A/N: I do not own Once upon a time or Belle and Rumpelstiltskin.
The Fake Bride
Chapter One
King Simon was lost.
But he would never admit it.
He was a king and a king never got lost, they knew where they were going at all times.
His few knights that rode beside him knew it was best to not speak as they got more lost. King Simon would just strip them of their knighthood. He had done it before.
Sir Gaston, King Simon's bravest and strongest knight, rode at his right. He knew that soon he would have to speak to the king and get him to turn them around or find a place to rest before the woods got darker.
Slowly, he turned his head and looked at the other knights. A few looked tired and others looked angry. Gaston took a deep breath, it was now or never.
"Your majesty, it's getting late and the horses need their rest," He began.
King Simon looked over at Gaston. "I suppose you are right," he stopped his horse. The other knights did as the king did and stopped, all eyes were now on him.
"Let's find a place to rest, then tomorrow we shall head for home," he called out to his knights, he then waved over for a knight and ordered him to ride ahead to find a place to rest for the night.
Ulric rode his horse near Gaston and looked over at his friend. "I wanted to be home by now, I was not planning on sleeping alone," he said in a low voice.
Gaston kept his eyes forward, he did not want to be sleeping again outside.
"A lovely girl, with hair the color of the sunset will be missing me. Not happy, knowing that she may sleep in another man's arms,"
Gaston snickered. "I know how you feel, my friend. Tomorrow night, drinks are on me,"
Ulric chuckled, "Damn right," then slowed his horse down so he would ride next to the other knights.
It was not long until the knight who rode ahead came galloping back.
"Majesty," Sir Gavin bowed his head as he stopped his horse next to King Simon, "I have found a castle where we can rest. It looks abandoned, but it would be safe."
"How far ahead?" the king asked.
"Just a few miles,"
"Good, take a few men and ride ahead. Start a fire and get food cooking," King Simon ordered him.
"Yes, your majesty."
Soon Gavin and three other knights rode ahead to do as the king ordered.
The castle did look abandoned. There was no life coming from it. It was huge and dark, but it was not falling apart as most abandoned castles were. The yard was unkempt and overgrown, King Simon noted as he rode through the gates.
Gavin walked over to his king and helped him from the horse. "We have a fire started and Sir Rulf has killed a boar for dinner,"
The king nodded. "Good, are you sure no one lives here?"
"Yes, we have called out and looked around. No life, besides a few animals."
"Have you looked in the castle?" The king raised an eyebrow as when he asked. Gavin shook his head. He didn't want to tell the king that he and Sir Leo had opened the door, stepped inside but were spooked before they could look around by something that they hurried out of the castle.
"No,my majesty."
"Then how do you know for sure this place is abandoned?"
Gavin looked to his side at Leo, in hope for some backup but Leo just looked away from him as if he was not listening.
What a no, good coward Gavin thought as he looked back over at his king. "Just look at this place. One can tell no one has lived here for well over 100 years."
The king did looked around and then nodded. "Yes, you are right. No king or queen would ever live like this," he then looked over at Gaston. "Shall we look around the castle as they prepared dinner.
"Sounds like a good plan to me," Gaston handed Gavin his horse and walked with the king to the front doors as Gavin watched. He let out a gulp as he watched Gaston pull open the door with ease and then enter with King Simon.
He waited for a few more moments for them to come racing out...but they never did.
"You would think that the ghost in there would have sent them running?" Leo now stood beside him.
"Fool, it must have been a mouse," Gavin took the horse over by the others, so they could be brushed, fed and given water.
Gaston had found a torch and lit it so they had some light as they wandered around the castle.
King Simon's eyes were as wide as a little school boyas he wandered around, letting Gaston light the way. The castle was amazing. Besides all the cobwebs on everything, dried up leaves on the floor and the mice running about the whole place.
"Gaston, clean some of that dirt off the walls so I may see it better," he ordered.
Gaston did as told and using his sleeve, he cleaned an area on the wall.
King Simon grabbed the torched to inspect the area better.
"This is a fine castle," he looked over to his favorite knight, "I'm thinking we could use it as hunting place?"
Gaston chuckled, knowing what Simon really meant.
King Simon never liked the sport hunting of animals. When he told his wife he was going on a hunting trip, it was really a hunting trip to find a wench to play with in bed.
"I think this would be a fine place for hunting."
King Simon laughed, "Let's look around some more and map this place out. Once we get back to the castle, I shall send some of the maids over to start cleaning this place up."
