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Chapter Text

“You have to find her and bring her back to me! The wedding party will be here in three days!”

Maurice, red-faced and agitated, paced his throne room at a frenetic pace. If he didn’t calm down soon, Rumplestiltskin mused, his blood pressure might end all his problems for him.

“And what do you have to offer me, if I agree to return your wayward daughter?”

Maurice threw up his hands, gesticulating wildly at the fine gold work pieces that were scattered about the room. “The finest treasure my kingdom has to offer!” That got Rumplestiltskin’s attention in earnest. Stupid man, too ruled by his emotions to agree to proper, non-ambiguous terms. That was exciting. He decided to hunt the girl down for her less than shrewd father. Rumplestiltskin could decide what the “finest treasure in Avonlea” was later. Surely there was something there he could use - land perhaps, or magical texts. He’d decide his price once he’d delivered the runaway princess and Maurice would have no recourse. Yes, that suited Rumplestiltskin very nicely.

“Agreed! Take me to your daughter’s room and I shall gather what I need. I will have her home in time for her wedding.”

His ruddy, anxious host snapped his fingers and a pair of guards escorted Rumplestiltskin to Lady Belle’s room.

As he breached the threshold of her room, Rumplestiltskin noted that the door locked, with a heavy deadbolt, from the outside. That fact struck him as unusual, but he tucked it away as he focused on finding some residue of the woman herself. He brushed his hand over her bed sheets, inhaling sharply, and gathering her scent. He slid his fingers up across her pillow and was rewarded with the prize he sought - a long, auburn hair. He plucked it free with his sharp claws, and deposited it in a glass vial filled with shimmering purple liquid. He gave the vial a rapid shake, the watched as the fluid inside turned a vivid gold. When he unstoppered the bottle, the gold liquid turned to gas that wound its way out the window and down to the thick grass below. He watched it as it continued on into the woods. So she’d made her escape out the window? She must have been very determined to leave, considering a fall from such a great height would no doubt prove fatal. No matter. He magicked himself to the edge of the woods and followed the magical tracking spell further into the foliage. It was dark, in a forest so thick with vegetation but his strange, large eyes could see perfectly well with only a sliver of light. Her route was easy for him to follow, though it looped and doubled back several times. He grudgingly admitted he was impressed. This was no blind run through the forest. She’d given some thought to her escape, and taken steps to throw pursuers off her trail. It would have proved difficult, perhaps even impossible to follow her without his magic. She might have evaded her father’s guard’s easily enough, but he would prove a harder adversary to deceive.

As he followed the golden thread of magic, he mused on what payment would be best to extract from the doddering old fool who’d been too rattled to protect his own best interests. Valuable trade routes ran through Avonlea, and information always stowed away with caravans full of spice and fine cloth. Of course he could always claim that Avonlea’s greatest treasure was the dignity of its sovereign, and make the stupid man dance a humiliating jig in front of the wedding party. There was a cruelty there that appealed to Rumplestiltskin. Royals could be useful to him, but he had known the sting of poverty before. There was a dark place in him that enjoyed bringing the great and good low. A shadowed corner that savored the sweet satisfaction of their mortification. But that could wait. The trail he had been following with only half his attention abruptly stopped at the mouth of a cave hidden behind a thicket of holly. It was a small cave, really not much more than a den, but plenty large enough to conceal one escaped princess. He strode to the mouth of the cave, and knelt before it. His keen eyes adjusted to the near-pitch darkness , but he could make out the silhouette of a woman huddled under a blanket. He was not a tall man; he could even be described as slight in stature. But he still had to duck his head to enter the cave. He approached the sleeping figure silently. When he was less than a foot away, he reached out to touch her. His hand alighted on something cold and hard. No sleeping lady here - merely a dummy version constructed of a blanket and rocks. His nostrils flared as he caught her scent, and he whirled away just in time to avoid the thick tree branch she’d swung at his head.

