The Rose and the Dagger

Chapter 16: The Price

[!!!!!WARNING!!!!!! This chapter contain some sequences that may upset the sensibilities!]

Regina could not sleep that night. She had all that she wanted. She had the murderer of her Fiancé locked in a cage, and she had the Dark One's dagger. She had managed to implement all that she had planned. But despite this, her revenge was still not sated. She slowly rose from her bed and turned on the light as she opened the door in her dresser and pulled out a picture frame. It was a portrait of her and Daniel, her beloved deceased fiancé. With the portrait in hand, she sat on the edge of her bed as tears ran down her face, and fell onto the picture. Rumplestiltskin had taken from her the only one she truly loved, and ruined her happiness. As she kissed the portrait, she whispered, I miss you Daniel, as she started sobbing. I made a promise to you, to avenge your death, and that is exactly what I will do. She rose, and laid the portrait down carefully where she had picked it up. She then in a snap got herself fully dressed, and went outside.

She walked down to the underground cellar where Rumplestiltskin was locked up and slowly opened the door.

Rumple was in his cage, spinning in the dark. Turning the wheel allowed him to forget, to forget where he was, and to forget what Regina was going to do with him. He then heard the creak of the door opening, as he stopped spinning and froze. As Regina crept down the stairs slowly, her footsteps echoed in the darkness. Once she reached the bottom of the staircase, she flicked the light switch on, as the light dazed Rumple for a moment as he tried to adjust his eyes, he saw Regina approaching his cage. She unlocked the door of his cage with a wave of her hand. Rumple stood as Regina approached him, and he immediately lunged towards her ready to strangle her, but at the same time she raised the dagger in her hand stopping him abruptly. He backed away slowly, realizing there was no way to escape. With a flick of her wrist she summoned a whip in her hands. Rumple then understood what she planned to do to him.

-A long time ago, in another world, you took someone away, who was very dear to me. You took away his life with magic. But as we both know magic always comes with a price, and today, you are going to pay for it, she said in an icy tone.

She walked towards him, and with a wave of her hand, she sent him falling down to his knees. She starts to brandish him with the whip, the first one knocking all the strength out of him and tearing his clothes open. As she continued whipping him, it reached his skin, as he screamed out in pain.

-I want you to suffer like I suffered! As she hurled the whip once again with all her anger she continued to strike him again and again, each one more intense, more painful.

Rumple tensed, closing his eyes, as he screamed in pain with every lash.

Belle woke up suddenly, with sweat on her forehead, dazed and confused for a moment, as she remember the horrible nightmare she just awoke from. The weeks following Rumple being taken from her, she decided to sleep in his shop on the extra bed. She wanted to be surrounded by him, his scent, and his objects, to feel close to him.

Seeing the first light crossing the room, she decided to get up and get ready to go to Granny's. The small restaurant had become for the last three weeks the meeting point for those that were willing to look for Rumple and Regina. So for three weeks Belle kept searching tirelessly, for the man she loved most in the world. She never lost hope, she knew with the love they had, they would find their way back to each other.

So like very morning, she got ready to go to Granny's. And as she locked the shop up, slowly turning the small sign on the door to read "Closed" tears came to her eyes. Belle arrived early that morning, and the volunteers had not yet arrived. Scarlett, like every morning, hastened to embrace Belle in a friendly comforting hug, and always words of encouragement, that they will find Rumple. Belle sat at the bar has Scarlett handed her freshly brewed coffee