The silk merchants instantly caught onto my desires. “Oh, what a lovely gentleman we have here,” one woman exclaimed when she saw Rapunzel. “Of course we have something that would fit you just right.”
She proceeded to show us batches of rich materials, most seeming Morgannian in origin. In warm, passionate colors and embroidered with beautiful motifs and gold thread, this kind of merchandise obviously wasn’t affordable for everyone.
“I don’t know about this, Medwin,” Rapunzel said, biting his lip in a gesture that was quickly becoming habit. “I don’t want to put you to any further expense.”
“I’ll agree to leave if you don’t like the fabrics or are uncomfortable with the idea of wearing something made out of them, but not because of money concerns. I’m royalty, Rapunzel. I want to spoil you a little. Please, let me.”
During our exchange, the merchant retreated into her shop and came back with several suits of clothes. “Perhaps our lovely gentleman would appreciate something like this more.”
The offered garments consisted in a tight top very similar with a corset, complemented by a looser collar and sleeves. The garb flared down to a sort of skirt that was slitted up both sides all the way up the hips. A pair of tight pants complemented it, meant to be worn underneath the skirt.
It was beautiful, and it fit Rapunzel’s androgynous beauty. The lines of the skirt reminded me of the flow of his long hair, and the blue gems that studded the garment in occasional areas glowed like Rapunzel’s eyes when he was excited.
But it seemed far more daring that what Rapunzel was used to wearing, and so I was careful not to express my opinion on it. “Do you like it?” I asked him instead.
“It’s very nice,” Rapunzel murmured, shooting me an uncertain look. “But do you think I’d look nice in it?”
“You’d look nice in anything,” I replied, knowing I sounded completely unhelpful, but nevertheless, completely honest in my answer.
“The shop has a private back room if you’d like to try it on,” the shopkeeper offered in turn.
I expected Rapunzel to be horrified at the idea. He’d certainly been unwilling to disrobe when he and I had been alone, and I couldn’t imagine that would have changed so soon.
Much to my surprise, though, Rapunzel straightened his shoulders and said, “All right. I’ll try it on. Can Medwin come with me?”
“Of course,” the merchant replied. “Please step this way.”
She guided us into the stall and to the back room. Rapunzel stepped inside and I lingered by the door. He’d said that he wanted me with him, but I didn’t want to push his limits by reading too much into it.
Rapunzel took my hand and pulled me into the back room. “Just look away for now, all right?” he asked me with a shy smile.
I nodded as I closed the door behind me. It seemed that Rapunzel felt safer with me around. I wasn’t about to fail his trust, so I turned my back on him and simply stared at the door.
Behind me, I heard the swish of material as Rapunzel dropped his previous clothes. It took everything I had to keep a modicum of calm, when everything inside me screamed to look at Rapunzel, to touch him, to take him in my arms. I could easily imagine how beautiful he would look naked, how silky his skin would be. But I needed to be patient for a while longer.
I didn’t know how long I stood there, repeating that litany over and over until I could almost believe it. Finally, Rapunzel cleared his throat and said, “All right. I think I’m ready. You can turn around.”
I did—and nearly fell over at the sight that greeted my eyes. The lines of the garment accentuated Rapunzel’s slender build. The top hid his lower half, but emphasized his beautiful neck and collarbone. When the skirt moved, I could get a clear glimpse of his legs. Even if they were clad in the tight pants, I could easily imagine them wrapped around my waist as I thrust into Rapunzel’s ass.
It certainly didn’t help that Rapunzel had let his hair down. Those long tresses were quickly becoming quite a fetish for me, even if Rapunzel seemed to dislike it at times. They fell past his shoulders, all the way to the ground, reaching and even bypassing his heels. And right now, they just made the image in front of me even lovelier, more seductive than anything I’d seen in my whole life.
I must have made some sort of noise, because Rapunzel’s face flamed brightly. Taking a deep breath, I struggled to control myself and cleared my throat. “Do you like it?”
