Rapunzel (Faerie Tale Collection) (8 page)

“Hey, now. I thought you loved me.”

“Ha.”

He hid the sorrow he felt at seeing her in such a state behind a grin. “So, what would you like to do now that I have finally come?” His hands trailed over her back again, attempting to ease her into happiness once more.

“I do not know.” She snuggled closer. “Just talk to me, I suppose. I have missed our talks more than anything.”

“Me too,” he said softly. Then he said, “Oh, I offer my birthday felicitations.”

“What?” She chuckled and pulled back a bit. “But it is not my birthday.”

“I missed it, though.” His eyes skimmed over her. “I missed everything about that grand day. Even your ball.”

She sighed. “Yes, well, even I missed my ball, so all is well.”

All at once, he stepped away and bowed low over her hand. “My dear Princess Rapunzel of Ellyania, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

She giggled, her whole face lighting up. “What, now? Here? With these chains?”

How he loved to see her happy. “Why ever not? Every girl should be able to celebrate her coming out with a proper dance upon the arm of a handsome prince.” At her laugh, he continued, “Unfortunately, since I am the only one available at the moment, my somewhat mediocre looks will have to do.”

“Good heavens, you are quite the most dashing man I have ever met, and you know it, scamp!” She quickly curtsied and before he could reply and said, “Yes. I would be most happy to stand up with you. I thank you graciously for asking.”

A SURPRISED CHUCKLE ESCAPED Rapunzel’s lips as she gathered her skirts. Jonathan slipped an arm around her and began to count gently near her ear.

“One-two-three, one-two-three.”

“I cannot believe you know the waltz!” she exclaimed.

“Hush. I am certain there are many things you do not know about me.” He held her right hand and began to sway ever so slightly to the simple count. And then in a moment, they began to really move. Short, easy steps, but they were moving.

“One-two-three, one-two-three . . .”

“Oomph!” Rapunzel tripped upon one of her chains and stumbled into his chest. “Forgive me!”

“No. It is I who had not thought about the stupid things.” He released his hold. “Are you hurt at all?”

She giggled. “No. Just my pride.”

“Hmm . . .” He stepped back and looked at the winding rows of metal. “They will make dancing deuced challenging.” Walking around her, he suddenly snapped his fingers and said, “I have got it. Hold still.” In a trice, Jonathan swooped down, walked in front of her, and in each hand, held the weighty chains.

“But how will we dance?” she asked. “Are they not heavy?”

He shrugged. “Not particularly. But I imagine they would become tiresome after a while.” Stepping forward, he grinned. “So we better get started straight away.”

“What would you have me do?”

His charming eyes looked right into hers. “Why, come closer and wrap your arms around my waist or neck, and we shall dance as I carry these chains safely away from our feet.”

“I think my mother would faint if she ever saw me attempt something so scandalous,” she whispered as she came as close as she could and placed her hands around his middle.

“Well, I would make a comment about how your mother managed to faint over the smallest things—remember the collection of toads we insisted stay in your treehouse?”

Rapunzel gasped and then laughed. How could she forget? “I have missed you. I have missed all of our mischief and fun and conversations of seriousness too. I have just honestly missed you as though a piece of me has been gone.”

His gaze captured hers again. “Aye, and my heart has never beaten for anyone but my sweet Rapunzel. I have missed you—our banter, our teasing, our bickering, our laughter, our talks, our dreams, our long nights discovering and building and thinking of the world around us. I have missed my dearest friend more than I have missed anyone.”

Slowly she removed her arms from around his waist and settled them up upon his neck, her head nestling into his shoulder. She sighed as she heard the deep thud-thud of his heart and felt the warmth of the rise and fall of his chest under her cheek. To hold him, to feel so safe and protected and cared for . . . loved. She felt so very loved. “I cannot bear to be apart again. “

“Nor I.” He sucked in a large lungful of air, and she grinned as she felt the warm breath splay over her hair and cheek. “I have never known such worry, such . . .”

“Shh,” she said. “Let us speak of good things right now, please.”

He paused a moment and then began to whisper, “One-two-three, one-two-three . . .”

She grinned as she began to feel him sway back and forth, her body moving with his. Then before she knew it, with his hands still holding the chains out, they began to move. Slowly and perfectly, they danced around the little space.

“One-two-three, one-two-three . . .”

Her hands clutched his shoulders as he increased the rhythm a bit. Circling faster, she could hear the scrape of the chains around them and the soft, numbered chant of the waltz, but beyond that, it was as if her ears became muffled. All at once, it seemed as if they were dancing about in a glorious ballroom, music gently guiding their steps along. She could feel it, hear it, almost experience the warm glow from the chandeliers above them.

And then the song came. The simple waltzing melody began to tickle her ears as her charming Prince Jonathan began to sing. It was a sweet hum that grew to actual words the longer they danced.

Every once in a while,

The world produces a

Love like ours.

Every once in a while,

The hearts of the young lift

To the stars.

