by Anita Valle
Kay hands me the basket. “You can use this to carry it.”
“Thank you.” I take the basket but I’m staring at Kay’s face. It’s my first time seeing him up close. He’s got pleasant brown eyes and black lashes. His nose is wider than mine and his jaw looks squarish. He has black hair, cut short around the sides of his head, but longer and denser on top. He’s a lot taller than me and has a sturdy look about him. I think he’s impressive.
Kay grins at me with his shiny, white teeth. “Hello, Rapunzel. Welcome to the world.”
~*~ 11 ~*~
The first part is hardest. Getting down the hill. We can’t go through the cave, not with the entrance all clogged up with Snowy’s ice. Kay shows me how he comes and goes, climbing a slope that feels more like the side of a cliff by gripping the shrubs that grow there. Going down is slow, scary work and the basket hooked on my elbow throws my weight off balance. I slip and skid a few times, smearing dirt up my side, before Kay catches hold of my arm. It’s as bad, possibly worse, than going out the window. Because it takes much longer.
We work our way down three sections of hillside. And then, Kay says, we’re on the forest floor. I’m in The Wood now.
I look up… and love it all. The trees, the leaves, the bits of sky between them. Trunks in shades of brown or gray - the tall, slender ones with papery bark, the stout, twisted ones with harsh ridges. I spot a squirrel and watch it skitter from one branch to another and my heart cramps up at how beautiful it is.
I let my eyes wander, pulling it all in, aware that Kay remains quiet. He’s letting me look. After a few minutes, I sigh and smile at him. “All right.”
“Ready?” Kay guides me to a path between the trees. I fall in step beside him. Our path is spotted with lumps of snow and puddles of dark water. It all smells soggy and cold. I can’t believe I’m out of my tower. I can’t believe I’m going somewhere.
“So, we’re going to a village?” I ask.
Kay winces. “I did promise you that. But there’s a problem.”
“What is it?”
“There’s to be a celebration at the palace today. When I spoke to you yesterday, I honestly forgot all about it. And I’m expected to be there. Believe me, I wanted to kick myself this morning when my mother reminded me. But – if you want – you could go there with me. Would you like to?”
“A celebration?” I stare at him in wonder. “Do you mean it’s like… a party?”
Kay laughs. “Oh yes. Quite a big one. The queen had her first child last month. Hence the festivities. She’s invited everyone to see the baby. You wanted to see people, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.” But now I’m confused. “Kay… how can this be the queen’s first child? I thought you were the first child.”
“The queen isn’t my mother. She’s my aunt.”
“But you’re still a prince?”
“So they tell me!” Kay grins.
“But the queen - isn’t she cruel and horrible? Snowy says she is.”
Kay smirks. “She got a nasty temper, that’s for sure. Does an awful lot of yelling. Personally, I just stay away from her. She doesn’t like to be argued with, even a little.”
“And what about the Beast?”
“You know about the Beast?” Kay looks shocked.
“Of course. I know it does the queen’s bidding and she’s using it to kill young girls.”
“Whoa, wait. Hang on a second.” Kay stops and takes hold of my shoulder. “Yes, there is a Beast. Yes, it has been killing young girls. But no, it’s not doing the queen’s bidding. She wouldn’t do that.”
“Then where’d it come from?”
“We think from another kingdom. No one’s seen it here before. The queen has her best huntsmen tracking it down but they haven’t found it yet. It never comes out in daylight.”
“Daylight.” I look at the sky, reassuringly blue. “So, we’re safe now?”
Kay grins. “Safe from the Beast. But beware of humans.”
We continue on our path and I see wonderful things. Things that, until now, I’ve only read about in books. A stream that cuts through the forest floor, clear and sparkling. A deer picking through the snow on thin, graceful legs. Chipmunks that dart out from under logs, startling me.
“Look! Look at that!” I point at a spider web that stretches between two trees. The frost has coated each delicate strand so they look like threads of silver. I press a hand to my chest. “That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”
“That?” Kay looks doubtful.
“You don’t think so?”
