I, like so many others, have been inspired by the episode "Skin Deep" in the series "Once Upon A Time" to write this fanfiction. The story of Rumpelstiltsken and Belle was so heartbreaking, I couldn't help by conjure up my own version. They are without a doubt my favourite couple in the series. I hope you enjoy!

In an enchanted land, far away, there was a village. It was one of many villages, and it was the village which lay closest to the Dark Castle. Through the streets of this village walked a man; a man tainted by darkness. This man had a purpose, a business arrangement he intended on finishing. He was calling upon a favor someone owed him. A desperate someone, whose plea for a loan he had simply not been able to refuse. That someone was now in his debt. It was a debt which could only be repaid by one; the girl.


She stood in the backyard of their small cottage feeding the chickens. The wind gently tousled her auburn hair and ruffled her blue dress as she gazed off into the horizon. The sun was soon setting just beyond the hills and cast a golden glow upon the world.

The whole world seemed to stretch out before her, offering her adventure and a life she could call her own. Although she was content living here with her father and helping him with his inventions, she wanted to explore the world. She wanted thrill and excitement. She wanted love. These were dreams and wishes she didn't feel she could fulfill while stuck in this small village.

The chickens clucked with impatience, as she had gotten lost in her thoughts and stopped throwing corn on the ground. She snapped out of her daydream, dumped the rest of the corn in a big heap on the ground, and made her way to the stable where her noble steed, Philippe, was resting.

Philippe neighed with delight as he saw her approach, stretching his head forward to nuzzle her hand.

She smiled at his eagerness. "Did you miss me?" She asked, stroking his muscular neck.

Her father had gotten her Philippe for her thirteenth birthday. Partially because she longed for a pet of her own, and partially so he could cart her father's inventions around to the various fairs he entered. She remembered how her father had led her into the stable, covering her eyes the whole time while guiding her slowly, her arms outstretched in front of her and her body practically tingling with excitement.

Her mouth had fallen open in astonishment at the sight of her very own horse standing before her, looking curiously at her. She had leapt into her father's arms, thanking him with all her heart.

Philippe was a gentle horse and it didn't take long before she was allowed take him out for rides by herself through the woods or down to the market.

Nowadays he was not used as often, as he was getting old, but Belle still came to check on him daily. He was, after all, one of her best friends.

As she was filling his trough with fresh water, she heard footsteps on the gravel out front.

"Who on earth could that be?" she mused aloud, as she peeked around the stable door. She could see a man knocking on their front door. She couldn't see his face, but he had wavy dark hair that grazed his shoulders, and wore leather trousers, a silk shirt and waistcoat. Her father answered the door and ushered the stranger in hastily, peering around nervously before slamming the door shut.

Curiosity got the better of her, as she made her way through the courtyard, treading carefully so as not to draw any attention to herself. She entered through the backdoor and heard her father's muffled voice coming from the kitchen. The door to the kitchen was shut, so she braced herself against it, pressing her ear to the wooden door, hoping to catch snippets of their conversation.

"You can't be serious?" she heard her father say. He sounded frightened.

"Oh, but I am," the stranger said. His voice was slightly high pitched and completely at ease. "You see, since you are unable to pay back your debt, I have to come up with an alternative. I am simply naming my price."

"But she is all I have!" her father begged. "I'll give you anything else, just not her." His voice cracked. He sounded like he was close to tears.

What on earth is going on?

"Maurice, I am sure you are well aware of what happens to those who refuse to pay back their debt to me." Despite her father sounding distraught, this stranger sounded almost cheerful.

What a heartless creature…

The stranger continued. "Your daughter will be comfortable with me. You have nothing to worry about."

What?

Panic coursed through her veins as reality started to dawn on her. To hell with privacy! She threw open the door and the scene before her made her heart ache.

Her father had his head in his hands, his back was shaking from sobbing and he looked up in horror as she entered the room. The stranger sat across from him, his legs crossed, his elbows resting on the table in front of him, his hands fanned out and his fingertips pressed together. He grinned up at her. His skin was tinged with a dark gold, his eyes almost as black as night. His nose was slightly crooked and his grin was disturbing to say the least. He frightened her.

