A/N: I didn't establish this when I published Chapter One, but this story will channel more of Spinner Rumple rather than the Dark One or Mr. Gold.

Chapter Two

The crinkling, snapping flames of the fire that danced in the center of the hearth focused Belle's thoughts on Utopia as she read it quietly to herself in the comfort of the castle library. Fire warmed her freezing feet, which got cold easily, as she sat on the bear skin rug. The rug was the only gift from Gaston that she appreciated to an extent as she was grateful for it when the temperature grew colder. Gaston had been in a foul temper the rest of the afternoon so when he offered to sit with Belle in the gardens while they drank tea she refused as politely as possible. As much as she loved being out in the gardens it would not be as enjoyable with Gaston pouting and complaining how disrespectful the girl they met in the forest was so Belle chose to be in her favorite room inside the castle, besides her own chambers, the library.

The library was peaceful and Belle could easily find herself lost in her books about the adventures she desired to go on. She wanted to brave the wilderness like her cousin King David, and bravely fight to protect her people as her father use to do when he was younger, but those days were behind her father. He had become a cynical, bitter, and cruel old man, and Belle had never gotten to know the warrior her father once was, she only knew through stories she was told. King Maurice showed a formal kindness to his daughter, but Belle feared him more than felt any bit of love for him. He was still her father, though, so she would be loyal and show him some curtsey.

She wondered if that girl had any family to go home to or was she alone? It would be heartbreaking to find out she had no family and was having to survive on her own, but she seemed to be used to having to find ways to survive. Belle secretly wished she were like that instead of an uncertain pampered princess. She sighed and returned her blue eyes to her book, for she knew she would most likely never see the young woman again, so there was no point in thinking too much about her.

Reading helped her to avoid thinking of the life she would have she would have soon, once she and Gaston were married. The thought of being with him made her shiver, and she felt a little sick.
"I am not the only woman who's been through this. Toughen up Belle," she released another deep breath and focused all her attention on her book.

Her focus didn't last too long, for soon there was a banging on the library door that brought her back to reality. Belle sighed, and placed her book down to see who wanted her attention. She hoped it wasn't Gaston, for she didn't want to contend with him right now.

"Sir Gaston...what a pleasure it is to see you," she spoke with a false friendliness as her hopes were dashed, and inside was groaning as avoiding her fiancé seemed impossible. She made sure though to smile as politely as possible so Gaston would be none the wiser.

Gaston smiled, and reached for Belle's hand. "My Lady Belle, your father would like to have you be involved today in his sentence of two criminals," he said with a smug grin upon his lips.

"Who," Belle inquired, frowning as she found his smug smile slightly unnerving.

"Why the girl who committed the illegal act this morning," he replied as if it were obvious.

Belle's eyes became wide." You don't mean the young woman who killed the deer this morning," she questioned—adding instead of you in her head- feeling perturbed that his smug smiled justified her answer. The woman had done nothing wrong and now she felt bad for wanting to see the woman again because now the only way Belle was going to see her was during her prison sentence. The Gods had cruel way of granting wishes.

Gaston raised his brow in bewilderment. "Lady Belle she broke the law. She is a criminal. Why you are surprised by this, "he questioned seeing her expression, "I swear, sometimes I wonder about you. You read all the time, getting all these radical ideas in your head, and think too much. Now you feel sympathy for a criminal? No wonder your father wants you there. As future Queen you need to punish those who insult you," he laughed deeply, and then grabbed her hand and led her along without even asking for her permission. Belle didn't bother to struggle, for it would do no good. Her father wanted her there. And besides, she hoped to help the woman.

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Rumplestiltskin and Snow White found themselves in a grand chamber where their footsteps and the sound of the guard's armor echoed across the room as the crossed the carpet of throne room. They were brought forth to the throne where a man of about forty years of age sat on his golden chair with his maroon cloak dragging along the floor. His belly protruded out of his stomach as he lounged comfortably on his throne. Only a few streaks of blonde covered the king's head, but the rest was grey. He was surrounded by at least four or five guards His expression was smug as he looked down upon Rumple and Snow who approached with only a feeling of disdain upon their hearts. The only thoughts that came across Rumplestiltskin's mind were how could this kingdom be led by such a tyrant?

The king's booming voice bounced off the walls of the throne room as he addressed Rumple and his sister. "So you are on the ones who were hunting on my land without permission."

"Your Highness, it was me not my brother who was hunting so please don't punish him for my crime," Snow pleaded; with a catch slightly in her throat, she bravely stepped forward bowing formerly to King Maurice.

"You are brave child, but the law is law, and your brother knows that. He is the one responsible for you am I correct in this assumption," he inquired.

Snow nodded solemnly. "Yes that is true, but my brother didn't know I had left early or where I went to hunt" The guards snickered at the thought of girl hunting and her brother letting her do so, and Snow gave them a look that said if she could she would fire an arrow at them right now.

"Still child you both must pay for your crimes," Maurice said.

Stepping in front of his sister Rumple shielded her from the king's eye line. "Your Highness, these lands are the people's as well as yours, and it was simple hunting! What crime was there other than a simple understanding" spoke up Rumple with the phrase your highness coming out in a more biting tone

King Maurice made a motion with his hand, and suddenly, Rumple felt the sting of a hand across his face. He tasted blood and licked his lips as he glared up at the guard who hit him.

"You will speak when spoken to, thieves," said Maurice narrowing his eyes at them. "Are you new to my kingdom?" Snow and Rumple shook their heads. "Then you should know the law! You cannot hunt on my land without my consent."

