Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a work of pure fiction. All characters and events depicted in this story are entirely fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Tags: *Belle/Rumpelstiltskin, *Belle, *Rumpelstiltskin, *Regina, *Enchanted Forest, *Something light and funny (I think it's funny)
Summary: As per their deal, Regina has to honor Rumpelstiltskin's wishes to write a future for himself and Belle in the land with no magic. Of course, driving the queen batty is half the fun.
A/n: Inyourdreamsaswell asked … Can we pretty please get another chapter where we see what Rumpel wrote into the curse for them? I do try to be obliging when I can :D
Intricacies of the Curse
A 'One More Chance' Ficlet
By:
CharlotteAshmore
"Rumpel, you need to either stop scratching or take it off."
The former Dark One ceased mid-scratch, large amber eyes widening when he realized what he was doing … again. That his curse had broken – his new status known only to a select few – didn't change the fact he couldn't very well traipse about the Enchanted Forest looking like a normal man. His human form was less than intimidating. Therefore, when it had come time to meet with Regina to carry out the terms of their deal, he'd used a glamour and donned his dark one mien. However, now his body wanted to reject anything to do with the fabled demon of legend … even wearing his skin.
His fingers curled back towards his palm as he settled against the seat in the carriage once more, willing himself to calm. It wasn't easy when he felt as though fire ants were marching beneath his green-gold skin. "I can't help it, dearest, it bloody well itches! And it's not like I can walk about as my true self."
"Why?" Belle arched a brow at him as she turned from the view of the countryside just outside the window which had so fascinated her previously. "Are you expecting someone to take an axe to your head if you show yourself? You're just as powerful now as you were before, Rumpel."
The could very clearly see her point as he crossed his arms stubbornly across his chest. "No one would dare, it's just …"
"A lot to get used to," she commiserated, her expression softening into a sympathetic smile.
After three centuries of being the Dark One, she could understand how this change would play on old fears. Without the curse, he was forced to give into his body's basic needs. He slept now, where before he could go weeks without the need for rest. His appetite was nigh insatiable, food being something he enjoyed rather than just fuel to sustain him. In the month which had passed since his curse had broken, not a day had gone by where he hadn't made some new discovery about his mortal self. Belle had stood by him through every one of them, delighting over his happiness and soothing him when he would become upset, their relationship growing stronger.
Rumpelstiltskin shot her a crooked smile as she tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and rested her head against his shoulder, relaxing against her. "You … ah … don't miss him?"
Her musical laughter was rich and warm. "Rumpel … he is you. However, I don't miss the deals which would take you away from me sometimes weeks at a time. I don't miss the black moods or the pain I could see in your eyes." Her hand curled around his nape, urging his head down to press a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you … all of you … even when you were so mired in darkness. I never put conditions on our love. Cursed or not, you stole my heart."
"I love you, too, dear one," he murmured against her lips. His hand sneaked down to his left thigh, just above the knee where the itching had attacked anew, and he prayed she would be distracted enough not to notice.
"Stop scratching!"
*.*.*
"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad you're here, Rumpelstiltskin," Prince Henry said as he joined the Dark One and his lady in the anteroom, his voice exuding sincerity. "I know if anyone can talk sense to my daughter, it will be you."
The mage couldn't suppress the giggle which escaped his lips, despite Belle's rather pointy elbow digging into his side. "Really, dearie? Has the queen flipped her gourd?" he twittered. "You are her stalwart advisor, trusted and loved … if the queen needs counsel, it would surely be desired from you, her father."
Henry shook his head - as if shaking off his upset – and bowed to Belle, remembering his manners. "Milady."
Belle dipped into a curtsey before Rumpelstiltskin hurried her along after Henry towards the queen's tower receiving chamber. "What has her in such a dither this time?"
"You have to ask?!" the prince bit out. "She is consumed with this curse you've given her, intent only on her revenge. It's trying to map out the intricacies of it which has her out of sorts."
The mage scowled down at his beloved as a look of sympathy washed over her features. Regina was the last person for whom Belle should feel concerned. She just shrugged.
"The devil is in the details," he quipped at Henry's back, trying to ignore the mocking countenance of the Dark One in the multitude of mirrors lining the corridor.
The prince came to an abrupt stop before a heavy oak door and turned to the sorcerer. "Please, I beg of you … help her."
Before Rumpelstiltskin could open his mouth to offer a biting retort, Belle reached forward and rested a soothing hand upon the servant's forearm. "We'll do what we can for her majesty."
Henry visibly relaxed when the mage nodded in agreement and set off to see to their refreshment after opening the door and beckoning them to enter.
"Rumpel, you're scratching again!" Belle hissed, knocking his hand away where it clawed at his belly.
"I can't help it!"
"Take it off."
"No."
