At first, she had me doing tedious things like pulling weeds in the garden, but later I got to brush down the horses and clean out their stalls. On the third day, Em taught me how to milk a cow. The silly animal kept kicking the bucket and slapping me in the face with her tail. I very much wanted to kick her back. The next day my hands and forearms hurt from using muscles I’d never even thought about.
On the fourth morning I woke up late and barely managed to force my exhausted body out of bed. When I made it outside, Aunt Em was talking to one of her nephews.
“Where do you want me to start today?” I asked her.
The boy glanced my way but quickly lowered his gaze.
“Sebastian just told me they need help over at the Hansen farm, picking raspberries,” said Aunt Em. “The vines are getting too heavy. I think we’ll head up there and give them a hand.” She looked to the boy, who still stared at the ground. “Bash, go tell the others to be ready to leave in five minutes.”
The boy, who hadn’t spoken one word to me since I arrived, turned on his heel and ran to find his brothers, who were working in the barn and the fields.
“Let’s get in the truck,” Aunt Em said to me, then headed toward her nephews.“Where’s that Dorothy? She’s always running off.”
Truck? What? Unsure what to do, I stood there digging the toe of my boot into the dirt, waiting. Maybe someone could point me toward this “truck” thing.
Soon Aunt Em returned, practically dragging Dorothy by the arm. “I don’t want to go to the Hansens’ farm,” whined the little girl. “I hate picking raspberries.”
“I’m not leaving you here by yourself so you can get in trouble,” Aunt Em replied.
“It’s not fair,” Dorothy huffed.
Eddy and his brothers caught up to their aunt and sister. “If life were fair, Dorothy Mable, nobody would know the difference between joy and sadness,” he said.
She scowled. “Shut up, Eddy. You’re not making me feel any better.”
He laughed out loud—a good laugh, from deep inside his chest. I grinned at the sound. When he noticed me looking at him, he asked, “How are you doing? Have you remembered where you belong yet?”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
Eddy nudged me with his shoulder. “Don’t worry, you will soon.” He glanced down at my outfit. “Are those Aunt Em’s clothes? Did you only have the nightgown you were wearing?”
I pulled down the bottom of my shirt. “They are too big.”
“You look nice,” Eddy said. “Well . . . you’d probably look nice in anything,” he added quickly. “Even in your nightgown you looked nice.” His face turned bright red. “That’s not what I meant. Um, I meant you look nice in Aunt Em’s clothes even though they’re not yours.” Abruptly he shut his mouth, then turned and walked away.
What was that? How could he think I look nice? I wasn’t wearing a fancy dress, my hair was cut too short, and I had probably gained weight.
Suddenly Aunt Em and Dorothy stood by me. “What did I tell you? Boys will be distracted, regardless of what you wear.”
“Distracted by what?” Dorothy said.
“Oh nothing, child.”
“Distracted by what?” the girl asked again. Then she looked from her aunt to me as if hoping I would answer.
When I shrugged, Dorothy stomped her foot and stormed off after her brothers. She sidled up to Eddy and slid her hand into his. She said something to him, and he glanced back at us.
He was a handsome boy. His brown hair reached his collar with just enough curl to it to make me want to run my hands through it. I loved how his eyes were the same color as his hair. As the eldest brother, he had an air of authority about him. His self-assurance and kindness attracted me like bees to honey.
Stop! I scolded myself. Aleck’s my boyfriend. And I’m happy with that. Aren’t I
Chapter 10
Flashback to When Rapunzel
Was Kidnapped at Age Six
I returned to my bedchamber on that long ago night after comforting Snow. The kitchen maid, who sometimes helped with my care, was sitting on the edge of my bed.
“Good evening, Theresa.” I jumped up to sit next to her.
“Was Snow talking in her sleep again?” she asked.
I smiled. “Yes. You’re so smart. I’m glad you’re my friend.”
The maid’s face grew serious. “Rapunzel, do you remember when I told you the story about the bad people who wanted to hurt little princesses?”
