Adult-FanFiction.org : Books

What's in a name?	By : jinna1979 Category: Fairy Tales, Fables, Folklore, Legends, and Myth > Fairy Tales Views: 16599 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction,I do not own Rumpelstiltskin. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons,living or dead, is purely coincidental

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
A/N: sorry for taking so long to get to this. This story has just been sitting on my computer for years. I keep meaning to finish it, but haven't had the motivation, until now. I know how frustrating it can be to be stuck with an unfinished story, so I'll try and do my best to complete it

By the time Millicent and Carine returned to the Queen’s Chambers, it was nearly dark. The servants had been working diligently to pile up bundles of straw and the rooms seemed significantly smaller than before as a result. The bed chambers were already packed to the brim, and Millicent felt a twinge of disappointment that she would not be able to rest upon the gorgeous and luxurious bed. A cot had been laid out for her in the sitting room, and although it was small, it was covered with a silk quilt of the highest quality. The feel of the fabric was a drastic change from the scratchy, threadbare blankets she had endured on her previous nights.

Millicent had borrowed several books from Rousset, but since she could not read, they were of little help. She had asked Carine if she could read, but Carine knew little more than Millicent and could only make out a few basic words. Moreover, the elaborate calligraphy and complicated vocabulary of the texts made the effort much more difficult, and Carine had to give up her efforts at sounding out the strange, archaic words. Carine’s failed efforts seem to dampen her spirits, for the maid had developed a genuine liking for Millicent, and it pained her to disappoint her mistress. Though Millicent was also disappointed, she hated to see Carine looking so crushed and she did her utmost to let the young maid know that her efforts were appreciated.

“Don’t fret, Carine,” Millicent said soothingly, “I’m sure I can cajole someone else to read these texts for me.” There was a moment of silence as Carine considered her words.

“If you don’t mind me asking, miss, why are these books so important? It seems a great effort to go to, to whittle away your time,” Carine asked, before swiftly adding: “but you need not answer if my questions are too presumptuous, miss!” Millicent smiled ruefully in response.

“Of course I don’t mind your asking,” Millicent replied, “it’s just a rather long and – I suppose – a bit of a painful story. But mayhap you can give me another perspective.” Millicent began to tell her tale, and though her chest still felt tight with pain when she brought up her fey lover, her earlier unburdening to Rumpelstiltskin had taken away the sharpest edge of the pain. She described her arrival to the castle, but for reasons she could not explain, she left the strange-looking man who spun straw into gold out of her tale. As much as it bothered to take credit for another person’s efforts, she somehow sensed it would be worse to reveal the presence of the odd little man. Millicent mentioned her fears that her fey lover had broken some magic law, and her hopes that the texts would unveil a way to free her lover from whatever kept him away from her. As her tale neared its end, Millicent looked down at the pile of books, and there was a long moment of silence.

“I wish I could help you!” Carine suddenly exclaimed, as though angry with herself. “Rousset has been teaching me a bit of letters, but I’m sure I could convince him to teach me more!”

“No, don’t trouble yourself on my behalf,” Millicent replied. “I know I shall find a way.” Seeing the determination in her eyes, Carine could only smile in admiration of Millicent’s spirit.

“But in the meantime, it would be nice to know more about you Carine,” Millicent continued. “You’re the only one here I can trust, and I hope that you can bring yourself to see me as a friend.” Millicent’s statement caused a twinge of guilt to grip at Carine’s heart. It was true that she had been withholding her trust towards Millicent – after all, she had been trampled on so often during her young life that it was instinctive to trust and depend upon no one. Millicent was afraid that Carine would shut down and refuse to speak, but Carine had needed time to gather her thoughts, and when she spoke, her voice was timid and uncertain.

“I was raised on the outskirts of the city, in a small house by one of the streams that takes waste out of the city. I lived with my ma and pa and five brothers and sisters in one room. My pa’s job was to clean waste, and sometimes, when he found a trinket or something of worth, he would sell it for more coins. Mostly, he’d spend those extra coins on drink, but we were lucky – he was not a violent drunk, but a melancholy one. ‘Twas my ma that was the mean drunk, but she wasn’t often home. I’m not sure what she did during the day, but she never seemed to have a shortage of drink, despite our poor means. Most of my brothers ended up working with pa, though Hugues – my second oldest brother – got an apprenticeship with a tanner, and never contacted the family again. I suppose he felt he was too good for us, and mayhap that was true. Most of my sisters ran away to marry as soon as anyone would have them. All of them except Olivie, my youngest sister. She was always afraid of men – I.. I think something happened to her when she was young. I promised her that I would find work and take her away to someplace I could take care of her. All I have to remember her by is this ribbon." Here, Carine paused, and pulled out a ribbon, decorated with a mismatched pattern of coloured threads. "It's all I have of her. We decorated this ribbon together."

