Chapter 14

Preparations for Revenge

(3rd Person POV, in the Dark One's Castle)

Its been a week since Belle was taken by Rumpelstiltskin in exchange for magic to defeat the ogres of her father's kingdom. After she had finished the tasks the Dark One had told her to complete, she wandered down to the main hall where Rumple sat at his spinning wheel.

Quietly, she approached him and asked, "Why do you spin so much?"

He stopped spinning and the silence that hung in the air that followed was thicker than the dust that covered the bookshelves in the library. "I'm sorry, its just...you've spun more straw into gold than you could ever spend it seems."

In a low but surprisingly gentle voice, the Dark One answered, "I like to watch the wheel. It helps me forget."

"Forget what?"

Chuckling, Rumple answered, "Well, I guess it worked." Then, he got up and walked towards Belle who went over to the large curtains that hung along the side of the large hall. "What on heavens are you doing?"

As if it was the most obvious thing, Belle answered, "opening these. Spring has just sprung, we should let some light in."

Belle tugged at the curtains and she gasped suddenly as she lost her footing on the ladder. Rumple lunged for her just in time and Belle fell into his arms. Awkwardly, Belle breathed out in a smile, "uh, thank you."

Rumple didn't speak as he put her onto the ground. "No matter."

"I'll, uh, put the curtains back up."

Just as Belle walked over to the fallen fabric, Rumple said hastily, "Uh, there's no need. I'll get used to it."

As he walked back to the spinning wheel, Belle smiles. She approached him again and asked a little more comfortably this time, "Why did you want me here?"

"The place was filthy."

Cautiously, Belle replied, "If I knew better, I think that you were lonely. I mean, any man would be lonely stuck in this castle by themselves." Then, Belle quietly uttered, "so um, I've looked around a bit and...upstairs, I found clothing for a child? A son?"

Rumple hesitantly spoke, "There was but I lost him and his mother too."

Tilting her head to a side, Belle said, "I'm so sorry. So you, were a man once. An ordinary man. You know, if I'm never going to know another person in my whole life, can't I at least know you?

Before Rumple could reply, there was a sudden loud banging at the door. He turned around and used his magic to open the large wooden doors to reveal one of the Regina's Black Knights. Whilst running towards Belle and the Dark One, he spluttered, "Um, I was told to tell you that Queen Regina is in her room here. She wishes to see you immediately. It's rather urgent actually."

Belle turned towards Rumple and whispered, "The Queen's here? And what did he mean by her room?"

Hastily, Rumple replied, "I taught her magic and sometimes I just wasn't bothered to travel to the palace for her lessons."

After he said this, he threw his hands up in the air and dark maroon coloured smoke surrounded him.

(Regina's POV)

The guards laid Daniella carefully down on the bed just as I instructed. Even though I technically could have used magic to take her here, I was worried that it would affect her wounded arm. In the carriage, Daniella had blacked out a few minutes before we reached Rumple's castle. I bit down tears as I surveyed the wound on Daniella's arm. If the arrow that pierced her flesh was made of normal metal, I wouldn't have been so concerned. However, there was poison coated on the tip of the arrow. I wasn't sure what the poison was exactly so all I could do with my magic was preserve the condition of the wound and stop the poison from spreading.

Turning to one of the guards I commanded, "go find the Dark One. He's probably spinning his wheel downstairs in the main hall. Tell him to come here immediately."

The guard nodded and left the room. After he parted, I motioned for the other guards in the room to leave as well. When I was left alone, I let tears fall from my face.

Clutching Daniella's pale face, I whispered to her, "My little firefly, please come back to me. The arrow was obviously meant for me, not you. I don't know what I'll do if the poison manages to seep into your heart. Mama needs you..."

Just as I threw my head up to stop the tears from flowing down my face, Rumple appeared on the other side of the bed in his signature red coloured smoke.

He took one glance at the situation before coming to my side to exclaim, "What the hell?"

I cleared my throat and answered, "I believe someone was planning to assassinate me...except they must have had terrible aim for the arrow hit Daniella instead."

"I thought you would been able to heal a simple wound like that, Regina."

I glared at him and held the poisoned arrow out towards him. Rumple took it and examined the tip. Then, he raised his eyebrows in realisation and said, "oh, I understand." Rumple set the arrow back down onto the bedside table and bent over Daniella. I held my breath as he produced a vial of clear liquid into his hand. He uncorked the top, twirled it around and waved his hand over it. It glistened green for a moment before it turned back to a transparent colour. Then, Rumple carefully poured it onto the wound. "This will dilute and take away the poison inside your daughter. However, since the arrow that pierced her flesh happens to be enchanted, my magic cannot close up the wound. You'll just have to wait for it to heal naturally."

My breath hitched. "What?! You're the Dark One! Can't you at least clean up this bloody mess?"

Rumple taunted, "oooh, quite demanding aren't we? Fine. I'll clean up all this blood."

