Princess Rumpelstiltskin | ONC 2024

Chapter Five

The bell is on the shelf at the end of the corridor outside the spinning room, exactly where Rumpelstiltskin said it would be. A little round bell in the shape of a tulip beneath a plain oaken handle. Similar in design to the one hanging by the door in Rosa's room.

The tinkling of the bell fills the corridor for a moment before silence swallows the echo.

The sound of distant footsteps hurriedly walking away comes bouncing around the end of the corridor before they too are swallowed by silence.

"Okay, Rosa." She whispers under her breath. "Step one was ring the bell. Step two is wait."

There are no chairs or ledges in the corridor, or in the spinning room. The stool Rumpelstiltskin was sitting on was flung against the wall in the accident and one of the legs has broken off.

Rosa settles for pacing around the room, marvelling at the glimmering spools of thick golden thread piled at the far end.

She picks up a spool, turning it over in her hand. It's heavy, a solid weight in her palm. Real gold. She holds it close to her face; although it's hard to tell with all the bales lining the walls, whatever spell Rumpelstiltskin used to create gold from straw, also seems to have erased the dry dusty hay smell.

"Real magic." She whispers. "Incredible."

Thump, thump, thump. Clack, clack, clack.

Rosa drops the spool at the sound of multiple approaching footsteps.

If you're going to go out there and walk around in my body, you follow my rules. Rule 1) Always keep the veil down around people. Rumpelstiltskin's instructions shout in the back of Rosa's mind, and she hastily flips down the veil.

The door opens to reveal two armoured knights flanking a dark-haired man in a butler uniform.

He is not the Head Butler, at least Rosa thinks he isn't. Rosa met him once, just after she woke up; she vaguely remembers ashen hair and happy wrinkles framing sea-green eyes, neither of which this man has. By the pin on his lapel and the confident serenity he exudes, he is most likely one of the two aide-de-camps working for the Head Butler.

They step into the room. "You rang."

"Yes. I did." She rolls back her shoulders and straightens her spine, wincing at the audible crack that accompanies the motion. "The wheel has broken. I need a carpenter to reassemble it. Inform His Majesty that I will be leaving for two days to collect the necessary tools to finalise the repairs."

The aide looks bored, voice monotone as they reply. "There is no need for delay. We can have a replacement wheel brought in."

"No!" The knight's shift imperceptibly forward at the growling shout that bursts from Rosa before she can stop it.

"I mean." She clears her throat. "It must be this one. It's magic. Right?"

Rule 2) When you talk to people, be confident and give nothing away.

She squares her shoulders; Rosa's thankful the veil hides her face; she can feel her nerves buzzing under the skin. "Its magic is invaluable to me. I cannot fulfil my contract without it."

The aide moves closer to the broken wheel, lips pursed as he nudges a wooden leg with his foot. He glances at Rosa, back at his accompanying knights, and then back at Rosa again. A heavy sigh whistles past his teeth.

"Very well." He gestures to the taller of two knights. "Sir Aarons here will escort you to the stables." The man remains standing with his hand pointing to the knight.

A few heartbeats pass before the Knight nods, slowly.

"It's settled." The aide drops his hand and spins on his heel. One knight follows him out, while the other remains.