“She didn’t scare me away,” he said, taking another look at Rapunzel and smiling. “Of course, there is always a first time for everything.”
Rapunzel threw down the cloth and put her head down on the dresser, hiding her face. “I don’t want you to see me like this,” she mumbled into her arms.
“Rapunzel, don’t hide your face from me.” He pulled up a chair and sat next to her, raising her chin so he could look into her eyes.
Rapunzel lifted her head, trying to hide her tears from Marco. She was elated he had returned, but this isn’t how she wanted him to see her at all. She looked terrible and had never felt so embarrassed in all her life.
“Let me help,” he said, taking the cloth and gently wiping her tears.
“Marco, please get me out of here. I cannot live like this anymore.”
“I don’t care how you look, Rapunzel. I’ve seen your beauty. I rather like having you look less than perfect once in a while.”
“You do?” She sniffed, holding back the tears, enjoying the way he doted over her.
“I don’t believe it,” said Medea, getting up and walking over to the window. “Now that you are ugly, Sister, Marco is never going to want to kiss you again.”
“That is the furthest thing from the truth,” said Marco, wiping the purple paint off Rapunzel’s nose with the cloth.
“Y – you mean, you would still kiss me, looking like this?” asked Rapunzel in astonishment.
He lowered the rag and stared into her eyes. “I believe it is what’s in here that counts.” He laid his hand on her chest, causing a tingle to travel through her body.
“Marco, I haven’t been very kind to you, and I feel that I have misjudged you.”
“It’s all right, Rapunzel. I realize you haven’t had it easy being locked away in a tower. You are stronger than I could ever be in this situation.”
Medea sighed, making a face and rolling her eyes.
“Let me show you how I feel about you.” Marco leaned forward, gently placing his lips against hers. Rapunzel closed her eyes and felt her anger for Medea dissipate with each of Marco’s kisses. He made her feel special, even when she was dirty and dressed like a man. She didn’t know anyone – noble or not – who would treat her this way in such a situation.
Their lips parted, and her eyes opened. She laughed aloud when she saw the purple and red streaks of paint smeared across Marco’s face.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Nothing at all,” she said, watching his eyes dart over to the mirror. Then he started laughing, too.
“Rapunzel, once I rescue you from this tower and break your curse, I want you to marry me.”
“What?” Her heart raced. Had she heard him correctly? “Did you say – you want to marry me?”
“I might not be rich, but I am of noble birth. I am not titled, but I have a feeling that will all change soon.”
“It will?” she asked, still dazed by the fact he’d just proposed to her.
“I brought in Roger the Rat and collected the bounty,” he told her.
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” She barely heard his words since she was lost in her thoughts of marrying Marco now. He wasn’t at all the type of man she’d dreamed of marrying but, perhaps, he was right. What is on the inside is all that really mattered. She had daydreamed about her wedding someday basing it on what a man looked like, his title, and the amount of money he had. Marco wasn’t a knight or titled in any way. And he certainly wasn’t rich even though he was very handsome. He’d been kind to her as well as to Medea and was determined to rescue her even though it was an impossible task. He was a good man. Yes, he was someone she could see herself marrying after all.
“I also was able to call forth a dragon.”
“Yes!” she blurted out, not even listening to him.
“Yes? Yes, what? I haven’t told you the rest of it yet.”
“I’m sorry, Marco, I didn’t hear a word you said. I was saying yes to your proposal of marriage.”
“You were?” Now he sounded as excited as her.
“As soon as you rescue me from this tower and break the witch’s curse, we will be married and become man and wife.”
“Are you saying you believe I will be able to rescue you and break the curse?”
“I admit, I didn’t at first, but I’ve changed my mind. Yes, I have faith in you. I believe in you, Marco.”
