Belle found herself hurled into a dungeon of sorts, tripping over her blue skirts as she fell face first into the dirt and straw that lay on the ground. The travel by magic had made her dizzy and a bit sick and she braced herself against the spinning of the room. The ruins of the cottage had dissolved along with her Father behind her, calling her name as the Dark One transported them to wherever she was currently though her eyes had never once left the face of her new master.

Taking deep breaths Belle tried to focus on one thing to stop the nausea that threatened. Her hands and knees throbbed from the force of falling to the ground, her head pounded in her skull as she attempted to adjust to the dark and dank dungeon of her new life. Her breathing was shaky as she pulled herself off the floor and attempted to regain her composure.

Belle surveyed the room; the Door behind her where she came in was large and thick made of a heavy wood and a contained a single small window with bars. She noted the small window in front of her which let in an ice cold breeze, not big enough to get out of she noted, though perhaps she could fit an arm or maybe her shoulder. She looked to her right and saw a small cot for sleeping with no blankets or any form of comfort there or anywhere in the small room, and next to the bed attached to the wall were two shackles with the appearance of dried blood on them and their presence unnerved Belle. A dungeon, for sure.

"Well, I always said I wanted an adventure…" Belle bristled under her breath wiping the straw and dust from her sore hands. Wincing she looked down, she had scraped her palms on the floor where she landed, shallow cuts glowing red in what little moonlight there was available. If she wasn't killed right away then perhaps an infection would end her misery. Belle shook the dark thoughts from her mind; she would never give into her misery completely or beg for mercy from this beast. However, she decided –raising an eyebrow – she definitely didn't have to go quietly into that silent night.

Quick as she could Belle scurried over to the door and grasped the bars of the small window that allowed her to look out into the hall, and pressed up onto her tip toes to be able to see out the window. Her view wasn't too good but if she pressed her cheek as close as she could against the bars she could, slightly make out a torch on the grey stone wall to her left. Pressing her left cheek to the bars she could see down a hallway and yet another torch. Belle removed her face from the bars and bit her lip. It had appeared she may be in the only prison cell, judging the size of the room she was in as she would have seen other doors. Though, Belle mused, she wasn't too familiar with prison cells, maybe they were deceptively far apart; maybe there were hundreds of cells. What if the entire place was nothing but cells for poor victims of this creature to live out their lives, prisoners of darkness?

"Hey!" Belle called out as loud as she could, her voice echoing down the empty hall. As standing on her toes made her feet sore, she began jumping up as she yelled again,

"Hello!" nothing but a hollow echo came back to her.

Over and over Belle jumped up and yelled, jumped and yelled until her legs were wobbly and her voice hoarse. Where ever she was, she was completely alone. And not alone the way she liked, but utterly, wholly, and totally alone.

Defeated and tired, Belle took a few wobbling steps toward the cot and collapsed into a sitting position on the edge. Looking around and seeing her new reality, she placed her face in her hands, letting the tears finally flow freely.

XxXxX

Belle did not move from her cot all night, watching as a little patch of light crept through the tiny window, dust particles pirouetting through the air as the light slowly moved along the floor. She had her knees drawn up to her chin, arms wrapped around her legs and she was trying to find a way to distract herself from the doom she had created for herself while simultaneously trying to keep her shivers from the cold from the window down to a minimum. Her mind kept wavering back to the deal maker, the Dark One. Something about him was familiar but she didn't know what it was. She chewed on her bottom lip trying to remember every detail but all she could do was see her Fathers face, his horrified look. Belle closed her eyes and rubbed her face in attempts at erasing the memory. If she were to keep her wits about her and bear the position she was in she would have to forget. Maybe there was some sort of magic potion for that?

A clang brought her attention back to the present. Looking toward the door she saw a plate of food had appeared, the purple smoke just clearing away. Magic food? Belles eyes went wide, she had never seen magic in her life, didn't even know it existed and now she has been party to magical transportation and magic food. Oh how the mind reels.

Getting off her spot on the cot she edged toward the food, leading with her feet, head back and face skeptical as if the food were an explosive. Leaning down she quickly picked up the plate and brought it up to her face a single brow raised skeptically. It certainly resembled food, the mush was a greenish colour, but the smell gave no hints as to the properties of it. She poked the side of it with a finger. Felt like porridge but looked like mashed peas. Absolutely horrendous concoction that would not be edible.

