Of Saints And Sinners

by Valenka

Stolen from his realm with no known way of returning, Rumple must navigate this strange new world where his magic refuses to work properly. With only a kind-hearted princess chained to him for aid, how will Rumple escape this bizarre land and finally reunite with Baelfire? And will he keep his word to Princess Belle to rescue Avonlea from Gaston's clutches?

11. Chapter 11

Tvon let out a long, exasperated sigh. He'd grown sick of going through slaves quite so quickly but the ring demanded it. Torturing them was what he delighted in, it was the fun bit, but a sacrifice was a sacrifice and the Ring of Halinox insisted upon it. That was how he'd ended up with a terrified pantherian woman – he favored those – chained in his tower atop a hexagonal onyx floor with numerous ancient spells inlaid in copper. Her wrists chained to the ceiling while her ankles were bound to the floor ending any thought of escape before it could start, fear kept her struggling though. Tvon hadn't fed her in days and hardly more than a mouthful of water had passed her lips in that time either. The scroll he'd found with Halinox's ring had spoken of unharmed sacrifices but Tvon didn't see the point, they'd be dying anyway so why not have some fun first?

"Struggle all you like, my dear." He mused aloud. "I do like to watch little kitties like you struggle." Tvon chuckled like the monster and aspiring demon lord he was as he readied the needed ingredients. The young woman screamed out for help but, with them being so high up and a barrier around the tower, nobody stood a chance of hearing her. "Have you not learned by now that all the yelling and begging in the world will do you no good? Stupid bitch."

Oh, the fight did amuse him though. Some fought to the very end while others simply gave up and accepted their fates quietly. Torturing someone to the brink was never quite the same, and Tvon revelled in it.

He picked up his athame – a gaudy and ornate thing with nacre set into the handle – then began to chant quietly. No other knew the spell, not even the Grand Mage, no, they'd all thought Halinox taken it to his grave but Tvon had pieced it back together. Gaston thought too small: Tvon wouldn't let his genius be constrained by the small.

Magic built in the blade's tip as the pantherian screamed and violently tried to escape her chains, she begged and even prayed to Drazva, a goddess she'd never believed in, but no one came to her aid. The athame plunged deep into her heart, a fast death was all she could hope for in that moment. Rich red gushed out of the wound when Tvon freed the blade and set it aside, trailed down her cold skin and splashed onto the ground like the last solo of a dying musician. Tvon watched her, watched the life literally pour out of that innocent woman to further his own dark desires. He prided himself on the mosaic of bruises and cuts he'd left all over her, she'd been a strong one but he'd broken her. He liked breaking his toys. She'd been on her last legs, that was the only reason he'd selected her out of all his play things to offer up to the Ring of Halinox. Who knew, maybe once Gaston had outlived his usefulness Tvon would take Princess Belle for his own and see how long she'd last; that girl had a stubborn streak that would surely not disappoint. A sadistic giggle escaped him as a fizz of deranged lust bubbled down to his nether regions.

Eventually the pantherian's blood formed a smooth pool with a mirror-like sheen to it; morbidly beautiful. But, just when everything seemed to have reached a conclusion, her blood began to move. It was slow at first, just a hint here and there to form a perfect circle, then the centre shot upwards until the blood had formed a goblet with sigils adorning the rim. Any other would have been awestruck, horrified or both, but Tvon had seen the spell so many times the wonder had died long ago. Carefully, he lifted it into his hands like a pretty blood clot and placed it down on a table behind him where he added a few secret ingredients – which included three beggar's buttons and a touch of lobelia – then watched as the goblet absorbed it all. The blood goblet bubbled and gave off a pungent odor as it turned from liquid crimson to solid black. Once hard enough, Tvon placed the goblet into his mortar and ground it into dust with the pestle and a quiet determination. When the powder had a consistency like sand it was ready, so Tvon went to the window, opened it and tossed the powder out into the air.

Tvon smirked. "Eat up."

As though it had a mind of its own, the black powder floated in a thin line like a snake through the air, weaved around the castle and danced through a window near the throne room. It moved this way and that, up and down, flew where no person would spot it and even swirled around a maid at one point, until it reached the throne room's heavy door and slipped underneath. Inside Gaston spoke with Avonlea's King but didn't seem to be getting anywhere.

" - and it's not a good idea, Gaston." Maurice insisted. "I want my people to be safe and your plan is simply recklessand pointless. You're a good soldier but a terrible strategist, Gaston. If we do what you propose then so many lives will be lost unnecessarily, you're essentially declaring war." Maurice cleared his throat and shuffled on his throne. "Now, where is Belle, you keep dodging the question. I need to visit little Lorrimer -"

Anger bubbled inside Gaston but as soon as he spotted the black powder working towards the King, the anger faded to smugness. He cocked his head to the side and waited, Maurice's demands wouldn't be an issue aftera few moments. The powder slithered up the side of the throne, down Maurice's sleeve to the ring he wore on his right middle finger, a garish thing with a large ruby that happily ate up the powder.

King Maurice stopped mid-sentence, shut his eyes and, when he opened them again, he acted like a different person because – well, that wasn't King Maurice any longer.

"I'll have arrangements made shall I, sire?" Asked Gaston with a knowing smirk.

King Maurice nodded. "Of course, Gaston, whatever you think is best."

Pleased, Gaston swivelled around and left the throne room with a dark smirk.

~X~

Rumple sat on the stairs at the Teapot Inn staring out the window above his head, he could only see the night sky and didn't know the names of the constellations. Part of him supposed he should have felthomesick but he didn't in the slightest; his belly was full of a home-cooked meal and he'd honestly begun to wonder if he felt happier in Dreymyr. No, he didn't need to wonder about it, Rumple did prefer Dreymyr and that was the problem.

Footsteps sounded then and he felt Belle sit down beside him on the step. She wore only her nightdress, chestnut locks hung messily around her face and her smile was enough to warm even the coldest of hearts.

"You really never sleep, do you?" She teased.

"I haven't had a regular sleep schedule since … ever."

"Not even when you were a child?"

"Especially not then." He snorted. "You should go back to bed, Belle. It's late and you get grumpy when you're tired."

That got a chuckle out of the gorgeous half-elf. "Look who's talking." She leaned in to kiss him on the corner of his mouth; the two sat in an awkward silence a moment until Belle broke it, she was the brave one after all. "Can't help but notice we just ignored what happened between us in the Osgar Hall Caverns."

Rumple's cowardice forced him to keep his eyes on the steps. "You didn't mention it, thought you wanted to forget it."

"Why would I want that, Rumple?" Belle's brow furrowed deeply with puzzlement. "Because you're a demon lord? Because you're older? Why couldn't a demon lord and a half-eld be together? Is it my ears?"

That got Rumple's head to snap up. How could that possibly have anything to do with anything?

"You're beautiful, Belle. I don't care about the shape of your ears."