Both men did not seem to notice one thing as they wandered around...That something did live in the castle. Something dark and evil.
His yellow eyes followed them as they walked around the castle, talking about what would go in each room, making whoever watching them very angry.
When he noticed a few knights coming into his land, he knew that a king and others would not be too far behind.
"You can see a lot from this window," Gaston pulled down old, dusty curtains to get a better view. But King Simon was not listening, he was too busy trying to open a trunk he had found along the wall.
He pulled out his sword and began to break the lock with it.
Gaston walked over to him to see what the king had found.
Soon King Simon had the lock broken, he set his sword down and threw open the lid. Then he gasped.
"What is it?" Gaston looked over his shoulder. King Simon bent down and grabbed whatever what was kept locked and forgotten.
A golden crown with a huge ruby in the front and many gemstones around was inside of the trunk.
"This crown is heavy," said King Simon as he held it up.
"Who would forget something like that," Gaston's eyes were wide as he looked at the crown.
The king chuckled, "Well whoever did, it's their lost."
"Are you going to take it?"
"Course I am! This castle is abandoned, no one will know it is missing," with a smug look on his face, he put the crown in his satchel, for safe keeping. "Come on, I'm sure the food is ready,"
Gaston and King Simon made their way out of the castle.
Once alone, the thing that was watching them, stepped out of the shadows and looked down at his now broken chest and lock, letting out an angry growl.
All that was left of the boar were just the bones and a few scraps of meat, as the knights and their king laid among the fire, their bellies full.
"Tomorrow, we should head west. It would get us back faster," Gaston told King Simon.
King Simon let out a yawn. "Yes, yes, the sooner the better. I want to send out a few servants as soon as I can to get this place cleaned. Make sure someone creates a map to this castle, as well."
"Yes, your majesty,"
Once that was said, King Simon rolled onto his side and was soon asleep.
No one knew that they were being watched. As soon as the last knight had fallen asleep, the owner of the castle stepped out of hiding and made his way around the camp, looking at each knight, as they slept, until he stood right over King Simon.
He bent his knees, so he could reach into the king's satchel, taking back his crown. He stood back up now he wanted to be paid for being so nice.
"Rise up," he growled in a loud voice. King Simon woke, but not from the growl, but from a chill going down his spine. He looked up and me the eyes that belonged to the Dark One.
"Must I repeat myself?"
King Simon shook his head and began to rise to his feet as the other knights, slowly sat up from where they lay reaching for their swords.
"Dark One," King Simon did not look into Rumpelstiltskin's eyes as he stood in front of him. "Please, forgive me, I did not know this was your castle,"
Rumpelstiltskin let out a playful giggle. "I was nice, allowing you and your men to come and rest," he held the crown in front his chest. "And this is how you repay me, by taking my things," he clicked his tongue a few times as he waved the crown so all could see.
"Please, forgive me,' King Simon fell to knees to beg for forgiveness. He had never crossed paths with Rumpelstiltskin and had never planned too. He had heard the stories of him turning people into bugs then stepping on them, cutting hands off, the list went on.
He was the reason for nightmares.
Rumpelstiltskin began to walk among his knights, "I know of you, King Simon. You're a fool, for a king. Thinking of the woman you want to bed and not about your people who need food and clothes. Your knights, well they wanted to kill you for getting them lost in the woods tonight," he looked over at the knights as if he could read their thoughts.
"Then I was nice, allowing you to rest in my yard and how do you repay me." he began to walk back over to King Simon, who was still on his knees. His face was white as a ghost. "By stealing my crown," he said through his yellow teeth.
"Forgive me, Dark One," King Simon begged. "Please, let me live.. I'll do anything!"
Rumpelstiltskin let out a laugh. "Begging will not help you," he turned around and began to walk away from the king, but then he stopped and looked back over at the poor helpless king and raised an eyebrow.
"I know of the stories that are told about me. Some are true and others, you never know," he turned on his heels and began to walk over to the king.
"You have a daughter,"
Slowly, King Simon nodded.
"Of an age to marry," Rumpelstiltskin crossed his arms over his chest as he spoken.
Again, King Simon nodded his head. "She is 19,"
Rumpelstiltskin hid his little smile.
"Well I need payment for allowing you and your men to rest on my land. I shall have her, make her my bride,"
King Simon stood up. "No, I will not allow it! She is to wed in a month to a rich, powerful king!" he yelled.
