Rescuing Rapunzel (The Princess Chronicles Book 3)

by Tarrah Montgomery

  It was true that his kiss was the best kind of distraction in the world for facing something terrifying.

  Is that the only reason he kissed me, to create a diversion?

  He smiled and pulled himself head-first through the opening and dove into the water. I heard a splash and peeked out the window. He surfaced, then waved his arms and motioned for me to follow. “Rapunzel, let down your hair,” he said in a loud whisper.

  I held my finger up to my lips. “Shh.”I barely suppressed a smile. Aunt Em had told me about the fairytale titled after my namesake, Rapunzel, and she explained that many of our magical stories in Fenmore Falls inspired tales people told their children in her world. I delighted that Maddox was imitating part of that story, my story, where the princess lets down her long hair from a window so a boy could climb up the wall of her tower.

  Even though my hair was long, and took a large chunk of my morning to brush it, using it to help someone climb up a tower was not an option. Besides, it would cause some horrific split ends.

  Maddox waved his hand again for me to jump. I didn’t want the pirates on deck to have time to discover Maddox in the water, and then me, so I hurried. I grabbed onto the window sash, my fingers shaking. I looked out and tried not to look into the water. Instead, I kept my focus on Maddox. Looking at his encouraging smile allowed me just enough courage to give me that last push to lift myself through the window.

  I didn’t give myself time to chicken out before I pushed the rest of the way out the window. Stifling a scream, I clamped my mouth shut and pinched my nose in preparation to hit the water.

  The cold waves broke over my body. It greedily wrapped me in its bitter arms and pulled my heavy dress and petticoats down further into the darkness. My lungs soon ached from lack of air, and I regretted too late the need to take a big breath before I landed in the water.

  I thrashed and kicked and reached for the surface of the water. No matter how hard I kicked, I could feel the water dragging me down deeper.

  All of a sudden, a calloused hand grabbed mine and pulled me upwards. As my head came above water, I gasped for breath and filled my lungs with blessed air.

  “You should have taken off your dress,” Maddox said next to me. He had an arm wrapped around my waist and was still able to tread water while helping me.

  Even in the cold water, I could feel my cheeks growing warm from his comment.

  “I know that must be inappropriate here in your world, but it would have been a lot easier to swim without the dress,” Maddox said. Then, he added, “Not that I would have minded.”

  My mouth fell open in shock. “Maddox,” I scolded.

  He laughed. Being so close to him, I could feel his chest rumble. “I’m only teasing you, Rapunzel.”

  “You can call me Punz,” I said, surprised a little at my own suggestion. “My family calls me Punz.”

  “Well, Punz, jumping was the easy part, now comes the hard part.”

  Although I knew we needed to continue moving if we didn’t want to get caught, I would have loved dragging that moment out a little longer. I was sure I looked a mess with my wet, ruined hair and soiled dress. However, being held so close to this boy and the way he looked at me with his dark brown eyes, I felt like the most beautiful girl in the world.

  Maddox glanced down at my mouth as if he was contemplating kissing me again. Maybe he enjoyed that moment as much as I did. Yet, the moment quickly slipped away when he looked away and regained his focus on getting us to shore.

  He used his free hand to stroke powerfully through the waves. I helped in any way I could. The process was painfully slow, mostly in part of my cumbersome dress and petticoats. I tried using my arm that wasn’t clinging onto Maddox’s neck to help move us along, but I felt like I only splashed at the water like a baby in her bath.

  “I’m sorry, Maddox. I don’t feel like I’m helping.”

  He said breathlessly, “It’s fine . . . just hold on . . . we’re almost there.”

  My feelings were growing deeper for that boy. I never would have guessed I would have fallen for the one who I attacked when I first went through the magic door. All my years in the tower, pining and wishing for a boy were always filled with meeting a handsome prince who would sweep me off of my feet some day, and be by my side when it was my turn to be queen over Fenmore Falls. Meeting Maddox was not what I had expected, but somehow it was even more charming.

