by James, Jenni
“You did not!”
“Aleck, I had no choice! What would you have me do? Allow my husband to suffer? Besides, I am certain they used more than a few of Hattie’s potions. They would have needed to have access to much darker magic as well to succeed in all they did. Hers were probably just the catalyst to trading for greater things. But I do not know how it worked, or why. Only that it did! And now I have proof he lives.” She stood up. “But now, more than ever, I fear for his life.”
Aleck’s mind raced with many possibilities, but of one thing he was certain. “I need those papers. I must share them all with the king at this moment before he harms the Lythereon king or his court. Will you come with me and reveal what you know?”
She began to shake visibly.
“Do not be afraid, Mother. He is a good man. He will not harm you. You must trust me—and him.”
“I have no choice, do I?”
“I am afraid not.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Let us go at once. I will warn Rebecca I am leaving, and we can be off.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ALECK SPENT A LONG while closeted with the king explaining what his mother had done and all the reasons why. He pleaded with the man to allow her freedom. When the king graciously accepted due to Aleck’s help in solving the mystery, he then took another hour or so explaining all that he knew to the other rulers—who were now more appropriately attired. The sisters were able to present gowns to the ladies, and the king had more than enough clothes in various sizes for the men. After he felt it was safe and no one would harm his mother, Aleck felt it was time to introduce her to Casey.
The women embraced and chattered so much over tea in the upstairs drawing room that he eventually slipped out the door and let them have at it. He wandered into the king’s study and was surprised to see him sitting behind his desk. “How did it go?” he asked.
The king shook his head as if he were in a daze and then looked at him long and hard. “Several people are lauding you as a hero. My own daughter has told me she will disown me if I do not allow her to marry you, and the Lythereon kingdom is sailing your father back to you, with a small fortune, in a gesture of gratitude for saving their lives. Every kingdom here is so very grateful for you, they have opened their coffers and vowed to reward you handsomely for your troubles. You, my son, have proven to be the greatest ally and friend I have ever known, and it has quite put me in a quandary of sorts.”
Aleck was amazed to hear of this and was ready to brush it all off, but was too curious not to have the king continue. “What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
The older man stood and walked over to him. “If great men like you lurk within the hearts of mere servants, what a fool I have been all my life.”
“Your Majesty?”
“Up until now, I believed only royal blood had the ability and the rational reasoning it takes to rule a kingdom, to make great decisions. And you, a simple, good lad, have proven us all wrong. You are truly a hero, Aleck. And I am proud to call you my son, hopefully sooner than later. For there is no one else I would have near me than a fine young gardener such as yourself.” The king then bowed before him.
“Your Majesty! No. No, I am just a mere man. I am nothing noteworthy at all. I simply loved your daughter enough to wish to solve this mystery. I am only grateful to be of service. Truly, I am extremely humbled to be in your presence like this, even now. My dear king, I am grateful and amazed and beyond overjoyed that on this day not only did I receive my own father back, but I was able to attain you, as well.”
The king crushed Aleck to him and pounded upon his back quite liberally.
“Now, go! Go and find my daughter and tell her I give approval to the greatest man I have ever known. And, my boy, know that your family, a family that raises such a bright, valiant son, is allowed always with us, here. Remove them from their little cottage immediately and I will set them up handsomely with their own wing.”
“But do you not realize how many children there are?”
The king threw back his head and laughed. “Son, do you not remember how many I have? Honestly, I will not know the difference one jot, and there is room enough for us all!”
***
ALECK AND PRINCESS CASCADIA were thrilled to welcome Aleck’s father home. The wedding was held soon after his arrival, to the delight of several kingdoms that came to pay their respects. The prize money from the other kingdoms was enough to support numerous families, and though Casey and Aleck attempted to pass the money to Aleck’s parents, they would never take it. However, his parents did agree to move to the grand castle to help there where needed.
Casey and Aleck cheerfully welcomed their own brood of seven thriving children to the lot. After the third was born, Aleck presented his wife with a beautiful new castle, which was much smaller, but set upon a charming hill not too far away, near a lovely beach.
