“Yes,” Aurelion confirmed. “Whoever bets on me always makes a ton of gold!” He puffed up his chest with pride.
The pieces of the puzzle were slowing falling into place in Snow’s mind in regard to the mystery that was Ashe. Apparently, Ashe needed a lot of money for some reason, that much was clear.
“Who was your swordsmaster?” Aurelion questioned Ashe.
“I’m self-taught,” Ashe admitted.
“Tsk.” Aurelion clucked his tongue and shook his head. “That won’t do. You won’t last a minute in the arena if you don’t have excellent swordsmanship,” the Monster Hunter warned, and started to stroke his chin. He shrugged and put his hands out before him in a helpless gesture. “I suppose I have no choice. I’ll have to train you myself! After Rapunzel finishes forging your new sword, I’ll train you myself.”
“Whoa. Hold up. I never agreed to forging him a sword,” Rapunzel argued, shooting Aurelion a betrayed look.
Aurelion pouted at the blacksmith. “Don’t be like that, Punzie. This is why you don’t have any friends-”
“I don’t have any friends because I don’t want any,” Rapunzel huffed. “I have no interest in human interaction. I keep trying to explain this to you.”
“Don’t be stingy. It’s for a just cause. And you won’t be giving him a sword without a certain condition,” Aurelion declared, a sly smile curling his lips.
Sly smiles were never good in Ashe’s opinion and immediately put him on guard. “What condition?” Ashe asked.
“You register with the Heroes’ Guild and become an official hero of Fantasia,” Aurelion announced. “When the League of Villains strikes you must join me to thwart their latest evil plot!”
Ashe gave the Monster Hunter an incredulous look. “You want me to become a hero?”
Aurelion glanced at Snow. “You too, Prince Snow Flurris.”
“Who me?” Snow squeaked out in surprise. “But I’m a lover. Not a fighter. Now, if you need me to sing a song, write a love poem, or bake a pie - I’m your man.”
Aurelion looked at the sword strapped to Snow’s side. “Do you know how to use that sword?”
“Well, no…” Snow admitted bashfully.
“Then this is a good opportunity for you to be trained by me as well!” Aurelion insisted.
Ashe gave the boisterous hero a skeptical look. “Why are you helping me?”
“That’s what heroes do!” Aurelion exclaimed.
Ashe looked at Aurelion searchingly, but the Monster Hunter appeared to be sincere. To get Rapunzel to forge him an enchanted sword he would have to join the Heroes’ Guild and fight by Aurelion’s side when Fantasia was in peril. And Aurelion was going to train him so he could hold his own in the coliseum. Tit for tat.
Could a slave even become a hero? Ashe supposed he’d find out. Apparently, according to Rapunzel his father Cinderelron had been a hero of Fantasia. Ashe considered Aurelion’s deal. It wasn’t a bad deal, per say. “You’re obviously a naïve fool, but I accept your terms. I’ll join the Heroes’ Guild as long as Rapunzel forges me a sword.”
Aurelion beamed. “With my training you’ll become a champion of the coliseum.”
“Don’t I get any real say in this?” Snow asked, his brow furrowing out of worry. “I don’t want to be a hero. It sounds like a lot of work…I just want to laze around with the ladies.”
“Welcome to the team, Snow!” Aurelion said, slapping Snow on the back in an oblivious manner.
“I give up,” Snow moaned pitifully.
Rapunzel rubbed his temples with his index fingers. “I can’t believe I got roped into going along with another of Aurelion’s harebrained schemes.” He let out a defeated sigh. “Good grief.”
“Thank you, Rapunzel,” Aurelion said brightly.
“Yeah, yeah.” Rapunzel glanced at Ashe. “In order to make you an enchanted sword you’ll need to give me some of your hair.”
Ashe frowned and backed away a step. “My hair? How much?”
Ashe’s reaction made the corner of Rapunzel’s mouth twitch. “Don’t worry. Not a lot. Just a lock will do.” The blacksmith handed Ashe a pair of scissors.
Ashe untied his hair ribbon, grabbed a lock of his hair, and used the scissors to cut it. He handed Rapunzel the hair, and the blacksmith nodded in affirmation that it was enough. “This will do. I’ll also need some of my own hair…” Rapunzel explained as he started to pull up his cascade of hair that was still dangling down the outer tower wall. Once Rapunzel finally had a hold of the end of his hair he cut off a foot of it.
