I didn’t know what to say or do. I couldn’t even breathe anymore. My outrage, fears, and shock bubbled together in a whirlwind of emotion. I felt like I was underwater, like a thick veil had been erected between me and reality.
My father was still speaking, but his words kept passing me by. There was one single thing I could remember, one reality that came to me as crystal clear as the waters of the Dozmary. I was pregnant with Medwin’s child. Soon, I’d have a baby created out of our love.
I supposed I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, Dineiro was a Merlinian male and he’d been able to conceive with Kirril. But the situation was vastly different for me. I’d just gotten used to the thought that I was a man, and now, suddenly, I’d been given a gift that typically women received.
Oddly, it wasn’t even the shock at the news of this unexpected pregnancy that had me so shaken. Being Merlinian, I could intellectually understand the possibility of it. Rather, I was lost between disbelief, happiness, and my utter dismay at not having Medwin by my side.
Tears filled my eyes, and I stubbornly tried to push them back. This was a good thing, a beautiful thing. No matter what happened, I would always have a part of Medwin, and that made me so blissful it seemed unbelievable. At the same time, though, it was heartbreaking that I couldn’t share it with the man I loved.
“Why?” I finally asked my father. “If you knew this, why did you separate me and Medwin?”
“Your Medwin has to learn that things in life are never easy. If he wants you to be his, he has to stop acting halfheartedly and take responsibility for his actions.”
“That doesn’t even make sense,” I argued, wiping my eyes. “If you thought I needed protection, you could have joined us, taught us, instead of attacking us. How is Medwin supposed to understand magic? He’s Arthurian.”
“He’s also the man who fell in love with your mother.”
I just stared at him, unable to believe my ears. “A–Anelah?” I stammered.
My father—because I would never get used to thinking of him as my uncle—nodded. “She is my younger sister, and the man you know as the Fairy Godfather is my brother. I gave you some freedom because she is in his custody, but we have a lot of enemies. I might not be able to stand by your side forever.”
That was no answer, but I didn’t have it in myself to argue with him. Suddenly, Medwin’s behavior started to make sense. From the moment we’d met, he’d claimed that he loved me, and I’d completely convinced myself that it was true. My magic had even bonded us together. But what if Anelah’s spell had never truly faded? What if it had only transferred onto me because I was her son?
I took a deep breath and pulled away from my father. No, I couldn’t think like that. Medwin’s emotions for me were genuine. Our baby was living proof of it. I trusted him, and nothing my father could say would change that.
It occurred to me in that moment that if Lord Rumpel Stiltskin wasn’t my father, I had another parent out there, maybe looking for me. “Who was my real father?” I blurted out.
“We suspect that it must have been an elf,” he replied. “Anelah never actually said. But for what it’s worth, I do consider you my son.”
Maybe he did, or maybe he didn’t. He could be lying, or he could be telling the truth. In all of this confusion, I still remained convinced of one important thing. I loved Medwin.
I left the settee and wrapped myself better in the thick cloak. As I stepped onto the balcony again, my father followed. When he offered me a seat, I took him up on his offer and plopped down on the chair. I might still be angry with him, but I wouldn’t put unnecessary strain on myself just to spite him. I had my baby to think about now.
Resting a hand on my belly, I glanced out into the distance. My hair swayed over the banister of the balcony, like a rope ready for Medwin to climb—but kind of coming up short. “Love me, Medwin,” I sent through our silent bond. “Please love me.”
As I sat there, I suddenly got the feeling I was being watched. Before I could even identify the source, the niggling sensation faded away. Nevertheless, it made my connection with Medwin stir.
Behind me, my father tensed, and I hid a smile into the darkness. No matter what he said, there were some things that not even his magic could change or hold back. Medwin was coming for me. I was sure of it.
Chapter Ten:
In Which the Frog Prince and His Not-So-Maidenly Maiden are Reunited
The ride through the dark Merlinian landscape was ripe with tension. We weren’t magically transported to Rapunzel’s side like I’d have liked, and advancing on the still-glowing path felt far too slow for my comfort.