She smiled sweetly and shuffled closer. "Good. Then can I have a kiss, please?"

Belle didn't regret being with him, giving her virginity to him, and Rumple's dark heart soared. Belle wasn't anything like Milah or Cora, she wasn't obsessive or jealous like Zelena, she was just a beautiful young woman who'd found a kernel of goodness deep inside him that even Rumple hadn't suspected existed. Still, she was much too good for him.

"You're a princess." He pointed out.

"I'm an adventurer." She countered. "I'm in your party." Then she was kissing him and Rumple, being the selfish man he was, soaked it all up eagerly. Soon she was sat in his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck to keep him close. Their kisses were gentle and loving, soft and tender. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

"Yes." He confirmed. "One would have to be blind not to recognize your beauty. I thought you were above fishing for complements though."

Belle smirked. "I have to fish, you don't hand them out very often."

The pair ended up with Belle rested in Rumple's lap in a comfortable silence, his chin rested atop her head of luscious chestnut curls. In one of the other rooms slept a man snoring loud enough to wake the dead but he went ignored so Rumple could indulge in Belle's warmth. Had she been Bae's mother rather than Milah, maybe he never would have ended up as the Dark One.

"It must be strange for you," she began after a few moments, her blue eyes focused on the sky beyond the window. "To look up at the stars and find them so different from the ones you've always known."

He shrugged a little, chin still atop her head. "It's happened before. There are numerous other realms, Belle, yours is just harder to travel to and from."

"What are these other places like?" Belle was nothing if not curious.

"There's one without any color. Everything is just varying shades of gray."

Her head tilted up so their eyes met, polished sapphires to inhuman chunks of amber.

"No color at all?"

"None." Rumple confirmed with a small shake of his head. "There is very little magic there as well. I met a man who calls himself a doctor there. Victor Frankenstein believes science is better than magic, that it can do the one thing magic can't: restore the dead."

"He sounds very interesting."

Rumple breathed out a laugh as his arms tightened around Belle in his lap. "He's a little mad."

"So are you." That earned a smirk and a muttered 'touché' as she snuggled further into him. "You're so warm."

It had been so exceptionally long since someone had sought comfort from him, then Belle and Amicia had both come along at once. In Dreymyr he was the most powerful evil in all the realm, same story as the Enchanted Forest just with the title of True Demon Lord rather than Dark One. However, Belle had no issue snuggling into him, and Rumple was a greedy man who'd take everything she was willing to give him while chastising himself for it. A voice in the back of his mind kept reminding him the day would come when they parted never to see one another again, but Rumple shoved it away in that moment.

"What will happen to Amicia?" Asked Belle as she unintentionally nudged him out of his thoughts. "I know we spoke of orphanages with Commander Skane but -"

"We'll discuss it with Gordana tomorrow, she knows Ranga better than you or I. No need to worry, sweetheart."

"You were so kind to Faris and his mother, so I know you'd not let anything bad happen to Amicia."

Belle yawned then, her hand flew up to cover her mouth and Rumple couldn't shake how adorable she appeared. He insisted it was time for bed, rose to his feet with her in a princess hold and carefully carried her back to their room. He set her down on the bed beside a sleeping Amicia and pulled the sheets over her; Azzy lifted his head from his spot on the floor at the foot of the bed but lowered it again as soon as he realized who'd entered. Belle looked good beside Amicia, she' d make an excellent mother one day. Rumple made for the desk but Belle caught him by the sleeve and stared at him with such pleading that he quickly relented to her silent request. He sat on the bed to remove his boots while Belle gently shuffled Amicia further across the bed to make room, then he settled down so Belle's back was to his chest and watched as she drifted off into sleep. With the introduction of the blonde girl, the bed had grown somewhat cramped, but Rumple didn't care as he lay there holding his beautiful princess. Normally he avoided sleep, it only led to nightmares and regrets, but he found he felt somehow lighter laying there with Belle in his arms. Soon slumber found him.

~X~

Rumple awoke to find the sun had already risen, surprising for a man who slept infrequently and always awoke before dawn when he did. The ceiling kept wobbling side to side – no, nope, he was the one wobbling. When Rumple glanced to his right he found Amicia shaking his arm softly; her long blonde hair was everywhere with her pointed ear sticking out and the nightdress Missus Potts had found for her had slipped off one shoulder.

"Milord? Milord, wake up." A sudden memory of Bae in his younger years doing the very same thing danced across his mind, only he'd been papa then instead of milord: he needed her to stop calling him that.

"I'm very awake, dearie, what do you want?"

Gently he disentangled himself from Belle and sat up while wiping sleep from his eyes. He actually felt … rested. How long had it been since he'd been able to sleep through the night?

"Could you help me get my dress on, please?" Asked the little girl.

Rumple swung his legs off the bed to look at her properly, the dress was balled in her hands and he realized her attempt to get it on by herself had been what caused the messy hair rather than just bed hair. Rumple smirked, Amicia truly was an adorable little girl.

"Sure, dearie."

So he helped dress her and adjusted the cap sleeves, then grabbed Belle's hairbrush to ease the bird's nest Amicia's hair threatened to become. Of course, Rumple had only ever been father to a son, but he'd always liked the idea of a daughter so he could put his sewing and braiding skills to work making a little girl happy.

"There," he said. "Pretty as a picture."

Amicia beamed, seemed sleep, reassurance and cuddles from a waheela had done wonders for her.

"Thank you, Milord."

"Little one, you don't have to call me that. I don't need reminding I'm the Dark One. You can just call me Rumple like Belle does." She nodded and he hoped that was the end of the whole milord situation: he wasn't some noble with a fragile ego who needed reminding of his status in every other sentence. "How about we get you some breakfast?"

"I can have breakfast!?" Powder-blue eyes lit up.

"Growing girls need breakfast." He told her as he laced up his dramatic boots and slipped on the coat Una Quartermaine had made.

By the time he offered his hand to Amicia, Azzy had awoke, stretched and gone to sit by the door in anticipation of his own breakfast. Amicia took his hand but stared over at a still sleeping Belle.

"Is she not getting breakfast?"

"We'll let her sleep." Rumple replied. "Missus Potts can save her something."

That was enough for the elf because she let Rumple guide her downstairs with Azzy right behind them. They took their place at Rumple's usual table and Chip quickly got the downsized waheela a bowl of water. Missus Potts wandered over a few seconds later after she'd dropped off food for a group Rumple recognized as adventurers and flashed Amicia a motherly smile.

"You're up late today, Milord. Can I get you some tea?"

He nodded. "Yes. Kindly bring breakfast out for Amicia and Azzy as well."

"Of course, right away. Anything for Milady Belle?"

"Still asleep."

