The wind blew through her hair, as Belle sat with her feet in the water, she was sitting on the bank beside a small river, she loved this spot, it was such a beautiful place to read. She smiled as her eyes rolled over the book she was reading. She was currently at the beginning of a book called Hamlet. And she was loving it, even though it was the third time she had read this particular book. Her servants and maiden's all joked and teased her calling her the Princess of Books! But she only grinned and laughed it off, she figured it wasn't at all a bad name either Princess of Books to her was a great thing to be.
She was just at the most crucial part in the story when a knife appeared at her throat, and a hand came around to her mouth.
"Scream and I will cut you!" The man growled. Belle held her breath hardly daring to breath, as fear engulfed her.
"Please what do you want from me?" Belle asked trying not to let the terror show in her voice. "that's rather easy what I want is you young lady!"
He made a quick thing of tying her hands with a coil of rope , the book Belle had been reading lay spilled in the water. She was so frightened she didn't know what to do as she tried to think of way of escape something that she could use to fight her way out of this one.
Her father would of course come looking for her eventually but that might be a while, as she did this once a week and didn't usually go home till almost supper time. That was a long way off from now, she would have to do this on her own some how.
The man blind folded her just before strapping her to her own horse and started leading her away, she was even more frightened even if she managed to escape she wouldn't have a clue how to find her way home again, she would still be lost.
But as they were moving she felt the horse come to a stop, and a deep almost childlike voice rang out "Halt!"
"Why Rumpelstiltskin, what brings you to this neck of the woods." The man responds.
"That pretty princess is what I'm here about Thief!" The man called Rumpelstiltskin responded to them in a very firm voice.
Belle really was scared now, what if this man was even worst then her kidnapper was? What would this man want with her?
The kidnapper then scoffed "Why would I give up my ticket to having some money? I plan to ransom this princess, her father would pay a pretty penny to get this one back!"
"How about making a deal for her?" Rumpelstiltskin said sternly. "You give me the princess and I will give you more gold then you would know what to do with?"
The man's eyes shined brightly at the thought "truly you would pay that much gold for this princess that you barely know?"
Belle heard a snapping sound and heard her kidnapper make little excited sounds. Then everything went silent and her fears grew until she had been untied and pulled from her horse. Lights blinded her as her blind fold was removed and she was able to see what was going on.
She looked up at the man standing before her, Rumpelstiltskin had dark brown hair that fell to his shoulder, his skin was sort of shinny and foreign looking, and he was clad in leather pants. Rumpelstiltskin knelt down in front of her as the coil of rope was untied from her wrists.
Then very gently and kind like, he asked her sounding if he was truly concerned about her "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere, I can heal you if you are!"
Belle searched his gaze still slightly afraid and was shaking a bit, "N..No, I'm fine!" she responded. Rumpelstiltskin seemed concerned by her shaking and leans closer to her lifting her chin with his thumb, "Hey, it's okay, I'm not here to harm you, I'm here to help you, and I will take you back home to where you belong!" His voice was so low and reassuring that she found that she believed him.
"But why, why are you helping me? You don't even know me? What are you getting out of this?" Belle inquired softly she had heard of Rumpelstiltskin before and knew all about his reputation for not doing anything for anyone unless there was some sort of deal involved somewhere.
She watched the man smile. And Rumpelstiltskin responded, "I see my reputation proceeds me, normally I would expect something in return, but I would be happy if you would humor me with only a date?"
Belle thought about this, "Well you did possibly just save my life, so I don't see why I couldn't honor your request and have just one date with you! I don't see what that could hurt."
Rumpelstiltskin bows to her and snaps his fingers and a cloud of purple smoke surrounded them and when she looked around she found that they were now standing on the Balcony of her bedroom.
"Meet me here at midnight tonight and we will go on our date! Tell nobody, cause I'm afraid your father does not really like me very much!" He told her clearly.
Belle knew by the look on his face that it was not open for discussion so she bowed and agreed to meet him there at the specified time.
The moment he disappeared in another cloud of smoke she ran off to find her friend Maria to tell her what had just happened.
That night she threw on a nice dress and waited on the balcony at 11:55pm for Rumpelstiltskin to come pick her up.
She did not wait long as he appeared at 12oclock on the dot. He hooked his arms through hers and magicked them to a small pub.
A large fat man appeared at their table and gave them the specials. Rumpelstiltskin nods to her "Order what ever you want Princess, I can afford what ever you order."
Belle smiles and orders ham, biscuits and potatoes. While Rumpelstiltskin ordered meatloaf, and soup. A conversation was started between them as they waited for their orders to arrive.
"So Rumple can't you tell me a little about yourself?" Belle requested gently.
She watched the man think for a moment and then finally open his mouth to speak and grins. "that conversation is not one that you need to know. I don't tell my story to just anyone, how do I know your not just trying to find my weakness so that you can kill me?" he responds.
Belle looked down at that question "I'm not, I wouldn't want to harm you I just wanted to know the man who asked me on a date!"
They talked and laughed for hours before Belle seeing her watch spoke "Shouldn't you take me home before my father discovers that I'm gone? And sends guards to look for me?"
Rumpelstiltskin nods and takes her by the hand and poofs them back to her balcony. He started to step away and leave when Belle spoke.
"wait I..I um had fun do you think we could do this again?"
She watched Rumple's eyes fly up in surprise and nods "okay we can do that, if you really enjoyed that then I wouldn't mind making these dates a regular thing between us?"
Belle nods in agreement with him. "Yes! Lets do that!"
Rumpelstiltskin finally disappeared and Belle retired to her bed.