  I didn’t know what the future would hold for me, and I didn’t know if Maddox would be a part of it. I was probably hoping for the impractical. Only now, I knew who I wanted in my life. It was someone who would risk jumping out of a pirate ship for me, someone who I could practice defense skills with, someone who would travel through a magic realm to rescue me.

  I wanted Maddox.

  Oh dear, I’m in trouble.

  We finally crawled onto the shore. My skirts dragged across the sand, and I sat down so I could wring them out. The wounds on my wrists burned from the salt water and sand, but I refrained from screaming out. Maddox lay next to me, panting but still trying to not look too breathless.

  I lifted my hand to his cheek. He closed his eyes in exhaustion and let his head slowly fall into my lap. Water trickled from his hair onto my dress as I used a finger to trace his beautiful features. When my hand moved near his mouth, I hesitated, wondering if it would be too bold of me to touch his lips. Would he feel the yearning I felt—my longing for him to kiss me again?

  Instead of giving into the urge, I said, “We should move into the forest, in case the pirates come looking for us.”

  Maddox’s eyes fluttered open and he stared up at me. He reached out for a loose strand of my hair that had come out of my braid. Twisting it between his fingers, he said, “I’ve never seen your hair down. How long is it?”

  I could feel my cheeks threatening another blush at Maddox’s question. I chose to avoid the subject and, instead, guide his focus to escaping into the forest before we got caught by the pirates.

  “I know you’re tired, but we have to get as far away as possible before we look for somewhere to hide,” I said, pointing behind me. “They have plenty of people to help look for us.”

  Maddox sat up, gratefully sensing our need to conceal ourselves. “You’re right,” he said. “I told Eddy if I didn’t meet him at the castle by nightfall tonight then to send a search party out for me.”

  “Eddy’s at the castle?” I asked, as Maddox stood up and offered his hands to help me up.

  “Yes, and Dude went with him. The rest of my brothers came with me to help rescue you.”

  “Is Lark here?” I asked. I missed my happy friend and thrilled at the prospect of being reunited with him.

  I saw a scowl on Maddox’s face. Perhaps a little jealousy there? I wondered. “I guess Lark should have been the one to rescue you from the pirate ship,” he grumbled.

  I giggled and grabbed Maddox’s hand. “Touchy touchy. Of course I’m glad you were the one who came to rescue me.”

  He grabbed onto my other hand so he could hold onto both. His smile had returned and he asked, “Do you need another distraction before we leave?”

  “I don’t know. Will there be something I should be scared of? Will there be lions and bears?” I winked, enjoying his teasing.

  “Yes, lots of them.” He scooted closer, then looked down at my mouth and licked his lips. “There might even be coyotes and snakes.”

  My gaze fell to his lips, my heart racing at the thought of him kissing me again, not for the sake of distracting me from danger but because he wanted to kiss me.

  As his lips touched mine, I closed my eyes. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the forest from across the water.

  Maddox and I jumped. In the water, close to shore, only about eight feet from where we stood, a cannon ball splashed into the water, kicking up a froth of foam.

  “You can’t escape, Princess!” the captain yelled from one of two small rowboats already stroking to shore with angry pirates aboa
rd.

  “Come on!” Maddox exclaimed, pulling me toward the forest and behind the trees.

  “Get her!” I could still hear the captain yell, along with another loud bang. This time an explosion ripped through the sand and plunked into a tree nearby.

  “Hurry!” Maddox yelled.

  I wanted to say I was hurrying as fast as I could with my wet dress, but I didn’t have to. Maddox abruptly stopped in front of me, and I ran into his back. Peering in front of him, I saw two pirates blocking our path—Michael and his brother John.

  Michael looked sheepishly down at the ground as his brother pulled out a cutlass and cackled.”Good job, Michael. They’re right where you said they’d be. Captain will be pleased.”

  Chapter 23

  Snow White

  by the Brothers Grimm

  Snow White put her head out of the window and said, “I cannot let anyone in, the seven dwarfs have forbidden me.”

  “It is all the same to me,” answered the woman, “I shall soon get rid of my apples. There, I will give you one.”

