From the Beginning

A/AN: This is my newest cover bunny story "A Date with My Beast". The title won't make much sense until we get to Storybrooke. The first couple of chapters will be in the Dark Castle, prior to the curse. This is going to be very angst driven at first but it will get better. If you would like to join the Cover Bunnies contest then please contact Emilie Brown on Fanfiction or come join the fan fiction and creations group on FB. The deadline for story submissions is September 30th.

Belle was once the princess of a small merchant kingdom known as Avonlea. She was engaged to Gaston, the bravest knight in the entire kingdom. She thought she would one day marry him and give birth to an heir to take on the family name but it didn't quite happen like that. The ogres came and ransacked the kingdom until they were down to their last well able fighting men and little dab of gold. Her father Maurice called on the one known as the "Dark One" to come and relieve their suffering.

She knew they were in dire circumstances if their only hope was the fearsome beast. He marched jubilantly into the castle, sniggering at their misfortune. She knew he never did anything out of the goodness of his heart. Everything demanded a price.

She remembered the first time she saw him sitting in her father's chair, fingers formed in a steeple, his amber eyes glowering at all of them. He was a curious looking creature with gold grayish skin. It sparkled peculiarly in the candlelight. It almost felt like it was just yesterday when she first met him…

~X~

"You sent me a message. Something about, um, 'Help, help! We're dying! Can you save us?' Now, the answer is – yes, I can. Yes, I can protect your little town. For a price." he mocked them in his high pitched tone.

"We sent you a promise of gold." Maurice supplied causing the imp to roll his eyes.

"Ah… No. You see, um… I, uh, make gold. What I want is something a bit more special. My price…is her." he spoke pointing a finger in Belle's direction. She felt her heart somersault when his eyes met hers. Was she frightened or excited? Maybe she was a little of both. It was hard to tell at the time.

"No!" Maurice said firmly, declining his offer.

"The young lady is engaged to me!" Gaston replied snobbishly causing Belle to groan inwardly. She had a name after all! Gaston just wasn't accustomed to using it or maybe he was to dimwitted to know how.

"I wasn't asking if she was engaged. I'm not looking for 'love' – I'm looking for a caretaker for my rather large estate. It's her, or no deal." Rumplestiltskin imparted causing the entire room to fill with dread.

"Get out! Leave!" Maurice commanded pointing his finger towards the door.

"As you wish." he bowed making his way towards the exit.

"No, wait!" She felt the words leave her mouth before she had time to contain them. What was she doing anyway? She felt herself stagger towards him, like her feet had a mind of their own. He turned around, amber eyes locking with blue.

"I will go with him." she stated, standing just a few feet in front of him.

"I forbid it!" Gaston declared, brandishing his sword. Belle cringed at the sound of his voice, like she was some possession he owned. No one owned her.

" No…" she heard her father silently mouth like all the fight had gone out of him.

"No one decides my fate but me. I shall go." she said boldly turning to face them.

"It's forever, dearie." Rumplestiltskin cautioned causing an even bigger lump to form in her throat, but she pushed it away.

"My family, my friends – they will all live?" she bargained going nowhere unless she knew they would be a hundred percent safe.

"You have my word." he promised in a lower octave with an impish hint to it.

"Then, you have mine. I will go with you forever." she promised, staking her very life on it. She would do this for her people by being the hero she always wanted to be.

"Deal." he cackled rubbing his hands together proudly.

"Belle. Belle, you cannot do this. Belle, please. You can't go with this…beast." her father cut in, glaring harshly at Rumplestiltskin. She watched him place his hand over his chest feigning offense at the insult.

"Father. Gaston. It's been decided." she said turning towards her new master.

"You know – she's right. The deal is struck. Oh! Congratulations on your little war." he mocked, taking her by the hand, forcing her through the door.

~X~

She spent the first few weeks locked in his dungeon until he found a use for her. One day he came to with a proposition. She was afraid he would take advantage of her for his personal lusts, but that was just another misconceived notion about him. He turned her into his personal maid. She worked tirelessly to please him but things began to change between them. His tone grew softer and her workload became lighter. He began giving her the weekends off. She was allowed to participate in any leisurely activity she wished as long as she didn't leave the castle.

