Far Far Away - Duloc - Lord Farquaad's Castle - 1 Year BDC

[Hollywood Heidi]

Lord Farquaad's Castle

(Events occurring one year before Dark Curse)

[Ariel]

Farquaad paced back and fourth in front of his throne, angry and impatient. It had already been a week since he married his new wife Fiona who seemed to come with the most atrocious curse Farquaad had ever laid eyes on, and no scholar, witch or magician seemed to have a solution to his dire situation. If it was known that this was the packaged deal he was signing up for, he wouldn't have bothered with this princess and would have moved on to the next prospect. However, as Farquaad was a man of his word, there was no returns or exchanges. All he wanted was his crimson goddess of a queen, in human form. The last scholar Farquaad had beckoned to the castle was from a far away land, the enchanted forest. He had preached about a powerful being called the dark one who could possibly help him lift the curse off of Fiona. Of course the warning that Farquaad's request may come at a hefty price for this magical creature hadn't been spared, but at this point he was prepared to pay up to anything to have his wife back.

"My lord," One of Farquaad's loyal servants came up to him to try and put him at ease, the only one who had the guts to do so that was, " why don't you have a seat? Rest for a while? Your pacing isn't going to-" 

"It's been three days!" Farquaad boomed in the servants face, " Three days since we've sent out our request to the dark one. And my wife, my beautiful Fiona, is still plagued by a hideous monster!" Farquaad pushed over a nearby table which held his lunch that he was too anxious to even touch. His servants flocked to the mess and began to clean it immediately.

Exhaling a fairly large breath, Farquaad went and sat on his throne. Crossing his arms,  he tapped his foot rapidly as he was tired of waiting desparately for help. " I swear, this imp better be worth the wait," Farquaad uttered with annoyance as he looked over at the scholar who was still accompanying him, "Because if I find that he's not all who he's cracked up to be, or better yet stands me up, it is you who will be paying a price, sir!" Farquaad waved his finger at the poor scholar, shaking in his seat.

[DarkSideCookie]

***Rumplestiltskin enters from The Enchanted Forest***


"Easy does it!", a high-pitched voice suddenly rang out right next to Farquaad's ear and broke in their conversation, the owner of this voice rascally lounging on top of one arm of the Lord's throne. Rumplestiltskin eyed him with an intent look of slight amusement, before jumping to his feet and placing himself right in front of the royal chair.

"What is it the Dark One can serve you with, your... grand... majesty?", Rumple deeply bowed before half looking up again at the irascible munchkin in front of him. It truly was a rarity someone was smaller than himself.

[Ariel]

"Easy does it!"


A yelp escaped from Farquaad as he jumped in his seat, both hands grasping onto the arm on the throne farthest from the scaley creature. His eyes widened at the sight of the creature that made it's sudden entrance and scanned him from head to toe. This was what Farquaad had been waiting for? A crocodile ? Brushing his robes off, Farquaad began to compose himself as the imp began to speak.


"What is it the Dark One can serve you with, your... grand... majesty?"


"I won't lie, I expected someone a little...different looking," Farquaad expressed as he was rather weirded out by the dark slit pupils staring down at him, "But no matter. I've been waiting long enough for this." Farquaad stood upwards to meet the dark one. He was slightly intimidated by this creature's intense presance but didn't let that cloud his ego. "My wife - our kingdom's Queen has been plagued with a terrible curse. And it seems that you are her only hope of regaining her beauty. Immense rewards would be in store for your successful efforts," Farquaad pleaded his despair, "unless there was any other reason for you to come all this way?"

[DarkSideCookie]

"I won't lie, I expected someone a little...different looking,"

Maybe it was good that the munchkin in front of him went on without ceasing, as Rumple's reaction might not have given himself an edge, because it would have been words connatural to the little man's that escaped his crocodile tongue. And so the Dark One smirkingly awaited the other's wish, or better said, the other's claim to their deal; otherwise, it would sound like he was a fairy godmother who was throwing around wishes without getting anything in return. Seriously, he never will get the meaning of that way of business.

"But no matter. I've been waiting long enough for this."

Imagine, there's not only you making use of my business offering. You can be happy you already have something of interest for me, otherwise, I might not have wasted my power to travel to a place far away like this., Rumplestiltskin hissed inwardly but tried to remain the smirking imp on the outside. There would come a time this little man got pissed off towards him soon enough, so better not enraging him just yet.

