King Stefan's Kingdom - The Moors - 5 Years BDC

[Hollywood Heidi]

The Moors

Ruled and protected by Maleficent, this magical place filled with magical creatures is located behind her castle.

Events occurring 5 years before Dark Curse

[Hollywood Heidi]

***Rose enters from King Stefan's Kingdom - Forbidden Fortress***


The night was cool. Rose had pulled the hood of her cloak over her head but it had fallen back in her excited run after the little fairy. The little fairy swished this way and that along her move toward the wall of foliage, throwing in a loop every now and again. Rose joyfully giggle at the show echoed quietly in the still night.

The fairy dove through the wall of foliage and Rose came to a stop, eying the thick curtain. Upon standing close to it, she could see that the branches holding the vines and leaves were thick and intertwined, big, dangerous thorns protruding everywhere. It was as if in warning to keep intruders out. Rose slowly wandered and pulled vines aside to see if there was a clearer path, having trouble making an assessment in the darkness of the night, but it appeared the entire thing might be this way. She felt a hesitation and just as the happiness on her face was beginning to turn crestfallen, she saw the glow of the fairy poke out of the curtain of vines several feet down still.

The fairy waved Rose over encouragingly. Smiling hesitantly, Rose walked over and pulled the vines aside and with the help from the light of the fairy, could see there was a very narrow path. With one more look over her shoulder at the castle, Rose stepped forward.

Flying low and at a slow pace, the fairy lit the way through the deep wall of the protective barrier and Rose concentrated on shifting her angle and footing to follow her through it. Deep in her concentration, she found herself suddenly in a clearing and gasped in awe at the sight of a whole swarm of glowing fairies dancing and playing along a small pond within a beautiful garden of plants and flowers the likes of which she'd never seen. Some even glowing as the little fairies did.

With a breathless, "Wow," Rose settled herself along the waters edge and just took in the sight of this magical place. She never imagined such a place could exist. How had all of this been hidden from sight? From the world? She barely registered the sound of Blue's wings fluttering by her ear as he came to a perch on her knee.

Rose held out her fingers and Blue hopped up on them. She slowly raised him up to her eye level so they could take it in together. "Blue, have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"

Her little water fairy friend had been tittering away with the others of her kind with sounds that were a mixture of high pitched squeaks and purrs. They all swirled around in the air but kept their distance, watching the human with curiosity, but no fear. Like the water fairy that had brought the human, they also saw an aura of fairy magic shining through the beauty of the woman. And when the woman spoke to the small bird who held such an unusual trust in the woman, they could hear the blessing of fairy magic in her tone.

The water fairies excitedly gave in to their curiosity and flew closer, playfully flitting around Rose. The commotion caused Blue to flit onto Rose's shoulder and nestle himself close, his little face peaking out from beneath her hair as he watched the creatures very foreign to him. The joy of the moment brought giggles bubbling up again as Rose turned this way and that to shine her warm, friendly smile at them. Recognizing the one who had sought her out, Rose smiled and held up her hand. The fairy flitted forward to place her tiny glowing hand against the human's. "Thank you for bringing me here." The little fairy smiled shyly and joined the others in twirling and looping and showing off in a brilliant light display.

[Hollywood Heidi]

~*~

Rose was unsure how much time had passed.  It flew by like mere moments but in reality, she knew it had been hours. She'd love to stay for many more--days, even--but the peaceful calm of the magical place and the relaxing low hum of the wings of the fairies as they flitted about had her eyelids growing heavy and she feared she'd fall asleep here in this dreamland until well into the next morning. She did not wish to upset Maleficent by having poor Diablo report to her that he was unable to find her within the castle walls when he'd gone to fetch her for breakfast.