"Ah, here she is now," the stranger announced, rising from his seat and taking a few steps toward her. Belle stepped back by instinct, wanting to keep her distance from him. He stopped and didn't look offended, his grin still firmly planted on his face.

Her father had now risen from his seat, his eyes wide with desperation and despair.

"Belle, I am so sorr-"

"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, cutting off his apology. Her father opened his mouth to explain, but the stranger beat him to it.

"What's going on here, dearie, is that you now belong to me." He ended in a manic giggle which chilled her very bones.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, the scene unfolding before her seeming unreal and merely an unclear image, like trying to peer through murky water, trying to make sense of it. This couldn't be happening. No way her own father would sell her to this… this… monster.

"Your father owes me a great deal of money. Since he has failed to produce said money, this is the only way he can repay his debt," the stranger stated matter-of-factly.

Belle could only stare at her father is disbelief. "Is this true, papa?"

"I never agreed to this, Belle! You have to believe me!" He looked like a child, trying their hardest to prove to their cynical parents that they were innocent, innocent and oblivious.

She rushed to his side, hugging him in an attempt to comfort him. "Don't worry, papa. I am not leaving with him." She reassured him as she felt his hot tears stain her dress.

"Oh, but you are," she heard from behind her. They both looked up from their embrace to the man who was destroying their lives. "You see, the deal has already been struck." He clicked his tongue as he uttered the last syllable. "And since we, dearie, are going to be spending some time together, I think proper introductions are in order."

He stepped forward and graciously bowed, stretching out his hand, as if he was asking her to dance. "Rumpelstiltsken am I, and you are?"

His name sounded so familiar. Her eyes widened in horror as she remebered. "Rumplestiltsken. That is who you made a deal with?" She looked at her father in disbelief. "Rumplestiltsken, the most powerful wizard of our land? That who you chose to borrow money from?" She sensed that he tried to find the words to justify his actions, but came up short and looked at the ground in defeat.

"I am not going with you," she said confidently, crossing her arms over chest, her feet planted firmly on the ground, refusing to budge.

"Oh, I think you will, dearie. For you see…" He stepped closer until he was only inches from her face. She could feel his hot breath on her face, and she tried her best not to pull away, refusing to show any signs of weakness. "Either you go with me, or your precious father dies."

She gasped at the threat, terror hitting her as the look in his eyes confirmed that he was absolutely serious. If she didn't leave with him, her father would… die.

Tears filled her eyes as she realized that she had no other choice, that she never had any choice in the first place. She was doomed to spend the rest of her life with this heartless beast. All her dreams and hopes for the future that only a while ago had seemed almost real and within her reach, were slipping through her fingers, like grains of sand. There was no use in fighting. There was no use in denying.

"Let me get my things," she said, her voice barely audible. Rumplestiltsken just smiled, satisfied that she had given up without a fight.

She sauntered up the stairs to her room, quickly wiping away the tears that trickled steadily down her cheeks. She refused to be weak, not in front of him. She gathered her cloak and a small stack of her favourite books, placing them in a basket. She looked over her room for the last time, remembering the view of the hills from her window, how the sun shone through her lace curtains in the morning, the oak tree that stood tall and proud just outside her windowsill.

She drew a jagged breath as she closed her bedroom door for the last time and made her way down the stairs. She emerged to see Rumpelstiltsken standing by the front door, waiting for her. Her father had to lean against the wall so as not to crumple to the ground in sorrow. His cheeks were glistening, his tears forever flowing. Belle could not remember seeing her father cry once since her mother had died.

The sight broke her heart and undid whatever little composure she had tried to muster. Her own tears now flowed freely and she embraced her father one last time, memorizing the smell of him, the feel of his beard against her skin, the way his eyes lit up when one of his inventions was successful.

She heard Rumpelstiltsken clear his throat from the doorway, wanting their tender moment to pass.

Sensing his impatience, she pulled out of their embrace and grabbed her father's calloused hands.

"I love you, my beautiful Belle. Please forgive me…" He tried desperately to control his sobbing, but couldn't stop the small sounds of anguish slip from his lips.