He shrugs. “It’s pretty.”
I give him a scowl. “Not good enough for you? Fine. What’s your most beautiful thing in the world?”
Kay looks at the ground. His cheeks redden, a startling shade in this drab and colorless forest. “A – a girl.”
“A girl?” I don’t believe it. More beautiful than a frozen spider web?
Kay lets out a long sigh, whitening the air. “There’s a girl that I… like very much. She is absolutely perfect, the most beautiful creature alive. It hurts my heart just to look at her.”
“Why?”
“Because she takes no notice of me. I am but one admirer of the many that she has. I can’t even speak to her that much, I see her only at balls and parties where she’s always surrounded by people.”
“She has a lot of friends?”
“Oh yes, she’s quite popular. There’s something irresistible about her, she….” He looks at me as if suddenly worried. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For bringing her up. Perhaps you don’t know about things like this.”
“Of course, I do. You’re in love with her.”
Kay’s cheeks glow redder. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. In my experience, I’ve found that girls don’t like it when you mention other girls. They get mad.”
“I’m not mad.” But something’s bugging me, I can feel it. Barely there but enough to bother me, like an almost headache.
“Oh good,” Kay says, relieved. “I don’t want to offend you, you’ve been nice. You’re a good friend.”
My heart rips open at his words. That’s what it feels like - a hot, blazing plain that splits my chest. “Really?” I lunge and grip the side of his cloak. “Do you mean it? Are we really friends?”
Kay grins. “Sure! Sure we are.” His eyes soften as he looks at me. “You’re not used to having one. I get it.”
“Yeah, I’m really – I’m really glad about this, Kay. I – I hope we can do lots of stuff together. I hope – I hope this other girl won’t….”
“No, she won’t. Even if I marry her, you and I will still be friends.” He smiles but another sigh escapes him. “But that’s never going to happen. She doesn’t want me, I don’t impress her.”
“But you’re the prince. Shouldn’t that impress her a little bit?”
“Just the opposite. She thinks it means I do nothing worthwhile, that I’ve had an easy life and never had to work for anything. She’ll have nothing to do with me unless I do something heroic.”
I scowl. “She doesn’t sound very nice.”
“When she wants to be, she’s the sweetest girl in the world. I’m determined….” He rakes back his hair with fingers. “I’m determined, Rapunzel. I have to win over this girl. My Beauty.”
~*~ 12 ~*~
Even her name is Beauty. That’s so dumb. Two minutes ago, I didn’t know this girl existed. And I already hate her. Despite Kay’s assurances, I know she’s going to be a problem.
My feet are getting tired in Snowy’s boots. I’m not used to walking this much. And I’ve never had to carry my hair for so long, the basket is heavy on my arm and switching to the other for relief isn’t helping.
“I need to sit down.”
“Now?” Kay says. “I don’t mean to rush you, but we need to hurry if we want to make the party.”
“I’m tired.” I find a large rock onl
y partly covered in snow and brush it off with a corner of my cloak. “I want some water.”
“Sure. That stream we saw isn’t too far back.”
“Good.” I sit on the rock. “I’ll wait here.”
Kay gives me a puzzled look. “Did I say I was getting it for you?”
“Well, how else am I supposed to get it?”
Kay smirks. “I don’t fetch water. I’m a prince.”
“Neither do I. I’m a princess.”
Kay cocks an eyebrow. “Since when?”
“Since always.” I pull my braid into my lap and smooth it with my hand. “I’ve been denied my rightful inheritance.”
Kay opens his mouth to argue and then groans. “I guess that’s… kind of true. All right, Princess Rapunzel, just this once. I can’t afford to waste time.” He steps off the trail into The Wood and points at me. “But stay there! Don’t wander off for any reason.”
“I won’t.”
I cover my legs with the brown bear cloak and lift the hood. I can feel the coolness of the rock seeping through, but otherwise, the cloak keeps me warm. I smile and let myself enjoy my few minutes alone. I still can’t believe I’m out here, out of my tower. I know I’ll have to get home before Snowy returns tonight. This is only my first escape and I want to have more - until I think of a way to leave the tower for good.
