hey guys, another day when i cant be in the hospital, which is very annoying. but when i opened my email account this morning i was overwhelmed to see the amount of reviews for last chapter. nineteen reviews! i couldnt believe it! and i want to thank everyone who read it and reviewed it and im so happy you all loved the ending of the last chapter. especially the small pascal scene. i had to put something in for him.
aimakichan: i would never say no to eugene.
strider714: thank you so much, im so shocked someone read the whole thing in one go! and youll just have to wait to see if rapunzel gets pregnant, but in the original fairy tale thats how Gothel finds out about the affair.
cutewithacapital-q: i think you might be right, and im glad everyone loved last chapter.
livealittledarlin: they are not running away yet, but soon, very soon i promise
anyway, heres the next chapter. no eugene and rapunzel in this one, only a dark tale of gothels life.
disclaimer: i dont own anything at all.
Chapter Twenty-One
Gothel's married life was not much different than her single one, except now she had more people to command. Her husband, the snivelling weasel that he was, was completely devoted to her. He let her do whatever she wanted to do. Unfortunately he still claimed his rights as a husband. Those were the nights Gothel hated. His sweaty, hairy, chubby body riving against hers made her stomach turn. At least it was always over quickly. And once he had satisfied his need he would leave Gothel to return to his own bed. That was when she would go to her secret chest. The only useful thing her mother had ever given her was her knowledge of a witch. Though nobody knew. She would take out the necessary herbs and leaves needed to brew a tea that would stop her carrying his sickening seed. Once that was finished she would call one of her maids to run a bath for her so she could clean the sickening smell of her husband off of her. No, she would never love nor respect her husband, but that didn't mean he wasn't useful. With her husband's title and resources she became one of the richest and most desired women in the country.
Then she would find something to fulfil the desire that her husband could not. There were over twenty men in total that she would go to, but one more often than the others. That was George. He was completely in love with Gothel and would do anything for her. He would answer to her beck and call. She would send the maid down to the servant's accommodation to fetch George for her. He would then be at her bedside in a matter of moments. He would strip his clothing off before her, so she could enjoy the sight of his young, firm body. She would then remove her robe and allow him to climb on top of her and ravish her body over and over again until she was completely satisfied. She would then send him away. He protested every time that he wanted to stay with her but she would always deny this request.
"Please my love," George would beg, "Let me take you away from here. I can give you everything."
"Everything but wealth," Gothel would answer coldly.
"Wealth and titles are not everything Gothel, not when you don't have love. And I can see you don't love him, Gothel. Please come with me."
"Maybe. Now please leave."
He would always do what he was told, because he loved her more than life itself. If she asked him to die for her, he would do it in an instant. He wanted to be the one to give her everything her heart desired. But she would never accept it. She would always throw his heart away every time he offered it to her. But he would keep trying and trying for one day she would need him more than anyone else in the world.
Everything continued like this for many months, then many years. Gothel's husband knew that she was satisfying her lust with many other men and he enjoyed flaunting it to them. He would always insinuate to them that though they could have her for the night, he had her forever and no one could take her from him. They were joined until death parted them.
Lord Morse profited very handsomely from his daughters union with Lord Herbert. His land holding now increased, as did the money her made from the kingdom. He managed to bring the taxes up to drive all the people into complete poverty while he lived very handsomely. He kept on thinking that if only Lord Herbert were to meet an untimely end then his and his daughters standing would increase so much more. He in fact said this to his daughter many times. And she had thought the same thing many times as well. Though she had not done anything to change that. Yet.
She had started to introduce certain herbs into her husband's food and drink. This was mainly to make him sick so he would not come to her room in the night. She kept on thinking that if only the dose were to be increased he would be slowly poisoned in a matter of months. Though for some reason it didn't seem to work. He would become sick enough so he would not come for sex, but he never seemed to get sicker. Unbeknown to Gothel her maid was a pupil of Lady Morse.
Lady Morse had become aware of Lord Morse's desires a few months ago. She hoped nothing would come of it, until she heard him discuss it with her daughter. Her heart had sank when the maid had given her a report about the poisoning plot of Gothel's. Lady Morse had hoped and prayed to the god and goddess that she would change her ways, but she had not. And now she was using her teachings for her own selfish, wicked ways. With her advanced knowledge she had managed to create an antidote based on what the maid had told her and had given her explicit instructions to put this in all of Lord Herbert's food and drink, as well as his baths. She had to make sure that her potion overpowered Gothel if she was to save the man's life. She did not like the man, but did not want him to suffer at her daughter's hands. If he died that would also mean that her husband would be completely in power. She could not allow that. She also gave the maid other instructions.