I nodded slowly.
“Well, it’s not just a story,” Theresa said softly.
“People want to hurt me?”
“Yes. I must take you somewhere safe where those bad people can’t find you.” She stood and held out her hand.
Trusting her with my innocent young heart, I took her hand and stood up. “Can Snow come with me?”
“No. She isn’t in danger so she needs to stay here.”
“May I say goodbye to her?” I started to walk toward Snow’s bedchamber.
Theresa grabbed my arm. “We must leave now!”
As she pulled me out of my room, a tear slid down my cheek. ”Goodbye, Snow.”
Day 3,433 in the Tower
Dear Snow,
My note idea failed, but I will come up with another way to escape. And because I plan to leave, I no longer need to hide my guardian’s identity. Her name is Theresa. The day she found the note, she locked me in the tower after my training session, as she always did. I felt so discouraged. All my hope for outside contact with someone besides Theresa and my trainer had came to nothing.
As I settled into bed, my hand touched something under my pillow. I sat up and moved to the window so I could see in the moonlight. The object in my hand was a green piece of paper. It wasn’t the same one I’d left the children, but a carefully folded small square.
I glanced out the window. Someone had sneaked into my room while I was doing my drills in the garden. Maybe that person was out there right now, staring up at me! “No," I told myself. “You’re just being silly. It’s only a little piece of paper." I figured Theresa left it, to show me that I should be careful and always watch for something out of the ordinary.
I returned to my bed and sat on the edge, careful to keep the doorway in front of me, prepared to fight, just in case. Then I unfolded the piece of paper, my tension growing by the second.
There was only word on the page:
TONIGHT.
Snow, what does that mean?
Sincerely,
Your confused cousin, Punz
Chapter 11
Fruit Picking
If you enjoy the outdoors, harvest work is an exciting way to experience the beauty and culture of [different parts of the world]. . . . Be warned that harvest work and fruit picking . . . can be demanding labour with lots of bending and stretching, often in hot temperatures . . . Being physically fit and healthy is important.
In most orchards fruit pickers will start early in the morning at around 6 am to avoid the hottest parts of the day, but you will still have to wear sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, sturdy boots, insect repellent, and carry water with you. —jobaroo.com
Mean Girls
}Snow White}
After an hour of raspberry picking, my back hurt and fingers ached something fierce. A steady stream of sweat ran down the center of my back. My whole body felt sticky, and I had to use the sleeve of my shirt to wipe my brow. For all my whimpering back at the castle, I missed its sheltered, cool rooms. Sometimes, you’re never truly grateful for what you have until you lose it.
Dorothy, who had stuck by my side and chatted with me for the entire time, pointed to two girls, who smiled and waved. “Sara, I know Aunt Em told me to stay by you, but would it be all right if I go see my friends over there?”
“Of course,” I said. “You don’t have to babysit me.”
“Are you sure? You’re way behind the others. Maybe I’ll see if my friends can come help.”
“I’
ll be fine.” Even as I said it, I could see the other dozen or so pickers a good thirty feet ahead of me.
Dorothy gave me a hug and said, “I’m so glad you’re here,” then ran to her friends.
I sighed. “That makes one of us.”
If only I could figure out why I’m here.
My hands moved to the next bunch of raspberries and I began to pull at the fruit. Suddenly, a small green thing slithered onto my finger. It took me a couple of seconds to realize what it was. I jumped up and down, screaming. No matter how much I jumped, the creature stuck to my finger. Not once did it occur to me that I should shake my hand to get it off.
“Whoa,” someone said behind me. “Did a spider crawl down your shirt?”
I stopped jumping as a whole new terror paralyzed me. “What! Is there a spider in my shirt?”
Eddy laughed. “No, I’m just teasing you.”
“That’s not funny,” I scolded with narrowed eyes. “What if there really is a spider in my shirt?”