Ashe’s eyes widened as he took in how much hair Rapunzel actually had. “How long is your hair?”
“Oh, around seventy-feet-long,” Rapunzel answered.
“He doesn’t get out much,” Aurelion joked with a twinkle in his blue eyes.
“Hair makes the steel stronger and because my hair is magical the sword will become enchanted.” Rapunzel threw the lock of Ashe’s hair into the smelting pot, and then the lock of his own hair. “And because I’ve used a lock of your hair…only you will be able to use the enchanted sword.”
“Magic hair?” Snow offered Rapunzel a lopsided smile. “And here I thought you were just vain.”
“The only vain peacock I see inside this tower is you, Prince Snow Flurris,” Rapunzel remarked dryly. “I would cut all this hair off if I could. But making enchanted weapons is my livelihood. I’m a blacksmith, who makes enchanted weapons, and for them to be enchanted I need to use my magical hair in the forging process.”
“Livelihood?” Snow questioned with a curious tilt of his head. “I thought you said you had no use for gold? Why are you making weapons for the Demon King Gothel, huh?”
Rapunzel paled at the mention of the Demon King Gothel and he avoided meeting Snow’s gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Ashe and I saw him…or at least I think I saw him climb your tower and fetch a bag full of enchanted weapons,” Snow explained, a cunning glint in his sapphire blue eyes.
“Fuck off,” Rapunzel snapped. “Who I do business with is none of your business, Prissy Playboy.”
“When’s the last time you left this tower?” Snow asked. “Or should I say prison?”
Rapunzel grabbed Snow by the front of his vest and glared at him. “Shut up. You know nothing, Prince Snow! I don’t leave this tower because I don’t want to. I hate people. I just want to be left alone.”
Snow was unperturbed by Rapunzel’s outburst. “That must be lonely, and boring. What do you do in here all day?”
“Make weapons. Read. Paint,” Rapunzel replied shortly.
“Ah, that reminds me,” Aurelion said, fishing out a book and handing it to Rapunzel. “I brought you a new book.”
Rapunzel’s dull green eyes lit up and he took the book gingerly as if afraid he might damage it. “Thank you, Aurelion.” He offered the Monster Hunter a grateful smile.
“So you can smile…” Snow said, his eyebrows rising in surprise. Guess the blacksmith is just a bookworm. He thought.
“What are best friends for!” Aurelion said brightly.
Ashe suddenly grew curious about how the legendary hero Aurelion and the infamous Blacksmith Rapunzel became friends. “How did you two become friends anyways? You’re both so different.”
“One day, I was tracking a wyvern…and arrived at this forest. I saw a burst of flame exit the window at the top of this tower and assumed the monster had somehow gotten inside. Thinking someone might be in grave peril I had my dragon fly me over to the window so that I could get inside the tower. I jumped in right through the window and caught sight of a beautiful damsel in distress. I unsheathed my sword and attacked the monster…only to discover that wyvern was in fact a forge, and the damsel I was trying to rescue was a man!” Aurelion let out an amused chuckle.
“Glad I’m not the only one who thought he was a she at first,” Snow said with a smirk.
“Due to the bewildering length of Rapunzel’s hair it quic
kly became obvious to me that he hadn’t left this tower in a very long time. He seemed lonely, and I decided he needed a friend,” Aurelion said proudly.
“I haven’t been able to get rid of him ever since,” Rapunzel complained, but his tone was fond. Aurelion reached out to ruffle the top of Rapunzel’s head and laughed.
“Friends,” Snow murmured with a wistful note to his voice.
Ashe became distracted when he looked out the window and noted that the sun was starting to set. “I need to get going. I must return home before nightfall or else…” He shuddered.
“Alright, let’s go, I guess,” Snow said, his shoulders sagging in disappointment. Monster Hunter Aurelion and Rapunzel were two interesting guys and Snow had been having fun getting to hang out with them. All the men in Apple Kingdom seemed to hate Snow so it was a nice change of pace getting to hang out with men his own age for once.
“I’ll be done with your sword by tomorrow afternoon,” Rapunzel informed Ashe. “You can come pick it up then.”
Ashe nodded. “Thanks. I will.”
“Bye, guys,” Aurelion said. “Have a splendid evening!”