When Farquaad stood upwards to meet him eye to eye, which still had to make him look up, the smirk on Rumplestiltskin's face even grew for a little moment.
"My wife - our kingdom's Queen has been plagued with a terrible curse. And it seems that you are her only hope of regaining her beauty. Immense rewards would be in store for your successful efforts," the munchkin-sized lord finally came to the point; leaving him with a formulating Rumple could easily use to his advantage. "unless there was any other reason for you to come all this way?"

And then the Dark One finally showed a reaction, which was to let out another high-pitched giggle, before he walked some steps to the right and back to the left in front of the little lord. "My reason to come all this way is nothing but to help of course." He paused his steps to give his conversational partner a mischievous grin. "So, I assume true love's kiss didn't work out?"

[Ariel]

"My reason to come all this way is nothing but to help of course." "So, I assume true love's kiss didn't work out?"

"Well, uh...no. No it did not," Farquaad snapped rather lowly, as it was embarrassing enough that the whole kingdom witnessed his failed attempt at saving the princess, "but I'm sure true love's kiss is just the mere tip of the range of opportunities you will demonstrate to free my wife of her horrendous plague " Farquaad was confident the imp would do the situation justice. He had to be, at least. Leading the dark one down a long hallway in the back of the castle, they found themselves standing in front of a large bolted door at the end of the hall guarded with two castle gards. 

"This is for her protection of course. The things people might do, we live in a crazy world." Farquaad said in a reassuring voice, but who was he really reassuring ? He thought he knew what was best for Fiona, but deep down he felt that she was a hideous monster and would be kept away from the public eye until her condition was under control. That, and he was sort of terrified of ogres.  Putting up a hand to dismiss his guards, Farquaad fumbled in his robes for a ring of keys. As he found the particular one he was looking for, Farquaad slipped it into the locks and bolts on the door.

"Now, it is just about sunset...she could turn ravage at any moment," Farquaad warned the dark one, but little did he know that Fiona was the least of the imp's worries.

[DarkSideCookie]

While they walked down a long hallway, Rumple scanned the interior of the castle rather unimpressed. Although it was of grand size, other than the Lord himself, the Dark One couldn't get anything out of it. Nothing could compare with his own four walls anyway. There was only one thing still missing in those, or more precisely someone...

"This is for her protection of course. The things people might do, we live in a crazy world.", the little lord finally aroused him from the daydreaming that had him walk a mental path far far away.

Rumplestiltskin stopped his steps as well and looked up at the large bolted door in front of them. Lord munchkin-size here had her locked up in kind of a dungeon within his own castle? Well, reminded him of someone actually. Even though this thought was connected to another painful memory, the Dark One had to smirk for the split of a second.

"Now, it is just about sunset...she could turn ravage at any moment,"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to miss that.", Rumple replied with a mischievous grin, letting his conversational partner wonder if this was meant sarcastically or not. Of course, the Dark One already knew about Fiona's curse, actually long before the Lord did; but this would remain his little secret, at least for a while. And so he silently watched Farquaad opening the door to show him the alleged beast behind. Well, Rumple was kind of home in that subject. And yet again was it the wrong person that got entitled a beast, because who actually was the beauty and who was the beast?

[Ariel]

As Farquaad unfastened the final bolt on the door with a loud click, a few of the castle guards that were trailing behind Farquaad and the dark one crowded closer, their weapons drawn in defense. Snapping his fingers at the door in a commanding manner, one of the guards stepped forward and pushed the heavy door open. The depths of the interior of the room was pitch black, all except for a single candle that lit on the floor next to a haystack. Through the shadows, a large silhouette decorated the stone wall at the back of the room. It sat still, very still and something about the silhouette was almost melancholy. 

Partially terrified and disgusted, Farquaad extended his hand to the inside of the dimly lit room and faced the dark one, "Guests honour," Farquaad shakily added as he motioned his head towards the entrance to the room.

[DarkSideCookie]

The Dark One pretended to act at least a little tense for lord fraidy-cat, being frightened of his own wife. She had turned green, so what? But well, proportionality might loom large in this circumstance as well.

Rumple's eyes narrowed at the darkness inside the cell, revealing no more than the dimly lit silhouette of a person. An admittedly really large person.

