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The most surprising thing when was she got home from her latest dealing was the shivering peasant taking up residence in her stables. He had been immediately whisked away to the dungeons despite his pleas and whimpers that 'he hadn't known it was her castle.'
Belle sipped tea from her teacup and tried to ignore the quiet sobs from way below her. Even with years as the Dark One, she still felt extreme compassion for many creatures.
Unfortunately, she had no idea who this man was. She forcefully jammed her teacup down on the table and the saucer rattled noisily. She would deal with this tomorrow.
The dungeon doors slammed open, and the peasant laying uncomfortably on the stone bed jolted awake.
"Rise and shine, dear!"
She smiled and giggled at his shocked face as she continued, "And as payment for spending the night in my stables, you get to become the new help! Sadly, the other few didn't last very long at all. Hopefully, you'll be here longer."
The peasant gulped and spoke in a pleasant brogue, "R- Rumplestiltskin, your ladyship."
Belle raised an eyebrow before she realized, "That's your name?"
He nodded meekly.
She huffed, "Unfortunate. Well get up, you must learn your new duties."
"H- how long will I be here, M'lady?"
"Why forever, dear!" She turned to go but stopped when she noticed he wasn't following her. The curse whispered offended thoughts and Belle's rather pleasant mood darkened considerably.
"Up. Walk- dear."
The man grimaced and grabbed a walking stick from the floor and carefully placed some of his weight on it. He winced but continued to stand and followed Belle slowly through the hallways as Belle explained his duties.
Rumplestiltskin's leg was burning, he'd spent most of the night mourning the assured end of his cowardly life in the morning and trying to ease the pain in his leg. He'd finally fallen into a troubled uncomfortable sleep but he'd then woken to the Dark One and searing pain in his leg.
Despite her fearsome appearance she was quite pretty. Long chocolate curls framed a face of extremely pale skin decorated with silver scales. Her rosebud mouth was continually set in a smirk as her accented voice dipped and lowered over rounded syllables. Her eyes were dark blue laced with silver, almost hiding her small inhuman pupils. The most frightening aspect of her though, was her rotten yet somehow dainty teeth and the abnormally long gray fingernails that could almost be considered claws.
A twinge of pain brought him back to the present. Every time he stepped he nearly buckled and fell, but he could tell he'd already annoyed the Dark One enough by his reluctance to move. There was no reason to agitate her seemingly volatile personality further by collapsing
She sat down at a long table and conjured a tea set whereupon she gestured for him to begin pouring. Rumplestiltskin shakily began preparing the delicate blue and white tea set.
Belle eyed the man as he poured her tea, listening to her words and eyeing the Dark castle in horror.
The curse laughed at his fear and urged her to make a quip.
"Oh, and you'll skin the children I hunt for their pelts- so I can bind my books."
The man balked and the cup fell from his hand and broke on the floor.
Belle frowned, "Just a quip."
The man immediately fell to the ground, frantically gathering the pieces and picking up the cup.
"I- I'm sorry, M'lady but- but it's chipped."
Belle hadn't meant to get him this worked up and shrugged, "It's just a cup."
Rumplestiltskin sighed in relief.
Several Months Later
Rumplestiltskin hobbled up the step towards the Dark One's tower, bringing a silver tea set with him, the cups rattling as he attempted to manage the tray, his leg, and the stairs. It had gotten significantly colder and his leg was protested with each step.
Rumplestiltskin had just made his way to the third step when the Dark One's voice rang out below him, "What are you doing?"
Rumplestiltskin flinched, which was a mistake. His foot slipped, the more durable cups bounced on the steps, and the spinner fell.
Instead of spreading his brains across the floor, and probably burdening Belle with a mess, he found his fall broken by slight feminine arms wrapped around his waist.
He froze as warm breaths caressed the back of his head. Rumple titled his head slightly and managed to see out of the corner of his eye, red lips parted slightly and eyes widened in shock.
The next moment Belle dropped him and Rumple skittered, unprepared for the sudden release.
Rumplestiltskin began gathering the cups hurriedly, sneaking glances at his mistress. "T- thank you, M'lady."
Belle shuddered and waved him off, slowly walking away, "It was nothing, Rumple."
Rumplestiltskin couldn't help but smile slightly. She hadn't called him Hobblefoot, or Spindleshanks, or Spiderleg. Not even Rumplestiltskin, just... Rumple.
It had sounded strangely pleasant falling off Belle's lips in her lilting accent. Rumple shook his head. What was he thinking?
The spinner glanced back at the stairs and the third step where he had stood only moments ago.
It really hadn't been that far to fall.