“Stop following me!” Ashe snapped over his shoulder as he quickened his pace. He exited the ballroom, and started to make his way down the corridor that led to the front doors of the palace.
“And then you saved me…just like what Cinderelron would have done. It’s when I fell in love with you,” Juleka admitted.
“Stop. Just stop,” Ashe snarled as he pushed the double doors open, and exited the palace. “I don’t think I can ever forgive you for this, Juleka. Now that I know the truth…I don’t think we can be together. Because right now I hate you. You ruined my life. You took everything from me.” Ashe started to run down the steps.
“Ashe, please! Wait!” Juleka called as she ran down steps after him. “I love you so much. I don’t think I can live without you!”
“Then go ahead and die for all I care,” Ashe snapped coldly. “Farewell, Juleka. Don’t stalk me.” As Ashe ran the rest of the way down the marble steps he ended up losing one of his glass shoes. He paused to retrieve it, but realized that if he stopped Juleka would reach him.
Ashe didn’t want to deal with Juleka at that moment. He needed to be alone with his thoughts and feelings. He ended up leaving his glass shoe behind. Ashe mounted the Pegasus and they took off into the sky.
“Ashe! No! Wait! Come back!” Juleka cried as she ran the rest of the way down the steps. She bent over, retrieved his glass shoe, and watched forlornly as Ashe flew away on the back of a Pegasus.
Juleka sank to her knees as her strength left her. She clutched the glass shoe to her chest and sobbed. “Oh, Ashe…” As her tears dripped off her cheeks they turned into diamonds as they fell down through the air. The blue diamonds made a clinking sound as they were caught in the glass shoe she was holding.
I can’t lose him. Juleka thought as she hugged the shoe tighter to her aching chest. I must think of some way to get him back.
To be continued in…Chapter 13:
Chapter 13:
Instead of going back to the château Ashe had the Pegasus fly him to Apple Kingdom. Due to the emotional turmoil he was feeling he didn’t want to be alone. He needed a friend. It was almost midnight, but luckily the night was ‘young’ for someone like the philandering Prince Snow Flurris.
When the Pegasus landed outside the Gentleman’s Club Forbidden Fruit Ashe dismounted and strolled inside the club. Immediately, all eyes were on Ashe due to the gorgeous blue suit he was wearing. None dared to approach the mysterious and handsome man, however, due to the furious look on his face.
Ashe looked around the club and spotted Snow seated at a round booth with three witches that at this point were beginning to look familiar to Ashe. The witches were the first to notice Ashe’s approach to their booth. Their eyes widened like saucers, and became filled with admiration.
“It’s Ashe!” “Wielder of the Glass Sword.” “Undefeated Champion of the Glass Coliseum.” The girls murmured with an air of excitement.
Snow looked up, caught sight of Ashe, and was about to grin when he noticed the angry expression on his friend’s face. The prince swallowed a lump of nervousness. “Whoa…first off, I want to say ‘sorry’. Secondly, what did I do?” Snow asked sheepishly.
Ashe took a seat on the curved sofa. “I need a drink,” Ashe said.
Snow blinked in surprise before grinning, and waving a waitress over. “More wine for my friend here!”
A new bottle of wine was brought to the table along with a crystal goblet. The redheaded Elvira filled Ashe’s goblet with wine, and then handed the goblet to him. Ashe took the goblet from her and began to chug. He set the empty goblet down on the table. “More.” Elvira obligingly refilled his goblet, and when Ashe picked up the goblet this time he only took a sip.
Snow was watching his friend in a scrutinizing fashion. Ashe was dressed in a rather fine suit. His friend looked amazing - for a man. Snow blushed slightly at his complimentary thoughts towards his new friend. Snow deduced that Ashe must have come from Princess Juleka Glass’s ball and birthday celebration. The playboy prince had received an invitation as well, but had decided not to go.
“You were at Princess Juleka’s 24th birthday celebration, weren’t you?” Snow asked, taking a thoughtful sip from his own goblet of wine. “What happened? Did you fall in love with the mysterious princess at first sight or something?” There was a playful twinkle in Snow’s sapphire blue eyes.
