Still full of work and going slightly mad. But not stopping writing. Oh no.

Thank you: Rumbellelover, Grace5231973, vanillaface, Queen of Light 17, FortunesFavour, Revenessa, BlueBenny, AshRedDragon, thedoctorsgirl42

I do not own Once Upon a Time

Chapter 60 – day 65: The King

Rumpelstitlskin, Baelfire and Bram hurried down the hill to meet the commanders and the two princesses who had gathered at the castle's main entrance. When Belle saw them, she ran to her true love and threw herself in his arms with tears in her eyes. The spinner almost lost his balance at the impact and kept a strong grip around the beauty's slender waist, so she wouldn't fall. Belle cupped his face on her hands and kissed him desperately.

"I was so afraid something bad had happened to you!" Belle said between her short but hard kisses. She had been worried sick about him, never knowing what had happened to him from the moment he rushed out of the marquee.

"I'm sorry. I lost track of time and then…then the battle started." He excused himself, suddenly feeling guilty for leaving everybody behind wondering about his whereabouts. "It was selfish of me. I'm so sorry."

"No, you weren't… they were asking too much…But Rumpel, the fire that killed the ogres?" He had to smile at the expectant blue eyes that stared back at him with great love and wonder. He gave her a soft kiss on her lips.

"Maleficent's fire."

He, with the help of Baelfire and Bram, explained the events that led to the use of the wildfire and the destruction of the ogres. They all received warm pats on their shoulders and looks of admiration from the three mighty commanders.

"You seem never to stop surprising us." Prince James said cheerfully.

"RUMPEL!" All heads turned to see a small old man hastening towards them, looking livid. His thin white hair was messy, his face and clothes were stained from black ash and coal and his fists were clenched. "For the sake of the gods, will you stop being the hero?! I liked you better when you were a coward!"

Had Charleston spoken these words three months ago, his son would have yelled back at him and another conflict between father and son would have emerged. But Rumpelstiltskin finally understood his father's hysterical manners were his own strange way of telling how much he loved his son. Rumpelstiltskin had to smile when he realized his father wasn't angry with him at all, he was worried sick for his safety. So he did the only thing he could think of doing at that moment and hugged his father. Soon thin old and trembling arms were around his back and the spinner heard his father release a sob. When they released each other again, Charleston wiped his eyes clean muttering something sounding like "stupid boy" under his breath. The rest of the group watched the scene with some tenderness. Belle in particular, was in the edge of busting in tears. Rumpelstiltskin noticed and immediately knew she wanted nothing else but to be rejoined with her father.

"I believe it's time we search for the king." The spinner firmly stated.

A small group of shadows advanced between the darkened walls of the damaged castle. Everywhere were signs of destruction. It was a bitter confrontation for Belle and Commander Byront, both knowing so well how the castle had once been a beautiful place. Especially the princess struggled to remain focus in her task and tried to pay no attention to the nauseous feeling growing in her belly. Every corridor, every division had its tale and memory related to her childhood and youth. It hurt her deeply to see the place she where grew up in such a desolate state. The castle carried now the scars of war. Holes in the walls, broken doors, broken windows, stones and dust scattered everywhere. The stench of rotten meat filled the air. Silence reined the once busy and loud divisions. Now, the smallest sound echoed within the empty walls. It was far from being the place she once knew as home.

They walked silently and close to each other. Belle led the way. Her eyes were fixed on the arrow pointing north. Rumpelstitskin, his father and Bram followed her suit, while Commander Byront watched their backs, having his sword in position and ready to attack if the moment was called for it.

At each step Belle took, her heart would beat faster. Once in a while she would look ahead to bitterly realize the magical compass was leading her to the dungeons. She never had been there, but had heard the horrible tales of prisoners who went mad or ill from the precarious conditions of the prisons. Sometimes her eyes would meet Rumpelstiltskin's and he would nod in encouragement. No words were needed between them now. She knew he was telling her everything was going to be okay. And she desperately prayed he was right.

They entered the lowest part of the castle. Once and a while they would hear a drop of water fall in a small pond formed on the unleveled floor. The sound of their feet and the rustling of their clothes disturbed the deadly silence that had installed itself in the dungeons. Belle had to turn her head and close her eyes when they met a putrid carcass of somebody who had died chained in a cell and was long forgotten by everyone. She fought back tears fearing the same destiny for her father. And at the same time, the beauty wondered how her father could allow such a horrible fate to anybody, criminal or not. Suddenly she stopped. The arrow had stopped. They were standing in front of a dark cell. A small window was the only thing that provided some light in the space. There was some straw on the naked stone floor and Belle could discern a large shape lying against the wall, in the shadows, in the darkness.

