Sorry for the later update. For some reason, yesterday my whole locality didn't have internet! It's finally resolved. Can watch the winter finale online! (thank the gods)

Thank you/Obrigada: Rinoax, Mikado X Goddess, Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape, Jamie Jazz, tigger64, Monica, .370, Bonnie5572, Guest, The Psychotic Queen, ScarletRochester, Julie Winchester, CaaRehme, vanillaface, Gracounette, jjxox8d, thedoctorsgirl42.

Alelie Anyale Yeldig: it's curious you noticed this. I didn't think about the scene of LOTR when I wrote chapter 6, but I've must have based on it subconsciously, since I'm a huge LOTR fan!

Chapter 26 – Day 13: Broken

"Princess Belle!" Gaston gasped in pure surprise and shock. He let his sword fell heavily next to his feet "You are well and alive?"

He walked to the princess, unable to believe his eyes. The others too, stared in complete shock. Mainly Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire, who wore flabbergasted expressions. Belle lifted her chin defiantly at the knight.

"And you have been traveling with peasants?" Gaston realized with disgust, noticing she too was wearing simple garments.

"I've been traveling with them since the night you send me away to the woods. You see, they succeeded in doing exactly what you were supposed to do. Protect me and bring me to Snowland in safety." She spoke coldly, but still sounding eloquent.

The princess remained impassive and didn't avoid the knight's eyes. Belle smiled internally, knowing she had just hurt his pride and hit a nerve. This was his deserved share of humiliation. Knowing a poor cripple and a teenager were more capable than he. Gaston made a muffed sound but dared not to speak against the princess. There was something different in her eyes. A new kind of determination he was not familiar with and was not sure he liked it. He pondered a while what he should do.

"These are not safe parts, my princess. I advise we depart immediately and head to Lord Leopold's court."

Belle's heart leaped at his last words. She realized all her struggles had reached an end and her goal was achieved. She would finally talk to the king of Snowland and be able to ask for help. She could finally fulfill her mission and do everything to save her kingdom from its fall. Save her father from the ogre's clutches. But something was very amiss. Her eyes searched her travel companions. Father and son stared at her in pure disbelief. She could see the hurt in their eyes. She swallowed hard, afraid of what was coming.

"Gaston, please give me some moments." She ordered never allowing her voice betray her emotions.

The knight bowed gracefully and retreated. He decided to meet his huntsmen and give them the last instructions, while the princess busied herself with the low-classers. Granny and Red felt this was not their place and also distanced a bit. Soon, the three were alone in the middle of the cold snow. Belle stood before Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire like a criminal before the judge. She had failed to tell them the truth. And now they discovered it the worst possible manner. She could already see the tears in the teenager's eyes and the information processing in the man's mind.

"Rumpelstiltskin…" She tried when she saw his eyes turn from shock into pain and anger.

"You are the princess?" He asked, his voice low but threatening, his finger pointed at her accusingly. Belle looked helpless at the man that was in the edge of snapping.

"Please let me explain." She pleaded. But Rumpelstiltskin paced slowly, coming closer, his eyes thunderous.

"When were you thinking in telling me?" He asked, his hand on his chest, his voice dangerously low, the space between them becoming smaller.

"I wanted to tell you. Believe me. I-I tried…"

"You lied!" The man screamed in his fury and pain. Baelfire started sobbing. He saw everything crumbling down before him. Linda could not be the princess. She was part of their family now. She could not leave them. Not after all they went through together. Baelfire was quickly left in his misery, behind and forgotten in the middle of the storm.

"I had to!" Belle stared from one to the other, her heart breaking as she saw the tears in Baelfire's face and the pain in Rumpelstiltskin's eyes.

"You bloody travelled for two weeks with us! You…you weren't able to trust us after all that happened?"

"I was afraid for you!"

"Bullshit! You lied! You bloody lied and made us believe you were someone else!" Rumpelstiltskin yelled at her his eyes glinting from the pain and the betrayal.

"I couldn't tell you! You could have been hurt!" She retorted, desperate in making him see the dilemma she had carried for so many days. But Rumpelstiltskin was already too possessed by hurt and revolt.

"I should have known better!" His low threatening voice returned. "I should have known you never cared for us. You had this all planned, didn't you? Travel with the stupid peasants to Snowland and dispose them when you don't need them anymore?"

Belle had to take some steps backwards. She was actually afraid of Rumpelstiltskin. The man that walked slowly towards her was not the mellow and kind spinner anymore. There was too much anger in his eyes, too much hurt that was transforming into something horrible. The man's eyes flamed dangerously on the princess'.

"Rumpelstilstin, please. I do care for you. I Io…" But the man shook his head muttering a sound so she could not speak.

"No! You are the princess. You do not care for me! You do not care for my son! You understand that? All you care about is you!"

"That's not true!" Belle yelled outraged. "I want you to come with me!" She begged. Rumpelstiltskin looked shocked for a moment. Suddenly a wave of hurt took over his eyes. This was impossible. She was asking for the unthinkable.

"And do what? Serve you? I'm sure your future husband won't mind!" He tried to sound sarcastic, but Belle could hear the crack in his voice. Bram's words echoed in her mind. She had broken his heart. She had hurt him in the most vicious possible way.

"We'll find a way to make things work out." She hopefully said.

