Rotten Rapunzel (Dark Fairy Tale Queen Series Book 3)

by Anita Valle

  “Then we should be at the palace!” I cry. “Where the people could see your power and respect you! And I could be a princess and have friends!”

  “I’m not going back there,” Snowy says firmly. Her brow creases. “My power doesn’t seem to affect the palace, at least not in the gardens. The roses bloom every year when it should be summer. I can’t freeze them.”

  “Why not?”

  Snowy shrugs. “An enchantment? I don’t know. This kingdom has many secrets. Magic has a way of… hibernating, I guess. And then emerging when it’s needed. When I was a girl, I scarcely saw magic at all. Now it’s everywhere, like the fairies.”

  “I know, dark days.” I roll my eyes.

  Snowy ignores me and sips her tea. Her smile returns. “I wish Hunter could’ve seen me last night. I saved someone – at least, I think I did. He would’ve been pleased. And even more so-” her eyes narrow “-I wish Cinderella could’ve seen me. She thought me useless. But look at me now.” She swirls her finger into the steam rising from her cup and it freezes into a little spiral around her finger. She smiles at it for a moment and then closes her hand, shattering it.

  “Did you ever see her do anything good? Even a little bit?” I don’t like it when Snowy talks dirt about my mother. I know she wasn’t perfect, but nobody’s evil all the time, right?

  “Hmm….” Snowy takes a thoughtful sip of her tea. “Let me see… uh no! You’re mother never did anything good.”

  I thump down from the table. “You’re lying!”

  “She’s dead, Rapunzel. Let it go.”

  “She wasn’t evil!”

  “She was a selfish, crazy, murderous woman who ruined my life and my family. When she died, nobody cared! Nobody mourned! Because nobody ever loved Cinderella.” Snowy’s cheeks, pale before, are now lit with a hot reddish glow.

  My eyes flood with tears. “I hate you!”

  Snowy sits up and points at me. “Blink!”

  I try not to but the blink still comes. Two heavy tears slip onto my cheeks. They freeze instantly and fly across the room into Snowy’s outstretched hand.

  “I’ll sell these when I go out today.” She smiles at me.

  ~*~ 8 ~*~

  I let her out the window at daylight. Finally! I haven’t forgotten that Kay promised to come back. And bring me gingerbread. I needed Snowy gone, as soon as possible.

  I put on my favorite warm blue dress and sit at the organ. But I don’t play. I’m afraid I won’t hear Kay when he comes. Pity though, the gusts swooping around the tower must be filling the windchest nicely. The air flows through valves in the outer wall and gets stored in a chamber beneath the pipes. On a windy day, I can play quite loudly.

  I fetch my book and try to read about the farm girl. But it’s hard to concentrate. My life is about waiting, always waiting. Each day, I wait for Snowy to come home. I like it when she leaves but I also like it when she comes back. When she takes too long, I start wondering what would happen if she never returned. What would I do? It scares me to think about it.

  The morning slides along, a slow march. I sit cross-legged on the floor with sheets of music in my lap, humming the melodies while my fingers play notes in the air. I’m itching to play the organ, to fill the lonely silence. I hate silence almost as much as I hate white.

  “Rapunzel!”

  It’s him. I run to the window and shove it open. He’s down there like yesterday, except now he’s standing on dirt littered with branches. I guess Snowy didn’t put the snow back after her blizzard.

  I smile. “Hello.”

  “Hello to you too!” He grins at me. He’s bundled up against the cold, a black cloak wrapped up to his chin and a hat of grey fur pulled down to his eyebrows. I like his smile, big and white. It makes me feel happy inside.

  He holds up a wrapped package in his mitten. “Got the gingerbread.”

  “Oh! Can you toss it?” I hold out my hands.

  “That’s no way to treat a lady. I’d much rather come up to you. If you’ll let down your hair for me….” He lifts his eyebrows and waits.

  I hesitate.

  “I won’t hurt you, Rapunzel. I swear on this loaf of scrumptious bread that I won’t hurt you.” He holds up a hand while he says this and the underside of his cloak is grey fur like his hat. I think it might be ermine.