The Wood looks enormous, like it has no end. I’m so used to seeing it from the window, the same angle, the same view. I study the trees close to me, the patterns of their bark. I scrape the ground with my boot and listen to the scratchy sound it makes. I break a small branch off a bush beside me and turn it over in my fingers, studying how the leaves connect to the branch.
From the left, I hear footsteps coming toward me, squashing the snow. I look up, expecting Kay – but it’s not Kay at all.
It’s a huge, huge man.
~*~ 13 ~*~
I can’t do anything but stare. The man is enormous, at least seven feet tall. I didn’t know people could get that big.
“Lose your way, little miss?” he asks. His voice scares me to death. Rough and resonant, like I mashed down all the low keys of my organ at once. He’s got scruffy hair and a long beard, a mixture of black and gray. My nose fills with the smell of him, wood smoke and stewed beef and the mustiness of unwashed hair. I’m repulsed and fascinated all at once.
“Where you headed?” he asks.
My throat is tight, I can’t say a thing. This huge man seems to fill my whole world. He wears an open leather vest over loose clothing, with no cloak to keep out the cold. There’s an axe on his shoulder and the hand that grips it has only three fingers. I want Kay to come back, right now, right now! I want to go back to my tower.
The man looks around. “You shouldn’t be out here alone. Not safe. Are you from one of the villages?”
I look down and shake my head. If I don’t talk, maybe he’ll just go away.
The man exhales and drops the axe from his shoulder. “Look, missy. I don’t know how you got here, but I’m taking you to the nearest village. This part of The Wood is dangerous, especially for girls. Come with me.” He bends and grabs my upper arm with his huge, three-fingered hand, and fear, wild fear, explodes inside my head. The trees blur together, turn gray and then black.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
I open my eyes. I’m staring at a ceiling, crossed by heavy beams. There are cobwebs between them, which annoys me. Snowy really should’ve cleaned those away.
I turn my head – and realize I’m not at home. I’m lying on a bed, on a quilt made of squares. The whole room is a square, so unlike my round tower. The walls are made of wood instead of stone. There’s a window on my right and through it I see the gray trunks of trees.
I’m still in The Wood.
Slowly, I push myself up. My braid hangs off the bed and falls into the basket, although some of it has spilled out. I ease off the bed and crouch, my hands shaking as I scoop the hair into the basket. He can’t be far - the room is full of his smell. And something else, strong and musky, that makes me wrinkle my nose. I need to leave here as fast as I can.
The door to my room hangs open. I listen and hear creaking on the floorboards above me, the sound of a heavy tread. He’s upstairs. I stand, clutching the handle of my basket and creep into the next room. It’s all wood, like the last one, except for a stone fireplace. There’s a table with a large rocking chair beside it, a shelf that holds a few dishes, a floor in desperate need of sweeping. And, best of all, a door that goes outside.
“Oh, you’re up,” says a voice and I nearly jump out of my boots. The huge man is sitting on a staircase by the left-hand wall. I was looking at the door and didn’t notice. He’s got an apple in his hands and is peeling off the skin with a small knife. How did he get down here so fast?
“Look, don’t pass out again,” he says. “I didn’t mean to scare you, I was trying to be a friend.”
A friend?
The man indicates the door with his knife. “Go on. You shouldn’t be here but I didn’t know what else to do. Couldn’t show up at some village with you passed out, they’d think I attacked you. Couldn’t leave you to freeze in The Wood either. Just go back where you came from and do it quick, all right?”
I nod. The floor above me creaks again and I glance up at the ceiling. Is there…?
“You understand, girl?” the man barks. “Or are you soft in the head?”
“I understand.” I’m less afraid since he said he was a friend. I didn’t know friends could look – and smell - that unpleasant. But if that’s what he is, it means he won’t hurt me.
I clear my throat. “I don’t know where to go.”
“What?”
“I was on my way to the palace. I need to know how to get back there.”
“The palace?” The man looks at my dress and then my boots.