In the end, that was what mattered, not my own desires, but his. “Yes,” Rapunzel replied. “Very much. But I think…I think I only want to wear it for you.”
I had a distant thought that the gods must either hate me, or love me too much. How was I supposed to reply to such a comment? My instinct was to reach for him and crush our mouths together, but if I started something with him, I’d never be able to stop. Besides, when I finally took him, I didn’t want it to be in some random merchant’s stall, but in a private setting, on a bed covered in pale rose petals that would be almost as soft as his skin.
I snapped out of my trance when I realized I was wondering where I could get pale roses in the bazaar. Focusing on the matter at hand, I said, “Well then, we’ll take it and get a few more modest outfits. How does that sound?”
“It’s all right with me, Medwin, but…this is already expensive, I think. Are you sure…”
I cut him off before he could finish the phrase. “This is nothing compared to what you’ve given me. Go ahead and get changed. I’ll speak to the merchant.”
Obviously realizing I would not be dissuaded, Rapunzel complied. A few hours later, we left the clothes bazaar with my gold purse far lighter than it had been and a complete wardrobe for Rapunzel already on its way to the palace.
The most important thing, though, was that Rapunzel seemed very cheerful. “I like it here, Medwin,” he said. “The people are very nice. I thought they would dislike me, but it doesn’t seem that way at all.”
Who in his or her right mind would dislike Rapunzel? Even my mother, who was naturally inclined to be wary of anyone who approached her beloved sons, had accepted him. Likely, Rapunzel’s sweet nature would eventually lead everyone in the palace to fall in love with him—albeit in a different way than I was.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Where do you want to go next?”
As if to answer my question, Rapunzel’s stomach growled. I chuckled. “Back to the palace?”
“Not just yet,” Rapunzel replied pleadingly. “I don’t want the day to be over.”
How could I refuse him? He had me wrapped around his little finger without even making an effort. One look from his beautiful blue eyes made me rush toward the best restaurant nearby. We could eat out after all, and after that, continue our shopping spree.
We left our horses outside the restaurant and entered the establishment. The owner of the place greeted us himself and guided us into one of the most private booths. I actually came by pretty often, so my patronage didn’t surprise him. However, he seemed to have noticed that today was a special occasion. “What can I offer you today, Prince Medwin?” he asked. “Perhaps your lovely companion would like to taste one of our specialties?”
He glanced Rapunzel’s way and offered him a menu. However, my beautiful love just stared at the words written down and hesitated. Then again, that made sense. There was no real language barrier that would make him not understand, but it was entirely possible that he’d never heard of some of the listed items.
“How about butter-poached serelein fillet?” I suggested. I hadn’t wanted to take the decision out of his hands, but in this case, I had to.
Rapunzel nodded, perhaps a little too hastily. “That sounds delicious.”
“And for you, Prince Medwin?” our host asked.
“Sautéed tantele and scallops,” I replied. “Dark chocolate mousse for dessert.”
After jotting down our orders, the owner of the restaurant took his leave. Rapunzel shot me an embarrassed look. “I wish I’d had the chance
to read more of the encyclopedia,” he said with a sigh. “I would have known what to order.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I soothed him. “You’re not required to know everything from the beginning. You have time to learn, and I’ll always be by your side.”
That must have been the right thing to say, because Rapunzel’s eyes began to shine like bright sapphires once again. “For the record, what exactly did I order?” he asked me in a conspiratorial whisper.
Chuckling, I explained, “Serelein is a type of fowl that is bred only in the eastern part of Arthuria. Its meat is renowned for being both nutritious and delicious. Tantele is a fresh water boneless fish. Cooked with Arthurian spices, they make gourmet dishes. But you’ll see with your own eyes soon enough.”
It was so comfortable to be with Rapunzel like this, to explain things and see him take in the information with avid eyes. I found myself reaching for him, leaning closer to him, desperately wanting to touch him.
