As he was wiping her sweat, he saw how fragile and delicate could Belle get. He knew that if ever he will betray her in the future, she will rather bleed to death than get back to him. Belle is a proud woman and he already exhausted his means to get her good side but he knew, he have something more to give to the woman.
It's just that, he's afraid that she will not accept the real him and run away. He knew that his love for her is greater than those men who told her that they loved her but deep inside he knew that Belle will get frightened to know the real him and what type of love he grew up with.
***
Belle woke up while gasping for air in a small clinic. The attending physician was out and the young Belle was left alone inside the clinic.
She clutched her head with the sudden pain she felt and found that her head wound was already bandaged.
The bruises on her body was also treated. She had no recollection as to whom brought her to the small clinic. She also did not know where she was that time. She only knew that she's faraway from those hypocrite people and she's alive.
She struggled to get up to see the place where she was confined.
She finally found that it was a remote village in the middle of the forest where Lilly threw her. Her small hands clutched the edges of the over-sized shirt she's wearing to prevent herself from crying but her tears had their means to escape from her eyes. She sobbed lightly and after a while, she wiped her tears with the use of her small hands.
She stood at the door of the clinic waiting for someone to arrive. She knew that she could not trust strangers and she knew that when they learn about who she really is, they might extort some money from her.
The sun was setting and it dyed the skies with yellow-orange hue. The rays reflected her small frame creating a shadow that was bigger than her. She kept on looking down and biting her lips.
She did not know how long she stood there but aparrently, someone came. An old lady with a basket on her hand.
"Young lady, why are you there?" the old lady asked her with concern and it made her look towards the woman.
"I'm waiting for someone to came. I want to ask where am I?" the young Belle asked with no trace of nervousness. With this, the old lady looked at her with sympathetic eyes. She pitied the girl and she did not know why.
"Is your wound aching?" the old lady asked and did not answer her inquiry. Belle nodded and did not ask anything again.
"I was the one who found you at the entrance of our village. I brought you here to treat your wounds. You're lucky because your head injury is just light and it did not reach your skull but it may leave an ugly scar." the old lady said to her.
"Thank you grandma." Belle said and bowed her head ninty degrees. The old lady just smiled warmly at her.
"Are you hungry?" the old lady asked as she patted her small shoulders. Belle just nodded. Her stomach kept on growling because she did not know how many days she's out.
"Grandma, how long did I slept?" Belle asked as she knew that the old lady will answer her question.
"Two weeks." the old lady shortly answered as she busied herself putting down the dishes from the basket. After the old lady answered, she did not ask any thing anymore.
The dishes were all simple yet it was the tastiest meal she ever tasted in her life. She ate all the food on the table without leaving anything behind which made the old lady smile at her even more.
"What's your name, young lady?" the old woman asked her after she set aside the empty bowls.
"I'm Belle." she answered truthfully.
"Why are you wounded?" the old lady continued to ask her questions and she answered them truthfully.
After the old lady knew her story, she hugged Belle so tightly and patted her back.
"It will be okay. I know." she said in a kindest and most sincere voice she had. She learned that Belle suffered injustice and opression. Belle nodded and burried herself in the warm embrace of the old lady. She felt that she could trust her so she let her guard down.
She didn't know back then that the old lady was the one who taught her all the martial arts she needed. The old lady also taught her on how to be tough during storms and how to avoid getting damaged from the people she considered as family.
With an intense training everyday, she learnt and mastered all the sword fighting techniques she taught her before the old lady disappeared suddenly and the village in the forest became deserted like a haunted one.