Status: once upon a time, there was a co-write...
Broken Illusion
Belle.
Belle had not seen the outside world in days. She kept being told that she was safe in this underground home and that as soon as she left, the protection would be gone, but still she could not understand what danger they spoke about. No one would explain what the danger was, although the woman, who she now knew was called Jane, was the only one that spoke to her about why she was there. After being told that she was to kill the King, Belle had demanded to be given answers and told them all that she would never become a murderess as she was raised better than that. Since then, Jane only spoke about needing to be hidden and how she held magic locked away inside of her that they needed to release.
Of course, Belle protested that she did not possess any magic, but even so she found herself sat crossed-legged opposite Jane, eyes closed, in an attempt to empty her mind. So far it hadn't helped, and she found it to be awfully boring. She was so used to constantly working that having the time to sit still was of no comfort to her.
"You must relax," Jane instructed.
Belle sighed and opened her eyes. "We have been at this for days. How many times must I tell you? I hold no magic, and my mother did not participate in witchcraft."
Jane smiled and stood up from where she was sat, crossed over to the other side of the room and drew out a book. "Aladdin did not want me to show you this just yet, but I think you will learn much better with this knowledge," she said, bringing the book over and sitting next to Belle. "Your mother knew that she was going to be sentenced to death. All the women who truly did practice witchcraft knew when their time was near, and they also knew that they could not prevent it. Instead, they chose to prepare for their demise and write down their knowledge so that it would not be lost. That knowledge would be placed into a book and that book kept with the other women who were still alive, and the book would stay with them until the next generation of women who had the ability to practice witchcraft had blossomed."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Jane patted the book. "This is the book that your mother wrote in. It was given to Aladdin by the one who gave him the vision of you, which means that it was known by those women that it would aid the release of the kingdom from its chains."
Irritated, Belle rose to her feet and walked away. "Well, what if I do not want to be the one to free the kingdom? Surely I must have the choice."
"I wish there was. As it is, the King is already aware of the magic that had been used on the journey here, and he will soon become aware that his hold is at risk because the prophesied one has been summoned. If you are not prepared to undertake this destiny, you will be killed."
She buried her head in her hands, not wanting to believe Jane. Her two choices were become a murderess and face the King or end up being killed and leaving her father alone for the rest of his life. Even the books that she read never had both choices be as life-shattering as hers were. "Why me?" she muttered.
"I do not have the answer to that," Jane replied, startling Belle. "Neither does Aladdin. There is only one person who has the answer to your question, and you can only see them once you have been prepared and are ready to face the King."
"I really have no choice, do I?" Belle sighed and shook her head. Had she not gone to tend to Prince Adam's garden, none of this would have happened and she would still be with her father. Her life wouldn't be in danger and she wouldn't be faced with the extreme choices she had to choose between.
So she found herself back on the floor with her eyes closed. She kept trying to empty her mind but it kept going back to her father, who was alone and probably worried about her, and then it would flicker to her mother. The mother that she thought she had known before she was sentenced to death, but apparently she did not know her. After all, she did not know that her mother truly did practice witchcraft and had believed for all these years that she had just been falsely accused by a King who wanted to ensure his people never revolted.
The more she thought about her mother, the more she became angry towards the King. She could deal with her mother's lies, but why did that mean she had to be killed? And that girl she had been knelt by the day she discovered the prince was a beast - she didn't deserve to die. There was no way she participated in witchcraft, but she had probably been burned already. If she was truly this prophesied one that was supposed to liberate the kingdom, did that mean she would save all those future women from being burned alive? And allow those with little food to keep it all for themselves, rather than starve through the donations to the King? How is it that she, of all people, was the one that was supposed to bring about so much change to her little kingdom, and yet she had no knowledge of her future before?
She was so deep in thought that she did not hear Jane let out a gasp of shock, nor did she hear her name being called. It was only when she was shaken out of her thoughts that she opened her eyes and saw the burst of flames that were dancing out of her fingertips. Panic engulfed her being and she began shaking her hands, only for the fire to remain steady.
