#jack-dulac

Quite a few year has passed since Belle last saw her friends in the Empire her kingdom’s once allies who disagreed with befriending the Empire are now undersea by her mother’s secret troops or being taken over by the Emperor himself. Belle thinks of these things as she takes a twilight stroll of the garden. The idiots should have stayed under her protection learned to live with the beast instead of trying to put it down. Belle leans over to smell one of the red roses when she hears a rustle and then a twig snap. Grabbing the throwing knives from her sleeve she throws them at the figure behind her.

“WOAHWOAH!! BELLE IT’S ME!!” Pulling back to throw two more Belle stops when she sees a familiar ruggedly handsome head of red hair and an eyepatch.

“Jack? … JACK!!” Dropping the knives she runs up to him wrapping her arms around his neck squeaking as he catches her and spins them both around. Once her feet are on the ground again she Pulls his face to hers and kisses him making sure to capture his lower lip between her own. Jack of course indulges in his lover’s kiss and breaks it soon after.

“Jack! How are you? Why are you here? Are you in trouble? What did you get into this time?!” Poking at his chest rather roughly Belle looks him up and down to try and find his wounds.

“No, I’m fine Belle, really. I was just on a mission … found myself about to finishing a day early. Then when I found out I was close to your border I decided to drop by.” He smiles really big and Belle chuckles but feels in the back of her mind that there is something wrong with this … with Jack.

“The Empiror is going to scold you. Come one you should tell me what you’re up to.” Pulling at his arm Belle heads to a bench but is pulled back by Jack. Squeaking and landing in his arm Jack shrugs his shoulders.

“It was one of your traitorous allies’ kingdoms. I had to do a bit of scouting for Emperor Zold.” Lifting her brow Belle squints her eyes and looks at him.

“Why didn’t the Emperor just ask me I have all the statistics on every Kingdom that turn agents us?” Jack shrugs again.

“He said something about getting it done quick and simple, and not wanting to trouble you.” This time she lifts an eyebrow and tugs on his hand again.

“He will be troubling me more if he doesn’t tell me what he needs. Come on lets go and look up the-” she is pulled back yet again by Jack and this time he captures her lips in a kiss. She only resisted for a second before melting into the kiss.

‘Has he been practicing? How has he been practicing? Oh god this feels good.’ Wrapping her arms around his neck one more time she stands on her tiptoes to try and reach his level. Once the fairly heated kiss is broken Belle takes a moment to open her eyes savoring the feeling of warmth on her lips.

“I- … A- AH!-” Her eyes grow wide as she feels a sharp ripping pain in her stomach. Looking down she sees the hilt of a dagger sticking out from her stomach and blood seeps through her blue and white dress. Belle’s breaths are gasps as she tries to form words. Placing a hand on her stomach tears form in her eyes and roll down her cheek as she looks up at Jack’s crazed, happy expression.

“Ja- … Jac-k?” Her gasps turn to sobs as she grips both her stomach and what she could of Jack to keep from falling.

“So sorry my dearest Belle but I’m afraid you’re the last part of my mission.” His voice is mocking and cruel … and not Jack’s voice. Jack’s face soon melts away to instead show a burned and scared face that is almost unrecognizable … if it wasn’t for her red hair and eyes.

“A- … Alay-na?” Shaking from fear and anger Belle looks around frantically. Where are her spies?! WHY didn’t they stop her in time?!

“Oh don’t bother Belle they are all bleeding rivers by now. Besides you need to be more worried about yourself. YOU left me to die … YOU didn’t even bother searching for me!!”

“You … you said-” Shoving her to the ground Belle cries out in pain and rolls to her back trying to keep the pain away, keep the darkness from taking her into shock.

“I DON’T CARE WHAT I SAID!!!!!! YOU were supposed to get me back that is YOU’RE duty!!!!! But you didn’t, now our contract is broken … and you and your family have just been out bid by three Kingdoms!! HAHA!! Who, by the way, are not very happy with your alliance with the Empire. I told you Belle. Let me kill him but NO!! You have to have your perfect little world where everyone is friends where everyone like one another. THAT IS A FANTICY PRINCESS AND I’M HERE TO WAKE YOU FROM IT!!” Belle starts to violently cough and when she looks at her hand that she covers her mouth with it comes back bloodied.

“Oh dearest Belle why couldn’t you stay young and innocent like that Rose girl … well she isn’t innocent but she is young. Whatever I’ll just have you know that you will forever be the only one who has my heart, and believe me when I say it is breaking seeing you like this. Good thing I don’t need it anymore.” Smiling Alayna vanishes in a puff of black smoke. Once she is gone Belle digs into the front of her shirt to find the pendent at the end of the gold neckless. There a round piece of marble sits in gold wiring that is fixed to the chain. Gripping it in her blood stained hand Belle chants a spell as best as she can. Soon a bright light sines form the stone and engulfs her. Disappearing from the garden she reappears with a flash of that same light but on the floor of where ever Jack happens to be at the time.  Her eye s closed her breath ragged and blood seeping down to the sides of her dress she coughs and weakly begs.