Belle's favorite room was an expansive library of his. She spent the majority of her downtime and days off there, reading until dawn faded into dusk. Sometimes he would join her for tea, and she would read to him. She was so mesmerized by her story that she hadn't noticed he'd fallen asleep on the settee beside her. She brushed a few ringlets from his brow, deciding she liked the feel of his cool skin. It was smooth, unlike the serpanty texture, she first imagined. She didn't want her curiosity to best her and get her in a heap of trouble, so she opted finding a blanket for him instead. She lit another candle making her way out of the library unaware he was just feigning sleep. His entire body felt warm from her innocent touch, and he wanted to feel more of it.

A few weeks later he was spinning at the wheel while she dusted his belongings. She climbed the ladder trying to pull back the curtains to let sunlight in. He'd nailed them down because the sunlight nauseated him. He had accustomed himself to the darkness, allowing it to infiltrate his entire being but something had happened when he caught her after a failed attempt to undo them. He looked breathlessly into her blue depths, drowning himself. A few seconds passed before he realized what had taken place. He reluctantly let her go, realizing he'd overstepped his boundaries.

An entire week passed before he requested her presence again. She was startled when he told her to leave the castle to go buy straw for him in the neighboring village. He had plenty of straw. It was simply a test to see if she would come back to him. He knew what he felt for her was more than just simple friendship, but he wouldn't allow himself to pursue it. He would let her go and try to forget because she surely wouldn't return his sentiment.

He allowed himself to spin her away, utterly shocked when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, filling his stomach with butterflies. He watched her sit beside him, studying her physique intricately.

"Oh, you're back already. Good… Good thing. I'm, uh… I'm nearly out of straw." he lied trying to dispel the awkwardness that had formed between them.

"Hm. Come on – you're happy that I'm back." she teased lightly. The butterflies were swarming now.

"I'm not unhappy." he said shyly entranced by her beauty.

"And, uh, you promised me a story." she gently reminded him, his mind filling with images of his long lost son.

"Did I?" he said nervously, hoping she would let it drop.

"Mmhmm. Tell me about your son." she coaxed hoping he would open up to her.

"I lost him. There's nothing more to tell, really." he said, refusing to delve into further detail about his disappearance.

"And, since then, you've loved no one. And no one has loved you." she said softly in almost a whisper. The butterflies were roaring tenaciously inside of him.

"Why did you come back?" he inquired changing the subject, wondering what had compelled her to return to him, the beast of this castle.

"I wasn't going to. Then… Something changed my mind." she returned, their lips just inches apart now. She closed the gap between them, kissing him chastely. He allowed his hand to roam through her tresses gently, deepening the kiss. In that moment all was right with the world. He wasn't a raging beast, roaming the empty halls of his castle, roaring in displeasure. He was human again, and he was in love. He was in love with Belle, and he was certain she was in love with him too.

Several more months passed, and he couldn't have been happier. Today he was going to ask Belle to be his wife. In just eight short months, she'd changed everything for him. He could hardly believe that she loved him. His heart fluttered at the very prospect of spending the rest of his life with her.

He proposed to her with a beautiful blue sapphire ring that contrasted perfectly with her eyes in the castle garden. She'd kissed him senseless, spouting yes over and over again. They married that afternoon in the very same spot he proposed. He'd gifted the village parishioner with a very handsome reward of jewels for his services.

To many Rumplestiltskin was outwardly a beast but in Belle's mind that interpretation was flawed. He was the kindest and gentlest husband she could've asked for. He was very attentive to her needs making sure their consummation was memorable and romantic. No man in her entire kingdom would've treated her like this, especially not Gaston. After it was over he held her close, warming her with his body, carding his fingers gently through her hair until she fell asleep.

A couple of months after their nuptials, Belle started to feel nauseous. Her husband concocted several enchanted remedies for her but nothing seemed to work. He grew afraid after she laid herself up in bed a few days. He consorted a physician who was more knowledgeable about these kinds of things. He was surprised yet relieved when he told them they were expecting a child. Their lives would never be the same, and he couldn't have been happier.

A/AN: Well that's the first chapter. The next chapter is the last one dealing with the Enchanted Forest. We will be going to Storybrooke in the third installment. I hope everyone enjoyed that. Please review and give me some feedback. I would like to thank the ever so lovely Emilie Brown for making this cover for me! Review please!