Ashe sighed, and scrubbed a hand down his face. When he cast an askance look Snow’s way, the prince noted that his friend looked extremely tired. “I never got around to telling you this, but…once I started fighting in the coliseum I discovered the true identity of my stalker Julie. Julie is actually Princess Juleka Glass. The Princess and Queen Krista would occasionally watch the matches taking place at the coliseum, and that’s when I saw her.”
“Your stalker is Princess Juleka Glass?” Snow exclaimed, and then glanced around the club to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. “Wow. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“She was deceiving me, Snow,” Ashe growled, slamming a hand down on the table and causing everyone’s goblets to rattle precariously. “I abhor liars.”
“I’m sure she had a good reason for not telling you the truth,” Snow placated.
“Oh, she did,” Ashe said, a dark cloud falling over his face. “She’s the reason my father is dead.”
“What!” Snow blurted out in shock.
“Have you ever heard of the hero named Cinderelron?” Ashe questioned and when Snow nodded he continued. “Cinderelron was my father. And apparently he was also the Commander of the Royal Guard of Glass Kingdom.”
Snow gave Ashe an impressed look. “You’re Cinderelron’s son? Wicked.”
Ashe steepled his fingers on the table in front of him in a thoughtful pose. “There’s more. Cinderelron was a unicorn shifter. A member of the League of Villains kidnapped Princess Juleka in order to lure my father into a trap. My father’s Glass Sword was destroyed during his battle against the villain, and Cinderelron was forced to flee with Princess Juleka while in unicorn form. As they were fleeing through the forest one of my father’s legs ended up caught in a bear trap. That’s when Princess Juleka left my father behind to save her own skin. Since my father died that night I can only assume the villain showed up, and killed him. My father died protecting Princess Juleka. It’s her fault my life went to hell in a hand basket!”
Snow frowned. “How is it her fault your father died? Did Princess Juleka Glass ask to be kidnapped? Did she kill your father herself?”
“No, but…she shouldn’t have let herself get kidnapped in the first place,” Ashe argued.
“How old was Princess Juleka when this happened?” Snow asked.
“She was ten years old,” Ashe revealed.
“So you’re saying a little girl should have been able to stop a villain from kidnapping her all on her own?” Snow gave his friend a chiding look. “Ashe, be reasonable.”
“The fact that she got herself kidnapped isn’t the only thing I’m angry about,” Ashe started to explain. “It’s the fact my father chose Juleka over his own family. We needed him, and he let himself get killed protecting someone else’s child. Her existence caused my family’s downfall.”
Snow shook his head. “You’ve got it all wrong, Ashe. Your father was a hero, and the Commander of the Royal Guard. He did his duty by saving the life of the Princess of Glass Kingdom. I don’t think your father chose Juleka over you or your mother. I think he was looking at the bigger picture. Glass Kingdom has a matriarchy. If Juleka were killed who would rule Glass Kingdom after Queen Krista? Someone nice or a tyrant? You and your mother were citizens of Glass Kingdom, and Juleka is the future Queen of Glass Kingdom. One could argue Cinderelron protected Juleka in order to protect the future of you both.”
Ashe took a moment to consider Snow’s words. They made sense from a certain point of view. Perhaps, saving Juleka’s life to protect Glass Kingdom’s future was his father’s intention, but be
cause Cinderelron was dead they would never know for sure what his father was thinking during his final moments.
“What you’re suggesting is certainly plausible, Snow, but that still doesn’t change the fact that Juleka’s kidnapping caused a Domino effect that destroyed my life. My mother became a gambling addict, and ended up borrowing large sums of money from Lord Tremaine. When she couldn’t pay him back, he offered to marry her. Then, when my mother continued her gambling habit and raked up even more debt Lord Tremaine offered her a new deal - to sell me to him to pay off her new debt. On my 18th birthday my mother committed suicide. After that, Lord Tremaine changed into a sadistic bastard.”
Finally, Snow had Ashe’s entire story, and things were making sense. But there was something about Ashe’s story that stood out and made a chill crawl up Snow’s spine. “Your mother committed suicide on your 18th birthday? Are you sure it was suicide?”
Ashe frowned. “Yes. Why?”
Snow rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s just…when a shifter turns eighteen that’s usually when their ability to shift into another form awakens.”