The old woman went off to fetch breakfast and tea while Rumple watched Amicia subreptitiously out the corner of his eye. She swung her legs in eager anticipation of breakfast and stretched down to pet Azzy's head all happy and as though they'd not rescued her from a savage cult. He wondered if how quickly she'd become at ease around them would be a problem in the long run. Belle and Rumple wanted to give Amicia somewhere safe to live where she stood a chance at a normal life, but – Rumple didn't know. The last three hundred years had been about finding his son, he wasn't sure he knew how to ensure the continued safety of Amicia after he'd left her life. Then there was Belle's enslavement collar to worry about. Until she'd fallen back at the Osgar Hall Caverns, it had just been an inconvenience for him, but that fall had proven just how dangerous it actually was. He had to find a way of getting it off, had started to think that Gaston or his pet mage would be able to shed some light since they'd set up the spell, but he needed to find Jefferson before all that.

Rumple didn't get to linger in his thoughts very long thanks to Missus Potts returning with tea, a bowl of left over stew for Azzy and a plate of fresh bread, eggs and bacon for Amicia. It took little more than an encouraging nod for Amicia to tuck in.

"Sure I can't get you anything?"

"I'm fine." Rumple reached for the tea.

"But you're practically skin and bone, Milord."

"I'm immortal." He snapped but the old woman didn't seem deterred in the slightest.

"I'll bring you some eggs and bacon."

"I said no." He tried but Missus Potts had already left the table for the kitchen.

That damn woman hadn't ever been truly afraid of him despite knowing him to be the Dark One, but she'd started acting like the housekeeper who'd known him since childhood's hour and Rumple could honestly have done without it. Before long he had a plate in front of him and orders to clean it. The Church of Drazva had stories in their religious texts about his savagery and machinations, yet there he was sat in an inn with a child at his side being commanded by an elderly woman to clean his plate. Being told what to do hadn't been good, but he had to admit it smelt wonderful.

Amicia ate with such childish enthusiasm which took his mind off of all the other things circling around inside his head. He'd missed seeing a happy child sat beside him at meals – missed seeing happy children at all really. One day he'd share a meal with his boy again.

"Morning." Belle greeted as she sat down opposite him and Amicia dressed in her usual burgundy outfit, she helped herself to tea and offered the blonde girl a warm smile.

"Wondered if you'd be getting up today." He grumbled with mock irritation.

She sipped her tea. "This from the man who clearly let me sleep in." Missus Potts dropped off another breakfast plate for Belle totally unprompted and again insisted Rumple ate before leaving. "Are we still going to see Gordana after this?"

"Yes," he nodded as he finally took up his fork. "We've got to report the quest completion and she surely has to have found something on Jefferson by now. Bichelberger is the home of that magical university, correct?" Belle let out a hum of confirmation. "Then I would bet he went there, it's the biggest hub of magical information and I suspect Jefferson's magic isn't working properly just like mine. I'd further suspect that, with his hat classing as spacial magic, it's viewed as dark magic here."

"Bichelberger is so very far away. There are four kingdoms and two mountain ranges between us and the Arcane University. The Trade Road will be the quickest route but it'll still be a long journey."

"We'd better speak to Gordana and get going then."

Belle smiled. "Are you telling me to eat faster?"

"Insightful, aren't you?" He quipped and refilled his tea cup.

Eventually breakfast was over and Belle took Amicia and Azzy upstairs to get Belle's satchel while Rumple made his way to the inn's kitchen where he found Missus Potts and her son cleaning up after the breakfast rush. Chip took a while to notice him, but Martha picked up on his presence right away.

"Missus Potts, a word." The old woman dried her hands off on her apron as she approached so the two could converse in private. "With any luck I and Belle will be leaving again shortly. We won't be back for quite some time though."

"Oh, it'll be sad to see you go, Milord."

Of course it would, he and Belle had been continuous customers for months in a place where most only stayed a few weeks at most.

"Hmm, kindly hold the room for me." That had her head tilt to one side questioningly. Sure, he had enough money to afford any inn in Ranga, but Missus Potts was aware of who he was and didn't ask questions. She'd proven her trustworthiness and Rumple had no desire to lose that. "I'll pay you of course. A night at this inn is twenty-five coppers, so when I take into account how long I think we'll be gone and the loss of earnings from not renting out that room , not to mention meals from an occupant – how does three gold coins sound?"

Missus Potts eyes widened. "Milord, surely that is far too much."

Rumple shrugged. "Slightly, I'd say it would buy me about a thousand nights here meals included, but I'm tossing in some more for your digression and the fact you know but haven't informed the Church or attempted to throw us out."

"Know what?"

"Don't play coy, Missus Potts, it doesn't suit you. You are fully aware I am the Dark One, that is why you insist on calling me 'milord'."

The older woman sighed and glanced down at the flagstones a moment. "Yes, I know who you are. I thought it was a lie at first but, after my conversation with Milady Belle, I knew it to be the truth, especially with that double gold chain around your neck. You are the First Demon Lord. I feared you as a child, but no longer. You pay your rent without question and treat me and my boy with a surprising level of respect. Milady wears a slave collar, but you are good to her. And now there's little Amicia who looks at you with such fondness." She folded her arms over her chest. "Demon lords are vicious, horrible beasts is what we're all taught from birth, but you're nothing of the sort, Milord."

"Quite the complement, I'll have to make note of it." He told her sarcastically and produced three gold coins from his vault.

"Thank you." Missus Potts took them with a genuine smile. "Even with not alerting the Watchers or Church to the Dark One's presence, this much has to be too high a price.

He brushed off her concerns. "Well, you're keeping Belle's secret as well so I doubt it is."

"When will you leave, Milord?"

Yes, he supposed giving her that information would probably be for the best. He honestly wasn't used to informing people of his departures, there hadn't been anybody to inform for centuries.

"First thing in the morning." Rumple spoke over his shoulder as he made to leave the kitchen but paused and swivelled back around as a thought struck him. "A question: Where would you recommend as a good place to purchase a covered wagon?"

Missus Potts seemed surprised but pleased he'd bothered to ask her advice, though she'd lived in Ranga all her life and knew the city like the back of her hand.

"Em, well, there's the Dravenhyde Company Store. It's in the same plaza as the Adventurers Guild."

"Lovely." And with that, he was gone to await the girls and Azzy.

~X~

Within twenty minutes they reached the Guild building and headed directly up to Gordana's office with Rumple totally uncaring that it was technically a restricted area; he dared Maylea to try having that argument with him. As soon as Rumple opened the door to Gordana's office and arrow was instinctively loosed but he caught it before it entered his eye socket and simply tossed it aside completely unfazed.

"You're greetings require work, dearie."

He shut the door behind the girls and Azzy as Gordana set her bow down and fell back into her chair. Until that moment she'd got no idea he'd left the Limestone.

"Or maybe you shouldn't barge into a lady's office while she's cleaning her bow." Gordana sighed, did a lot of that around the Dark One. "I'm glad you're back, Rumpelstiltskin, it means you have answers and I won't be losing any more people in those damn Caverns." The brunette finally noticed Amicia then as Belle guided her to sit in one of the armchairs off to the side of the door by a bookshelf. "I know you and Belle get things done quickly, but a child her age is fast even for you."