Then, with the wave of his hand, Daniella was dressed in a white sleeveless nightgown. Blood had stopped flowing from her arm and the deep layers of flesh had started to heal a little. "When will she wake up?"

"In a few moments, but I'm not going to guarantee that. Even though I've healed her arm a little, the poison was very strong and it has already impacted Daniella's body. She'll be weak for the next few days. She needs rest...and before you ask, yes, she can stay here. I don't think her fragile state would allow her body to be teleported by magic."

Rumple stepped back as if he was about to leave. I watched him with confusion before I blurted out, "I thought that you would demand a price."

Quietly, the Dark One paused and answered, "a parent should never watch their child suffer of sickness only to struggle to pay for the cure."

Then, he disappeared in a cloud of red smoke.

I made sure that Daniella continued to sleep peacefully before I decided to find my guards to tell them that I will not be staying at the Summer Palace tonight. Just as I turned to leave, there were soft footsteps approaching the door. That doesn't sound like Rumple...

Sure enough, the door slowly pushed open and a young girl, probably in the early twenties appeared at the entrance. Her meek expression was hidden by her curly brown hair that rested just on top of her shoulders.

I frowned, "I didn't know that the Dark One has a servant girl."

The girl coughed a little and replied, "uh, it's Belle."

"I'm sorry?"

"My name is Belle."

I tilted my head up and replied, "Hmm, brave to speak so boldly like that, dear. Anyway, tell me, how did you end up stuck in this castle with the Dark One?"

"I was part of a negotiation; to stop the ogres from invading my father's kingdom."

"So your father sold you off for magic. That was the price?"

Quietly, Belle replied, "he's no father to me. A parent will never agree to sell their daughter to the unknown."

I tilted my head, reflecting on my own life. Then, I simply asked, "and are you unhappy, dear?"

"No I'm not...but...Wait, why do you ask?"

How come Belle is not unhappy with living with the Dark One? Does she realise who Rumple is? How is Belle happy being stuck here in this castle whilst I had to suffer in Leopold's court?!

I narrowed my eyes at Belle and changed the topic. "No matter. Now, are you just going to stand there? What does Rumple want?"

Belle lifted up a small basket of cotton and linen wrappings. "He told me to take this here. He didn't tell me why though..."

I turned around and walked towards Daniella who still lay unconscious on the bed. "Give me that basket."

Belle gasped at the sight of Daniella's arm but did as I asked and gave me the basket of linens. At the corner of my eye, I saw the girl look on as I cut a piece of gauze and wrapped it around Daniella's wounded arm. Then, Belle asked softly, "what happened?"

I inclined my head towards the arrow that lay on the bedside table. Belle picked it up and examined it. Then, to my surprise she said confidently, "it's got poison on its tip."

"It does. But Rumple neutralised that. Now, we're just waiting for the wound to heal."

There was a pause before I spoke again, "to answer your question directly, an assassination attempt happened."

Without another word, I reached into the basket to retrieve another piece of fabric. Belle's voice quietly uttered, "uh, would you like me to help?"

"No. I'm her mother, I can handle this."

There a faint mutter of a reply, "...was just offering to help". Then, Belle said a little louder, "I'll just leave you to it then."

After saying this, Belle stood up and left the room. My mind now began to race with thoughts.

Is Rumple happy? Belle seems way too outspoken to have been silenced by him...wait a second...no!

I widened my eyes in realisation. Then, I grinned and tied a knot on Daniella's bandages. The Dark One has a weakness.

(Daniella's POV)

Its been a week since the day I was hit by the poisoned arrow. Since I was feeling much better, mother decided that it was time for us to journey back to our palace. However, she still needed to capture Snow's prince in order to lure the Princess into coming into our kingdom. So, we would make a quick stop at King George's castle before going home.

Sitting in front of the vanity, I thought about the incident as my mother combed through my hair. "Mama, did the knights find out who fired the arrow?"

As my mother started to braid my hair, she replied, "there's been no news of the identity of the assassin, but don't worry. What you've experienced will never happen again."

"How can you be sure?"

"I am sure."

Even though I was unconvinced, I speak further on the subject. After mother finished braiding my hair, she stood up and said, "the carriage is waiting for us now. We mustn't be late for the Prince's execution if we are to sabotage it."

I nodded and followed mother out of the room. We winded our way down several flights of stairs before we reached the entrance of the castle. Standing in front of our carriage was Rumpelstiltskin's maid, Belle. Although my mother got into the carriage without giving her a second glance, I paused as Belle held out a parcel towards me.

I tilted my head to the side, "what's this?"

Smiling, Belle answered, "you're a strong girl Daniella but I know that your experience with the arrow was traumatic...and hopefully this gift will help you a little."

Taken aback a little by the kindness, I quietly muttered a 'thank you' as I received the gift. Then, I gave Belle a quick hug before climbing into the carriage to meet my mother's questioning gaze. As soon as the carriage started moving to George's castle, mother asked, "what's that, dear?"