Eventually Aleck’s father became captain of Aleck’s personal fleet of trading ships, and they developed into a wealthy kingdom in their own right. Many countries scrambled for Casey’s highly sought-after preserves and other fancies and desserts, and Aleck’s exotic roses and impressive florals in their own gardens and homes.
As a thank you for the cloak, Aleck had presented Hattie with the silver, gold, and diamonds he had collected in the enchanted world. Sadly, though, he realized much later that the invisibility cloak had been left behind, and he would not have access to it unless someone, somehow, made a way for the family to go back again.
Hattie was thrilled with the unique gifts, though she never sold them. And when she died, they were bequeathed back to the royal family, and are even now framed and hanging upon the wall so all who come to visit the castle can hear the tale of the twelve dancing princesses and the handsome lad whose cleverness saved them all.
THE END
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RAPUNZEL
Chapter One
“RAPUNZEL, RAPUNZEL, LET DOWN your hair, that I may climb your golden stair!”
The twelve-year-old girl giggled as she looked down from the fairy house her father, the king, had the gardeners build for her on her eighth birthday. The small home was high in the tree so she could feel like she was flying, just like a fairy. There were two ladders made of rope that led up to the charming wooden abode, but Prince Jonathan liked to tease her. Her hair reached past her feet, and he would say that if she braided it and hung it over the edge, he could climb it instead of the ladders.
“Never! Come up like a true gentleman, or do not come up at all!” she called down to him.
“You are such a spoilsport.” He grinned as he clutched the nearest rope and began to climb up.
“’Tis a good thing you decided to show yourself. I have pastries from Cook up here.” She taunted him with one as she took a large bite, crumbs tumbling to the ground past him. Some even landed on his head, putting chunks of white in his brown hair.
“Princess Rapunzel, I will now eat two for such boorish behavior,” he called up.
“With as slow as you are, they will be all gone before you get here.” She took another bite and quickly ducked inside when he increased his speed up the fifteen rungs or so of the ladder. Opening the small door to the house, she beamed a smile at him as he climbed onto the porch. “Welcome!”
“Ha!” Jonathan brushed his hands upon his trousers. “So where is mine?” he asked as he looked pointedly at the pastry in her hand.
“Right here.” She took another bite and then giggled when he chased her inside the little place. It was about six feet by eight feet. It had just enough room for two small chairs and a table, a fine old rug, and a collection of older pillows. On the table was the basket with the pastries.
He dug in and began chewing on one while holding up another. “See?” he said around a mouthful. “They are both mine. You cannot claim t
hem.”
“I can, if you continue to drop as many crumbs as this upon my newly cleaned floor!”
“You sound like a fishwife!” He took another bite and plopped down on a cozy section of pillows.
“Me? A fishwife?” She pretended to act scandalized as she sat down next to him, her white skirts spread prettily around her.
“Whot?” He grinned. “Do you not think royalty can act like commoners, then?”
She rolled her eyes. “I do not think the two should ever be compared.”
“Fine.” In an odd moment of seriousness, he straightened his features and said, “Forgive me.”
She waited for the coming quip. Something about him being mistaken—she was not a fishwife, she was more of an ogre—but it never came. Her smile fell and she leaned back, looking into his darkened eyes. “What is it, Jonathan? Is something wrong?”
He shook his head slightly and sighed. “When is anything wrong with me?” He did not look away.
“Never. You are always in perfect spirits.”
“Precisely. So why do you assume something is bothering me now?”
“What is it? Tell me, please.”
He blinked and looked away.
“Jonathan?”
“Would you like another pastry?” he asked.
“No. I would like you to speak to me. Jonathan, ’tis not fair. I share all my secrets with you.”
His gaze met hers and he stared at her for what felt like several minutes. She waited. For once in her chattering existence, she wanted to know, really know, what he had to say. And she did not dare ruin the moment by speaking over him.
Finally, she was rewarded for her persistence.
“I have to go away to school.”
“What?” She felt as though a load of rocks had fallen upon her chest. “When? Why? For how long?”
“I have one week before I am sent off.”
“Jonathan!” She reached for his hand, something she had never done before. She could not bear losing him.
He squeezed her fingers. “I had to come and tell you. I made Father bring us here so I could say good-bye properly.”
“How long will you be gone?”
He looked away then. “I do not know, exactly. It could be years before I see you again.”
