A World of Another Kind

Chapter 12 "Surprise!"

     "Hmmm," said Zelena, taking a large bite out of the apple she had vanished from my hand. "I think I prefer green apples, just what I'm most fond of." At that, she tossed the apple away.

     "Zelena," I boldly said with a cold stare, trying to take up my courage. "How... how did you get here?" I questioned nervously.

     "Simple," she replied with a malicious and triumphant laugh. "When that foolish girl, Dorothy, chose to go back to Oz so she could try and defeat me by using squid ink that obviously Rumpelstiltskin gave her, I managed to put her under a sleeping curse before she got the chance!" She grinned proudly with satisfaction.

     So, it was Rumpelstiltskin who made a deal with Dorothy, giving her the squid ink so that she would leave here just as Rumpelstiltskin wanted, to keep us from going back to our home! I thought angerly. And I can't believe Dorothy agreed to that! I guess she was not the person we thought she was.

     "Such a brilliant idea putting her under a sleeping curse since I couldn't kill her because of those silver slippers she wore," Zelena continued on with a proud chuckle. "Then once she was asleep, I was able to take her slippers and come here, here for my revenge on you both. You two are going to pay for what you have done! Did you honestly think you could get away from me that easily?" she taunted. "Traitors never get away from me!"

     I swallowed nervously, my courage disappearing, and my chest tightened with anxiety. From Kaylee's expression, she seemed just as fearful as me. But I gathered myself and took up my courage then said boldly, "We aren't afraid of you. And we never betrayed you because betraying would be if we got our side of the deal but never returned the favor back. But that wasn't the case. We just chose not to go along with the deal, that's all. You're just upset because you didn't get what you wanted," I added, crossing my arms hotly.

     "Shut up, you scoundrel!" Zelena retorted, very vexed.

     "You're just embarrassed because we are right," Kaylee put in with a satisfied grin.

     Zelena looked angrier than ever and retaliated, tossing a green fireball she formed with her magic at us. "Watch out!" I exclaimed to Kaylee, and we dodged out of the way on time which made Zelena vexed. She eagerly threw another fireball, but this time I deflected it with my magic. "Nice try but not good enough!" I retorted triumphantly.

     "Let's see about that!" Zelena angerly responded. Then suddenly and most unexpectedly, branches grew out from a large, oak tree that was behind us, then the branches started wrapping around us, and we were swept off the ground. Because our arms were restrained with the rest of our bodies, we could not use our magic to get free. As we struggled to try and get free, the branches only grew tighter and tighter around us, stifling us until we could hardly breathe. Zelena had a satisfied grin of triumph, and she laughed maliciously. "Traitors die!" she exclaimed. Just when we could no longer breathe, suddenly, the branches startled loosening. "Why won't it work!" Zelena whined in a fury. And as hard as she tried using her magic to tighten the branches, they only kept loosening.

     Then we suddenly heard a familiar chuckle and realized it was Rumpelstiltskin. "You're going to have to try harder than that, Deary," he said, as we fell to the ground. Kaylee and I gasped for air, and I felt dazed. I was thankful that Rumpelstiltskin saved us again.

     "Why did you ruin my chance for revenge!" Zelena exclaimed with complaint, turning around to Rumpelstiltskin. "I must say, Dark One, you are the last person I'd think who would save a life."

     "Only for my own interests, Deary," Rumpelstiltskin responded. "I need them alive because their contract with me is not over yet."

     Zelena returned a leering gaze and replied irritably, "You may have got in the way of my revenge now, but not for long!" Then she disappeared in a green, whirling cloud.

     Kaylee and I stood up and thanked him, but we were still very upset with him for making a deal with Dorothy so he could keep us here. But we didn't mention anything to him. "No need to thank me, Dearies," Rumpelstiltskin responded. "Now, I'm sure you'd rather not be preyed upon by the Wicked Witch too, so come back with me, and you won't have to live with worry."

     "We have a place to stay already," Kaylee said, "where it feels welcoming."

     "Then tell your dwarf friends goodbye because I need you to come with me this time, but don't look so glum; you can return to them once I say you can," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "No objections. Afterall, I just saved your lives, so you owe me this."

     "Fair enough," I replied with a sigh. But why should I get upset; we are alive, and that is what matters, I thought.

     "Splendid!" Rumpelstiltskin exclaimed.

     It was not long until we were back in Rumpelstiltskin's fortress. "Well, let's get to work now," I said, staring at a broom against the wall.

     Just then, we heard a sweet voice of a young woman coming from the next room. "Rumple, is that you?" she called. Kaylee and I were confused, and I guessed that she was Rumpelstiltskin's new maid. After all, since we had left, he probably still needed someone to keep his fortress tidy. "Where would you like your tea?" she asked, but as she entered the room we were in, she stopped abruptly once she saw us and said with surprise, "Oh! Why, you are only children! Why are you here? Has Rumple taken you away from your home?" she questioned with much concern as she set the tea platter that she was holding onto a side table.

     "It's a long story," I replied. "I'll explain later. I'm Aubrey and this is my twin sister, Kaylee. It's a pleasure to meet you. Who are you, and why are you here?"

     "I'm Belle, and it's a pleasure to meet you," she said, extending a hand cordially. She was a beautiful woman around thirty; she had gorgeous, dark-brown hair, pretty, crystal-blue eyes, flawless, fair skin, and she wore a lovely maid's dress. "My kingdom was threatened from the ogre wars, so my father, Sir Maurice, blindly signed a contract with Rumpelstiltskin so that our kingdom would be ensured protection from the ogres, but the price it came with was me. As much gold as my father desperately offered instead, Rumple refused, so I had no choice but to go. But I like to think of it as being a hero for my Kingdom. All that matters is that it is safe now. True hero ship is sacrifice."

     "That is very honorable," I remarked. "I hope one day you can go back to your home. It's not right for Rumpelstiltskin to keep you here. You don't deserve this. He doesn't need you; he has us now."

     "Now, what's your story?" Belle questioned.

     We told the entire story, Belle looking very captivated, and by the time we finished, we heard footsteps in the hallway then Rumpelstiltskin's voice calling for his tea.

     "Well, thank you for sharing your story with me," said Belle, standing up from her chair. "I do hope you can go back to your home one day. I'm so sorry of how much you have gone through," she added with sympathy. "It was nice meeting you two. I'm glad to have the company. It gets quite lonesome here. Well, I better be off now. Rumple's waiting for his tea." Belle hurried over to the silver tea platter that held a tea set, but when she hastily took it up, one of the porcelain tea cups fell from the platter and onto the floor. "Oh dear!" she exclaimed, quickly picking it up. Then she examined it closely. "Oh no, it's chipped," she ended with a sigh.

     "Don't worry about it," I reassured. "I'm sure Rumpelstiltskin won't be upset about a chipped cup."