He pointed at Snow, who glared at the guard that had hit her brother—she didn't have her bow or she would have shot the guard or least given him a little cut—and she returned the glare towards the king. "Do you know the punishment for poaching on the king's land without permission is, girl?"

"I don't know your highness," Snow said trying to control her urge to speak in a way that would probably be considered disrespectful to the king.

"I will be happy to educate to you child. A month's prison sentence, but if you continue to illegally hunt on my land without permission there will be a promise of death," he warned just as Gaston came in escorting Belle into the throne room.

"All because my sister killed a deer on your land you're going to arrest her," he exclaimed, the frown lines indicating how the hardships he and his sister had to face were brought on by this king and his petty laws. Rumple had not noticed Belle had come into the room as his focus was on the king, but Belle had witnessed the interactions that had occurred between her father and him.

"Father, you can't be serious," Belle exclaimed once she heard the girl's 'punishment' for hunting on her father's land. As soon as she came into the throne room she spoke and all heads turned and all eyes were on her. Slowly everyone bowed to her. Rumple and Snow once again bowed just as they done when they first greeted her father. "It was a mistake and imprisonment is an unnecessary punishment. You could just make her pay a fine."

Her name, Belle, was truly an honest one, Rumple always thought whenever he would see her. Her chestnut curls hung loosely over her shoulders and her hypnotizing blue eyes looked to her father with a confidence and determination that Rumple always admired. Rumple had the pleasure meeting Belle when they were children, and for some reason she chose to play with him when the other children would not, and he would show her magic tricks. He was a sorcerer but no one knew that, and he didn't know if she realized that. His magic made her smile and she would ask how he did it. With dramatic gesture and a clever smile he would tell her it was a secret that magicians never reveal their secrets making her giggle. He always loved that smile and giggle, but once she became a youth and was being groomed for a husband and the throne she stopped visiting him. He could only see whenever the guards or her fiancé Gaston escorted her through the city. When did catch, while getting items to provide for him and his sister, she had this smile that did not catch her cheeks, but was formal and polite.

Now, she was defending him and Snow making him uncomfortable as he didn't like the idea of her having to protect his sister when he should be able to do that. How had they come to this? Having to be protected and defending by her of all people?! Wait, he knew! Colin, his father abandoning them was where it started, but what he never stood was why his father left them.

Gaston's words brought him back to the present. Belle was still trying to reason with her father, but Gaston said, "Belle, you should not comment on things you don't understand yet." He held her arm speaking to her as if she were a child he was lecturing, but he only received a glare and Belle yanking her arm out of his grip.

Rumple rolled his eyes at the knight while everyone else was focused on King Maurice arguing with his daughter and actually agreeing with Gaston's words. This astounded Rumple as he believed Belle's 'punishment' made more sense than her father's law of imprisonment.

"Belle, Gaston is right. Besides, this peasant needs to pay for her crime," Maurice told his daughter.

"This peasant I'm sure has a name and would appreciate if you ask what it is," Belle snapped and Snow gasped as Belle's words showed respect for Snow even though she was beneath Belle. She smiled to herself as Belle stood up to her father despite being a woman.

"Belle I don't appreciate this disrespect from you. Now, you are going to be queen someday and must learn to control these people, and enforcing the law is how you do that," Maurice reasoned trying to control his need to force his daughter to listen.

Belle was a little too spirited for a lady, disturbing Maurice greatly and he hoped Gaston would be able to fix that. It seemed Gaston couldn't get any more control over the king's daughter than he could as her father. He invited her to the council meetings so she would learn and understand her responsibilities, but instead of listening and following Maurice's example she just defied him at every turn with her ideas of what she considered right. He loved his daughter, but she was rather a disappointment to him. She could at least be a good daughter since she is the reason his love is dead.

"Belle why don't you come with me and we can take a walk," Gaston suggested pulling her away leading her back into main hall nodding to the king before they left. Maurice returned the nod grateful that Gaston was taking her out of the throne. Maybe Gaston could make his daughter see reason, but he doubted it.

She struggled to get out of Gaston's grasp, which held her tightly by the arm, but was unsuccessful.

"I would like go to my bed chambers, please," she said staring straight ahead as she and Gaston walked through the hallways.

"Of course, Belle we will spend some time together later," Gaston said bowing as he gritted his teeth wanting to protest, but knew Belle would be difficult to convince to stay. Gaston watched as she left walking in a brisk pace to her bedchambers, and turned on his heel resigned to the fact that once again he was in a foul temper because of a woman, his woman to be more specific.

Outside on the castle grounds in training fields, clenching his fist, his knuckles whitening in process, Gaston jammed an arrow onto his crossbow and fired a shot at the target. Unfortunately, Gaston had missed and he didn't like to miss as he always hit the center of target without fail. Belle was being incredibly difficult as usual, but once they were wed he would change that because he couldn't have a wife with a displeasing nature by his side. He hoped she would satisfy him in bed enough to make her actions outside of the bedroom much more tolerable. He was told by the other knights virgins were unpredictable as they could be either good in bed or so innocent they would be horrible being so uncertain and nervous. The information made him irritable and he couldn't get out of the marriage either way. His father and Belle's father were desperate for this union to occur. At least she was beautiful, and hopefully her not being soiled by another man was good. There was also the fact her being with another man would make her no longer his and that would not sit well with him either so her being a virgin was best he hoped.