The Dragon King

Chapter Thirteen

Meadowpeak

    Levi sat in a red cushioned chair, rope tied around his hands. He glared at the woman on the other end of the table with fire ablaze in his eyes.

    Belle sat leaning against the right arm rest with her feet hanging over the left. She smiled at him as she popped a grape in her mouth. She gestured toward a plate of various fruits in front of him. "Eat. You must be starving."

    She was correct. His stomach grumbled as if listening to her words, but he couldn't eat. He had no idea what she had done to the fruit. It could be poisonous. And he had no intention of eating while his friend lay in a cold dungeon in agony.

    Belle sighed as she threw a grape back down onto her plate, and rubbed her thumb, index, and middle finger together. "Out with it."

    "Why are you wasting my time trying to feed me when my friend's the one who needs attending to!" He didn't even try to hold his tongue. He despised this woman, and he wanted her to know it.

    Belle laughed. "Oh, please. A few lashes never killed anyone. Besides, I was only told I couldn't harm you. Not the girl." She rolled her eyes. "Where is Cinderella anyway? She was supposed to meet us."

    Levi jumped to his feet, and slammed his fists into the table. "I swear. You will pay for what you've done to her."

    "Yes." Belle stared at him blankly. "I'm sure I will." The double, wooden doors behind her suddenly flung open. She leaped to her feet, and twirled around the chair grabbing her whip that rested coiled up on the table.

    Levi's eyes opened in shock. He couldn't believe who had just stormed into the castle, and he didn't know whether to be thankful or afraid.

    Belle snickered. "Rumplestiltskin," she spat. "What are you doing in my palace?"

    Rumple glanced from Levi to Belle, and pointed at him. "I see you got my gift."

    A ticker suddenly went off inside Levi. Gift? Had Rumple planned this all along? He was handing them over to Snow? He gripped his fists tighter until his knuckles turned white.

    Belle glanced his way. "You mean that was all you?"

    Rumple gave her a dumb expression. "Well, I did put the tracker in his hand."

    Belle chuckled. "And Cinderella thinks she's some great huntress."

    Rumple did that high pitched annoying laugh he had before. "Cinderella would've never found that boy if it wasn't for me."

    "Traitor!" Levi shouted. Without thinking, he charged around the table, shouting, as he fully intended on punching Rumple in the face. Before he could reach the sorcerer, he was knocked flat on his back by an unexpected force. He groaned as he tried moving around, feeling pain erupt throughout his spine.

    Within seconds, Belle stood on top of him, her long, black whip raised high in the air. "Forget about what Cinderella said. I'm going to make you pay for that."

    She raised her whip in a swing, and Levi slammed his eyes shut expecting a sharp sting to quickly come. Though it never did. Instead, a hard thud sounded. After a few seconds past, he opened his eyes. Belle was no longer standing over top of him, but in fact, in front of him on the ground looking unconscious.

    He panted with relief, and turned his head upward to see Rumple standing with his hands behind his back. Again, he made that high pitched laugh.

    Levi gave himself a minute to let the anger die down. "You were lying to her."

    "Never hurt to play both sides," Rumple confessed. "Now, if you want to get out of here I suggest you find your lady friend, and hurry before Cinderella finds you." Rumple snapped his fingers, and the ropes around Levi's wrists slid off.