"Papa?" Her voice echoed thought the walls, a sound too melodic, misplaced in this sad place. Her voice translated her fears and uncertainties, her hopes and desperate wishes. And it caused a small reaction on the lying figure, which moved itself a bit in the darkness of its cell, the rustling of material against stone discernable. "Papa?" Her voice was a bit stronger, but the fear was more present now. All kinds of tragic scenarios were growing in her mind. What if this wasn't his father? What if he was fatally ill? What if he had become insane? What if…The figure moved again and this time it was visible he was struggling to get up, leaning and supporting on the humid walls of the cell. The figure walked a few steps closer to the light and Belle held her breath. Immediately, she recognized the blue eyes she had inherited from her father. "Papa!" She called out in tears, all fears from earlier vanishing away, her heart filling with joy and hope instead.

"Belle!" King Maurice whispered. His voice was weak and hoarse, from the too many incessant screams of despair and the too long spaces of time in which he lived in silence. "Belle! Oh my beautiful Belle!" He muttered, tears cascading from his eyes, his arms stretched to reach for his daughter, who stood laughing and crying behind the bars.

They held their hands between the iron bars, shared kisses and words of love. King Maurice had become too thin; his face was pale and had dark rings under his eyes. His hair was messy, his face and hands were dirty and an unhealthy smell surrounded him. But all this Belle ignored and didn't care. She had her father back.

"We must find the keys." Rumpelstiltskin told the others, while he watched the emotional reunion between father and daughter. The men searched a while until Bram found a set of large rusty keys hanging of a wall nearby the entrance. He gave them to his friend.

"Rumple." Charleston suddenly rested his hand on his son's arm. "This is the man that sent you to the war. Who wanted Baelfire in the front lines." The old man said gravely.

Rumpelstiltskin had a moment of hesitation. His eyes went nervously from the keys, to his son's gaze and then to his father's. Charleston was right. This was King Maurice, the Cruel, the Merciless, the Children's Slayer. But as Rumpelstitlskin watched Belle and the king together, both crying and caressing each other's faces with trembling fingers, all he could see was an old, weak and tired man. Somebody who had suffered cold, isolation and hunger for a long time. King Maurice had already paid for his crimes.

"He's her father. Besides, he suffered already enough, pap."

"He's a monster." The old man protested.

"He's still human." His son countered and walked to the cell.

Belle turned to him when he reached them. She had a beautiful glint in her eyes and happiness was all what irradiated in her smile. It warmed Rumpeltstiltskin's heart to see her like this. But when he turned to the keyhole, he was confronted with the face of the man that ordered all peasant men to the Ogres wars. All the warmness in his heart faded away and suddenly it felt frozen. Rumpelstiltskin swallowed dry and broke the eye contact with his ruler, inserted the key in the keyhole and turned it. A click was heard and the cell's door was opened. Immediately, father and daughter closed the distance between them and remained in a tight embrace for a long while, whispering their love and fears for each other. The spinner decided to give space to them and walked a bit away. He met his father's eyes. No words were needed to express what they felt. They both still loathed the king.

"Papa, I want you to meet someone." Belle said after their emotional reunion. She took her father's hand and guided him to Rumpelstitlskin who had been watching them from a safe distance. He wanted to smile for the sake of Belle, but the muscles in his face felt numb. His eyes were fixed on King Maurice. "Papa, this is Rumpelstiltskin." Belle proudly announced, unaware from the hostile stare the spinner was giving her father.

"Who? Rumpelsti… Never heard about him." King Maurice muttered confused.

"You wouldn't, m'lord. I'm only a poor spinner." Rumpelstiltskin said, lowering his head and hiding the hate from his eyes.

"Come on Rumpel. You know you're much more than that." Belle said, mistaking his bow for his typical humility and shyness. "Papa, he helped and took care of me when I run away and then…"

"Wait…Why did a peasant take care of you? That was Gaston's task. Where is Gaston?" The King demanded confused, his voice a bit stronger than earlier.

"I'm afraid Lord Gaston is not among us anymore." Commander Byront said as he stepped away from the shadows.

"What are you doing here? You were banished!" King Maurice yelled outraged, once he saw the man who long ago had dared to defy him by questioning his motives and leadership. "And what do you mean he is not among us anymore?"

