(Kouen x Fem! Reader)

Summary: You never thought you would find out the cause of your mother's death in an enchanted castle with a beast and an enchanted book. 

A/N: I have to apologize for being gone for so long... I'll try my best to keep my update's consistent and to finish this story soon. 

~~~

After Kouen had given the suggestion of running away you were confused, you didn't understand what he had meant by that. Nonetheless, you followed him into the library while his siblings were busy doing other things, most likely playing in the snow. While gazing at the library you still couldn't fathom how someone could have so many books, it was always an amazing sight. 

You had a small smile on your lips as you gazed at all the shelves, maybe one day you could bring Morgiana here to continue her lessons in reading. It sounded like a nice thought until you remembered you were stuck here. You brushed off the negative thoughts when Kouen brought a book to the table you were standing next to and opened it. 

"Another gift from the enchantress," he said, "a book that truly allows you to escape."

You watched as he removed his hands and revealed a map of the world in the book. To say you were amazed would be an understatement, even if you have seen walking cutlery it was still hard to believe that this book could allow you to see the world and escape from reality. 

Kouen didn't seem to think the same as you when he sighed, "it was her cruelest trick of all... The outside has no place for a creature like me..." he said, referring to how he'll never truly be able to see the world, "but it can for you."

He held out his hand to you and you hesitantly put your hand in his. You held back a blush as you felt the warmth radiating from his hand. Kouen pressed your hand onto the book, "think of the one place you've always wanted to see," he instructed. 

You closed your eyes as he kept instructing you, "now, feel it in your mind's eye... And in your heart."

With your closed eyes, you didn't notice the gold seeping from the paper and covering the entire room. You let out a small as to prepare yourself for what's to come, once you opened your eyes you noticed something familiar about this small windmill. Not just that it was your father's music box.

"Where did you take us?" Asked Kouen. 

"Paris," you answered absentmindedly, too entranced with the room to pay attention. 

Kouen, not noticing your entrancement to the room, looked out the window to the scenery of Paris. "What would you like to see first?" He asked, "the Eiffel tower? Notre Dame?" 

You didn't answer his questions causing him to look back at you. "Are you alright?" He asked, raising a brow at your behavior. 

You only continued gazing the room until you noticed a small rattle in the shape of a rose, "it's much smaller than I imagined," you said to yourself while holding the rattle in your hands. You let your eyes trial around the room again and you picked up a small drawing left on a chair, there was no mistake, it was you as a baby. 

"This is the Paris of my childhood

These were borders of my life

In this crumbling, dusty attic

Where an artist loved his wife," tears came to your eyes when you remembered your father's face whenever you asked about your mother, "easy to remember

Harder to move on..."

You walked to the edge of the room and sat on the bed with the same rattle in your hand, "knowing that the Paris of my childhood... 

Is gone."

You looked down into your lap to keep your tears from showing, it was always so hard to try and keep these feelings in. You always did for the sake of your father, he always looked so pained when he spoke of your mother. Even if he did try romancing women in the village before, you knew in your heart that no one would be replacing your mother in his. 

"What happened to your mother?" Kouen asked, gazing the room as well. He seemed to think it was a bit of a prying question based on the look on his face after he had asked. 

"It was the one story papa couldn't bring himself to tell..." You said, "I knew better than to ask."

Kouen didn't have a response to your answer and looked down at a mask sitting on a table. He picked it up and noticed it had a similar resemblance to a bird, his eyes began to widen when he realized what it was for. "Doctor's mask..." He said, "the plague."

You had walked up to him when he picked up the bird-like mask and you held in a gasp when he said the purpose of it. You stumbled back with a hand over your mouth, "no..." You mumbled with tears in your eyes. 

Suddenly it felt as if you were there. You looked around the room to see a doctor packing up his things and telling your father to leave. You noticed your mother laying on the bed, sickly and pale, with her h/c hair surrounding her frame as if it were a halo. She was beautiful, your father always said that he could reflect the same beauty your real mother showed and now after seeing her in the flesh, you understood what he meant. 

You heard her pleading your father to take you away and leave her behind, your father looked reluctant but after hearing your cries from the crib he agreed. You were sure that was the last time you both had ever seen her again. 

You looked down at the crib you were in and laid your hand there, tears more evident in your eyes. Kouen looked at you with a guilty expression, "I'm sorry... I called your father a thief..." He said. 

You didn't acknowledge his apology and looked at him with the same tears in your eyes, "let's go home," you whimpered.

His eyes widened, but he soon nodded.

*~*~*

Ever since waking up with a fever Sinbad had worked tirelessly to make a weapon suitable enough to take the beast down. Ugo, along with Aladdin and the occasional Alibaba, had tried telling him to slow but he couldn't not when you needed him. You probably scared to death sitting in that dungeon all alone and he promised himself after that day he would always be there for you, no matter what. He wasn't planning on breaking that promise any time soon. 

He felt himself stop and rest his hands on his working table down in the basement as he the memory of you calling out to him flashed through his mind.

~Years ago

