I don't own any of the characters and all right go to the real owners

A/N: This story, or oneshot for now, is just a little idea that has been floating in my head for quite some time.
Since i'm not a native speaker there may be some grammatical/spelling errors. I would be glad if you could inform me of those so i can improve the quality of this story. Enjoy! :D

When people said that Rumpelstiltskin was a cruel man or beast, as some had taken to calling him, they generally weren't wrong with that assessment. Even though most of what they called cruelty was brought upon themselves by their own arrogance and their self-delusion to be above the laws of magic just because they held some position of power.

Just like that pathetic little Cinder girl that had begged him to grant her a better life.

And by the gods what a life he had given her!

From an abused scared little girl that bowed to her step-mothers whims without as much as a sign of resistance to a Princess that got everything she ever wanted and more. Prancing around her palace in rich gowns of velvet and delicate silk, having the women that abused her locked away in the deepest dungeon alongside with her stepsisters and generally having her arse wiped by loyal servants that heeded her every request.

He had watched her whole transformation from the shadows, whenever he had a bit of spare time, and found delight in thinking about a suitable payment for his services. After all, she would be nothing without their little deal and the magic demanded a price.

But was that worthless wench willing to pay up?! No of course not!

She tried to satisfy him with useless baubles and pretty words, all things that she could easily replace without feeling the loss that was necessary to pacify the raging imbalance his magic had created. To say that he had felt more than insulted in that moment was an understatement. Nevertheless, he had played along that evening feigning disinterest and carefully guarding his anger at her foolish notions. So he had decided to reveal the true price to her.

And the look of pure panic on her face after he had told her what he really wanted was almost enough to make him bow over with manic laughter! But he had restrained himself, after all he did not want to draw more attention to him as he already did with his magnificent presence alone.

Because he had felt their stares the minute he entered the ballroom and tasted the fear they projected all over it. And their fear was justified in most cases since a great number of people that pranced around the room that evening were indebted to him too.

So he had reigned himself back in, finished his delightful conversation, grabbed a plate form the banquet table that he filled with an assortment of delicacies and returned to his Dark Castle where he feasted in a silence that was only broken by his laughter.

But in that moment magic overtook his mind and showed him what was to come and his laughing stopped.

She intended to betray him…