Ashe rubbed his stomach as it began to tie itself up into knots. He’d wanted to think he was just being paranoid by contemplating that Lord Tremaine had killed his mother in order to get his hand’s on Ashe’s unicorn horn to gain immortality, but even Snow seemed to jump to that conclusion rather quickly. “You think Lord Tremaine killed my mother?”
Snow shrugged. “Lord Tremaine is an ambitious man. Why wouldn’t he want immortality?”
Ashe clenched his hands into fists on the counter. “Lord Tremaine,” he growled lowly.
“Ashe, I think you should forgive Juleka,” Snow said, giving his friend a beseeching look. “She loves you.” Ashe shot his friend an incredulous glare. “You shouldn’t punish Juleka for what happened. You should only punish the one who committed the crime. The villain, who kidnapped Princess Juleka, and Lord Tremaine, if he really killed your mother - they are the ones who’ve made your life a living hell. Your mother chose to deal with her grief over losing Cinderelron by gambling - that’s on her. Not Juleka.”
“So you’re saying I should confront Lord Tremaine, and find out the truth?” Ashe arched an eyebrow at the playboy. “And then what? If it’s true, kill him, and avenge my mother?”
Snow paled at the blasé way Ashe was saying he might kill Lord Tremaine. Snow was a lover. Not a fighter. “If it really is true, and Lord Tremaine killed your mother I think it would be much too dangerous to confront him about it. If he knows that you’ve discovered his true intentions, he’ll kill you. He may be a dullard, but even I know he’s not to be underestimated. You would be putting your life at risk.”
“My life?” Ashe said in a dry tone. “Picasso already tried to kill me earlier this evening in order to stop me from going to the ball.”
Snow sucked in a surprised breath. “And Lord Tremaine allowed this?”
Ashe nodded grimly. “He just stood there and watched.”
“Are you…alright?” Snow asked tentatively. Ashe had a bad habit of hiding his injuries from his friends, and pretending he was fine until he’d collapse from exhaustion or blood loss.
Ashe shrugged. “I should be. My Fairy Godfather, Blue, healed my wound.”
Snow raised a hand to stop Ashe from continuing. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. A fairy healed your wound? You know, Ashe, fairies aren’t known for their healing magic. Only their time reversal magic and illusion magic. Did Blue say anything about the magic he used on you?”
“Just that the magic would only last until midnight,” Ashe said carelessly.
Snow glanced at a nearby cuckoo clock hanging on the wall. It was almost midnight. Shit! Snow stood up from his seat abruptly. “We need to go to Rapunzel’s…like right now. If I’m right the magic Blue used on you will wear off at midnight, and your wound will reappear!”
Ashe gave his friend a skeptical look. “If that’s true, what was the point in saving me if it was only temporary?”
“I don’t know,” Snow said with an air of impatience, and racked his brain for a suitable response. What were Fairy Godfathers usually up to though? Matchmaking. They were always meddling in the affairs of couples and trying to help people find true love. “Did you get to dance with Princess Juleka?”
Ashe flushed and gave Snow an askance look. “We did a little more than just dance.”
“Ooo!” the three witches that were seated at their booth cooed. Ashe shot them a wide-eyed look. He’d completely forgotten they were even there.
“That’s it then!” Snow declared, nodding to himself.
“What’s ‘it’?” Ashe demanded with a note of irritation to his voice.
“Never mind that now,” Snow said, sliding out from the booth. “We need to get you to Rapunzel’s before it’s too late.” The playboy prince turned his attention to the three witches as Ashe scooted out of the booth. “Now, ladies, everything that was spoken about here must remain a secret.”
The three witches nodded and smiled at Snow. “Our lips are sealed, Darling,” Elvira assured before sending a stern look Tabitha and Endora’s way. “Right, girls?”
Tabitha nodded. “Yes. You can count on us, Princes Snow.”
“I won’t say a word,” Endora said passionately. “Even if I’m tortured! Even if I’m put on the rack! Even if I’m tied to four horses and they try to rip me limb from limb!”
Ashe gave Endora a startled look. “No…if you’re tortured just spill my secret. I don’t really care that much.”
Snow chuckled and blew the witches a kiss. After that, he and Ashe made their way out of the club just as the clock started to strike midnight. The duo watched as the Pegasus transformed into a normal horse right before their eyes. Snow shot Ashe a concerned look and watched as the blue suit Ashe was wearing transformed into a white and gold one.