You were running through the town with a stuffed bunny clutched to your chest, your father had always convinced you it was something your mother left you, but it was a white lie you didn't need to know the truth of. As of now, you were looking for him, you hadn't seen him all day and were crying after being shoved onto the dirt by a couple of boys who had teased you for both the bunny and books you read. 

You sniffled and searched everywhere for you, you knew no villagers wanted to help as they did think you were odd for reading not to mention they were all busy. You sniffled into your sleeve and was about to cry out his name until you stopped, he was talking to a woman. A woman who obviously seemed interested. 

"So, I've never seen a man like yourself and that... Adorable daughter of yours," she said while trailing his fingers down his arm. It was clear she didn't really mean that about you, she was just saying it to try and get with him. 

"She is a cutie isn't she?" He said fondly, thinking of your adorable e/c colored eyes. 

The woman tried changing the subject until Sinbad continued, "she always carried that bunny with her you know? I can't help but feel guilty when I have to tell her that her mother didn't actually give it to her...-"

That was all you needed to hear to get the waterworks coming in again. You began sobbing as you dropped the rabbit on the ground and left it there for anyone to take. 

"... I gave it to her so she might feel a bit happier, it worked, fortunately. I hated seeing that sad look on her face, it reminded me too much off..." He trailed off and his mind drifted off to his dear wife, the only woman he was sure would ever understand him. He shook off the sad feeling and smirked at the woman, "anyway, that's a lovely dress..."

*~*~*

After hearing that the bunny was nothing but something your father bought you ran off and were now at the end of a pond with tears streaming down your cheeks. You were distraught and alone, perfect bait for the bullies from earlier. They circled you while laughing causing to look up and snap at them, "leave me alone!" You yelled through your tears. 

"You hear that? The crybaby wants us to leave her alone," one of them sneered.

"Really?" One asked, "You understood her? All I heard was her crying~!"

Soon enough they all began to chant the word crybaby causing you to cry even more and call out to your papa only for no one to come to your rescue. Soon enough, you were sobbing and yelling through your tears. 

"Hey! Leave her alone, you little punks!" 

All the boys flinched at the voice and quickly ran away, leaving you there to cry. You felt a hand on your shoulder and someone ask, "hey, are you okay?" They asked. You didn't answer the question and only buried your face in their chest. They seemed surprised at first but rubbed your back. 

You stayed for what seemed like forever before looking up and when you did you saw a man with kind blue, matching his hair which was kept in a long braid almost reaching his ankles. "Are you okay now?" He asked, lifting his hand from your back and putting it on your head. 

You didn't answer and only looked at the ground. He tried not to sigh and scratched the back of his head, "aren't you Sinbad's kid?" He asked.

You nodded. "Don't you want to go see him? He's probably around somewhere," he explained. 

You shook your head and wiped your nose on your sleeve. "Well, I'm guessing your upset about something, huh?" He asked only to get a nod from you, "alright then."

Before he could say more you both heard someone running towards and you frowned when you noticed your father with the pink bunny in his hand. "Y/N, what're you doing all the way over here?! I was so worried," huffed Sinbad after running all over town. 

You only hid behind the other man's legs and said nothing. Sinbad tried looking to you only for you to avert your gaze. "Y/N?" Asked Sinbad. 

The man sighed, "seriously, Sinbad? When are you going to take some responsibility for her?" He asked. 

Sinbad frowned, "what do you have to do with this, Solomon?" He asked, crossing his arms. 

"Considering that I had to chase of bullies who were tormenting her, I'd say I have quite a lot to do with this," he explained. 

Sinbad wanted to be angry but after hearing that he felt like the worst father in the world, which he was sure was true by now. "Y/N, sweetie. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you all alone," he said while kneeling down to your level while reaching the bunny out to you, "will you forgive papa?"

You trembled after seeing that bunny again, especially after hearing the lie. "NO! I HATE YOU!" You screamed before running to your house. 

Sinbad yelled for you, "wait, Y/N!" He screamed. 

Solomon stopped him before he ran to you, "don't screw this up, Sinbad. She needs you."

Sinbad clenched his jaw before saying, "I know."

*~*~*

Once Sinbad had gotten home he looked all around the house and hadn't realized you had been avoiding him. Not just because of his irresponsibility but also because you felt guilty after screaming you hated it. Sure you were mad but you didn't hate him, you were just about ready to say sorry and hug him until he forgave you.

That's exactly what you did once he found huddled up next to the painting of your mother down in the basement. Sinbad looked at you with guilt written on his features, "Y/N, sweetie, I..."

You didn't give him time to finish as you were already in his arms, hugging him tightly. "I-I'm sorry, papa... I didn't mean it!" You sobbed into his chest, "I don't h-hate you!" 

Sinbad felt tears come to his eyes as sobs rocked your small body, "it's not your fault, Y/N... It's mine..." He said softly while cradling you to his chest. During that moment as both of you cried Sinbad made a silent promise to always be there for you.

~Now

Sinbad's breath hitched when the memory stopped playing in his mind. He looked up from the weapon and glanced at the small stuffed bunny that was sitting at a separate table, it was clear that you had grown out of it but Sinbad had kept it because it was something to remind him of that promise he made. He felt tears in his eyes when his mind drifted to you, probably alone and scared, which is why he needed to work and fast. 

Before he continued he worked over to the bunny and picked it, "I promise I'll save you, Y/N... No matter what."

~~~

A/N: So... It's been a while... *runs away as you all chase me with pitchforks and torches*

SEE YOU ALL NEXT TIME!