The Enchanted Forest
Any moment now, Rose Red would be here. His baby.
Alone in tiny cabin hidden away,Rumplestiltskin was watching the flames in the fireplace, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his merchandise. After months of planning and dealing, he was restless and eager to hold the infant in his hands.
Still watching the flames, he couldn't help, but brag out loud about his triumph. "What now Cora? You thought you were so clever getting Regina, but in the end, I got her and now I will have your granddaughter."
Though he knew he would get no verbal response, it gave him a perverse pleasure to say the words.
There is a frantic pounding on the wooden door. "Perfecting timing."
With the wave of his hands, the door opened and a man stumbled in. Rumplestiltskin recognized him as the chandler, a man whose wife recently had a baby and so no one would be suspicious if they saw him holding an infant.
However there was no babe in his arms, he had came empty handed.
"Well, where is she?!" He waved his hand again and this time the door closed and locked itself. "The deal was that your dear wife would survive the difficult birth and I'd get Rose Red. I don't see my payment, so you must not want your wife to live."
The chandler dropped to the ground and grovelled at his feet. "My….lord. I went to take the baby as you ordered, but it was not her! The baby had been switched. The other infant was truly dead."
He gave into his fury, lifting and slamming both the table and the frightened man against the wall. "What do you mean switched?"
"It wasn't the princess I swear. I pour the potion you gave on her, but she did not revive."
"Liar! Thief! You're trying to trick me! Did the king pay you?"
"No! I swear." He's now loudly sobbing, very much aware that he will not be returning to his family. "I would never be foolish enough to betray The Dark One."
"Only stupid enough to come to me empty-handed!"
"Please have mercy!"
"You must have me mistaken for someone who cares dearie."
The Dark Castle
Back home after leaving the body outside the cabin and making it appear as if he was attacked by a wild animal, Rumple was in his chambers putting the pieces together on how his plans unraveled.
The ill-fated chandler barely had any useful information, but fortunately Rumple was able to extract one clue before the man died. The terrified fool said the infant he found was not dressed in the princess' outfit, she was in much simpler clothes. That meant that someone took Rose Red and was in a rush, not even having time to change her dress.
He could of only one creature in the land who would have the audacity to snatch steal his prize - The Blue Fairy. Almost as vile as the child's grandmother he bitterly mused. Two can play at this game.
With a new idea in his mind, he went to his library to find a way to track down the kidnapped princess.
Thanks to Wanz the prompt!