Once in a while, shadows stirred at the corner of my vision. I might have actually deemed it a trick of light, perhaps caused by the fact that I was still unaccustomed to frog-like eyes, but whenever it happened, Magda snorted nervously. Thankfully, the Rainbow Brick Road shone brighter, emanating warm power and pushing back whatever foes the darkness hid.
We reached the edges of the forest I’d seen from the canyon with no real incident. It was only then that I noticed the Rainbow Brick Road didn’t enter the woods. I was just about to ask Magda why, wondering if we’d made a mistake somewhere along the way, when a voice suddenly said, “I’m afraid you’re on your own from here. My power can’t touch Lord Rumpel Stiltskin’s lands.”
A cold chill gripped me. I had known Rapunzel’s father was powerful, but had truly considered the Rainbow Brick Road as an ally and an entity that could defeat the warlock should the need arise. I hadn’t exactly been counting on him—this was my fight, after all. Nonetheless, it was sobering to note that even a power as great as that of the proverbial Path of Fate couldn’t stand against Rumpel Stiltskin.
Even so, I didn’t allow any hesitance to linger in my heart. “I see,” I replied. “Thank you for guiding us here. I’m deeply grateful.”
“No thanks are needed,” the voice answered. “Good luck, Prince Medwin. Stand up for yourself and for Rapunzel, and you can do this.”
This time, it held a different tonality, and even the colors seemed to flash differently. I had the distinctive feeling that I was missing something. What was the true nature of the Rainbow Brick Road? I might have actually asked, but right now, I was too worried about Rapunzel to do so.
That part of me that had kept me in Arthuria reminded me that my task wouldn’t be easy, but still, I had faith that I would succeed. I just had to. The alternative was simply unthinkable.
Tightening my hold on the reins, I ushered Magda onward. As we entered the forest, the glow of the Rainbow Brick Road faded behind us. I could hear the sound of creatures rustling in the trees, but I didn’t falter.
I half expected to be jumped by some sort of awful monster, but it didn’t happen. If Rumpel Stiltskin had such beings watching his lands, he’d warned them off me. I didn’t know if that was supposed to make me wary or pleased. At this point, it didn’t even matter. The tower was very close now, looming ahead, so much so that not even the darkness of the night and the tall trees could hide it.
Even so, I was somewhat surprised when Magda and I stepped into a large grove. The trees suddenly melted away, leaving behind a clearing filled with green grass and flowers that bloomed beautifully, emanating pollen that appeared to glow. The entire grove seemed lit up because of it. And Lord Rumpel Stiltskin sat on a tree stump in front of me, shooting me a smile that could have meant anything at all. He was just like I remembered him, handsome, in a cold and graceful way that oddly reminded me a little of Anelah. I could see very little of Rapunzel’s beauty in him, but there was something about him that I couldn’t help but care about.
“Well, well,” he said. “If it isn’t the Frog Prince. You sure took your time.”
The words were biting, but the tone was so matter-of-fact that I couldn’t even get insulted. Besides, losing my temper wouldn’t help. “I suspect you would agree with me in that my delay wasn’t necessarily caused by my lack of enthusiasm tow
ard seeing Rapunzel.”
His full lips twisted into an even wider smirk. “Perhaps.” He got up and brushed his clothes of invisible specks of dusts. “But of course, you’re going to have to go through me before I allow it.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “You must know I love your son.”
“Do you, or do you just think you do?” He arched a brow. “What if I told you that Rapunzel’s mother was the same witch who put an enchantment on you?”
I froze. “What are you talking about?”
“Anelah is his mother,” the warlock replied. “And by now, you must realize that magic can recoil through bonds of blood. The love you think you feel for Rapunzel could be just another effect of her enchantment.”
I wanted to shake my head, to deny those words, but I couldn’t, not really. How many times had it occurred to me that the soft silk of their locks was somewhat alike? Yes, Anelah was a brunette, but the fall of her tresses held distinct similarities with Rapunzel’s enchanted hair. Anelah’s beauty was icy compared to Rapunzel’s, but something in her aristocratic features and her sharp cheekbones had been akin to my love’s fair grace and charm. How many times had I brushed away those thoughts in dismay and disgust, not wanting to analyze it too closely?