"Guests honour,"

"Of course...", he replied with visible amusement on his face, knowing the ogre's husband wouldn't like to follow up which was even more of a reason to prompt him adding a question backward before entering completely into the shadow of the cell. "Anything wrong? How shall I know you won't shut the door behind once I walked through? Bad reputation, you know." Rumplestiltskin smirked. Not that it would be that easy to get him captured anyway. This was more about teasing.

[Ariel]

"Anything wrong? How shall I know you won't shut the door behind once I walked through? Bad reputation, you know."

“My guards and I will be right behind you the entire time. Although Fiona poses as a...dangerous threat,” the little Lord nervously stammered through the sudden sweat dripping down his forehead, “She is still my wife, and I’ll try anything to get my read headed beauty back.” Farquaad sounded like his intentions might have been in the right place for a moment more before he moved behind his guards in a cowardly manner, “Now, shall we move onward or continue to have a tea party in the middle of the hallway?” 

[DarkSideCookie]

“Now, shall we move onward or continue to have a tea party in the middle of the hallway?”

Rumplestiltskin gave another smirk before he finally walked through the door to get a better look at Lord Farquaad's wife. With each step closer the shape in the back of the room became more clear. Not only did the little lord locked her up in a cell with no more than the dimly light of only one candle, he also seemed to have chained her, so that she couldn't move further than the chains around her wrists were allowing it. And they call him a monster. Despite the actual tragedy, another smirk of amusement appeared on his lips.

"By night one way...", the Dark One suddenly started to whisper as he finally had reached the big shape, knowing that Farquaad and his guards had stopped their steps already some meters behind. Oh, he was aware of the curse that once had been cast over her, just as he was totally aware of who she was. The only one not being aware of anything was the frightened gnome behind, who momentarily was out of their earshot, at least at the low volume Rumple was speaking with.

[Ariel]

*** Fiona - Temp play by Ariel ***

Tears dripped from Fiona's face onto her green, shackled hands as she sat on the haystack to sought out any type of comfort the scratchy mound might have had. A freak of nature in isolation, once again. Fiona never thought she would be back in this position again as Farquaad was certain that one kiss from his lips would do away with the witch's curse. It was clear that his certainty had been nothing but a show to claim his Queen and become a "hero", and Fiona was left with nothing but false hope and broken dreams. At least in the tower, she had her books. In her new dimly lit prison, her new husband left her nothing but a haystack and a single lit candle that wasn't nearly enough to flood the room.

Jingling of the door handle from the outside made Fiona stir slightly in the hay. Never did she have visitors at sunset, as everyone knew that her condition would be full fledged Ogre at this point. Her frightened gaze was glued to the door which opened all the way. Finally, a figure entered through the door and slowly entered the room. Fiona did not utter a single word, that was, until the stranger uttered words that were awfully familiar to her.

"By night one way..."

"By day another..." Fiona finished the stranger's sentence but did not bother to carry forward with the rest. Whoever this person was, it was known to them of the curse that plagued her by nightfall. "Who are you, and why did you come here?" Fiona trembled with slight terror, unknowing of what this stranger was here for. She stood up to face him and stepped forward into the candlelight, showing her whole self. An Ogre.

[DarkSideCookie]

"By day another..."

Another smirk of amusement appeared on Rumplestiltskin's lips, as he heard her continuing the once cast curse over her. The dim light from the candle made that smirk look even creepier than usual, although this time it actually wasn't true of the person, or so-called monster, he was looking at, but of someone in the same room.

"Who are you, and why did you come here?"

Rumple didn't seem terrified at all, not even surprised; because he wasn't. He had seen worse to be honest.

"Rumplestiltskin!", he finally introduced himself with sparing a bow to the princess, as her loving husband was still right behind. They might speak quiet enough to not get eavesdropped, but any polite phrase, as dubious as it must look when the Dark One performed such anyway, could cause suspicion.

"I know how it's like when everyone calls you a beast.", he whispered. If there wouldn't have been this somehow misplaced sounding undertone in his voice, his words actually had sounded sympathetic. But he was the Dark One after all. So, no sympathy. Just a tactical move. "It's hurtful, isn't it?"

[Ariel]

*** Fiona - Temp play by Ariel *** 

"I know how it's like when everyone calls you a beast.", "It's hurtful, isn't it?"

