Rescuing Rapunzel (The Princess Chronicles Book 3)

by Tarrah Montgomery

  His eyes flickered to mine. “It’s the truth.”

  His compliment left me speechless. No one had ever given me such genuine, warm praise. He definitely had empathy for others, especially girls.

  He shuffled one foot against the floor and said, “We should go see if your friend found the person she was looking for.”

  “Yes, we should,” I replied, but I stayed rooted to the spot.

  “Shall we?” he said, offering his hand.

  When I placed my hand in his, I realized it was one thing to deal with the crisis of knowing where I was, but now I had to worry about not falling in love with someone who wasn’t from my kingdom—someone who didn’t even know who I really was. And what about Aleck?

  Chapter 14

  Hansel and Gretel

  by the Brothers Grimm

  So when noon came Gretel shared her bread with Hansel, who had strewed his along the road. Then they went to sleep, and the evening passed, and no one came for the poor children. When they awoke it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister, and said, “Wait a little, Gretel, until the moon gets up, then we shall be able to see the way home by the crumbs of bread that I have scattered along it.”

  So when the moon rose they got up, but they could find no crumbs of bread, for the birds of the woods and of the fields had come and picked them up. Hansel thought they might find the way all the same, but they could not. They went on all that night, and the next day from the morning until the evening, but they could not find the way out of the wood, and they were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but the few berries they could pick up. And when they were so tired that they could no longer drag themselves along, they lay down under a tree and fell asleep.​

  Keeping Secrets

  }Rapunzel}

  “Hansel!” I yelled, running down the hall. “Gretel!” I came to the door I thought led to the room where I could return to Sherwood Manor. Opening the door revealed only a small closet, with a row of coats hanging from a rod. I slammed the door closed and moved to the next one.

  “Who are you looking for?” asked Aunt Em.

  After I closed the next door, which also led to an unfamiliar room, I turned to the lady in frustration. “The boy and girl who helped me escape from the tower in Sherwood Manor were with me, and now they’ve disappeared.”

  “Did they work there?”

  I shook my head. “They lived nearby. They used to sneak into the gardens when I did my training outside.”

  “Have you known them long?”

  “No,” I admitted. “But I decided to trust them because they seemed kind and . . . uh, well . . . the truth is I was desperate. Please, I really need to find them. I don’t want them to get in trouble for helping me escape.”

  Aunt Em smiled. “If they went through the effort to help you break out of there, they must be on your side.”

  I started to move down the hall. “Where is the room that leads to Sherwood Manor?”

  She pointed to the next door. “Right there.”

  I opened it, expecting to see Hansel and Gretel hiding around the corner, but the room was empty. On the other side loomed the entrance to the manor. The white rock Hansel had used to keep the door ajar was gone, so it was shut tight. I rushed over and turned the knob, but to no avail.

  “Are you sure you want to open that?” said Aunt Em.

  I stopped twisting and pulling and turned to look at her. “I have to find them.”

  “There are people who want to harm you on the other side of that door,” she replied. “It’s not safe for you to go back yet.”

  My stomach twisted. So Theresa told me the truth. I should’ve listened to her and stayed locked in the tower!

  “Don’t worry.” Aunt Em pulled me over to the bed and sat me down. “This place is as good as any until it’s time to go home.”

  “What if they find me here?” I whimpered, probably sounding like a little child.

  “I will help you, sweetheart. Your father came here and asked me to watch out for you if you showed up.”

  “But he doesn’t know I’m here now, and he’s sick. I need to go home to see him.”

  “I’ll have to figure out a way to send him a message to let him know you’re alive and well.” Aunt Em put a finger on her chin. “I wonder if Maddox would send the message for me.”

  “You said no one knows about my kingdom.”

  “That is right, but I will need to confide in someone who can assist me. Maddox is the fastest rider, so he’ll be able to get the message to your father right away.”

  Why did it have to be Maddox? I knew he didn’t like me—after all, I’d kicked him. Definitely not a great first impression.

