Once upon a time, there was me, Rumpelstiltskin. Yes me. I am not dead as
the story implies. You will hear the story from me. I, Rumpelstiltskin, am
the reason Queen Vivienne ever became queen. Remember that, I am not as
vile as the Queen made me seem.
Once upon a time, there was a miller. He had an audience with the King and
to make himself sound richer, he told the King, "I have a daughter who can
spin straw into gold." The King replied, "That is a very clever talent to
posses, bring her to me and we shall see if what you say is true." (Keep in
mind though, I was not there, this is just what I have heard. But of
course, it's a little hard to ignore what goes in a popular tale when the
title bears your name.)
So, the miller sadly brought his daughter, who as we all know possessed no such talent, to the King. I suppose her looks brought even more of the King's attention towards her, she was extremely beautiful. Her hair was as thick and dark as the night, her eyes were the dark blue of the midnight sky, her skin was as smooth and soft as a rose petal, and her lips were full and red. The way she carried herself, dainty and feminine, made her seem she was more than a miller's daughter, perhaps a noble man's, but no one would imagine a miller to produce such splendid beauty. I was at the castle grounds by now, trying to make my way home, but the miller's daughter's beauty astounded me. And then I heard her speak, her voice filled with so much innocence when she said these simple words, "My Lord," she began, "my name is Vivienne Miller, if you please," and she curtsied. She never backed down from the King's gaze and held her head up high when the King led her away. I stayed around the castle; to make sure Vivienne would be all right.
I wandered through the castle; I had previously slipped in. I walked through the upper corridor, when I heard the faint sound of weeping. I pressed my ears against the doors I past and the weeping got louder. I reached the door of the room where the sound seemed to be coming from and opened it slowly. Vivienne was there, crying, looking quite hysterical, her eyes were wide and bloodshot, she was wringing her hands and her hair was wild and all around her face. Then she saw me, "Good Sir, please help me. I am sure to die," she choked out, running towards me, grabbing my hands. "Please say you will," she pleaded and crumpled to her feet sobbing on the floor. Now, it so happened one of my many talents was spinning straw into gold, which I suspected I had to do since there was straw everywhere and a spinning wheel and the king was quite the greedy one. "Dear child," I began, "Calm yourself. Surely I will help you. Just tell me what needs to be done."
"Spin straw into gold!" she spat, "it's impossible, I tried every which way I could and.and-" she trailed off."
"There, there," I said, stroking her hair as she sat on the floor, "I know just the way to help you. You just rest your head and go to sleep and when you wake up, it will be all gold. Don't you worry now," I said softly, grasping her shoulders to help her off the floor.
"But," she paused, and inquisitive look on her face," how shall I ever repay you?" she added extra emphasis on the word ever.
I was puzzled. "No, payment, Miss. I am simply doing you a favor," I said. "But, sir, I must. You are saving my life, there must be something I could do for you," she said, her eyes still wide with the fright of her almost impending death. I searched for the least expensive thing on her, taking in the moment to scan her thoroughly. "Your necklace looks very nice," I pointed out. Her hands fluttered to her throat, "Oh, this. Of course, this is nothing compared to what you are about to do for me," and her face broke into a smile of delight.
"Okay, now go to sleep," I said, eager for her to leave so I could work my magic.
"Oh no, no, no, I must watch you. It must be very interesting to posses such a talent!"
I sighed, many humans had asked of this. But the brilliance of the pure gold would blind her. "Come, child," I said and put a spell on her and she immediately went to sleep, while standing up. I carried her to what was supposed to be a stone bench, but now, it was so crumbled with age you couldn't even guess what it used to be. I sat her down on it and kissed her forehead.
I sat on the wheel and spun and spun and spun till all the straw in the room was fine gold thread. Dawn came and I quietly stepped out the door after setting Vivienne down on the wheel.
I wandered the halls once again later that night, and I heard somebody weeping softly. I eased open the door from where it seemed to be coming from, and this time there was a bigger room filled to the brim with straw. And right in the middle was a spinning wheel and upon it was Vivienne with straw running through her fingers.
"Oh, I knew you would come, I just knew it!" she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. I brought my hand and rested it where she had kissed me. "Here," she said and thrust a ring in my hand, "Please say you'll do this for me," she implored.