Suddenly, my arms itched and I felt as if bugs were crawling down the back of my neck. I reached up to scratch it but remembered the worm on my hand. “Get it off,” I yelled, thrusting my hand toward Eddy.
He laughed again. “It’s just a harmless garden worm.”
“I don’t care. Get it off!”
He grabbed my wrist and used his other hand to flick off the worm. “There, you’re safe.”
“Thank you,” I said, a bit distracted by his warm touch.
Wait, what? I quickly pulled my hand away. That did not just happen.
Three beautiful girls walked up behind Eddy. “Who is this?” asked one of them. Her light-brown hair flowed down her shoulders like caramel, and she had the most stunning blue eyes I’d ever seen. She nudged Eddy with her shoulder. “Is this the homeless girl you were telling me about, Edison?”
Eddy blushed, either because he had described me as homeless, or because of the gorgeous girl standing close to him. “No, she’s just staying with us until we can get her home,” he told her.
“That’s right,” she said. “She can’t remember where she lives.”
Impressive. I guess word travels fast when you work in a raspberry field. Smiling sweetly at the newcomer and her friends, I gave a small curtsy. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Sara.”
The girl’s eyes widened and she smirked. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” The other two girls giggled.
Did I do something wrong? I looked at Eddy.
“Is she for real? Did she seriously just bow?” the girl sneered.
“You don’t have to be mean, Lindsey.”
“I’m not being mean, Eddy. I’m just shocked. Where did you find her?”
My frustration boiled over. Not only did she embarrass me, but now she was just plain cruel.“It was nice to meet you,” I told her, “but I need to get back to work.”
She reached out and touched my arm. “I’m sorry if you’re offended. I was only teasing.”
I nodded to accept her apology, but I felt like crying.
“I’m Lindsey, and these are my friends Kendall and Georgia,” she continued.
Not wanting them to see my threatening tears, I said, “It’s nice to meet you,” and turned back to the raspberry vines.
“Come on, Lindsey,” Eddy said, obviously realizing I needed space. “We should get back to work too.”
As they walked away, Lindsey said, “I can’t believe she curtsied. Who does that?”
Well, now I know not to. I guess they don’t curtsy this far from the castle.
“Ignore her,” Dorothy said, approaching me with her two friends. “Lindsey is the most stuck-up person I know.”
“Stuck-up?” I said.
“Conceited, proud, vain . . .”
“Snotty, nose in the air,” added one of Dorothy’s friends.
I chuckled at their definition, which was spot-on.
Dorothy’s other friend said, “I don’t know why Eddy likes her. Lindsey pulls him along on a fishing line and then drops him like a worm whenever she feels like it.”
“My brother is an idiot,” Dorothy said.
Even though I had suspected Eddy fancied the beautiful girl, it pained my heart a bit to hear it confirmed. Lindsey seemed heartless, and Eddy deserved someone better than that.
“So, Dorothy, are you going to introduce me to your friends?” I asked, changing the subject. “Tell me all about them.”
Dorothy grabbed the closest girl, who had silky golden hair. “This is Wendy. She has the best singing voice and she has a crush on the Hansen boy over there.” Dorothy pointed to the other side of the field.
Wendy clamped her hand over Dorothy’s giggling mouth. “I can’t believe you said that out loud. I told you in confidence.”
“His name is Victor,” the other friend said loudly.
Wendy, whose face instantly turned bright red, glared at the other girl. “Well, Alice, his cousin Lynn is standing right next to him. Maybe we should make a little announcement about who has a crush on him.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Alice challenged.
“Watch me,” Wendy said, then gave a teasing smile.
“Fine, truce.” Alice stuck out her hand.
Wendy grabbed the offered hand and shook.
“So, your name is Alice?” I asked, thinking their exchange was a bit odd.
“Yes, and I’m so glad to meet you.” She offered her hand like she did with Wendy, so I shook it. “We’ve been dying to meet you. Dixie says you have all her brothers in a trance.”