She’d tricked him. This slip of a girl! This spoiled princess that fled a marriage she felt was beneath her. She’d very nearly taken his head off! He sidestepped her neatly, and with a flick of his fingers the tree branch turned to ash in her hands. He finally got a good look at her and was taken aback by her astonishingly blue eyes. She was lovely, to be sure, but he’d seen lovelier. But those eyes - they were absolutely wild with an intensity that took his breath away. He’d seen that desperate, hunted aspect before in wild things driven to ground, but never such fierce determination in the otherwise delicate features of a well born lady. She must have mistaken his interested scrutiny for something less wholesome because in a heartbeat she’d pulled a dagger from her corset and brandished it at him.

“Leave this place, and tell no one you saw me, and I will let you live!”

He barked with laughter at her impertinence. She had more spine than her father, he’d give her that. Another flick of his fingers and he was tucking her knife into the band of his trousers. If his tricks surprised her, she gave no indication. But she did bolt for the mouth of the cave. One last flicker of magic, and iron bars blocked the entrance of the cave, trapping them inside. Well, trapping her inside. The bars melted as he walked through them, returning to their solid state as soon as he was free. She wrapped her small hands around the bars and gave them a rough tug. They didn’t budge. For the first time since he encountered her, she looked genuinely frightened.

“Please...don’t keep me locked in here.”

“I do not intend to keep you locked inside long, lady.”

She looked even more distraught. “You plan to return me to my father.”

“I do. He has made me quite a lucrative offer if only I bring his beloved daughter home, safe and sound.”

Her laugh was mirthless. “In time for him to sell me to that...that...beast.”

He arched an eye brow at her. “Not the handsome prince you hoped for?”

“He’s quite handsome, or so my ladies in waiting seem to think. A handsome face counts for very little.”

“That has not been my experience.”

“You father didn’t sell you like a brood mare to the highest bidder. “

“He would have, had there been any bidders.”

She peered at him through the bars, and a small, sad laugh escaped her lips. “I didn’t expect you to have a sense of humor, Spinner. All the books I’ve read about you make you seem rather...dour.”

“If you assume that was a joke, you give my father far more credit than he is due.”

Her face fell and she looked at the ground for several moments before speaking. “I think my father loved me once. I remember him being tender with me as a child. He used to carry me on his shoulders around the palace so I could see everything. He changed when he lost my mother. He was so terrified of losing me that he kept me locked away. I would beg to go outside but he claimed it was too dangerous.”

“Parents...often make such mistakes out of fear.”

“Is it worth it, if they lose their children’s love in the process?”

Her offhand comment hit him too close to home; his heart squeezed painfully in his chest.

“I imagine we’d all make different choices if we could see the consequences of our actions before it was too late.”

“Indeed. I wouldn’t have chosen the comfort of this shelter if I knew you’d lock me away inside.”

“Is it so terrible a place to be locked away? The rain will not trouble you, and you should be plenty warm enough.”

“A warm, dry prison is still a prison. I feel as if the walls are closing in around me.”

“You’re claustrophobic?”

“Yes, but it’s more than that. I’ve always wanted to see the world. Have adventures. I’d dreamed that one day I might find a husband who shared my desires. But in three days my father will give me to a man who has barely bothered to learn my name. He’ll bed me. He’ll get his heirs on me. And he’ll never let me wander farther than the walls of his estate.”

“So you ran?”

“So I ran.”

“Where did you hope to go?”

“Anywhere. Everywhere.”

“I am sorry, princess, but I have promised to return you home.”

She looked at him shrewdly, like she was sizing him up. “Is it true you never break your deals?”

“It is.”

“And you promised to return me to my father in time for my wedding.”

“I did.”

“That’s three days away. Allow me three more days of freedom, and you can still honor your deal with my father to the letter.”

It was an appealing thought. He liked the idea of Maurice stewing in his anxiety til the very last minute. And if he was honest with himself, this clever, pretty, somber princess piqued his interest. But he could hardly let it get out that he was doing favors for princesses out of the goodness of his heart. Even if they were lovely.

“And if I grant you these three days of freedom, what promise do I have that you will return to me when it’s time for you to wed?”

“Only my word. But if that’s not bond enough, you have merely to come with me. Keep me in your sight at all times, and take me back to my father when my time is up.”

“And what’s in it for me, dearie?”