And then, the inevitable happened. Rapunzel moved closer to me, obviously wanting to meet me half way. However, as he did so, his hair came undone from the knot he’d bound it in once we’d left the clothing store. It fell around his shoulders in a cascade of gold. Mesmerized by the sight, I didn’t even register the fact that Rapunzel’s locks flowed all the way down to the floor, even leaving our booth.
A waiter passed by our table, presumably to carry some dishes to another patron. He tripped on Rapunzel’s hair, and in spite of his efforts, the meal he’d been carrying flew out of his hands and right onto the customers. A furious man shot to his feet and snarled, “What in the world do you think you’re doing?”
As the waiter attempted to apologize, the man’s wife intervened, trying to calm down the situation. Perhaps it would have worked, but their two children decided the situation was funny. They grabbed two fallen pies and tossed it into the air, straight at the waiter.
The unfortunate employee dodged the projectile coming from one of the children, but the second hit him straight in the face. However, the meal he had successfully avoided flew past him and landed on top of another customer.
Fuming, the man in question picked up his own meal and tossed it in the direction of the first victims of the accident. Arthurians were easily riled, and truly, it was a good thing that he hadn’t chosen a deadlier way to enact vengeance. Either way, from that point on, the entire restaurant dissolved in a huge food fight. Every other customers ended up joining in, either for their own enjoyment, or because they became casualties as well.
All sorts of dishes flew through the place, from fruit, to cooked lamb, steak, or even cake. I dodged the projectiles while trying to keep Rapunzel from getting hit. Sadly, someone in the crowd must have had a pretty good aim, because I ended up with a face-full of pie. I staggered back and faltered, which sadly gave my opponents the time to target Rapunzel. My beautiful love stopped one of the dishes flying his way with his magic and it fell to the floor before reaching him. However, the second one responded to his spell in an entirely unexpected and unfortunate fashion. It expanded to almost obscene proportions, drawing gasps from all of the customers in the restaurant. Finally, it exploded over everyone in its vicinity, including me and him.
Silence fell over the restaurant as we were all swallowed in the white goo. I swam through the sea of cream and dug Rapunzel out of it, too. “How did you do that?” I asked him.
Rapunzel licked his lips, and the image naturally made me imagine him drinking in something else entirely. “I don’t have a clue,” he replied, looking a little worried. “What are we going to do, Medwin? The owner will be furious.”
I was pretty worried, too, but I figured that I could provide the man with a monetary compensation and a formal apology. As it turned out, I shouldn’t have worried. The children of the man who’d first been struck by food burst into laughter and started playing in the cream. As if their innocent snickers had triggered something inside the other customers, more of them started to follow their example.
Rapunzel took a fistful of cream and grinned at me. Without any further warning, he tossed it at me. It surprised me so much that I didn’t even think about evading it. But when he started chuckling, too, I was almost grateful for that.
As I took in the sound of his twinkling laughter, I fell in love with him a little more. In the end, I didn’t know if I’d succeeded in all of my complicated strategy to bring us closer. Instead, I’d certainly manage to lose myself in the mystery of his eyes, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Chapter Five:
In Which Plan C Creates a Cultural Conundrum
The day after the little incident in the bazaar, I woke up to an invite from Medwin to meet him in the library at lunch. Apparently, he would be away from the palace this morning, so he wouldn’t be able to have breakfast with me and his family. However, he would return to the palace by noon without fail. Or so the note from him said.
I couldn’t be sure what my handsome prince had in mind, but I had a pretty good idea. After what had happened the day before, it seemed all the more important for me to grasp the workings of my magic. I actually looked forward to learning more about myself at Medwin’s side. Then again, these days, I was looking forward to a lot of things.
As always, I went to have breakfast with the royal family, only to find that Medwin’s older brother Leonard was gone, too. Apparently, they’d both left at daybreak to see Kirril off in his trip toward Merlinia.