“I don’t know about that.” I looked at Dorothy. “Dixie?”
She lifted one shoulder. “It’s my nickname.”
Wendy put a hand on her hip. “Dixie says you must be a lost princess running away from a dark knight who is trying to capture you.”
Dorothy’s eyes widened. “I did not say that, Wendy.”
“Well, you said she must be running away from someone.” Wendy put her other hand on her hip. “I may have added the part about the princess and the knight.”
While the girls talked, I racked my brain. Did I say something to make Dorothy think I was a princess? I didn’t think so. She had told me about her favorite books, her favorite foods, boys she liked, and musicians I’d never heard of. I had shared a few of my interests, but mostly I pretended not to remember much.
“You have the craziest imagination, Wendy,” Alice said. “Where do you come up with those things?”
“Wouldn’t it make a great story?” Wendy tilted her head to one side and looked off into the distance. “A princess is forced to leave her kingdom and has to hide in the forest. The dark knight hired to kill her finds her but is entranced by her beauty and instead falls in love with her. The two of them run off to another kingdom, get married, and live happily ever after.”
“I swear, Wendy,” Dorothy said. “You read too many books.”
“Someday I’m not going to just read them—I’m going to write them. Then I can make them end how I want them to.”
“You always have great stories,” Dorothy said. “You’d be a great author.”
“Thanks,” Wendy replied.
I had kept quiet, but now I said, “I’m pretty sure I’m not running from a dark knight. Hopefully I would remember something like that, especially if he was someone I was going to fall in love with and marry.” I winked at Wendy.
She and Alice smiled.
“See? I knew you would like Sara,” Dorothy said.
“So, are you girls going to help me pick raspberries so I can catch up?” I asked, grinning.
“I don’t know. You’ve got a long way to go,” Dorothy teased.
“The faster we work, the closer we can get to the two boys you’re staring at.” With my head, I motioned to where everyone else was working.
“Then let’s get going,” Wendy said, plucking some berries from the nearest plant. Alice wasn’t far behind.
Laughing and working with the three girls made me fee
l a little better. But I kept thinking about Wendy’s story.
If only a knight—or anyone, for that matter—would rescue me and take me home.
Chapter 12
Hansel and Gretel
by the Brothers Grimm
Gretel put the bread in her apron, because Hansel had the pebbles in his jacket pocket. Together they all set out on the path into the forest. After they had walked for a little while, Hansel stopped and looked back in the direction of the house, and every so often he did it again. His father said: “Hansel, why are you always stopping and staring? Watch out, and don’t forget what your legs are made for.”
“Oh, Father,” said Hansel. “I’m looking back at my white kitten, which is sitting up on the roof trying to say good-bye to me.”
The woman said: “You fool, that’s not your kitten. Those are the rays of the sun, shining on the chimney.”
But Hansel had not been looking at the kitten. He had been taking the shiny pebbles from his pocket and dropping them on the ground.
Escape
}Rapunzel}
That evening, I put on my lightest dress, then braided my long hair and pinned it into a tight bun at the base of my neck. If I had the chance to escape, I needed every possible advantage.
I sat on the edge of my bed and waited. It was close to eleven o’clock when I finally heard the lock on my door click open. The door inched open until the boy and girl from the gardens stepped into the room. I got to my feet.
The boy approached, while the girl stayed behind. “My name is Hansel,” he whispered. “This is my friend Gretel.” He looked back and waved for her to come closer. She shuffled forward. “We’ve been watching you for a long time,” he explained.
“I’ve seen you,” I said softly. “How did you open my door?”
“Gretel is good at sneaking around without being noticed. She watched the woman unlock your door.”
“But why are you here?” I asked.
“We saw you leave a note by the bench,” he said. “We didn’t get a chance to read it before the lady found it, but we figured you must need help. We heard rumors about a princess who was kidnapped from the castle a long time ago. Are you her?”
Rescuing Rapunzel (The Princess Chronicles Book 3) Page 5