“Don’t misunderstand,” the warlock continued. “Rapunzel didn’t know. He truly believed you loved him. Otherwise, he’d have never given you his innocence. Now, what about you, Prince Medwin? Knowing all this, can you stand against me?”
Just like that, my mind cleared. “Rapunzel’s parentage is irrelevant to me. It’s him I love, no matter what you or Anelah did.”
I ushered Magda deeper into the grove and stole a look at the tower. The balcony was the same one from my vision, but this time, it was empty. I surmised Rumpel Stiltskin must have locked Rapunzel into the tower to keep him from seeing the battle between us.
Even so, knowing that he was inside, waiting for me, just added to my fervor. “You won’t manage to change my mind,” I told the warlock.
As I spoke, I released Magda’s reins and leapt out of the saddle. Quietly, Magda moved away from us, just as I’d instructed her beforehand. This was just between me and Rumpel Stiltskin. No one else could intervene.
For a few moments, Lord Stiltskin and I just stared at one another. “Well?” the warlock prodded, arching a brow. “Do you think you’ll defeat me through pure intimidation?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I scanned the grove and the tower, feeling the magic permeating the entire area rippling over my skin. It must be the reason why my bond with Rapunzel had been muted. Everything here, from the grass and the flowers, to the tower itself, was part of the warlock.
As I realized this, I retrieved my small blade from its sheath. The warlock watched me with amusement, as if thinking “What? You’re going to harm me with that?”
Ignoring him, I swept my miniature sword in the direction of the nearest flower and slashed it from the middle. It was far harder than I had expected. My strength as a frog was very limited, and I only managed through sheer will. Because of my size, I could also see the way the flower’s stem eventually yielded to my blade, and it reminded me strikingly of a limb being cut off.
Nevertheless, I had no regrets. When the flower hit the grass, it dissipated into tiny, vaporous lights. A scratch appeared on Rumpel Stiltskin’s cheek before it quickly faded away. He gripped his temple, a grimace of pain pushing aside his previous demeanor. It soon faded, replaced by a fierce frown. “That wasn’t very nice,” he said.
A ball of swirling magic appeared in his palm. “You think you’re so clever, Prince Medwin. But even still, after all this time, you haven’t learned how to value Rapunzel.”
Without further warning, he threw the enchantment at me. It was what I had been waiting for, and the reason why I had taunted him by killing the flower. I couldn’t actually cast magic of my own, and I needed his to defeat him and to use the residual magic energy that existed within me from the previous spell.
As his power hit me, I closed my eyes and imagined myself in human form, just like Dineiro had taught me. As I did so, I held on tightly to my connection with Rapunzel and struggled to tame the magic Rumpel Stiltskin had directed at me.
It wasn’t a spell meant to kill. In fact, it seemed that he had merely intended to send me away. The transmutation spell was so different in nature from the shape-shifting one that I had trouble stabilizing my molecules. The magic itself was very complex, and as much as I’d have liked to identify its nature, I still remained an Arthurian with very few skills in that regard. Pain erupted through me, so strong I couldn’t see or breathe anymore. But I would not be denied. I had expected the pain, and I accepted it gladly.
In the background, I could hear Magda neighing wildly. “Medwin!”
The warlock himself seemed a little shocked by this turn of events. “Prince Medwin,” he called out to me, “let it go. At this rate, you’ll….”
After that, I could no longer distinguish his words, because Rapunzel’s voice came through our bond, crystal clear for the first time in a month. “Medwin…Oh, please…Medwin, I love you so much. We love you so much.”
He could have said a million other things. He could have told me to go, not to waste my life by trying to fight a foe who was so much stronger than me. I could tell that a part of him wanted to do exactly that, because he feared for me and was in agony due to my pain. Even so, he found enough strength to encourage me, and to give me an even stronger reason for succeeding. It should have been impossible, but it was, nevertheless, true. Because my beautiful love, my Rapunzel was carrying my child.
