Once Upon a Time...
...there was a girl named Belle and village was under attack from Ogre’s. They were in their final hour when Rumpelstiltskin appeared to make a deal. “Well, that was a bit of a let down.” Rumpelstiltskin mused sitting in the king’s chair looking smug. Then he said, “You sent me a message.” He was there for a deal and for payment. Her father offered gold in payment for the imp’s help. To that he replied, “I, uh, make gold.” No, what he wanted was Belle. He needed a caretaker for his rather large estate. It was either Belle or there would be no deal and he would leave the people to the Ogre’s. Her father said no. Gaston, her intended in marriage, said no. Belle, on the other hand, said yes. “No one decides my fate but me.” She claimed turning to Rumpelstiltskin and agreeing to go with him. “I will go with him.” This made the imp happy. “My family, my friends, they will all live?” Rumpelstiltskin inclined his head, “You have my word.” Again Belle’s father protested flinging the insult that Rumpelstiltskin was a beast. The deal maker conveyed mock offense, splaying his hand over his heart. Belle turned to her father, placing her hand on his shoulder saying that it had been decided. Rumpelstiltskin slipped his hand over Belle’s waist looking at her father saying, “You know, she’s right. The deal is struck.” With a sinister giggle of delight, Rumpelstiltskin left the castle with Belle at his side. At the Dark Castle Rumpelstiltskin led Belle through enchanted doors, through the main hall where they strode by displays of his collection leaving Belle to ask where he was taking her. “Let’s call it… your room.” Rumpelstiltskin responded as he continued to walk through his castle. Using his magic he opened a worn wooden door. Belle came to a stop, “My room?” Rumpelstiltskin replied, “It sounds a lot nicer than dungeon.” With a wicked laugh he pushes her through the door, closes it, and locks it with Belle pounding on the other side. Rumpelstiltskin strode off with a maniacal laugh echoing on the stones around him.

The Tale Continues...
...Later in the night Belle is standing at the end of a long table with Rumpelstiltskin outlining her duties in the castle. She is to serve him his meals, dust his collection, and launder his clothing to which she all agrees. “Oh, and you are to skin the children I hunt for their pelts.” Using his dark sense of humor Rumpelstiltskin startles Belle causing her to drop the tea cup she had in her hands. Then he tells her it was just a quip, that he wasn’t serious. Belle tried to look relieved as she crouched down to retrieve the cup she had chipped. There, along the edge was a small chip. “Oh, I’m sorry, but it’s chipped. You can hardly see it.” She raised it up for him to see. Rumpelstiltskin just looked at her, “It’s just a cup.” Belle rose setting the cup on the tray and prepared him a cup of tea. Time passed into one afternoon that found Belle on a ladder trying to open curtains while Rumpelstiltskin sat at his spinning wheel making gold. Looking over at Rumpelstiltskin she asked, “Why do you spin so much?” Pausing for a brief second he answered, “I like to watch the wheel. Helps me to forget.” A small glimmer of sadness lingers in his eyes. Without hesitation Belle questioned, “Forget what?” Again Rumpelstiltskin stopped, “I guess it worked.” He answered uttering a small giggle; a trademark of his eccentric personality. Turning, he saw she chuckled as well. But what he saw her doing confused him. Setting aside the thread, he rose from the spinning wheel asking, “What are you doing?” Belle tugged on the curtain again as she answered, “Opening these. It’s almost spring, we should let some light in.” Again she tugged and again and again. One more tug ripped the curtain down toppling Belle off the ladder and right into Rumpelstiltskin’s arms where he caught her. Light poured in through the window making him blink and giving Belle the chance to look at him close up. “Thank you.” Belle said. Realizing what he had done, Rumpelstiltskin put her down suddenly backing away from her to go back to his wheel.

Time slipped by, a few months came and went. Belle grew accustomed to her new life with him in the Dark Castle. One afternoon Rumpelstiltskin held the chipped cup in his hand gazing out of open windows. Belle comes around the table with him moving away from her. He turns just as she slips up on to the table to sit, to watch him drink his tea. AS he is about to take a sip Belle asks, “Why did you want me here?” Rumpelstiltskin lowers the cup and teases, “Place was filthy.” Belle smirks, “I think you were lonely.” She continues her train of thought with any man would be lonely. Solemnly he replies, “I’m not a man.” As he leaned against the edge of the table. Belle continues on mentioning how she’s been in the castle for months, having had time to look around. In that time she found a room upstairs with clothes meant for a child. She asked if the clothes had belonged to him or if there was a child. Rumpelstiltskin lowered his head, a small gleam of sadness coloring his gaze. “There was. There was a son, but I lost him as I did his mother.” Belle can hear the sadness and feels for him, for the pain he suffered through, “I’m sorry. But, you were a man once and ordinary man.” Rumpelstiltskin stands, setting aside his tea cup to lock gazes with Belle. “Perhaps you just want to learn the monsters weaknesses? No no, no no no…” He’s pointing at her the entire time as she only smirks. “You’re not a monster. You think you’re uglier than you are. That’s why you cover all the mirrors up isn’t it? Hmm?” Belle questions with the smirk still on her face. Rumpelstiltskin doesn’t answer. A fierce pounding draws him away from Belle. At the front door, Gaston starts to demand the return of Belle. With a snap of his fingers, purple smoke envelopes Gaston turning him in to a long stemmed red rose. Rumpelstiltskin just smiles.