"She's part of the report you want." He shot back, the darker part of him would have forced a snide remark out of him but that darker part had lately grown quieter.

Rumple went to Gordana's desk and dropped into one of the guest chairs while Belle opted to sit with Amicia. He tossed Commander Skane's quest completion letter to the guildmaster and watched disinterestedly while she read it. That letter was evidence he'd completed one of the quests he owed her, the woman got one more and one more only.

"This is certainty Selwyn Skane's stamp, who else loves oilharos so much?" She peered up to Rumple. "Tell me everything that happened in the Osgar Hall Caverns from beginning to end."

"We went down there expecting it to be crixx like everyone else." He explained. "Those tunnels are winding and mostly unmapped so it would be easy for any normal person to get hopelessly lost. Eventually though, we found our way to a chamber being used as a lair. There was an altar, a stack of dead missing persons and a lot of pedantic rituals going on. Frankly the monsters appear to be keeping mostly to themselves, it's the cultists that were the main problem. Belle called them the Sons of Rael."

Gordana gasped. "You can't be fucking serious!"

"Do I look like I'm joking, dearie? Regardless, most of them are dead or in a cell. They can't resurrect their dragon-snake god thing now."

"Amphisbaena." Belle corrected but Rumple didn't much care.

Meanwhile, confusion coated Gordana's face as she tried to take everything in. "If it was the Sons of Rael killing all these people, how were the corpses getting mutilated and hauled back to the surface?"

"The bodies were slipping through a crack in the floor to a lower level. My guess would be crixx were collecting them, mutilating them and dumping them outside hidden entrances as warnings to stay out. Humans like to put the heads of enemies on spikes, crixx like to break a few limbs off apparently."

"Could you not seem quite so blasé about this please?" Gordana snapped but Rumple hardly noticed.

"Had we not found their hideout when we did, Amicia here would have been their next victim."

The guildmaster's attention turned to the young elf girl sat beside Belle. "Poor kid. What is to be done with her? Does she have family she can return to?"

"No, otherwise I'd have done it already."

"Of course you would have." Gordana's tone took Rumple by surprise, had she actually glimpsed some of the goodness inside him Belle saw so easily? She honestly believed Rumple would do what was best for Amicia and it amazed him to know he actually appreciated her faith in him. "Ranga has a large orphanage on the other side of the city near the church. It's well maintained and treats elves and demi-humans quite well. She'll be safe there, I assure you." Out from her desk, Gordana took a sheet of parchment and began to write while Belle kept Amicia distracted to avoid a repeat of what had happened in Commander Skane's office. When she was done, a little red wax was poured onto the bottom and she pressed her ring into it then rolled it up and proffered it to Rumple. "Give that to whoever is in charge over there, it will help her."

Rumple took it without question and slipped it into his coat. Frankly Amicia needed all the help she could get with having a normal life and loving home, so Rumple would take any help Gordana was willing to offer.

Belle stood then and pulled the grimoire she'd stolen from the Sons out of her satchel, she placed it down on the desk while Amicia continued playing with Azzy.

"I took this from the chamber, didn't know if you'd require more proof or not."

"Thank you, Belle." She quickly hid it away in her desk drawer. "I'll contact Commander Skane and see about sending further adventurers to assist in rounding up any other cultists. I request that you say nothing about the Sons of Rael to anyone else, if people realize they aren't just an evil story, we'll have a panic on our hands."

"Of course not," Belle nodded. "I'd rather not know about them honestly."

Gordana took a pad from the corner of her desk and again made quick work of jotting down information, though this time she didn't place her seal on it. It soon made its way into Rumple's hands as well.

"That is for Maylea, she'll get you your quest reward."

"Lovely, dearie." He rose to his full height and flashed Gordana a knowing smile. "Oh, just so you remember; you can only send me off on one more quest."

The guildmaster sighed. "I know. Speaking of our deal, I might have something about that man in the hat you are looking for." That got Rumple to perk up so quickly Belle couldn't hide her smile. "There have been whispers of a strange, dark-haired man with an odd hat in both Evony and Knight's Rest, though that was some time ago. One of my most trustworthy contacts reported a man fitting your friend's description showing up in Durendurel a few days ago." This was the best information he'd been able to gather on Jefferson since he'd begun looking. "My guess would be he's making for Bichelberger. The city is large, there are many people and a wealth of magical information due to the Arcane University."

"So, I was right." Rumple mused aloud. "The Hatter had the same idea I did, only he made a bee-line for the city. Perfect, I was heading that way myself. You've done well, Gordana."

She breathed out a laugh and fell back in her chair. "You really aren't like the legends, are you? Ooh, ahh, fear the Dark One, he's the most horrific of the demon lords, just a savage." Gordana teased. "You aren't though, it's like that story was a different person."

"It was." He muttered mostly to himself but Gordana still overheard it and it caused her brow to furrow but, before she could question it, he'd moved on with his train of thought. "We'll get our rewards and be off to buy a wagon. Enjoy cleaning your bow, dearie."

"Wagon? Wasting no time to find your man in the hat, I see."

"I'm not going to sit around twiddling my thumbs."

"I'll be sure to send a letter to Grand Mage Demeer at the University, he might know where your friend is."

"Much appreciated."

Belle laced Amicia's hand with hers then followed Rumple out with Azzy after saying a quick goodbye. Grabbing their reward hadn't taken long and even less time for Rumple to stash it in the vault, though he did tip several coins into his hand first. Belle looked at him with confusion for a moment when he pulled on her coin purse and tipped them in."

"A refill, sweetheart, tell me if you need more."

Belle flashed him a smile; whoever thought this man was a monster was clearly an idiot. "Thank you."

Outside the Guild building Rumple scanned is eyes around the plaza until he spotted a large sign ahead and to the right of them that read 'Dravenhyde Company Store'. A mental note for later was made before he turned his attention to Amicia and the orphanage Gordana had told them about. Since he'd walked almost every street in Ranga by this point, he easily transported them to the church then they walked the rest of the way. She may have been kept distracted in Gordana's office, but Amicia cottoned on pretty quickly to where they were going when she saw the metal sign over the gate and kids playing just inside. Amicia stopped dead as fear flooded through her little body, stopped so abruptly that Belle actually stumbled backwards where she held the child's hand. Tears started small at first, just glossy pools over her blue eyes, but soon those pools turned to rivers as she sobbed quietly. Rumple's dark heart actually ached because the noise sounded so defeated, so disconsolate and pitiable: no child should have ever had to cry like that. Before he'd realized he'd moved, Rumple had lifted the little girl of no more than ten or eleven into his arms and begun to pet her blonde hair.

Out from behind the side of the building came a woman about Rumple's height with long black hair in twin braids, her eyes were dark and suspicious of the display before her despite her practiced smile.