"Help me!" she exclaimed, looking up at Jane only to frown when she saw the other woman was smiling. "What is it?"
"Touch the flames. You will find that they do not burn you. That is your magic being unlocked, and that means you are ready for training."
Of course, Belle protested that she did not possess any magic, but even so she found herself sat crossed-legged opposite Jane, eyes closed, in an attempt to empty her mind. So far it hadn't helped, and she found it to be awfully boring. She was so used to constantly working that having the time to sit still was of no comfort to her.
"You must relax," Jane instructed.
Belle sighed and opened her eyes. "We have been at this for days. How many times must I tell you? I hold no magic, and my mother did not participate in witchcraft."
Jane smiled and stood up from where she was sat, crossed over to the other side of the room and drew out a book. "Aladdin did not want me to show you this just yet, but I think you will learn much better with this knowledge," she said, bringing the book over and sitting next to Belle. "Your mother knew that she was going to be sentenced to death. All the women who truly did practice witchcraft knew when their time was near, and they also knew that they could not prevent it. Instead, they chose to prepare for their demise and write down their knowledge so that it would not be lost. That knowledge would be placed into a book and that book kept with the other women who were still alive, and the book would stay with them until the next generation of women who had the ability to practice witchcraft had blossomed."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Jane patted the book. "This is the book that your mother wrote in. It was given to Aladdin by the one who gave him the vision of you, which means that it was known by those women that it would aid the release of the kingdom from its chains."
Irritated, Belle rose to her feet and walked away. "Well, what if I do not want to be the one to free the kingdom? Surely I must have the choice."
"I wish there was. As it is, the King is already aware of the magic that had been used on the journey here, and he will soon become aware that his hold is at risk because the prophesied one has been summoned. If you are not prepared to undertake this destiny, you will be killed."
She buried her head in her hands, not wanting to believe Jane. Her two choices were become a murderess and face the King or end up being killed and leaving her father alone for the rest of his life. Even the books that she read never had both choices be as life-shattering as hers were. "Why me?" she muttered.
"I do not have the answer to that," Jane replied, startling Belle. "Neither does Aladdin. There is only one person who has the answer to your question, and you can only see them once you have been prepared and are ready to face the King."
"I really have no choice, do I?" Belle sighed and shook her head. Had she not gone to tend to Prince Adam's garden, none of this would have happened and she would still be with her father. Her life wouldn't be in danger and she wouldn't be faced with the extreme choices she had to choose between.
So she found herself back on the floor with her eyes closed. She kept trying to empty her mind but it kept going back to her father, who was alone and probably worried about her, and then it would flicker to her mother. The mother that she thought she had known before she was sentenced to death, but apparently she did not know her. After all, she did not know that her mother truly did practice witchcraft and had believed for all these years that she had just been falsely accused by a King who wanted to ensure his people never revolted.
The more she thought about her mother, the more she became angry towards the King. She could deal with her mother's lies, but why did that mean she had to be killed? And that girl she had been knelt by the day she discovered the prince was a beast - she didn't deserve to die. There was no way she participated in witchcraft, but she had probably been burned already. If she was truly this prophesied one that was supposed to liberate the kingdom, did that mean she would save all those future women from being burned alive? And allow those with little food to keep it all for themselves, rather than starve through the donations to the King? How is it that she, of all people, was the one that was supposed to bring about so much change to her little kingdom, and yet she had no knowledge of her future before?
She was so deep in thought that she did not hear Jane let out a gasp of shock, nor did she hear her name being called. It was only when she was shaken out of her thoughts that she opened her eyes and saw the burst of flames that were dancing out of her fingertips. Panic engulfed her being and she began shaking her hands, only for the fire to remain steady.
"Help me!" she exclaimed, looking up at Jane only to frown when she saw the other woman was smiling. "What is it?"
"Touch the flames. You will find that they do not burn you. That is your magic being unlocked, and that means you are ready for training."