Chapter 4 – Valuable VS Expensive

The day following Midas's drunken generosity was spent in a flurry of activity for Belle. Despite not having slept in over 24 hours, she was a veritable fountain of energy and could barely contain her excitement.

She wanted to dive immediately into her research on the Dark One, but was gently reminded by Natalie that she was expected to attend breakfast and perform her regular duties as usual. It was important to keep up appearances, especially since it would look suspicious if she shirked her responsibilities every time the castle had an important guest visiting. So after ensuring that the golden pillow was safely hidden away in Gaston's chambers, she reluctantly went back down to the secret room to wake her sleepy guest and prepare for her day.

She scrubbed the dark make-up off her face, immediately feeling more like herself and not like some slag. But while her mind was jumping and rearing to go, her face told another story. The late night clearly showed in her puffy eyes and sallow complexion. Even in her father's most inebriated state, he would notice that something was amiss and inquire publicly to the reason.

She vigorously rubbed a mixture of goat's milk and honey into her skin to add moisture and circulation then carefully styled her hair so that it framed her heart shaped face while keeping the wavy tresses out of her eyes. She took care in choosing the right dress, deciding to go with a velvet gown dyed the deep color of purple grapes. It was not a color that she normally favored, but for today the bright color would draw attention away from her fatigue.

The finished look was far from perfect but should be enough to fool the men. Most of them towered over the petite princess anyway and had a better chance of seeing down the front of her bodice than her face.

She wasn't sure if that thought was a comforting one or not.

Nothing could put a damper on her good mood at breakfast though, not even the way the misogynistic Cardinal Salir droned on about a neighboring kingdom that foolishly allows their queen to rule without a husband. She even allowed herself the indulgence of enjoying the way the green-tinged Midas cringed every time Maurice buoyantly referred to Belle as being his 'little girl' and had to stifle her laugh when he eventually had to excuse himself for fear of being sick at the table.

It wasn't until a little after midday that Belle was finally able to dedicate her time to the library. She had spent the morning helping to inventory their meager supplies and made arrangements for what little they had to be dispersed among the outlying villages. It had been easier to allocate supplies when all the survivors had been camped out in Avonlea, the location of the final battle against the ogres and the only town in the kingdom that had not fallen. But her people had wanted to return to their own homes to rebuild and work the lands. She could not fault them for that decision and fervently hoped that all their hard work would finally come to fruition…quite literally! But that could only happen if she managed to succeed in her task.

Belle had forgone with the frivolous velvet gown the moment she was out of the public's eye and exchanged it for a much more prudent blue wool dress that was more suited for the drafty library. It pained her to see the damages done to her precious books over the last few seasons, when the castle had simply not had the funds to heat the extensive library to chase away the moisture. Spines had begun to warp, covers deteriorated and the unmistakable smell of damp permeated the precious pages.

Undaunted, she poured over the old, worn tomes for hours, desperately searching for any mention of the Dark One or Rumplestiltskin.

It wasn't until late into the evening, when her exhaustion was finally starting to overcome her will that she realized, for the first time in her life, her library was failing her. There simply was no mention of any dark wizard, or even magic for that matter, anywhere.

"Belle, you've been at this for hours now," said Natalie's concerned voice behind her. "Please rest. You're practically falling asleep in your books. You can always begin your search again tomorrow." She carefully set down a silver tea set and a hearty slice of bread with cheese in front of her and ordered the princess to eat.

"You were missed at supper," added Gaston as he came around the bookshelf behind Natalie. "I covered for you, of course, but I could tell your father was not too pleased. Midas has announced his departure for first thing in the morning."

"But I thought he was staying the entire week," Belle replied disappointedly, speaking with her mouth full of bread in a very un-royal-like fashion. "I was counting on him paying for at least one more night, if not more! What changed his mind?"

"He claimed to have received a message from Princess Abigail, requesting that he return to their Kingdom immediately for some private matter. I can tell you with utmost certainty that no messenger arrived."

"But he will return again in a month's time, yes?"

Gaston looked down and ran his fingers across the cracks in the weathered wooden table. "No," he replied simply. "He will not be returning."

"Does he remember the incident with the golden pillow?" she asked, frowning in concern.

"Actually, he claims to remember very little of the night whatsoever. He doesn't feel it was worth the expense."