  Aunt Em smiled knowingly. “His bark is worse than his bite.” She got up and headed for the hallway. “Let me explain the situation to him. It’s going to be a little hard to believe.”

  After she left the room, I sat staring at the magic door. For so many years I had longed to be free from the tower, but now I almost wished to be locked safely in it again.

  I tapped my foot on the wooden floor and soothed myself by counting a steady rhythm. Then I stood to leave the room and return to Snow. Before I could take a step, something grabbed my right ankle. I let out a scream as I fell.

  I scrambled to get up, but before I could stand, I saw two sets of eyes peering at me from underneath the bed. One head popped out and whispered, “Is it safe?”

  “Hansel!” I gasped. “You scared me.”

  Gretel crawled partway out. “Where are we?”

  “I’m not sure,” I said, “but Aunt Em calls this place Idaho.”

  “Never heard of it,” Hansel replied. He crawled out from under the bed and sat by me on the floor.

  “She knows my father,” I explained. “She’s going to send a message to him, letting him know I’m safe.”

  “Then what?” Hansel said.

  Gretel sat next to us. “Will the king send for you?”

  “I don’t know. It is dangerous for me in Fenmore Falls.”

  “Is that why you had training every week?” Gretel asked.

  “Yes. And my guardian said I was kept in the tower to protect me from people who wished to do me harm.”

  Gretel said, “Do you really think you’re in danger?”

  “I’ve wondered that many times over the years. But why else would Theresa keep me locked in a tower, and why would she have someone teach me how to defend myself?”

  “I see your point,” Gretel replied. “But who is she? Why would she help you?”

  “She was a maid at the castle.”

  “There are so many twists to this story, so many mysteries to be solved,” Hansel said as he got to his feet.

  I stood too. “Will you help me?”

  He looked at Gretel, who nodded. “We’ll help with whatever you need,” he told me. “We can watch your tower and look out for Theresa, or we can help you here. Wherever we can find clues.”

  Gretel smiled. “We love a good mystery.”

  I wrapped an arm around each of them. “Thank you.” My voice filled with emotion. “For rescuing me, and for staying with me.”

  “That’s what friends are for,” Hansel said.

  So this is what it feels like to have good friends. I like it.

  Footsteps sounded in the hall. Hansel and Gretel moved quickly to their hiding spot under the bed.

  Maddox entered the room and marched over to stand right in front of me. “Hold . . . on . . . Maddox,” said Aunt Em right behind him, trying to catch her breath. “Let me explain.”

  He glanced briefly at the bed but then fixed his piercing gaze on me. With his intense dark eyes and tan skin, he really was beautiful. “I don’t want to hear anymore about castles and fairy tales, Aunt Em,” Maddox spat, still glaring at me. “I don’t care where this girl claims to come from or who she pretends to be.”

  “Maddox, hear me out,” Aunt Em pled.

  “I’ll run your errand.”
He glowered at me. “Just don’t give me some false excuse.”

  His aunt gave a little sigh. “Thank you, Maddox.”

  “Thank you,” I added quietly, still struck by his handsome face and mesmerized by his closeness.

  He pointed a finger at my face. “I’m only doing this as a favor for my aunt. Don’t think I believe any of your crap. I think both you and your cousin are crazy.”

  “Maddox!” Aunt Em reprimanded.

  His words stung like a slap across the face. He drilled me with another glare and stepped away.

  “The other one doesn’t even have amnesia, does she?” he growled at Aunt Em. “You just let her fool us all!”

  “I’ll explain everything when you get back,” she replied.

  Maddox huffed. “Whatever. Tell me exactly what you want me to do.”

  Aunt Em pointed to the entrance. “Go through there. You’ll find another door leading outside. Borrow a horse from the stables.” She glanced at me. “Which horse do you think will be the fastest? Will there be many servants around?”

  Before I could answer, Maddox cut in. “Servants? Am I going to get in trouble or something?”

  Aunt Em didn’t answer, so he looked at me.

