AN: This story is a just an idea I had. I'm still in the process of planning it to please be patient between chapter postings. I'm not sure where it is heading but If you like the first chapter please review as positive feedback will inspire me to write more chapters. Enjoy! :)

Belle Stoops To Conquer

Chapter One

Three pint tankards now sat empty in front of her. Belle wiped her mouth with the back of her right hand and continued to read fixated on her book that detailed the alleged current whereabouts of the Riverstone. A stone that had been lost for many years and contained immense magical properties that provided the holder with their own special powers. Belle read:

"Many men have sort out this stone, have travelled far and wide desperate to lay their hands on its supernatural qualities to make themselves the most powerful being in all the lands. Though the men whom have claimed it lived many a long year, the magic of the Riverstone intensified their greed and rotted away every aspect that had once made them human. The King who is said to have held the stone the longest is thought to have been King Leoties of the Farthing Wood, whom history has told us lived to be over three thousand years old, but Leoties died without a hint or a trace of human quality. If the history books are to be believed the King became a monster. His death was surrounded in conspiracy as many have said that it was Polonius, the King's favourite advisor, who had taken the King's life. It had been documented as such due to the sheer fact that Polonius was the last man known to hold the stone. Even if he had committed this terrible act, it can be argued that he got his comeuppance at the end of the ten year war when his greed and thirst for power and control turned his whole body into a black bear, with the help of the Riverstone. Polonius had tried to escape with the Riverstone, but he was taken down by his own men. What became of the stone here after remains a mystery. Some now say that it is a simple myth and story to teach children what becomes of those who are greedy and selfish. Many have searched the ruins of King Leoties' castle in the Farthing Wood but nothing has ever been discovered."

"That is because it has been men who have been the ones to hunt it." Grumbled Belle as she slammed the book closed. Belle knew the book told only myths and legends, but she wished desperately that some of them would be true. For instance, with regards to the Riverstone, Belle would love to be the first woman to find it and claim it. Instead of using it for selfish purposes as had been the case with the men in the book, Belle would use it to bring back some prosperity to the land. The Ogre Wars had significantly damaged the land. Crops struggled to grow in the broken earth and many people had been left completely homeless with everyday being a difficult trial for survival. Belle herself no longer lived in a home, although this was due to something other than significantly the Ogre Wars, in fact she had taken to building her own shelter in the trees. At first Belle had made little dens on the ground floor under trees, but the forest wildlife and the odd drunkard and criminal who would wander into the forest at night made Belle realise she would be safer a little further off the ground. It wasn't a bad tree house either. It was not large but it was relatively comfortable and kept her dry when it rained and safe at night.

Sometimes though when it was a particularly cold, wet night she would think of the reason why she was in this position and scolded men further, like she had done just after reading the Riverstone legend. You see Belle was actually a highborn lady. Her father, Maurice, was a grand duke that held his own lands and people thirty miles from where Belle now was. It was Maurice's lands that had been particularly damaged during the Ogre Wars and it was Belle who had been part of the deal that had brought the war to an end. Maurice had made a deal with the Dark One himself, Rumplestiltskin, where Belle had voluntarily left with him on the terms that Rumplestilskin would help save Maurice's lands. Rumplstilskin kept his word. He claimed he wanted a cleaner and so Belle had gone with him to his castle and Maurice had lost a daughter. Little to Maurice's knowledge he would see his daughter again, but the loving, caring, affection he had once shown her would have vanished to be replaced with shame. Having heard Belle's story of how Rumplestilskin had forced her to leave his castle (Belle left the true reason out of the story as she did not wish her father to know she had fallen in love with Rumplstilskin), Maurice had quite literally slammed his castle doors in her face and exiled her for her association with Rumplstilskin. Alone, heartbroken and completely abandoned, Belle had walked through thunder and rain, taking refuge and shelter from kind peasants and hiding in the trees as she acquainted herself with exile. It was from here that she began to truly resent her father for what he had done, which soon turned into a hatred of men completely. Belle had only been able to grab a few items of clothing and books before she was thrown out of the castle. They were all she had in the world and she cherished them. Belle had resolved she would make something of herself and would one day show her father exactly who he had abandoned.

The story of the Riverstone had inspired so much excitement and want of adventure within Belle that she actually considered going after the stone herself. Of cause she knew it was only a story and she knew not to believe everything she read in a book, but what did she have to lose? She was no longer tied to anything, so she could simply walk out of this tavern and go on an adventure. Who really cared if the quest was not a real one, after all no one had seen or even heard of the Rivertsone for centuries. And if she was truly honest with herself there was something about the story that seemed to suggest there was something more to it. All over the pages that told the story were scribblings from a previous reader. Belle could not understand what was being said, but it did peek her curiosity about the legend further. After having another quick glance at the mysterious words, Belle began to pack her bag.

Belle had just put her bag on her shoulder when the stranger sat down at her table. "Do you mind? Sorry everywhere else is full." The stranger said in a light gruff voice. What took Belle a back was not the stranger's voice but the odd way they kept their cloak hood up, despite being now within the warmth of the tavern. The stranger reached out towards Belle's three empty tankards, lifted them individually, then grunted in annoyance when they discovered the tankards were empty.

"Sorry!" Belle said warmly. "I was really thirsty!" The stranger sat back as if they had just realised their recent actions may have been thought upon as rude.

"It's ok. I'm sorry for intruding." The stranger replied still keeping their hood down.

"You weren't. I was just about to leave anyway." Despite saying this Belle still remained looking at the person who had come to sit at her table. The stranger could sense Belle's stare and asked defensively: "Can I help you?"

Belle re-took her seat and answered. "I'm Belle. I'm sorry for staring but I was just wondering ... well, why do you keep you hood up? Are you hiding from someone? Do you need help?"

"Why, you do ask a lot of questions don't you?" The stranger laughed. They must have assumed Belle was 'safe' as they raised their hands to their hood and pulled it down revealing a long length of wavy black hair. Belle looked on surprised.

"You're a girl?" Belle wasn't sure why but she had been certain the stranger was a boy.

"Yes. My name is ..." Suddenly there was aloud slam as a hand came down onto the table between Belle and the girl. Under the hand was a light brown poster with a black drawing that Belle could not work out.

"Snow White!" A snarling male voice spat down at the two women. "I thought it was you!" Then a man turned to the rest of the tavern. "Look boys, we've got Snow White! Do you know how much a reward the Queen Regina has on her head?" The girl stood up, grabbed one of Belle's empty tankards and with a loud crack brought it down onto the man's hand. The man gave out an loud yell and before Belle knew what was happening the tavern was in uproar! The stranger, Snow White the man had called her, leapt over the table tugging on Belle's thin trousers to do the same. "Follow me." She whispered and they both quickly crawled under the tavern tables trying to dodge the flying chairs, tables and people that were soaring across the room. Belle thought they had made it when they had reached the wooden door, but someone had seen them.

"There she is! Get her!" Suddenly the tavern turned to the girls and there was a loud clattering of chairs and general movement as the tavern raced towards to them. Snow White grabbed Belle's arm and yelled "RUN!"

And that's how Belle and Snow White became friends.