Hello everyone! This story is based off Rosamund Hodge's novel "Cruel Beauty" and all the characters in this story belong to ABC's Once Upon A Time. I do not own Cruel Beauty nor do I own Once Upon a Time... if I did I would actually make Rumbelle have decent storylines. :)
Belle French was raised to marry a monster. The day before her wedding she could barely breathe. All that afternoon she lurked and sulked in the library, running her hands over the spines of her favorite books that she would never see again.
The library was one of the few places in her home that she knew she would not be disturbed. Everyone had been uneasy around her these past few weeks, pitying her for the task that lay in front of her. Belle leaned against the tall bookshelves, her long golden dress matching the banners of her father's castle. She wished she could run, wished that she could scream and yell at the people who had arranged this fate for her.
Princess Belle was the only daughter of Lord Maurice French, and because of that her marriage had to be advantageous. Belle spent her childhood afraid of the darkness that lurked within her castle walls, oblivious to the fact she was destined to marry the Lord of the Darkness, the immortal Dark One, Rumplestiltskin.
However, despite his title and horrific reputation for making infamous deals, Rumplestiltskin was not like the vicious rumors she had heard from so many of the common folk. He was a Lord that kept to himself, with an isolated castle on the mountainside, hidden from the rest of the land. Fools, both rich and poor had traveled long and far to the dark castle to make a deal with the devil. If Rumplestiltskin was known for one thing, it was the ability to detect a desperate soul.
Rumors suggested that the eyes of the beast were not human, while others whispered that the dungeons of his domain were plagued with haunting voices of the souls he had taken and manipulated. With all these troublesome whispers about her future husband Belle could not help but wonder how much of her would be left after their wedding night?
Suddenly, Belle heard a dry cough and whirled around the face her stepmother, Cora. Her lips were pressed tightly together as if she had tasted something sour, while wisps of her dark brown hair escaped from her bun. "Your father has arranged a farewell dinner for you, Belle, try your best not to be late."
The princess bit her lip hard. She wished she could seize Cora's bony shoulders and shake them with all her might. It was her father's fault that she was leaving in the first place. It was not fair that her fate had been determined before she had even been born. Belle scowled at the thought as her governess aided her in dressing her in her finest gown and accompanied her down the stairs into the dining room. Belle did not say a word, but sat straight-backed in her uncomfortable chair, barely able to force the food down her throat. She smiled, though her face muscles fought against it as she heard the echoes of the old grandfather clock chime heavily in the background. Her stomach felt sick, and not just from Cora's awful cooking, but rather from her own ridiculous smile at the dreadful occasion. Belle begin to speak of the marriage as it was a privilege, as if she was excited to marry a monster and eventually kill him to avenge her own mother's untimely death. Everything about this was a twisted fate indeed.
It was Maurice's deal with Rumplestiltskin that had killed Belle's mother, Colette, and now because of that same deal, Belle faced a similar gruesome fate. She knew the task her father had assigned her: to kill the Dark One once and for all.
The beauty was all too familiar with the tragic story about how her mother had died. Ultimately, Lady Colette died in childbirth the day Belle had been born. However, a year before that, Lord and Lady French had no luck in producing any heirs for their estate and lands, so Maurice sought out the most powerful sorcerer in all the realms and struck a deal. The Dark One provided Colette with the ability to conceive a baby, yet had not granted her the strength to bare one. The price of Rumplestiltskin's dark magic was the condition that the firstborn daughter of Colette and Maurice would be made a wife for him. After that, they were free to have as many children as they ever dreamed of. Of course, the Dark One has an remarkable talent for words and manipulated the royal couple, and left Lord Maurice French with nothing but a daughter that he would have to eventually give up.
That's why Belle grew up knowing she had to kill him. It was the only way that her family could stay together, the only way to make up for the mistakes her father had made in the past, and it was the only way she could ever be free of her father's deal.
After the celebratory dinner was over, Belle politely excused herself and returned to her chambers. She sat on her bed and cuddled her favorite pillow, taking in the sweet scent of it. What if this was the last time she would ever live in her home again? After tomorrow she would be a prisoner in her Rumplestiltskin's castle, live as his wife. A wife that wanted nothing more to kill him to regain her freedom.
Her mother once told her when she was very young that she would marry a handsome lord and live by the sea. In those days, Belle still believed in fairy tales- and happy endings. Something that now seemed utterly impossible, given her unfortunate circumstances.
Belle placed her pillow back on her bed where it belonged while she lay herself down within the warm wool blankets. Belle caught a tear as it dripped down her cheek, and buried her face. Tomorrow everything would change. Tomorrow she would become the Dark One's wife. Tomorrow she would begin to plan the demise of the most powerful man in the entire land. Tomorrow she would become a prisoner.
The sun rose over the tall mountain peaks which scattered orange and yellow throughout the vibrant clear sky. It was an hour past dawn before Belle was awoken by the sound of her door fly open.
"Good morning my lady" the voice was barely more than a whisper. Belle quickly spun around in her bed to see her chamber door creaked open and her governess Charlotte, peeking though. With her, was a large breakfast tray filled with Belle's favorite breakfast foods. She immediately dove into the pancakes, not shying away from drowning them in syrup. Charlotte extended a cup filled with coffee, which Belle happily accepted. She drank the whole cup in three large gulps, even the grounds at the bottom, then gently handed it back to Charlotte and asked for another. By the time Belle finished breakfast itself, she had nearly had enough coffee and enough to eat to face the wedding preparations.