“I have little of my own to offer. I have some jewelry that was given to me by my mother but if the legends are true, you have very little use for gold.”

“You’d be surprised how often people offer me gold.”

“No I wouldn’t. No one reads anymore.”

Despite himself, he laughed. He liked her. Delaying her return would infuriate her father, and allow her some small measure of peace. It was in his power to give that to her, and he would.”

“Alright. I will bring you to my castle. During the day you will clean for me. Your nights will be your own. You may amuse yourself as you wish. When your time is up, you will return with me to your father. Do we have a deal?”

“She offered him her hand through the bars of her cage. He clasped it gently; the exquisite softness of her skin did not escape him. In a puff of purple smoke they disappeared from the forest.

Chapter Text

Her eyes were wide as saucers as they landed in the great hall of the Dark Castle. She reached out and grasped his arm to steady herself, and he briefly tried to recall the last time someone had touched him, even in casual passing. Decades, at least. His throat stung as he remembered the sweet, small hands of his boy. He tamped down the memory and took her by the elbow to steady her.

“Thank you, Spinner.”

He nodded stiffly. “You...may call me by name, lady.” He gave the little flourished bow he had perfected over the centuries. “Rumplestiltskin.”

“Belle. My name is Belle. And thank you. You can’t know how much this means to me.”

“No doubt you’re hungry. And,” He wrinkled his nose, “much in need of a bath.”

She looked slightly nervous at the mention of bathing and he read her discomfort for what it was. “You need not fear my advances, Lady. I have no need for an heir.”

She blushed, rather fetchingly, from her cheeks down as far as the fabric of her dress would allow his view. Briefly, he wondered if it reached her toes. But he took her by the elbow again and guided her upstairs and down a candle-lit hallway. They stopped in front of a great door, and he spoke to her.

“A bath has already been drawn for you. The water will stay hot for as long as you wish it. When you are finished, there are night clothes in the armoire. The castle will provide you with whatever you desire for supper. Get some rest, and you can start dusting the great hall when you wake.”

He pushed her door open, and she peered inside at an exquisitely decorated suite of rooms.

“Thank you, Rumplestiltskin.”

“Oh, and...Belle? Your room only locks from the inside. I hope that gives you some peace.”

She smiled at him softly, and then was gone. He heard her draw the bolt on the door, and left her to her evening.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He did not know if she was an early riser, or had not slept well, but when he came down in the morning he found her hard at work dusting his things. She smiled at him and wished him a good morning as he passed.

It was a novel thing to have someone sharing the castle with him. Granted it was only for another two days but he’d forgotten how comforting the sounds of another person sharing the same space could be. At noon she surprised him with a tray of tea and biscuits. He invited her to join him, and what followed was a delightful discussion on the merits of plant oils in healing burned skin. She was even smarter than he expected, and he enjoyed hearing her opinion on the best distillation methods. For someone who had been locked away in a tower she had certainly amassed an impressive array of knowledge. She admitted to being a voracious reader. After she cleared the tea tray, she returned to mopping the flagstones and he retired to his laboratory.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Evening crept upon them quickly. He found her polishing silver in the kitchen. He reached for her hand, and she gave it to him without hesitation, setting aside her rags to follow where he led.

“There’s something here I think you might like, Belle. Close your eyes.”

She did so, and allowed him to lead her through the doorway. She could feel the warmth emanating from a fireplace, but the way their footfalls echoed told her the ceilings were quite high. He lead her a few steps more, than whispered, “Open your eyes.”

The gasp Belle made was far from ladylike but it made his heart clench. He remembered that sound. His boy made that sound when he’d given him an orange one Christmas. Mila had scolded him for wasting so much money on something so frivolous but Bae had been overjoyed. He remembered his smiling face, sticky with orange juice, and the biggest smile lighting up his warm brown eyes. That was the look washing across Belle’s face now.

“Do you like it?”

“I’ve never seen so many books in all my life!”

“Why don’t you let the castle help you choose one, and you can spend the evening reading by the fire.”

“Truly?”