"For someone with unlimited wealth at his disposal, he is quite stingy, isn't he?" stated Belle as she poured herself some tea. "That's unfortunate. I'm afraid this means you'll have to continue your search for a new regular benefactor."

Gaston banged his fist onto the table in frustration, causing the tea service to rattle. Natalie reached out and gently ran her hand over his back to soothe him. "There is no one else, Belle! Don't you understand? We've gone through everyone! Midas was the bottom of the barrel!"

"Then you will just have to find a new barrel," she replied emotionlessly.

Gaston glared at his wife in frustration for several seconds before stalking out of the library. The force with which he slammed the heavy oak doors reverberated across the large room and caused the tea to gently slosh around in her cup.

"I realize you're both tired, milady," said Natalie softly as she cleaned up the spilled liquid. "But please don't be hard on him. You must realize that a part of him dies inside every time he sells you. You made a small fortune in gold last night. Why can't that be enough?"

"It will never be enough, Natalie." Belle ran the edges of her palms over her weary eyes and gave into her exhaustion. "I know it might be difficult to understand but there will always be something else that needs doing. Even if our crops were enough to feed us all, we would still need to rely on the other kingdoms for a while. Livestock is an excellent example, and not just because of the meat. Without sheep, we have no wool. Without wool, we can't spin. Without spinning, we can't make warm clothes and blankets. We need medicines and tonics. We need to rebuild the roads so that our people can travel to sell their wares. We need woodcutters to chop enough trees to keep us all warm, to repair the homes and re-open the schools. We need to get the mills up and running again to process what little wheat we have into flour….the list goes on and on. We are barely surviving right now. Is it wrong to want to make the lives of my people just a little bit better?"

"It's not your responsibility to take it all on yourself, Belle."

"If I don't, then who will?" she asked softly. "That's why we need Rumplestiltskin. I want to at least give our people a chance. I owe them that much."

Natalie smiled sadly at her mistress and began to collect the discarded books strewn across the table. "Have you had any luck yet?"

"Unfortunately, no," she replied dejectedly. "There is not a single reference to magic in any of the texts! Magic is everywhere! One would think we would have at least one book on the subject."

"Well, perhaps they are all in the other library."

Belle froze over the paragraph she was skimming, a strange sense of dread bubbling in her belly. "What other library?"

"The other room, milady. The one behind the hidden door." Natalie faltered at Belle's shocked expression and fidgeted uncomfortably. "You spend half your life in here, your highness. I just assumed that you, more than anyone, would be aware of its existence."

"Show me."

The two women made their way across the chamber, to the darkest area of the room. The dusty shelves blocked the natural sunlight that filtered through the large windows on the opposite side of the library, leaving only a few sconces on this end to light their way. Natalie carefully counted the alcoves as they passed them and eventually stopped in front of the thirteenth one from the door.

"It's similar to the passages that lead from the bedchambers. See that discolored stone there? Push it in to activate the latch."

Belle did not hesitate to press it and was relieved to hear the door slide smoothly open with little sound. Not that there was anyone else within library to hear it, but sounds carried farther than one liked across empty hallways. She was surprised by how easily the wall retracted, much like the hidden door in her own room. She had expected it to grind slowly open the way Gaston's had, since his door is rarely used. Someone other than Natalie must know of its existence and makes use of it regularly.

They each grabbed a lit torch and carefully made their way into the hidden room. It was quite narrow, extending only about ten feet away from the entrance. Its length, however, spanned the library's east wall, creating a long, dark chasm that comfortably fit a dozen bookshelves side by side, all packed with texts. The shelves themselves were coated with an inch of dust, except for a few spots that clearly showed which tomes had been pulled out recently. Hundreds of scrolls were packed into a massive glass-lined case and a few curious objects took up residence on pedestals blanketed with dust opposite the shelves.

"Look at the titles!" cried Belle happily as she ran her fingers across the spines to remove the dust. "The Magical History of the Marshlands, Poisons and Their Antidotes, A Guide to Basic Potions…where did all these books come from?"

"I'm not sure." Natalie withdrew a rag from her apron and carefully wiped the grime off a glass dome on one of the pedestals to peer at the object inside. "I discovered the room a few years ago and remember it being just as dirty."

"How did you come to find it," she asked the maid curiously. "The library was maintained by the docents before the war, not the maids."

