The Roses on Rumpel's table

[obisgirl]

I finished re-watching 'Skin Deep' again and considering how roses are a big theme throughout the whole episode and how Rumpel turned Gaston into a rose and Belle snipped him I have a new theory about the dozen of roses we saw in The Heart of Darkness when Prince Charming went to see Rumpel about what happened to Snow White.

My theory is -- those roses aren't ordinary roses but soldiers who have tried to defeat Rumpelstiltskin. Basically, every time a soldier shows up to try and kill him, he does that 'Poof! Now, you're a rose!' bit, thus the reason why he has a nice vase of roses when Charming comes to see him.

[Iceblade]

Oh God. Well I do have to wonder why he didn't seek some revenge against Belle's father, but perhaps he was too distracted with his big curse plans with events surrounding the PC/SW/EQ heating up.

[Gaultheria]

Basically, every time a soldier shows up to try and kill him, he does that 'Poof! Now, you're a rose!' bit, thus the reason why he has a nice vase of roses when Charming comes to see him.

Better than a vase of snails.

[obisgirl]

true live snails are not pretty, nor are they romantic.

[Elle]

I kinda thought that maybe it was done in Belle's memory, similar to the chipped cup. Belle had loved the rose he had given her.

[Josephine]

I like that reasoning. It's his way of honoring her memory. After all, he did put the chipped cup upon a pedastal, literally. A kind of memorial or shrine to what was, what might have been, and what never will be.