. “No one has ever said words such as this to me.”
“No?”
“No. No one has ever thought to do so.”
“Well, that is a shame.”
“Rumple why would you say them?”
He glanced over her features again and smiled ruefully. “Because they are true.”
Her breathing began to come in great gasps as she tried to process all he was telling to her. “But they cannot be. Not wholly.”
“And why is that?”
“Because, because…” She looked down at her dirty dress and held it out to him. “Well, look at me! I am just a girl who lives in the village. And you are a servant of the castle!”
Rumple laughed and glanced down at himself. “Have you not noticed that I am not much to look at, my dear?” he asked, amazed she seemed to disregard his stilted body altogether.
“Why? What do you mean?” She seemed genuinely confused.
“Aubrynn, sweetheart, I am a crippled man who has been cursed to remain this way forever. No beautiful young woman in her right mind would wish to come within three feet of me.”
“Yet, you cannot keep me away.” She grinned and stepped toward him.
He foolishly wrapped an arm around her. “And why is that?” His own heart pausing to hear her response.
“Because I do not see what you see. I cannot. Your true self has shone too brightly despite your crippled casing. You are simply too marvelous, too good to be considered anything that resembles a curse.” She cuddled up closer to his chest and wrapped her arms around his bowed back.
Rumple let out a long-awaited sigh at her answer, a great feeling of warmth settled over his heart, kissing it and then slowly winding its way through his limbs all the way to the tip of his hair. His whole being filled with the glorious enchantment of her words. Never had he believed a woman such as she would enter into his life—never did he even dream it would be possible. He tried desperately to make her see reason—to make them both see reason, though he was too delightfully warm to say much more than, “But, it will not last. This goodness you feel that I am.”
“Of course it will,” she mumbled into his shirt.
He tried again. “But what occurs when this is all over. What happens when all the straw is spun into gold—then what?”
“Then my father lives and the king is happy and does not try to hurt us.”
“What else, darling?”
She pulled just far enough away to look at him. “There is more?”
“Yes. Think. What else happens?” Just knowing she did not fully grasp what was coming in her future made him even more entranced by her. What female would not jump at the chance of becoming queen? To wear such costly apparel and live in such a richly way? And yet, she did not see it. It was not even a part of her thought process. But he must make her see. She must prepare herself for her future—a future without him. “Once the gold is all created and the king comes to claim his prize—what happens then?”
Aubrynn gasped. Her eyes locked with his. She shook her head, not willing to accept her fate. “No.”
Slowly and steadily Rumple nodded his. “Yes.”
She stepped away and looked around the room, still shaking her head. “No, no.”
“It is the way of things, it is what must happen.”
“Can we not just end this now? Not turn anything else into gold and halt what has already begun?”
He stepped toward her, but she fell back a few paces. “No, we cannot. King Marcus knows it is possible; he will stop at nothing now to guarantee you provide more gold for him. Your father will surely die.”
“But I do not wish to marry him!” she cried out. “I do not want any of this! I do not need gold or anything to make me happy! Do you think he will just accept the gold and let me be?”
“Lose his only means of making more, I highly doubt it.”
“But it is not me—it is you.”
“Covering for you, to protect you.”
She turned away and walked over to the largest of the stacks of hay. Leaning against the prickly surface, she shut her eyes and rubbed her lips together and willed herself not to cry.
When Rumple made his way over to her, she would not meet his eyes; instead she looked down and muttered, “He is cruel. He is heartless and cold and a mockery of all that this kingdom could be—all that it would be if—if…”
“If what?” he asked, gently, his hand coming up to brush a stray strand of hair away.
She looked up and straightened a bit. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if the little prince had not died?”
Rumple flinched but did not speak.
“If he had not left us all—do you not wonder if he would have perhaps been a different king? Kinder, more loving, more caring?”
“I think about it every single day of my life.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “And?”
“No. I do not think he would have been a better king. In fact, I worry he would have been worse.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CONFUSED AND TORN, AUBRYNN pushed away from the hay. “Why would you say that? How do you truly know how he would have turned out?”
“I knew his father well enough. I was here as I watched the man raise King Marcus—it was not appealing. He taught the young boy to be ruthless and spoilt and selfish. He would have taught—Freder—er, the other son to be the same.”
“Frederico. I know the prince’s name was Frederico.” She smiled. “Everyone knows it. It is no secret.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Then why do you hide and stumble upon it as if it were?”
“No reason. I would prefer not to disrespect the dead, of course.”
She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side. “You have an issue with names, do you not?”
“Definitely not.” He grabbed a pile of hay and walk-rolled over to the spindle to set it upon the mound there.
“Then why will you not tell me yours?” She collected a pile as well and brought it over. “I have been going mad trying to sort it through my mind and figure out this great mystery secretly.”
“Have you now?”
“Yes. But I am no closer to solving the puzzle of your name as I am to coming up with a reason as to why you would hide it from me.”
