The Beast's Apprentice- An OUAT Fanfiction

10 - Surprises

Ember Pov

My teeth chittered as I sat on the highest branch I could reach. I didn't know how long I'd been up there, but I knew it was going to be dark soon. In the distance, I could see the sky changing colors, hues of orange and violet making way for the deep blue of nightfall. I shuddered, thinking how much colder it would be then. Still, I stayed put. I was not going back inside to deal with Rumpelstiltskin right now.

I'd rather freeze to death.

I crossed my arms and looked stubbornly out on the horizon. I could see the nearest village and all its lights. I sighed. It must've been nice. A blast of chilly air hit me, and I wrapped my arms around myself. I really should've brought a cloak.

This was Rumpelstiltskin's fault. He'd told me from the very beginning that the castle was my home. He'd never designated any particular rooms where I couldn't go. As I had been turning over in my head this whole time, the room had been completely unguarded and unlocked. If he didn't want me in there, the door would've been locked like any of the other restricted areas of the castle. And why was he so damn defensive over a couple of rags? From what I saw, they were ages old and falling apart at the seams.

I shifted in my seat on the branch and winced as I bumped my side. He'd thrown me against the wall rather hard, and after careful testing, I'd deduced that something must've been broken or cracked. It hurt like hell to even move, and sometimes, even to just breathe. It was miracle I'd even managed to get in this tree. When I climbed it, I was running on pure adrenaline, and I'd barely felt anything. Now that I was calm, I knew getting down would be a pain in the ass. I huffed in annoyance, reminding myself again that this was all his fault.

A few more minutes passed and the sky grew darker. The cold air was starting to really bother me, and I could barely feel my fingers. Holding them to my mouth, I tried to warm them.

"What on earth are you doing up there?"

I jumped in surprise and looked down. When I saw Rumpelstiltskin, I scowled. "Must you sneak up on me all the time?"

"It's not my fault you were absent-minded. With all these leaves on the ground, you should've heard me coming."

I gave him a dark expression before turning away. My anger rejuvenated, I crossed my arms and braced myself against the chill. Leaves blew around, seemingly shuddering on my behalf.

"Are you going to stay up there all night?" he asked, sounding impatient.

I didn't look down. "What do you care?"

"I don't."

"Then leave."

I heard him take in a breath. "Stop being so stubborn. It's freezing out here."

"Well, I wouldn't be out here if you hadn't attacked me," I snapped.

"Then you shouldn't have been in my study."

I turned, glaring down at him. "And how was I supposed to know that? Or did I miss some giant, lit up sign that said 'off-limits'? In that case, my mistake. You should definitely fling me into another stone wall."

For a moment we fell back into silence, me staring out into the distance again. When he finally spoke, it wasn't what I was expecting.

"I saw you leave the castle." He paused. "Why did you return?"

"Because of our deal," I said simply, "I don't back out on my promises. No matter how insufferable you are, I will uphold my end of the deal." I looked to him, seeing him still standing at the foot of the tree with his hands on his hips. "You can leave, by the way. I'll be in later."