"Maleficent killed him." The old soldier said coldly. The king felt the air leave his lungs. His legs wanted to give away. He had loved Gaston as his own son. He had wished for Gaston to become part of the family through marriage. But now his precious champion was gone forever.

"I-It cannot be…That horrible woman…We must avenge him!"

"Papa, Rumpelstitlskin killed her, when she was transformed in a dragon." Belle said, resting a hand on his arm in hope of calming him down and help ease the pain. But she when spoke those words, there was such pride and adoration present in her voice and eyes that her father immediately knew she was in love with the spinner.

"You love him? You love this man? A peasant?" He asked with clear disgust in his voice, while he gave a murderous look at Rumpelstiltskin. Belle looked in shock at her father, never expecting this reaction from him.

"Papa?"

"Belle, your father is tired and weak." Rumpelstiltskin said softly, sensing the anger building up in the king. "This is not the place or the time to tell him what happened the past months." Belle stared from her father to her lover and nodded in agreement. There was too much her father didn't know, so she couldn't really expect him to understand what was going on.

"How dare you address her by the first name? She's the princess! This disrespect can cost you your head!" The king said in blinded rage, ignoring completely the fact it was Rumpelstitlskin who had killed Maleficent and indirectly, avenged Gaston's death.

"Papa!" Belle suddenly stood before Rumpelstiltskin shielding him from her father's insanity. "Papa, don't talk like this to him! And yes, I do love him. I'm marrying him!"

"What?" King Maurice suddenly froze. He looked from Rumpelstiltskin to his beautiful daughter and felt his insides turn. "No! I forbid it!" His voice echoed through the walls and an awful silence reined the space.

"We should have let him rot in the cell!" Chaleston yelled outraged, breaking the awkward silence."

"For the god's sake, father! Not now!" The spinner told off. The old man took a step backwards intimidated by his son's reprimand, but made an ugly face to the king who was staring shocked at him.

"What an outrageous disrespect! Who the hell are these people? I want them imprisoned! Now!" The king yelled, pointing his finger directly to Charleston, then to Rumpelstiltskin and finally to Commander Byront. He looked around nervously, realizing the only other people in the room besides the three men he had just named, his daughter and himself, was another peasant and a boy. "You didn't come to rescue me. This is a conspiracy to kill me!"

"Oh man, he's insane." Bram causally stated, much to Rumpelstiltskin's shock. His father was giggling at the comment, his son was looking extremely appalled and Belle was in tears.

"Nobody wants to kill you My Lord." Commander Byront calmly said. "The war has ended today, but until then, we have lost many men. The Council of Armithil has suffered many changes, while many deceased they were replaced by others. The princess selected us to accompany her to release you from your incarceration. Once we are outside, you can meet the rest of the surviving members of the Council and they will recount you the major events of this war. But for now, I suggest we leave this place. You need food and a good wash, My Lord."

There was a long silence after the commander's words. The king looked confused from one to the other. He looked lost and gave into tears when he saw his daughter was crying.

"I'm sorry Belle. I didn't want to upset you." He stretched his arms to her and she, almost awkwardly, embraced her father.

Rumpelstiltskin and the others switched worried looks. They decided to slowly walk out of the dungeons, Commander Byront helping the king, who was too weak to walk alone and refused to be touched by any of the peasants. Belle walked with her body against Rumpelstiltskin, who had his arm around her waist and whispered her comforting words. The king was shooting daggers with his eyes at the back of the spinner.

"How is it possible my Belle wants to marry a filthy peasant?" He muttered angrily.

"They have been through a lot together. Besides, My Lord, love doesn't see status or riches." Commander Byront said while he supported the weakened ruler.

"But how could the Council allow such an abomination?" The king insisted. Commander Byront suppressed the urge to sigh of impatience and roll his eyes.

"Let's say, the princess didn't give much of a choice to the Council. She was willing to give up the throne to stay with him." King Maurice stared surprised at the commander and looked at the direction of his daughter, who was walking ahead of them. She had her head on her lover's shoulder, his hand protectively resting on her waist. "The High Council of Armithil had to approve the engagement. An exception has been made due to the loyalty and important role he played during this war. He did kill a dragon, after all." The old soldier reported. The king looked ahead in great confusion. This man, this spinner was far from being tall, strong and powerful.

"How in earth can a spinner kill a dragon?"

Come on, you really didn't expect Maurice to go all "Marry the peasant! I'm so happy for you! YAY" did ya? I mean, it's Marice, Moe, Rumpel hater, you know.

So, your thoughts are? Review, please :)