  “No,” said Snow White, “I dare not take anything.”

  “Are you afraid of poison?” said the old woman, “look, I will cut the apple in two pieces, you eat the red cheek, and I will eat the white.”

  The apple was so cunningly made that only the red cheek was poisoned. Snow White longed for the fine apple, and when she saw that the woman ate part of it she could resist no longer, and stretched out her hand and took the poisonous half. But hardly had she a bit of it in her mouth then she fell down dead.

  Home at the Castle

  }Snow}

  I woke up in my old bed, disoriented and feeling like I was in a fuzzy dream. It took me a while to remember all that had happened since I had last seen my bedchamber. Flashbacks of traveling through a magic door, working in a raspberry field, finding my cousin, eating a poisonous apple, and being carried by a handsome boy named Edison all came tumbling through my mind.

  I started to sit up, but a pounding headache forced me to lie back down. I used my fingers to massage my temples, trying to ease the tension.

  My room was quiet and empty except for me and a few vases of beautiful flowers. The mid-day sunlight streamed through my parted curtains. I was a little surprised no one waited nearby for me to wake up. How many days had it been since I had returned home? Didn’t anyone expect me to wake up?

  After only a few more minutes, the door to my room quietly opened. Careful to not lift my head too high, I looked up to see my mother tiptoeing inside.

  “Mom,” I said, my head protesting at the noise.

  “Snow.” My mother rushed over to my bedside and grasped my hand. “We were so worried.”

  With my other hand, I continued to rub at the pain in my head. “What happened to me?”

  “When that boy brought you to the castle, you were near death. Your father and I were so afraid you weren’t going to make it. Luckily, a dear friend of ours knew how to counteract the poison and gave you some herbs. After that, we could only wait to see if it worked.”

  “How long?” I shortened my question, finding the pain in my head increasing.

  “Three days.”

  “Three days?” I asked, horrified I had slept so long.

  “Yes, sweetheart.” She rubbed the back of my hand. “That boy stayed by your side the entire time.”

  “Edison?” I asked, hoping it was him.

  My mother nodded. “Such a fine young man.”

  Yes, he is, I thought.

  “Where’s Daddy?”

  My mother’s face grew sad. “He came to visit you when you first returned home. He’s still not feeling very well. It’s harder and harder for him to move around.”

  The pain in my head was excruciating and growing by the second. I’m sure it was due in part to the remaining poison. Recovering from something like that might be long and slow.

  “Mom….” I couldn’t finish. The pain was too much, and I felt the blackness rolling over me once more, thankfully releasing me from the searing pain.

 

  When I awoke this time, my headache had subsided to only a low hum in the back of my consciousness.

  “How are you?” Eddy asked from his chair next to my bed.

  My heart swelled as I remembered what my mom said about his attentiveness while I was unconscious. I blushed and couldn’t look him in the eyes. I had never been shy around him before, but now things were different. I wondered if they felt different to him too.

  “I’m doing better.” I stared at the stitching on my blanket.

  “I’m glad.” He paused. “Uh, Aleck was just here to check on you. He’ll be back later.” Eddy’s voice seemed a little strained.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, not sure how else to respond. An awkward silence followed, so I asked, “Where is everyone else? Where are your brothers and Rapunzel?”

  Eddy sat up straight in his chair. “Dude’s the only one who came with me to the castle. We haven’t seen your cousin or my other brothers since we got here. Maddox was supposed to meet us here at the castle last night, but he never showed.”

  “Where are they?” Trepidation prickled across my skin.

  “The king sent out a search party, but they haven’t returned.”

  “Did they go back through the magic door?”

  “No, the king made sure to check and Aunt Em said they haven’t been back.” He relaxed his shoulders a little. “I’m sure they’re fine.” He tried reassuring me, and I appreciated the effort, but I couldn’t rest easy until Punz was back home and the people who had taken her were locked away.

  “My brothers are resourceful,” Eddy said. “They’d never let anything happen to Rapunzel, especially Maddox. I think he has developed feelings for your cousin.”