"Can I get some Real food, if it pleases you?" Belle yelled haughtily to the window of her cell door, only her echo reaching back. "Helloooo" Belle sang out, placing the plate back on the floor, waiting for something, anything. Why give her food if the intent was to let her die alone in her cell? Belle decided that there had to be someone, that she wasn't alone.

"What is the point of me being here? Hello? Why don't you just kill me already? Why bother feeding me?" Belle stomped over to the door and started kicking it repeatedly, angry bangs rattling down the halls. She would make as much racket as she could, even if it did nothing but give her a place to vent her anger. It was not fear that powered her it was anger she decided, anger at her father anger at her captor, even anger at herself. She had yet to let fear into her heart and she was proud of that, and damned if she allowed any fear in while she was incarcerated.

"Yes yes Dearie you do have a point."

Belle gasped and spun around. Sitting on the cot, legs crossed and arms behind their head sat Rumpelstiltskin. Belle set her jaw and planted her hands on her hips as she glared at him, trying to be bold, but he only smiled in return, a demeaning smile with an evil glint in his eye.

"Oh you do look scrumptious with your hands on your hips dearie, very feisty, Very you. I had hoped to get you started on mopping the floors but perhaps I will just gut and quarter you then make you into stew hmm?" A giggle escaped his lips.

Belle slowly dropped her hands and stared at him in disbelief, her eyes becoming large. But Rumpelstiltskin sensed no fear, which unnerved him for a moment, which he brushed aside with a wave of his hand, attributing it to stupidity on her part.

"Well then, you have my attention dearie. What do you want? I see you have scuffed my door, and neglected the nourishment I provided." He trilled as he jumped up and slowly paced around her, circling her like a vulture with his arms clasped behind him, his eyes wandering over her petite form. Belle became suddenly insecure, crossing her arms over her chest and her face growing hot as he circled her.

"Are you going to kill me then?"

Rumpelstiltskin was suddenly two inches from her face, close enough for Belle to feel his breath on her skin and his hand was on her throat, tight enough to control the movements of her head but not so tight as to constrict her breathing.

"Is that what you want, little girl? To die?" He breathed with a low voice, so very different from the voice she heard in the forest.

Belle grabbed at his hands, trying in vain to free herself. She was soon shoved up against the wall, his forearm placed violently across her collar bone, pinning her in place. Belle winced and breathed heavily as Rumpelstiltskin pressed his face as close as he could without touching her, searching her face for…something.

As suddenly as she was against the wall, she was released from his grasp and she staggered, trying not to fall to the ground. Rumpelstiltskin turned on his heel and used magic to open the cell door.

"Come along Dearie, we shall give the lady a tour."

Meekly Belle rubbed her jaw and followed him out the cell, uncomfortable with his sudden shifts in mood. As they walked down the stony hall Belle noted the other dungeons and the torches that lit up in front of them, and were extinguished after they passed. Belle took in every sight and every smell, trying hard to put everything into her memory bank in case she would need to retrieve it later.

They entered a large room, drenched in dark reds; Tapestries covered the walls, and trinkets stood on tall stands along the walls where a large cabinet stood with more trinkets. The massive windows were covered in thick red curtain, a large table at the center. As Rumpelstiltskin sat at the only chair in the table, Belle discretely noticed a spinning wheel in the corner in front of her.

"Come here, Dearie." Rumpelstiltskin nearly spit out that last word, Belle pursing her lips and furrowing her brow.

"I have a name; you can use it you know." Belle was surprised at the tone of her voice, she had seen him use magic before meaning he could probably turn her into a snail at the snap of his fingers. She also recalled how, though he was only a few inches taller than she and not appearing to have a great mass of muscles, he still seemed to be able to hurl her against a wall with great ease. She should be wary of the creature before her.

Rumpelstiltskin smirked at her daring lowered his voice. "Come here, Belle."

Raising her chin, Belle delicately walked closer to her captor with as much grace as she could muster. Rumpelstiltskin raised a hand to his face, rubbing his chin in amusement as she approached. When she was a foot away from him she stopped and clasped her hands behind her back and planted her feet firmly on the ground, making direct eye contact.