  “I know. I’m just worried about Snowy catching you here. She might do something horrible. She made that blizzard happen last night, you know.”

  “I know. The whole kingdom knows. Why did she do it?”

  “Well….”

  “Wait, don’t tell me! Let me come up first.”

  “But what if she comes back? There’s no way out of here except by this window. The door’s frozen over.”

  I point to the base of the tower where the ice grows up in sharp white fingers, covering the door. The whole bottom half of the tower is crusted over like that.

  Kay nods at it, frowning. “Not very welcoming, that’s certain. And those huge icicles hanging from the roof, they could kill somebody.” He rubs his chin with his thumb. “Well then! I guess you’ll have to come down to me.

  I gasp.

  “Can you use your hair to get down?” he asks.

  “I don’t know! I never tried. There’s no one up here to counterbalance me.”

  “Hmm….” Kay stares at the hook above my window. “It would be risky. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Tell you what! When I come back tomorrow, I’ll bring a rope. And we’ll go somewhere! What would you like to do?”

  My fingers tingle. I can’t believe it. “I – I want to have an adventure. And see things.”

  “Like what?” he asks, grinning.

  “Like a town. A real town with houses… and people walking around. I want to see people!”

  “Sure thing! We’ll go to the nearest town. Your, uh, your hair might raise a few eyebrows, though.”

  “Why?”

  “Most girls don’t grow it quite that long.”

  I laugh. “Oh, I’ll manage it! Do you live in this town where you’re taking me? Will you show me your house?”

  Kay’s expression changes. “Um… I might.” He’s not smiling now. “I mean, I could show you where I live. But it’s a pretty long walk. I don’t live in a town.”

  “Well, where do you live?”

  Kay’s eyes drop away from me and he shrugs. “I live at the palace. I’m sort of the prince.”

  ~*~ 9 ~*~

  Snowy brings supplies back with her. Small sacks of flour and barley, chestnuts and dried apple slices, a ball of yarn in bright blue, scented soap for my hair, and more candlesticks. I have to haul up the basket first and then her.

  “My tears sold for a high price today,” I remark as she steps through the window. Snowy doesn’t reply, her face looks like a brick.

  “Was someone here? Was a man here?” she fires at me. My stomach gives a sickening sudden drop.

  “There are boot prints in the dirt. They weren’t there when I left.” She stands with her back to the window, her mouth a tight line.

  Think fast. Something she’d believe. “Oh, it was that man. The one who helped you after we came here. And built my organ.”

  Snowy frowns. “Wurley? He hasn’t been here since you were a baby. What did he want?”

  “To see if we needed anything.” My heart’s pounding so hard I can hear it. I know it’s not a strong story. When Snowy first came to this tower we had nothing, not even chairs. Then she happened on a man in The Wood who had once been a palace servant. He was willing to help her and brought us things, little by little. The organ was his idea, something he found in an abandoned church and brought as a gift for Snowy (I think maybe he had a thing for her). But she seldom played, not wanting to draw attention from outsiders. By the time I learned, her ice magic was stronger and she no longer feared the world. I don’t remember the man, I was too little. He’s just another one of Snowy’s stories.

  “What did he look like?” Snowy asks.
<
br />   Oh sugar. “Um… old.” I figure that must be true by now. “Sorry if I don’t have a better description. I don’t exactly get to see many people, do I?”

  “Did you speak to him?” she asks.

  I shake my head. “I was too scared. I ran to my room and hid until he left.”

  Snowy looks satisfied. She pulls the window shut and slides out of her heavy coat. “He was a good servant. It must’ve been quite an effort for him to climb up here. Maybe he wanted to warn us about the Beast. I’ll stop by and see him next time I go out.” She picks up the basket and walks to the stairs. “Is it too much to ask you to help me put the stuff away?”

  I fold my arms. “That’s it?”

  “What?” She’s already heading down.

  “You’ll stop by and see him when you go out. That’s not fair, Snowy. That’s really not.”

  “Oh my stars, what now?” Snowy says, coming back up a step.