Ashe and Snow left Rapunzel’s tower and began to ride out of Bones Kingdom and towards their respective homes. Once they reached a fork in the road Snow continued his way to Apple Kingdom while Ashe headed the rest of the way to Glass Kingdom.
When Ashe returned ‘home’ he made Lord Tremaine and his sons dinner. Since they thought Ashe was still gravely injured they didn’t pick on him very much. That night when Ashe went to bed he was surprised that he was feeling strangely hopeful for once.
To be continued in…Chapter 4:
Chapter 4:
“Stop,” Julie commanded her enchanted carriage before it would have exited the edge of the forest into the clearing where Rapunzel’s Tower stood. The carriage came to a halt instantly.
Julie exited the carriage, approached the trees, and peered out at Snow and Ashe. She chewed her bottom lip out of concern as she watched Ashe climb a cascade of golden hair and enter the top of the tower through the only window.
She hoped Blacksmith Rapunzel would be accommodating and agree to forge Ashe a sword. “Oh, what if I’ve sent Ashe to his doom…” There were some unsettling rumors about Blacksmith Rapunzel being a coldhearted, bloodthirsty demon.
Still, Rapunzel made the most powerful enchanted weapons in all of Fantasia, and Ashe deserved the best. Ashe reminded Julie of the deceased Commander of the Royal Guard, Cinderelron. Cinderelron had died rescuing Julie from the clutches of evil. Even though she’d only been a child at the time Julie had been in love with Cinderelron.
It had been a pure, innocent, plutonic, and childlike love that’s she’d harbored for him. Ashe had the same silvery hair and golden eyes as Cinderelron. In fact, their resemblance was uncanny…and it made Julie wonder if Cinderelron had a son she didn’t know about.
Ever since Ashe had saved her at the casino her heart fluttered when she thought about him. Ashe was so handsome, strong, and deadly. Julie had never seen a more handsome man in all her life. She’d fallen in love with him at first sight.
And now she was stalking him…
What Julie really wanted to do was speak with him again, but she couldn’t find the courage to approach him and settled for watching him from afar. She liked him too much to talk to him. She knew this was silly, but there it was.
Julie was pretty proud of herself that she’d been able to talk to Ashe in Apple City, and had been able to help him meet up with Prince Snow Flurris.
Julie’s true identity was Princess Juleka Glass. This is why she knew Prince Snow. They’d encountered each other at court before and at a few royal balls. Prince Snow had been polite and kind to her, but had ignored her in favor of spending his time with more assertive, bubbly, and outgoing women.
Still, as Juleka had watched Prince Snow from afar she’d noticed something. Even though Snow was surrounded by women the entire time he seemed really lonely. That’s when Juleka realized that all of the noblemen present were either glaring at Snow or sending him dirty looks. It must be hard for a man to have no male friends, Juleka decided, her heart going out to him.
Juleka thought that the prickly Ashe and the charismatic Snow could become good friends if given the chance. So far, things were working out according to Juleka’s plans. Ashe and Snow seemed to be getting along for the most part, and hopefully Rapunzel would forge Ashe an enchanted sword. After that, Ashe would be able to participate in the matches and tournaments held at the Glass Coliseum. Juleka wanted to help Ashe fulfill his dream from the shadows.
Juleka was peering up at the window when a clanging sound reached her ears. That’s the sound of steel clashing against steel! Juleka thought in alarm. “Oh no…they’re fighting. I should have known the prickly Ashe wouldn’t get along with Rapunzel. Oh, what have I done?”
Juleka watched as a concerned Snow started to climb up the cascade of golden hair, presumably to help his ‘new friend’. Juleka nibbled her lower lip again. “Ashe…I should go help him too.” She started to emerge from the edge of the forest; however, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
“Wait,” a soft, feminine voice said.
Juleka spun around to face a young woman that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The woman had brown hair that was pulled up into a messy bun. A pair of round glasses was perched on her nose, making her lavender-colored eyes barely visible behind the large frames. She was wearing a brown, Steampunk-style dress decorated with vertical black stripes and a bustle. There was a black corset around the woman’s waist that was decorated with golden cogs. A three-foot-long fan was strapped to the woman’s waist.
“Your friends will be alright,” the woman assured in a kind voice. “Rapunzel won’t harm them. He is a good man.”