Natalie turned a bright shade of pink and cleared her throat awkwardly. "It was by accident, milady. Back then, there were hundreds of people in the castle at all hours and it could prove quite difficult to find some privacy, so…"

"Oh!" said Belle, understanding and embarrassment turning her own face scarlet. "So you and Gaston came here to…"

"No! Not that!" she explained quickly, staring fixedly at her feet. The edges of her lips curved up slightly in a sad smile. "He…he actually…um… he proposed to me in that alcove. It was partially hidden by the shelves and no one could see us. I was bit enthusiastic when I said yes and jumped into his arms. He fell back and his elbow activated the latch. We fell through and realized what had happened. We assumed it was restricted to all but the Royal family and council, so we never mentioned its discovery to anyone. Besides, our lives were turned upside down a few days later, so you can see why I gave it no further thought until now."

"Yes," Belle said sympathetically and reached out for Natalie's hand. "I understand. And I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, milady," she replied softly, avoiding Belle's eyes. "Now, let's find what you're looking for so we can get out of here!"

Natalie's reading skills were basic at best, so while Belle searched the scrolls and tomes, she inspected the relics. "Cardinal Salir would burst the blood vessel in his neck if he knew of this room. These objects are full of dark magic, milady! I can feel it in my bones. They ought not be meddled with."

"Really Natalie, they look harmless to me," she admonished her friend. She crossed the room and pulled the glass dome off of one pedestal. "Take this one for instance. It looks perfectly innocent. The markings here are in a language I know well. It translates to 'The Map of All Worlds.' It's just a simple globe, nothing dark about it."

"But there is no map drawn on it!" insisted Natalie. "It's an orb full of fog with a nasty needle at the top. It is obviously magical. And magic is evil. Everyone knows that."

Belle heaved a sigh and carefully placed the dome back over top of the globe. "That's the Cardinal speaking. A sword is not evil. It is merely a tool to be wielded. The same thing goes for magic."

"So if the one who wields it decides to use it for either good or evil, why would you want to call upon someone known as the Dark One?"

"Because we have no other choice," Belle replied stoically. She resumed her search among the scrolls, grateful that each one had a note identifying its contents so that she did not have to unroll each one. "Midas is refusing to help us any further and the fairies have ignored all of our pleas. He is the only one left to call on."

It took another quarter of an hour before Belle found what she was looking for; a yellowed scroll, several decades old, with detailed instructions on how to call on a wizard by the name of Rumplestiltskin. She wasn't sure how accurate it was anymore, but it was all she had to go on.

To Natalie's intense relief, Belle decided she would not call upon the Dark One that night. She had been awake for nearly forty hours and had begun to slur her words in her exhaustion. She would need all her wits about her and then some in order to go toe to toe with the legend.

She could only hope that the Dark One was a reasonable man.


Rumplestiltskin stared intently at Killian Jones's severed hand for several minutes and pondered whether or not it he should take it with him to the Land Without Magic.

He had been packing for days now, deciding which of his precious possessions would make the journey with him and which would be left behind. Bae's belongings had been among the first objects carefully tucked away into his enchanted trunk, along with the key that would one day unlock the potion currently entombed within Maleficent's stomach. His spare spinning wheel, the peasants-turned-puppets and a few other odds and ends that may come in handy in this new land all took up precious space.

The hand, however, had no actual use; its value was purely intrinsic. Besides, it was being preserved by magic, much like the body of Regina's stable boy. While she would ensure that poor Daniel would not decompose, the same could not be said of the pirate's dismembered limb.

Pity. It truly was one of his most prized possessions. Perhaps he could pickle it and take it along in a jar?

Instead, he carefully placed it, along with a few other precious mementos, into the secret cupboard next to the glass display case. This trip was about looking towards the future, not holding onto the past.

He had spent every waking moment of every day for the past three centuries looking for a way to the Land Without Magic and this time he would finally succeed. He had merely needed to tweak a few things here and there to ensure Regina's enemies succeeded, and voila! He had the makings of a savior brewing in Snow White's womb.

With everything he had done for the lucky couple, one would think they could have at least extended a wedding invitation to him. He did so love a good party.

But no. He was no longer of any use to the new King and Queen. They condemned his magic as evil, yet had sought out his help time and time again. They would need him once more, and soon. They just didn't know it yet.

But he did. He had foreseen it. They would come to him for assistance, but only when they thought he was weak and powerless. They would never risk the life of their precious daughter otherwise.