  “It’s not fair. If you get to go out and see people, then I should too.” This whole thing with Kay has me thinking. I should just be allowed to go out and see him without all of this sneaking around. We’re going to see a village tomorrow and maybe even the palace! I had no idea know we had a prince my own age. But I’ll have to hurry back before Snowy gets home and that’s what’s annoying me. I just want to do what I want.

  Snowy sighs and deposits the basket on the landing. “Rapunzel, I realize seeing another person must have made you… curious. But you need to stay here.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “You think that because you don’t know what it’s like out there.”

  “That is your fault!” I say, my voice rising. I walk a few steps toward her. “You raised me to know nothing! And then you use that against me! Just how long do you think you can keep me up here?”

  “Until it’s safe again.” She’s still on the second step down from the landing. I give her a withering look. “How bad can it really be? You come and go every day without a scratch.”

  “I have magic to protect me.”

  “Do you use it?”

  Snowy hesitates. I knew it.

  “You don’t! So, it’s not dangerous all the time. You’re just trying to scare me!”

  “The Beast is real, Rapunzel. Almost two dozen girls have died. Do you want to be the next?”

  “Have you seen the Beast yourself? How do we know it’s not just a story?”

  “I’ve seen tracks,” Snowy says. “And the marks of claws on the trees. It’s definitely a huge animal. A huge, savage, bloodthirsty animal.”

  “But why would the queen allow this?”

  “She wants it! I told you that!”

  “I was talking about you.”

  That gets her. She stares, blank and frozen.

  “You…are…the queen,” I say, dropping words like bass notes, heavy and strong. “And as queen, it is your duty to protect this kingdom. If a vicious animal is killing young girls, then you should be the one to hunt it down. If your throne has been stolen by some crazy witch lady, then you should be the one to drive her out. It’s time you started acting like a queen, Snow White. It’s who you are.”

  “You sound like my mother,” she says. But her mask has momentarily crumbled. She looks no older than me at this moment, a little girl wounded and sad. It’s a shame her own tears aren’t magical because I see them shining in her eyes.

  “If I don’t want to be the queen, I don’t have to be,” she says in a shaky voice.

  I cock my head. “Would Hunter be proud of that?”

  Snowy drops to sit on the landing, covers her face, and starts crying. Good. Very good. At least we’re getting somewhere.

  “You don’t understand!” she sobs.

  “No, I think I do. It’s all about Hunter, isn’t it? That’s why we’re here. You wrapped your entire life around one stupid man. And when that man was taken away, you gave up! You ran away from your life because he wasn’t in it anymore.”

  “That’s not the whole story!” she shouts. “I lost your sister the same day. I was scared! I didn’t want to lose you too!” She gives me a wet glare, like that doesn’t sound so bad right now.

  I’m too angry to feel sorry for her. “I know it was bad. But you should’ve gotten over it. I lost my childhood because of you. And I can never get that back!”

  “You don’t UNDERSTAND!” Snowy shrieks and she thrusts out her hand. Before I can think, something wet and piercing cold strikes my chest. I’m thrown high, off my feet, and hit the pipes of my organ. But I don’t fall because the ice freezes thick around my body, trapping me there.

  ~*~ 10 ~*~

  I sleep in the kitchen on a folded blanket. The floor pokes the corners of my bones. I curl my body against the wall and hug my hair for comfort.

  She never did that before. Attacked me with her magic. It didn’t last long. After a minute, she felt guilty and drew the ice away and I crashed onto the keys of my organ, pipes moaning. My skin burned with frostbite and I was frozen straight through. I grabbed my braid and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. When Snowy tried to speak to me, I screamed and threw the kettle at her.

  Next morning, she presents me with a new pair of socks, bright blue. She must’ve spent all night knitting them. “I’ve noticed your socks have grown thin,” she says, kneeling beside my blanket.

  It’s an apology. I sit up and grudgingly take the socks. “Shoes would be better,” I mumble. I don’t have shoes because I never go out. Just socks for me, or when it’s really cold, two pairs of socks.