A few months ago, the idea would have made me burst into laughter. A pregnant man? That simply wasn’t possible. But with what had happened to Kirril, I’d had the chance to get accustomed to the idea. Granted, I hadn’t expected it would happen to me and Rapunzel, but in that moment, it didn’t even matter. I couldn’t possibly rationalize something so beautiful and precious.
Suddenly, Rumpel Stiltskin’s magic was mine to use. I willed it to shatter the curse that had made me into a frog, and threw the remaining power back at its source.
Or that was what I tried to do. The actual process was torturous, the magic still refusing to hurt its original owner. Ages later, when I finally opened my eyes again, every muscle in my body hurt. My heart was racing, and my lungs had trouble drawing in air. I felt clumsy, dizzy, and not myself. In front of me, where Lord Rumpel Stiltskin had once been, lay another frog.
“Oh, dear,” it said. “This is unexpected.”
The ground started to shake. I actually thought the warlock was fighting back, but as it turned out, I was mistaken. The flowers began to wither and fade and even the forest started to disappear. More worryingly, Rapunzel’s tower started to crumble.
I gasped and ran past the warlock-turned-frog. “Rapunzel!” I shouted, wildly scanning all of the tower’s sides for any sign of a door. I found none, but I did receive a response. Rapunzel suddenly burst into the balcony, his eyes wild with fear and need. “Medwin, thank the Goddess you’re all right.”
I wanted to point out that my safety wasn’t the problem right now. In fact, I was starting to grow desperate when the earthquake suddenly stopped. A frog leapt onto my shoulder.
“You didn’t actually think I’d allow anything to happen to Rapunzel?”
“Father?” Rapunzel asked hesitantly.
The frog vanished into thin air, and then, Rumpel Stiltskin was standing by my side again. My hackles rose, and I readied myself for another fight. The warlock just laughed, lifting his hands as if to say he was harmless. “It seems I underestimated you, my dear Frog Prince,” he said with a soft laugh. “You have my blessing to be with Rapunzel. It’s clear that you do love him.”
“Yes, I do,” I answered, still a little wary. “Very much.”
Rumpel Stiltskin just nodded. “I will be watching over you.”
A wave of power flowed over me, echoing within my bo
nd with Rapunzel. My head started to spin, and when I could focus again, Rumpel Stiltskin was gone.
“Wait!” I called out. “How am I supposed to get into the tower?”
“Maybe I should let down my hair so that you can climb on it,” Rapunzel mused, still high up in the balcony.
I just stared at him in disbelief. “Your hair might be enchanted, love, but I highly doubt it can hold the weight of a grown man. Besides, I never thought I was going to say this, but it’s not long enough.” Seriously, had his hair reached the ground from the balcony he waited in, I doubted he could have even dragged it along. It would have been too heavy. “There has to be a door somewhere here.”
Magda approached quickly and kind of nodded in that equine way of hers. “Yes, although I don’t remember where it is. Lord Stiltskin was the only one who could find it.”
Guided by the magic still buzzing through me, I swept my fingers over the cold stone of the tower walls. I found one particular spot somewhat warmer and pushed on it. The wall parted, and I burst into the building, breathless with anticipation.
As I ran up the stairs, Rapunzel met me halfway. He leapt into my arms, hugging me tightly, and as I pressed my lips to his, all was right in the world again.
* * * *
Having spent so much time in this tower, I’d gotten quite used to the enclosure, to the isolation. It hadn’t been easy, but the loneliness had eventually become bearable, at least to a certain extent.
By comparison, waiting inside, trapped while my father fought my lover, had been pure torture. And when I’d actually begun to feel Medwin’s pain, it was only the knowledge I carried his child that kept me from doing something desperate and very foolish.
Now, only minutes after that ordeal, I found myself in my lover’s arms. It was almost unbelievable that Medwin had managed to bypass my father’s defenses, but here he was, holding me close once more, just like he had when we’d been in Arthuria. Finally, he kissed me, and I felt my tension and my fear drain away like they had never existed.
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