Using his magic, Rumpelstiltskin shut his mouth and lifted him into the air. "Did I ask if she was spoken for?" He now stood nose to nose with the king. "I will give you three days," he held up three fingers.
"On sundown and the third day, I will come for the princess. If not, you will be very sorry you had ever laid your head on my grass," he dropped the king from his powerful, magical grip. "Be gone, all of you by sun up," Rumpelstiltskin order as he disappeared.
oOoOoOo
Princess Buttercup stomped her foot and screamed. "MOMMY, how could daddy do this to me?" her beautiful face was red from all the yelling and crying she had done, after her father had told her and her mother about the dark one.
"Simon, you need to fix this. I will now allow my only daughter to become the bride, to that sick minded, dark one." Queen Sarah stood at her daughter's side, wrapping an arm around her.
"Don't you think I am, if I had only knew that young knight had went into the castle and took that crown," he lied as he walked over to the window, pulled the drapes aside and looked out.
"We shall have his head for his," Queen Sarah held her daughter close to her chest to comfort her as she weep.
"I won't go, I want to marry King Jasper of the north and have everything I want," Buttercup sobbed in her mother chest.
"And you will, your father will fix this mess and you will wed, in a lovely golden gown, with rubies and diamonds."
That had gotten Buttercup to stop her crying and smile.
Queen Sarah looked over to her husband, "Did you hear me?"
But King Simon was not listening, his perverted mind was on other things, Belle.
The maid, Belle, was lovely as she stood over the well, getting water. King Simon wished he could be standing behind her, pushing her up on the well wall, her skirt over her knees and him in between them, listening to her moan in his ear as he pushed, harder and harder into to her. He could feel himself getting hard from thinking about that.
He did not notice his wife now stood beside him, also looking at Belle with a glowering look across her face.
"Did you hear me?" she snapped at him
"Huh?" King Simon was still looking down at Belle.
Getting angry with him, Queen Sarah grabbed the drapes and began to pull them shut, when a thought came to her.
Belle was a beauty. All the men loved her. The queen had seen the way their eyes followed her as she walked past them. She smiled to herself, how she wished to get rid of Belle but her husband would never allow it. She had dreamed, many times of having her killed, tripping her down the steps or pushing her down that well.
King Simon sighed when the fabric fell over the window, moving away from them. "We are dealing with the Dark One and I don't want to anger him no more than he already is,"
Buttercup began to cry louder, "I won't go with him, who knows what will happen to me," She fell to the floor and sobbed harder.
"Sweetheart, I'm doing my best to think of a way to save you,"
"If you wanted to save me then you would have never let this happen," she yelled to her father, looking up from the floor.
King Simon ran his hand through his hair, thinking.
"I know how," Queen Sarah walked over to her princess and helped her up from the floor. "I know of a way to trick him."
"How? We are dealing with the dark one, if he were to find out we played a trick on him, he would kill us all," King Simon told his wife.
"We will just have to make sure he will never find out then."
"How mother?"
"Easy, we shall send you off to your aunt's castle for a few days and hand over a fake bride."
"A fake bride?" King Simon raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, a fake bride. We can have Belle stand in Buttercup's place. Make him think she is our daughter and let him take her,"
"Oh mother, I knew you loved me," Buttercup clapped her hands.
"Do you really think this could work?" King Simon really did not want to hand over Belle to the Dark One. He had plans for that maid, whenever he could get her alone. Besides Gaston had spoken about making her his wife.
"OF COURSE it would work. I've seen how all the men look at her, besides the Dark One will never know,"
"But I don't want one of my dresses on a dirty maid's body," Buttercup placed her hands on her hips. "I also do not want to give her one. I love all my dresses."
"Then I will have a new one made for her to wear when he comes,"
"So she gets a new dress, and I get nothing after going through all of this," she stomped her foot on the floor. "I almost died when Father told me I was going to live with the Dark One and now a maid gets a new dress since she is going. It's not fair!"
"I will have three new ones made for you right away my dear,"
Buttercup smiled.
"But would Belle want to go?" King Simon walked over to the window and pulled back the drapes, in hopes Belle was still at the well.
She was already gone.
"If she wants to see another sunrise again and know what is best for her, then she will. I'm going to send for her now." Queen Sarah looked over at her daughter. "Why don't you get your maids to start packing. You shall leave at midnight for your aunt. I will have a message sent to her right away," Queen Sarah told Buttercup with a smile.
"Oh thank you Mother!" Buttercup hugged her mother before running off.