"What? You and me? I'm a poor spinner and you are to be queen one day. Wake up! That doesn't happen. Not even in fairytales." He spoke icily. He spoke with hatred and in a manner that made her feel stupid for even considering it. "I believe our ways depart here. You have a kingdom to save, m'lady." He bitterly spoke the last word. Belle stared shocked at him. He was going to give up? Just like this? This was goodbye? The end?

Belle stared into his eyes. She could see the love in them. And still he was sending her away. All this time, Belle believed once two loved each other, everything was possible. But Rumpelstiltskin obviously didn't share the same thought. Seconds seemed to stretch in time as she struggled in deciding what to do. Baelfire, the silent and invisible public, was quiet by now. There were no more tears left to cry. He knew it was over. It had been a nice dream, but it had ended. He watched Belle turn her back to Rumpelstiltskin and pace away with an expression of hurt and confusion. She suddenly halted, looked determined and turned back to face the man one last time.

"You are freeing yourself! You could have had happiness if you wanted. But you couldn't take the chance."

"That's a lie."

"No. You're a coward, Rumpelstiltskin. You just think I can't love you. Now you've made your choice. And you are going to regret it. Forever. And all you'll have is an empty heart."

She spoke never leaving his eyes, never letting the tears spring freely, never letting her voice crack. Rumpelstiltskin stared back at her coldly, but she knew he was hurt too. She knew her words would haunt him. And so she hastily turned around and walked away, not even daring to look at Baelfire. She practically ran to Gaston, leaving father and son behind in their sadness.

"Take me to Lord Leopold." She ordered, not even bothering with the fact Gaston was instructing a bunch of rough looking men into hunting the wolf. She only gave a quick glance at them. They looked dirty, wild and mindless. Was this the kind of people Gaston worked with?

"Of course, my lady." The proud knight went for his horse. "They'll be glad to know you are all right. I've arrived five days ago and already discussed some strategies…" But Belle interrupted.

"It's all fine Gaston. But I'm really tired. I'll discuss these matters tomorrow, after I had some rest." The tall man stared a bit amazed at her new authoritative attitude. He bowed somewhat confused. But Belle had said the truth. She was tired and hurt. She didn't want to hear anything about war. All she wanted to head to the palace, take a hot bad and cry her heart out.

"We'll leave right away, my princess."

Rumpelstiltskin remained rooted in the place he and Belle had switched their last bitter words. He closed his eyes, trying to control his emotions. But his whole body trembled from the internal turmoil. His right hand was clutched on his wooden staff, his knuckles white. His heart suddenly hurt more, when he heard a horse ride away. He had lost her. He had lost her to an arrogant brute that had everything he didn't. The looks, the status, the power. How was he even going to compete with Gaston? He did regret his choice, but he knew it would be a matter of time and Belle would grow tired of his poor and limited background. This was the right thing to do.

Baelfire looked gloomily at the immobile figure of this father. There was so much he had hoped and wished for. He loved Belle, her ways, her kindness and the way she and his father interacted. But he never ever thought she could be the princess. The teenager felt as betrayed as his father and wished she had told them the truth earlier. But he too regretted his father's decision in letting her go. Why were adults so complicated?

He could see his father was shaking, so he walked to him. He gently put his arms around the man. Rumpelstiltskin, who had been holding the painful emotions inside of him, felt the tears come to his eyes, as his son gave him the needed warmth and love. He hugged back and wept silently. Granny and Red, who had witnessed everything from a distance, understood there had been something special between the cripple and the princess, but that it was broken now. The huntsmen had meanwhile departed with the dogs, searching for the dangerous wolf. The four were simply left behind.

"We have a wagon. I have it nearby." Granny spoke, as they approached the sad males. "You are welcome to rest at our home for a while."

"I thank you greatly." Rumpelstiltskin managed to smile, while he stroked his son's hair. Red gave the man a sad but understanding smile and patted his shoulder gently. The four walked to the wagon, feeling the exhaustion of the turbulent night overpowering them.

Gaston rode like the wind. Belle had managed to hold back her tears. She tried to clear her mind and put away her thoughts about Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire, otherwise she would collapse in miserable sobs, and that was the last thing any man in King Leopold's court needed to see. She had to be strong and powerful if she wanted to be respected. She would embrace her destiny and fight back whoever was truly behind the wars in Armithil. And she knew most of the life lessons she would put in practice now, she had learned from Rumpelstiltskin.

Rumpelstiltskin.

Something had broken in her. It was her fault, she knew it. But it was his too. Rumpelstiltskin wouldn't believe in their love, and that hurt horribly. She had read stories about love and about broken hearts. Never in her life had she thought they could be so far from reality. Love was much sweeter and wonderful than books described, just like the pain of a broken heart was much more unbearable than poets and writers sung.

Belle stared beyond Gaston. The sky was becoming lighter. A delicate lilac abode announced the birth of a new day. Belle breathed out of some relieve. Lord Leopold's castle was in sight.

I know this was the last thing you guys wanted, but I had planned this moment from the very beginning. But, hey. This is not the end of my tale and I love happy endings.

The structure of "Lead me to your Fate" is going to change from now on. The chapters will alternate, one being only about Belle, the other about Rumpel and Bae, until…

I am not sure how many chapters this story will have, but I might end at about 50. I know it's a lot, but it's quite an epic I built up in my mind, with many adventures to be lived by our favorite OUAT characters. Hope you'll still have the patience to read my story.

Please, do not hate me. I like the stories where the characters have to surpass the most difficult obstacles to be together and not those that everything seem to fit and fall in its place all the time, so life is perfect (just like the Tale of the Beauty and the Beast, right?)

Do review.