How could I say no to her? I would have gladly done it for nothing at all to save such an innocent soul. "Keep it," I said.
"No, Sir, I must pay you doing all this for me," she insisted, giving a sweep of her arms. "Keep it," she said firmly when I opened my mouth to protest. "Keep it," she said again, more softly and she kissed me on the lips. I brought my hands to her waist and returned it. Eventually, I let go. I felt as if I was taking advantage of her.
She fluttered around a bit, embarrassed as was I, but I kept my concentration on thinking how I would get the work done.
"Go to sleep," I snapped all of a sudden and she immediately went into a trance-like sleep and almost fell if I hadn't been up to catch her. I carried her once again to the stone bench, and laid her on it. I spun and spun and spun till all the straw in the room had become fine gold thread. Dawn came and I carried Vivienne back to the wheel. I closed the door quietly and waited until night came. I went into a room next to the one Vivienne had been in the night before. I did not hear any weeping this time but when I opened the door, I ran straight into Vivienne. She jumped slightly and threw her arms around my neck. She grasped hold of my hand and skipped gaily to the center of the room, this time even bigger filled with more straw.
"Oh, only one more night and I'm free!" she gushed. "Tomorrow, I shall become the Queen!" she announced happily. "But," she began, her voice filled with a twinge of sadness, "I will always love you," she said, her eyes filled with tears. "I can never love the King, only you, always you," she declared. I had growing feelings for her as well and I lifted her up in my arms and kissed her.
Later, after she was asleep, I went to the spinning wheel and spun until I felt my fingers become as thin and brittle as the straw itself. I whispered in her ear, "If you ever need me for anything, just say Rumpelstiltskin over clear water and I'll be there." And I kissed her for the last time.
Almost a year later, I felt a beckoning to go back to the castle, she was calling me. I appeared at her bedside the same night and she looked as frantic as she had the first night I saw her. She was cradling two beautiful children in her slender arms. She picked herself up off the bed and thrust the male child into my arms. I looked at his face and he looked exactly like me.
"They are yours," she said glumly. I leaned over and looked at the girl, she was beautiful and looked identical to her mother. "You didn't tell me," she whispered and buried her face in my chest, sobbing. "You're the King's son, the King's son!" she shrieked, although it was a little hard to hear, since her voice was muffled. I hugged her close with my one free arm. You're probably asking why Vivienne couldn't keep the child if I was the King's son and the babe looked like me. Simple, I was the spitting image of my mother. When I was around 10, my father found out my mother was a sorceress. Since I resembled nothing of him, he concluded I was a child of Satan, derived from evil. He banned my mother and I from his precious kingdom. We lived in a little abandoned cottage not very far from the castle for more than a decade, well, more I did. My mother had died soon after we left the castle. I told Vivienne all this and she shook her head violently.
"No. The King said she was an adulteress and ran off with her lover and took you with her. You look to much like her," she said, changing the subject and she pointed at my mother's portrait on the wall. This was the same room my mother had occupied!
"He loves her still. I can hear him at night, asking for her forgiveness, yours as well. It's very hard to live under the shadow of a dead woman forever. He calls me Cecilia!" she said, exasperated and then she began sobbing again. "Once, when he realized what he was doing, he said that he would kill any descendant of hers," she moaned.
She set her baby down on the bed and took the one that I had in my arms. She clutched it close to her and her weeping became softer. "Take him," she said hoarsely, "take him far away." She bent down and kissed his forehead, brushing away a dark lock of hair. "Leave, please, before he comes," she beseeched. She handed me the baby and half-sang, half-cried a lullaby to the remaining child.
I honestly did not know what do to. This baby was my son, my own flesh and blood. I took him far, far away into another kingdom. He would never know about his origins.
So you see, I did nothing to even remotely harm Vivienne. No, instead I did everything she asked. I loved her, as I will continue to do for the rest of my days. The other child came down with fever and the King did not allow Vivienne anywhere near her, instead used his physicians. They could not do anything and before the girl was even one month old, she died. Vivienne believes she could have saved her and in the end went mad when she could not have a child again.
