I quietly and stealthily swim under the paddle boat, being careful not to touch the ores.

Rumplestiltskin made it clear, I was to stay out of sight and only show myself once he gave me permission.

Not that it was challenging, the eerie fog blanketed the water and anything lurking below.

I don't know how he knew she was coming, but he only instructed me to circle the boat, so that's what I did.

The boat reaches a pier and comes to a halt, there's the sound of footsteps staggering out the rocking boat.

Oh how easy it would be for me to give it a little nudged and little miss princess would be thrown into the water.

It was tempting.

Then there is a thud of someone siting down in the boat.

"How much for this?" Rumpelstiltskin calls to the princess.

Feet on the pier swivel around.

"Excuse me?"

"Your boat. Exquisite craftsmanship."

"It's not for sale."

Wrong answer, with Rumpelstiltskin everything is for sale.

"Of course it is, dearie. No one comes to see me without a deal in mind."

Finally it click int the young princess mind.

About time.

"So you're Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Indeed, I am. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Wow. You really are the fairest of them all, aren't you? What can I do for you?"

"I need a cure."

"What ails you, child?"

"A broken heart."

"Ah. The most painful of afflictions. Well, I'm afraid if you want me to make him love you, no can do. And nothing can."

"Oh, no. That's not the problem. We can't be together."

"Well that, I can help you with, Arista!"

That's my cue.

I Bob my head out the water startling the princess who stumbles back in shock.

"Your a mermaid?" Princess Snow stutters out.

I roll my eyes.

"Oh how clever you are, but then again you did persuade my impressionable sister to make a deal with a supposed sea goddess, instead of leaving well enough alone."

This was the woman who gave my sister the idea to seek out the sea goddess, this was the woman of aided in my servitude.

Recognition lights her eyes.

"Your one of ariels sisters."

Rumple cuts in the conversation.

"Now now dearies you can trade story's later."

Rumple pulls out an empty vial and throws it to me.

I dip it in the water than pass it back to him.

When he takes it, the water in the vial turns a cloudy white.

"That'll do it?" Snow asks.

"Not yet. No two loves are exactly alike. We must make this personal."

Rumpelstiltskin pulls out a strand of Snow White's hair and adds it to the solution.

He looks to me.

That's my cue.

I brace my arm onto the pier and thrust myself onto the pier, the moment my tail comes into contact with the aged wood my two human legs appear.

I've finally gotten used to walking with two human legs.

I can even run now.

I Will admit I still don't like the pain my feet go through after I've been doing errands for rumplestiltskin all day, and the skin on the bottoms gets so hard.

Snow White looks to the liquid.

"So, if I drink that, I'll no longer love him."

Rumpelstiltskin confirmed

"The next time you see the object of your grief, you won't even remember who he is."

Snow White looks unsure

"Won't remember him?"

Rumpelstiltskin states the obvious

"Love is the most powerful magic. The cure must be extreme."

"'Extreme' sounds like an understatement."

"Don't doubt yourself now, dearie. Love makes us sick, haunts our dreams, destroys our days. Love has killed more than any disease. This cure is a gift."

"What's your price?"

"These'll do."

Rumpelstiltskin holds up a leftover strand of her hair.

That's not to strange I suppose however usually his prices lean more towards servitude or magical property, he's never really been one into money or jewels, why should he? he spins straw into gold.

"What do you need of my hair?" Snow White asks.

My does she care, she doesn't need it and she got a very light deal, it cost her nothing.

Rumpelstiltskin agreed with me

"What do you need of it now? It's been plucked from your head. Do we have a deal?"

Snow White takes the potion from his hand.

"I thought so. Drink it in good health, Snow White."

He turns and walks into the eerie fog me following closely behind him, the fogs quickly consumes us and hide us from snow.

It's a short trip back to his castle and I follow rumple all the way.

I don't speak.

Usually by now he has shooed me away or given me another errand.

We continue towards His artefact room, once inside rumple grabs a glass rumples places the strand of hair from Snow White.

Unable to keep quiet any longer.

"What so special about some princess hair."

Rumple turns to me before tisking.

"This isn't just any strand of hair, when I finish get another hair it will be a very powerful ingredient, true love."

Oh

Ohhh!

The man snow who're was trying to forget, was her true love.

That's quite morbid.

Choosing to forget your true love and any feeling you had for him.

"Why do you have her hair though!"

"Because deary I already know who her true love."

That's still doesn't awnser my question.

"But why do you want two strand of hair from a couple of true loves."

Rumple tks.

Most likely debating my intelligence.

Not for the first time, mind you.

Though he does hold out his scaley hand for me to take.

"Come closer."

I grasp his and and move to stand next to him.

"This before you is a very strong form of magic."

I pulls me away from the single strand and out the room.

Rumpelstiltskin shoos me away.

"Go make yourself useful, I'll call on you when I need you."

Rumple walks away leaving me with more questions that before.