XIV

Belle and Rumpelstiltskin left Abigail and James to retire to their guest quarters to change for the dinner which had been planned for the evening … one particular dinner Rumpelstiltskin wasn't looking forward to in the least. It was apparently a tradition in Belle's family to serve a goose dinner to the groom to celebrate the upcoming nuptials … his very last chance to have second thoughts and back out of the wedding if it was his desire. The sorcerer snorted. As if he would leave his Belle standing at the altar. She was everything he'd always dreamed of having, yet never hoping he would.

They were now using the respite from their guests to sneak off to the kitchens to find something to appease Rumpelstiltskin's sweet tooth and Belle's desire for a cup of tea. The servants were hopping, trying to finish the last of the preparations for the wedding, the formal dinner they were to have that evening and the added influx of guests. Belle had insisted they could wait on themselves. They'd done so for months at the Dark Castle, she'd reasoned.

Before they could reach the corridor leading to the vast kitchens, Rumpelstiltskin pulled her into a shadowy alcove and hauled her against his chest, his hands delving into her unbound hair to hold her still as his lips dipped to hers in a gentle kiss. He drew away from her, a frown marring his brow when he felt her half-hearted response. "What is it, dear heart? Are you perhaps having second thoughts?" he asked, letting his hands fall away from her to his sides.

She was quick to reassure him, taking his hands and placing them about her waist. "Of course, not. Don't be absurd."

"It was a reasonable question," he muttered sulkily with a sigh.

"No, it wasn't," she argued.

He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. "What's bothering you?"

Belle caught her lower lip between her teeth, unsure how to answer him. When she did, her voice was hesitant with uncertainty. "Rumpel, the quill you gave me for the solstice celebration, do you remember?"

"Yes? Did you lose it? I can get you another."

"No, I still have it. I was … ah … wondering … did you enchant it to write in different colors? The never-ending ink, I mean?"

His brows drew together over his eyes as he tried to figure out what she was trying to tell him. It wasn't like her to be so evasive. "It's writing in different colors?"

"Yes."

"And has anything else … odd … happened in the last several days?"

She lowered her gaze and fiddled with a button on his waistcoat, prompting him to ask, "Belle? You know you don't need to hide things from me, love."

Belle peeked up at him from beneath her lashes, her eyes filled with worry. "Rumpel, earlier in the garden when Snow was threatening you …" Her voice dropped to barely more than a whisper as she hurriedly said, "Brutal's dagger was in my hand with just a thought. I was wishing I had a weapon and then it was just in my hand!"

It was hard to suppress the giggle which bubbled up in his throat, but somehow, he managed, instead cupping her face in his hand and kissing the tip of her nose. Here he had thought the worst, that she was going to tell him she wanted to call off the wedding, that she had changed her mind. The tension drained out of his body and he hugged her warmly. "It seems you've picked up a bit of magic, dearest."

"What?! How is that possible?" she cried incredulously, her jewel-bright eyes flashing.

He lifted her left hand and kissed her finger where his betrothal ring sat innocently on her finger. "This," he said, brushing his thumb against the stone. "This is a very special diamond, Belle. There are five stones, each imbued with magical properties. They are purported to have once graced the crown of the all-father. There was a diamond, an emerald, a ruby, a sapphire and an amethyst. In a fit of temper over the misdeeds of his children, he cast them out along with his crown, the jewels scattered to the realms never to be seen again. His children lost their immortality and spent the rest of their days searching for the stones in hope of reuniting them and gaining favor with their father once more."

"I don't ever remember hearing that story," she replied, listening intently.

"It's not a widely known tale, sweetheart, but as long as I've been around, you tend to hear things," he shrugged, his nose wrinkling as he grinned down at her.

"And this is one of those? The diamond? Jefferson said you stole it from a witch."

"Yes, Jefferson stole it from the white witch. I sent him to Narnia to fetch it for me. What better stone to grace your betrothal ring? I needed something equally powerful to enchant against the power of true love's kiss," he explained. "The stone is powerful on its own, but once it was imbued with a protection spell and my own blood magic, well, it might have a few side effects."

"Are you saying …" she let her voice trail away, her eyes widening in horror. "I have magic?"