Queen Sarah looked over at her husband as he moved away from the window, knowing he wanted to look at Belle. She was happy to get rid of that maid and not have to worry about her husband. "Come along, we have a lot of work to do." she lifted up her skirts and walked out of the room.
oOoOoOo
Belle stood in the middle of three mirrors and looked at the gown she wore. So much had happened since the other day, when Queen Sarah had called for her and then told her the news. She was to take the place as a princess and become a bride to the Dark One.
She had longed to run away from the castle, to go on an adventures; see far away lands, eat new foods, read new stories, and live life. Living in King Simon's castle was a nightmare for her. She worked hard each day, from sun up till sun down.
She also hated the king...
She could feel his eyes, watching her the other day when she was getting water. She was scared that he would someday try and do something to her. The stories the other maids told about the king and his grabby hands. Some maids liked when the king would corner them and push his hands up their skirts. Belle shivered just thinking about it.
But leaving here and living with the Dark One...would her life change for the better or for the worst? She knew the stories of the Dark One, they scared her as a young girl. What if he ever found out she was not really a princess but a maid? He would for sure kill her.
"You look just like a princess," Queen Sarah stood beside her. "Blue looks lovely on you."
Belle quickly bowed. "Thank you, my Queen,"
"Rise up, I don't want the dress to dirty."
Belle did as she was told while the Queen looked in the mirror and fixed her hair.
"Once you change out of that dress, I want you to meet me in the sitting room. I want to teach you a few princess things and how to drink tea as a princess."
Belle nodded her head.
"Sitting, drinking, eating, it's all easy to remember," Sarah looked over at Belle. "Just remember one thing, never ever tell him you are the maid. He would kill you if you ever do and also all of us."
"He'll never know, I will make sure of that."
The dressmaker came in and began to remove the dress off of Belle as the Queen left.
Once back in her own dress, Belle sigh. Did she really want to do this? She was warned that if she did not, then she would lose her head. Belle placed her fingers on her neck that would be no way to die.
That night, Belle could not sleep. In just a few hours the Dark One would come, thinking she was the princess and take her away to become his bride, as the real princess was hidden. Belle did not even know where Princess Buttercup was.
Belle walked around the small bedroom the Queen had placed her in, so she could rest better and look like a princess.
She had taken a milk bath and used flower scented soap that she used in her hair, so she would smell better.
Her head was too busy with everything that was happening. Live the rest of her life in a lie with the Dark One.
She fell back on the bed and let out a long sigh.
"I should just run away," she said to herself, then sat up with a huge grin. "I will, I will run away. I'll be gone before anyone knows, long gone from this castle, before she can take off my head."
Feeling triumphant, she stood up and walked for the door. She had nothing she needed and once she got out of the kingdom, she could find work in another and save a few coins before moving on. To Belle, this was good plan.
She opened the door and stepped out...
"Where do you think you are going?" two guards stood watch over her door. Eyes wide, Belle looked up at both of them.
Damn, she thought. Why would she think it would be easy to leave the castle?
"No place. I just wanted a drink," she lied, taking a step back.
"Then one of us shall go get it for you. The queen had ordered us not to allow you to leave this room until she comes for you,"
"Never mind about the water. I just want to sleep." Belle slammed the door shut. Out of all the maids in the castle and all the young women in the village, why did the Queen choose her to be the stand in for Princess Buttercup? She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back down on the bed. She wanted to scream and pull out her hair.
At sunrise, the Queen came for her.
Belle spent a good part of her day listening to the queen and getting ready.
"You will need to take a few things he might think something is wrong if you arrive with nothing. Buttercup does not want to part with any of her dresses, but I have a few that I wore when I was younger. I have them already packed and I also added some soap and a comb into the chest."
Belle now sat as still as she could, as her hair was being worked on, for the first time. She had always worn her hair back with a ribbon after running a comb through it, she hated as the lady pulled her hair as she brushed it. Belle wanted to take that brush and smack her with it.
"You need to hold still or you will have funny looking hair," the lady told her, using one hand to keep her head still.
"Well it's kind of hard to hold still when you are pulling my hair out," Belle yelled back. The lady just rolled her eyes and pulled more hair.
Soon the Queen entered the room with a small box. "I have a few things I will not miss," she set the box on the dresser and opened it. "Just a few old things," she pulled out a ruby necklace and held it out for Belle to see. "This would look lovely with the dress,"
Belle gasped. She had never worn a necklace before and now she was to wear one that looked to be very heavy.
