“Go on,” said his father with a nod of his head.
“I was able to control the dragon with my mind as well as with my hands and legs.”
“That’s how it should be.”
“I planned on rescuing Rapunzel. But before I had a chance, Medea jumped out the tower window onto the back of the dragon, scaring it.”
There was a knock at the door. Marco’s father opened it to reveal Lucio de Bar standing there. “De Bar. What brings you here?”
“He’s here because my time is up,” said Marco sadly, getting to his feet. “He’s now going to do a job that I should have done a fortnight ago.”
“You have today yet to do it, and that’s all,” said Lucio. “By the end of the day, my sons and their armies will be here. They are already on their way. We will stop Hecuba and somehow break Rapunzel’s curse.”
“How are you going to do that?” asked Marco’s father curiously. “My son has been trying everything, and nothing has worked. Can your magic break the curse on your daughter?”
“If it could, I would have done so by now.” Lucio walked into the room and sat at the table. “Hecuba’s powers are strong. The witch’s curse can only be removed by her.”
“I thought a few of your sons broke their curses on their own,” said Marco.
“Aye, but only because Hecuba was careless. She often leaves loose ends, and somehow we find them.”
“Well, this is one curse that can’t be broken,” said Marco’s father.
“Aye, I heard the curse would not be broken as long as my daughter is connected to this great earth.”
“There’s got to be a way,” said Marco, not willing to believe all hope was lost.
“What has happened so far?” asked Lucio, pouring himself a cup of ale from the decanter on the table.
“It was all going well until Medea jumped on to the back of my dragon and scared it. Then I lost all control.”
“Medea did that?” asked Lucio with concern in his voice. “If the dragon seemed alarmed by her action, then that means Medea’s darkness is already getting stronger. The dragon felt it and reacted.”
“Aye,” said Marco’s father. “A dragon is just as susceptible to darkness as it is to light. I’m sure that’s what it was.”
“So, it had nothing to do with me?” asked Marco, almost feeling a sense of relief.
“Nay,” answered his father. “Not even the most experienced Dragon Lords could control a dragon when black magic is involved.”
“Then Medea is evil after all, just like Rapunzel tried to warn me.” Marco had grown close to the girl and this made him sad.
“Not necessarily,” answered Lucio. “She has half my blood flowing through her veins as well. I have never practiced dark magic, and neither do I plan to do so. Medea has two sides to her now, and I only hope I can get to her before Hecuba turns her toward the darkness forever.”
Later that afternoon, Rapunzel heard the sounds of horses. She ran to the window, hoping to see Marco or her father and brothers. To her dismay, she laid eyes upon a vast army of men riding and walking through the forest. They were dressed in battle attire.
“I wonder who they can be?” asked Rapunzel.
Medea ran to the window and looked out as well. Hecuba sauntered up to them slowly.
“Mother, it is the army of men I saw when we conquered Tanglewood Castle,” Medea told her.
“You conquered a castle?” asked Rapunzel in surprise, not knowing this. “Already?”
“While you were trying to escape the other day, my daughter and I were busy way up north. It seems we made progress and you did not,” said Hecuba.
“I have never heard of such a castle.” Rapunzel wondered if this were naught but a lie.
“That is because I have changed the name.” Hecuba leaned out the window and commanded the men. “Take your positions, and make sure you have your weapons at the ready.”
“Yes, My Queen,” one of the men shouted up to her.
“Queen?” Rapunzel shivered at the sound of it. “What are these warriors doing here, away from their castle?”
“My castle,” Hecuba corrected her. “And I brought them here. I have been working hard and long to get what I want, and now I have it. Tanglewood Castle belongs to me now, and so does the army. I have trained them already to refer to me as Queen.”
“And they call me, Princess,” Medea reminded her. “Don’t forget about me, Mother.”
“What are you planning to do?” asked Rapunzel. “Surely, I am not that big of a threat that you need an entire army to guard me.”