He held his thumb and forefinger close together before her ashen face. "Perhaps just a wee bit."

"God's teeth!" she hissed, poking him in the chest with a sharp fingernail. "I'm marrying the most powerful sorcerer in the realms, Rumpelstiltskin. I do NOT need magic of my own!"

"Belle, this isn't something to become upset about," he softened his tone, trying to reason with her. "This is a good thing. Once we are back at the Dark Castle, I can help you control it."

"What if I just take the ring off?" she asked, not wanting to argue with him, but not sure how she felt about this new change in her circumstances.

"Belle …"

She quickly regretted her words the moment they'd left her mouth as she watched his face fall and retreat behind his mask. If she did, he would take it as a sign of rejection. He would see it as a sign she couldn't accept this aspect of his life. "I really don't like this, Rumpel, but I will not remove my ring. It may be magical and more than a little necessary to keep your curse intact, but it is also a token of your love. It will remain on my finger."

He pulled her closer and buried his nose in her curls, his breath fanning the shell of her ear and sending a fresh wave of delightful gooseflesh rippling over her skin. "I promise it will be alright, my darling Belle. Just try to keep your anger in check for another day and …"

"Easy for you to say! What if Gaston says the wrong thing, or Brutal or gods forbid … my father? I already dread having dinner with them tonight after they've had several cups of mead. What if I get angry with some untoward remark and they end up with a salad fork protruding from their rear?" she asked, scowling at her betrothed as he burst into laughter.

"Dearest, I would give up half the gold I've ever spun to see that for myself."

*.*.*

Belle's eyes immediately found Snow slumped in a chair staring into the flames of the hearth as she and Rumpelstiltskin entered the busy kitchen. Seeing the slight puckering of his love's brow, he released her hand and sent her off in Snow's direction as he took an empty plate and began filling it with an assortment of pastries for them to share. Belle offered an apologetic smile at Snow as she neared her.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, gesturing to the seat at the table next to her.

Snow White wiped her mouth on a linen napkin and pushed her empty bowl of soup away from her, giving a small polite smile and a shake of her head. "No, not at all. You're not here to try to kill me again, are you?"

Belle flushed a brilliant shade of scarlet and returned Snow's smile with a sheepish one of her own. "Yes, well, I do apologize for that, but not my motives. I don't take well to having someone threaten the man I love."

"You really do love him, your highness?" Snow asked, still puzzled over the young princess and her motives for marrying the scourge of the realm. "Do you know who he is?"

Belle's tinkling laugh filled the room as her face lit with merriment. "Of course, I do, silly. I am probably the one person who truly does know him. I'll admit it hasn't always been easy … most times not … but I was able to see his heart where everyone else sees his tricks or his deals and his darkness," she said, her voice giving way to the seriousness of her conviction.

Snow propped her chin on her hand, fascinated by the young woman before her. "So, you weren't part of one of his deals?"

"Actually, I was. He came here nearly a year ago when my father sought his aid against the ogres threatening our kingdom. He made a deal with me instead."

"To marry him?" Snow asked, her face curling up in disgust. "Why would he want a wife?"

Belle paused a moment to take a cup of tea from the tray a servant set before her on the table and used the time to drop an orange slice and two sugar cubes into the brew. "I don't think the thought ever entered his head. He merely wanted a caretaker for the Dark Castle. I think he was expecting me to be a typical royal … he doesn't have a healthy respect for them, you know … and fail at the tasks he set before me. Perhaps he wanted to get back at those who'd wronged him in the past and thought to use me as a way to do that, but I think he was lonely." Belle sighed happily and sipped her tea. "I got to see the man he is instead of the monster he portrays."

Snow's eyes widened. "But how can you just overlook what he's done? His deals are well known for his ruthlessness."

"That's because all magic comes with a price, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin trilled with an impish giggle as he came up behind Snow, startling her as he set the plate next to Belle on the table and sat down beside her. "The price of the magic must be of equal value to that of the request."

Belle reached for a cherry tart from the dish before her and sighed in pleasure as she took a bite, having missed their lunch earlier. "It is not Rumpel's fault the people he deals with do not read the fine print."

