Rumplestiltskin (7 page)

Her eyes caught his; there was great pain within their depths. “Rumple, are you hurt? The fall must have damaged something. Your knee perhaps? Your ankle?”

He shook his head, those eyes regaining their sparkle. “Look at you! The mother hen, clucking about in great anxiety.”

She gasped. “I am not a mother hen and I do not cluck.” Tucking her feet further under her, she moved closer, her arm going across his chest. “Though I do worry about you. Are you sure you are fine?”

“I will be shortly, as long as you stay next to me a few minutes more.”

She looked up to the rafters before grinning down at him. “You are incorrigible. And you will not tell me what is wrong, will you?”

“Most likely not.”

She worried her lip—her teeth tugging and pulling on it. “Why ever not? Should not someone know what ails you so they can be of assistance?”

“Do you know how beautiful you are?”

“No.” She blushed. “And it will not do to change the subject.”

“Why not?”

“Because you are in pain, that is why! And we simply do not need to be discussing my looks with you sprawled about on the floor in agony.”

“But what if those looks dim the agony a bit and make me remember only how glorious it is to get to know such a maiden as you? Then is it proper to speak of her beauty?”

“Rumplestiltskin!”

“Yes, Mother Hen?”

She groaned and giggled and lied right down upon his chest. “You are hopeless.”

He reached down and ran his hand through her long, soft, dark hair. And then said quietly, “So I have been told many times.”

“Hmm…” she muttered into his warm frame. His fingers causing ripples of explosions through her whole back at his touch. “I could fall asleep right here, this instant.”

Though his back ached greatly from the extra pressure she caused, he could not think of anything more dear to him in all the world than a few minutes more spent with her sleeping upon his chest. “It was exhausting, but we did it.”

She tilted her face to the side, loving the gentle feel of his hand. “You did it.”

“We both did.”

“Yes, but without you I would have—I would have…what would I have done without you?”

“Shh…” he whispered. “I was here. I would not have left you alone, anyway. I would have always come.”

She turned and pressed a kiss upon his stiff shirt. “Thank you.”

“You are most welcome.” He sighed. His chest heaving up and carrying Aubrynn as he did so. “However, there is one small problem in all of this.”

“And what is that?”

“The king will be back any moment and he cannot find me here.”

“Oh! You are right!” Aubrynn went to pull away, but his crooked fingers caught her and held her against him.

“Just a bit longer, please?”

She snuggled back down. “I am not hurting you, am I?”

“No,” he lied. “Just give me a few seconds longer of humanity, before I have to face the world again.”

She grinned against his shirt. “Is that all you need then? I can definitely provide that.”

“Well, some humanity and maybe a kiss too.”

“What?”

“Yes, I think I most definitely need a kiss.”

“Rumple!” She came up enough to see his mischievous eyes.

“What?” He blinked. “A man can dream, can he not?”

She flushed bright red. “Of course, he can. Though I probably
could
give you a small token of my affection for all you have done for me.” Goodness! What was she saying? She went even more red.

Rumple laughed. “Come here, you.” He pulled her right up his chest to about an inch or so from his very handsome lips. “Can I kiss you, my fair maiden? Just once more?”

All at once Aubrynn had forgotten how to breathe or speak. “I, uh—” she croaked out. Clearing her throat she tried again. “Uh, yes. Yes, you may.”

In a sudden burst of seriousness, Rumple’s smile dropped. His gaze taking in every millimeter of the amazing woman before him. She was truly beyond anything he could have ever imagined. Slowly, his hands wound themselves up to her neck and head and then carefully, as if she were the most delicate china, he brought her mouth to his.

Aubrynn sighed as his soft lips caressed her mouth, her lashes fluttering shut. Nothing had ever seemed so perfect before. His lips tugged and pulled and searched hers until she thought she would melt, sending a series of exciting sparkles throughout her whole form.

It was by far the most deliciously wonderful thing she had ever done.

And she never, ever wanted to stop.