Carine glanced at the ribbon, and smiled sadly to herself. Then she contined: "If I had married like my other sisters, I know a husband would never tolerate an extra mouth to feed, else I likely would have chosen that fate long ago. It seems that marriage or whoring – please excuse my crude words, miss! – are the only options for a girl on the outskirts. I made my way from the outskirts into town, and spent four days begging for work. No one would take me. Of course, there was always work to be had at the Castle, but most people value their lives too highly to want to serve… but nevermind that! In the end, I found myself outside the servants’ door at the Castle and got a job as a scullery maid. I never would have taken the job were I not desperate but I had to help my sister. I was told by one of the other maids that I should shear of my locks – she didna’ tell me why – but my hair was my only vanity at the time and I didna’ listen, though I should have,” Carine paused a moment to self-consciously touch her short, curling hair which Millicent noticed was a lovely auburn colour, several shades darker than her own.

“In the end, it was the hair that caught his attention,” Carine continued.

“His?” inquired Millicent questioningly. She wondered if Carine was speaking of the man that got her pregnant.

“The… the King,” Carine replied, her voice barely more than a whisper, “he.. he is a harsh man. I – no, to say more would be treasonous.” Millicent furrowed her brow as she considered the implication of Carine’s words.

“How old are you, Carine?” Millicent asked softly, though she dreaded knowing the answer to the question.

“Ten-and-two, miss,” Carine replied. Millicent paled as her imagination pictured the dark and cruel king taking advantage of the child which Carine surely was, despite her mature attitude.

“He is a monster,” Millicent hissed, “A sick, twisted, depraved demon.”

“Hush!” Carine exclaimed, “You’ll have us killed for saying such things. He is the King. It is… it is his right to do as he wishes” Carine seemed to choke on her own words.

“Besides,” Carine added, “what is done is done, and the King will never touch me again. He hates that which is… used. In truth, there is something I wished to ask of you miss, though if I presume too much, please just ignore my words.” Millicent nodded for Carine to continue.

“I was hoping that – well, perhaps if I were to bring you a wee bit of straw whether you might spin it into gold for me? It would… it would be enough to free me and my sister so we could leave this place and start somewhere fresh…” Carine’s voice trailed off and she looked down at her hands nervously.

Millicent froze, unsure of what to say. After all, it was not her own hands that she spun straw into gold – it was the strange man’s abilities that did that. Would he resent the extra work? Perhaps she could take the straw and add it to the pile, pretending it was part of the whole? However, doing so felt wrong and deceptive. Somehow, she felt she ought to convince the man to do the bit of extra work, for she could not bring herself to say no to Carine.

“Have the straw brought to me and I assure you I shall have it turned into gold,” Millicent said, taking Carine’s hands into her own.

“Oh! Thank you miss!” Carine cried, and unable to contain her joy, Carine threw her arms around Millicent in an awkward hug, hindered by her pregnant belly. Despite her worries and doubts, Millicent could not help smiling. They sat together in warm silence for a moment until a thought crossed Millicent's mind.

"Are you..." Millicent began hesitantly, "Are you ready to be a mother? It seems so frightening. Oh! Forgive me! I speak without thinking!"

"There's nothing to forgive," Carine replied, with a weak smile. "Truth be told, I'm terrifed. I wish.... well, I wish I could be rid of it. I haven't a notion how I shall support my sister and a baby, even with gold. How do I even be a mother? All my ma did was scream at us. I s'pose screaming is easy enough, but I don't think I have the heart to scream at a wee babe."

"Nor should you!" Millicent exclaimed. "I think you'll be a wonderful mother. You are very kind."

"'Tis you who is the kind one. Well, it's late, and I best be off to bed. Thank you again, miss."

"Thank you, Carine," Millicent replied. "I could not bear being here without you. Sleep well."

The following day, Millicent woke up warm with a sense of anticipation and hope. Confiding her story to Carine, and hearing Carine's story in turn made her feel as though she had a true friend in the palace, aside from the mysterious dwarf whom she only saw on nights when the straw was to be spun into gold. With Carine by her side, she felt certain that she could find out what she needed about magical laws, and somehow, find her lost love.

Carine was already awake by the time that Millicent arose from her cot, and her smile was genuine as she handed Millicent her tray of breakfast. They chatted about their plans for the day, and how they hoped Rousset would help them decipher the books that they had gathered. Carine seemed much more animated than Millicent had ever seen her before. Somehow, this small quest they were embarking upon had enlivened Carine's weary spirit, allowing her to feel that she was doing something truly meaningful. Both of them were excited enough that the stream of servants carrying straw seemed to fade into the background, entirely forgotten.

Carine helped Millicent to dress, choosing a beautiful gown of pale green that looked comfortable enough for a day of research. Though Millicent was eager to be be off, Carine insisted on brushing, and braiding Millicent's copper hair into a lovely, intricate pattern. Carine was so accustomed to the drudgery of a serving girl, that the chance to arrange Millicent's hair was a girlish luxury that she wanted to enjoy.

Sadly, before the pair of them could make their way towards Rousset's chambers, the King's presence was announced. Carine seemed to lose all colour from her face, while Millicent felt a sense of nausea at the back of her throat. All the servants swept into a subservient bow.