So he had tricked a simple maid into signing over her first born child in exchange for a life full of comfort and love. He had no intention of actually taking her baby, but there was really no other way to get the Kingdoms riled up enough to join forces to bring him down.

The cinder girl would eventually call on him and he would allow himself to be captured.

Until that fateful day arrived, however, he had nothing to do but bide his time. Having the Sight had its uses, but sometimes it was simply aggravating. He had no idea when or how he would be captured, just that he would be locked away for an indefinite period of time.

His preparations had been completed months ago and his bags were almost completely packed. He had nothing to do now but wait; wait for circumstances to unfold naturally, no longer requiring his interference.

By the Gods, he was bored!

A fight for his soul would be nice about now. Anything to break up the monotony of his days, sitting alone, spinning gold in his dreary castle, waiting for the axe to fall. His patience was beginning to wane now that he had all the elements in place to find his son.

What he needed was a distraction.

He turned his attention back to his collection, now internally debating the fate of the Hammer of Asgard. Would he even be able to lift Thor's Hammer in this new land?

Suddenly, a slightly smoking scroll magically appeared in the air in front of him. "What is this, I wonder," he said to himself as he snatched the intrusive piece of paper, all thoughts of his spare fairy wands and crystal balls now forgotten. "Could the cinder girl and her band of heroes have found a way to ensnare me already?"

He quickly broke the wax seal and unrolled the singed parchment. Expecting the hesitant, scratchy scrawl of the uneducated former-maid-turned-princess, he was momentarily caught off guard by the perfect cursive that lay before him.

The Prince and Princess of the Marshland Kingdom respectfully request the presence of the Dark One, known also as Rumplestiltskin, to a meeting in Avonlea to discuss a lucrative deal.

Could this be the trap he had been waiting for? Prince Charming was simply not that imaginative, but he really couldn't discount the possibility that they were using the smaller kingdom as a cover to entrap him.

And if the royal couple really did want to deal, well, this could prove just the distraction he needed.

…..

It was just past twilight when he materialized outside of a clearing, invisible to any prying eyes that may be lurking about in the darkness. He immediately detected the presence of two figures standing rigidly next to the brightly burning pyre they had used to summon him. Royals, he wagered, by their perfect posture.

They seemed relatively harmless at the moment, so he studiously ignored them as he searched the marshy area for any hidden defenses they may have brought along. His heightened senses detected no magic in the area, nor any soldiers. Their only companions seemed to be the horses that pulled their simple carriage.

So this wasn't the trap after all. Feeling mildly disappointed, he made his way toward the duo that dared to call on him as he contemplated which of many elaborate ways he would present himself.

"This was a terrible idea," grumbled the taller of the two. "We should head back to the castle immediately."

"He could be on his way right now!" insisted the man's shorter companion with an accent Rumplestiltskin wouldn't soon forget. Her head was enshrouded by a beige cloak embroidered with hundreds of green leaves and yellow flowers, but it didn't completely hide the chestnut curls that gently tumbled out the sides. Her clothes spoke of great wealth, yet the Dark One's sharp eyes couldn't help but notice that her wrap showed years of wear and the golden gown underneath was frayed badly around the hem.

So the Marshland Kingdom was having financial issues.

It was not that surprising, considering the war they had raged against the Ogres. What was surprising was his complete lack of involvement in the whole thing! Their army had managed to defeat the barbaric race on their own, ignored by the other kingdoms and their supposed allies, all without the drafting of children.

That earned them a smidgeon of respect from him. He supposed he could at least listen to their plea.

"Remember, this creature is not to be trusted," whispered the giant. "Legend has it that he hunts children for his evening meals."

"Actually, dearies," Rumplestiltskin said loudly as he crept between them and wrapped his arms around their thin waists, "I hunt them for their pelts. Their supple skins make the softest leather pants imaginable."

It was always amusing to see the reactions of those who had never before laid eyes upon his monstrous appearance. He was no stranger to the horrified looks he received and had long ago stopped being offended by them. He knew what he was.

And the tall man, apparently, was no stranger to swordplay. He had withdrawn his weapon much faster than Rumplestiltskin would have expected for such a large man, and pivoted so that his massive body blocked the fair maiden from harm. The woman had obviously been startled by his sudden appearance as well, causing the hood of her cloak to fall back and reveal her delicate features.

