Belle

''' "Love is hope, it fuels our dreams, and if you're in it, you need to enjoy it."

- Belle to Dreamy '''

Belle, is a recurring character in Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the twelfth episode of the first season, and is portrayed by Emilie de Ravin. It is unknown who her counterpart in Storybrooke is. She is originally from the fairytale Beauty and the Beast.

History
Rumpelstiltskin is called to Maurice's castle to offer a deal. He offers to protect the town in exchange for Belle's servitude. She is taken to Rumpelstiltskin's Dark Castle and is promptly thrown into the dungeon. Throughout her stay at the Dark Castle, Belle forms a friendship with Rumpelstiltskin. He later allows her to go to town, saying he expects her never to return.

While walking in the forest, the Evil Queen's carriage stops on the road. She informs Belle, to her delight, that true love's kiss can break any curse. She then returns to Rumpelstiltskin (much to his surprise), in order to kiss him.

Although his curse visibly appears to start disappearing, he believes the Evil Queen was behind it, trying to take his powers away. Refusing to believe Belle's claims that she truly loves him, he imprisons her in the dungeon, later telling her to leave his castle and never return.

It is later claimed by the Evil Queen that Belle's father shunned her when she returned home and locked her in a tower, forcing her to undergo an exorcism of sorts. The Queen also claims Belle killed herself by jumping from the tower.

Her Storybrooke counterpart is shown at the end of "Skin Deep", being kept imprisoned by the Evil Queen's counterpart, Regina Mills in a psychiatric ward beneath the Storybrooke Hospital. Her name and story are currently unknown.

Belle is later shown in the episode "Dreamy" at a pub, where Dreamy the Dwarf (later to become Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) is marveling about his feelings for a fairy named Nova. Belle tells him he is in love. Grumpy asks her what love is like and she is says it is the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world. She tells him he needs to enjoy his love because it doesn't last forever. Belle tells him to go to his love and be with her, and tells him she's had her heart broken enough to know when somebody is reaching out, hinting at her heartbreak with Rumpelstiltskin. Therefore the events in Dreamy happened after Skin Deep.

Appearances

 * Skin Deep
 * Dreamy

Trivia

 * Her counterpart is being held captive in the hospital basement, in what appears to be a psychiatric ward.
 * Belle is a French word meaning "beauty."
 * She might tie into the season's finale, as stated by Jane Espenson.
 * When she is first seen she is hugging a book to her chest. This is a nod to Disney's depiction of Belle. As another nod, most of the outfits she wears throughout Skin Deep are based on those from the Disney movie.