Beauty and the Squid

Chapter Eleven: Visiting The Past

Later that day, Squidward was reading out in the garden. It was the same area where Maddie tried to pick a rose for (Y/N). He found this part of the castle nice. And it was a quiet place to read. As he read, (Y/N) walked over to him, wearing a winder cloak given to her by the staff.

"What are you reading?" (Y/N) asked Squidward

Squidward quickly closed the book, "Nothing."

But (Y/N) saw the title as she walked to sit next to him, "Guinevere and Lancelot."

"Well, actually, King Arthur and the Round Table. Knights and men and swords and things.

(Y/N) hummed, "Still... it's a romance."

"All right," Squidward admitted

(Y/N) just smiled fondly. But to discuss books was not why she was there.

"I never thanked you for saving my life," (Y/N) said looking up at him

"Well, I never thanked you for not leaving me to be eaten by wolves," Squidward said, adding to the thank yous

(Y/N) laughed at his comment, knowing they both had something to thank each other for. In the distance, the two could hear the castle staff in the kitchen, having so much fun. Squidward turned to the noise, smiling fondly at his staff having a good time. Especially in such a rough time.

"They know how to have a good time," (Y/N) commented

"Yes," Squidward agreed, "But when I enter the room, laughter dies."

(Y/N) sighed, "Me too," Squidward looked at her in curiosity, "The villagers say that I'm a funny girl... but I'm not sure they mean it as a compliment."

"I'm sorry," Squidward apologised before trying to lighten the mood, "Your village sounds terrible."

(Y/N) gave a small laugh, "Almost as lonely as your castle."

Squidward then got an idea, "What do you say we run away?"

(Y/N) looked at him slightly confused. So, Squidward took her to the library. There, he took a book from a shelf that hadn't been touched in years. As he unlocked it, he explained that the book was another gift from the Mermaid Princess. A book that allowed him to escape. Squidward blew the dust off the pages before placing it on a book stand. On the pages was a map of the world with golden smoke floating around it. Erik felt as if the book was the Princess's cruelest trick of all.

To have a book that could take him anywhere in the world and not be able to go anywhere just because of his appearance. But he knew that (Y/N) could get better use out of it. Squidward put (Y/N)'s hand on the book, telling her to imagine a place she had always wanted to go. As (Y/N) thought of where she wanted to go, the golden smoke started to rise as it took them to a windmill just outside of Paris. Like the others around it, the windmill wasn't in great condition. Everyone had left a long time ago.

"Where did you take us?" Squidward asked (Y/N)

"Paris," (Y/N) said, looking around the windmill

"Oh, I love Paris!" Squidward walked over to the window, "What would you like to see first? Notre Dame, The Champs-Élysées... No? Too touristy?"

"It's so much smaller than I imagined," (Y/N) continued to look around the windmill

As she looked around, (Y/N) found some old drawings left on a chair. One of them was a sketch of a baby.

'This is the Paris of my childhood. These were the borders of my life. In this crumbling, dusty attic, where an artist loved his wife. Easy to remember, harder to move on knowing the Paris of my childhood,' (Y/N) picked up a rattle in the shape of a rose and sat on the bed, 'is gone...'

Squidward suddenly realised why (Y/N) had taken them here. Judging by her words, this was once her home. But there's one detail in (Y/N)'s life that Squidward was curious about.

"What happened to your father?" Squidward asked

"It was the one story Mama could never bring herself to tell," (Y/N) explained, "I knew better than to ask."

On a chair near him, Squidward found an old, discarded mask.

"Oh. A doctor's mask," Squidward picked it up and examined it, only to realise what kind of mask it was, "Plague."

(Y/N)'s father had died of the plague. A dangerous disease that had ever fallen upon Paris. As a final request, her father told Maddie to take (Y/N) away before it could take her too. So, Maddie did just that, taking (Y/N) to the village to start anew, leaving her dear husband to succumb to his illness alone. Now realising how terrible Maddie and (Y/N)'s past was, Squidward finally spoke up, saying something he should've said a long time ago:

"I'm sorry I ever called your father a thief," Squidward apologised, sounding genuine in his apology.

All (Y/N) could muster was, "Let's go home."

Squidward was surprised at (Y/N) calling the castle 'home' but he didn't argue and the two returned to the castle. Meanwhile, back in the village, Squilliam and Patrick finally arrived back. It was storming outside. Patrick had been trying his best the whole trip back to convince Squilliam to go back for Maddie to set her free. He felt bad for her and knew that what Squilliam had done was so cruel. But Squilliam had no intentions of going back. He had his plan and he was sticking with it. So, the two just entered the tavern where Patrick voiced why he was trying to convince Squilliam to help Maddie.

"It's just... every time I close my eyes, I picture Maddie stranded alone. And then when I open them, she's..."

Patrick was cut off when he saw Maddie, alive, and having some food with Pere.

"Maddie!" Patrick said, sounding happy yet shocked that the woman had survived the night.

But everyone had been told of what Squilliam had done and what he tried to do. And a lot of the villagers weren't happy.

"Squilliam," the keeper spoke up, "did you try to kill Maddie?"

Squilliam decided to play dumb, "Maddie! Thank heavens! I've spent the last five days trying to find you."

"You tried to kill me," Maddie argued, "You left me to the wolves."

"Wolves? It's one thing to rave about your delusions. It's another to accuse me of attempted murder."

"Maddie..." Jean spoke up, "Do you have any proof of what you're saying?"

"Ask Mindy," Maddie pointed to Mindy who was warming up by the fire, "She rescued me."

Squilliam laughed, "Mindy! You'd hang your accusations on the testimony of a filthy hag? No offense, Mindy."

Mindy gave a quick raise of her eyebrows, showing that she took no offense. So, Maddie turned to the only other witness.

"Monsieur Patrick," Maddie said, looking over at him, "He was there. He saw it all."

"Me?" Patrick asked, unsure whether or not to tell the truth or stick to Squilliam.

"You're right. Don't take my word for it. Patrick..." Squilliam put his hands on Patrick's shoulders, "My dearest companion... did I, your oldest friend and most loyal compatriot, try to kill the mother of the only woman I've ever loved?"

"Well, it's a complicated question on a number of accounts..." Squilliam turned Patrick to him, giving a look that practically threatened him to side with him, "But no. No, he did not."

Everyone mumbled at this sudden news. The only other people who were there had both lied their way into being innocent. Angered by this, Maddie walked up to Squilliam to slap him. But Squilliam grabbed her wrist, stopping Maddie from hitting him. Squilliam twisted Maddie's hand to the side, stopping her from trying.

"Maddie... it pains me to say this, but you've become a danger to yourself and others. No wonder (Y/N) ran away. You need help, Miss. A place to heal your troubled mind," Squilliam nodded to three men, becoming them over, "Everything's going to be fine. Just fine."