“Honestly, it is best to keep well enough alone. The more you know, the deeper trouble you may find yourself in,” he answered cryptically.
“Rumple,” she sighed, “you are hopeless.”
“As you have mentioned before.”
“You do apprehend that the more elusive you become only makes me that much more determined to solve the riddle of your name, correct?”
“I do know that I probably have offered to help one of the busiest-bodies in all of the kingdom, yes.”
Her jaw dropped. How dare he say such a thing of her? She was most definitely not a busybody—certainly not anything like the other women of the village. “Why you little!” Quickly, before he could tell what she was about to do, Aubrynn dipped down and grabbed a large handful of the straw and tossed it all over him.
Rumple sputtered and spattered at the hay as it stuck in great chunks from head to toe.
“I am not a busybody. Retract that statement at once.”
He grinned and shook his head; portions of straw fluttered their way upon the floor all around his feet. “Forgive me; I believe I may have confused my wording. You are most likely not the busybody I had once thought you.”
“I would think not! Thank you.”
“You are indeed more of a monstrous menace!”
Needless to say it was some time before the two of them stopped tossing hay about the place—giggling incessantly—and began to actually spin the stuff into gold. But once they got to work they toiled swiftly and efficiently. Rumple had made sure her hand was re-covered with a fresh strip of fabric before they began, since it had
come loose in the straw-tossing contest. Amazingly, the bandage ended up allowing them to work even more rapidly than the night before.
Even though there was a much greater multitude of the hay than previously, her fresh bandaging allowed the straw to grip easier and for her fingers to feed it into the string with better tension. The chore went so well, that they were actually finished a good hour or two before sunrise. However, they were not any less sore for their troubles and fatigue had settled upon them both greatly.
Rumple sat upon the floor, his back against the bed as he partook of the last of the apples. Aubrynn, too tired to even contemplate eating, gathered her skirts about her and sat down alongside him. He held one arm out and she quickly nuzzled her head into his chest, wrapping her hands about his waist for stability. He leisurely began to trail his fingers over her hair and back as she listened to the crunch-crunch sounds of the apple being eaten. She loved the way his chest rose and fell slightly with each action he took. And the way it was all so real and natural and perfect and easy to be next to him like this.
She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed very contentedly, the ticklish trails of pixie dust floating along her back and hair from his fingertips were all she could fully concentrate on.
When Rumple adjusted himself slightly to toss the core of the apple into the makeshift knapsack, she kept her eyes closed and held on tighter. Once he had settled again, she fell into the simple rise and fall of his breathing and the sanctuary she felt near him.
He watched her a moment and wrapped his other arm around her as well, for safekeeping. After a few minutes, he tried to tug one of her hands forward to inspect them for blisters but she grumbled against his shirt and so he let her be, just content to listen to the sweet sound of her breathing and take pleasure in the tenderness she provided to his aching bones.
Tonight proved to be equivalent to the day before. It was not comfortable for him to hold her, but it was worth the inconvenience it caused to have her so very close to his heart. Soon her breathing became more spaced out and her hold became just that bit more heavy and serene.
“Aubrynn,” he whispered against her brow. “Aubrynn, are you asleep?”
She stirred slightly, but there was no answer.
He grinned tiredly at those dark lashes as they brushed her beautiful cheeks. “I love you,” he murmured. When she did not respond, he continued softly—his heart warming at the admission, “I love you more than I ever thought possible to love a human being.” He waited again, when there was no reply he said, “It is true. No one has treated me as an equal before, other than Tilly. But you do even more than she did. She loved me, but was still somewhat scared of me and felt indubitably sorry for me.”
He waited a moment more, his lips brushing her forehead again, “Yet you, you do not feel those things overly much. You will still quarrel with me and toss hay at me and snuggle right against me as if I were someone special in your life. As if I were someone you could love forever.” He stared off at the spindle a moment and then over to the large gleaming piles of gold twice as high as yesterday, before kissing her brow again.
“Oh, Aubrynn, do you have any idea how much you have brightened my life these past couple of days? How you have truly enlightened my soul and allowed me to see the world so much more beautifully? Your heart is the epitome of everything good, my dear. It is you. You think it is me, but no—I know better. I am not half as good as you are. Would I have cared for you the same if our roles were reversed? I am afraid not. And I know of no one who would have acted as you have done. For no other woman would have seen me as you do, all full of scars and twisted as I am and seen past this shell and treated me as you do. You are goodness divine. And I will always love you.”
He closed his eyes and continued to whisper, “No matter what happens tomorrow, no matter where this road takes us both, I will be your ally forever. And I will move heaven and earth, literally, to come to your aid whenever you require it.”
Looking down at her arms encircling him, he grinned, before kissing her brow tenderly again. “Oh, how I would have loved to have raised a child with you and held that dear son or daughter and chased them and cuddled them and loved them as you have taught me. Oh, how I would have loved all of that—but, my dear, I do not believe it will be so. I do not see how it can be. I am not allowed the happiness you are, my sweet.” He paused a moment before taking a deep silent breath. “I will never be allowed it. For you will never, truly be mine.