  “Um, I have no idea which horse would be fastest. I was never allowed near the stables.”

  He shook his head.

  “There will probably be several servants in and around the stables, especially if they have discovered that I escaped.”

  “Good point,” Aunt Em said. “Maddox, go quickly.” She hurried to the magic door. “Do you remember the message?”

  He pulled his gaze away from me and joined his aunt. “I’m supposed to ask directions to the castle, claiming to be a stable worker hired to help the royal family. When I arrive, I need to relay the message to the king that we found the princess and she is safe with you.”

  “Yes,” Aunt Em said.

  “Is this some kind of renaissance fair or something?”

  “Not exactly,” she answered.

  “When I go through this door and discover your prank, I’m not going to think it’s funny. You know how I hate surprises.” Maddox folded his arms across his chest.

  “If you go through the door and find it all a big joke, I’ll let you take a break from chores for a week.”

  “How about a month?”

  Aunt Em thought for a moment. “Fine. It’s a deal.”

  Maddox smiled for the first time since he came into the room. “Why didn’t you make this deal in the first place? I would have left ten minutes ago.”

  Aunt Em playfully swatted him on the pants. “You’re going to be the death of me. Too bad you’re the fastest errand runner.”

  Shifting her focus to the door, she moved her hands to different spots around the frame. She pushed on the door, which gave a soft click. “Welcome to Fenmore Falls,” she said, cautiously opening the door a crack. She peeked through the small opening as if checking to see if all was clear, then opened the door wide.

  Maddox took a step closer and surveyed the room before him. “What in the world . . .” he said slowly.

  “We’ll have to explain more later,” Aunt Em told him. “Right now I need you to hurry.”

  Maddox turned toward me, the anger fading from his eyes. “All right.”

  Not knowing what else to say, I mumbled, “Good luck.”

  “When you return, give three quick knocks, then pause, then give three more knocks, pause, and knock three times again. That way I’ll know it’s you,” Aunt Em told him.

  He stepped through the door. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I’m going to enjoy not having chores for a month.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Aunt Em said. She closed the door and we both stood there, frozen. I waited for Maddox to bang on the door, asking to return, but he didn’t.

  “Are you ready for this?” Aunt Em asked me.

  “Ready for what?”

  “Ready for people to find out who you are?”

  Am I? I wondered. And do I even know who I really am?

  Chapter 15

  Snow White

  by the Brothers Grimm

  Snow White kept house for the dwarfs. In the morning they would go up to the mountains in search of minerals and gold. In the evening they would return, and dinner had to be ready for them. Since the girl was by herself during the day, the good dwarfs gave her a strong warning: “Beware of your stepmother. She’ll know soon enough that you’re here. Don’t let anyone in the house.”

  New Friends

  }Snow White}

  We met Rapunzel down the hall as she walked out of a bedroom with Aunt Em. My cousin smiled sweetly, but I could tell something troubled her. I gave her a questioning stare, and she motioned for me to follow her back into the room.

  “Can you give us a few minutes?” she asked Aunt Em.

  Aunt Em smiled. “Sure thing, sweetheart. You two take as long as you need.” When I stepped closer to Punz, the older woman whispered loud enough for only the two of us to hear, “Promise me you won’t leave. We need to make sure it’s safe.”

  Punz nodded. I did the same, not exactly sure what I was agreeing to. She pulled me into the bedroom, closed the door, and hugged me. “Oh, Snow. I still can’t believe you’re here.”

  I squeezed her tight. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you too.”

  “I never gave up hoping you were alive.” I stepped back. “Where have you been? Who kidnapped you? Why did Aunt Em say we have to wait until it’s safe? How much does she know?”

  Punz laughed. “Slow down. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” She grabbed my hand and led me over to the bed. I assumed we would sit down, but she stopped me before I had the chance. “There’s something I need to show you.” She squatted down and looked under the bed. “It’s all right. You can come out.”