  “Would you like a pair of shoes?” Snowy asks, still trying to appease me. “I could buy you some slippers.”

  “No, I want to wear boots. Your boots. Just for today.” I’m acting sulky but actually I just had a brilliant idea.

  Snowy looks relieved. “That’s fine. You can wear my boots today.”

  “And – and I want a new dress. Apple green,” I say. “It’s almost my birthday, anyway.”

  “Of course! I’ll order one from the dressmaker, it should be done in time for your birthday. You said green?”

  “Yeah. Could you go today? And could you get me some gingerbread? And a new book?” I know I sound too eager but I have to take advantage of her guilt as long as it lasts. I need her to leave the tower for a long time.

  Snowy frowns. “But my boots….”

  I scowl.

  “Never mind. I’ll wear my loafers,” Snowy says. “But I did want to do the washing today.”

  “So? You can wash tomorrow. It’s not as if we’re expecting guests. And didn’t you want to see that Wurley guy?”

  Snowy looks annoyed. In any other circumstance, I know we’d be having a fight. She doesn’t want to go out. But her guilt is still fresh and she can’t afford to keep me angry. I don’t cry magic tears when I’m angry.

  So she goes.

  And thankfully, Kay doesn’t keep me waiting this time. Snowy’s been gone only ten minutes when I hear his voice.

  “Kay!” I glance at the cave and hush my voice. “She just left.”

  “I know,” he says. He’s wearing his thick black cloak as usual, but not the fur hat today. His dark hair looks slightly rustled. “I was lurking in the treetops. It’s pretty impressive, the way the ice just opens up for her and falls back into place.”

  “She attacked me last night,” I say. “She stuck me against the wall with her ice.”

  Kay loses his smile. “Well then. It’s time to get you out of there.” He’s got a basket on the ground beside him, a wide one with a handle. A thick coil of rope lies inside it. “It’s a little dirty, I got it from the stables. But it’ll do the job.” Kay grins as he unwinds the rope. “Now back up! I’m going to have to throw this.”

  I take five or six steps back from the window and my feet feel clunky in Snowy’s boots. They fit well but I’m not used to them. I was smart enough to get dressed while I waited for Kay. I’ve got on my favorite warm blue dress and my brown bear cloak. I think I’m ready.
<
br />   After a number of thuds against the outer wall, the rock soars through the window and hits the floor. It’s slightly larger than my foot. The rope has been wrapped and knotted around it.

  “Come back to the window!” Kay shouts.

  “Do you want me to tie it somewhere?” I ask.

  “No. Just drape it over the hook and let it hang. I’m going to lower you, much like the way you lower your sister. You’ll have to trust me, all right?”

  I nod. He instructs me to lower the rock until it’s below the bottom edge of the window.

  “Now sit on the sill and put your feet out,” he says.

  I climb carefully onto the ledge, cold air pouring over me, and my stomach feels like a ball of ice. It has just dawned on me that this window is really high.

  Kay stands below me, holding the other end of the rope. “Put your feet on the rock and hold tight! I promise to do this slowly.”

  Awkwardly, I pinch the rock with my boots and curl my fingers around the rope. But my bottom stays firmly stuck to the sill. Oh my blood and bones! The ground looks miles away. I can’t just push off and dangle with all that air underneath me. How does Snowy do this?

  “Close your eyes,” Kay says.

  No, not seeing is far worse. So, I clench my teeth, squeeze the rope, and ungracefully slide my rear off the sill. And now I’m floating, swaying, twirling slowly. I grip the rope with my hands, elbows, and thighs, my feet tilted onto the rock. Kay begins to lower me and although he’s careful, it’s a series of small, gut-stabbing drops. I hold my breath and watch the ground come closer, bit by awful bit. And finally, the rock touches dirt.

  “Oh!” I step onto the earth and bend over, hands on my wobbly knees. “Oh, that was so much worse than I thought it would be!”

  Kay laughs. “Your hair!”

  I look back. My braid swoops up to the window, five floors above, the end of it still in the tower. Laughing, I give a tug and it falls, rustling, into a heap behind me.