“Yes, I was going there with my friend Kay.”
“Kay? Kay who?” the man asks sharply.
“Kay who lives at the palace.”
The man spits out a harsh word I never heard before. “Why didn’t you tell me you were with the prince? I thought you were alone!”
“He was getting me some water.”
The man exhales loudly. “Could’ve just told me that instead of acting like a shivering pup. He’s probably wandering around out there looking for you.”
“Well, it’s not my fault. You looked dangerous.”
“Naw, not anymore. Too old for that stuff. Look, wait for me outside, all right? I’ll take you back to Kay.”
“Could I have some water first?”
The man bites into his apple and glares at me. “There’s a well out back. Help yourself.”
I nod, although I really think he should bring it to me. But I’m still a little bit scared of him, so I shut my mouth and go outside.
I walk down a short path made of broad, flat stones. At the end of it, I turn and look back.
Oh - it’s a cottage! I was in a cottage! It’s the cutest thing I ever saw, with a pointed roof covered in snow, a crooked chimney, and stone walls with little pockets of windows. I always heard cottages were small but this one looks quite big to me. I bet it has more rooms than my tower.
But I don’t see a well and I’m really thirsty now. He said out back. What does out back mean? Does it mean behind the cottage?
It’s not easy to walk around the house. The ground along the sides is all bushes and weeds and a broken wheelbarrow blocks my way. The snow is lumpy with rocks and random bits of rubbish - my new friend is not very tidy.
There’s a flat area behind the cottage, a sort of rectangular clearing. I guess this is out back. Like everything else, it’s frosted in snow and the trees of The Wood stand around it. I don’t see a well – but I’m not looking for it. Something else has caught my attention.
A strange box stands in the middle of the yard. A box made of glass with long silver legs. I can’t see much of it – it’s all under snow – but it looks very
fancy and shiny. Certainly an odd thing to keep out back.
I’ve spotted the well at the corner of the yard, so I shrug off the strange box and head over there. But I can’t help glancing over my shoulder. On the other side of the box, there’s a section of glass where the snow has blown away. And I can see something inside it.
I stop hard, my eyes widening.
It’s a hand.
~*~ 14 ~*~
My stomach twists inside me. I back away, not believing, but I keep on looking. There’s a hand in there. A hand resting on dark fabric. Could it be… is there really… a person in there?
My breath comes out in puffs of white. I want to run away but I have to figure this out. With the basket hooked on my arm, I scavenge around the yard until I find a long stick. After edging as close to the box as I dare, I reach out and scrape the snow off the end of it. Oh my blood and bones. Small feet in pointy shoes. Black fabric that rests loosely over the ankles, like a skirt. If there’s a person in there, it’s a girl person.
That part makes me slightly braver. I drop the stick and walk to the opposite end of the box. I lift my hand and let it hover over the lid. I hope I won’t regret this. I just want to see what it is.
I place my hand on the cold glass and sweep the snow aside. It’s wet but slides off almost clean. I pause, breathless, and stare through the glass.
It’s a lady. A lady with yellow hair. I have never seen real yellow hair before and it’s lovelier than I imagined. Bright as gold, soft as air, it curves with her face and lies smoothly on her shoulders. She’s sleeping - I think. I mean, she can’t be dead, right? Her cheeks are fresh and pink. I don’t know why she’d want to sleep out here, in a box, in the cold. But she’s lovely. I feel a strange kind of peacefulness just looking at her. I like her dark, curling lashes. And the arc of her eyebrows. And her little mouth, pointy and proud. I can’t tell her age, but she’s older than me. Maybe like Snowy.
I realize I’ve been holding my breath and release a sigh. I brush away more snow, ignoring the tingle in my fingers. The lady wears a black dress, cut well for her slim figure. It’s dark and yet it shines. With this, I also notice the black tiara in her hair - a spray of dark, metal branches with black crystals at their tips. It looks amazing in her golden hair. I don’t know who she is but I can feel she’s special. Maybe she’s a fairy and this is how they sleep.