“Aubrynn Sloat!” the voice bellowed beyond the door. “It is I, the king. Do I have permission to enter and see if you have achieved all that your father promised me you would? Am I a rich man soon to have a bride? Or will your father be hanged?”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

RUMPLE PULLED AWAY FROM her and then quickly came in for another swift kiss as she was attempting to scramble to her feet. “I do not wish to stop,” he murmured into her mouth.

“Nor I,” she whispered back.

“Do you think he will go away if we are silent?”

She grinned. “You are completely impossible.”

He kissed her cheek and then let her go, his eyes dancing before her. “Yes, I know.”

The king pounded on the door this time. “Awake maiden and speak to me or I will burst through this door.”

“I am up, Your Majesty. A moment please to arrange myself,” she called out.

“And that would be my cue,” Rumple hissed. Holding his hand out, he allowed her to assist him to his feet. “Hand me the bundle of food and I will hide it here in the passageway for you.”

She quickly did as he asked and fetched the striped stone too. The room was still a bit in shambles with straw littering the floor, but that could not be helped now. “Hurry, please. And be safe.”

There was a distinct limp that was not there before as he hobbled over to the hidden door.

“You are hurt!” she cried on a whisper as she followed him.

“Shh…I am fine. Just stiff.” He silently cracked the panel of stone a bit and looked into her worried face. Such a heart as she had, such a sweetness. His own heart beat wildly within his chest and he promptly kissed her once more. “Good luck.” He stepped through onto the stairs. Bouncing down a step or two he placed the bundle next to the door.

“Thank you,” she called as he closed her off into her own room again.

“Maiden!” The king was clearly an impatient man.

In her eagerness to allow the king in, Aubrynn did not have a moment to truly dread the prospect of him coming. Indeed, she was quite eager to show the miracle before her. She smiled. “You may come in now. I am ready.”

Immediately the large clanking lock clicked and King Marcus was in the room. His eyes frantically going around until he beheld the piles of gold. “You have done it!” he exclaimed in a hushed tone. “You, my dear, are simply wondrous!”

He walked over to the coiled piles and tried to lift one. It was simply too heavy without the magic stone. “My, they are real!” His hands caressed the gold lovingly, and he seemed a bit entranced by it all. “So beautiful. So perfect. So, so, so incredible!” He spun around and stared at the tired maiden before him. Sprigs of straw stuck out all over her. She looked worn and exhausted, but happy. Indeed she should be happy! She had just secured herself a king for a husband.

“Do you know what this means, my dear Aubrynn?” He came forward and clasped her hands within his, not noticing the wince in her eyes as the blisters rubbed. “It means you and I will have a very prosperous life together.”

She blinked her large brown eyes at him, her brain too fuzzy and focused on the pain to fully comprehend all that he was saying. “So you are happy then? You are well pleased?”

“Happy?” He barked out a laugh. “My dear maiden, you have made me much more than happy! I am exuberant! I am ecstatic! I am so well pleased with you, I mean to move you out of this room this very instant and do something simply divine with you! Something—something to reward you for your tremendous talents.” Wildly he picked her up and spun her around.

“But wait!” She was a bit dizzy when he set her down again. “Can I not sleep first? Do you mind terribly if I slept for some hours before any such thanks are given?”

“Oh! Yes! You must sleep. You must. You must keep up your strength.”

“Thank you.”

The king let her go and walked back over to the gold—touching it again for several minutes before saying, “This is simply not enough, though. We will most definitely need more.”

“More?” Aubrynn’s stomach dropped. “Truly? There is not enough there now?” Her fingers began to ache again.

“Oh, no!” He spun around to look at her—then checked himself when he saw the girl’s face. “You, we—how else will we be able to afford the type of wedding we hope to have? How will we be able to secure the castle from our enemies and see that it is fine and decorated in the greatest of fashion for those who wish to visit? Aubrynn! No! I am afraid we have only just begun!”

The girl collapsed on her bottom. Right onto the stone floor. It was too much, she was too exhausted. Neither her nor Rumple would be able to do all he would require of her. She felt like weeping.

He rushed forward and knelt before her. “Aubrynn, you must see that this is the best way. You must.”

She shook her head and covered her face with her sore hands. The last thought in the world would be to do this all over again. She simply could not imagine it.