  I bent down and gasped at the sight of a boy and girl hiding beneath the bed. “Who are they? What are they doing here?”

  “These are the children who helped me escape from the tower,” my cousin explained.

  A boy of about twelve crawled out from under the bed. A girl followed. “You’re Princess Snow,” the boy said in awe.

  “Yes, I am.” I stood and curtsied. “What’s your name?”

  “Hansel. This is my friend Gretel.” He motioned to the girl.

  “Pleased to meet you.” I bowed my head toward her. “Thank you both for helping Rapunzel.”

  Gretel got to her feet and gave an awkward curtsy. “You’re welcome, Your Highness.” Her cheeks went a deep red.

  “Please call me Sara here in Idaho. It’s best no one knows our identity. I’ve pretended to have amnesia since I arrived here. We need to continue the charade to be safe. I don’t know who else works for Theresa.”

  “Theresa?” Punz exclaimed.

  “Yes, do you remember that maid who worked in the kitchen when we were young? She tricked me into leaving the castle, and when I realized my mistake she had somebody hit my head and bring me to this place.”

  “Theresa brought you here?” Punz said slowly.

  “Why are you so surprised?”

  “She is the one who kidnapped me.”

  I felt as if the blood were draining from my body, starting at the top of my head. “She took you?”

  “I’ve been locked in a tower all these years, only able to come out once a week to exercise and practice defense drills.”

  “Like combat skills? Why would she do that?”

  “She said she was concerned about my safety, so she had an instructor teach me how to defend myself,” Punz explained. “Maybe she was trying to make up for her mistakes by preparing me for more dangerous things in life.”

  “I still don’t understand why she would do that,” I said. “She mentioned keeping you away from her evil sister, but who knows how much truth there is to that.”

  “That’s what we’re going to find out,” Hansel said. “Let’s be
spies. Gretel and I are good at going unnoticed.”

  His friend Gretel bounced on her feet. “Isn’t this exciting?”

  I grinned a little at her pleasure. “I don’t know if that’s the right word I’d use. Maybe ‘terrifying’ or ‘dangerous.’ Or perhaps even ‘ominous.’ How about ‘upsetting’?”

  “What do you think, princesses?” Hansel said. “Do you need us to stay here and help you, or should we return to the manor to sleuth out clues?”

  “Promise me you’ll be careful,” Rapunzel said, “so that no one sees what you’re doing.”

  “Do you know how to get back?” I asked.

  Punz pointed to the door. “That is the entrance to Fenmore Falls.”

  “This?” I walked up to the door and twisted the knob, but it wouldn’t budge, and the door seemed to be part of the wall. “Do you have a key to open it?”

  “No. There is a trick to opening it,” Punz said, coming over. “Hansel and Gretel know how to open it, and so does Aunt Em.”

  Frowning, I asked the obvious question. “Why don’t we go back home now?”

  “We can’t,” my cousin replied. “It’s not safe.”

  “Says who?”

  “Theresa and Aunt Em.”

  “You’re going to trust the woman who kept you locked up all of those years?

  “Like I said before, Snow, I do believe she was trying to keep me safe,” Punz insisted.

  I let out a doubtful sigh. “Let’s go home and talk to our fathers. They’ll know what to do.”

  “Aunt Em sent Maddox to give a message to my dad, telling him where I am and that I’m safe.”

  “She sent Maddox? He hates helping people.”

  “But he’s the fastest rider. Of course she had to share our secret with him.”

  “I’m sure that went well.”

  “He didn’t believe any of it,” Punz admitted.

  “Are we going to wait until he returns?”

  My cousin lifted a hand to my arm. “I’m as anxious as you are to get home, Snow. Probably even more. I’ve waited for ten whole years.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” I gave her a sad smile.

  “If Theresa was telling the truth, I want to be certain.”

  I had to listen to the whisper in my heart that Punz might be right, outshouting the one that told me to run through that magic door to my parents’ arms. But I couldn’t put my cousin in danger, especially when I’d just gotten her back.