Belle's fingers trailed over the dusty hinges of a wooden box, an ancient relic that she had been tasked with 'acquiring' from Regina's vault and laying in Rumpelstiltskin's possession.
One very specific instruction she had been given from the enigmatic protector was to not open aforementioned box.
Under any circumstances.
He was rather stern with the warning, admonishing some sort of threat that went something along the lines of 'refuse to heed my warning, and the consequences shall be yours to bear alone'.
Which Belle thought was a bit harsh considering he was supposed to be getting better lately.
It couldn't be anything dangerous – Rumple had said that Belle was the only person he trusted with retrieving this relic. He would never send her after it if it would put her in danger. Right? So, it was likely something he didn't want her to see. A heart, perhaps?
Her curious nature brought her attention to the silver lock, the key of which Rumple owned himself. Regina had the box in her possession for years but could never open it without somehow stealing the key from Rumple. A difficult task since magic had returned – and now he wanted it back.
Belle took once last glance around the sinful vault and tucked the box safely inside her duffle bag and threw it over her shoulder.
"And just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Oh, no.
Regina casually leaned within the stone archway with a sly grin on her face.
"I uh..." Belle flustered and badly tried to hide the duffle bag. "I was looking for books," she nodded fervently, "About magic."
"Oh? Magic?" Regina took a step closer, prompting Belle to instinctively retreat. "Did dear old Gold lose the marvellous collection in his shop?"
"No, I, uh," Belle's eyes darted around, seeking an exit that didn't exist. "He won't let me read them," she confessed, her smile strained.
"So, you thought you'd steal from me?"
"No! I was going to give them back—"
"Oh, please dear, save yourself the embarrassment." Regina flicked her wrist, a flurry of dark purple smoke revealing a familiar box in her hand. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Well, that doesn't look like a book to me."
Belle glanced down at her suddenly lightweight duffle bag and dropped it to the floor. Then, confidently, she took a single stride towards the queen. "That doesn't belong to you, you know!"
"On the contrary," Regina retorted with a smirk, "it was my mother's, and therefore, it's mine by inheritance. Did you think you could just waltz in here unnoticed?"
Belle's heart sank. Did Gold seriously get her to steal for him?
"Oh, don't tell me he lied?" Regina grinned, throwing the box on the floor as Belle jumped back. "Here, if you want it so much."
"What?" Belle furrowed her brow, but the Queen was still grinning. "You're just gonna give it to me?"
With a patronizing tilt of her head, Regina gestured to the box, now shimmering with a dark, enticing glow.
"Just like that?"
"Exactly like that," Regina confirmed, her grin never wavering.
Belle hesitated, then slowly crouched beside the box, her hands tentatively floating above it...
She paused. "No, this is too easy! Why are you letting me have it? What do you want?"
"What I desire..." Regina looked down at Belle, a smirk playing on her lips as she watched her. With a casual flick of her wrist, the box sprang open, and from within slithered a serpent-like creature, dark as the void. "...is for Gold to find out what happens when he gets his little maid to steal from me."
Belle shrieked and scrambled back across the floor, stumbling to her feet, the python hot at her heels.
"And for him to lose the only part of him keeping him good. If you can call it good. Thank you for making it easy, my dear."
"Why do you care?!" Belle jumped over the python as it hisses at her feet, it's long pink tongue clambering for its next meal.
"I need him to be the best version of himself," Regina mocks sardonically, "And the only way to do that is for him to blame himself for..."
"Ow!" Belle stumbled sideways as sharp teeth bite into her ankle, catching the wall to stop her falling.
"...Well, for what happened to you."
Belle couldn't help but kick the hungry creature away, a searing pain travelling up her leg. She launches past Regina as she finally made an open gap for her.
"A simple snake bite? That won't do anything!" Belle yells back as she stumbles down the hallway, approaching the vault's black doors. "I'll always keep him on the right path! He won't let me down again! No matter what you do!"
Regina scoffs as the doors angrily slam shut. "Well, he will if you're dead."
...
...
Belle's entrance into Gold's shop was heralded by the quaint jingle of bells above the door, strangely revealing a lack of Rumplestiltskin. With a furrowed brow and the weight of disappointment heavy on her shoulders, she cast the empty duffel bag on the unattended desk, a showcase of her failure.
"Belle," Gold appeared from the back room, taking her by surprise. He was leaning against his cane as he analysed her up and down. "Did you get it?" He knew the answer.
"No, sorry..." Belle sighed, gesturing at the bag. "Regina caught me looking."
Gold's brows furrowed, sensing something was amiss. It was easy to tell with Belle – the problem was getting her to admit it.
"I see," he took a step closer, noting the trepidation on her face. "That's quite alright. How did she react?"
"Uh..." Belle hesitated. She didn't want to give Regina what she wanted. "She just sort of, let me go. Guess she's afraid of you," she replied with her best smile.
"Did she now?" Gold gently touched her shoulder. "You don't have to lie, dearie; I can protect you."
'From yourself? I don't think so,' Belle thought to herself.
"I know you can," Belle skipped over the lying part. Speaking of lies... "What was in that box?"
Gold scoffed and turned back around, "Nothing of importance. To you, anyway. To Regina? Maybe a bit."
"I want to know, Rumple," she begged, wanting to know if he'd lie. "You sent me after it, what was in there that you couldn't get yourself?"
"Regina's vault is sealed from my magic, I can't get in there, and I don't trust anyone else."
"Please, Rumple," Belle grabbed his arm, causing him to face her. "I have a right to know. We have to trust each other," she looked him in the eye, "You have to trust me."
A long pause stretched between the two of them. Finally, a small smile quirked upon Rumple's face. "Of course I trust you, dearie. I would just rather maintain your innocence, than burden you with the knowledge of what's inside."
"Rumple..."
"Here's an idea. How about you, trust me? Hm?"
"Rumple!"
"Just for once!" he flaunts his hands around and backs off.
Belle sighed and watched him saunter off towards the back room again. Sounds like they were back to keeping secrets from each other, though perhaps for better reasons this time.
This secret, the one Belle was keeping, would save Rumple from himself. Plus, she couldn't let Regina win. He had to stay on the path of good.
Belle was pulled out of her thoughts by a crawling sensation in her legs, tiny sharp bites making its way up her thighs. The throbbing in her ankle was getting worse, soon she'd be struggling to walk. Soon, he would find out.
I can't let that happen.