Queen Sarah laid it down and took out a few rings. "These never fit my finger, they were just too small for them"
Belle's eyes were wide as she looked at the rings.
"And the last thing a princess would need." she took out a small tiara.
Belle's hair was done and Queen Sarah set the tiara in place and smiled. "You don't look like a maid now, but a princess. You are doing a great thing for your kingdom, a hero to us all." she held her hand down for Belle to take and then walked her out of the room. "Remember everything I have told you,"
Belle nodded as she followed the Queen, "I must never tell him who I really am and act like a princess at all times,"
"Good, I'm sure he will give you a good life or maybe end it sooner," she let out a small laugh.
Belle said nothing as they entered the throne room where King Simon and Gaston waited.
Both eyes lit up as they watched Belle enter.
"She is even more lovely." the king said licking his lips.
"I still think we should have gotten another maid, you know how I feel about Belle and I wanted to marry her," Gaston told the king.
"Yes, I too. I've tried to talk her out of it, but she would not listen. You know how woman are?"
Gaston nodded. "I'll get her back," he said under his breath, vowing to himself to save her from that monster.
"Now," Queen Sarah grabbed Belle by the arm, "Act as if you will miss us, cry and hug us both."
Belle nodded her head as they stood next to the King.
"Think of something sad," the queen hissed in her ear.
"Belle," King Simon walked over to her. Belle wished she could run from him. She could see the lust in his eyes.
"Thank you for doing this,"
"It's my honor," she curtsy.
King Simon could not stop looking at her. Why did this have to happen? Why, out of all the places they could have stayed, did they have to come upon the Dark One's castle? Now he was losing a beautiful maid. He should have put his foot down and sent another one, an ugly one. But his wife, once she had her mind set on something, there was no changing it. He was beginning to think he should have had someone take her during the night or slipped into her room and had a go with her before she left.
But it was too late now and soon the Dark One would arrive.
Gaston stepped up to Belle and gazed down at her, "My lady, I shall come for you,"
Maybe leaving with the Dark One would be better than here. "It's best if you don't...who knows what he would do to you."
Gaston just chuckled and smiled down at her. "Never fear my lady."
Soon the room grew very cold, The Dark One had arrived for his bride.
"Make sure he never finds out," Queen Sarah wrapped her arms around Belle, as a mother would if she was to lose her only daughter, as Rumpelstiltskin walked into the room as if he owned the place.
"King Simon, we meet again," Rumpelstiltskin said as Gaston drew his sword.
Rumpelstiltskin raised an eye at him as he slapped the sword away. "Learn who to draw a sword out to, boy."
Rumpelstiltskin walked up to the royal family and looked at Belle. "She is very lovely. Now hurry with your goodbyes, this will be the last you see of your family,"
"Please, don't take her away," the queen sobbed, over doing her acting.
Belle patted her on the back and tried her best to look upset. But she found it very hard. She had never liked Queen Sarah or her husband.
Queen Sarah stepped back, took out her handkerchief, "Oh my little princess, what shall I do without you?"
Rumpelstiltskin placed his arm around Belle's waist, "Maybe next time your husband will leave his hands off my things. Come along, say goodbye to your father."
Belle looked over at the Queen, "Good-bye, mother,"
Queen Sarah covers her faced and let out a loud cry as she ran from the room.
Next Belle looked at the king, she tried to look at his face, but she couldn't. "Father, take care"
"Oh, my girl," King Simon reached out for her and took her out of Rumpelstiltskin arms, to hug her. He ran his hands up and down her back as he spoke in her ear. "I should have had my fun with you last night and now that beast will get to know what it's like between your legs."
Belle pushed away from, tripping over the skirt, but Rumpelstiltskin was there, catching her fall. He was giving the king a hard, long, look.
He then looked over at the chest, "I'm guessing that is hers? "
Belle nodded her head as Rumpelstiltskin clicked his fingers and the chest disappeared "Don't worry, it's already at the castle."
Belle looked up at him with wonder in her eyes as he wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Come along now." He began to lead Belle away from them but then stopped looking back over at King Simon and Gaston. "If you send anyone to rescue her, you will be sorry."
With that, he left with Belle in a puff of magical, dark purple, smoke.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a lovely review.
No matter how many times I did this chapter, I was never really happy with it. But I wanted to get this story started and needed chapter one out of the way. I have great plans for this story and I hope you guys will like it.
Sadly, when I had chapter two about done my computer died and I lost it. Once I get my new one up and running I plan to restart it.
Thank you to my beta for taking the time to look this over!