She would have been quite stunning had her cheeks not been sunken in and her skin not been sallow and pasty. In the brief second he had held her waist over the voluminous cloak, he had been able to feel the sharp angles of her hips. It had obviously been some time since she had eaten regular meals and even longer since those meals had contained the proper nutrients needed to keep her healthy.

She should be supple and curvy, he thought fleetingly, with ivory skin and soft, shiny curls. She should be dressed in the finest silks with a dozen servants waiting to dote on her every whim. Instead, the Princess stood before him in a wet marsh, miles away from her castle, half-starved and wanting to deal with him.

He was instantly reminded of another destitute princess who had called on him, although Snow White had obviously fared much better with poverty than these two.

His attention was brought back to the present when the tall oaf's sword came dangerously close to his chest. Not that he could possibly be harmed, of course, but as dragons were becoming more and more scarce these days, he would have trouble replacing his fine leather coat. He swatted the offending weapon aside like he would a gnat and snickered. "Not serious, dearies. That one was a quip."

The man continued to glower uselessly but he could have sworn he heard an amused snort coming from the lady, although he was sure he must have misheard it. There was no way a lady with her upbringing and blue blood could find him amusing.

"Are you Rumplestiltskin?" she asked pleasantly, her voice strong and clear. Curious; most women trembled in his presence. Or cried. She, on the other hand, didn't show a trace of fear. In fact, he saw only curiosity in her blue orbs. Very curious, indeed.

He bowed mockingly, spreading his arms wide to either side. "In the flesh, your Majesties. And you are?"

"I am…pleased to make your acquaintance, Dark One," the Princess replied mischievously. "Forgive us if we do not give you our names, but I'm told that names have power and you seem to have that in spades."

"Indeed, I do, Highness." The girl was smart, he would give her that. Far smarter than her counterpart in King Robert's kingdom, that's for sure. She probably had more sense in her pinky finger than Princess Cinderella had in her entire body. He would have to be careful with this one. "Now then, how can I, and my irrefutable powers, be of help to you this evening?"

"We wish to make a deal," the man said gruffly.

"That much is clear," he replied tauntingly. He turned his back on the Prince, preferring to speak with the lady. "What kind of deal? You managed to handle your little ogre problem without my help. What could you possibly need of me?"

"Our people are starving," she said grimly, her brow deeply creased in worry. "My husband and I have done our best to purchase enough food from the other kingdoms but we simply don't have the means to sustain this arrangement much longer. Our fields were destroyed by the ogres and nothing has grown ever since. We barely survived the winter and if we cannot grow our own food this summer, I fear we will not survive the next one."

"So you wish me to…what? Make your crops grow?" He sauntered around the large bonfire, thinking quickly. It was very rare for anyone to call on him for such an unselfish cause. Usually his patrons asked for power, wealth, or eternal youth. Never has a royal asked for food to feed her people! "That may be possible…for a price, of course. All magic comes with a price, dearie. What's in it for me?"

Prince what's-his-face, he had completely forgotten about the quiet giant already, marched to the open carriage and pulled a coarse, home-spun cloth away, revealing their offering. Its metallic surface reflected the delicate, dancing flames from the pyre, making it glow brightly in the darkness.

Was that a pillow made of gold?

The pillow had clearly been transformed by magic. He knew how stingy Midas was with his golden gift, meaning the royal couple had either stolen it or had done some highly demeaning act for it. He guessed the latter. Their desperation was quite palpable.

"I'm afraid we have a problem, dearie," he said, feeling mildly sorry. "In return for my help, I require something quite valuable."

"It's worth a small fortune," she explained quickly. "That is all the money we have."

"Ah. You see, there is a difference between valuable and expensive. While I'm sure this is worth a great deal, it is absolutely useless to me." At their blank expressions, he added, "I make gold. Have you not heard my legends?"

A look passed between husband and wife, so quick he almost missed it. But he could have sworn he saw a glint of interest in the Princess's eyes as he mentioned his hobby, while the Prince looked momentarily alarmed and carefully shook his head at her.

Perhaps this woman was not as virtuous as she first appeared. Perhaps it was all a front to mask her hunger for wealth and power, as did Cora. He suddenly did not feel as accommodating.

