Compensation: Part One

Sir Rumple Von Stiltskin was the highest ranking officer in King James's army. He'd gained his position by saving a band of injured troops in the midst of the ogres' war and slaying a dragon that was terrorizing the kingdom. Today he was riding through a small village in Candor, his current mission was to take a quarterly rest. James had just won a tremendous victory against Queen Cora and would be procuring her elder daughter Zelena as his bride. The marriage was merely a peace treaty to end all of the needless fighting. Cora had gotten a large sum of gold added to her treasury, and James had her armies at his disposal. It made no sense for the two most powerful kingdoms in the realm to keep fighting when they could unite as one and eradicate their enemies.

Rumple had been gifted with a tremendous estate in the country for his efforts. It had once belonged to a count who'd recently died with no heirs. The estate had vineyards he would attend to and an open lake on the back property. A nice quiet rest in the country was what he desired after fighting a war the past three years. As he rode through the village, he heard a large group of villagers chanting, "Twenty lashes!" in unison. He usually didn't involve himself with peasant affairs, but he couldn't shake his curiosity, so he decided to investigate. He assumed it was some poor bloke about to pay for his crimes with twenty lashes across his back. As he approached the crowd, he noted a young woman with her hands bound together by a rope. Flogging was one of the most humiliating punishments someone could endure. Tears streamed down the maiden's face as she awaited her punishment. Her entire front was bared to the crowds except for her knickers. Something wasn't right about this. He dismounted his horse, brandishing his sword. The crowd parted like the Red Sea as he approached the platform.

"Who is this young woman, and what are her crimes?" he demanded of the officer, his whip ready in hand.

"What business is it of yours?" the officer snapped back. Rumpelstiltskin stalked towards the platform with his blade drawn.

"I am Rumpelstiltskin, captain of the king's guard, and I demand to know what her crimes are!" he hissed through bared teeth. The officer's face paled once he realized who he was speaking to.

"Forgive me, Sir Rumple! This woman has failed to pay her land taxes for the past year and the law states she must receive twenty lashes for her crimes." he apologized. Rumpelstiltskin averted his gaze to the sobbing peasant. He could see her ribs poking through her back and knew she wouldn't survive the flogging. She looked like she could barely afford to eat, and he couldn't help but sympathize with her. He too had once been a poor spinner until he was drafted to fight in the ogres war. He'd been given the opportunity to raise his station while in the army and had risen to the highest rank. He was the king's commander, and James entrusted him with many affairs he didn't have the time for. There had been a time long ago when he could barely feed his boy, and he wondered if this young woman had a family she was entrusted to care for. She might have been a widow like many who's husbands had been stolen from them in the war.

"Untie her and allow me to take her place." he commanded as he removed his shirt, exposing his weathered skin.

"But you're a high ranking dignitary and she's a lowly peasant." the officer objected.

"That is a command from your general! Do you dare disobey me and lose your rank in the process? I have the power to strip away all of your measly titles! Unbind her ropes and tie me up in her place. I'll pay whatever fines she owes and take her punishment." he instructed. The officer nodded wordlessly as he unbound the girl's ropes. An old woman with graying hair wrapped her cloak around the woman, leading her off the platform. Rumpelstiltskin allowed the officer to bind his wrists. He averted his gaze to the crowd who watched his noble display in awe. Nothing like this had ever happened in their village before. It was unheard of for high ranking officials to take the floggings for peasants. He braced his feet against the wood as the whip cracked across his backside. He gritted his teeth in agony as the switch landed across his back, tearing flesh and sinew with each strike. He could feel the blood dripping down his back as the flagellation continued. When the officer had struck him sixteen times, he felt his vision begin to wane from blood loss. The official halted the whip momentarily, growing concerned for the captain's life.

"Sir, if you wish for me to stop, I will." he said, his voice wavering with every syllable.

"Finish the job commander." Rumpelstiltskin supplied weakly, longing for his suffering to end. His vision caught the young woman staring at him from the crowds and his strength and willingness returned. It was worth it if it spared her from pain. The young man reluctantly sent the whip spiraling across his back four more times and on the final blow, he fainted. He could hear the throng roaring in displeasure as the world around him faded.

~X~

Rumpelstiltskin awoke during the night to the feel of a soft mattress beneath him, and he was lying on his stomach. Was he dead? He slowly opened his eyes, surprised to see a beautiful woman with chestnut tresses, slumped in the rocking chair beside him. His brain was foggy, and he'd forgotten about his injured back. He attempted to move and yelped in pain, drawing the mysterious woman to her feet without a second thought.

"Don't move." she commanded, sauntering towards him. She pressed a cooling rag against his ravaged skin, alleviating the pain he was feeling. He sighed in relief.