That amused Hecuba as well as her daughter. They both laughed.
“My army is here to fight Lucio and his sons when they arrive,” Hecuba told her.
“My father and brothers aren’t coming to get me.”
“You are wrong,” Hecuba told her. “They will not wait any longer for that fool of a Dragon Lord to try to save you.”
“Do you plan on killing Marco, too?” asked Rapunzel.
“If he gets in my way, he will be the first to go.”
“Mother, you promised me Marco wouldn’t be hurt.” Medea cocked her head and scowled.
“Why should you even care, Medea?” asked the old witch.
“I care because today I am eighteen, and Marco is going to kiss me. I am also going to win him over, and he will marry me although he doesn’t know it yet.”
“Nay, he is marrying me,” said Rapunzel.
“Quit fighting over the fool, it is embarrassing,” spat Hecuba.
“You lied to me, Mother. You told me Marco would be mine.” Medea stared down at the army out the window.
“You can have any of the men of the castle, my darling,” said Hecuba. “I have strong, noble warriors, and many to choose from. If you don’t like any of them, I’ll take my army, and we’ll bring you back a baron or a noble.”
“I don’t want any of them.” Medea stomped her foot. “I was promised Marco. He is the man I want.”
“He is not available,” Rapunzel told her little sister, getting tired of this conversation.
“We’ll see about that,” said Medea, giving Rapunzel the evil eye again. It sent a chill up her spine. Even the unborn baby within her could feel the danger in the air. This day could not possibly turn out well.
Chapter 23
“I’m sorry, del Rossi, but we can wait no longer,” Lucio told Marco, standing at the edge of the lake. Lucio’s sons and their armies had arrived over an hour ago and were waiting for him to give the command to storm the castle and bring back Rapunzel.
“I just need a little more time,” said Marco. “I am sure I felt the presence of the dragon nearby. He is probably just still spooked from Medea’s darkness. I am sure he’ll come around.”
“Let it go, Son,” said his father from behind him. Marco turned to see his father’s eyes filled with sadness. “Perhaps Lucio and his boys can save Rapunzel and break her curse after all. Let them try.”
“That might not be so easy.” Lucio’s sons, Wolf and Arnon, came to break some bad news. “My spy just returned from the tower,” said Wolf. “It seems Hecuba has not only sieged a castle and killed the lord, but she’s claimed it as her own. She’s taken command of an army as well.”
“That’s right,” said Arnon. “Her entire army is surrounding the tower with weapons drawn.”
“It seems she knows we’re coming,” said Kin, walking up with their other brother, Stefan, and another messenger as well.
“We have soldiers from each of your castles here, plus I have magic,” Lucio reminded them. “We have gone up against Hecuba and beaten her before. We’ll do it again.”
“But she’s got Medea now,” said Wolf. “We don’t even know whose side the girl is on.”
“Not to mention, my messenger just told me he’s seen Hecuba with a large blue dragon,” Stefan relayed the information, nodding toward the man at his side.
“A blue dragon?” repeated Marco’s father.
“Did it have red streaks down its back and a wing that was clipped on the end?”
“I don’t know. Did it?” Stefan asked his messenger.
“Aye, I believe so,” said the man. “I saw the old witch with the dragon. The beast seemed to bow down to her.”
“This is preposterous,” said Marco’s father. “That was my dragon at one time.”
“Why isn’t it with you now?” asked Arnon.
“I’m afraid I misused my power. Because of that, the dragon has been misguided for all these years.”
“Well, we can’t waste any more time,” said Lucio. “Boys, move your troops out. We’ll surround the tower and take back my daughters.”
“Both of them?” asked Stefan. “Father, we don’t know anything about Medea.”
“Aye,” agreed Wolf. “It sounds as if it is too late to save her from the darkness within her.”
“You’ve been with her, Marco,” said Lucio, looking to him with hope in his eyes. “Do you think Medea has been consumed by the darkness or is there still light in her at all?”
