Rapunzel (Faerie Tale Collection) (9 page)

“But?” Rapunzel’s hands tightened upon his.

He kissed the top of her head. “Shh. Let me continue, and then I will answer all questions you have later.

“There was a great storm that came through the kingdom, and the castle grew excessively cold that winter. Within two weeks, many of the servants had lost loved ones. The little prince did not last the fortnight. My own mother, who still was ill from complications from the birth, died later the same evening as the prince.

“When the king heard of the butler’s predicament, attempting to find a wet nurse for his grandson, he spoke to his grieving wife. In hushed tones, she asked to see me privately. They say that my rosy cheeks, tuft of hair, and small bright eyes nearly broke her heart. They reminded her so much of her own newly born babe, but she could not simply turn me away because I had no mother. It was very clear that I was hungry.

“Mother says I latched on like a starving goat and would not release for nearly an hour. She wept and wept and wept, tears spilling down her neck and chest. How she missed her sweet son. How she grieved his passing and each minute was agony, knowing she would never have these moments with him again.

“With the castle in dire straits and illness spreading rapidly, she did agree to continue to suckle me until they could find a suitable wet nurse. However, she told of how, during the course of the next twenty-four hours, my small whimpers and nudges and grasping hands managed to soothe her heart more than break it. And on the second day when a nursing mother was found in the next village, Mother turned her away.

“Father knelt at her bedside, brushed her tangled hair away from her face, stared deeply into her eyes and asked simply, ‘What shall I do? You tell me and it will happen.’

“When he saw her lip quiver, afraid to ask him what she wished, but so overcome with emotion tears had begun again, he did not ask more. He nodded his head and kissed her lips and then nose and brow and said, ‘He shall be ours. He will want for nothing. I will change the law to state that as long as he has the pendant, he will be known as our son.’

“Mother says it is the day she truly knew what a marvelous man she had married, one who would break custom and the ancient ways to appease the love of his life. Her own love for him grew to be unwavering from that moment on.”

Jonathan slowly traced Rapunzel’s arms with his hands. “And that is how I am to become king, but was never a prince.”

All was silent for a few moments and then she asked, “Did my parents know?”

“Your parents and mine have been dear friends for so long, they felt it was fate when my mother had a son and a couple years later, yours a daughter. They were always so eager to see us get along, so when we did and I expressed a wish to join the families together one day, my father took me aside and told me it was my choice to share my circumstances, but if I never wished to do so, then no one need ever know. However, I did speak with them both before I left for school. Even before I came to the playhouse on our last day together.”

“What did they say?”

“Well, I was a nervous wretch. My knees were knocking and everything. But after finally spilling out the whole of the story, your father merely grinned and said, “We have never thought of you anything other than the prince of Balligryn. So if your father, the king, has no objections, why should I?”

She turned within his arms and grinned. “I knew it. I knew Father would say something just like that.” Snuggling into his chest, she fiddled with the beautiful pendant. “Thank you for sharing. And I am even more honored that you allowed me to wear the pendant all this time.”

“How did it save you? Will you tell me?”

She glanced up at him, her features flashing with pain before searching his eyes and then shaking her head a bit. “I was so imprudent then. I still cannot comprehend how easy it was to allow myself to go into such a state.”

“Hush. All is well. We are together. Now what happened?”

“Nothing, really. I had just pierced my arm with a piece of shattered porcelain and was ready to drag it painfully the rest of the way down to my wrist when—”

Jonathan inhaled quickly, his stomach twisting into hard rocks within him at her words.

“Just as I was about to slice further, I caught a small portion of the gold chain winking at me from where it peeked beneath my dress.” She dropped the pendant, and her arms wrapped around his neck. “I realized then that you might still be looking for me, and I could not harm you by allowing the witch to have what you needed most to become king. It saved me. It truly snapped me out of the trance I had been in and forced me to hope again.”

RAPUNZEL FELT JONATHAN’S HANDS trace her back as he said, “Let us make sure you never do that again.”

“I promise I will not.”

“Good. I have already lost you once; I could not bear to lose you a second time.”

“I have missed you,” she whispered, knowing she was repeating herself, but it was true. Her dearest friend had been missed for years.

“Well, that is something else that shall be rectified. Once I get you back to the castle, I shall continue my studies at home and be with you every chance I get it.”

She clutched him tighter. The smile soon became covered in her happy tears.

They sat like that for a few moments, and when he pulled back, he seemed to remember that she still had her shackles about her ankles. Holding her face gently between his hands, he said, “I have to leave soon. The sun is setting. I will be back, I promise you. I will not leave you here. However, just in case something detains me, or if you find yourself without me and are frightened because you believe I have been gone too long, remove a stone from these walls and hammer away at the metal holding you captive. It may take you days to finally release the bands, but it will work eventually. When the time is right, you will know how to escape, but I believe it may be best while the witch is already here in the room. Do what you must to save yourself.”