Instantly, the king’s tone changed. She felt the room shift before she heard him stand up. “You will stop this nonsense and do as I have asked and you will be grateful for it too!”

She kept her head in her hands, not willing to risk his wrath more.

“Aubrynn Sloat, I command you to finish this. You will create all the gold this kingdom requires or I will hang you! Do you understand me?”

When she did not move he shouted, “Look at me!”

Slowly she removed her hands and looked up at his forceful features—her own glaring back at him. With great strength, she stood to her full height and placed her hands on her hips. “Then kill me now. I am done working for you. You are cruel and selfish and will only use this gold to better yourself—thinking nothing of your subjects. If this is what marriage to a king will be like—eternal selfish slavery—then take your gold and destroy me! For I will not have it!”

He grabbed her arm, yanking her toward his face. “You will never speak to your king in such a way again, madam. I am not in the habit of being told what to do.” He brought his hand up and to strike her, but then changed his mind at the last moment. “Sleep here!” He thrust her away from him and toward the small bed. I was going to allow you to sleep in the one of the castle suites, but I can see you need to be reminded who your betters are. “Guards!” he called out. “Guards bring me the girl’s father! Fetch him from the village and be prompt!”

She could hear the heavy footsteps of the guards making their way down the spiral staircase. “What will you do to him?” she asked.

The king smiled. “Everything I wish to do to you right this moment.” He stepped forward, loving the way she scurried away from him and onto the bed. “You almost made me lose my temper with you and that would not do, would it?” He stopped and brought a hand up to inspect his ring. “No, my dear
queen
,” he spoke softly down at the bright red stone, “you are about to make me a very rich man. And just think, when you do, I will love you forever.”

She swallowed. “And if I refuse?”

His striking blue eyes met hers as he raised one thick dark eyebrow. “Then a hanging for your father will not be sufficient. I shall simply make him pay for your every crime and outburst and willful stubbornness. I will torture him, my dear.”

She gasped.

“And if you are not careful, I shall make you watch as well.”

“You are evil! Pure evil!”

He raised a hand up in a cautionary gesture. “Careful, my dear. He is all ready going to receive several lashings as a result of this instance. I suggest you mind your manners and be a good girl, or you will live to regret it.”

Clenching her jaw, Aubrynn remained silent. Clasping her shaking hands together, she lowered her eyes and willed herself to remain calm. The blisters stung.

“Do we have an agreement?” he asked smoothly. “You will do all I ask, correct?”

“Yes,” she muttered.

“Good. Rest, my little one. For in a few more hours, I shall have the servants remove this gold and bring up twice as much hay—to be completed on the morrow.” He leaned down and pulled her hands from her lap. Inspecting them from side to side, his fingers lightly tracing the blisters. “Tsk. Tsk. It is a great loss for royalty to lose their hands like this, however—they will be well enough soon. As long as you do as I ask.” He pinched one large blister on her forefinger, causing the fluid to spill upon her hand and onto her lap. She did not flinch. “I wonder how many blisters I can produce on the Sloat family today. It will be a very interesting game to play, perhaps.”

She kept her eyes lowered and remained silent.

“Good girl. You are learning. I can see you and I will be friends again shortly. Enjoy your rest. You shall need it. I will be back again tomorrow.”

And with that, he was gone.

CHAPTER TWELVE

AUBRYNN CURLED UP UPON the makeshift bed and covered herself with one of the blankets available. She was so very exhausted; she did not even allow her mind to wander toward all that will be happening now. Instead, she focused on the great feeling of heaviness that came over her. Allowing her eyes to drift shut, she let out one sob of remorse and fatigue and fell directly to sleep.

She slept so deeply and for so long Rumple began to be worried. The guards had already come in and changed the gold out, carrying each coil between three of them at once down the steps. Once they removed all the gold, they then came back with twice as much stacks of hay than before for her to transform.

After he had awoken from his nap, Rumplestiltskin had made his way into the kitchens to find out what he could of the girl and what Marcus had chosen to do. It took no time at all to apprehend from the servants she had defied the king and was now asleep, awaiting another long night of spinning straw into gold.