“Sleep on, little one, sleep on until morning, for I fear it will be my last night with you, eternally. And I would rather have this once more to remember with the aches and pains that will accompany such actions than a lifetime of remorse for not holding you when I had the opportunity. So sleep, angel, sleep. I am here to hold you and provide you the strength to face the morrow.”
His shoulders began to shake. He could not speak another word; only think the last of it all. I love you. A thousand times I love. You possess every inch of my heart. And I thank you, dear maiden, I thank you for everything.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE POUNDING ON THE door woke Aubrynn with a start.
“Aubrynn Sloat, are you awake yet? I have come to collect my gold,” came the shout of the king.
Clearly he was not a happy being this early in the morning. She looked out the window, it was still dark—the sun had not even come up yet!
Rumple stirred within her arms as she responded back, “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I have just awoken. Please allow a moment for me to attend myself and I will permit you to enter shortly.”
“So King Marcus has come to interrupt our slumber and collect his gold,” he muttered beside her.
“Yes, it would seem so. “ She pulled away and smiled sleepily at the lovely crooked man beside her. Silently, she leaned forward and placed a kiss upon his cheek and whispered, “Thank you for holding me and allowing me to use you as a pillow.”
His hand snaked up and captured her chin, his mouth finding hers in a perfectly delectable good morning kiss.
“Hmm…” she moaned into him, before kissing him one last time and pulling back.
He watched her lazily before stretching and then stifling a groan. He was so very stiff. “You are welcome to my chest anytime you wish to use me.” He yawned and stretched again.
She ran her hand over the bowed front of his shirt while he stretched. “Are you certain it does not harm you to have me sleeping like that?”
“Do you not believe I would tell you if you were hurting me?”
She climbed to her feet, her taut legs protesting. “Yes,” she whispered, “it seems exactly like something you would do—never mentioning the fact that I am most likely killing you.”
“Killing me? My goodness!” He attempted to raise himself up off the ground, but his elbows and shoulders and hands would not cooperate. With a thud, he crashed back down. He moaned and exhaled, eager to let out an expletive of some sort, but held his tongue in her presence.
“Rumple!” She rushed forward, forgetting for a moment to be quiet. “Are you hurt?”
“What did you say?” bellowed the king. “May I come in now?”
“Just a moment more,” she quickly answered, her eyes meeting Rumple’s.
Already the lock began to click.
“No!” shouted Aubrynn. She hurried to the door and blocked it. “Sir! I have not finished dressing. Please allow me the courtesy of some more time.”
“You have one minute more and then I am coming in,” came the terse reply. “I do not appreciate having to wait.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Aubrynn waved at Rumple to get up, but he was clearly stuck. His legs were so stiff his joints had failed him. “I am hurrying as fast as I can,” she called back for good measure.
“I believe I will—I will need some help.”
“Certainly, I am here.” She came around to his shoulders and, pulling from behind, attempted to heave and push him into standing position. “Let us do this qui
ckly now.”
“My legs are so sore, the joints will not allow for much give this morning.” He attempted to use his arms again to lift himself, but yet again they failed him. “I am sorry, my dear.”
“Shh…it is fine.”
She grunted and lifted with all her might.
Rumple regained his footing from sheer grit and determination of Aubrynn’s will alone. “You did it!” But then awkwardly lunged forward, his hands balancing himself on the spindle. “I do—I do not feel so well.” His breathing became extremely labored all of the sudden.
“Use your stone!” she hissed. “What have you done with it? Let me get it for you, so that you may fly out of here. It is obviously too painful to walk.” She glanced about the room and then back at him. “Where have you—?”
Pain clearly laced his features. His arms were trembling so much she was afraid he would slip from his hold upon the wooden spindle. His mouth began to take on a life of its own as he began to choke and gasp before her.”
“Rumple? What can I do? What do you need? Tell me!” she whispered.
All at once, his legs began to dance and quiver about too.
“No, no, no.” She held onto his waist. “Hold steady, my dear, hold steady a moment longer.”
Rumple’s hips burst from her grasp and lunged forward.
Aubrynn’s throat tightened as she watched him lose all control and collapse to the ground again. She was only able to catch one arm from flailing himself in the face, but could not stop the rest of him from falling. “Rumple, what is happening?” She knelt before his quivering form, lugging him on his back. “What is it?”
His eyes were gone from her—staring up at the ceiling for moments and then gone completely from view as they rolled around while he stuttered and jittered about. It was quite positively the most frightening thing she had ever witnessed before. “Rumplestiltskin!” she hissed. “What can I do? Tell me, please! Come back to me!” She leaned over to capture his shuddering face between her palms. “What is it? Do not leave me now, whatever has happened, please do not leave me now!”