She nodded, her heart lurching at the possibilities and almost finality of his words. She clutched his elbows. “You will come back?” Even though she knew the answer, she had to ask again.

“Yes.” He kissed her. “Yes, yes, yes.” He placed a delicious kiss on her lips in between each word. “Yes.”

She believed him. “Go, then. But hurry back shortly.”

He stood up and held his hand out for her. Together, they walked to the balustrade, Hercules circling their legs as they did so. “I will be back in the morning. And then we shall get away from here forever.”

She giggled as she flung her arms around him. Her emotions bordered on hysteria, but she did not care. It sounded wonderful. Perfect. For the first time in eight months, she felt truly safe.

“Good-bye,” he said.

“Godspeed.” She kissed him once more and then watched as he scurried down the long rope of hair. He had come! He had truly come! And tomorrow they would be safe.

LADY VACTRYNE HISSED WHEN she came out of the clearing and heard voices at the top of the tower. Quickly, she hid herself amongst some fronds and cursed the idiocy of believing the girl was truly mourning her fate.

Her eyes squinted as she watched the chattering couple embrace and then saw him climb down onto the ground, only to have Rapunzel quickly bring it back up again. No wonder she cut her own hair off—to provide him with a rope! The fiend had no doubt been faking her own morose illness as well, pretending to be listless so as not to alarm her while she entertained this strange man.

Lady Vactryne clenched her fist tightly around the satchel she was carrying. A small drop of blood made its way out of her hand to splatter upon the ground below her. Some things were not to be tolerated. This was definitely one of those things.

Lady Vactryne had not been this livid for several years. But to be duped so completely with this clandestine relationship was enough to burst the fury out of anyone. She refused to be made a fool! And both the girl and that young man would pay for their insolence.

After waiting a few minutes, willing herself to remain calm, she walked into the clearing and called up to the wretched girl. In a trice, the long rope of hair was thrown over the side, and the witch was upon the tower. She inhaled a silent, shaky breath and then smiled as best she could. “How was your day?” she asked the girl.

Nothing could hide the glow about Rapunzel. Nothing. “Good.”

“Hmm . . .” Even pretending to be calm would become too taxing today. Her mind was racing. The more it whirled, the angrier she became. The more livid, the more out of control she felt. This would not do. Not do at all. Slamming her satchel upon the table caused the girl to jump, but she covered up the display with a bit of a laugh.

A flash of worry crossed Rapunzel’s features.

“Well, let us get your supper ready. I have so much on my mind, I will not be able to stay long.”

“Oh.” The girl approached cautiously. “Would you like some help?”

“No, thank you.” Lady Vactryne pulled out the pretty blue vial from her bag and carried it to the cupboard. Then she created a lovely soup—soup fit for a queen—and presented it to the girl. Once Rapunzel had eaten, Lady Vactryne poofed a glass of milk and poured in a bit of sleeping potion from the blue vial. It was something she did so often, she was certain Rapunzel never truly thought about it. Since the sleep was one that came upon gradually, it would never seem as if she was actually being forced to shut her body down and rest.

After nearly a quarter of an hour, Rapunzel was lying down, tucked nicely into her fine bed. Her eyes closed, and then the witch raged.

A shriek that rattled the rafters escaped from her throat. How she hated feeling like this! How she hated betrayal! It was only the worst type of person who would betray another so blatantly. And the princess was nothing better than her greedy, betraying, lying, thieving parents! Ahhh! She should have known the girl would not be any greater than her own family!

She began to pace as she thought of what to do next, her long skirts swirling about her legs. The first thing would be to remove the young man completely from this farce. Rapunzel was hers—not his! And Lady Vactryne would be skinned alive before seeing someone take what was rightfully hers.

She was certain he had no idea what to do with the girl anyway. Probably a mere little infatuation he gained from her pretty presence, but the witch knew better. She knew what that girl was capable of. Did she not see it from the first moment she laid eyes on the babe not yet two toddling about the castle grounds? Yes. She saw then the unleashed power within the princess. All that rapunzel tea her mother had drunk had certainly passed on to the girl.

There was a reason all those who wished to harness great power kept mint and the rapunzel flower growing within their gardens. It had been known by the most powerful witches for years that if you were to use those two herbs together, they would unleash incredible powers, as well as strength and fortitude. When she approached the king and queen, it was with the knowledge that they had also included mint in the teas she had been drinking. Bargaining for the unborn infant was the perfect foil to create the fear she hoped to generate within them. She had not been certain if she would actually take Rapunzel until she crept to the palace gardens and saw the little thing wandering around the gardens. Oh, then she knew!

No one else would be able to raise the child as well as she could.

Lady Vactryne glanced at the sleeping form and snarled. So much potential. So much power within that slight frame. But she had to be comfortable to access it. She had to be in her element, and right now, the witch needed the princess to trust her. Urgh. The imbecilic lad! How dare he attempt to ruin all her plans?

He would pay. She would see to it that he would never lay eyes on his dear princess again!