Marco didn’t know how to answer. He’d seen an actual dark side of Medea and was afraid it might be too late to save her. But then he remembered her from a baby, growing up quickly. She had good in her as well, he was sure of it. Perhaps, she was only misguided, like his father’s dragon.
His eyes fell upon his father who seemed as if his spirit had been broken again hearing that Hecuba now controlled a dragon that was once his. Marco had spent many years seeing his father suffer, being his own worst enemy for the mistake he made so long ago. Just recently he’d seen a new light in the man. The father before him had, once again, resembled the father he knew as a child – a man he honored and respected. No one should have to live through the self-denial that his father had gone through. And no one should ever give up hope on someone they loved.
“I’m sure there is light and goodness in everyone even if it isn’t always noticeable at first,” he answered. “So to answer your question, I don’t think we should give up hope on Medea.”
“Thank you,” said Lucio, clasping hands with Marco. “That gives me hope that my daughter – neither of my daughters who are locked away will be prisoners forever in one way or another.”
“Father, we need to go,” Kin told Lucio.
“Aye, move the men out.” Lucio looked over at Wolf. “Wolf, you and I will go ahead of the others. I’ll transport using magic. You’d better go in your wolf form. You will be an asset to our army that way and might help us get the edge on Hecuba now that she’s got a dragon at her command as well.”
Marco put his arm around his father’s shoulder as they watched the troops move out. He didn’t like seeing the man this way.
“We’ve failed, Son. I’m sorry.”
“Nay, Father,” said Marco, digging deep within him to find the strength and courage to carry on. “No one fails until they give up, and that is something I will never do. I made Rapunzel a promise, and I will keep it. Now, still your mind and help me concentrate. I’ve got a dragon to summon to save my family.”
Rapunzel paced back and forth in the tower, the anxiety of the upcoming battle upsetting her to no end. Hecuba not only had a mighty army at her command but now she also managed to conjure up a dragon. It wasn’t Marco’s dragon. This one looked different. But it also looked as if it could take out an entire army just with one breath of fire.
She feared for the lives of her father and brothers and their soldiers. She also feared for Marco’s life and the life of their unborn child. Never in all her life had she felt so helpless. Many good men and fierce warriors would go to their deaths today, and there was nothing she could do about it.
“I’m going out to lead the army,” said Hecuba with a cackle. “I feel Lucio’s presence. And if he is here, that means his sons and their armies are not far behind.”
“Let me ride the blue dragon, Mother,” begged Medea anxiously. She still acted like a child at times, and Rapunzel had to remind herself that the girl really wasn’t any older than a child, even if her body looked like an adult.
“Nay. You will stay here in the tower where you’re protected,” said Hecuba.
“But I helped you conquer Tanglewood Castle,” protested Medea. “I have magic. Besides, I am eighteen today. I’m an adult and should be treated as your equal.”
“Equal?” Hecuba shook her head. “Daughter, your powers are unstable, and you have so much more to learn. You will never be my equal, so get that fool notion out of your head right now.” With a wave of her hand, Hecuba shapeshifted into the image of Marco.
“Marco?” asked Medea, acting like a foolish child again.
“It’s not Marco,” Rapunzel snapped at her. “It’s your mother taking his form to trick my family.”
“That’s right,” said Hecuba. “I’m going to find out exactly what the de Bars’ plan of attack is, and then I’m going to divulge the information to my army. When I bring the dragon in, it should get fascinating.”
“Let me shapeshift into someone, too,” begged Medea.
“You don’t have that power yet,” Hecuba told her. “It takes years to develop that skill. And even though you think you are an adult, in reality, you are only eighteen days old.” With a wave of her hand, Hecuba left in a cloud of smoke.
“I am not a child!” Medea stormed over to the window and looked out. Rapunzel had an idea and followed her.
“Medea, your mother might not appreciate you, but I’m sure your father would. Wouldn’t you like to get to know him?”