Maybe the royals fabricated this story to cover up the Queen's madness. My father knew who was the father of the children in the end, when Vivienne also came down with fever and became delirious. He pretended he didn't believe a word she said, but I know that in his heart, he knew that every word she had said was true.
I heard many years later, Vivienne had been burned at the stake, for the very thing that was her downfall was the talent that she became admired by many for, spinning straw into gold, the witch's craft.
So, the miller sadly brought his daughter, who as we all know possessed no such talent, to the King. I suppose her looks brought even more of the King's attention towards her, she was extremely beautiful. Her hair was as thick and dark as the night, her eyes were the dark blue of the midnight sky, her skin was as smooth and soft as a rose petal, and her lips were full and red. The way she carried herself, dainty and feminine, made her seem she was more than a miller's daughter, perhaps a noble man's, but no one would imagine a miller to produce such splendid beauty. I was at the castle grounds by now, trying to make my way home, but the miller's daughter's beauty astounded me. And then I heard her speak, her voice filled with so much innocence when she said these simple words, "My Lord," she began, "my name is Vivienne Miller, if you please," and she curtsied. She never backed down from the King's gaze and held her head up high when the King led her away. I stayed around the castle; to make sure Vivienne would be all right.
I wandered through the castle; I had previously slipped in. I walked through the upper corridor, when I heard the faint sound of weeping. I pressed my ears against the doors I past and the weeping got louder. I reached the door of the room where the sound seemed to be coming from and opened it slowly. Vivienne was there, crying, looking quite hysterical, her eyes were wide and bloodshot, she was wringing her hands and her hair was wild and all around her face. Then she saw me, "Good Sir, please help me. I am sure to die," she choked out, running towards me, grabbing my hands. "Please say you will," she pleaded and crumpled to her feet sobbing on the floor. Now, it so happened one of my many talents was spinning straw into gold, which I suspected I had to do since there was straw everywhere and a spinning wheel and the king was quite the greedy one. "Dear child," I began, "Calm yourself. Surely I will help you. Just tell me what needs to be done."
"Spin straw into gold!" she spat, "it's impossible, I tried every which way I could and.and-" she trailed off."
"There, there," I said, stroking her hair as she sat on the floor, "I know just the way to help you. You just rest your head and go to sleep and when you wake up, it will be all gold. Don't you worry now," I said softly, grasping her shoulders to help her off the floor.
"But," she paused, and inquisitive look on her face," how shall I ever repay you?" she added extra emphasis on the word ever.
I was puzzled. "No, payment, Miss. I am simply doing you a favor," I said. "But, sir, I must. You are saving my life, there must be something I could do for you," she said, her eyes still wide with the fright of her almost impending death. I searched for the least expensive thing on her, taking in the moment to scan her thoroughly. "Your necklace looks very nice," I pointed out. Her hands fluttered to her throat, "Oh, this. Of course, this is nothing compared to what you are about to do for me," and her face broke into a smile of delight.
"Okay, now go to sleep," I said, eager for her to leave so I could work my magic.
"Oh no, no, no, I must watch you. It must be very interesting to posses such a talent!"
I sighed, many humans had asked of this. But the brilliance of the pure gold would blind her. "Come, child," I said and put a spell on her and she immediately went to sleep, while standing up. I carried her to what was supposed to be a stone bench, but now, it was so crumbled with age you couldn't even guess what it used to be. I sat her down on it and kissed her forehead.
I sat on the wheel and spun and spun and spun till all the straw in the room was fine gold thread. Dawn came and I quietly stepped out the door after setting Vivienne down on the wheel.
I wandered the halls once again later that night, and I heard somebody weeping softly. I eased open the door from where it seemed to be coming from, and this time there was a bigger room filled to the brim with straw. And right in the middle was a spinning wheel and upon it was Vivienne with straw running through her fingers.
"Oh, I knew you would come, I just knew it!" she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. I brought my hand and rested it where she had kissed me. "Here," she said and thrust a ring in my hand, "Please say you'll do this for me," she implored.
How could I say no to her? I would have gladly done it for nothing at all to save such an innocent soul. "Keep it," I said.
"No, Sir, I must pay you doing all this for me," she insisted, giving a sweep of her arms. "Keep it," she said firmly when I opened my mouth to protest. "Keep it," she said again, more softly and she kissed me on the lips. I brought my hands to her waist and returned it. Eventually, I let go. I felt as if I was taking advantage of her.