Bell streched, it had been her fist time really out of her room. Two weeks may have not seemed like a very long time, but it felt like a lifetime to her. She had a few more nightmares that seemed to decrease once Jack or Jimson held her hand or slept near her. She still had them though and it was always the same thing. her mother and father yelling at her, then they turn into a terrifying two headed monster. She hated it and always woke up in a cold sweat. They kept trying to get her to eat more, but she still ate much like a bird. Her stomach was not use to so much so it was a bit overwhelming. Jack and Jimson took good care of her and she remembered Jacks promise to take her horse back riding, she hoped she would get to see freddy as they went on their horse ride. 

She crossed the field and drew her arms around herself. it was a bit cold and assumed after a bit of excersise she would warm up. She looked around for Jack, but she couldn’t seem to find him. “ Jack,” She called lightly

It was one of the few times the 26 year old was able to sneak out of the castle ... of coarse there is probably a spy or two watching after her but at least she could trust them enough to leave her be. She rides her horse in the gown she dressed in that morning. She would have changed but that would have taken too much time. So here she is riding side saddle through the evening forest as fast as she can, taking sharp turns and giggling when she makes a turn faster then the last. But then she yanks on the rains and skids to a stop. Something is hurting. Looking herself over she sees nor feels a wound. Her horse does not stir so whatever this feeling is isn’t hostile. 

The duo had traveled to a small fishing hamlet, one that was way off the beaten path and was virtually hidden if you didn't know where it was.  It had a population of around 200 and was the sort of town where everybody knew everybody. Merchants filled the streets trying to sell the wares under the watchful gaze of the local guard. Townsfolk walking about just doing their errands for the day. It was filled to the brim with folk that you'd never expect to be involved in any sort of dirty dealings. Genuinely friendly  folk who looked ready to accommodate these two travelers.

“This place is a lot..friendlier than I thought it would be.” Ruby admitted to Jack her ears twitching as they walked through the crowded Marketplace. “I thought that my employers would send me to some place filled with thugs or something. Not normal people. It looks like we might be able to stock up while we’re here.”

It didn’t take Rondall long to do the same. He saddled up onto the random horse that he had borrowed to ride in, and with that, he began to lead them out of Maybud castle. He let the guards guarding the gate know that Ella was leaving of her own volition and to advise Davidus not to worry, as they’d be back. After that, they started galloping across the Maybudian Countryside.

Actually, it wasn’t long after they left the town that another rider started riding towards them. It was nobody recognizable - a tall, handsome man with long, curly brown locks. He was wearing clothes that a Fop might wear - a white-laced collar, dark blue doublet, with pink laces and decorations. He also had a fine with a broad brim, and a white feather sticking out if it. However, he otherwise didn’t look the part of a fop; he had a sporting beard, and also a good manly frame. “Woah!” He called from a distance, and came in closer, speaking to try to show that he wasn’t a threat. “I’m terribly sorry to disturb you - I’m trying to get some basic information! Did you just come from the city? May I speak with you about it? I don’t want to slow you down - you look like you’re in a hurry. I could ride with you, if that will help, but I have some urgent information I need to get to anybody, and nobody will listen to me…”

As he got closer, he still looked handsome and fancy, but even in the darkness, it was easy to tell that his fine clothes looked a little worn out and grubby from travel and wear. The poor feather in his hat, on closer inspection, kinda looked like it had gotten hit by lightening at some point.

Ella looked over at the man and raised an eyebrow with confusion before she gently pulled back on Major’s reins. Major snorted and began to trot alongside the stranger.

Belle was in her second favorite spot the servants were cleaning the library, her first favorite spot, so she could barely enjoy her book while dust flies everywhere. So she sits outside under the giant oak tree and in it’s cool shade. With it being fairly fare form the castle she has two castle guards with her. One standing beside her and the other stands a little ways away facing the opposite direction the other guard is facing.

“Mr. Richard why do you think magic can only be used by a certain people?” The 16 year old would ask such questions out loud when she knew other’s where there. Being a bit of a bookworm and learning so many different things she loved to have discussions to see what other’s thought about what she read. Currently she reads about a man mastering magic and the certain training he has to go through to master one spell. Indulging in his princess’s question the guard closest to Belle turns to answer her question and she in turn turns to meat his gaze through his helmet.

“I think it might have to do with one ancestors your Highness, it is after all a powerful thing. If just anyone can master it then we would have a problem on our hands.”

jack-dulac