Snow studied the pair before accepting the pastry Rumpelstiltskin placed before her. "And what is the price you will ask of me in exchange for your help eluding the queen?" she asked, picking at the dessert as her stomach roiled with trepidation.

"That wasn't a deal, your highness, but a little well-meaning advice. I have my own agenda where the queen is concerned and seeing you don't fall into her clutches benefits us all," he replied, stirring sugar and lemon into his tea. "By the by, where are Jefferson and the thief?"

Snow relaxed a bit at the sorcerer's reassurances, feeling at ease for the first time in months. "Jefferson asked that I remain here for a bit while he helped Robin prepare to move the camp. Just in case Regina located it before it could be moved, he didn't want me anywhere near to take the chance I would be captured. He said he would return for me in a few hours."

"You have sanctuary here, your highness, but I don't think you should make your presence here a widely known fact," Belle remarked. "There are several guests here for our wedding who may not value your safety as we do."

In the matter of a quarter of an hour, Belle had gone from trying to slit her throat to putting her completely at ease and Snow felt herself warm to the princess. "Thank you," she said, grasping Belle's hand in hers and squeezing it in a gesture of friendship. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you for your kindness."

"That's simple, highness; don't get caught," Rumpelstiltskin replied, his giggle ending abruptly as Belle squeezed his thigh with her hot little hand. His eyes glowed a warm amber as they met hers and she blushed prettily. He wondered if he would always find himself acquiescing to the slightest brush of her hand or a heated look passing between them, but for now he just enjoyed the comfort of her touch. His desire would always be for her, her happiness, her smiles, her joy, but it wouldn't stop him from moving forward with his plans and perhaps causing a bit of mischief in the process. "Now why don't you have a respite while you're waiting?"

Belle's eyes flared with recognition as he gave Snow directions to one of the guest rooms, but a warning squeeze to her own thigh had her holding her tongue until Snow had left the kitchen. He settled back against his chair and sipped his tea as she rounded on him.

"You do realize where you sent her?

"Course, I do."

"And I suppose you have good reason to be sending her off to Prince James' bedchamber?" she asked, a smirk curving up the corner of her mouth.

"Just helping her on the path to twoo wuv," he postured with a grand flourish of his hand, his face twisting into an impish smile of satisfaction.

"You're incorrigible," she said, unable to hold back a giggle. "You'd better hope Abigail doesn't catch them."

Rumpelstiltskin pulled her from her chair to sit upon his lap and nuzzled the tattoo so prominent on the pale ivory skin beneath her ear. "If I'm not mistaken …"

"… It's been known to happen…"

He nipped lightly at her skin for the boldness of her interruption. "As I was saying … if I'm not mistaken, I doubt Abigail would care one way or another. She's still in love with her former betrothed and wouldn't be at all disappointed to see her betrothal with King George's son come to an end."

"Poor Frederick. It wouldn't hurt for you to be the sweet generous man I know you to be and free him from his curse," she murmured softly in a tone he couldn't resist, brushing the hair away from his eyes and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

"I suppose I could offer her a deal," he replied with a shrug as his hands clutched her hips and held her firmly against his growing desire.

Belle slipped her hand into the collar of his tunic and scraped her nails against the sensitive flesh of his nape. "Or … perhaps you could make a deal with me, my love. You could free Sir Frederick, allow my dearest friend to find her happiness and have me at your mercy," she purred silkily.

"You're learning, dearest. Oh, how you're learning," he whispered, claiming her lips and reveling in the feel of her melting against him. He kissed her long and deeply, oblivious to the giggling maids and the reproving stare of Mrs. Potts and contemplated giving into her request. Would it really be so bad to let someone else find the same joy he shared with his beloved? At the moment, the thought of a favor from his Belle, one which would no doubt bring him - bring them both - untold pleasure, was a most fitting price to pay for breaking a curse.

*.*.*

The smile which played on Snow's lips was a cross between deep satisfaction and dreamy contentment as she sat on the side of the luxurious bed and pulled the brush through her long clean tresses. It had been so long since she'd felt this clean and the soft silk robe of cornflower blue with tiny roses embroidered at the sleeves was the height of comfort.