She fluttered around a bit, embarrassed as was I, but I kept my concentration on thinking how I would get the work done.
"Go to sleep," I snapped all of a sudden and she immediately went into a trance-like sleep and almost fell if I hadn't been up to catch her. I carried her once again to the stone bench, and laid her on it. I spun and spun and spun till all the straw in the room had become fine gold thread. Dawn came and I carried Vivienne back to the wheel. I closed the door quietly and waited until night came. I went into a room next to the one Vivienne had been in the night before. I did not hear any weeping this time but when I opened the door, I ran straight into Vivienne. She jumped slightly and threw her arms around my neck. She grasped hold of my hand and skipped gaily to the center of the room, this time even bigger filled with more straw.
"Oh, only one more night and I'm free!" she gushed. "Tomorrow, I shall become the Queen!" she announced happily. "But," she began, her voice filled with a twinge of sadness, "I will always love you," she said, her eyes filled with tears. "I can never love the King, only you, always you," she declared. I had growing feelings for her as well and I lifted her up in my arms and kissed her.
Later, after she was asleep, I went to the spinning wheel and spun until I felt my fingers become as thin and brittle as the straw itself. I whispered in her ear, "If you ever need me for anything, just say Rumpelstiltskin over clear water and I'll be there." And I kissed her for the last time.
Almost a year later, I felt a beckoning to go back to the castle, she was calling me. I appeared at her bedside the same night and she looked as frantic as she had the first night I saw her. She was cradling two beautiful children in her slender arms. She picked herself up off the bed and thrust the male child into my arms. I looked at his face and he looked exactly like me.
"They are yours," she said glumly. I leaned over and looked at the girl, she was beautiful and looked identical to her mother. "You didn't tell me," she whispered and buried her face in my chest, sobbing. "You're the King's son, the King's son!" she shrieked, although it was a little hard to hear, since her voice was muffled. I hugged her close with my one free arm. You're probably asking why Vivienne couldn't keep the child if I was the King's son and the babe looked like me. Simple, I was the spitting image of my mother. When I was around 10, my father found out my mother was a sorceress. Since I resembled nothing of him, he concluded I was a child of Satan, derived from evil. He banned my mother and I from his precious kingdom. We lived in a little abandoned cottage not very far from the castle for more than a decade, well, more I did. My mother had died soon after we left the castle. I told Vivienne all this and she shook her head violently.
"No. The King said she was an adulteress and ran off with her lover and took you with her. You look to much like her," she said, changing the subject and she pointed at my mother's portrait on the wall. This was the same room my mother had occupied!
"He loves her still. I can hear him at night, asking for her forgiveness, yours as well. It's very hard to live under the shadow of a dead woman forever. He calls me Cecilia!" she said, exasperated and then she began sobbing again. "Once, when he realized what he was doing, he said that he would kill any descendant of hers," she moaned.
She set her baby down on the bed and took the one that I had in my arms. She clutched it close to her and her weeping became softer. "Take him," she said hoarsely, "take him far away." She bent down and kissed his forehead, brushing away a dark lock of hair. "Leave, please, before he comes," she beseeched. She handed me the baby and half-sang, half-cried a lullaby to the remaining child.
I honestly did not know what do to. This baby was my son, my own flesh and blood. I took him far, far away into another kingdom. He would never know about his origins.
So you see, I did nothing to even remotely harm Vivienne. No, instead I did everything she asked. I loved her, as I will continue to do for the rest of my days. The other child came down with fever and the King did not allow Vivienne anywhere near her, instead used his physicians. They could not do anything and before the girl was even one month old, she died. Vivienne believes she could have saved her and in the end went mad when she could not have a child again.
Maybe the royals fabricated this story to cover up the Queen's madness. My father knew who was the father of the children in the end, when Vivienne also came down with fever and became delirious. He pretended he didn't believe a word she said, but I know that in his heart, he knew that every word she had said was true.
I heard many years later, Vivienne had been burned at the stake, for the very thing that was her downfall was the talent that she became admired by many for, spinning straw into gold, the witch's craft.