"Can I help you?" She asked in a voice which sounded disturbingly like that damn Blue Fairy he hated so much.

Frankly he didn't blame the woman for her suspicion, a demon carrying around a heartbroken and crying little girl who quite clearly wasn't his child was cause for alarm. Rumple hated making Amicia so upset but the orphanage would be the safest place for her in the long run.

Rumple got right to the point. "Chief Commander Aalto said you'd be able to take in this girl."

He shuffled Amicia into one arm so he could produce the letter Gordana had given them, the dark-haired woman took it and lifted a surprised eyebrow when she spotted the seal.

"I don't want to stay here." Amicia sobbed. "Please don't make me."

Belle took Amicia's hand into her own to give it a comforting squeeze. "We know you don't, beautiful girl, but it's for the best."

With the letter read, the olive-skinned woman flashed a significantly less cautious smile at the two adventurers.

"Forgive my lack of manners. I am Ninym Honeywood, the caretaker here. Please follow me to my office, Milord."

Rumple mentally questioned the title and what Gordana must have written to have Ninym tack it on the end. He seriously doubted she'd written something along the lines of: 'He's a demon lord, an actual demon lord, so don't piss him off and say nothing about the slave collar on the Princess of Avonlea'. They were there for Amicia's care and protection though rather than spreading word of his Dark One nature. Belle went first with Azzy while Rumple followed with a crying Amicia still in his arms, they passed a trio of pantherian boys playing at the bottom of the stairs who seemed happy and properly fed much to Rumple's approval. The orphanage was simply decorated, nothing ornate or expensive, but clean and homely. At the top of the stairs Ninym called for a young girl to stop running and Rumple concluded Gordana had been right about Amicia being safe there. There was a healthy mix of species, including a dwarf and, though her voice reminded him of the Blue Fairy, Ninym Honeywood did seem to care about the children.

The office was well lit and filled with flowers and small plants in little pots, a tiny jar of multi-colored hard candies sat on the desk and children's laughter drifted through the open window. Amicia was set down on her bare feet and Belle ushered her to the red sofa much as she had in Gordana's office earlier that day, she wiped away the tears as best she could and cuddled the girl in an attempt to comfort her.

Ninym excused herself only to return a few moments later alongside a pale women with ginger hair up in a severe bun. Ninym crouched down before Amicia with a sweet smile and brushed a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Sweetheart, could you tell me your name?"

"… Amicia."

"That's lovely." Ninym complemented then gestured to the ginger woman. "This is Miss Abigail, she's my assistant."

Abigail waved and wore a similarly practised smile to Ninym. "Hello, Amicia, I'd like to show you around, if that's okay. We've got a lovely little garden where we grow our own strawberries and you're just in time to help Heather pick apples off the tree."

"No!" The young elf snapped as her attention turned to Belle. "Please let me stay with you."

All her life, this girl had known sadness and loneliness, then two adventurers had come along and showered her with care and attention, they'd fed and protected her then just dumped her in an orphanage. With the kindest smile he was capable of, Rumple took a knee beside Ninym. Amicia looked so small and reminded him of Bae when Milah abandoned them for that damn pirate.

"Little one, you know I will not harm you, right?" Amicia nodded. "Good. Then you also know I will not allow anybody else to hurt you. You'll be safe here, Amicia. Who knows, if you look around maybe you'll like it here."

The blonde didn't want to agree, wanted to argue, but arguing with the Dark One didn't seem like an actual option, so she reluctantly nodded and wiped more tears away. Everybody stood up and Abigail took Amicia's hand.

"Azzy, go with them."

The wahleela didn't need telling twice, he padded off with Amicia and Abigail as they left the office. Silence lingered a few seconds as Ninym sat herself down at her desk and gestured for Rumple and Belle to do the same.

"Chief Commander Aalto's letter says Amicia was rescued during a quest where her life was put in jeopardy. I assume this means there are no possible relatives?"

"It seems she was born to some kind of servitude, no collar, but there's been no schooling or proper care."

"Poor girl." Ninym whispered before she pulled a ledger out from her desk.

To be perfectly honest, Rumple had grown sick of hearing people say that. It was a reactional comment without any true meaning.

"Yes, dearie, I've heard several people say that lately."

Belle wanted to chastise him for his rudeness but she'd seen Ninym take note of her enslavement collar and didn't wish to raise too many questions, she also understood Rumple's frustrations and sympathized with them.

"I just need a little information from you so we can register her properly." She dipped her quill into the ink pot, jotted Amicia's name down then turned her dark eyes back up to Rumple. "She's a full elf, yes?" Belle confirmed she was. "How old is she?"

"We don't know, doubt she does either, dearie. I'd estimate nine to eleven."

"I'd be inclined to agree. Now, where was she located?"

"The Limestone."

Ninym's eyebrows raised and her hand stilled. "Avonlea? May I ask why you brought her to Ranga?"

"It was easier since Dunnmere has no orphanage and we are based here." He said as if it were all very simple. "Need anything else?"

"No, Milord." Ninym shook her head. "We have children here who came with even less information. Some haven't even got a name." That hurt Belle's soul. "Thank you for taking the time to bring her here. I'll take you down to the garden so you can say your goodbyes, it'll mean a lot to her once she's gotten over the initial upset."

Rumple hated the idea of abandoning another child, but it needed to be done. Amicia needed to have a stable, safe life and Ninym Honeywood's orphanage could provide that. He wasn't abandoning a child, he was simply placing her with good people who could give Amicia a happy life. So, with Belle at his side, Rumple followed Ninym down to the garden where they found Amicia and Abigail picking fresh strawberries with two other children. Amicia's face remained red but, thankfully, the tears had reached an end.

"How's the garden, little one?"

Amicia shrugged. "Pretty, I guess."

"Good." Rumple nodded. "Miss Honeywood and Miss Abigail are gong to take care of you now, okay?"

"I want to stay with you." Blue eyes stared at him desperately but Rumple stayed strong. "Please? You're nice. I'll put a collar on too."

All the adults stilled at that with eyes widened with shock. A collar? Amicia shouldn't have known what the hell an enslavement collar was, let alone be willing to wear one.

"No." He said firmly with a shake of his head. "You are no one's slave, certainly not mine. Belle and I are giving you a home by leaving you here, little one. You have other children to play with, a bed to sleep in."

Amicia rushed forward, her little hands clutched Rumple's leather coat. "I'm useful though! Let me stay with you."

Belle crouched down to rest a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "You shouldn't have to be useful, Amicia, you should play and grow up with friends. You should be free to be a little girl." Said little girl was pulled into a hug while Amicia continued to mutter about wanting to go with them. All the situation did was make Rumple even more determined to find Baelfire and make things right. "We'll come visit you when we get back from Bichelberger, I promise."

That seemed to provide Amicia with a little comfort but those blue eyes of hers remained sorrowful.

"What if I don't like it here?"

"You will." Belle assured, a bright smile on her face.