Belle had come in on her way to change for dinner to check on her, bringing the robe and a change of clothes from her own closet, mumbling something about burning the ones Snow had discarded before her bath. The soft buff-colored breeches and white lawn shirt would be a welcome change and would give her ease of movement in the saddle and offer a measure of comfort her other clothes had lacked. An emerald brocade vest and a thick black cloak lined with ermine would help protect her in the cooler months.

Belle was an odd girl - she'd have to be to have fallen in love with Rumpelstiltskin - but the young princess made Snow wish things were different. She could see herself having an easy friendship with her if she wasn't constantly on the run from her stepmother. She replaced her brush on the dresser and glanced at the mirror before quickly tossing her cloak over the beveled glass. She didn't need Regina spying on her and learning her location. It wouldn't do to have the princess, who had been so kind to her, to have her wedding day ruined by the Evil Queen.

Snow returned to the bed and curled up atop the burgundy coverlet, sighing deeply as her head nestled into the down pillows. It beat the hell out of the cold forest floor and a bed of leaves and rushes with her rucksack as a pillow. Sometimes she didn't even have that. She tucked her dagger beneath her hip in easy reach should she need it, a habit she'd formed when she'd first gone on the run from the queen and her forces and settled in to rest. The hatter had promised to return for her when they had moved the camp and she should have several hours in which to rest.

Her last thoughts were of deep blue eyes and dark blonde hair as she closed her eyes. At the edge of sleep was the only time she would allow herself to dwell on the handsome son of King George who had stolen her heart so many months ago. It was her fervent wish she could expel him from her heart. He was a prince, one betrothed to someone of his own station in an alliance of political gain. He would never be interested in an exiled princess forced to turn bandit in order to survive. He would never be content to give up his title for her.

*.*.*

The prince scrubbed the towel he held over his freshly washed hair as he entered his bed chamber, having just come from the commons in order to dress for dinner with the Avonlea court. He could think of at least twenty different things he'd rather be doing than being there with an unwanted fiancé in a life he hadn't chosen.

He had thought he was being noble and selfless when he'd taken Rumpelstiltskin up on his offer to take his dead brother's place, but he'd instead condemned himself to a life as a courtly prince, subject to the whims of a tyrant king. The one bright spot in the entire sordid affair was the little bandit princess he'd met on the road, the bandit princess Snow White who had stolen his heart along with his valuables. The jewels he'd gotten back. He couldn't say the same for his heart.

He tossed the towel aside and ran a brush through his short hair before whipping the robe from his shoulders and retrieving a fresh pair of breeches from the wardrobe. He chose a light blue silk shirt with a deeper blue brocade waistcoat and turned to lay them out on the bed and paused. He could see the outline of a woman in his bed and he groaned, not prepared for another confrontation with his fiancé. Abigail was lovely in her own right with silky blonde hair and blue eyes, but he held no attraction for her …something he was sure would become an issue on their wedding night. But it wasn't long golden locks spread across the down pillows, but hair black as ebony.

The clothes fell unbidden to the floor from his frozen fingers as he moved closer to the bed and pulled back the sheer drapes, the breath catching in his throat as he took in the vision before him. His heart fluttered in his chest as he moved, almost against his will, refusing to believe what his eyes were clearly seeing. "Snow …"

*.*.*

Snow's emerald eyes flew open as a hand pressed firmly over her mouth, causing her fingers to tighten over the hilt of her dagger. She could see nothing more than a shadowy figure looming above her in the semi-darkness of the room and panic rose in her breast. It wasn't the first time she'd found herself in such a situation, but she'd felt relatively safe in the castle. She should have known better than to relax her guard. There was no safety for her.

"Don't scream," came the whisper. Something familiar niggled at her mind as she stared up into the faint outline of the man who held her in his grasp, but she ignored it.

She raised the dagger slowly, the man seemingly more interested in searching her face for signs of her acquiescence than her hands. She pressed the tip of her dagger to the man's groin and was rewarded with a sharp hiss and her instant release. "The only one screaming will be you if you don't move aside and let me rise," she hissed, adding a bit more pressure when he didn't move.

"First a rock and now a dagger? Are you always armed, woman?" his silky voice asked, the whispers gone to be replaced by the melodious tone of his deep voice as he chuckled. A match flared to life as he moved away from her and lit the candle on the bedside table.

Her eyes widened as she took in his warm smile, a small surprised grin curving her lips. "Charming?"

"Yes, it's me, Snow," he assured her, returning to sit at her side on the edge of the mattress.

She set the dagger beside her and curled her legs up beneath her, coming to rest on her knees as he took her hands in his. "What are you trying to do, scare me to death?"

"How do you think I felt coming in here to find you in my bed?"

"Your bed?!"

"Yes, Snow, my bed. What are you even doing here in Avonlea?" he asked, his brows drawn together over his puzzled eyes.

Snow ground her teeth together, realization dawning on her. "Rumpelstiltskin, that tricky imp!" she fumed. "I should have known he'd find some mischief to toss my way."

"What does the Dark One have to do with you being in my room?"

"Never mind," she said with a shake of her dark head as she moved to get up. His hands kept her in place. It was then she noticed his state of undress and she felt a blush creep up her neck to stain the apples of her cheeks. "It's a long complicated … uh … story and now is not the time for it. I have to go."

"No," James insisted firmly, his tone brooking no objection. "I have wanted to see you for so long. Don't leave now." He brushed a lock of her long hair behind her ear and smiled warmly, his fingertips caressing the smooth line of her jaw. "Stay."

"You wanted …"

"I've regretted leaving you there in the Dark Forest that day. I wanted you then … just as I want you now, Snow. You're all I've been able to think of," he said, gathering together every bit of his courage to say the words he'd professed a thousand times in his dreams. "And now that we've somehow found each other, I don't want to let you go."

"We can't," Snow rasped, her face scrunching in pain as she felt tears sting her eyes. "You have obligations to your kingdom, your betrothed. We can't be together."

"Is it because you don't care for me, Snow? Because that is the only reason I will accept. I would give it all up for you. I don't care about what my father wants or Midas. I don't love Abigail and I can't imagine spending my life with a woman I can't love."

Snow lowered her gaze to their joined hands, fighting against the tears, against the heartache spreading through her chest. She wanted more than anything to tell him she would have him, that she loved him, but she couldn't ask him to ruin his life to be with her. "You could learn to love her."

"How can I when it's you I love, you I want to spend my life with, you who fills my heart and haunts my dreams?" he asked, slowly closing the distance between them until he could place a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Tell me you don't care for me and I'll let you go."

She couldn't. She was consumed by him, had been for months and she didn't want to let him walk out of her life again. "I can't," came her whispered reply before she raised her misty eyes to his, so filled with longing there was no chance of him misinterpreting what he could read so clearly in them.

His smile was blinding in its brilliance as he crushed her to his chest, kissing her with all the pent-up emotion she'd awakened in him from their first meeting. He would never be without her again, he vowed silently. Whatever may come, they would be together.

*.*.*

Jefferson raised a brow at Rumpelstiltskin as the imp giggled. They were standing at the window in the Dark One's bedchamber watching Prince James and Snow White run in the direction of the stables, sticking to the shadows cast by the falling dusk. "This is going to cause an uproar," the hatter drawled, leaning further out the window to stare at the departing couple. "Was there a point to all of this?"

"Of course, there was. Do you know nothing about me at this stage of the game, Jefferson? There is always method to my madness," the sorcerer remarked. With a flick of his wrist, a plain ebony handled hairbrush appeared in his palm.

"It's a hairbrush," Jefferson said, stating the obvious.

"Very observant," Rumpelstiltskin snarked dryly. "I have what I want, and the two lovebirds have what they want … each other." He put the brush away in the pocket of his coat and continued tying his cravat as he dressed for dinner. "And if their union happens to upset Regina's plans, mores the better."

Jefferson sighed and straightened the stick pin in his own cravat. "Well, I can't imagine King George will be thrilled with this turn of events either."

"Never cared much for that pompous noble either, so it is of no concern. He will, no doubt, be out for the shepherd's blood, but I'm sure he and Snow will keep each other out of harm's way." Long enough to put the final steps into motion, he thought gleefully. "Well, I'm off."

