Belle hadn't met or seen Rumplestiltskin since the deal had been struck. She was yet to tell her council members or the two members of royalty who were finding refuge in her kingdom yet of the deal she'd made with the Imp.
It still played heavily on her mind, for she could not decide whether she had made the right or wrong decision. In return for him helping defeat queen Regina it he'd asked for her whole kingdom to be at his disposal, she worried what he would do to it, what he wanted with it. She had of course heard the rumours about the dark one, taking a breath she tried not to think about it, she tried to believe he was better than the speculation that surrounded him.
Even though Belle had only met him briefly, she could tell that Rumpelstiltskin wasn't as bad as the rumours made him out to be, that perhaps he was only a monster because he was constantly told he was one, because for as long as he'd been the dark one that's all that had been expected of him.
Just like herself, he believed what others thought about him was true, she was seen by others as an evil tyrant, but that was only an image that she had to create because she was a Queen without a King, she didn't want a rival to think that she was a push over or worse, take the kingdom that her family had ruled over for centuries from her. She couldn't and wouldn't let that happen and so if having a bad reputation as a ruler would stop that from happening then so be it.
…C\_'/…
In the early hours of a morning weeks later Belle was up at the time she usually was, today was the day she would make the trip into her town and without being seen she would leave food, clothes, books and gold in parcels outside of the houses of the most poor people of Avonlea, she herself did not like the idea of living in luxury when so many in her town had so little.
The only people that knew about her trips to the town were her staff, they were never servants, always more of her family, especially since her father had passed away, leaving her all alone. Mrs Potts had been her governess before she'd become the housekeeper of the castle.
Albert the Stable man approached Belle as she walked down the stairs, "Philip is saddled and waiting in the stables for you your Majesty" he told her.
"Thank you Albert, if our guests wake and wonder where I am, tell them I shall be with them by breakfast" Belle told him with a smile as she tied her brown curls into a ponytail , she wore her brown leather trousers, boots and long sleeved shirt, tied with red thread at the bodice.
"Of course" Albert nodded before walking away, leaving Belle to make her way to the kitchens.
Once she was in the kitchen, the young kitchen hand Alice came over to Belle holding as many baskets full of parcels as she could and handed them to her.
"Thank you Alice" Belle smiled at the girl fondly before taking the baskets and carrying them out of the back door before making her way to the stables where her own personal horse Philippe was waiting for her, she slipped one her dark purple cloak before beginning her journey into town.
Just as the town was waking up, Belle placed the last basket of goods outside the humble cottage, she looked at the place around her. She was now on the edge of Avonlea, it had been a long ride and Philip was worn out but this was where the poorest people lived.
This cottage was right on the edge, surrounded by rolling fields and in the distance there was a large woods with tree's so tall that they almost touched the bright blue sky. Belle took a deep breath of the fresh air that surrounded her, perhaps she should leave the castle more often to explore the lands that she ruled.
"Come on Philip" She spoke gently to her horse before leading him away from the cottage through the long grass that surrounded it in the direction of the castle.
Belle knew she had a while until breakfast would be served and so decided to walk for a little while, she walked through the long grass, leading Philip behind her by his reigns. The only sound was the rustle of the trees blowing in the wind, the morning bird song and the sound of Philip's hooves as he walked.
She was in her own world. Remember child hood, simpler times, before her mother died, before her father began to groom her to be a Queen, before he shoved so many men under her nose, she doubted she would never actually find a man to marry, that she would never have an heir. When she passed away she presumed that the throne would pass on to her cousin, he was more than capable, sometimes she wondered if she should give him the crown now and then leave Avonlea, to just ride off into the sunset and find an adventure, a mystery to uncover, to see the world.
Her thoughts then turned to the man she used to meet under the bridge of castle street. The man she believed could be hiding under Rumpelstiltskin's green flesh and fantastic flourishes. Then her thoughts wondered if she was wrong, perhaps the dark one just shared the same name as her once love.
Soon the Queen reached a clearing with a small lake where she decided to stop for a moment, she made her way over to the lake and let her horse take a drink while she bent down to the water and splashed herself in face to wake herself up.
As she looked up she saw the bridge off in the distance and wondered if it was still there, if their names were still in the concrete. He had to be the same Rumpelstiltskin, who else would have such a name. Belle couldn't help but wonder what had changed him into the man that she'd made a deal with.
"Well well well, what have we hear?" a voice almost cackled from behind her.
Belle jumped to her feet and spun to face the person who had sneaked up on her, her heart pounded in her chest as she came face to face with the Imp she'd made a deal with yesterday. "Rumplestiltskin, you scared me" she huffed, a hand going over her heart in an attempt to calm herself.
"Really….the stubborn, heartless Queen of Avonlea scared….of me" Rumple flamboyantly motioned to himself with a small bow.
The Queen took a sharp intake of breath upon hearing him all her heartless before replying "Not all rumours are true" she told him, "What do you want? Use of my Army?" she asked referring to the deal they made a few hours ago.
