there are some that say certain souls are tied by a red string of fate but perhaps the string is truly a thread of gold, spun from straw that a life be saved from the whims of a greed-stricken king who saw fit to kill me or see me the queen when my heart belonged to the only one who could save me. a ring of promise; a necklace in token; a child to share our love with, freed from bonds and yet tied in the tale of fate with threads of gold. {fantastic rumpelstiltskin retelling: rumpelstiltskin by km shea} {other good retellings: rump by liesl shurtliff, the spinner and the slipper by camryn lockhart, and the princess pact by melanie cellier} {art and poetry by the dowager}