Each day, as Gothel attended to the business of being the Lady of one of the most successful land Lords in the kingdom the maid would replace some of the herbs that were in her chest. She never replaced many, only a few specific ones. Namely, two ingredients used in the contraceptive tea that Gothel drank each time she shared her bed with either her husband or one of her many lovers. Lady Morse was determined to see her daughter's heart change and she was convinced that once she had a child of her own she might let some good into her darkening soul. Or at least Lady Morse hoped.
George also help so much hope for Gothel. Each night after he made love to her he would sneak off the grounds of the manor to the forest south of it. He would walk for many miles until he came upon a tunnel that lead to a picturesque glen. There he began to construct a tower. One that would house himself and Gothel in complete safety and isolation. This way she would have all that she would ever need and he would have all he ever wanted.
After many years hard labour the tower was finally complete. Though it took three months of persuading Gothel for her to actually come and see it.
"Why did you bring me here George?" Gothel asked impatiently as the horse she was on walked through the ivy covered tunnel.
"I made you something. Something that will help us live happily ever after."
"We are not in a fairy tale George and you are not a handsome prince."
"Please my love, you will like it."
As they came out of the tunnel Gothel caught sight of the huge structure that George had built for her with his bare hands. It was stunningly beautiful, yet Gothel felt nothing when she looked at it. She only demanded that George take her home instantly. She then refused him entry to her bed for several weeks. George could not understand what he had done wrong. Everything he did was out of pure love for her. He was starting to lose hope that she would ever be his.
Then something unimaginable happened. Gothel was with child.
She flew into a rage when the apothecary and the doctor both confirmed it. She could not understand what had went wrong. Her skills as a witch were unsurpassable! She picked up her vials and jars of herbs and began throwing them across the room. That was when she noticed the subtly differences in the herbs that she had been using. Only one person could have managed to do that so well. And she intended to confront her.
"You pathetic bitch! You managed to ruin your own life and now you intend to ruin mine!" Gothel screamed at her mother.
"I assume that you are with child then? Good. Maybe this will melt that cold heart you have inherited from your father and allow you to finally care for another human being other than yourself." Gothel's rage was uncontrollable. She slapped her mother with all the strength she possessed. This sent the elderly woman flying backwards into a chest of drawers.
"No this you old fool. You will pay for what you done to me."
"No Gothel, if you don't change your ways, you will pay."
The months passed quickly, though not quickly enough for Gothel. She was becoming uncomfortable and resentful. She knew that the child growing inside her could not be her husbands. They had not shared a bed in over a year and a half. And he knew full well as well that he was not the father. He also knew the only man it could be. The night that he found out his wife's condition he sent four of his best and strongest men to the servants quarters with him and sat and watched with sadistic pleasure as they beat George to near death.
The birth of the child happened in the early morning of mid March. And the child was beautiful. She had her mother's dark hair and fair skin, but her fathers caring eyes. She was born a very happy child and was instantly loved by everyone. Everyone except Gothel. The instant she looked down at her once firm and toned body to the stretched and flabby stomach that she now had she was filled with instant hatred. She refused to even hold her own child. Luckily she was one of the richest women in the land, so she was able to employ nannies and wet nurses to care for her child for her. This made Lady Morse cry each night for her daughter's heart was never going to be touched by anything. She then began to worry about what Gothel could now do. A few months later her worst fears were realised.
On that fateful night Lord Herbert came into his wife's room. He was completely drunk and demanded that his wife fulfil her duties to him right now. Gothel of course refused, saying that she had only just given birth to his child.
"You fucking whore," Lord Herbert screamed slapping Gothel clear across the face knocking her back onto the bed.
"You don't think I don't know that that is the bastard child of that disgusting slave! We haven't fucked in almost two years! I expect you to give me what I want right now."
He started to undress himself as he came towards her, but he was drunk and slow. Gothel on the other hand was quick and cruel. She moved to back on the bed removing her clothes. Lord Herbert was in such a drunken haze that he did not think of Gothel's ulterior motive or see the silver dagger she pulled smoothly from her bedside table. Lord Herbert lay down on top of Gothel but she rolled him over so that she was on top. She slowly started to move sexily on top on her husband's crotch. Lord Herbert's smiled widely as he closed his eyes and let his head fall back enjoying the feeling and not catching the sight of his wife raising the dagger above her head.
George came bursting into the room when he heard Gothel scream. He had seen Lord Herbert stumbling drunkenly towards her bedroom and was desperate to make sure she was ok. He was entirely unprepared for the sight that greeted him when he opened the door.
Gothel was naked and completely covered in blood while holding a dagger. Lord Herbert was lying dead on the bed. Also naked.
"George, oh George, my dear sweet George," Gothel exclaimed as she dropped the dagger and ran towards him. George instantly opened his arms and brought her into a warm embrace, stroking her blood drenched hair.
