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Belle was glad to escape the crush of the ballroom and come out onto the balcony for some air. Although the party had been wonderful, and the celebration the most opulent and joyful that the Marchlands had seen for some time in the wake of the Ogre Wars, it was still stifling inside with so many bodies.
Balls and parties had never been Belle’s favourite occupation, but since this one was for the occasion of her wedding, she didn’t really have a choice as to whether she attended or not, and since she had ended the event with a truly lovely husband, she couldn’t complain too much.
She heard the soft creak of leather boots stepping out onto the balcony behind her, and then felt the sweep of a velvet cloak come around her shoulders, a cloak that was attached to a warm arm. Rumpel’s lips pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek, and Belle twisted against his arm to face him, claiming a deeper kiss on his lips. It was not the first kiss that they had shared, nor was it the first passionate kiss. When they had met up in secret during the two weeks of their official engagement period, after a prolonged and enlightening correspondence, giving chaperones the slip and sneaking out of the castle to meet in the rose garden, they had shared several heated kisses.
Still, it was nice to be able to kiss Rumpel without having to worry about them being caught fraternising before they were married. An ember sparked in the bottom of Belle’s stomach with the knowledge that as of tonight, there would be far more than just heated kisses on the menu.
“I missed you inside,” Rumpel said as she released him, slipping her arms around his middle and resting her head against his shoulder. “I wondered if you might have come out here for some peace and quiet.”
Belle nodded. “I love my father, and his friends and advisors have been dear uncles to me all my life, but they can be a little bit much when they’re celebrating with the best wine and ale that the Marchlands has to offer.”
“Yes. We’ve all had such precious little to celebrate in the last few years that I fear that both lands might have gone somewhat overboard.”
Belle laughed and looked up at her husband. When her father had first made the announcement that he’d secured her hand in marriage, she had never believed that there could have been such a happy outcome for all involved. She had fallen in love with Rumpelstiltskin not at first sight, and not even at first word, but what had begun as an exercise in trying to get to know her husband-to-be so as at least to tolerate him before the wedding even if she could not learn to like him, had turned into love as their words had flown across the pages and across the miles to each other.
She went up on her tiptoes to kiss him again, making him stagger a little with her unbridled enthusiasm. Rumpel just laughed, picking her up around her waist and twirling her around, the silvery threads in her wedding gown catching the moonlight and shimmering like diamonds. She still felt like she was flying even after he set her back on her feet.
“It is nice to be able to get away without having to sneak about,” she said. “I mean, it was fun sneaking away, don’t misunderstand me, but at the same time, I think it’s nice that we no longer have the expectations of our parents hanging over us every time we want to be alone together.” She paused, because that was not perhaps wholly true. Now that they were married and had united their two lands, naturally the next step would be for them to cement that union with an heir to both titles that would prevent any future strife that might arise. Belle looked out from the balcony again, this time looking further than the end of the garden and out over the Marchlands, towards the mountains and the Frontlands beyond where Rumpel had spent his life.
“Where will we live, do you think?” she asked. “Now that we’re married we should probably think about getting a home of our own. I do love my father, but I don’t particularly want to spend my married life in his castle, and I doubt that you would either.”
“Indeed not,” Rumpel agreed. “I won’t speak ill of my new father in law, but I can certainly say that I don’t particularly want to spend any more time living with my mother than strictly necessary. I must admit that I’ve never really had any home that was my own; with the wars that have been ongoing throughout my life I’ve always been too busy on campaigns and in war rooms to really give the matter any thought. Now I have the opportunity to build a life outside of bloodshed. A life with you.”
Belle leaned her head against his shoulder. “I can’t think of anything better. I think that the foothills of the border mountains would be as good a place as any to start our family. It’s sheltered from the worst of the weather and it’s within easy reach of both lands should we be needed in either place. And it’s beautiful country to raise children in.”
“Yes.” Rumpel’s voice was quiet, and Belle got the impression that something was bothering him.
“Rumpel? What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s nothing important.”
Belle gave him a look, raising one eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? I know we haven’t known each other in person all that long, but I feel that we’ve known each other before that long enough, and we’ve only been married for less than a day. I don’t want to start out on our life together with any kind of secrets or misgivings.”
Rumpel sighed. “It’s just the talk of beginning a family,” he said.
