He stood there eagerly waiting for her. In his eyes, his Cora, the beautiful apprentice that stole his heart that he so badly desired and loved.

"Certainly she has to love me back . We deffinently are crazy for each other. She's nearly seen me at my worst, yet she still lets me into her heart and her arms...each time I see her."

He thought more of his treasure, his dark jewel with the many facets of mysterious beauty and so much allure. Shaking from the anticipation, he steadied himself by leaning against a large tree balancing the weight of his body on his palm to the bark.

Distracting himself of his impatience which was tormenting his being, he indulged in thoughts of her. In his mind he drank in her rare beauty. Her piercing brown eyes darker than his, yet they held so much brilliancy and shone like chocolate diamonds.

A smile crossed his face once he thought of that straight nose of hers, how he enjoyed laying a quick playful kiss on the tip of it to make her softly laugh at one of his many odd antics. But what he could not forget most of all, her dark hair, which often annoyed him when it was imprisoned and up in binding contractions such as her tiara, adornments and bands. He preferred it down and free. The only thing he enjoyed about her hair when it was in an updo was the fact he could have easy access to kiss her neck. A small way of showing his worship for her.

That dark mane of hers which somehow reflected copper and tawny hues drove him insane...in a good way of course. He always had a preference for dark haired woman.

Gripping the bark segment so hard, it nearly crumpled from the tension inside his hand once he reminisced how her mass of soft, brown, thick curls, on the rare occasion it was down, he realized for the first time it was waist length. That alone made him want to ravish her, to conquer her body, with her willing to partake of course, to fully make her his.

Even though it's been a month since she's been engaged to Prince Henry, it was only three days since they made love to each other, using her room as their private oasis, no one would know the new to-be princess loved the Dark One.

He knew their physical way of loving each other created a life. A life he knew would soon come to fulfill something great on a grueling journey.

A memory chased through his mind the first time they took their love to each other in the fullest possible manner. Everything was perfect, the candles were lit, she looked up at him with eager eyes to look up into his, and her lips to kiss him endlessly. He looked down at her with so much admiration and then remembered how her nude body and her skin smooth and soft as silk felt against his.

Seconds later after that precious moment, he felt her hands in his hair move so gently as he struggled to looked directly at her to distracted by how her dark curls pooled around her head, neck, and chest. Then she said those words through those red, plump, kissable lips that made him so strong, yet so weak in his heart from the overwhelming love she conveyed in her eyes. "Make love to me. Master."

In his lustful, yet loving mind set, he didn't want her to call him "Master." He wanted to be her lover, equal, soul mate, one and only to have and to hold. Most of all...her true love.

Even though the days after that went on, they hid their affections to one another. Flawlessly keeping it a secret, only King Henry's father knew, and he assumed she stopped herself from a wholesome sweet, loving relationship with the Dark One...for a loveless, companion like and stable relationship...marriage actually for his son, whom sadly loved Cora as well for who she was.

Cora and Rumpel made so much effort to be together for their so little moment's of time. They either met in her room(the Queen's chambers) or this special room she found one day hidden inside the castle walls. Once in a great while in the middle of the night and the early hours into the morning, Rumpel would appear before her in the chamber, latch on to her and take her to his castle where they could act as if they were a married couple deeply in love. Some nights they made passion for hours finished with holding each other. Other nights they simply sat beside each other drinking tea or wine perched on their benches to the spinning wheels.

He often wondered with his observations between her and now, King Henry what went on. He knew Henry was smitten with her since that day she boldly confronted a young princess and kept showing herself worthy of a royal's love. He over heard the smitten Henry so many times regaling how he was right fate would find her for him...the perfect bride.

Sure, she willingly kissed and shown Henry affection to keep him at bat, but she often closed her eyes and pretended it was her beloved Master.

Rumpel knew his apprentice loved her husband, but not in a typical way a wife would. He was a friend to her, a guide to life in the noble lifestyle. It hurt her to the core that he showered her with anything she desired, jewelry, pets, dresses, books, anything a woman of her station would and could receive. All King Henry wanted was to be in her arms and the object of her affection. In a perfect world Cora would love the King that way, but it wasn't the perfect world anyone envisioned nor desired. Cora loved her master, and he loved her back.

Rumpel still slightly leaned against the tall oak as he imagined their happy ending. He couldn't believe the proposal she made to him so many nights ago...and tonight, patience has paid off.