  I had thought the same thing when I saw the two of them dancing. However, the sweet memory was laced with the recurring, terrifying nightmare of when we discovered Rapunzel had been kidnapped…again.

  Knowing she was lost, I began to feel that hopeless, nagging burning in my chest I had felt the last ten years when Rapunzel was gone. I had failed her again. Just stay with me, were the words she said to me. I had to find some way to find her and bring her back. I did it once before, I could do it again.

  I tried sitting up and found to my joy that the headache had lifted. Then, I realized something that Eddy mentioned when he said they checked with Aunt Em to see if they went back through the magic door. “Does the king know about...you know...the special door?”

  “Yes, apparently your parents know too,” he said.

  “Why didn’t they ever tell me?”

  “You’ll have to ask them.” He shrugged.

  Rather than trying to wrap my head around the secret my parents had kept from me for my whole life, I decided I needed to first quench the hunger that threatened to knock me flat. I’d take the opportunity to think about what kind of danger my cousin could be in and how to get her out of it, after I ate some food.

  “I’m starving,” I said, using one of the odd words I had picked up from Idaho.

  “We’ve only been able to feed you chicken broth while you were unconscious. Do you want some real food?” Eddy asked.

  I wondered if he was one of the ones who spoon-fed me while I was sleeping. I even had the faint picture of him giving me a tender kiss while I was out. Or maybe it was merely wishful thinking. Nothing surprised me about that boy, though. He was the most unselfish person I knew. I wondered if there was some truth to the “enchanted” apple that was making Eddie fall in love with me. I earnestly hoped his kind actions were sincere and not due to an evil woman’s curse.

  My stomach gave a loud growl, reminding me of its pain. Anything sounded good right now, especially some of those fresh raspberries I picked in Idaho served with cold milk. My stomach grumbled just thinking about it.

  “Do you think you could help me go downstairs to the kitchen?” I asked.

  “I’m sure a servant will bring some
food up to your room.”

  I knew the sooner I got up and out of bed the sooner I could regain my strength. Plus, having Eddy assist me was another reason to get up and get dressed so I could be close to him. “I’m feeling much better. Besides, I need to walk. I feel like a newborn babe taking its first steps.”

  It felt odd having someone bring me my food when I was capable of getting it myself. I had grown accustomed to living a different lifestyle in Idaho opposed to the spoiled one I had in the castle. Being in Idaho felt more real in some ways. I thought I wanted my life back at the castle, but that was before I realized what I had been missing.

  Eddy had a maid come in to help me get dressed and brush out my hair. I let her assist me because I needed to save my strength. After she finished, as expected, I was exhausted, but I wouldn’t admit it. I wanted to be able to hold onto Eddy’s arm and have him lead me downstairs to the kitchen. I could rest later after I got some food in my stomach.

  Eddy reluctantly agreed to my expedition and held on tight to the hand I rested in the crook of his arm. After the first flight of stairs, the weariness claimed me and Eddy wrapped his arm around my waist. “You can make it,” he whispered. “I’ll be right here by your side.”

  Thankful he didn’t try to discourage me, but he gave me strength to continue. When we rounded the corner, we came within five feet of a couple wrapped in a lover’s embrace. I gasped and looked away, my eyes embarrassed by the intimacy I saw.

  Then, shock coursed through me when I realized who the male was. “Aleck?” I asked.

  Aleck, my supposed boyfriend, went white and sputtered, “Snow, you’re out of bed?”

  Eddy’s body stiffened. “You’re a real jerk,” he said.

  “Jerk?” Aleck questioned, not familiar with the strange word, one of many which still confused me. “You’re calling me a jerk?” Aleck sneered. “You’re the one who has his arm wrapped around my girlfriend’s waist.”

  “I thought I was your girlfriend,” complained the girl Aleck had just been kissing.

  I rolled my eyes. It was pointless to have a conversation with someone who was nothing better than a scoundrel. He wasted enough of my time and I wouldn’t let him waste any more.