"He attacked me George, I tried to stop him but he over powered me! I tried and I begged but he wouldn't stop. Then I saw the dagger and oh god what have I done! Oh god George what should I do!" Gothel sobbed into the young man's chest.
"Shhhh dearest, everything will be ok. Get cleaned up and we shall escape our tower. We can live out our life there, away from here," George said softly into his lover's ear. He motioned for her to go put some clothes on while he grabbed a bag from the other side of the bed. That was when Gothel made her move. She screamed for her husbands guards. She sobbed that George had come into her room in a jealous rage while she made love to her husband and brutally murdered him. The guards dragged George out of the room, but he went without a fight. His lover's betrayal had broken his heart and soul.
A few days later he went to his death without a fight. He looked at Gothel one last time as he was lead to the block before the executioner. His eyes pleaded with her. He wanted to know that she felt something for him, that she would miss him, that she would shed a tear for his life. But he saw nothing in her cold, piercing eyes. He quietly put his head on the block before him and took one last breath as the axe swung down. His last thought was of his daughter who would never know him.
Lord Morse couldn't have been happier at the events that had passed. He finally had full control of the land and the people. This joy didn't last long. The people, having suffered so much at his hands revolted against him. They stormed his manor and overpowered his guards. They dragged him out of his fine house in his night clothes to the stake that they had erected in front of the grand doors, and they burnt him alive. Lady Morse did not stop long enough to mourn her husband's life. He had brought this upon himself, instead she escaped on horseback to her daughter's manor. She had to save her.
Gothel though had already heard of the revolt and had escaped to the safety of her tower, leaving her daughter to her fate. When Lady Morse arrived she found the guards starting to barricade the house, and her student, her daughter's maid, in her granddaughter's room. She sobbed that Gothel had ran for her own life.
"Then that is what we will do as well." And with that Lady Morse escaped the land with her student and her granddaughter. She never saw her daughter again, but she would not see her granddaughter go through the same thing.
Gothel meanwhile hid in George's tower until the rebellion calmed down. She was amazed at the craftsmanship George had used. The tower was beautifully furnished. It had comfortable furniture, running water and a fully functioning kitchen. She was quite happy to stay her for a few days before figuring out her next move. Gothel was once again wrong.
The plague swept through the land. It obliterated the population. The only way to stay safe was to stay in her tower. So Gothel did. In fact she didn't leave the glen for almost five years, not until she thought it was safe. When she did leave she went back to the land she once owned to see it in ruins. Her grand house had been burned to the ground and not one person was left in the entire land. It was barren. And Gothel was alone.
In the many years that passed Gothel wandered the land surrounding, trying to live. There was not much left and she had no idea how far the plague had spread, so she feared to travel further in case she encountered the disease. She became old and frail. She relied on her knowledge of the craft to alleviate the symptoms of old age which now griped her body.
One evening she was walking across the beach looking for whelks to use in a cream to ease her aching joints. That was when she saw it. It glowed in the darkness and drew her to it. It was a single, golden flower. Her mother had once told her of such flowers. They grew from a single drop of sunlight that fell to the earth and it had the power to heal if the incantation was sung to it.
She closed her eyes and began to sing. Her joints hurt so much, her back ached and her sight was deteriorating. She felt the warmth surge through her body, ridding her of all her aches and pains. She sighed happily as she opened her eyes and saw that she could see perfectly once again. She began to move to grab her basket once again when she caught sight of her hands. They were young and firm and completely wrinkle free. She looked at them again and again, unable to believe what had happened. She ran her hands over her face, feeling its youthful lustre once again. The flower had not just healed her, but had made her young again. She had another chance to enjoy her beauty and youth.
Her basket was left abandoned as she walked through the land. She went into the nearest village and seduced the first handsome man she saw. She planned to live her or move further to the next village or town. That was until she started to see her wrinkles appear in a few weeks. The magic of the golden flower did not last forever. She would need to keep close to it to keep her youth.
Luckily for Gothel people had now started to move back to the land she once owned. A kingdom had begun to develop taking advantage of the rich farmland. It spread further though. The capital had settled on a small island that was on the coast. This meant the kingdom became richer due to the shipping and fishing ports that it took advantage of. This of course gave Gothel men to seduce and people to manipulate. This made her richer again so she was able to live in her tower quite comfortably.
All that changed when her flower got taken from her. She was determined not to let her life end again.
so, how did you all like that? please rate and review. i know it was so dark but i think her life would have been dark, i mean she was willing to kidnap a baby, stab someone, and continue to manipulate and imprision said girl.
next chapter there will be some more lovely eugene/rapunzel fluff as well as some more other interactions.