She shook her head. “No. No! What about my coming-out ball? You promised me you would be there!”
He glanced back and chuckled. Reaching up, he brushed a lock of her long hair out of her face. “Rapunzel, that is years away. You are only twelve, and I am merely thirteen. It will be fine.”
“Will you be back once I turn fifteen, then? Do you give your word you will dance with me?”
“I hope so.”
Hope. He could only hope. Possibly three years without him? Without his laughter? His wisdom? His larks? What would she do without him?
“You are crying. You cannot cry,” he said gently. “It is good for me to go away to school.”
“No. I wish you to remain stupid and stubborn and all things horrid so that I may have you near me!”
“Listen to yourself. You do not mean it!”
She brushed at the tears. “You are correct. I cannot mean it. I wish you the best. I always have. I guess I should have realized they would send you away sooner or later. I just did not think about it.”
“I wish I could stay, or take you with me. But I cannot.”
They had been playmates and the best of friends since she was four and he nearly five. They had been inseparable and visited one another as much as possible. They had long wondered if there was some sort of understanding between the two royal families when it came to them, if they were betrothed to one another. But neither of them cared; there was no one else they would wish to be with anyway.
“I have something for you,” he said. “Something to remember me by.”
She did not want a token—she wanted him. But when he pulled out a pretty gold chain with a sapphire butterfly pendant, she gasped. “It is beautiful.”
“Come here so I can put it around you.”
She turned, scooted closer, and held up her long hair. She felt his hands secure the necklace in place.
“Rapunzel?” he asked as she released the mass of curls.
“Yes?”
“We have often wondered if our parents planned for us to marry. And I know this is very sudden and soon …” His voice trailed off.
She turned slowly toward him, her heart beginning to lighten and beat strangely within her. “What are you saying?”
He gulped and closed his eyes. “Will you wait for me?”
“Of course.”
“Truly?” He peeked one eye open.
“Yes, I will wait for you.”
A huge burst of air released from him, and he smiled. “Good.”
She grinned. “Good.”
All at once, he leaned forward and kissed her swiftly upon the lips before jumping up. He dashed out of the little house and worked his way down the ladder.
She touched her mouth, marveling at the tingly way her lips felt, before leaping to her own feet and leaning out the window.
He was already to the ground when she called out.
“Jonathan, don’t you dare forget me! You better come back—do you hear me?”
He looked up at her. “Even if you were a thousand miles away from here, I would still come back for you. I would find you. You have the Balligryn pendant, after all. And I cannot become king without it!”
“Wait. What?” She held the necklace out. “This?”
He grinned. “Do not ever lose it. My father would slay me.”
And then he ran away, Rapunzel’s heart twisting and jolting and beating like it never had before.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JENNI JAMES is the busy mom of seven rambunctious children ranging from the ages of 2 to 16. When she isn’t chasing them around her house in sunny New Mexico, she is dreaming of new books to write. She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted at: [email protected], or by writing to: Jenni James, PO Box 514, Farmington, NM 87499.
Jenni has several clean books for teens already published and many more to come, including:
Faerie Tale Collection:
Beauty and the Beast
Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella
Rumplestiltskin
Hansel and Gretel
Jack and the Beanstalk
Snow White
The Frog Prince
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Rapunzel
The Jane Austen Diaries:
Pride & Popularity
Persuaded
Northanger Alibi
Emmalee
Mansfield Ranch
Andy & Annie Series:
A Ghost Story
Greeny Meany
Prince Tennyson
If you’d like to find out more about Jenni James and the latest books she’s releasing, sign up for her awesome newsletter. http://eepurl.com/FLYw1
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Jenni James © copyright 2013
All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
StoneHouse Ink 2013
Boise ID 83713
http://www.stonehouseink.net
First eBook Edition: 2013
First Paperback Edition: 2014
Cover design by Phatpuppy Art
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to a real person, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
This book was professionally edited by Tristi Pinkston http://www.tristipinkstonediting.blogspot.com
Published in the United States of America
Table of Contents
/> Praise for Jenni James
Title Page
Also by Jenni James
Dedication
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
Preview of RAPUNZEL
About Jenni
Copyright Information