"Who are you?" Rumplestiltskin inquired to the lovely woman just a few feet in front of him.

"I'm Belle, I'm the woman you spared from the flogging." she announced, and he felt heat rise in his cheeks from this raw encounter. He was a strong soldier and should have been able to withstand the pain, but he hadn't been able to.

"Why am I here?" he probed, a slew of queries buzzing in his mind.

"I'm the town healer, and I brought you home, so I could tend to your injuries. It's the only way I knew to repay you." she answered, pulling her hair back into a messy bun.

"Thank you but there's no need to repay me dearie." he objected, feeling his vision blur momentarily.

"I'm going to put some salve and ointment on your back to aid with the healing process. It may sting a little." she warned, before dumping the cooling liquid onto his sores. He winced in pain as her hands made contact with his skin. She placed a large linen dressing over the wound and then presented a cup of water for him to drink.

"You know when I seen you sitting in that chair, I thought I had crossed over into the next life." he remarked, catching her off guard as he drank greedily from the cup, utterly spent from the flailing he'd endured.

"And why's that?" Belle inquired, pulling the empty cup away from his lips.

"Because I thought you were an angel sent here to welcome me home." he remarked, sending an unfamiliar feeling coursing through her.

"You clearly need your rest-" she stopped, pining for his name.

"My name is Rumplestiltskin, but you may call me Rumple." he introduced himself. Belle couldn't help but smile at the silly moniker.

"Get some sleep Rumple, I'll be right over here if you need anything." She assured him before returning to her chair. Her heart thudded in her chest. She placed her hand over her breast, attempting to calm the thrumming, wondering what these unfamiliar sensations were coursing through her. She pushed them aside, stoking the dying flame within the hearth until it was burning steadily again. She grabbed a book from her small collection and began reading about herbal teas she could concoct to ease his pain. She felt herself slowly drifting off, dreaming of the man who'd shown her such kindness. Her heart had never felt more full than it had today.

~X~

Rumplestiltskin had been staying with Belle for three days. They had engaged in little conversation except when she asked him when he was hungry or if she was causing him any pain when she changed his bandages or applied her herbal salves. He slept most of the time because of an herb she slipped in his tea to help ease the pain.

On the fourth day, he decided to spark some conversation with her. There was no point in wasting precious time when it came to getting to know his beautiful caretaker. He cleared his throat uncomfortably as she changed his bandage.

"I'm sorry? Did I hurt you?" inquired Belle hesitantly to her mysterious house guest.

"No dearie, I was just seeing if you were paying any attention." he smiled, melting her heart in the process.

"I'm sorry I haven't been very social since your arrival. I just thought you might like your rest instead." Belle supplied, smoothing out her skirts.

"Ahh well a little conversation never hurt anyone, did it?" he surmised patting the spot beside him. Belle gave him a small smile before sitting on the edge of the bed. She clasped her hands in her lap shyly.

"So what provoked you to take a beating for a complete stranger?" she inquired, eying him inquisitively.

"Because you wouldn't have survived it, and I couldn't bear to watch you die." he said softly, catching her by surprise.

"I'm just not used to anyone fighting for me. I've been alone for the last three years since my husband passed. Ruby and her granny run the local tavern and help me out when they can, but I got so behind on my taxes after Gaston died. It's hard to be a woman in a man's world. I'm the only healer in the village, but my customers often can't afford to pay me because they're in the same predicament as I am. There have been many floggings in our village this past year." she illuminated, and Rumpelstiltskin felt his blood boil from her admittance. Why was the king being so cruel to those who'd lost everything?

"How much are your land taxes?" he inquired.

"Half of your yearly income." she remarked, and he blinked in confusion. Why had James raised his subjects taxes so much? The cost of war could be a burden but the amount Belle was expressing was rather extreme. How did he expect the impoverished to feed their families with such high penalties?

"Belle, I'm not trying to pry, but how did your husband die?" he questioned the beauty. Her azure eyes locked with his sable ones.

"The war of course." she added, fixating her gaze on him.

"Did you receive a widow's pension from the king for the loss of your husband?" he asked, and she shook her head. Something crooked was going on, and he was going to get to the bottom of it. There was no way he could allow his beautiful caretaker to suffer any longer because next year when her taxes came due, she would still be unable to pay them. There was only one way he knew to spare her from this impoverished existence.

"Belle, I have a proposition for you and it's something I want you to really ponder on." he said, fixating his gaze on her angelic face.

"What would that be?" she inquired, glancing at him quizzically.

"Will you bestow upon me the honor of becoming my wife?" he proposed, and she felt her mouth gape open from his proposition as the cup she was about to fill with freshly steeped tea clattered to the floor.

A/AN: I thought this would be a good stopping place! Belle will give Rumple her answer in the next chapter...