𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑨𝑵 𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑺 - Rumplestiltskin [1]

FIVE

5|TALES

Celeste slowly climbed the ladder, happy her new "master" had provided her new dresses which were much easier to work in.

"Why do you spin so much?" She asked out of curiosity, not looking at the man as she fixed the curtain. "Sorry, it's just, you've spun straw into more gold than you could ever spend."

"I like to watch the wheel." He answered her, still focused on the wheel. "Helps me forget."

"Forget what?" She questioned before realising she had said it aloud. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"I guess it worked." Rumpelstiltskin giggled, turning around to look at the Princess. Celeste laughed at his strange giggle, hiding her face away from him in embarrassment. "What are you doing?"

"Opening these large drapes. It's almost Spring, you should be letting light into this large castle." Celeste continued tugging on the heavy material, trying to make them budge. "What did you do, nail them down?"

"Yeah." He nodded seriously, still watching her struggle. With one final pull, the drapes fell to the ground causing her to lose her balance. She prepared herself for the harsh impact of the ground but instead found herself in his warm arms, his eyes staring at her with worry.

"Nice catch." Celeste mumbled, turning her head away to hide the slight blush dusting her cheeks. He quickly dropped her to her feet and stepped away, almost like he was allergic to her. "Thank you."

"It's no matter." Rumplestiltskin said after finding his composure.

"I'll put the curtains back up." She awkwardly gestured to the slump of material as he walked away.

"Uh, there's no need." He stumbled over his words. "I'll get used to it."

Celeste spent hours removing the rest of the drapes from the main room, happy to see the sun streaming through the windows and bringing life back to the castle. She followed Rumpelstiltskin to the table, curiously watching him fiddle with the cup she broke the previous month.

"Am I allowed to ask why you wanted me here? Why I was the payment?" She pried, hoisting herself up to sit on the table while he stood near her.

"The place was filthy." Rumpel replied, holding the cup to his mouth and taking a slip of the hot liquid.

"I think you were lonely." Celeste said truthfully, smiling gently at the man. "I mean, any man would be lonely. And truthfully, I was lonely too."

"I'm not a man." He waved off her comment while perching himself on the edge of the table beside her.

"So I've been here a month and managed to look around the castle, you know?" She tried to start a conversation. "And, uh, upstairs there are clothing which are small. As if for a child? Was it yours or did you have a son?"

"There was." Rumplestiltskin answered her, shocking her with his honesty. "There was a son. I lost him. As I did his mother."

"I'm sorry." Celeste hesitantly reached her hand over and rested it on his, trying to comfort him. "So you were a man once. An ordinary man. If I'm never going to meet another person for the rest of my life, am I allowed to get to know you?"

"Perhaps, perhaps you just want to learn the monsters weaknesses." He stood up and placed his cup down before pointing an accusing finger at her jokingly. "No, no, no." He stopped her causing a large smile to spread across her lips.

"You're not a monster to me." She said bashfully. "You think you're uglier than you are. That's why you cover all the mirrors up, isn't it?"

A loud banging at the door disturbed the pair from their peaceful moment, the Princess jumping in fright while the Dark One remained unfazed.

"Who was it?" She asked as he walked back into the main room.

"Just an old woman selling flowers." Rumpel revealed the red rose from behind his back. "Here. If you'll have it."

"Why, thank you." A blush tainted her cheeks as she accepted the flower, smelling it happily while doing a playful bow. She wandered away from the man, grabbing a small knife from a box.

"You had a life before all this, Cel." He sat back down at his chair, picking back up his tea to drink. "Friends, family and a fiance. What made you choose to come here with me?"

"The love for my people." Celeste grabbed a vase from his huge cabinet, placing it at the end of the table. "The hate for my father. Oh, and to get out of an arranged marriage. So when you arrived, that was my chance to get a new life. Maybe finally be happy and find more freedom than the iron fist of my father. I chose to be brave, face my father. Now I can live an adventurous life like I always read in my fairytales."

"And is it everything you hoped?" The Dark One asked as he sat back in his chair, watching her as she cut off the end of the rose and placed it into the vase.

"Well, I did want to see the world but that part didn't really work out." She cleared her throat as she sat back at the table, the vase resting in the middle. "But, I did save my people."

"And what about your betrothed? He seemed angry that you were leaving him." He continued to pry, knowing something she did not know.

"It was an arranged marriage, my submission for an army to fight off the South." Celeste scoffed at the memory before smiling back at the man. "If you ever see that horrendous prince I give you full permission to turn him into a beautiful rose." She stroked the delicate petals of the flower. "To me, love is layered. Love is a mystery to be uncovered. Something that should be a part of a marriage. I've never experienced love, I never knew my mother and my father has never been a significant figure in my life. But you were going to tell me about your son."

"I'll tell you what." Rumplestiltskin finally spoke after listening to her every word, hanging off ever consonant and vowel. "I'll make you a deal. Go to town and fetch me some straw. When you return, I'll share my tale."

"Town?" She was confused that he was letting her out the castle. "You trust me to come back after talking about travelling?"

"Oh no, I expect I'll never see you again." He said grimly as she slowly stood to her feet.