Beauty and the Dream Demon

Chapter Eleven: Visiting the Past

Later that day, Maddie was reading out in the garden. It was the same area where George tried to pick a rose for Jack. She found this part of the castle nice. And it was a quiet place to read. As she read, Jack walked over to her, wearing a winter cloak given to him by the staff.

"What are you reading?" Jack asked Maddie

Maddie quickly closed the book, "Nothing."

But Jack saw the title as he walked to sit next to her, "Guinevere and Lancelot."

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

Jack hummed, "Still... it's a romance."

"All right," Maddie admitted

Jack just smiled fondly. But to discuss books was not why he was there.

"I never thanked you for saving my life," Jack said looking up at her

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

Jack laughed at her 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. Maddie turned to the noise, smiling fondly at her staff having a good time. Especially in such a rough time.

"They know how to have a good time," Jack commented

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

Jack sighed, "Me too," Maddie looked at him in curiosity, "The villagers say that I'm a funny man... but I'm not sure they mean it as a compliment."

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

Jack gave a small laugh, "Almost as lonely as your castle."

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

Jack looked at her slightly confused. So, Maddie took him to the library. There, she took a book from a shelf that hadn't been touched in years. As she unlocked it, she explained that the book was another gift from the Enchantress. A book that allowed her to escape. Maddie 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. Maddie felt as if the book was the Enchantress's cruelest trick of all.

To have a book that could take her anywhere in the world and not be able to go anywhere just because of her appearance. But she knew that Jack could get better use out of it. Maddie put Jack's hand on the book, telling him to imagine a place he had always wanted to go. As Jack thought of where he 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?" Maddie asked Jack

"Paris," Jack said, looking around the windmill

"Oh, I love Paris!" Maddie 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," Jack continued to look around the windmill

As he looked around, Jack 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,' Jack picked up a rattle in the shape of a rose and sat on the bed, 'is gone...'

Maddie suddenly realised why Jack had taken them here. Judging by his words, this was once his home. But there's one detail in Jack's life that Maddie was curious about.

"What happened to your mother?" Maddie asked

"It was the one story Papa could never bring himself to tell," Jack explained, "I knew better than to ask."

On a chair near her, Maddie found an old, discarded mask.

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

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

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

All Jack could muster was, "Let's go home."

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

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

Templeton was cut off when he saw George, alive, and having some food with Pere.

"George!" Templeton said, sounding happy yet shocked that the man had survived the night.

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

"Jane," the keeper spoke up, "did you try to kill George?"

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

"You tried to kill me," George 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."

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

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

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

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

"Monsieur Templeton," George said, looking over at him, "He was there. He saw it all."

"Me?" Templeton asked, unsure whether or not to tell the truth or stick to Jane.

"You're right. Don't take my word for it. Templeton..." Jane put her hands on Templeton's shoulders, "my dearest companion... did I, your oldest friend and most loyal compatriot, try to kill the father of the only man I've ever loved?"

"Well, it's a complicated question on a number of accounts..." Jane turned Templeton to her, giving a look that practically threatened him to side with her, "But no. No, she 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, George walked up to Jane to slap her. But Jane grabbed his wrist, stopping George from hitting her. Jane twisted George's hand to the side, stopping him from trying.

"George.. it pains me to say this, but you've become a danger to yourself and others. No wonder Jack ran away. You need help, sir. A place to heal your troubled mind," Jane nodded to three men, becoming them over, "Everything's going to be fine. Just fine."