"Looking into your dear mother and father's eyes, horrified by their own daughter. That's hurtful," Fiona grew rather on the defensive side, as she was wary of this stranger cutting her a slice of empathy, "Being dragged out of a tower on hopes and promises to be once normal again, only to be scammed by a puny evil man, that's hurtful. So being called a beast is the least of my hurt feelings, Rumplestiltskin." Shaking her head in fury, Fiona looked away as angry tears began to form.

"My whole life, I conjured ways of escaping that tower of isolation. And now....now I wish I had never left." Fiona hung her head at a loss for her life as her bottom half slunk back down on the mound of hay in utter defeat.

[DarkSideCookie]

"Being dragged out of a tower on hopes and promises to be once normal again, only to be scammed by a puny evil man, that's hurtful. So being called a beast is the least of my hurt feelings, Rumplestiltskin."

Still no sincere sympathy. He just couldn't help it - Dark One!

"Yah, I actually don't feel that much hurt about being called a beast myself.", he interposed truthfully in his usual manner of half being serious and half joking when suddenly the female ogre in front of him teared up. Rumple didn't want the mini lord to get suspicious, so he tried to soothe her by making a sound like one did when hushing a toddler and at the same time handing out a tissue to her, conjured out of nowhere.

"My whole life, I conjured ways of escaping that tower of isolation. And now....now I wish I had never left."

"Don't you say that, dearie. Everything happens for a reason.", he said before sending a casual glance over his shoulder to make sure the desperate husband wasn't listening, but instead impatiently tapping his foot onto the ground. Then he turned back to Fiona once again, lowering his voice to a minimum. "Just like there is a reason I'm here. And let me add, that's not your grand husband over there..."

[Ariel]

"Don't you say that, dearie. Everything happens for a reason.", "Just like there is a reason I'm here. And let me add, that's not your grand husband over there..."



Fiona's brow furrowed in immense question as her body began to rise upward again. Was someone finally on her side? The only other person in her whole life that seemed to have been on her level of understanding was...no, that would be silly. The knight escorting her journey to Duloc was nothing more than just that - a knight. And yet, his way of life had been refreshing to Fiona in a way that she could almost relate to. But it was nothing more than business of Farquaad...was it? "Why is it that you are really here?" Fiona's demeanor demanded answers, as she was tired of receiving the short end of the stick once and for all.

[DarkSideCookie]

"Why is it that you are really here?"

Rumplestiltskin watched her knowingly and with a slight smile around his lips. Who said the Dark One couldn't use his dark magic for something good? Well, for something good that would play into his hands as a little side effect. It was all about give and take, wasn't it? It was understandable that Fiona wanted answers right away, but for now, he had said already enough. There still was a hubbie breathing down his neck... or rather his leg.

"In due time, dearie. All in due time.", Rumple finally answered in a whispered tone before he made a gesture towards the tissue he had handed her out only seconds before so that she could dry her tears, but in truth, to send her a secret message.

Tonight this way, Tomorrow another.

His reptile eyes were still aimed at her as his voice suddenly grew louder again, addressing the munchkin behind. "I've seen enough. Let's negotiate terms outside." Rumple sent one last grin towards Fiona right in front of him before finally facing away from her. "I don't have all day, dearie."

[Ariel]

"In due time, dearie. All in due time."

Fiona's brow furrowed slightly, as this was not the answer she was looking for. Then grew slightly agitated that all this scaly creature could offer her was a single tissue that he suspended in the air between them by two claws of his hand. In her lowest state, Fiona said nothing more and slowly moved her hand to accept the tissue. 

"I've seen enough. Let's negotiate terms outside."

Fiona did not break her heart wrenching eyes away from the crocodile man until he left with Lord Farquaad. Once she was left in silence, she peered down at the tissue to proceed to dab her green coloured cheeks. Though to her surprise, she noticed there was something already on the tissue. Fiona held the tissue up to the candle light to get a better look.


Tonight this way, Tomorrow another.


Fiona's heart leaped at the sight of this secret message that this magical imp had so discreetly passed to her, and for the first time in a long time she saw a faint glimmer of hope ahead.

[Ariel]

"I've seen enough. Let's negotiate terms outside."

"Yes, yes of course," In his state of shivering fright, Farquaad nodded rapidly as he made sure that he was the first one out of the confined, dark room. Away from the monster Fiona had become, and into the light where he would hopefully find a way for this monster to become his beautiful Queen once and for all.

