Rescuing Rapunzel (The Princess Chronicles Book 3)

by Tarrah Montgomery

“You don’t need to give me anything. Just promise to love me all my life.”

  “Deal.” He then grew serious and said, “Ask me to stay, Punz.”

  “Will you stay?” I finally said, feeling my heart confirm my decision.

  “Yes,” he said before lowering his lips to mine. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist and I put my other hand on his cheek.

  There, on the dance floor in the castle, I kissed a boy I met through a magic door in Idaho. Sometimes your dreams turn out even better than you imagined.

  Through everything I had experienced, one thing I knew: don’t give up and never give in. Someday your happily ever after will come.

  Epilogue

  Snow-White and Rose-Red

  in Classic Fairy Tales Retold, by Helen Cresswell

  Snow-White was married to him and Rose-Red to his brother, and they divided between them the treasure the dwarf had heaped in his dark cave. The old mother lived happily with her children for many years. She took the two rose trees with her. They stood before her window, and every year bore beautiful roses, white and red.

  One Month Later

  }Snow White in Idaho}

  The king awarded Dorothy, and her friends Alice and Wendy, the title of guardian fairies after their visit to Fenmore Falls. They now joined Aunt Em in her responsibility to protect the secret of the magic kingdom. The girls’ duty was to overlook and protect the magic door. The three young girls took their work very seriously, and they were vigilant at it. Hansel’s periodic visits probably helped Dorothy’s motivation, as well.

  Aunt Em’s house suffered extensive damage from the fire. The kitchen was ruined. However, in time, and with generous help from the townspeople, they repaired the rest of the house, including the kitchen as good as new.

  I surprised myself by actually relishing the routine of the chores, when I was back at the farm. It was crazy how much I missed it. When I was a princess back at the castle, I rapidly tired of the laziness of the princess life. I found that I liked getting my hands dirty and accomplishing something during the day. I wanted to do something I could feel good about.

  It was a few weeks later, on a Friday night, and everyone was attending a sports game held at the school. Eddy and his brothers were playing a game there called football.

  “Snow, it’s not as harmful as it looks,” Dorothy said as I cringed again at the thundering line of boys running into each other. Every few minutes they dove head first into a pile of boys. Even though I wasn’t fond of the violence, I cheered when Eddy’s team made a point or if the crowd seemed pleased with a certain maneuver.

  When they finished the game, winning victoriously, Eddy climbed the benches, blushing and triumphant. Some people in the crowd ran to him to congratulate him. I even saw Lindsey, Eddy’s infamous recent crush, approach him, hoping to receive some of his attention.

  He put an end to my momentary jealousy by completely ignoring the beautiful blond and walking straight to where I sat. “Hey, Princess,” he said before dropping his helmet with a thunk to the wooden bench. He then unabashedly kissed me in front of the whole crowd. I returned his kiss, with maybe a little bit more excitement than usual, knowing the mean girl stood watching.

  “Do you miss being a real princess?” he asked, pulling away a little.

  I reached up and pulled his lips back down to mine. “Not one bit,” I mumbled.

  He smiled in between our kisses.

  }Rapunzel in Fenmore Falls}

  “What are you doing, Rapunzel?” my mother asked me as we descended the steps. Both my mother and my aunt were with me as we walked downstairs to attend the dinner party.

  I hadn’t noticed I was counting the steps out loud. Counting had been a habit that soothed me all those years in the tower. I wondered when my obsessive compulsion would disappear, or if it ever would.

  “I was counting,” I admitted. “I used to count things to pass the time in the tower.”

  She linked her arm with mine. “Belle used to count things, too,” she said.

  I looked at my aunt in question.

  My aunt nodded. “When I first came to Fenmore Falls, it wasn’t under the most pleasant of circumstances. I found things to pass the time, just like you did.”

  “Did you get over your habits?” I asked, hoping to overcome the problem soon.

  “Yes, eventually,” she said.

  We stopped in front of the doors to the dining room. “Why did you have to find things to pass the time?” I asked my aunt, trying to remember if I knew anything about how she and my uncle had met.

  “Let’s just say your uncle was very different in those days.”

  “How?” It astonished me to find that my kind uncle could be anything other than the caring, sympathetic man with whom I grew up. Perhaps the bad leg that aggravated him and limited his activity was to blame. In spite of it, he showed such great love to my aunt and others that I would be shocked to find out he had ever been different.

  My aunt looked to my mother in a moment of reverie. My mother answered for her. “Did Aunt Em ever tell you about the story Beauty and the Beast?”

  “Yes, she explained that some of the fairy tale stories in her world are renditions of stories that happened in our world.”

  “Well, you know that Aunt Belle’s name means Beauty, right?” my mother said.

  “Are you saying you’re Belle in the story?” I asked my aunt.

  She nodded. “Every story can have a happy ending, even those that begin badly.”

  My mother added, “Focusing on joy is powerful. It brings a great force into our lives.”

  Joy. That’s something I had yearned for all those lonely years, and I felt like I was finally embracing it.

  “Just like you were able to endure in your story,” my mother said and paused to look beyond my shoulder. “You’re also going to have your own happy ending.”

  I looked behind me to see what she was looking at. I saw Maddox striding toward us. He looked handsome in his regal attire. He had adapted nicely to this unfamiliar world—this place without bog paper and toothpaste. It seemed as if he was born here.

  He bowed to my mother and my aunt, fitting the part of the regal sweetheart. “Good evening, Your Majesty, Your Highness.”

  We dipped our heads in return.

  He offered his elbow to me and asked, “May I escort you to dinner, Princess?”

  “Certainly,” I replied.

  My mother and aunt walked ahead of us, as was customary.