She moved to cup his cheek. "Of course I forgive you, papa. And I love you more than anything." She kissed his cheek before releasing his hand. His hand still hung in the air, her warmth still lingering on his skin.

Belle walked out of her house for the last time, not sparing Rumpelstiltsken a second glance as she walked past him and over the threshold. Rumpelstiltsken was about to leave, but was held back as the old man caught his sleeve.

"Please. There must be another way." Rumpelstiltsken glanced down at the man from whom he was stealing the only precious thing he had.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," he said with such finality, that it brought the old heartbroken man to his knees. Rumplestiltsken tugged his shirt from the man's grasp before leaving the small cottage to join the beautiful woman who waited for him in the courtyard.

Rumplestiltsken took Belle firmly by the arm, pulling her with him as he took her away from the only home she'd ever known. She glanced back one more time and immediately wished she hadn't. For the sight of her broken father on his knees, clutching the open door for support while he wept uncontrollably was enough to shatter her heart to a point beyond repair.


He led her through the streets of her village, walking with brisk steps, never letting go of her arm. She had tried to yank her arm from his grasp, but had only succeeded in him gripping her even tighter.

The eyes of the other residents in the village watched them as they made their way out of the village. They all knew who this man was. Rumours and haunting stories were often uttered in the bars late at night, and housewives would warn their children not to venture out into the woods alone, for fear that Rumpelstiltsken would whisk their children away. Him parading her through the streets didn't do anything to help the matter.

"Why are you doing this? Have you no compassion?" Belle hissed, her irritation growing with every passing moment.

He didn't even look at her."I lost my compassion a long time ago, dearie."

To this she didn't say anything, she just stared straight ahead, not wanting to seem scared or defeated.

"Why are we even walking?" she asked in a hushed tone. "Aren't you a wizard? Can't you just transport us to your place?"

"I am illustrating what happens when people cannot fulfill their end of a bargain." He met the eyes of several townsfolk, who quickly averted their gaze. These people feared him, and if she were being honest, so did she.

They soon reached the outskirts of the village and Rumpelstiltsken stopped in his tracks. Still holding onto Belle's arm, he snapped his fingers and they appeared inside a great reception hall. The walls were of cold stone and the hall was dimly lit. She could barely make out the winding staircase that descended to the right of the hall.

"You need not worry, dearie. I think you will be happy here in my estate." He steered her towards the staircase. She tripped several times due to the dim light, but he didn't slow his pace nor wait for her to compose herself.

The air grew colder and the dampness in the air was almost tangible. She soon realized they were underground. Goosebumps formed on her skin as he led her further away from the light from the reception hall. Soon he stopped and flicked his wrist. Several torches lining the walls of the stone room burst into flame, illuminating the dreary room to the point where she could clearly make out what misery this room would bring her.

It was a dungeon. There were several cells, all guarded by a steel door with a small, barred window. He quickly strode over to the nearest one, dragging her with him.

"I'm not going in there!" she yelled, trying to pry his hand from her arm, but it was like trying to loosen an iron grip.

"Oh, don't worry, dearie," he said in his slick voice. He released her arm, only to shove her into the dungeon. She was caught by surprise at the force and skinned her knees as she tripped and fell to the ground. "It is actually quite comfy."

She rose quickly to her feet, rushing towards him, getting ready to slam into him and perhaps even escape. But he was too quick. He slammed the door in her face and turned on his heel to leave, his high-pitched giggle echoing in the room despite his absence.

She banged on the door, screaming for him to let her out, but it was no use. She leaned against the door, panic settling in her stomach, threatening to flare up at any time. The cell was quite small. It was made entirely of cold, hard stone. There was a stone ledge in the corner, which she presumed was her bed. There were two small windows to her left, letting in some light.

She dragged her emotionally drained body to the "bed" and lay down, her cloak draped around her to keep out some of the bone-chilling cold. The sun had set completely and only the moonlight shone through the barred windows overhead.

Reality washed over her and brought on a fresh tears. She was locked in a dungeon. By man to whom she belonged to. A monster. With whom she was to spend the rest of her life.

The panic flared and mutated into a combination of fear, sorrow and hopelessness. It was a combination that made her body shake as she cried and left her last traces of freedom behind.