“My mother won’t let me. She said it is better if I never meet him face to face.”
“But aren’t you at all the least bit curious about our father?” she asked. “Did you know your hair and eyes are the same color as his?”
“They are?” That seemed to please her. “What about my brothers?”
“Well, Wolf and Arnon are twins. They have black hair, and Stefan and MacKay’s hair is dark, too. But Kin, as well as your sister, Ella, and I are all blond.”
“That’s right. I have another sister as well, don’t I?” Medea started thinking about her family. If Rapunzel didn’t know better, she’d say the girl was lonely.
“Why don’t you come with me to live with our family?” she asked, laying her hand on Medea’s shoulder.
Medea was quiet, pondering the idea. Then she shook Rapunzel’s hand from her shoulder and scowled at her.
“I’m not going to live with the de Bars if you are married to Marco and are having his baby.” The darkness was back in her eyes and this concerned Rapunzel.
There was no sense in trying to convince Medea of anything when she looked this way. All it would manage to do is make her angry. Rapunzel stared out the window, watching the sky. She held her hand over her stomach, assuring her baby that Marco would save them.
Chapter 24
The red dragon rose up into the air, making its way over the water toward Marco. Sitting on the banks of the lake with his eyes half-open, Marco concentrated on feeling at one with the great beast. His father sat next to him, silent. Marco wasn’t sure if he was concentrating, too, or fretting. It didn’t matter, he decided, since he had a plan that would not only save Rapunzel and break her curse but would save his father from his self-made prison as well.
“Marco,” whispered his father. “The dragon comes.”
“Aye, Father.” Marco got to his feet feeling his body vibrating as the magical beast came closer. A new sense of confidence and strength was flowing through his blood now, making him feel serene and peaceful. It had taken a while, but he’d managed to still his thoughts. All the chaos of his childhood, his hard past, and his problems of the present disappeared. No one and nothing could stop him from succeeding this time. He reached over and touched the dragon on the nose, being greeted with a snort and puff of smoke from the dragon’s mouth. In one slick move, Marco was mounted on the dragon’s back and ready to go.
“Be careful, Son. Safe journeys,�
� said his father, still looking very sad.
“Get on,” he told his father with a jerk of his head.
“What?” His father raised a brow.
“When I was six, you took me for a ride on your dragon. Now that I am grown, I will take you for a ride on my dragon in return.”
“I don’t know.” His father looked at the ground. “Now, my dragon will go against the people I love.”
“Not unless you allow it.”
“What do you mean, Marco?”
“Father, it is time to stop living in the past. What’s done is done.”
“But I’ve failed and let everyone down.”
“I told you – no one is a failure unless they stop trying. The only one you’ve let down is yourself. If you don’t like things the way they are, then do something about it.”
“What can I do? Hecuba’s already taken control of my dragon and plans on using it against the de Bars.”
“She is a powerful witch, but she is not a Dragon Lord – you are. Your dragon is lost without you and only looking for someone to guide it. It is no different than Medea, being torn between the light and dark. She looks for guidance as well. Now get on the back of my dragon and let’s go take back what is rightfully yours.”
“Your mother was right,” said his father with a smile, taking Marco’s hand.
“How’s that?”
“She always had high expectations for you, and today is the day she would have been proven correct. Let’s go find my dragon and not waste any more time. You have a lady and an unborn baby to save. I am not sure how you plan on breaking the curse, but I have faith that you have a plan.”
“I do have a plan, Father, and I am sure it will work.” After stilling his thoughts and now being able to think with a clear head, Marco had his answer. He knew how to break the curse bestowed upon Rapunzel, and he was anxious to collect what was his.
Rapunzel couldn’t bring herself to watch the battle about to begin below the tower. There would be fighting and killing and lots of blood. She might lose those she loved. The thought was just too much to bear. Instead, she lay on the bed, holding her stomach and trying not to retch.
Lady in the Tower [Rapunzel] Page 16