"I'm sure you could melt it down to buy what you need," he said coldly. He didn't bother to add that they would all be ripped from this world by a powerful curse in just a few months anyway. If too many people knew of its existence they might try to do something to stop Regina from casting it, and he couldn't allow that to happen.

"Please wait!" she cried out beseechingly. "We need to get out from under the other kingdoms' thumbs! There must be something else we can give you! Just name your price!"

"You have nothing I desire, dearie."

He turned away, wanting nothing more than to return to his packing, when she grabbed his hand with both of hers. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks now, despair shining brightly in her eyes. Perhaps she was sincere. Cora had certainly never cried, even before she had ripped out her own heart.

"Please," she said softly. "Please, you are not the type of man who would let children starve to death. Not when you have the power to stop it."

"Indeed not," he confessed quietly, instantly regretting the slip. "What else can you offer me?"

"My Mother's necklace?" she asked, fingering the delicate pearl between her fingers. "It's my most prized possession. She died giving birth to me. Or perhaps my library? It's my favorite place in the entire world. We even have an entire room dedicated to books on magic! Maybe they could be of use to you."

He highly doubted that. "I'm fully aware of your Kingdom's religion, Princess. I assume any books you have on the subject would be about as helpful to me as listening to the Cardinal preach one of his sermons."

She worried her lower lip and looked around, as if to ensure the cleric's minions were not lurking about, eavesdropping. "Salir is not aware of this room. There are hundreds of books and scrolls all on magic, even a few magical objects. I could give you the Everlasting Candle…" He rolled his eyes. "Or a pouch of pixie dust…" He sneered disdainfully. "Or the Map of All Worlds…"

"Stop!" The Map of All Worlds? It had not been seen in decades. Could it really be the real one? "The last one; describe it to me."

She gestured with her hands animatedly, clearly excited that she had piqued his interest. "It's a globe about this tall and the orb is full of thick, white fog."

"And the top?" he asked eagerly. "What of the top?"

"A sharp needle."

The Blood Map! So it really did exist! He had no idea just how big Bae's world truly was. It could possibly take years to find him. But if he was successful in bringing Magic along to this new land, he could use the map to find his son much faster. "I suppose I could take it off your hands, Princess. And in exchange, I will ensure that all your lands are fruitful enough to feed everyone for years to come. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. It had been so long since anyone had willingly touched him, decades in fact, that he really had no idea how to respond to the friendly gesture. Her body was so warm against his despite the cool night air and her skin had the most intoxicating scent of roses.

His hands slowly moved to wrap around her diminutive waist and he was once again shocked by the harsh angles that lay hidden underneath her gown. She must be at least twenty pounds underweight.

The Prince abruptly cleared his throat in annoyance, breaking the fragile spell between them. He quickly pulled away from the embrace as if her petite form had scorched him and awkwardly smoothed away invisible creases in his jacket. She appeared to be just as surprised as he, with her cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of fuchsia and once again nibbling shyly on her lower lip.

She was absolutely breathtaking!

"Um…we don't have the globe with us," she said apologetically, cocking her head in the direction of Avonlea, a few miles away. "It's in our castle."

He could easily transport them there with just a thought and be on his way with his prize moments later. That would be the smart thing to do. But then the contract would be fulfilled and he would have no reason to ever again see the peculiar Princess who strangely did not fear him.

"There is another important matter that requires my attention right now," he said shrilly, the words seemingly coming out of his mouth without his brain's approval. "I shall give you the time needed to retrieve my payment and meet you there later. Then, and only then, will I enchant your crops to grow."

"Of course," she agreed quickly, curtsying respectively. She smiled shyly and cleared her throat. "Shall we say midnight in the War Room?"

He returned the gesture without a trace of mockery. "I look forward to it, your Highness."

In the blink of an eye he was back in the Great Room of his castle, surprised and a little bit annoyed at his decision to not take possession of the globe immediately. It could prove to be the most instrumental object in the search for his son and yet he was willing to wait hours to take it; all because a woman hugged him!

It's not like they're going anywhere with it, he reasoned. They knew he would not help them if they failed to provide his payment. Besides, it's not as though taking this additional meeting would change anything in the grand scheme of things! What could possibly happen in the next few hours?

Shrugging out of his intimidating, pointy leather coat, he bypassed his packing and went instead to his bedchambers. He was sure he had a silk shirt somewhere that would perfectly complement her golden gown.


Next Chapter – Rumple receives his globe…and an indecent proposal!