They hugged and kissed again. When Rapunzel glanced over to the window, she saw Medea glaring at them. There was a darkness in her eyes that reminded Rapunzel of Hecuba. This time, it wasn’t just Medea wanting to play tricks on her. Nay, this was a glare that seemed so evil it sent a chill up Rapunzel’s spine. Medea was growing up quickly. She was a product of both light and dark magic. Up until now, her behavior was more like a sibling vying for attention. But this glare was something Rapunzel had never seen in the girl before. The look her sister gave her made Rapunzel feel as if Medea wanted to kill her.
Chapter 14
Marco awoke the next morning, more than determined to ride and command the dragon so he could rescue Rapunzel. He had barely been able to sleep at all since he was so excited that Rapunzel had agreed to marry him when this was all over. He stood outside the front door of the hovel watching the sunrise. The sky lit up in glorious hues of red, yellow and orange. Soon, he would be up there, riding on the back of the dragon and learning to control it to save Rapunzel somehow.
“Did you tell her you are a Dragon Lord now?” asked Marco’s father, coming from the house.
“I did,” he said, still staring at the sky, lost in his thoughts. “Of course, I am not sure how much I told her, or how much she heard. After I asked her to marry me and she said yes, I could no longer think straight.”
“What did you say?” His father didn’t sound very happy.
“We will be married after I rescue her and break her curse,” he told him.
“I am your father and should be the one to betroth you. I am not sure I like this idea.”
“Why not?” he asked, turning to look at the man. “If Mother were still alive, she would be happy for me right now.”
“Son, we have nothing. Don’t you understand? Lady Rapunzel comes from money and power. God’s eyes, her father is a warlock! And who knows what her brothers can do. Lucio told me one of his sons turns into a wolf every night.”
“I don’t care,” said Marco. “I wouldn’t care if Rapunzel turned into a wolf, I would marry her anyway. I think I am falling in love with her.”
“What do you know about love?”
“More than you.”
“How can you say that? I loved your mother very much.”
“Mayhap so. But love isn’t just about the other person. I believe one needs to learn to love himself as well.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that I am done feeling sorry for myself. I have wasted too many years of my life afraid even to try to live. I was afraid if I tried and failed, I would disappoint you. You never had confidence in me or in anything I did.”
His father shook his head. “That’s not true, Marco. I had confidence in you. I just didn’t have confidence in myself. That is the reason I always shot down your dreams and aspirations. I was afraid. Afraid you would be disappointed if you didn’t succeed. And I was in no shape or state of mind to help you. It has taken me all this time to finally realize I need to let go of what happened in the past. Your mother tried to tell me, but I didn’t listen. She also wanted me to train you as a Dragon Lord, but I refused. I am sorry, Son. I only hope I can make up for those lost years now.”
“If you honestly mean that, then support me. I know it is unbelievable that a girl like Rapunzel would even consider marrying me, but she said yes. I am not sure if she only agreed because she was desperate to be rescued, but it doesn’t matter. I promise you; I will rescue her and I will break Hecuba’s evil curse if it is the last thing I ever do.”
Marco’s father laid a hand on
his arm. Tears came to the man’s eyes, even though Marco had never seen his father cry. “I believe you,” his father told him. “And I will help you in any way I can. Now, come on, you have a dragon to summon.”
“I have found a castle for us to live in,” Hecuba told Medea. “I will show it to you soon.”
“I don’t want to see it,” pouted Medea, eating her porridge. Rapunzel noticed that the girl had been sulking ever since Marco’s last visit.
“You are a child and have no choice,” said Hecuba. “You will do as I say.”
“Rapunzel is getting married. I want to be married, too.”
“Married?” Hecuba looked up from drinking her wretched potion. “What is she talking about, Rapunzel?”
“Medea is a child and makes up stories.” Rapunzel glared at the girl over the rim of her cup, threatening her with her eyes not to say another word.
“Medea, you need to stop making up stories and start concentrating on your magic.” Hecuba busied herself doing something across the room.
“I am not making up stories.” Medea’s dark glare was back. It was an evil side of the girl that had yet to truly emerge. “Why don’t you ask Rapunzel where she got that rose since she is unable to leave the tower?”