He nodded at her. She darted off down the aisle, her fingers sliding across the rich, leather bound volumes. His heart clenched. He’d been alone so long he’d forgotten the simple joy of making another person happy. He would miss her when he returned her to her father. He shook his head, trying to clear the sentimentality from his thoughts. It would do him no good to become overly attached to her. Very soon she would be another man’s wife and his castle would be silent once more. He turned to go, but her clear, gentle voice tugged at his ear.

“Will you join me, Rumplestiltskin?”

He returned his gaze to the stacks and saw her emerging with a purple and gold volume clutched to her chest.

“If you wish it.”

She smiled at him and crossed to the inviting leather arm chairs by the roaring fire. She sunk into one, and he the other. She opened her volume and began to read aloud.

The book the castle had offered her was 1001 Arabian Nights. She wove story after story to him, rapturous over the details of life in far-off, exotic Agrabagh. When she finally yawned and closed the book, he realized the lateness of the hour. She smiled sadly at the book as she laid it down on the armchair.

“I always dreamed of seeing the Far East. Thank you, for giving me a little glimpse of it.”

She gave him a soft nod, and made her way to the door. He stopped her before she left.

“Belle?”

She returned to his side, but he wasn’t able to quite meet her eyes. The evening had been the most pleasant he could remember for decades, and it pained him that it would not be repeated. Still, he wanted to do her a kindness.

“Belle, when you are married, you are welcome to borrow any of the books in my library.”

He waved his hand, and a ripple of purple magic shuddered over the shelves.

“You need only concentrate on what you should like to read, and the book will appear in your hands. Consider it....my wedding gift to you.”

Her face fell at that, and he worried that he’d perhaps said the wrong thing. When she met his eyes again, he could see she was fighting back tears. “My intended has informed me that reading is not a proper pursuit for a lady. He has forbidden me to pick up a book in his castle. He says I am to keep busy embroidering clothes for his children.”

A dark, gnarled rage bit at Rumplestiltskin’s innards. He hadn’t met Belle’s intended, but he hated him, deeply and unequivocally.

“How could your father chose a stupid husband for a daughter so bright?”

A tear escaped from her eye, and without thinking he reached out and brushed it aside with his finger. The green of his scales looked obscene against her soft pink cheek and he quickly pulled away. But she caught his hand, and laid the whole of her cheek against his palm. Another tear, and another fled her eyes and rolled across his hand. Then she was done. She turned his hand over, pressed a kiss to his palm, and gave him a little squeeze. She wished him a good night, and retired to her room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Belle decided to spend her last day of freedom cleaning the bedrooms. There was something homey it, and she wanted to commit as much of the castle to memory as possible. When she was locked up in her new home, she wanted to be able to come back to Rumplestiltskin’s palace in her thoughts. She’d only been there a short time, but she’d been happy there. He’d been...kind to her. Treated her like she had always hoped her husband might. Like her opinions mattered and he was interested in hearing them. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and redoubled her efforts at cleaning. She’d tried to escape and she’d failed. There was no use wasting her last day of freedom mourning a life that would never be hers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rumplestiltskin found her arranging a vase of fresh cut roses in his bedroom. He didn’t understand how it was possible to care for someone so much, so quickly, but perhaps it was all down to just how wonderful Belle was. It would break his heart to see those roses wither as the days without her drew on. He cast a silent spell on them to preserve them just as they were. He’d still be lonely, but perhaps in that moment right at waking, he might be able to pretend, if only for an instant, that she was still with him.

She turned and smiled at him, but he could see that her impending marriage was weighing heavily on her. He wished he could take the strain off her shoulders permanently, but he would settle for giving her one more night to spend as she wished. He hoped it would last her.

“Belle, will you come with me?”

He expected her to ask where but she merely stepped to him, and he wrapped his arm around her. In a split second, they were half way around the world.

Chapter Text

They were on a bluff, overlooking a vast desert. It was so different from any landscape that Belle had ever seen, and for a long moment she was unable to do anything other than stare. As her eyes adjusted she peered off into the distance. She could make out a bright golden dome lit by torches, surrounded by a walled city. Her voice was enthralled as she whispered, “Is that..?”

“Agrabah,” he answered her. “Look down.”