Reluctantly saying her goodbyes and promising to return soon, the little fairy who'd curiously approached her and led her here safely flitted up from the group and flew passed her, ready to lead the way out.  Rose was about to turn and follow when the little fairy suddenly bolted right passed her again back to the group in front of her, the carefree swirling coming to a halt as all the little fairies hovered in place, staring wide-eyed at something beyond Rose's shoulder.  But that wasn't possible.  Close behind her were the thick, thorned vines that blocked the passage in and out of the Moors and she hadn't seen anything go passed her, save for her little fairy guide.

"What on Earth..." she wondered as she turned to look at what had captured their attention.  Rose was momentarily startled to indeed find something behind her.  Or rather, someone.  Upon recognizing him as an ally, for she thought of him as such after having saved them from Regina, Rose gave a warm smile and mimicked their last meeting.  "Well, hello again, sir," she said cheerily, giving the same playful curtsy as before.  The action had her suddenly recalling why it was that she'd thought to do so that last time and she was struck with surprise.  "Princess.  Back at the forest, that's what you'd called me," she recalled allowed.  "That can't have been a coincidence," she gathered.  "You knew who I really was?"  Now she did look a touch disappointed that he hadn't stuck around to correct what she'd obviously misconstrued as merely a pet name he casually used now and again.

[DarkSideCookie]

"What on Earth..."

Rumple smirked at her words, then stepped closer to make himself known. "Hello dearie." Her reaction was rather rare when it came to him reaching out to someone who hadn't invited him, but Rumple remembered this unique nativity of hers the moment he heard that cheering voice.

"Well, hello again, sir,"

Rumpel couldn't help but join in the nobly attitude and react with a playful bow to her curtsy.

"Princess. Back at the forest, that's what you'd called me,""That can't have been a coincidence,""You knew who I really was?"

A knowing smirk, despite the sudden disappointment on her features, appeared around Rumple's lips as he lifted his head back up. "I might," he answered truthfully before adding a question of his own. "But if I told you," he said with an uphold finger, then added another of his other hand, pointing in the princesses' direction. "would you have believed me?" His grin widened. Rumple wasn't expecting an answer to this, so he just went on talking. "So, how did..." Stopping in the middle of the sentence, he suddenly threw a wary look around the place, eying the fairies as they were but nasty gnats.

[Hollywood Heidi]

"I might," "But if I told you," "would you have believed me?"

Rose took a moment to consider. He was right. She wouldn't have believed it. She had trouble wrapping her mind around it even now after all the story and details given to her by Maleficent.

The disappointment smoothed away from her brow and her smile returned in answer, his grin widening.


"So, how did..."

As he spoke, Rose started to take a step toward him but was stopped short as the fairies that had been hiding behind her, swirling and peaking around at the stranger to dashing in front of her, frantically flying in front of her. "What are you--" They were making their little sounds of speech, high pitched squeaks and purrs she did not understand, and started flying in short darts toward her, making her back up in small steps away from the stranger.

The little sweet creatures were too fearful of the intruder to make any threatening moves toward him, so instead, they continued to do what they could to move her away from him. "No, please stop, it's alright," she tried to gently reassure, but they persisted, their little faces looking so full of fear and concern over her that it almost set off her own internal warning bells that maybe she was missing something. Her glance returned to the man, expression showing a questioning inkling of caution toward him for the first time. But her gaze was away from him just as quickly, trying again to reassure the fairies that she knew him. "Please, I know--" she stumbled on a rock, stopping her words as she glanced down to get back her footing.

[DarkSideCookie]

Of course, Rumplestiltskin was not at all afraid of the fairies but only irritated and annoyed. Nasty little bugs. But not only them. He knew exactly why they would fly around them like in kind of an alarm all of sudden. Maleficient. It was not like Rumple would be fearing to get observed or overheard, for he wasn't here in a secret mission or something; he simply didn't like that.

"Please, I know--"

"Enough of this," Rumple suddenly intervened before teleporting both of them, with just one single movement of his hand, towards the inside of the castle, to be more specific, the princess' private chambers.


*** Rumple and Rose exit to Forbidden Fortress ***