Mercifully, I still had my Merlinian friends around. I might have managed to go to the bazaar the other day, but I’d been with Medwin at the time. He made me feel safer, stronger. When I was with him, I could be myself without being worried that I would be judged or ridiculed. And while I’d grown somewhat closer to his parents, I couldn’t consider myself fully comfortable with them.
As it turned out, I needn’t have worried about me being the focus of their attention. All throughout the breakfast, Queen Sedonia kept sighing and gazing out the window. By my side, my pixie friend, Larue, shot me a look of apprehension. It didn’t take a genius to understand the reasons for her melancholy.
“You know Dineiro, isn’t that right, Rapunzel?” she asked me.
I nodded. “Well, yes, although not very well.”
“I’ve only seen him once,” the queen said. “Would you say he is good for my son?”
Larue bristled, obviously not appreciating any possible slight against his friend. His mate, Victor Frankenstein, patted his shoulder. Meanwhile, the king arched a brow at his wife. “I’m sure he is, Sedonia. Otherwise, Kirril wouldn’t have cared about him so much. Not to mention that he will give Kirril a son.”
The queen still looked worried and gave me an unusually vulnerable look. “I realize that. I just want to hear it from Rapunzel.”
Did she trust me that much? It was a little humbling, because we’d only met a few days back. I licked my lips, wanting to reassure her, but unsure how to do so. In the end, I settled for the truth. “I met Dineiro only briefly as well. Nevertheless, he struck me as a very loving person, who truly cared for Kirril. I truly think theirs will be a happy union.”
She smiled at me, then turned toward Larue and Victor. “Perhaps you can tell me about him. Kirril has explained some things, and he did make a good impression on me during our one meeting, but I’d like to know more about the man who is my youngest son’s mate.”
Larue’s anger seemed to deflate at that, and he nodded. “Of course, Your Majesty. I will be happy to.”
The royal couple left after breakfast with Victor and Larue, but only once I assured them I would be fine on my own. Enlisting the help of a servant, I made my way to the library, with the tentative plan of waiting for Medwin there.
I’d never actually gone inside the palace library, so when I stepped inside, I was struck dumb by the size of it. The familiar scent of leather and aged paper enveloped me, reminding me of a time when I’d actually had access to numerous books in my tower, before my father had t
aken them away from me. At the same time, it held a different meaning. I could easily see Medwin walking through the countless aisles, browsing the occasional tome and humming under his breath when he found something of interest. He’d done so numerous times during our shopping trip, which was why I’d enjoyed our little bazaar visit so much.
The thought reminded me of his reaction to those revealing garments we had purchased. My face heated, and I quickly banished the memory to the corner of my brain. Now was not the time to relive it. An older man—probably the head librarian, if I had to guess—was already heading my way, and I couldn’t allow him to notice my already aroused state.
“Lord Rapunzel, greetings,” he said. “Prince Medwin told me you would be coming. Please, make yourself at home. Are you looking for any particular volumes?”
“Do you have any books on magic?” I asked him.
“Those kind of tomes are very rare in Arthuria,” the librarian explained. “However, Prince Medwin has been collecting them for quite a while now. Please, follow me.”
The librarian led me to an area filled with couches and tables, seemingly designed specifically for people who wanted to study here. As I sat down, he retrieved several tomes from the nearby shelves and placed them on the table in front of me. “These are some of the books Prince Medwin left as a recommendation. You can browse them freely, but I will ask you not to take them out of the library.”
“Of course,” I assured the librarian. “Thank you.”
“Just let me know if you need anything else, my lord,” he said with a bow. “I am at your service.”
With that, the man took his leave, granting me privacy to study the books I’d been given. I didn’t delay in doing exactly that. I wanted to know more about myself, to understand my magic and everything about me that I still couldn’t grasp. Medwin hadn’t pushed me, but I realized my uncertainty regarding my own gender also made up quite an obstacle for our relationship.
The Frog Prince's Hair-Raising Predicament [A Tail Like No Other: Book Three] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 6