Ashe let out a grunt of pain as a large bloodstain started to appear over his stomach. He staggered forward, put a hand over his stomach, and when he removed his hand and looked down at his palm he saw that it was covered in blood. “Shitty fairy magic.”
“Dammit!” Snow swore, paling at the sight of the bloodstain that seemed to be growing larger and larger as the seconds ticked by. That was a lot of blood. “Sometimes I hate being right.” Ashe swayed on his feet, and Snow caught him in his arms when the other young man passed out.
Snow dragged Ashe over to his black stallion and pulled Ashe up onto the back of his saddle. The playboy mounted his stallion, and shot a concerned glance over his shoulder at his unconscious passenger. “Hang on, Ashe.” Snow gripped his horse’s sides and snapped his reins. “Hyah!” The stallion took off at a powerful gallop as it headed towards Bones Kingdom.
As soon as Snow reached Rapunzel’s Tower he called up to the other man to let down his hair. Snow wrapped the golden hair around Ashe’s torso, and Rapunzel pulled him up into the tower. Snow waited for Rapunzel to toss his hair out again before he climbed up the tower. Once Snow reached the window and hopped down into the room he caught sight of Rapunzel with his hands on Ashe’s stomach.
The blacksmith shot a glare Snow’s way. “What the hell happened this time?”
Snow let out a breath of relief at the sight of Rapunzel’s glowing hands and hair. “Evil stepbrother,” Snow explained.
Rapunzel let out a huff and returned his attention to Ashe. He frowned down at the wound. “If you’d brought him even a few seconds later…he’d be dead.”
“But he’ll live right? He’ll pull through?” Snow asked, wringing his hands out of worry.
“This time,” Rapunzel said, his frown deepening. “You guys are way too reckless.”
Snow placed a hand behind his head in a sheepish gesture. “Sorry for the trouble.”
As soon as Rapunzel finished healing Ashe he stood up and went over to wash his bloody hands in a basin of water that was sitting on a small nearby table. “Tell me everything,” the blacksmith demanded.
Snow told R
apunzel everything he’d learned about Ashe’s past, and how everything had culminated in Ashe being stabbed by Picasso in order to prevent Ashe from attending the ball.
A dark shadow fell over Rapunzel’s stoic face. “And you had this conversation at the Gentleman’s Club?”
“Yeah, so?” Snow asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rapunzel scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed. “Did you even stop to think who might be listening? Who knows how many people know Ashe is a unicorn shifter now.”
Snow paled. “I didn’t really think of that. But the witches we were sitting with promised to keep everything they heard a secret. And I trust their word.”
“If you’re wrong…Ashe could end up being hunted for his horn,” Rapunzel said grimly. “Just like his father. It’s not safe for him…anywhere.”
“Personally, I don’t think it’s safe for Ashe to return to Lord Tremaine’s château,” Snow said. “Especially, after hearing about how Picasso tried to kill him.”
“I agree. He can no longer return there. To do so would be folly.” Rapunzel let out a heavy sigh. “I suppose he can stay here with me for a time. Not permanently, of course. Bones Kingdom isn’t exactly a safe place for a unicorn shifter to be either. But he can stay here until we figure something out.”
Snow gave the blacksmith a surprised and grateful look. “Thank you, Punzie.” Snow glanced around the circular room curiously. Rapunzel’s forge and bookshelf took up most of the room. There was also a smelting pot, anvil, and other blacksmith tools. “Where do you sleep anyways? On the floor?”
A muscle ticked in Rapunzel’s jaw out of irritation. “There’s a lower level. That’s where my bedroom and living room are.”
Snow’s jaw dropped opened in shock. “There’s a whole other room in this tower that I’ve never been in! You mean to tell me…we’ve been suffering in this overly hot room this entire time, and sweating bullets when we could have been socializing in an actual living room?”
“Socializing?” Rapunzel raised an eyebrow at the playboy prince. “I’ve only ever had to entertain unwanted and uninvited guests. Why should I have invited you guys to my living room? If I did that…I’d never be rid of you.”
Ashe and the Glass Sword Page 31