Rumple and Belle kept their goodbyes brief in an attempt to not make things more difficult for Amicia. She may have been upset in that moment, but she hardly knew Rumple or Belle and would surely be able to move on with her life eventually. Ninym clearly cared for the children under her supervision and, with so many other kids to play with, Amicia would surely adjust quickly.

They left the orphanage as Amicia began to cry and Rumple did everything he could to force the memory of Bae's face the day he'd let go of his hand out his head. Belle clutched his clawed hand, for her benefit or his Rumple didn't know, he was just grateful for her touch. By the main door Rumple saw a large wooden box secured to the wall clearly for donations. Without hesitation he summoned ten gold coins and dropped them through the slot. Belle didn't mention it, but she was pleased to see yet another display of him being a good person at heart.

Once the orphanage was firmly behind them a single tear slipped down Belle's porcelain cheek, so Rumple snared her in his arms uncaring of the stares they got. They'd not known Amicia long, but she'd truly made an impact, on Belle more so than he'd realized.

"I know we hardly know her, but I liked having her around." Belle whispered against his neck.

"It's all right, sweetheart, it's better for her here."

Both knew the orphanage to be the best place for Amicia, so Belle nodded and wiped her cheek as their hug broke apart. They'd rescued Amicia from certain death and that was what was truly important.

"You're right."

"Usually am." He quipped but Belle simply continued.

"We should go buy that covered wagon and find your friend."

So that was what they did. The pair walked back to the plaza with their arms looped like any fine couple; of course Rumple could have teleported them back but the walk did them good, let them clear their heads. There were a few odd looks, even in an inclusive kingdom like Dorovoth, seeing a demon and half-elf together was unusual; especially one in an enslavement collar.

The Dravenhyde Company Store sat large and proud on one corner of the plaza, big windows let in an abundance of natural light, but otherwise the building didn't look all that dissimilar to everything else in the plaza. Inside though, that was unlike Rumple had seen in any realm. Chandeliers were everywhere with smaller lanterns lighting shaded corners, numerous products were stacked on display podiums or shelves, but that wasn't what truly amazed Rumple, no, the fact the store had several different departments for this and that all contained in one place did. Even in the royal capitals Rumple hadn't seen such convenient organization. The store had multiple levels and was packed with shoppers; a whole market inside a single building.

"Maybe we should split up and search for clues as to where anything is." He quipped which got a breathy laugh from Belle as a young demon padded over to them with a smile.

"Good day, sir, my name is Eloise." She greeted, her red eyes twinkled in that practised way of anyone trying to sell something, and her green uniform appeared to have been designed to be enticingly cute without tipping into risqué. "I'm afraid I must ask you to leave your … dog outside."

Belle and Rumple both glanced down to Azzy sitting at their feet, they'd gotten so used to his presence that they often forgot many businesses didn't want animals in their establishments. Chip had talked his mother into letting Azzy stay at the Teapot Inn – though Rumple being the Dark One had probably also played a part. Rumple glanced to Belle expectantly which had her reluctantly nodding, she could understand a no dogs rule even if Azzy was actually a waheela.

"Please?" Asked Belle; until that moment she'd not known a wolf could frown so deeply. "Don't give me that look, Azadanes."

Ooh, she'd broken out the full name, Rumple didn't envy the wolf. With what could only be described as a huff, Azzy turned around and headed for the open door to wait outside. Unsure of what she'd just seen, Eloise brightened her smile.

"Thank you, sir. Is there anything I can help you find today?"

"A wagon." Rumple replied quickly while Belle pretended not to feel bad for having sent Azzy outside.

"Oh." Said the demon girl with tiny pointed horns sticking out the top of her head. "Of course, sir, we have several models to choose from in the outside lot. Kindly follow me."

Eloise guided them through the store, passed trinkets and items which oddly reminded Rumple of his collection back at the Dark Castle, then out into an open area with a wooden shelter protecting at least a dozen wagons, handcarts, phaetons and carriages. Carts were too small for the long journey they'd be taking, while a carriage would have been impractical, lacking storage and too showy for their needs. For quite some time they perused the wagons while Eloise peppered the time with various bits of noteworthy information about each model. Unlike most people on long journeys, Belle and Rumple didn't need to take as much equipment with them since Rumple could summon just about anything from his vault. No, the wagon was more about travel speed, Azzy having somewhere to rest and fresh food and water for Belle since Rumple didn't actually need to eat. The gold earned from questing had racked up quickly, especially since they'd not needed to pay for Svadilfari, so money wasn't an issue.

Eventually a choice was made, one of the bigger covered wagons to accommodate Azzy, but Rumple knew Svad wouldn't have an issue pulling it. He couldn't just magic them to Bichelberger so they'd spend a lot of time in that wagon, it would be better to ensure Belle would be comfortable. A carriage was more befitting her status but she was no normal princess and seemed happy with Rumple's selection.

"An excellent choice, sir." Eloise commented, but Rumple expected she'd have said that about anything he'd chosen even if it had been falling apart and on fire. "If you'd follow me to the main desk please, We can sort out payment and ownership papers."

Without a word they followed Eloise back into the Dravenhyde Company Store and through the network of corridors to the main desk, as they passed the haberdashery section Belle leaned in close with mild concern on her face.

"Azzy is getting worried." She told Rumple conspiratorially. "He doesn't like being away from me and we've been gone a while."

Sometimes Rumple forgot Belle was a tamer, a totally unique form of magic only found in Dreymyr, and that her connection to the white wolf was deeper than just owner and pet. They were friends and comrades above all else: at least after Rumple was gone Azzy would still stand at Belle's side.

"It's not for too much longer." He comforted while Eloise prepared all the paperwork.

The covered wagon ended up costing four silvers and twenty coppers, which seemed really rather reasonable, and the ownership papers were taken into the back to be stamped. Eloise's smile might have been over the top but she was damn good at her job, knew just about every detail of everything in the store – Dravenhyde trained their staff well.

"Thank you very much for your purchase, sir." She said as the ownership papers were handed over and tucked into Rumple's coat pocket. "Where shall we have it delivered for you?"

"No need, I'll take it now." He waved his hand though seemingly nothing happened. "There, all sorted, dearie."

"Em, okay." The bright smile faltered a moment. "Is there anything else you'd like help with? We have several accessories and storage items for covered wagons."

"That shan't be necessary, dearie. We have everything we -"

Rumple's words were abruptly cut off when a young man burst through one of the doors behind the main desk.

"Eloise, I'm so sorry for interrupting, but that wagon you're selling just disappeared."

Belle actually felt bad for the staff, she just took Rumple's omnipotent powers for granted by this point, expected him to just do the impossible, but the Dravenhyde staff still believed the Dark One to be a myth.

"Worry not," began Rumple as Eloise's face fell. "I simply moved it to my Guild vault. Perk of spacial magic."

Frankly the thought of that poor wagon squished into the corner of that vault was slightly amusing.