He imagined their happy ending. The two sitting side by side spinning hay into gold. Or how he preferred it, sitting behind her as he kissed her gently while he soothed her arms with his rough hands. She loved it, he knew it.

All this happening while their many future children running about having misadventures through the castle.

He always wanted a big family. Always, he had a reserved spot in his heart for children and babies. In his opinion after animals, children were the most innocent of all. Children all together were the most innocent of human kind.

After the deal he made with Cora for a first born child with the ever tempting change of their contract, he could now enjoy his carefully planned "proposition" with Cora now.

Little did she know, he planned a deal with her she would probably enjoy...his proposal. He wanted to marry his mistress. It's only been a month, but this was a deal he for sure wanted to personally guarantee for the both of them. After all, she was a rare jewel. He knew she carried their first born...created out of love, in which she gladly agreed to. That fact alone fueled his hope for them. He wanted her stuck with him forever, after all, a immortal sorcerer did get lonely after not being with another for so many years. He chuckled at the thought of locking her away so no one could take her away. "You devilish imp you!"

All of this could partake the moment she came out to meet him at the tree...so they could run off together all in the meaning of love.

"Now where is she...she's worth waiting for but my patients are surely being tested..."

Seconds later his desired answer appeared yards before him. As silently as she crept to him, he could feel her presence.

As usual she was quite the stunning vision, but he was quite thrown off at her innocent hues of her ivory day dress underneath that white cloak she loved so much. It was a big change compared to her daring bold red wardrobe. She nearly looked like a innocent woman. He hid a frown realizing most of her hair was in a braid. He wanted it to flow freely.

"I was beginning to grow concerned," he stated.

She smiled slightly then replied "well, here I am."

Even though Cora was accustomed to it, and it was routine , she was thrown off and nearly off balance but in delight as he snatched her close and firmly laid his lips on hers giving the most romantic kiss of their night so far. As he pulled her back he felt unsettled at her odd expression.

"Something isn't right," he said in a suspicious tone. She hesitated before her answer in return making him uneasy. His heart dropped to his stomach once he saw the obligatory expression and tone in her eyes.

"Yes your correct," she said. His dread eased a bit upon hearing that.

"So...did you do it? Take the king's heart?"

"I decided not to."

Reaching in and stroking his hair, she said "I'm sorry my dear Rumpel. I'm not going with you. See, I have a wedding to go to...my own."

Panic rose in his throat and he felt everything he crafted in the name of love for her...fading away so slowely.

Shock and panic filled his chest once he looked down at the box that kept a heart.

"Then...who's heart is in the box?"

She took a small breath then spoke.

"Don' make this difficult," she pleaded. He did his best to not show panic.

"Who's heart it in the box?" His worst nightmare and assumption was confirmed once she spoke.

"It's mine... I had to! You told me not to let anything get in my way. My heart was stopping me" He couldn't believe it, she did it! She pulled her own heart out! Even he couldn't go that far. His perfect woman...now so withdrawn of her love for him and almost out of reach. With every word she kept going farther away.

He couldn't take the breaking of his own heart. The hot pain...which now rapidly turning to a miserable loneness was beginning to anger him.

"You lied to me...you never loved me! Your not getting away with this" He needed to step back, he wasn't sure what his anger would compel him to do to her.

Her reaction shocked him. She didn't deny any of it. Her eyes said it all. Her true feelings for him...her pure love was trapped behind those watery eyes.

His anger boiled over slightly more once he remembered their deal.

"We made a deal...I will have your baby!"

"You changed the contract Rumpel, you will get your own child. And any baby I have...could be yours." Once he saw her eyes now...he knew there was context, she wanted to tell him something, but couldn't quite. He knew she referred to their unborn child. Which would grow to become a queen. A woman he could only watch from afar.

She took two strides to him nearly enclosing the space between them. With her free hand she caressed his cheek, aware of how he looked at her; as if his soul shattered to pieces. She could see it through his expression.

"I think you should stay away from us for a while. I need to accomplish all of it. Thank you for everything my Dear Rumpel...my love." She looked up intently into his eyes, turned and walked away.

He stood there planted to the ground. To hurt, grief stricken really. With her, he thought the dark one could have an ending.

He wanted her badly, and she turned him away after giving him so much hope.

He thought of her answers, how she carried herself and what she did. He realized something, he could let her finish her mission, with him in it.

He needed to get her heart back in her.

Even if he had to do it by force.