"Closer, Belle, I have… a gift." With a flourish of his hands and a puff of purple smoke, Rumpelstiltskin produced a glowing golden necklace, the fine chains linked together creating a braid and at the center stood a small sapphire-like stone, shimmering as if enchanted. Belle looked from him, to the necklace, then back to him again.

"Jewelry? You're giving me jewelry?" Belle deadpanned.

"Yes." He responded simply, meeting her blank look with one of his own.

Belle looked at him as if he had bugs crawling out of his ears, raised her arm and pointed at him and back at her as she spoke.

"You," she emphasized "are giving, me -your captive; the person you threw into a cell- Your giving me jewelry?"

"Well, it's more like… a collar." Rumpelstiltskin got out of his seat and swept aside Belles tresses before she could respond, shocked at how quick and graceful his own movements were. The Gold necklace hummed close to her ear as he wrapped it around her neck, closing the latch and taking a step backward.

At first the necklace just glowed, but then Belle felt a searing pain on her collar as the necklace turned a brighter shade of yellow. Belle let out a gasp and clutched at chain, burning her hands.

"What's happening!" panic had set in as Belle clutched again at the necklace, but Rumpelstiltskin ignored her as he produced a cup of tea with a wave of the hand and taking a seat at his chair once more.

The glowing finally dissipated, the necklace turning a more natural shade of gold and the shimmer of the sapphire dulling to a darker blue. Belle was clawing at the necklace, looking for the clasp, but the clasp had disappeared.

"What the hell is this?" Belle demanded with a shaky voice.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed dramatically, placing two feet upon the table and crossing his boots at the ankles "I told you. It's a collar. Now you cannot leave this castle. If you try to jump out of a window, sneak through a crack in the wall, fly away, you will feel a pain so great you will wish for death." With that he took another sip of his tea.

"Why?" Belle whispered.

"Well you are now one of my things. A moving living thing, I can't have you escaping now." He stood walking over to the fireplace to the left of the table, magically conjuring a fire.

"It cannot be removed either, so don't even bother." He continued, "You are mine. Forever. Now, let's put you to some use. I know for a fact you know how to handle a broom, and I assume you know how to make tea, so your duties now will consist of cleaning the castle, serving me all my meals, bringing me straw for when I spin, cleaning my clothes, whatever I request or desire."

Belle took a slow breath. "No."

Rumpelstiltskin slowly turned to face her. "No?" he said mockingly

Belle folded her arms and stuck out her hip. "No. that is not our deal."

Rumpelstiltskin narrowed his eyes. But Belle didn't back down.

"No, you said you wanted my life. There is nothing in our contract saying that I had to be a slave to you, I know, I read every word. Who signs a contract without reading it, really?" Belle stifled a smile as she watched the Dark One sputter and twitch his hands.

"Let me make you a deal." She raised an eyebrow at him, his eyes narrowing.

"I will agree to be your servant" she emphasized the word "If you remove this collar."

"Out of the question, that collar cannot be removed now. Nothing I can do, Dearie." He spat, getting closer to her.

Belle pursed her lips, it was worth a try.

"Why don't I just kill you? As you said before, your life is mine" Rumpelstiltskin challenged.

Belle just shrugged her shoulders, "I don't think you will."

"Oh No?" He was closer now his eyes narrowed. Belle daringly took one step forward to close the gap between them.

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it by now." She said matter of factly. There was a flicker of something in Rumpelstiltskin's eye for a brief moment that Belle was unable to decipher.

Rumpelstiltskin considered what she said for a while, the edges of his mouth twitching slightly.

"What else do you want?" He queried with a sneer and Belle tried her best to hide her triumph at the progress.

"My food then. I want better food, none of this mush stuff. And a proper room, with a bed and linens and washing basin. If I'm to be slaving away all day, I want to at least be able to relax at night. Give me these small trifles and I will do all the servant stuff you so desire me to do. Do we have a deal?" She finally let herself give a small half smile.

Rumpelstiltskin stepped back, examining her. "Fine, deal. But you will do everything I ask of you. Everything. If you don't, then back to the dungeon with large welts on your back."

Belle held out her hand to complete the transaction. Rumpelstiltskin considered her small hand, as if afraid it would bite him, and he gingerly shook it.

Belle smiled triumphantly, "Pleasure doing business with you. Master." She gave a mock curtsy and Rumpelstiltskin sneered at her once again.