I shrugged. "Belle gave it to me..."

"Well that was clear, but what's inside?"

"I don't know." Then, I gently tore away the wrapping to reveal a beautiful book. Mother glanced at the book's title before saying, "oh I've read that when I was younger. Its about a female hero; a heroine...it was a good read except Cora banned it after finding out that the main character was disobedient to her family's wishes."

Mother chuckled when she said this. I looked at her inquiringly and she added, "and if you're wondering, of course you're allowed to read this. It had given me hope when I was a teenager and hopefully, you'll find the story compelling too."

I didn't need to ask further for I knew what my mother's teenage years were like; with Cora as her mother.

Changing the topic, mother touched my arm gently and asked, "does it still hurt?"

I looked down and prodded the bandaged wound with my right hand. "It's still a little sore but when Belle replaced the gauze this morning, I saw that it had healed up quite a bit."

"That's good. You aren't feeling faint or tired are you?"

"No...I think the poison's effects have vanished completely by now."

Mother frowned and sighed. Then, we let silence overcome us for the next hour until we neared King George's castle. When the carriage slowed down to a stop, I looked out and asked, "can I come out with you? I don't want to be sitting in the carriage for a few hours without having moved my legs."

Mother nodded and let me climb out first. Then, she lead the way and we walked towards the castle courtyard. As we neared the place, I saw that there was a guillotine set up in the middle of the square. The King was sitting on the throne opposite to the guillotine and resting below the blade was the Prince. When I saw that George gave an indication for the blade to be released, I quickly took my mother's hand and looked away. I don't think I could stomach the thud of a decapitated head. However, I heard the sound of splashing water on cobblestone instead. Then, George's voice shouted through the air, "what's the meaning of this?"

Mother gently shook away my hand so I turned back around. Then, she spoke to George as she strutted closer, "sorry to drop in on you."

The King grunted and greeted mother simply, asking, "what do you want?"

"I want the man you pretend is your son, and I'm prepared to pay you any riches Midas promised you in return for him."

Any riches? That must be a lot! Midas's wealth is literally dripping in gold, everything he touches changes into that substance!

George paused and made an indication towards the executioner and the guards. Immediately, they released the Prince from the guillotine and walked him over to where we were standing. George glanced at him and asked my mother, "and what do you plan to do with him?"

"Oh I promise he'll suffer. Far more than some...swift and simple beheading."

"How?"

I grinned a little when mother answered, "by using him to destroy his one true love. By using him to bring an end to Snow White."

*In the Dark Palace

We got back home before nightfall so after dinner, I went to my mother's chambers to watch her monitor Snow break into King George's castle in hopes of finding the Prince. After finding Accalia, I used magic to take us to the royal wing of the palace. As I was walking through the hall of mirrors, I saw that mother was sitting at her vanity, looking into the mirror that hung above. Accalia instantly stalked to the fireplace to curl up in front of the warmth but I walked towards the vanity instead.

"Daniella."

"Hey mama. So, has she gotten down to the dungeons yet?"

Smirking, mother replied, "yes, she's down there now." Then, with the wave of a hand towards the mirror, the scene on the surface changed. In George's dungeons, the image of the Prince appeared. He was sitting in a dark cell with his head on his knees.

"Wait, but isn't he below us in the dungeons here?"

"He is, but to Snow he's not."

"Oh, right." I leaned towards the mirror in anticipation.

Soon, the glassy surface showed Snow approaching the Prince's cell. Her eyes widened for a second before she shouted out towards him, "Charming! Charming!"

I watched my mother roll her eyes. Then, she pushed back the chair and patted her lap, inviting me to sit down. I did so, whilst watching Snow break into the cell with ease. After she got inside, she realised that the Prince wasn't actually there. She exclaimed with exasperation, "you're...no. No, oh no..."

Prince Charming started to speak to his princess, "the Queen took me to her palace."

Sobbing, Snow answered, "but I'm rescuing you."

"Snow," the Prince whispered in reply as he reached out his hand.

Snow matched his hand and softly uttered, "is that always going to be our life? Taking turns finding each other?"

"No, we'll be together, I know it. Have faith."

Mother gagged and immediately waved her hand over the mirror. Instead of showing us the pair, only Snow's face appeared in front of us. I got down from mother's lap to let her speak. Laughing, mother taunted, "I just had to stop you. I have no interest in cleaning tongue marks off my mirror."

Snow replied bluntly, "let him go, Regina. Your fight is with me."

"My thoughts exactly...have you heard of a parley? We break off all this messy fighting and have a little talk. Just you and me. Come unarmed."

There was a pause before Snow asked, "where do I meet you?"

Snarling, mother answered, "where it all began."

Then, Snow's face disappeared in a puff of blue smoke. I turned to look at my mother's satisfied expression. "We've got her, Daniella."