"I thought only demon lords were capable of such magic." Said Eloise before she'd even realized her lips had parted.

Rumple did not want to have that conversation, it always ended with more questions than it was worth. Then there was the luck they'd encountered; everybody from Martha Potts to Xylda Xaver had been friendly and accepting of the fact Rumple was the First Demon Lord, but that wouldn't always be the case, eventually someone would choose confrontation and report them to the Watchers, Gaston, Church or all of the above.

"Bye now, dearies."

They left the confused staff behind and soon found Azzy waiting on the steps outside looking impatient. Belle quickly rushed to pet his ears and scratch behind them in that spot he liked while Rumple glanced around the plaza and pondered to himself.

"We should return to Locheart, I want you to have a better dagger."

Belle lifted an eyebrow and turned away from Azzy. "Really? But I hardly ever use the one I have."

"Regardless, you need a better one, something magic imbued."

"That's expensive."

Rumple shrugged. "You've seen the quests we've done, Belle, we have a lot of money."

She knew this was one of his quiet ways of keeping her safe, it might have been unnecessary to her but Rumple had made his mind up and there was little point in arguing.

"All right," she agreed, and a moment later they'd teleported half way across the kingdom to Locheart and landed by the counter at the Lyrelocket brother's shop.

"Holy fuck!" The dwarf known as Ulfur jumped almost out his skin behind the counter. "Oh, it's you. Welcome back, how's that dagger been treating you, lass?"

There was a short exchange between Belle and Ulfur about the dagger while Rumple glanced at the various tables of weapons – skilfully made but useless to Belle. Outside children played and women chit-chatted, but Rumple wanted them to be underway quickly so got right to the point.

"We're in the market for something new, a little better."

The dwarf nodded. "An upgrade, is it? Need something made of crimson steel? It's expensive but the magic in it is strong."

Rumple waved the price warning off. "That is fine, dearie."

"Good, because I don't like talk of discounts." Ulfur's teasing got Belle to chuckle, a sweet and wonderful sound that Rumple soaked up. "What sort of imbued spell were you looking for? Increased strength and sharpness?"

To Belle that sounded perfect but Rumple shook his head with that demonic smirk of his. "I was thinking something a little more … painful. Can you craft a dagger that burns when it cuts? Something strong enough to dissuade a larger monster if needed?"

"Yes," Ulfur nodded quickly. "That shouldn't be hard, done it before. Oskar's better at the magic side of things, he's bronze-ranked. We can get it done by the end of the day but, like I say, it won't be -"

"Won't be cheep, I know. How much, dearie?"

Ulfur leaned on the counter as he ran the math through his head. "Such a spell is powerful so it requires a lot of rust salts, and it'll need dragonling horn as a core to contain the spell. I'd say you're looking one gold and fifty silvers."

An acceptable amount to Rumple, he'd given out more than that to Missus Potts earlier that day and to Ninym Honeywood's orphanage. Belle though, even a princess knew it was expensive for a dagger.

"That's fine. We'll be back later."

With their business concluded for the time being, the pair left the shadowy weaponsmiths and returned to the warm sunlight that shined down on the street. The ball was firmly in the court of the Lyrelocket brothers now and Rumple had every confidence in their forging skills.

"Why are you getting me such a powerful blade, Rumple? I don't use this one very often and I have my potions."

"True," he agreed. "Though you can run out of potions or lose them and, while I am powerful, I would feel better if you had a weapon which can deal large amounts of damage quickly."

Belle smiled softly, the sort of smile that lit up her eyes to make those sapphire sparkle.

"You want me safe." She rocked up onto her tiptoes to kiss her demon lord, delicate hands rested atop his forearm. "I love you." Oh, how he adored her, how he longed to just wrap her up in his arms and never let go – Bae! Bae was the priority, had been for almost longer than he could remember. Everything in him wanted to say those words back, to tell Belle just how much he loved her, but that would just make things harder when the time came for him to leave. Fortunately, Belle's happy mood drove her onwards to another subject. "Okay, so if we need to wait for them to forge and imbue the dagger, what will we do until it is ready?"

All this talk of daggers made Rumple itch to hold his own, just to ensure it was safe.

"Last time we were here I noticed a supplies store, we'll need food for the journey."

Belle's lovely brow furrowed. "Couldn't we have bought that from the Dravenhyde Company Store?"

"Could have, but Dravenhyde didn't have a bakery – which, quite frankly, was a surprise considering the ostentatious level of goods in there."

Rumple made to begin the walk but paused and swivelled back around when he noticed Belle hadn't followed, she wore a small smile and her eyes twinkled in that way they always did when amused. He cocked his head to the side questioningly.

"We came all the way back to Locheart for sweet treats, didn't we?" Well, that and the dagger. "Just when I think you can't get any more adorable, you take me to a bakery and pretend it's all for my benefit."

Nobody in three hundred years had discovered his sweet tooth, yet there was Belle pulling away layers to see his core. She chuckled and hurried to catch up with him. As they walked Rumple found himself pondering how he'd developed that sweet tooth; he supposed that, like so many other things, it was all down to Bae. On the odd occasion when they'd made enough money at market, Rumple would buy a honey bun for him and Bae as a treat before they started the long walk back to their hovel. Those moments together had been delightful, comforting and full of joy and he supposed, even after so many years and how he'd abandoned his boy, something sweet still supplied that feeling that everything would be all right. A cake or candy couldn't solve any real problem – apart from maybe a child throwing a tantrum – but Rumple secretly basked in the feeling anyway.

Their feet soon arrived at the Bosworth building complete with it's own gourmet bakery inside, and Belle had to admit, it certainly looked inviting. Of course it wasn't anywhere near the size of the Dravenhyde place, but that said nothing about the quality inside. A repeat of Eloise's request was expected, so Rumple and Belle made the executive decision to leave Azzy to wait outside, a decision he was displeased with. The three of them knew Azzy to be the waheela companion and protector of Princess Belle of Avonlea, though, to everybody else, he was just a pet.

As soon as they were across the threshold they were hit by a wonderful scent of sugar and fresh fruit, the sort of scent that threatened to make one's teeth hurt. The bakeries Rumple was familiar with were all in large cities and mostly focused on bread, but the Bosworth Store and Bakery had taken things to a whole new level. The bakery counter had several glass panels that allowed customers to see the available goods, and a number of ribbon rosettes lined the walls showing off the awards their baking skills had won them. Bae could have died happy in such a place. A line had formed of people young and old awaiting their turn to buy the fresh bread and cakes, while others flitted around shelves where items such as wrapped candies sat. A flight of stairs tucked away at the back indicated their healthier goods were on the second floor.

"They have lemon cakes!" Belle announced quickly and went to join the line with glee, but Rumple caught her by the hand to tug her back.

"Supplies for the wagon first, sweetheart."

Reluctantly she nodded, Belle knew he'd not deny her one little lemon cake before they departed.