“What rose?” Hecuba spied the rose in a vase of water on the dresser. The daisy was in the vase as well. “Oh, didn’t you materialize those?” Hecuba asked her daughter.
“It wasn’t me. They came from Marco.”
“What?” Hecuba spun around. “Has that man been here?”
“More than once,” Medea tattled.
“Rapunzel is this true?” asked Hecuba.
“Oh, all right, it is.” Rapunzel didn’t want to pretend anymore. She wanted to talk about the man she would soon marry. “Marco gave not only me but also Medea a flower.”
“Medea, why haven’t you told me this earlier?” Hecuba shook a scolding finger in the air. “You are supposed to report everything that goes on here while I’m gone.”
“She has magic now, too,” said Medea, making Rapunzel cringe.
“You do, do you?” Hecuba walked over, inspecting Rapunzel. “Something else is different about you, too. It has something to do with that man who thinks he’s a Dragon Lord. The one who foolishly believes he is going to save you.”
“Marco and I are going to be married as soon as he rescues me and breaks the curse,” Rapunzel blurted out.
Hecuba burst out laughing. “Is that what you think will happen? He’ll never be able to save anyone using that scrawny little dragon.”
Suddenly, Rapunzel realized that Hecuba knew too much about the situation. If she hadn’t heard it from Medea, how did she know?
“You sound as if you know more about the dragon he has summoned than I do.”
“Well, I should hope so,” she said, laughing again. “That dragon won’t be helping him save you. I can guarantee that.”
“How can you be so sure? Even if it is a small dragon, it can do a lot of damage.”
“We’ll see about that,” said Hecuba, conjuring up a puff of green smoke as she disappeared.
The witch was acting odd – even for her. She hadn’t even asked more about Rapunzel’s new powers. Since she wasn’t able to see Marco in her magic mirror, it was believable she hadn’t known he’d been there. But she seemed terribly sure Marco wouldn’t be using the dragon to rescue her. Rapunzel didn’t know what the witch was up to, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
“Call the dragon again,” Marco’s father instructed. “It is not normal for it to take so long to respond after the initial meeting.”
“I’ve tried it a dozen times now, Father.” Marco started to think there was no hope. “Are you sure I am doing it properly?”
“Aye, you are. However, I don’t understand why your ring isn’t glowing.”
“I don’t know,” said Marco, looking down at his hand. He rubbed the ring with his thumb and tried to still his mind. Closing his eyes, it took several minutes, but then he saw the dragon. It wasn’t the small, green dragon. Instead, it was a large red and black dragon with yellow eyes. He was about to call it again in his mind when the scrawny green dragon entered his vision, chasing the large red dragon away. “That was odd,” he said, opening his eyes.
“What was odd?” asked his father.
Before Marco had a chance to respond, he saw the back of the little, green dragon coming over the hill. “He’s here,” said Marco, feeling pride swell in his chest. He called the dragon, and it finally responded. Yes, he was on his way to becoming a Dragon Lord after all.
The dragon landed near Marco. Walking up to it, Marco cautiously put a hand on its head. “I suppose I should call you something, buddy. I will call you Lucio, after Rapunzel’s father.”
The dragon hissed and spit, not seeming happy with that name. Its eyes glowed red.
“Don’t go far until you master the control to make the dragon obey you,” his father told him.
“I will take a test ride to Gillingham and see if I can find Lucio,” said Marco. “I’m sure Rapunzel’s brothers will want to see the dragon as well.”
He hopped on to the dragon’s back and took off into the air. The beast’s wings flapped in the breeze, lifting them higher and higher. Marco held on with both his hands and legs. The dragon liked to dip down and fly under low-hanging branches and then shoot straight upward, scaring birds along the way. They hadn’t gone far before the dragon turned and headed in the opposite direction.
“Turn around,” he commanded, but it did not listen. Instead of heading to Gillingham, the dragon flew toward the tower. It swept past the window, and Marco took the opportunity to call out to Rapunzel.