Juleka gave the young woman a curious look. “Who are you?”
The woman smirked and stuck her hand out for Juleka to take. “Dr. Henrietta Jekyll, at your service. I’m a doctor and an alchemist. And, you are?”
Juleka took Henrietta’s hand and shook it. There was something about Henrietta’s warm, sincere eyes that made Juleka tell the woman the truth. “Please don’t tell the boys, it’s a secret, but I’m Princess Juleka of Glass Kingdom. What is a lady like you doing in this godforsaken forest, Dr. Jekyll?”
“Please, call me Henrietta,” the doctor said. “And I could be asking you the same thing. You could say I’m watching over Rapunzel. I’m…in love with him, you see.” Henrietta started to twirl a lock of her brown hair around her index finger in a nervous gesture.
“Does he know?” Juleka asked curiously.
“Alas, he does not,” Henrietta admitted sadly. “We’re actually enemies.” Juleka’s eyebrows rose at that. “It’s complicated…” Henrietta continued.
“Hence, you watch over him from afar.” Juleka was nodding to herself. “I completely understand. I, too, am watching over the man I love from afar.”
“Why?” Henrietta asked, pushing her glasses up her nose with an intent look on her face.
“I can’t find the courage to speak with him,” Juleka confided. “It’s pathetic. I know. But when he’s close my brain turns to mush, and I can’t think of anything to say. I get all tongue-tied. I like him too much.”
Henrietta was able to relate and nodded vigorously. “I hope you find the courage to speak with him, Juleka.”
“Me too,” Juleka agreed with a wistful note to her voice.
Henrietta looked up at the tower window and a crooked smile formed on her face. “This is the first time two human men have visited Punzie. I hope they will become his friends. Right now, Rapunzel only has one friend - Monster Hunter, Hero, and Prince, Aurelion Borealis.”
“The hero Aurelion!” Juleka gasped in surprise and her blue eyes sparkled beneath her mask. “Wow. I’d love to meet him and get his autograph.”
Henrietta let out an amused laugh. “He should be arriving here soon. You should ask him. I’m s
ure he wouldn’t mind.”
“Oh no…I couldn’t possibly talk to Aurelion,” Juleka said, acting shy. “I wouldn’t know what to say or how to act.”
“Just be yourself.” Henrietta reached out to pat Juleka’s arm. “You’ll be fine. I find you to be very pleasant company.”
“Why thank you, Henrietta.” Juleka gave the doctor a tremulous smile.
At that moment, a fierce wind started to pick up all around them. The sound of flapping reached Juleka’s ears and at first she thought a large bird was causing the sound. But as it grew louder she knew she must be mistaken. Something else was making that sound. Something big.
Both young women were forced to put their hands on the skirts of their dresses in order to stop them from blowing up and revealing their undergarments shamelessly. “He’s here.”
All of a sudden an eighty-foot-long, black dragon with gold eyes appeared in the sky overhead, heading for Rapunzel’s tower. Juleka’s eyes flared and she gasped. “A dragon!”
Henrietta shot Juleka a questioning look. “The hero Aurelion is a dragon rider. Didn’t you know?”
“No. I did not,” Juleka said as she shielded her eyes with her hand from the wind so that she could look up at the dragon. She spotted a man dressed in black steel armor seated on the dragons back. “That must be Aurelion…” The dragon rider exuded a fierce, powerful aura. The spikes on the knight’s armor gave the hero a fearsome appearance, and caused Juleka to gulp. It’s really him. The greatest hero in all of Fantasia.
Juleka watched as Aurelion hopped off the back of his dragon without fear, and entered the tower. Juleka was able to breathe easier now. Ashe was in good hands. There was no one more selfless or valiant than the hero Aurelion.
Juleka couldn’t help but feel that Prince Aurelion getting to meet Ashe, Snow, and Rapunzel was important and auspicious somehow. I feel like this will become known as a pivotal moment in Fantasia’s history. Destiny caused these four men to meet for a reason.
***
The following morning, when Ashe awoke he was surprised by how good he felt considering how recently he’d been tortured by Lord Tremaine and his sons. Last night, it had been too cold to go up to the attic and sleep so Ashe had curled up on the floor by the fireplace in the kitchen. He sat up, stretched, and smirked when he didn’t feel any pain.
Ashe and the Glass Sword Page 8