"I don't have all day, dearie."


"I do not intend to keep you waiting, as I myself am desperate to get my wife back to a more natural, beautiful...less hideous state," the door to Fiona's room was finally shut and locked and Farquaad had turned around to face Rumpelstiltskin, "So let's get to it. What do you want? I-I'll do anything for Fiona," For my claim to the throne, was what Farquaad really meant deep down, yet he continued to attempt to convince himself as well as his company at hand that his intentions were nothing but pure. That was far from the fact, and Faruqaad thought that he was smart. However, Rumpelstiltskin was smarter, and Farquaad had no idea of what was to come.

[DarkSideCookie]

And yet again Rumplestiltskin had to sneer at Farquaad's trepidation while he followed him outside. Not even for a second though, there would come something like remembrance to his mind for once have shuddered with fear at the mere thought of meeting with an ogre, not to mention he would have to have known one inside his own four walls. No, fear was something that belonged to his recent past.

"I do not intend to keep you waiting, as I myself am desperate to get my wife back to a more natural, beautiful...less hideous state," The Dark One smirked in silence. "So let's get to it. What do you want? I-I'll do anything for Fiona,"

"Hmmmm...", he started to think aloud as he made some steps around once they were outside, still a knowing smirk on his face. "I already am in possession of... gold... power. More than anyone can think of." Rumple turned back around to face the little lord, his hands raised in his usual active gesture. Actually, in this case, the price was not of importance anyway, as the price would be part of the favor. "But... I'm no monster. I'm gonna grant you a... let's call it advance... until there is something I'd like to take from you. How does that sound?" His reptile eyes were watching Farquaad in anticipation, although he had no doubts that this man would accept anyway. The fear in his eyes seemed to superimpose everything else - so the silent warning of not to deal with the Dark One.

[Ariel]

"I'm gonna grant you a... let's call it advance... until there is something I'd like to take from you. How does that sound?"

Farquaad nodded his head up and down a few rapid times before beginning to speak once more, "You're a good man, Rumpelstiltskin! I will gladly honour this request in exchange for my wife back...you have yourself a deal." A grateful bow commenced with a sneaky grin encased upon his face, coming back upwards he shed concern once more, "So, how do we do this? Get my wife back, I mean?"

[DarkSideCookie]

So predictable. So so predictable, Rumple thought as he watched the little lord's head going up and down a few rapid times.

"You're a good man, Rumpelstiltskin! I will gladly honour this request in exchange for my wife back...you have yourself a deal."

He couldn't suppress a high-pitched giggle at that. This definitely was the first time in centuries someone was calling him a good man, even though he had gotten a lot of names.

"So, how do we do this? Get my wife back, I mean?"

"Don't you worry about that, dearie. You just acquired the one thing that can help you to get your happy ending.", the Dark One replied auspiciously, as out of nowhere two potions appeared in his hands. "Magic."

The sneer on his face grew to an impish grimace once again before suddenly he was standing right behind Farquaad, tearing one single hair out of the lord's head. "I'm sure you don't mind. Last ingredient.", Rumple said and then put both hairs - Farquaad's and the red one he unobtrusively had picked up from the cell's ground before they had left Fiona to her own again - into the vials, each into one of them, whereupon the magic did the rest to complete the spell until the fluid inside was mixed with a magical luminescence.

[Ariel]

"Don't you worry about that, dearie. You just acquired the one thing that can help you to get your happy ending.", 

Farquaad remained silent as his eyes widened at the sight before him. Reveling at the vials that the imp made appear out of thin air, he also slightly feared this kind of sorcery. For it was these similar works that made Fiona into the freak she had always been. Farquaad knew he had to shove his skeptics aside if he wanted to remain on the throne. This would be his last chance.

"Magic."  "I'm sure you don't mind. Last ingredient."



The dark one was not afraid to get close into Farquaad's personal space and Farquaad did not flinch out of his puzzlement. Only a slight wince escaped from Farquaad's body as Rumpelstiltskin plucked a single hair from his head.

"Very well," Farquaad nodded, "I shall retire to my chambers and let you...do whatever it is you need to do. Just let me know when it's close to being done." Shedding much concern, Farquaad turned and weaved through his men to the front of the party and lead the way out of the halls, leaving Rumpelstiltskin to work his magic.

***