You can hear their prayers,

As they’ve lost their fears.

Their world spins round in hopes

Of a brighter future

Where the angel wing floats

Amid the sky of carefree

Cries into the autumnless

Wint’ry slopes.

Every once in a while

The world produces a

Love like ours.

Every once in a while,

The hearts of the young lift

To the stars.

And my dear, your el’gance

Knows no bounds

Upon the graceful swirls

Of love’s crown.

You are my beating heart,

You are my endless bliss.

Oh, to twirl amidst the

Love like this

Is to experience joy’s

First real kiss.

Every once in a while

The world produces a

Love like ours.

Every once in a while,

The hearts of the young lift

To the stars.

As his lovely words grew softer, he stepped back and grinned, her gaze searching his face for a long moment as he stilled their movements. Then she stood upon tiptoe and kissed him. He dropped the chains and instantly wrapped his arms around her, and she allowed all her emotions into this kiss, her happy heart, her glorious memories, and her joy at seeing him again. He truly was the sweetest man she had ever known.

And he could sing!

She could hear him sing a thousand evenings such as this and never grow tired of that voice. “I love you,” she whispered against his mouth. “I love you so very much.”

“And I have always loved you.”

He loosened his grip upon her just a bit and she felt as his hand followed the golden necklace to the front of her shoulder. He gently tugged upon the chain and pulled out the Balligryn pendant from beneath her gown. “You still have it!”

“You seem amazed that I do.”

“Aye, I am amazed. I am relieved and all things marveled that such a pendant has not been lost in all the hustle and awkwardness of the years and then imprisoned as you have been.”

“Lady Vactryne never cared of any of my clothing or jewels. At least, she never mentioned them. But before then . . .” She touched his strong stubbly jaw with her palm, bringing his eyes back to hers. “Dearest, out of all the things to lose, the item that kept you closest to my heart would not be one of them. Not only is it what finally snapped me from my darkest thoughts, saving my life, but it is my future with you. It is our promise together. I would always have taken it seriously.” Then, in a flurry of activity, she began to remove it. “Here, though. Now you are back. Keep it safe that bit longer for me. I do not know what will happen when we attempt to escape, so please tuck it away somewhere and I promise to wear it forever more afterwards.”

He seemed shocked. “But Rapunzel, do you not want to wear it?”

“Of course I do,” she said as she finally unlatched the delicate rope from around her neck and held it out to him. “However, your kingdom depends upon this necklace. Your service to the crown cannot go on without the Balligryn pendant. So please—please take it.” She pushed it into his hands and stepped back.

He let out a short chuckle. “But how did you know this?”

She grinned and raised an eyebrow. Had he forgotten? “Because you told me the day you gave it to me.”

He nodded as he turned it slowly around in his fingers. “I did not remember that I mentioned it. And it is true. It is the only way I can become king.”

“Why? What does the pendant do?”

He shook his head slightly, as if he were afraid to tell her. “Something I am not sure you are quite ready to understand.”

“Jonathan, if you are implying even for ten seconds that I cannot comprehend the slightest silliness that you could produce from your—”

He kissed her.

Properly shut off her tirade efficiently enough, if she did say so herself.

When he finally broke away, he simply said, “Because I am not a prince. I am not royalty at all, and the whole kingdom knows it. Without this gift from my father, I will never be the king he wishes me to be.”

RAPUNZEL’S JAW DROPPED. JONATHAN watched as a trace of disbelief flashed across her features as she stepped out of his arms. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“It is not all that bad. I was simply adopted into the royal line.” He slipped the gold chain over his neck and tucked it within his shirt.

“But—how?” He could tell she was completely bewildered. “They have always called you their prince.”

He nodded and took a step forward, his eyes capturing hers. “Trust me.”

She held his gaze and nodded. “Very well.”

Jonathan held his arms out and sighed in relief when she instantly went to him. With one arm wrapped snugly around her, they walked to the bed, where a cat was snoozing.

“Oh, is this who you were singing to earlier?”

She chuckled. “Yes. The witch brought Hercules to me some weeks ago, attempting to cheer me up. It has worked. Now, stop stalling and explain yourself to me.”

“In a hurry, are we?” He grinned and quickly removed several pillows from the bed, careful not to disturb the cat, and then set them upon the floor. Then gently, as if she were the most fragile item he had ever touched, he brought her down to sit with him amidst the pillows. They had so much time to make up for. These last several months without her cheerful weekly letters, he had known true heartache. Those papers uplifted him and reminded him of all he had awaiting for his future. Her words always encouraged him and gave him the hope he needed while at his lowest points away from his family. He never fully realized how much she had meant to him until she was gone. There had always been love there, always.

He swayed them both gently from side to side as he relayed what he had always promised to keep secret.

“My mother, the queen, gave birth to a baby boy, Prince Jonathan of Balligryn, three days before my mother, the butler’s daughter, gave birth to me. My mother, in reverence and respect of the new prince, named me Jonathan as well.”