  “Do you believe this is your happy ending?” he asked.

  Realizing he had eavesdropped on my mother’s conversation, I pretended to frown and asked, “How much did you hear?

  He smiled. “Enough.” Then he took the opportunity to steal a quick kiss before we entered the room of spectators. “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you, too,” I confirmed. Watching him the past month, as he tried and sometimes failed at learning the customs of the kingdom, I found myself loving him even more. He had proved his devotion time and again, and it still astonished me that he sacrificed everything for me.

  He pulled a honeysuckle flower from his pocket. “I picked this for you,” he said.

  I squealed in delight. “Did you go all the way to Sherwood Manor to get it?” I asked.

  “Yes, and I dug up the roots of the vine so we could plant it here at the castle, outside your bedroom window.”

  I threw my arms around Maddox’s neck. “Thank you!”

  “I know there are things about that part of your life you don’t want to remember,” he whispered. “But I don’t want you to ever forget what made you happy. Don’t ever stop looking for the joy in your life, like your mom said. When you were all alone in that tower, this flower brought you happiness. Hold onto that.”

  As a tear traveled down my cheek, my love grew for my knight in shining armor. “Thank you for rescuing me, Maddox.”

  “You rescued yourself,” he said. “I just came along for the ride.”


  Ever humble, he would probably never know how much he truly had rescued me, especially my heart.

  “Do you believe this is your happy ending?” he asked again, looking at me with one eyebrow raised.

  I thought of his question and also what my aunt and mother had said. I focused on the joy I felt and answered, “Yes.” And I did believe it. I believed it with my whole heart. “This is just the beginning of my happily ever after.”

  }Lady Hannah (the Witch)}

  Lady Hannah sat fuming in the dank dungeon. Her only sister had betrayed her. Not only had Theresa thwarted the plan to kidnap and kill Princess Rapunzel, but had hidden her these past ten years. Even worse, Theresa had stolen Hannah’s son, Rumpelstiltskin. Knowing where Theresa would take him, Hannah would make sure they never reached their destination. After all, she was his mother, and she wasn’t going to let her conniving sister raise him as anything but the royal he was. He would take the throne, just as his father should have, if it was the last thing Hannah did.

  I will spend the rest of my life making Theresa pay for what she has done, thought Lady Hannah. I shall go to Idaho and wait for my opportunity. The captain always doubted my skills, but I’ll show him who has the superior intellect. As they say, Patience is a virtue.

  So, began Rumpelstiltskin’s infamous revenge upon the posterity of Rapunzel. After his mother died, he continued seeking the terrible vengeance she had engrained in him all his life.

 

  If you’ve read the prequel, Finding Sleeping Beauty, now you know why that tale had to be told.

  If people could let go of grudges and jealousies, a great deal of pain and hardship could be avoided.

  However, we wouldn’t have much of a story, would we?

  Discussion Questions

  Is there a character that reminds you of your own life? How and why?

  When Rapunzel was kidnapped, Snow White was only six years old, but because she was now next in line for the throne, she had to grow up fast. When you are faced with more responsibilities, does it feel as if your life is passing by too quickly? What can you do to enjoy the present before it is gone?

  While Rapunzel was locked in a tower for ten years, she increased her knowledge and developed her talents. If you had to live in solitude for an extended period of time, what skills would you like to develop? What knowledge would you like to gain?

  Rapunzel thinks she’s in love with her boyfriend, Aleck, but he constantly criticizes her. Many people put up with unkindness from others, especially those they are close to. How can you notice if you’re in an unhealthy relationship? What can you do to distance yourself from people who hurt you? Why is it important to get such negative influences out of your life?

  In Idaho, Snow White encounters a mean girl named Lindsey. How does Snow react when Lindsey is rude to her? What do you do when someone treats you badly?

  Theresa meant well by taking Rapunzel away before her sister and brother-in-law could kidnap her and possibly hurt her. Do you think a desire to keep Rapunzel safe made it okay to lock her in the tower? If not, what do you think Theresa should have done instead?

  Lark Atwood has a happy countenance and a contagious smile. How can you help others be happy? What truly makes you happy?

  The Atwood brothers are patterned after the dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. See if you can match each Atwood brother with his counterpart from Snow White. For example, Maddox is Grumpy. Which dwarf is represented by Edison? Which is Sunny? Which is Sanders? Which is Lark? Which is Sebastian (“Bash”)? Which is Dude?

  Were you surprised by the ending of Rescuing Rapunzel? After discovering that Rapunzel’s mother is from Idaho, did you realize Snow White’s mother is as well? What gave you that idea?

  The book ends with an introduction to Lady Hannah’s story. If you have read Finding Sleeping Beauty, can you see how Hannah taught her son, Rumpelstiltskin, to seek revenge as she did? Why did she want revenge in the first place? If Theresa could have raised her nephew, do you think he would still be the villain? Why or why not?

  About the Author

  Tarrah Montgomery has loved writing stories since she was a child. She earned an associate’s degree from Ricks College and a bachelor of science in education from Utah State University. Tarrah currently lives in Arizona with her husband, Ryan, and their five young children. She loves to travel, and many of her story ideas have come from seeing the ancient castles and architecture around the world. Some of her adventures have taken her to Paris, London, Rome, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, South Korea, Thailand, Jamaica, and Costa Rica. Tarrah teaches preschool and enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and playing the piano.

  The first two books in the Princess Chronicles are I’m Not Cinderella (2013) and Finding Sleeping Beauty (2015). Learn more about Tarrah and her books at tarrahmontgomery.blogspot.com. She enjoys hearing from her readers and may be contacted at tarrahmont@gmail.com.

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