"No… I was here for my end of the deal, I wanted to give you information on Regina" he told her with a small smile.
Belle looked at the Imp with confusion "How did you know I'd be here?" she asked.
Rumple shrugged his shoulders "I transported myself to wherever you would be, it brought me here" he explained "It's called magic" he added with a flourish of eccentric hand gestures. "Now what is a Queen such as yourself doing here, this early in the morning?" he asked.
"I went for an early morning ride" She explained.
"Reallllly?" Rumple asked her "Then how do you explain you dropping off parcels to the poor, the hood of your cloak covering your face so you wont be noticed?" he asked her. It seemed she was still the sweet, kind, princess he knew.
"You've been following me?" Belle asked him, anger evident in her features.
"I like to know who I'm dealing with" Rumple explained.
Belle crossed her arms in front of her chest and began to wonder how long he'd been spying on her, "We should speak back at the castle" she suggested, trying to bring her persona back , to put her walls back up.
"Of course" Rumple nodded.
"In an hour?" She suggested.
"As you wish your Majesty" Rumple bowed before disappearing in a cloud of dark purple smoke.
Belle reached out to touch the purple smoke that had been trailing behind the dark one, she looked down at her hands that where now covered in sparkles, almost like miniature stars that had fallen from the sky.
She looked to where the man had once stood, he was such a mystery, so enchanting, she found herself eager to find out what it was that had taken route in him to make him the man he had now become.
…C\_'/….
"Where is he?" Charming asked as he paced back and forth in the drawing room whole Belle and Snow sat on one of the sofa's, a coffee table sat in front of them with a china tea set waiting for tea to be poured.
"He said he'd be here in the hour, the hour isn't up" Belle assured the prince, she had now changed into a deep navy blue dress with a black lace trim, her hair had also been piled on top of her head, now she looked the part of a Queen and not the part of a female Robin Hood as she had earlier.
"How do we even know we can trust him?" Snow asked Belle, her voice full of concern.
Belle sighed, why was it that no one else trusted Rumplestiltskin? Or was it that she was too trusting of him. "I made a deal with him, he won't break it" Belle assured them.
"I've only ever broken one deal and this is not it" Rumplestiltskin spoke making the three royals turn to face him.
Rumple was leant against the mantle of the fire place, one leg crossed in front of the other dressed in his usual attire of tight brown leather trousers, a deep red silk shirt and a long crocodile skin coat. "It's been an hour" he told Belle with a nod "Now would you like to hear what I have to say?" he asked.
"Of course, please sit" Belle nodded and motioned to the sofa opposite the one she sat at.
Belle watched as the Imp slowly made his way across the room and sat down on the sofa that she had motioned to. "Tea" she asked him, Rumple simply nodded and watched as Belle gracefully poured tea into one of the china cups and then passed it to Rumple before pouring some for herself.
"Okay, now you have tea, tell us what you know about Regina!" Charming said almost angrily, slamming the coffee table making Belle drop her tea cup, spilling the hot liquid on the floor.
Rumple looked over at Belle with concern before glaring at Charming "Yes, Yes I'll get to it" he snapped "Regina is looking for you" He told Snow "Both of you" he added looking at charming "once she hears that you're here, she'll stop at nothing to ensure you and anyone who else helps you is dead" he almost prophesised sending chills up all of their spines.
"What can we do?" Snow asked Rumplestiltskin as she got up from the sofa and approached her lover, taking charming's hand in her own and squeezing it for reassurance.
"There is nothing you can do" Rumple told them as he jumped up from the sofa he was sitting on, "Expect wait for her to attack" he added.
Charming would have lunged at the Imp if Snow white hadn't been holding him back with all her strength, "Your supposed to help us, we have a deal!" he yelled.
"No No No" Rumple told Charming with a waggle of his finger, "I have a deal with her" He pointed a finger at Belle "Not you" he added.
"And you promised her that you would help us defeat Regina" Snow reminded the dark one.
"Yes yes and I never break my deals, so for her I will help you" he nodded, giving Belle a very rare smile, something that unnerved the Queen for a moment until she decided to give him a small equally as rare smile in return.
"Then we should start planning" Charming encouraged.
"Shouldn't we wait for the others to arrive?" Snow reminded them.
"Others?" Rumplestiltskin asked, confusion lasing his voice.
"Their friends" Belle told him "I sent word for them to join us, they should be here sometimes tomorrow" she added.
"Very well, tomorrow it is" Rumple nodded to the three royals before once again disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving a small dusting of sparkles behind.
Hours later Belle found herself back into the drawing room, where the tea set from hours before still sat. She picked up the tea cup she'd dropped in Charming's rage, all she could think about though was the way that Rumpelstiltskin had looked at her with such concern, she ran her fingers along the tea cup, before realising it was chipped. It was her chipped cup. His chipped cup. Their chipped cup.