"I don't know why you have to be so stubborn," Belle hissed, her eyes narrowing as her ire rose.
Regina made a clucking sound of disgust as she regarded the pair. "Trouble in paradise?" she sneered as her gaze raked him from top to toe. "Why are you … wearing a glamour? I'd think you would've been glad to get rid of all that green skin."
Belle rolled her eyes. "He's glamoured himself because he thinks he won't get the same respect now as he did as the Dark One."
"Wonderful … just what I need," the queen growled irritably before she bent once more over the parchment spread out over the table. "I suppose you've come to conclude our deal, yes?" she asked, effectively changing the subject.
"It would seem so," Rumpelstiltskin murmured distractedly, his eyes zeroing in on one complete wall full of tiny mirrors, each one showing a different citizen of the enchanted forest. It rather looked like someone's family tree. Next to each mirror was a small bit of parchment, some containing the queen's bold scrawl where others remained blank.
Belle ignored her true love and moved to the end of the table to fiddle with the tray of refreshments the queen's servants carried in and proceeded to make herself a cup of tea. Her gaze continued to flit towards the disheveled queen, her brow furrowing. She'd never seen Regina with so much as a hair out of place on her lovely ebony head, but today her majesty looked more than a little rumpled. Her hair looked as though she had run her hands through it several times, dark circles shadowed beneath her eyes and the deep, blood-red gown she wore was wreathed in wrinkles.
"Your majesty, are you feeling well?"
"I'm fine!" the queen snapped, tossing her quill down onto the table and leaning back against the high cushioned back of her chair. "Not that it's any concern of yours!"
Rumpelstiltskin turned from his perusal of the wall, claws scratching at the skin over his collarbone which garnered another irritated glance from Belle. "Oh, yes, dearie, we can see just how fine you are. Having trouble with the intricacies of the curse, are you?" he couldn't help but giggle. "I did try to warn you it wouldn't be easy."
"It's driving me mad!" She slammed a hand down atop the parchment littering the table, sending a few sheets scattering to the floor. "How am I supposed to craft their lives when I don't even know what to expect in this new land?"
Belle sipped daintily from her cup as Rumpelstiltskin took a seat beside her and bit into a biscuit. "Surely, between the three of us, we can figure it out. We'll help you." It went against everything good and moral within her, but she understood the importance of Rumpelstiltskin's quest to find his child. She'd chosen him and very well couldn't leave him to face this alone. Whether she liked it or not, the curse would happen – despite her efforts to find an alternative – and she would be by his side.
Regina's lip curled up into a snarl. "This is a curse, girl, not a blessing! If it is left to you, I'm certain we'll be tripping over rainbows and unicorns. No, thank you!"
Rumpelstiltskin bared his teeth as he saw the hurt flash briefly in Belle's eyes. "I'll thank you to be more respectful when speaking to my lady, Regina. She simply wishes to help you."
The queen subsided, the warning in his tone unmistakable. "Well, I don't see how she could. She's not … like us."
"I'm not offering to help bring a plague to the realm, your majesty," Belle snarked, setting her cup back on the tray and reaching for a quill and spare bit of parchment, "but I'm more than capable of helping you design an alternate scenario for the innocent lives you've chosen to ruin."
"She's right, dearie. Belle did admirably with our own."
Regina's mouth flopped open in shock. "You let her write it?! You would trust her with such a monumental task?"
Rumpelstiltskin took Belle's hand in his and brought it to his lips to brush a soft kiss to her fingertips. "With my life."
Regina arched a dubious brow. "Oh, this I've got to see."
Without hesitation, the mage produced the scroll Belle had toiled over for the last month. It was solid, simple and most importantly … ironclad. There was no way Regina would be able to manipulate it and turn it against them. He'd also added a drop of the true love potion he'd made from the Charming's hair to ensure the two of them would retain their memories. He'd be damned if he allowed himself to be trapped for twenty-eight years of misery. He and Belle would remember who they were and find their own happiness together while they waited for the curse to be broken. The queen, however, didn't need to know that.
Regina's brow darkened as she studied the scroll, an outraged shriek whooshing past her teeth as she glared up at her former mentor. "Wife?! You married her? Or is this something you plan to do in the land without magic?"
Belle blushed happily … just before she slapped Rumpelstiltskin's hand away from his nape where he was scratching viciously. His teeth gnashed together only to relax as his beloved's hand settled over the spot to soothe away the itch.
"We married last week." He smiled unrepentantly at the queen's outrage, delighting in the fact she wouldn't be able to separate them. "As you can see, Belle and I will be married and sharing a home. I will be in a position of power worthy of my station in this land." He waved a dismissive hand and a paragraph on the parchment glowed in gold. "Belle wishes to have access to books; therefore, her library will have to be brought over … amongst other things I've hand selected. And there will be – under no circumstances – any interference from you."