Having seen they weren't just there for the bakery, a young salesman dressed in a brown and blue uniform approached. He smiled brightly – 'oh look, another person with a practised smile designed to make me buy something I didn't want or need' muttered Rumple's cynical mind.

"Welcome to Bosworth, I am McKellen. How may I help you today?"

Rumple offered neither greetings nor pleasantries, instead he simply reeled off their supply needs as though they were a list of demands while Belle wondered quite how he'd gotten so rude.

"We are going to need several pounds of rice, cured meats and vegetables."

"Ah," McKellen started knowingly. "Going on a journey, I see. All right, sir, I'll have your requested items collected for you in one of our private rooms. Should you like, I can escort you around the store so you may peruse our wares and better supply yourself."

Working around all the tasty treats had left McKellen far too sugary sweet for Rumple's liking; cloying was the only polite word he had for the man before him. However, his presence would probably help to hurry things along, so Rumple put up with it and allowed him to guide them around the upper floors. Bosworth had an impressive selection of goods as well as a few magic items to assist in cold storage for the wealthier customer, Rumple didn't need such things since he'd figured out ice magic. In hardly an hour, everything they actually needed had been gathered as well as some candy Belle had insisted upon, cookware, hard cheeses and those lemon cakes that had so taken Belle's attention. A princess and the Dark One going on a road trip, it sounded like the start of a bad joke.

Rumple hunched over the table of the private room when the bill arrived to sign and ensure everything was there. Two silvers and five coppers, a sum mostly caused by items of confectionery for Belle and extra dried meats for Azzy. Still, they weren't exactly hurting for money after they'd been paid for their quest to the Limestone, so Rumple paid without question.

"Thank you for your purchase today, sir." It irked Belle that people spotted the collar then just ignored her presence. "I shall call one of our attendants to assist delivering your items."

"No need."

A wave of his hand that no longer caused Belle to bat an eye, sent everything to the vault for safekeeping. Maylea had told them perishables weren't allowed in the vaults, but it would only be until the new wagon was loaded; and, of course, Rumple wasn't afraid of a five-foot-nothing woman with rabbit ears and a cottontail yelling at him about storage. With their business done and a lack of care for McKellen's astonishment, Belle and Rumple departed Bosworth Store and Bakery arm in arm to find Azzy sat under the shade of a tree patiently in eyesight of the door.

"You're very smart." Said Belle sweetly.

"True, but what has brought this bolstering on, sweetheart?"

"Well," she began as she patted Azzy's head and they continued their walk. "Those lemon cakes do look amazing. I'm already longing to eat them with some hot tea. You were right to bring us here." Her face fell then. "Lemon cakes are Lorrimer's favorite. I miss him."

Rumple did everything to be with Bae again, and sometimes it was easy to forget Belle did it all to be with her brother and papa rather than just restoring her kingdom. Ten, Prince Lorrimer du Marchand was ten years old, his mother had died, his father was being controlled and his sister had vanished, then there was his sickly nature.

"He will be fine, Belle. I told you, Gaston won't risk harming him until your and his bond is ironclad. Lorrimer will be fine."

She nodded, wanted to believe the man she loved but couldn't shake the bitter feeling everything would soon fall apart. Rumple squeezed her hand then and the darkness faded away, he was the True Demon Lord and had vowed to restore her kingdom, Lorrimer would be fine. Maybe after Gaston and Tvon had been outed she could introduce her little brother to Bosworth's lemon cakes.

Since the making of Belle's new dagger would surely take hours yet, the trio spent the afternoon wandering the market. Rumple had hardly any interest but Belle enjoyed seeing what people had made and the simple act of exploring a market still hadn't lost its uniqueness for the Princess. Belle bought a new hair ribbon and Rumple insisted they stopped off at the apothecary to top up his stash of ingredients, but there wasn't any urgency to their movements. How long had it been since Rumple had just taken a walk with somebody? How long since he'd not shied away from the sun or been consumed by the urge to snarl at anyone who stood too close? How long since he'd felt … human? Everything was down to Belle, down to the wonderful eighteen-year-old princess who saw beyond a beast.

As night fell, they returned to the Lyrelocket's shop where they found Oskar sat at a grindstone sharpening a sword. He nodded a greeting to them then tilted his head back to call for his brother all without slowing his movements even a little.

"Ulfur, they're back!"

Out from the back came the dwarf brother quickly, excitement sparkled in his one working eye. He held the dagger secured in a sheath of red leather.

"Excellent timing." Said Ulfur. "Oskar's just finished imbuing the spell and I've completed the sheath."

Carefully he removed the blade from said sheath and set it atop the counter: his brother's sharpening little more than a background noise. Rumple and Belle looked it over: a quillon dagger tinted red as all crimson steel was, with fluted black handle – deadly and perfect. How the Lyrelockets could forge something so perfect in only a day begged belief, but Dreymyr's dwarves were famed for their blacksmithing and, with a bronze-ranked brother, imbuing magic into the blade probably wasn't much of a task.

Belle lifted it into her hand. "It's beautiful, and so light!"

"Thank you, lass." Nodded Ulfur. "Nice to have Lyrelocket work appreciated."

Rumple had to admit the craftsmanship was amazing. "I can feel the magic within it."

Oskar finally left the grindstone and moved his ridiculously tall form over to them; side by side the brothers were practically comical.

"My brother said you asked for an edge that burned when it cut, so I used Viren's Wrath for the rune." From his reading, Rumple had learned that 'runes' were a specific type of spell devoted entirely to magical weapons, armor and tools, they were essentially their own subclass of magic much as Belle's taming ability was. "You asked for burning and this will burn. Some of my best work, if I do say so myself."

Rumple took the dagger from Belle and used it to slice through the tip of his thumb, it cut deep and damn did it burn like acid. Belle snatched it away to sheath it while Rumple concealed a hiss of pain and watched his thumb heal itself. He'd be feeling that in his hand for the rest of the night, so any creature that dared bother Belle would certainly suffer.

"Very well done," he complemented, which surprised him because he didn't often throw those around. "Here."

The debt was paid while Belle worked her new dagger onto her belt beside the old one. The first dagger got used mostly as a tool rather than anything else, and she saw no reason to discard the dagger simply because she had a new one. However, she had found herself curious if she could toast bread while slicing it.

"Thank you for this."

"Let everyone know where you got it." Oskar bantered. "Oh, fun tip for you: If you slice it slowly on a dry piece of kindling, you can use it to start a campfire."

Well, that actually did sound like a fun tip. Normally Belle just waited for Rumple to light a fire with magic, but the dagger would make her feel more self-sufficient.

Leaving with Belle's dagger meant their trip to Locheart had come to an end, something Belle didn't have an issue with since she was hungry and Azzy had grown thirsty. The blink of an eye was all it took to return them to the Teapot Inn and, after dinner, Belle would indulge in some tea and lemon cakes while she read one of her books.