Our Dark Tale Concludes...
...The large doors opened with Rumpelstiltskin walking back through them with the rose concealed. Belle smiled at him asking, “Who was that?” She took a few steps closer to him. He answered her saying it was an old woman selling flowers. “Here,” Rumpelstiltskin produced the rose seeing her eyes light up, “If you’ll have it?” He quickly added. She took the offered rose, lifting it to her nose to inhale the fragrance. “Thank you.” Belle curtsied and Rumpelstiltskin bowed in return. Still wearing a smile, Belle moved off over near the fire place to retrieve a pair of scissors while Rumpelstiltskin asks, “You had a life Belle, before this. Friends. Family. What made you chose to come with me?” Belle opened the glass display case fetching the vase, “Heroism, sacrifice. There isn’t a lot opportunity in this land for women to show what they can do. To be heroes. So when you arrived I thought that was my chance.” As she spoke Belle cut off some of the rose stem and placed it in the vase. “I always want to be brave. I figured do the brave things and bravery would follow.” Belle slid back up on the table to watch him as he sat staring at her from his chair. “And is it everything you hoped?” “Well, I did want to see the world. That part didn’t work out, but I did save my village.” Rumpelstiltskin tapped the tips of his fingers together as he asked, “And uh, what of your young man?” “It was an arranged marriage. Honestly I could never give my heart to someone as superficial as he. To me, love is…” She paused and then continued, “Love is layered. Love is a mystery to be uncovered.” Belle smiled at him. “But uh... you were going to tell me about your son.” Rumpelstiltskin took breath, “I’ll make you a deal. Go to town and fetch me some straw. When you return I’ll share my tale.” Belle felt confused. “Town? You trust me to come back?” “Oh no, I expect I’ll never see you again.” For the rest of the day Rumpelstiltskin stood at the window watching for Belle. As night fell he caught a glimpse of her. Quickly he ran down the stone steps to hurry to his wheel to give off the impression that he hadn’t been waiting for her to return when the enchanted doors opened allowing Belle to enter. “Oh you’re back. Good… good thing. I’m nearly out of straw.” She carried the basket full of straw in one hand and with the other took her cloak to rest it over the back of his chair. Belle smirked at that. “Hmm.” She set the basket down saying playfully, “Admit, you’re happy that I’m back.” Rumpelstiltskin looked at Belle, angling his head to see her eye to eye, “I’m not unhappy.” He confessed.

Belle smiled a broad sunny smile coming around the platform to place her hands on his shoulders. “You promised me a story.” She reminded Rumpelstiltskin. “I did?” He asked. “Uh huh.” She sat down on the edge of the wheel, straightening her skirt and then she placed her hand on his leather clad thigh. “I uh… lost him. There’s nothing more to tell really.” “Since then you’ve loved no one and no one had loved you?” Rumpelstiltskin leaned in close to her, leveling his gaze with hers, “Why did you come back.” Belle let her shoulders droop. “I wasn’t going to but then something changed my mind.” She leaned into her with him meeting her half way. Their lips touched soft and sweet. Belle opened her eyes looked at him, waiting. Then his skin started to change, to go back to a normal hue. Rumpelstiltskin knew something was wrong. “What’s happening?” Belle ran her hands down his hair, cupping his face. “Kiss me again, its working.” She replied. “What is?” He looked daze, but leaned back in a fraction until Belle spoke. “Any curse can be broken.” Rumpelstiltskin jerked back from her wanting to know who told her that. What had started to change in him stopped, returning to how he looked. Backing away from Belle he goes to the mirror yanking off the sheet. Belle watched him talking to his reflection. “Who are you talking to?” He rounded on her, “Your friend the Queen.” Belle let confusion her take her then. More word pass between them ending with Rumpelstiltskin taking Belle back to the dungeon, locking her in a cell. Days pass before he comes to her again. The door opens and Rumpelstiltskin walks through it. Belle had been looking at the window, but her eyes turned to him as she asked, “What are you going to do to me?” Rumpelstiltskin, conveying cold cruelty, pointed to the open door, “Go.” And then he turned his back on her. Belle got up and headed to the open door. She was almost out when she turned and marched back to him. “You were freeing yourself. You could have had happiness if just you had just believed that someone could want you, but you couldn’t take the chance.” “That’s a lie.” He accused. “You’re a coward Rumpelstiltskin and no matter how thick you make your skin that doesn’t change.” Rumpelstiltskin kept the cold around him, “I’m not a coward. It’s quite simple really I don’t want you anymore dearie. My power means more to me than you.” Belle replied, “No it doesn’t. You just don’t think I can love you. Now you’ve made your choice and you’re going to regret it. Forever. And all you’ll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup.” Belle’s voice wavered as she spoke. Getting a last look at him, she walked out of his life leaving Rumpelstiltskin where he stood. The mask he had worn cracked. Sadness overtook him forcing him to bow his head in regret.