Belle gazed downwards and realized they were standing on a bright, intricately woven carpet. Rumplestiltskin dropped to his knees, then settled in cross-legged. Belle sat against his legs, and they both breathed a little faster at their closeness. Rumplestiltskin snapped his fingers and the carpet sprang to life.

Belle shouted in wordless joy as the bluff fell away below them and they sped across the sands. He took them low to the ground so she could see the beautiful, long-legged horses of the desert running free in the night. He showed her the Oasis from her story book, the cave of many wonders, and finally the golden, shining dome of the Sultan’s palace. When their tour was complete, he set them down in a bustling night market. He fed her exotic spiced meats, delightful and strange dips, soft breads, and exquisite sweets that tasted of roses. They both wished the night could last forever, and they both knew it couldn’t. He took her for one last loop around the city, but soon the carpet was settling down on the bluff above the desert. Belle scooted off the carpet, so she was seated beside him, her legs dangling off the cliff. She gazed out at the stars in wonder.

“This is what I wanted.”

“Agrabagh?”

“Yes. But not just Agrabagh. This.” She didn’t shift her gaze from the stars, but she reached for his hand and twined her fingers with his. “I wanted to see the world. I wanted...someone who didn’t think the way to keep me was to lock me away.”

And now she did look at him, and while he wanted to just keep looking out at the stars, he did the brave thing and returned her gaze. “I can understand why a man would be afraid of losing you.”

For a moment he thought that he might kiss her. That he’d pull her into his arms, and taste her sweet lips, and never let her go. But the moment passed. He’d held onto love too tightly before. He knew that trying to hold on too tightly was the death of love, and he would not kill that gentle spark for anything. If he was honest with himself, deals be damned, he wanted to stow her away in his castle and never let her leave him. But he’d learned that lesson, and it had nearly killed him once. He would not make that mistake again. But there was something he could do. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of their twined hands, and he whispered, “I’m sorry, Belle, but it’s time to go.” The look of anguish on her face tore at his heart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They materialized in the celebration hall of her father’s castle. Rumplestiltskin had taken the liberty of dressing Belle in a spectacular gown that would put any other princess of the realm to shame. She looked down at the voluminous skirt in abject horror. Her father sprung forward and tried to reach for her, but she backed away from him. He looked hurt, but turned his attention to Rumplestiltskin. “Not a moment too soon, Spinner!”

“That’s no way to thank your savior, is it?”

Maurice caught himself, and gave Rumplestiltskin a little bow. “Forgive me, Spinner, I’ve been ill at ease with my daughter away. Thank you for her safe return.”

Rumplestiltskin was returning Maurice’s bow when the door burst open. A tall man with black hair strode into the room, but skidded to a halt when he saw Belle. Rumplestiltskin had to admit he was incredibly handsome. He hated him on sight.

“There’s my little bride! Have you missed me, Belle?”

Belle shrunk back from the dark haired man, and Rumplestiltskin subtly positioned himself between them. “Ah, you must be the lucky groom. Tell me, what’s wrong with books?”

“Excuse me? Just who the hell...”

The large man’s hands flew to the place where his mouth had once been, but now there was just smooth, closed flesh. His eyes bugged out in horror. “That’s quite enough out of you. As I was saying - a man that forbids his wife to read? Something tells me you’re afraid she’ll find her way into the romance section and discover just how lazy a...husband you are!” The mouthless man lunged at Rumplestiltskin but he deftly spun a web of magic that bound all his limbs to his trunk. He hit the floor with a resounding thud. Rumplestiltskin rolled him over with his boot, and sat on his back. He then turned his attention back to Maurice.

“Now, as we were discussing before we were so rudely interrupted, my payment.”

“Yes, yes. Go with my guards. You may pick out anything you wish from the royal coffers.”

“Ah. Well, that’s not going to work for me. You see, I was promised the finest treasure your kingdom had to offer.”

“Of course! We have gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires!”

“I’m sure you have plenty of stones and metal in your coffers, but those pale in comparison to the finest treasure your kingdom has to offer.”

“I don’t understand.”

“No. You don’t. And believe me when I say, I wish this was a lesson you had learned years ago.”

