Chapter Four

54 1 0
                                    

The town was bustling with people from all the nearby villages; gathered in flocks around stalls, desperate to fetch what they had travelled for, no matter how much pushing and shoving it took. Eleanor and Katherine noticed that the town was far busier than usual that day, the stalls were crowded and could barely be seen, most noticeably the bread stall they once stood at for hours on end without a single soul giving them a glance. They manoeuvred their way through the sea of people, desperate to see their father for assurance of his wellbeing.
"Father! Father!" Eleanor yelled above the last few people that stood between the girls and their happy reunion.
Upon reaching the stall they expected his smile to broaden as it usually would in their presence, unfortunately, they were greeted with the complete opposite. The moment he laid eyes on his daughters, a frown formed on his face.
"What are you doing here? Did you escape? You have to leave immediately, go back to Rumplestiltskin! If he finds you here he'll take back everything, I won't let that happen!" He rambled at them, practically screaming by the end of his sentence.
Many had noticed the commotion and the crowd begun to disperse until only a few remained, people who likely enjoyed listening to the village gossip and spreading rumours themselves.
"Father please we didn't esc-" Katherine started, before being interrupted.
"I don't care what you have to say, letting you go was hard enough, I won't have you come back only to have everything else torn away from me. I finally have the success I deserve; your mother and I are happy"
Katherine prepared to argue their case, explain that they hadn't escaped but in fact were given permission to go into town as long as they returned before nightfall, Rumplestiltskin made that rule very clear; not for their safety, but because he didn't wish to waste time finding another competent maid. Eleanor prevented her from saying anything, instead grasping her sister's arm and tugging her away from the hungry eyes that eagerly watched the quarrel, desperate for any hope of obtaining gossip to spread far and wide about the girls who lived with their rabid mother. Katherine struggled against Eleanor's grip at first but her sister was far stronger and she soon gave in. Once back into the main town square they looked at each other, tears threatening to spill from their glassed eyes, and simply exhaled a sigh of defeat in unison.
"I suppose we should continue fetching the items on the list, Rumplestiltskin will be awfully cross if we return without attempting to complete our errands" Katherine spoke, her voice barely audible.
"Of course," Eleanor began, a small smile on her face; she had to be strong, Katherine often let her emotions overpower her and Eleanor was her anchor, "let's go" she said, linking their arms together as they continued to fetch what they needed.

The moment they arrived back at the castle, Rumplestiltskin's shrill voice could be heard echoing throughout the halls. They found him in his usual place; the main dining room, only he wasn't alone.
"I told you dearie, a deal you make cannot be broken. You've crossed me once before and I'd be a fool to give you the chance to do so twice" with a flick of his wrist the middle aged man that stood before him turned into a handkerchief that Rumplestiltskin tucked into his pocket.
At this point the girls had adjusted to seeing people transformed into animals or objects on a daily basis. Katherine merely rolled her eyes and informed her sister that she'd be upstairs reading if she was needed and bowed to Rumplestiltskin before leaving. He nodded his head, acknowledging her respect and giving her permission to leave. Eleanor brought forward the items that they had collected in town, and lay them on the table, preparing to organise and store them. "I Imagine you found time to visit the bread stall?" He mused, jolting Eleanor from her own thoughts.
"Yes, we did" she smiled to herself, knowing he had every intention of them seeing their father again, though he likely hadn't predicted what exactly would occur. Remembering what had happened in the town, she hung her head in sadness.
"And? Did he achieve everything I promised he would?"
"Yes. So much in fact that he couldn't stand the thought of giving it up"
"W-what are you talking about dearie?" He stuttered, seemingly surprised at what she said.
"We tried to approach him and he practically shunned us, started shouting about how he couldn't lose everything he'd achieved and that we should come back here immediately. He thought we'd escaped"
"If he had any intelligence at all he would know that I'd never let anyone escape; prisoner or guest" He said, raising his eyebrows at the sheer stupidity.
Eleanor suddenly found herself becoming increasingly upset as Katherine was no longer in her presence to force her to keep her emotions in check. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks; betraying her. Rumplestiltskin was unsure of what to do.
"There there dearie," he started, offering her the handkerchief that was a human man only twenty minutes prior, "surely a man willing to give up his children so quickly is a man that does not deserve children at all. I could burn his stall down if you'd like? Or perhaps reduce him to nothing more than dust, a state I believe he deserves" he lightly patted her shoulder twice, unfamiliar with the common procedure for situations like the one he was currently in.
"That won't be necessary, though I greatly appreciate the offer. I suppose you're right, he no longer deserves us, my apologies sir" she quickly spoke, gliding her way across the room and towards the door, preparing to retire to her chambers for the night.
"Eleanor?" he called out after her, she couldn't help but notice this was the first time he had used her name when directly speaking to her.
"Yes, sir?" She looked over her shoulder to find him standing just a few feet behind her.
"Never apologise for something you cannot control, instead, learn to control it," he advised, conjuring a flame in his hand, something that always impressed Eleanor; the fascination evident on her face, "I could teach you someday" he offered.
"I'd like that very much sir"
"Oh please dearie, such formalities are not necessary. Call me Rumplestiltskin," he rolled his 'R' again, something Eleanor had noticed he always did when introducing or naming himself, "you should rest," then, at the risk of sounding too sincere, he added "you have a lot of errands to run tomorrow, can't have my maid not working to the best of her ability"
"Of course. Goodnight, Rumplestiltskin"
"Goodnight, Eleanor" he whispered, unsure of whether she heard him. The smile on her face as she bounded down the hallway implied that she had; though she would not let him know.

Prove Me Wrong (Rumple X OC. Hook X OC)Where stories live. Discover now