Chapter 7

"Mother," Anneliese called stepping out of the fresh air and into the cottage. "Mother," she called again staring down at her arm which was bright red and radiating heat.

Elithia poked her head in from the kitchen. "What is it dear?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer she gestured for Anneliese to come into the kitchen and said, "Why don't you come into the kitchen? That way we can talk while I finish up the midday meal."

Anneliese walked into the kitchen and sat on a stool only looking up once to be sure she would bump into anything. Elithia turned back to the stove where she was frying some potatoes. "Now what is it dear?" she asked again.

"It's my arm," Anneliese replied holding it out for the older woman to see. "It's red and giving off heat. And it hurts when I touch it." She looked up at Elithia confused.

Elithia looked over at the girl's arm. "Oh my, you have quite a sunburn there."

Anneliese looked perplexed. "That's what Peter said too, but I still don't understand. What is wrong with my arm?"

Elithia thought for a moment. It was hard for her to explain something that had never been fully explained to Elithia herself. "Well," she began, pushing the potatoes around in the pan. "A sunburn is the result of staying in the sun too long. Your skin is telling you to be more careful."

Anneliese thought for a moment. "Oh," she said looking thoughtful. "Well that makes sense. But Peter said there was something I could put on it to make it feel better."

Though in the form of a statement Elithia knew this was a request. "Yes," she replied. "There's some aloe in the garden. If you need help I'm sure Peter could help."

Anneliese smiled and quickly kissed Elithia's cheek before running into the garden.

Rapunzel and the witch sat in the royal garden drinking tea and eating scones. "I do believe I know where she is," Rapunzel remarked, a smile played at the corners of her lips.

"Oh really?" the witch asked. "And where might that be?" she asked sipping her tea lightly.

"With the boy," Rapunzel replied smugly. She bit into a scone delicately.

"What boy?" the witch asked, obviously clueless. Rapunzel gave the witch a You-Can't-Tell-Me-You've-Forgotten-Already look. "Oh, that boy," the witch cried pretending she knew exactly of who the queen was talking. Unfortunately the witch was still very clueless.

"Perhaps he's hiding her, or, you know," Rapunzel said alluding to something that involves a bed, two people, and typically night time. Leave it to the royals to think the worst of people.

"And what is your plan?" the witch asked consuming a scone in one bite.

"To hunt him down. Where ever he is, the girl will not be far away." Rapunzel smiled almost maniacally and went back to her scones imagining what poor Anneliese was in for.

"Ow!" Anneliese cried as Peter rubbed aloe onto her sunburned arm. "Ow! Peter that hurts!"

"Don't be such a baby," Peter replied teasingly, but proceeded a bit more gently.

"I'm not!" Anneliese cried indignantly. If Peter had not been holding her arm she would have folded both across her chest. Being the case that at the present she could not, Anneliese glared at Peter instead.

Peter shook his head in mock disappionment. "And to think, you're the girl that had the nerve to insult the queen to her face." Peter stopped applying aloe a moment to look up at Anneliese to see her reaction.

"In my defense I didn't think she'd be able to hunt me down and kill me. I was in a tower if I remember correctly." Anneliese pulled her arm out of Peter's grip and folded her arms across her chest and turned her nose up haughtily.

"Well excuse me," Peter said standing and sweeping a low bow. "I didn't realize you and the queen are related Your Highness."

Anneliese glared at Peter and rolled her eyes. "Oh you are very funny. Just because Her Majesty and I were brought up in the same way because of similar consequences does not mean that we are anything alike."

"Yes Your Highness," Peter replied bowing once again.

Anneliese cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. She could see he was grinning and had to smile as she said, "And don't call me that."


Look! Two chapters in a week! And thank you to everyone who reviewed. And if I never responded back I'm sorry. I've forgotten who I've responded to and who I haven't. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter!