Two Days Earlier
Rumpelstiltskin couldn't fathom why Gaston even arrived to the castle. Maurice had greeted him with the same indifference as he had for most of the other guests where any hints of favors changed from the King's graces were not shown other than seating arrangements during meals. While the birthday ball would not appear for several more days, many of the guests arrived earlier than anticipated allowing Belle to have spent more time in playing hostess than she cared to even when Maurice suggested a hunt to occupy the time for all the arrived guests. Much to Belle's annoyance, she played along joining them while Rumpelstiltskin stayed within the castle going about his day. There were times in the day he gazed from his window watching the party guest amuse themselves in the gardens with Belle and Alice normally in close proximity as they sometimes caught him glancing back requesting he would join them, usually declining.
The sign of suspicion came to him when he noticed Alice conversing with her mysterious new suitor.
When Alice first mentioned she had fallen in love with someone, he had continually insisted upon meeting the girl who captured the heart of his friend. For many weeks Alice tried to set up a time for all three even at times with Belle joining him to spend time together only for a last minute circumstance causing the meeting to have been either rescheduled or forgotten soon after. He would joke with Alice over the universe trying to keep her from introducing Margot to everyone when he one day spotted Alice with the elusive Margot close the lake with the girl supposedly doing some target practice nearly falling to shock as he instantly recognizing Alice's companion. Even though Robyn never caused him any harm, her presence meant Zelena would not be too far from them. He tried to say to himself The Archer's presence was merely a coincidence as he knew she would occasionally stay away from the Western Mountains for days on end living amongst the humans sometimes envying the young girl whenever she would tell him about her activities during the excursions. He left the matter go but kept his rooms locked and would become highly observant over Robyn's activities even if he meant thinking of an explanation to Alice should she needed to confront him.
At the royal banquet, Rumpelstiltskin would glance at Belle who was constantly interacting with the guests. He could see she became bored with her duties of hostess and mingling where he helped her out introducing himself as a trusted adviser to Belle leading to much gossip throughout the evening regarding Belle's marital status as the pair would remain close to one another through most of the evening.
"Your highness." A voice called to Belle forcing Rumpelstiltskin to pause in fright.
No it can't be…..
He turned around hoping it had been another one of his dreams seeing Zelena in front of him greeting he and Belle as another one of the party guests. She maintained disguise well exchanging her green skin for a color appearing to be of human flesh with a light green dress not as outrageous as what she normally wore but helped her give the appearance of a highborn lady with to her auburn hair covered in a hairnet made by the thread from the gold Rumpelstiltskin had spun.
"Good evening Madame" Belle bowed back to the woman turning over to Rumpelstiltskin, "Rumple, this is Lady Kelly West from Emerald City"
Rumpelstiltskin smirk bowing to Lady Zelena where handed her hand out to him in which he looked at Belle and Zelena knowing it would have been viewed as an insult to his host by refusing. He took Zelena's hand, kissing it disgusted at seeing her blush in front of him when she began giggling in the same matter she had done during her attempts at seducing him.
"How lovely for you to have arrived from a far journey for a small get together." He stated gritting through his teeth when Zelena moved closer to him laughing as he held onto Belle's hand.
"I always try to make time for celebrations. One pastime I always have had since I was a young girl comes from watching the swans swim during the spring time." Staring directly at Rumpelstiltskin "You never know what sight you might find from them."
Belle stared at this displayed confused when she took a sip of her wine. She could see Rumpelstiltskin turning stiff in different moments, doing her best to comfort him. "My apologies Milady, but we don't own any swans in this castle. There are some close to the lake however they reside further into the forest. I guess father never thought swans were entirely necessary."
"Actually my dear, they are important creatures!" Zelena squealed "They are said to restore youth simply by their hidden beauty, all one needs to do is to take a feather from them and any wish you might want will come true. That is why many brides obtain swans for their wedding; I can see you must have had the same notions in the past." Neither Rumpelstiltskin nor Belle was comfortable in standing another minute with Zelena. She continued laughing looking directly at Rumpelstiltskin. "Where did you say you were from Milord?"
How he longed to kill this woman. Zelena moved further standing over a wall appearing reassured while Belle continued in her effort from leaving the matter less awkward.
"I didn't." He sighed hoping it would appear satisfactory, "If you must know, I hail from the Frontlands, close to the Southern Border."
"Are you sure?" Taking her glass drinking some of the contents. "I would have thought based on your accent; it would have been from another area. Someplace less fowl if we were more specific."
"Madame West," Belle intervened, "I apologize for being rude, but my father really needs us at the moment. Shall we see you later?" Zelena agreed bowing before them then left but she first winked to Rumpelstiltskin who began leaving towards the opposite direction of the room not caring Belle had been following him asking him to slow down.
"Princess, I would like to excuse myself for the remainder of the night. Suddenly I have begun to maintain a headache." Hoping the excuse would appear reasonable enough for her.
"Fine, first tell me what is going on with you?" she demanded from him.
"Its complicated and I would not want to bore with you the details."
He could see she was not convinced placing her hand over his hips annoyed at his answers and appearing to be disappointed with his comment he gives than the one she wants to supposedly hear. "I wish you could trust me enough to tell if you are not well. Alice mentioned you have nightmares and I once saw you screaming for hours mentioning names and torture."
The demeanor became loose when she mentioned the nightmares. "What occurs in my private thoughts are no one else's business but my own."
Belle frown increased when Rumpelstiltskin bowed to her and began leaving when he stopped just as she spoke. "I wish you would trust me. Whoever she was, I am not her and I have no reason to become her. That is all I ask."
She walked the opposite direction as he made over to another corridor leading him into the library when he saw found Zelena now transformed back into her green skin grinning at him when he became startled as she locked the doors behind him.
"Now Rumpel, did you think I was going to let you go easily?"
Rumpelstiltskin tried opening the door but the doorknob had been burnt off and he already guessed she had caused the room to be placed in soundproof. He pounded in frustration finding the smug woman continued to smirk at him while hovering over her broomstick, wanting nothing more than to take the broom and send her flying into the sun hoping she would die from the exuberant heat.
"The thought did cross my mind every now and then." You don't need me Zelena, I gave you enough gold to last you for at least 10 more lifetimes you can't kill me without it causing some damage to your flawless skin." He stressed the last part to her where she got the hint causing her face to change to an angry expression.
"I own you!" She screamed going over to him placing her mouth close to his as he tried to push her off of him. "Every feather you have in that cloak of yours, every single gold you have ever spun, every thought to have appeared in your head is all mine. Why would I have a reason to kill you, if anything I will make sure you spend the remainder of your lifetime understanding that I merely the only who has truly cared for you."
She leaned to kiss him when he pushed her so hard she stumbled towards a bookcase leaving the books to topple to the ground with Zelena knocked out onto the floor. He ran towards the window leading to the gardens trying to open the window to call for help when the window sills suffered from the same problem as the as doors where he looked down seeing Belle and several other men mainly sons of powerful allies for Maurice conversing with her where each of the men hovered over appearing more love struck than the last.
He knew none of those men interested Belle; she only needed to make an impression as the perfect princess in front of her father and the rest of the world. She was a friendly and warm woman who would smile at anyone even if they had hurt her but Rumpelstiltskin still felt a sharp pain in his chest at the sight he was witnessing. To make matters worse, Gaston arrived a few seconds later droving all the other suitors away as he went towards Belle even though she pushed herself away from his advances.
"She is suited for this world better than you could ever be Rumpelstiltskin." Zelena whispered to him clinging onto him. "I will guarantee you by the dove's birthday, she will head over heels in love with the first handsome prince who asks for her hand. Will you also be assisting the princess in her wedding dress?"
"She's lying to you, don't listen to her!"
Come now Rumpel, you seriously could never have believe there would have been any possibilities of a future between the two of you. Most women are not entirely too keen on the idea of having a life partner being someone whose not exactly human and your friend appears to be nothing more than the average princess who dreams of a handsome duke occupying her time"
The mention of a duke grabbed Rumpelstiltskin's attention when he began thinking of Alice predicament. "Is that way you sent your Archer here? To make sure the so called handsome duke would be viewed as a hero while she tampers with my skin." He sighed defeated, "I will never know how it comes about yes?"
Zelena laughed at him. "Don't be ridiculous Rumpelstiltskin. I have no reason to kill you. Eventually you will decide to change back into your feathers and realize how right I have always been. It could be tomorrow or twenty years from now but you can't escape your transformation forever."
Rumpelstiltskin opened his eyes finding himself alone in the library with any trace of Zelena having long gone. He opened the window taking deep breaths grateful he was alone in this instant followed by going into his room to open his chest finding the cloak still there. He gave it a close inspection where it reassured his worse fears.
Despite all of his efforts, Zelena successfully found another way to control him where he is next transformation now signaled his death warrant.
He wanted to throw the room into pieces, turn everyone around him into a snail if possible, tossing the freshly made gold into castle gardens allowing the entire of Avonlea become a golden wasteland and wishing he could have sent his mother into the netherworld by own his hand if given the opportunity.
After some time, Rumpelstiltskin gathered his thoughts when he remembered the threads Zelena wore in her hair. He looked over the feathers from his cloak and seeing the shawl Belle had forgotten in his chair after one of their nightly chess matches. The idea became risky for him but he wanted nothing more than to leave the bondage Zelena had placed him in.
The next several days it became easy for Rumpelstiltskin to spy on Gaston with the help of bribing several guards as his routine became too predictable. A quick workout followed by meals then the remainder of the day would be in the forest for a hunt or sometimes sneak into the straw room when no one was looking and gaze at the gold through the window with a lustful demeanor that it sent him to a rage when he finally saw the proud Duke placing the potion Zelena gave him into Belle's drink at the ball.
It became now or never for him going up to Belle after she drank from her chalice. She always prided herself into be a good dancer from years of instruction where Rumpelstiltskin wished he would have been in a better circumstance to compliment her dancing or how beautiful she looked. More of a queen she could ever give herself credit for, he looked at the clock taking her to the gardens where he first presented her one of his feathers which he smirked at the realization he could get rid of effects from the potion using true love kiss followed by telling her the truth about himself in the gardens.
The pain became too intense for Rumpelstiltskin where realize he was slowly losing what little strength he had left between the cage Zelena placed him in and the kick Gaston gave him. He started opening his eyes finding Belle fighting Gaston where he needed to get her attention.
Belle Belle!
Rumpelstiltskin never enjoyed communicating telepathically as it was a skill that would drain him because of the mental strains it took when focusing on using his and transforming altogether. He saw Belle turning around to him confused when she realized he was communicating with her.
I don't have much time, take Gaston to the straw room, I had just made a fresh batch earlier this afternoon. Use the gold and the feather I gave you to get to the Western Mountains; it might change your appearance once you get there.
"But Gaston won't let me set foot there."
"I trust you Belle"
Rumpelstiltskin shortly became unconscious just before seeing Belle attempting to seduce Gaston much to everyone's shock. He woke up some time later finding himself in an all too familiar setting with the iron cage this time standing in the middle of Zelena's grand hall which she occasionally used as a spell room. The room never appealed to him where the spell books proved to be useless to Zelena as she hardly read them mainly using her scrolls to provide an accurate depiction.
"I almost wanted to wake you up earlier, but you were so peaceful in your sleep I couldn't have the heart to do so." She went up to him plucking his feathers forcing him to transform back. He became surprised when she opened the cage.
"Rumpelstiltskin, leave the cage."
He felt no force necessary to obey her, but that wasn't part of the plan and did as he was told.
"Now see, that wasn't so hard my darling."
Rumpelstiltskin focused his attention at seeing the ceiling noticing a familiar blonde lurking around giving him the signal to keep quiet pointing out the smaller swan with large cerulean eyes lurking behind the tables. Zelena transformed Rumpelstiltskin back into a swan where she transported themselves back into the dungeons placing him there.
"Everything here is much more secure than the spell room. Will you be a good lad when I get back then?"
He nodded when she threw a bucket of water at him leaving the swan to slowly hydrate. Zelena left leaving Rumpelstiltskin with the worry of the girls not being seen by the mad witch.