The king entered the room, his black cape billowing behind him like the wings of a bat. As ever, he was surrounded by his retinue of servants, ready to do his every bidding.

"Once you have spun all this straw into gold," he announced, sweeping his arm over the increasing mounds of straw, "I shall make you my queen." Millicent gasped in horror, though the King assumed it was a gasp of surprise. It would never have occurred to him that anyone would refuse to be his wife.

"Your majesty!" Millicent cried, "I cannot. I.... I am unworthy of you!"

"Clearly!" The King barked. "Do not be more stupid than necessary. You will be my wife."

Without another word of explanation, the King left the room, trailed by his servants. None of the servants in the room carrying straw broke out into chatter upon his departure. They were too cowed by fear to gossip if there was a chance of the King returning. That would be saved for later, once they were in the relative safety of the servant's quarters. As for Millicent, she stared at the empty doorway, with a shocked expression frozen upon her face. It felt as though the entire world had stopped, and she was trapped in a nightmare. It wasn't until Carine began gently shaking her before she returned to reality, which was no better.

Before Millicent could gather her thoughts, a group of servants poured into the room, and surrounded Millicent, rudely dismissing Carine with a wave of their hands. They all seemed to be speaking at once in disapproving voices, and it was a while before Millicent realized that they intended to outfit her, and prepare her to look the part of a queen. Millicent's heart sunk when she realized that she would have no time to spend with Carine, researching magical laws. Instead, she was trapped by a flock of managing old biddies who acted as though serving Millicent was barely worth their condescension. Having her hopes crushed made her day seem more arduous and terrible than it otherwise would have been.

As for Carine, without Millicent to serve, she had little to do. She did not want to waste the day, and longed to help Millicent, so she decided to try and spend more time deciphering the books that Millicent had gathered. Gathering up the stack of books, she sat down in an unoccupied corner of the room that was not yet filled with straw. She pulled open one of the texts, and ran her fingers along the line of words, slowing trying to sound them out. Yet her progress was extremely slow, and the effort was starting to give her a headache. Sighing with frustration, Carine plucked up her courage and decided to seek out Rousset.

Carine felt strange about disturbing Rousset. All her interactions with him in the past had involved some form of service, and she could not escape the feeling that it was somehow wrong for her to bother him for personal reasons. True, he had never been anything other than kind, but that did not mean it was right for her to take advantage of his time. After all, he seemed like a very busy man. The only thing that drove Carine onwards was her desire to help Millicent. Considering that Millicent had promised to spin her some gold, it was the least that she could do. Moreover, Carine actually liked Millicent. The only other people that she could truly admit to liking were her sister Olivie and Rousset.

At the threshold of Rousset's chambers, Carine took a deep breath and knocked at the door, even though it was open, as it always seemed to be. Rousset looked up from his desk, and broke out into a wide grin.

"Here to make sure that I eat, Carine?" Rousset asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Seems rather early for lunch."

"No! No..." Carine stammered nervously. "Actually, sir, um... I came to ask if you could help... um.... the lady, miss Millicent."

"Is she here?" Rousset asked, craning his head as he attempted to peer behind Carine. Carine shook her head.

"No. No, it's just me today, I'm afraid, sir."

"I keep telling you, you don't have to call me 'sir', Carine. It makes me feel old, which is admittedly odd seeing as most people still treat me like a young whelp. Rousset is fine," he babbled. "And besides, I'm glad it's just you. Lady Millicent makes me a bit nervous. All that energy - rather like a whirlwind, though in truth, I've never seen one. Only ever read about it. Frankly, I wouldn't want to see one. Just think of the damage it would do to the books! What was it you wanted today, Carine?"

"Well, sir... Rousset, sir. I wanted to know more about magical laws, and such. Or perhaps you know about breaking curses?"

"There are more magical laws than I could explain in a day," Rousset replied. "Though if you have a particular area of law in mind, I could perhaps elucidate. As for breaking curses, off the top of my head, all I can think of is unicorns... hmm.... angels' feathers. Oh! And of course, true love's kiss. Can't forget that one. Always struck me as curious that a kiss could be as powerful as angels' feathers."

Carine's face lit up as Rousset explained his list. True love's kiss! Of course! All Millicent had to do was find her beloved, kiss him, and whatever magical law that was broken would all be made well. It seemed unbelievable, how easy it was. She could hardly wait until she had the opportunity to tell Millicent.

"Thank you sir... Rousset!" Carine exclaimed joyfully. Her happiness was infectious, and Rousset broke out into another wide grin, tipping his head in acknowledgement of her gratitude.

"Happy to help," he said smiling. "Is there anything else?" Carine shook her head, and bid Rousset farewell before dashing off to find Millicent. It was only later, when she realized that Millicent was too occupied with her gaggle of servants, that Carine silently cursed her own foolishness for losing a chance to spend more time with Rousset.
- 18
- 19
- 20
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

What's in a name?