“Don’t you want to?” Although Belle had always taken issue with the idea of producing heirs for the sake of it with a man she did not love, she had always wanted to have children of her own; she had always looked forward to becoming a mother as long as she had the right father for her children, one whom she had chosen and whom she loved. Although she had not exactly chosen Rumpel, she did certainly love him, and if she’d had the choice, she would have chosen him again over any other suitor who might have been presented to her.
“I want to very much,” Rumpel said. “I love the idea of having a family with you, and you’re right, the borderland would be the perfect place for children to grow up.”
“So, what’s the problem?” Belle asked. “I wasn’t suggesting that we start straight away. I think all couples need a honeymoon period.” She leaned in for another kiss, one that was readily accepted and returned. Still, as they pulled apart again, Belle could see that there was still apprehension in Rumpel’s face.
“Belle, we can’t deny the obvious facts,” he said eventually. “I’m somewhat past the prime years of my life for siring children.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Belle said firmly. “We will have a family, Rumpel, however we go about that. I know that you’re older than me and these fears of yours have never once crossed my mind. It’s all just part of the adventure that we’re about to go on, together.”
“You know, Belle, even though we’re married I don’t think that you’ll ever cease to amaze me.”
“In that case, I will endeavour to continue to be as amazing as I can possibly be.”
Rumpel just chuckled and leaned in for another kiss. Now that they were married, Belle didn’t think that she ever wanted to do anything other than kiss him all the time. Practically, she knew it couldn’t happen, but that was beside the point.
Finally, they broke apart again, and Rumpel glanced back into the ballroom where the party was still in full swing. Belle could see her father and Rumpel’s mother sitting off to one side, both a little worse for wear and both celebrating their resourcefulness in bringing the happy couple together. Privately, Belle thought that it was her and Rumpel’s own resourcefulness in beginning their correspondence that had brought them truly together, but she let the parents have their moment. It would help keep things nicely smoothed over, especially when it came to the formidable dowager of the Frontlands.
“Do you think we ought to go back in?” she asked Rumpel. “People will probably start wondering where we’ve got to.”
Rumpel shrugged. “Let them wonder. I’d rather stay out here with my wife undisturbed for a while longer.”
My wife. Belle knew that she’d never tire of hearing that title.
“Tell me about the Frontlands,” she said presently, looking back out over the landscape as the sun finally disappeared behind the clouds and the moon came up. If they were going to make their home on the border and act as a unifying force between the two lands, then she wanted to know what she was unifying.
“I’ve already told you all about the Frontlands,” Rumpel pointed out. It was true, he had told her many tales about his homeland in his letters.
“It’s different hearing it from you directly, though. When we go and visit, what will I see? Will you take me to all your favourite places?”
Rumpel nodded. “Of course. I’ve told you about the moors and how beautiful the heather looks when it’s in bloom. I want you to see those colours with your own eyes. There’s nothing like it, words can’t do it justice. And we can go sledging in the mountain snow in the winter, and swimming in the great lake in the summer. We’d better make sure that Mother’s not around for that though, she doesn’t hold with young ladies swimming.”
“Yes. Your mother does seem to be the more traditional type. I won’t scandalise her with stories of me and the chambermaids swimming naked in the pond.”
Rumpel raised an eyebrow. “Now these are stories that I must hear.”
“In good time, Sir Rumpelstiltskin. All in good time.”
Again, she looked over at the party going on inside. A couple of footmen were whispering together conspiratorially by the balcony doors, glancing over at her and Rumpel every few moments, and Belle knew that they were going to get called back into the heart of the celebrations sooner rather than later.
“Come on, let’s sneak away,” she said, grabbing Rumpel’s hand and pulling him along after her, running down the length of the balcony and rounding the corner away from the footmen.
“I thought that the whole point of us being married was that there was no need for sneaking,” Rumpel said, once they had come to a stop again. Belle silenced him with a passionate kiss, carding her fingers into his hair and pulling him in close.
“I think there might still be a need for sneaking if our married selves are required to be present in good company when we’d far rather be getting up to things that require just the two of us.”
Rumpel’s hands splayed over her back and he grinned, kissing her again.
“I do think that I like the sound of that. Let’s sneak. Lead the way, Lady Belle.”
She let them into a darkened room as the footmen’s voices carried around the end of the balcony.
“Lady Belle? Lady Belle? Your father’s asking for you to come in, there are speeches to be made…”
Belle closed the door behind them and locked it again, giggling. There would be no more speeches to listen to tonight, not for her and Rumpel at least. They were about to embark on the next great adventure of their marriage, and she couldn’t wait.