He turned away from Maurice, and faced Belle. Her eyes were wide and uncertain but she gave him her hand when he reached for it. “Your daughter is truly the finest treasure in your kingdom. I claim her as my prize.”

She stepped into his arms, and they left her father’s castle in a flash of magic.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived in the Dark Castle, Rumplestiltskin could feel Belle’s heart thundering in her chest. She backed away from him and he let her go.

“What have you done?”

“Given you what you want.”

“I thought you were different. I thought you wouldn’t put me in another cage. I thought you...”

“Loved you?”

Her eyes flared as he said the words, and she looked stricken. “Was any of that true? Any of what we shared? Or did you only wish to humiliate my father and take me for your serving girl?”

“Belle, I know you’re scared. But I meant every word. I swear to you. And I’ll show you.”

He drew jewelry box from his pocket and held it out to her. “Take it.”

She reached for it gingerly and opened the box. Inside was a knot work pendent and a simple golden ring. She looked up at him, questioningly but she didn’t speak.

“I tried to cage someone I loved once. My boy. I only wanted to keep him safe. But locking him away didn’t keep him safe, and I lost him anyways. I promise you, it’s a lesson I only needed to learn once.”

“I’m sorry.”

He was afraid the tears would come if he thought too long on Bae, so he hurried on. “That pendant will take you anywhere in the world you wish to go. You have merely to touch it, and think of where you’d like to be. It will respond to specifics like ‘Take me to Wonderland’ but it’s also quite intuitive. You could ask it to take you to the most beautiful site in the realms and it will take you to the place you’d find most beautiful. Do you understand?”

She nodded, and her features softened. He could see tears starting to well in her eyes. He continued, “That ring can open any door. It renders all locks and chains and bars powerless. You can simply stroke it and you’ll be able to pass thru any obstacle.”

She stared down at the ring in disbelief.

“Wear that ring, Belle, and no one will ever be able to lock you away again.”

In a heartbeat she had closed the distance between them and pressed her mouth to his. It was a fierce kiss, and he felt years of frustration and pain melting away from her. There was more there, too. Relief. Gratitude. Even lust. He was fairly certain that if he were to take her hand now, and lead her to his room, she’d lay down beside him and welcome his touch. But he wouldn’t do that to her. He’d promised to free her, and no matter how badly he wished to keep her close, he knew he had to let her go.

It was a long kiss, and when it was over, he laid his forehead against hers and gently stroked her face. And then he whispered in her ear, “Go Belle. See the world.”

She gave him one last kiss, and then she was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The seasons passed quicker than anticipated, and with less heartache than he expected. It wasn’t that he didn’t miss her; some days he ached for her so keenly that he couldn’t even enter his room because the sight of her roses in eternal bloom would completely undo him. But there was a sense of contentment there, as well. He knew that she was finally free to do anything she liked. She could go anywhere. See anything. And it made him smile to know he’d given that joy to her. A year on, he still felt the ache of her absence, but he could appreciate the joy, too.

And one day, when he least expected it, he found her in his kitchen. She looked much as he remembered but far less careworn. He eyes were bright, and radiant and her smile made his heart clench. He almost didn’t believe it when she reached for his hand.

“Have you seen the world?”

“I have. It is astounding.”

“Come back to visit with an old friend between destinations?”

She stepped closer to him and his heart began to pound.

“This pendent is truly a remarkable item, Rumplestiltskin. Every day for a year I’ve held it in my hand and asked it to take me to the place I most wanted to be. And every morning, it’s brought me to your front door. Every time, I asked it to take me somewhere else. And it did. I’ve seen pyramids and hanging gardens, and mountains and the sea. I’ve seen the world, and do you know what I’ve discovered?”

“What?”

“It is a glorious, magnificent place, and I could spend the rest of my life traveling it if I so choose. But my favorite little corner of the world? Is the corner where I’m with you.”

This time, their lovemaking goes beyond kissing. He leads her to his bedroom, and she lays down beside him without hesitation. They kiss. They touch. Soon, they know each other so fully they will never doubt each other again. Her wordless joy fills up his senses. She knows he will never put her in a cage, and he knows she will always come back to him when her travels are over.

The End