The queen's scowl darkened considerably.
"I don't see why you're so upset, dearie. You can't tell me there aren't things you've decided to pack."
"That's beside the point." She stabbed a finger at the scroll. "Why the runes? Some of these aren't familiar to me," she admitted a bit irately. "How do I know you're not trying to trick me?"
"I assure you he isn't, your majesty," Belle replied. "It's simply a protection spell … in case you decided to go back on your word."
Regina's eyes narrowed malevolently, but she didn't have a leg to stand on if it came down to an argument. Instead, she let it pass, filing it away for the future.
Rumpelstiltskin sat back in his chair, practically purring from the attention his wife paid to his itchy skin, her fingers trailing beneath the high collar of his jacket. It gave him the incentive to hurry along this meeting, so he could get home to be alone with his beloved. "Regardless, our wishes are there on the scroll. You have but to sign it."
"I think it's hardly fair the two of you get to be happy when the rest of them will be forced to abide by the strictures of the curse. That is … if I can ever manage to work out the details," she said cattily, rising from the table to seek out a bottle of wine from the ornate cabinet along the opposite wall.
Belle bit her lip with indecision as she rose to her feet and moved towards the wall of tiny mirrors with their little notes. They'd be there all day, however, if she didn't try to move things along. "Perhaps you're overthinking it. Granted, I don't want to see anyone suffer, but the curse will be cast whether I wish it or not." If she could spare them all more cruelty than necessary at the queen's hands, she'd gladly do it.
The mage joined her, squinting at the bits of parchment. "I believe I see what you mean. There's too much detail." He banished the pieces of parchment, hours upon hours of Regina's hard work, with a flick of his elegant hand.
She shrieked in outrage. "Do you know how long I've been working on this?! Bring them back!"
Rumpelstiltskin giggled, ruining the effect of the famed deal-maker by clawing distractedly at his forearm. "Think about it, dearie. Simply weave a spell into the curse to create a rather opposite personality for each person. For example … where Snow and her charming prince are known for their valor and bravery –"
The queen brightened with excitement, malicious glee shining in her dark eyes. "They would be sniveling cowards. Oh, how delicious! And of course, they'd have to be kept apart."
Belle rolled her eyes. "Naturally."
Rumpelstiltskin bowed dramatically, the matter settled, in his opinion. "Well, now that our business is concluded, we shall take our leave."
Before the sorcerer could drag his smiling wife from the tower room, Regina couldn't resist asking, "You never told me … why is it so important to go to this land without magic? Other than the obvious necessity of my revenge, that is."
He shot her a guarded look as he helped Belle on with her cloak. "Suffice it to say … I'm in need of a change of scenery."
"Oh, come on, Rumpel," the queen tsked, genuinely curious and now disappointed with his evasion. "You never do anything without reason."
"My reasons shall remain my own, dearie. Put it out of your head and work on your preparations to cast the curse." He offered his arm to his wife and opened the door with an elegant flourish of his wrist. "I'll be in touch."
*.*.*
Rumpelstiltskin pulled Belle onto his lap as the closed carriage swiftly moved through the gates, leaving the Winter Palace behind and heading towards the mountains atop which the Dark Castle rested. He buried his face against the smooth ivory column of her throat and sighed, trying his best to ignore the itch which had settled in the very center of his back.
Belle pushed at his shoulders as he wriggled, trying to scratch the elusive spot against the seat. "Rumpel, we're in the carriage, concealed from prying eyes … won't you just be done with the glamour."
"I can't."
"You can't, or you won't? This is getting ridiculous," she admonished, maintaining her seat when his hands tightened over her hips, holding her in place.
He groaned and pulled her closer. "I might have spelled it where the glamour will not fade until I enter the gates of our home. A simple precaution. One which I'm beginning to regret."
The Lady of the Dark Castle shook her head ruefully. "Darling, your cleverness has come back to bite you in your very delectable arse."
He winced and wriggled again, the itch more persistent. "Indeed."
Belle carded her fingers in his hair and brought her lips to his for a sweet kiss which left the both of them breathless. "Don't worry, my love … when we get home, I'll run us a bath and soothe away all your aches and pains," she whispered, her lips curling up in a seductive smile. "I'll even use that lovely coconut oil Jefferson brought from Agrabah. I know how much you love it."
"Why the hell did I insist upon taking the carriage?!"
"I believe you were complaining about a desire to have me at your mercy in close quarters for the duration of the trip," she chuckled.
"I was apparently out of my head at the time."
She could feel the magic begin to swirl around them as she yielded once more to the firm pressure of his lips, the warm scents of the Dark Castle welcoming her home as her husband transported them there … directly into the tub as she'd suggested. "No more glamours."
"As my lady wishes."