She had slept poorly the night before, the dark circles under her eyes proved that, while her hair seemed to stand up with a little cow lick in the front. Even her body disapproved of the thought of her wedding today. Cora was in her room soon enough, bustling around, cursing something to herself before ordering Belle to get up and get into the bath tub.
The water was already cold by the time Belle went in, forcing a shiver down her spine. She traced the soap all over her body, while taking her brush and grooming her hair with the water from her bath. When she got out of the tub, she refused to look at herself in the mirror. She knew exactly what she would see: a scared little girl who was no longer sure she could go through with this horrible arranged marriage.
Charlotte entered the room and smiled hugely, carrying a white gown. "Your wedding dress, miss," she said. "isn't it lovely?"
"It's beautiful" Belle murmured.
It took a while to get the corset adjusted properly, but Charlotte dressed Belle quickly in her underskirts, which was a mass of ruffles and rosettes. The slightly puffy sleeves of the dress left Belle's slender shoulder's bare, while the tight bodice propped up her breasts and exposed them. Belle felt her stomach turn. She was dressing her to be stripped as quickly as possible.
Then before Belle thought matters could not get worse, Cora and Maurice entered the room. "The Dark One will fall in love with you at first sight" Charlotte spoke, bravely. Her hands were shaking as she continuing tweaking the skirt of the white dress.
"You look like a dream." Maurice said proudly, slipping an arm around her waist, bringing his daughter into a short embrace. "Do not forget the task at hand, Belle. I don't care how you kill that monster, but you must do it and return to us and I will arrange you another marriage with a lord deserving of your beauty and grace."
Belle nodded, adjusted her bodice slightly for comfort. He speaks as if I will actually escape the Dark One, Belle thought gravely.
"Your mother would be proud of the strong woman you have become." Maurice continued, kissing the top of his daughter's dark chestnut curls before allowing the beauty some time alone before the wedding ceremony began.
Did she dare to start crying? She sure felt like it. She felt as if there was ice in her lungs and suddenly couldn't breathe. Belle felt swept away from reality, wanting nothing more than to enter into one of the adventures found in her books, a story that would conclude in a happy ending. Gods knew how she longed for such happiness.
"Are you ready?" Cora asked, and Belle shook her head. "I will never be ready, so we better just get on with it."
The wedding took place in the front gardens of the castle. The red roses bloomed proudly in the midst of such a horrendous event. Her father had called them blood roses, the only flower to bloom in the harsh winter months. Maurice led his daughter by the arm to a gathering of a large crowd of people, half of which Belle had never seen before. The people bowed low as she walked past. Some of the villagers sang songs, while Belle thought she heard some of the people weeping for her. They knew their princess was marrying the Dark One as payment for their Lord's foolish bargain, and while they did not know the plan to kill the beast, they knew that marriage to such a monster must mean death or something worse.
A cloaked dark figure awaited her at the end of the trail of roses, along with Belle's childhood friends, Snow White and Ruby Wolfe. Belle drew in a wary breath and did not look upon anyone, she did not need anymore pity from those she loved so dearly. Gentle notes of harps and violins began to play as Belle continued the long walk up to the alter. The beauty's beautiful elegant gown brushed the the green grass beneath her slippers as she threaded by her father's side up to the Dark One.
He was cloaked still, with no appearance of his face or his features. Then, swallowing up any fear she had left she began counting the paces up to her groomsbride.
One. You're about to marry a monster.
Two. Do not forget the task at hand.
Three. You must find a way to kill him.
Four. Before the Dark One kills you first.
Five. Say goodbye to your freedom.
Maurice brought his daughter to a sudden halt that almost made her trip over her own feet. She glanced over at him for any last flickers of hope he could provide for her. Maurice gave her a grimacing nod, the nod that told Belle everything she had to do. However, how was she suppose to kill an unkillable man? She was no assassin, an intelligent bookworm at best, but she was no killer. The beauty had to find the monster's weaknesses and exploit them until she could find a way to avenge her mother's death.
Then before the many witnesses, Maurice gave his daughter to the Dark One willingly, finally fulfilling his end of their deal. Belle stared in awe as the Dark One removed his hooded cloak. She watched in utter disbelief at her husband. He was less monstrous and more human than she had originally anticipated. His brown eyes were almost black, but Belle averted her gaze before she was caught staring too long. They both then joined their hands as the priest tied them together traditionally with a dark velvet ribbon.
The whole wedding was finished shortly after it had begun, and Belle was taken by the hand by the monster that had spoken no words except "I do" the entire ceremony. Rumplestiltskin led her to a carriage and helped her inside before getting in himself. Belle uncomfortably sat across from her new husband, watching sadly out the back window as her home grew farther and farther away into the distance.
Next Chapter: Belle's wedding night takes a strange turn as she begins to uncover secrets about Rumplestiltskin and the dark castle she now lives in. Will she be able to find a way to kill her new husband?
Thank you so much for taking time to read this story! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think so far!