“Rapunzel, it’s me. I’m on the dragon.”
Marco rubbed his ring, trying to feel the connection with the dragon that his father had told him would be there. Nothing happened. The ring did not glow, and he felt no connection to the dragon whatsoever. It swooped past the window again. This time, Rapunzel and Medea were both standing there watching him. He lifted his hand to wave and almost fell off when the dragon turned sharply.
“Marco, be careful,” called out Rapunzel.
“I’m fine,” he yelled back, realizing when he almost fell, his waist belt got caught on the dragon’s scales. He yanked at it, trying to free it. When it released, the jerking motion must have scared the dragon because it veered up to a vertical position. Marco had to reach up and wrap his hands around its neck to keep from falling. His tunic caught on the scales next. With one hand, he reached down and dislodged his dagger meaning to use it to cut his tunic free. But the dragon flapped a wing, hitting Marco in the face. When he raised his hand up, the dagger sliced into the dragon’s wing, causing the beast to cry out. Green blood oozed from the wound.
It angered the dragon. The dragon turned a full circle in the air trying to dump him. Sure enough, Marco found himself falling, reaching out and grabbing the dragon’s tail, being dragged through the air.
“We’ve got to help him,” cried Rapunzel, scared for Marco’s life.
“I thought he was a Dragon Lord,” said Medea. “Why can’t he control the dragon?”
“He’s new at this,” she said, seeing him hanging on to the dragon’s tail as they made another pass by the window. His hands were slipping, and he was ready to fall. “Help me get the braid, Medea.”
Rapunzel ran to the other side of the room and collected the long braid she had cut from her hair the first time she tried to escape. It was heavy. The two of them dragged it over to the window.
“Next time he passes by, we’ll toss him the end. If he can catch it, we’ll have to hold on tightly and try to pull him into the tower.
“All right,” said Medea, showing no emotion at all.
“Get ready. Here he comes.” Rapunzel lifted her end, but Medea just stood there watching. “Medea, Marco needs us. Help me toss the end to him.”
“Why don’t we just use our magic?”
“I don�
��t know what you mean.”
“We can send the braid to him, and it will bring him to us.”
“Do you think we can really do that?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried it. But I like Marco and don’t want him to get hurt, so I’ll do it.”
Rapunzel lifted the braid. The next time the dragon dipped past the window, she called out to Marco. “Catch this, and we’ll help you.”
“Not like that,” said Medea, rolling her eyes. “Like this.” She lifted a hand, and the braid raised up, shooting out the window, wrapping around Marco’s leg. The dragon tilted and Marco’s grip slipped off its tail.
“Oh, no!” screamed Rapunzel as he fell through the air. “Pull him up here, quickly.”
For the first time, she saw fear in Medea’s eyes. “I don’t know how to do that. I’m just a child.”
Rapunzel was so furious that her body started shaking. “Because of you, Marco is going to die.”
With the braid wrapped around Marco’s leg, he fell from the dragon, heading quickly toward the ground. Rapunzel held tightly to the rope made of hair and yanked it with all her might, determined not to let him go to his death. His body came crashing through the open window, and he landed hard, skidding across the rushes. He only stopped when he barreled into the wall on the opposite side of the tower, letting out a groan.
“Marco, are you all right?” Rapunzel ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. Medea was right behind her.
“Girls, don’t ever try that on your own,” said Marco. “It is a lot harder than it looks.”
“I want you to take me for a ride on the back of the dragon,” said Medea excitedly. “It looks like fun.”
“You don’t deserve it,” snapped Rapunzel. “Marco, she told her mother you have been visiting us and that I now have magic. Because of that, I had no choice but to tell her we are getting married after you rescue me and break the curse.”
“You did?” Marco pushed up to a sitting position and brushed the rushes off his clothes. “Medea, why did you do that?”
“I don’t know.” She looked down and kicked at the ground.
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