"Where are you going? Dinner is in a quarter hour."

"I need to run a little errand. A present for Belle as it were."

"Should I be worried?" Jefferson asked, a smirk on his handsome face. The only answer he received was a tell-tale puff of purple smoke and the lingering trill of a giggle.

*.*.*

"Where have you been? You've missed the first course," Belle snapped, relief flooding her as Rumpelstiltskin dropped into the seat next to her in the dining hall. Maurice was glaring daggers at him for his tardiness and the worry he'd caused Belle, Brutal was caressing the hilt of his sword and Gaston … well, Gaston wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to them as he was completely absorbed in conversation with the Lady Hope.

Rumpelstiltskin took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, dropping a lingering kiss to her palm. His eyes filled with heat as he took in the blush which rose to stain her face, her pearly teeth capturing her bottom lip. He leaned close, his warm breath fanning the shell of her ear as he whispered, "I believe you made a deal with me earlier, my Belle, which was in my best interests to fulfill post haste."

"Never mind that, Rumpel. I was worried you had … um … changed your mind," she said, lowering her gaze to her plate.

He tilted her chin up to his and kissed her softly, sighing at her lack of faith. "Have I ever broken my word to you?" he asked. She opened her mouth to tell him that yes, in fact, he had, but he held up a hand to stop her. "Don't answer that. Belle, tomorrow you will become my wife. I will not change my mind, dear heart, for any reason."

"Then where —"

He shushed her as the doors to the dining hall were thrown open and a knight in gold livery, one belonging to King Midas' royal guard, strode into the room. "Watch," Rumpelstiltskin softly commanded, drawing her attention to what was about to unfold before them.

Abigail's fork clattered to her plate where she sat with her father several seats down from a transfixed Belle, her hands flying up to cover her mouth as she stared at her lost love striding across the cavernous room towards her. Her feet moved her forward, meeting him somewhere in the middle. He swept her into his arms as a hush fell over those assembled. Belle twined her fingers with Rumpelstiltskin's as he sat back in his seat and watched the scene with a smug smirk.

"You've made her so happy, Rumpel," Belle breathed, swiping at her own tears as she watched her dear friend reunite with her beloved.

Rumpelstiltskin waved a hand dismissively and eyed the portion of roasted goose breast a servant set before him with interest. "I only care about making you happy, my Belle," he said airily as he tucked into his food.

"You know when this gets out, your reputation will be in tatters," Belle teased.

"Bite your tongue," he growled, but the barest hint of a smile played about the corners of his mouth.

"And it's just so fortunate Abigail's betrothed has been restored to her the same evening she finds a note from James claiming he's running off with his true love."

If it were possible to blush, the imp would have flushed scarlet under her scrutinizing gaze. "Is it?"

"Um-hm," she answered, smiling sweetly. "But, of course, this all comes as a shock to you I suppose?"

He popped a candied fig into his mouth and grinned devilishly. "Everything worked out, didn't it?"

Belle was silent for a moment as her eyes followed Abigail and Frederick through the archway leading out into the garden before she sighed happily. Her imp wasn't the cold-hearted monster people thought him and it warmed her heart. She didn't need to know his motives behind it, but was instead just happy her friends could find happiness together. It would have broken her heart to see Abigail marry a man she didn't love.

She turned to her beloved and kissed his weathered green-gold cheek. "Thank you."

"You're not angry with me?"

"No. Prince James is a big boy and I'm sure however George retaliates, he will rise to the task."

He leaned close to her, their shoulders brushing as they waited for the dessert course. "I promise, my Belle, the things I have set in motion today will grant us blissful privacy for at least a month upon our return home to Dark Castle. We're going to need it in order for you to repay your debt to me."

Belle giggled as he nipped playfully at her ear. "Imp!'

"Minx!"

A/N: I just LOVE this chapter … so many loose ends and fluffy happy endings for Snowing and Abby and Fred. Yeah, I know … still haven't gotten to the bachelor party yet. I promise it's next. Did the best I could with snowing. I really hate writing them. I feel like I've got a toothache now. Hope you liked the chapter and will take a moment to let me know what you think. Thanks to all who've followed and favorited, and as always thank you so much for reading and reviewing.