Freiburg im Breisgau in Baden, five years earlier, continued
Gretel scurries down the steps to the first floor of the Brewhaus and strides quickly across the pub floor and out the front door before anyone can notice her. It's a beautiful early spring morning, where the air is still brisk until the sunlight falls full on your face and warms you. This is one of Gretel's favorite times of year. She can hear the noise of the open air market echoing towards her from the other end of the street near the town square and she turns her sights in that direction and marches forward trying to concentrate on her task. Gretel wanted to stock up on a bit of hearty bread, a block of sbrinz hard cheese and some fresh fruit that would last her and Hansel until they reached the next town. Sometimes they would run out of food on their journeys, but they didn't mind too much, for they knew how to hunt game and gather edible plants and berries from the forest. Gretel mostly stocked up for Hansel's sake, she never wanted him to suffer the effects of running out of food and sugar sickness taking over his body. Even with the injections he took, he could become ill quite quickly if he lacked food for a long period of time. She smiled to herself as she thought that his illness never stopped him from taking care of her or from being a fierce fighter and that is what she loved so much about him. He was so dedicated in his efforts on both fronts that it made him the strongest man she ever met in spite of that one weakness.
Hansel however, tries to reconcile himself to the fact that he and his sister just had an encounter from which he may never recover. He thought back on all the times he had more than brotherly inclinations towards her and there were just too many to count. He never wanted her to feel his anguish or to know he had impure thoughts about her. He knew that she worshipped him as a big brother and oftentimes he was their primary caregiver, for him to betray her trust with thoughts of lust was completely unforgivable. At times when she would find comfort in his arms after a battle, he would kiss her cheeks and forehead and hold her tightly in his arms as she ran her small fingers through his hair and then moved on to rub his shoulders and chest to soothe him. Only sometimes it did more than soothe him, it made him want her. It made him want her so much. He wanted to kiss her on the lips and taste the salty sweat on her neck and caress her…"God Damnit!", he stammers out loud, "I cannot think like that, it only betrays her trust in me and leaves me open to hurting her". He buries his head into the pillow, but is only met by the lingering scent of Gretel. No woman has ever had such an intoxicating scent. He would know. Many times after she fell asleep in his arms and he had to get away from her for fear of going too far, he would wander off to drink her away. Some nights he would find a willing young woman to tempt him into a warm bed, a hayloft, or an al fresco rendezvous. Never once, did any of those women hold his attention long enough for him to forget his Gretel. Even though he had no good reason to, he always felt guilty afterwards, like he had betrayed her in some way. He knew this was foolish, but his heart always felt like a brick in his chest when he was on his way back to her. Looking into her deep brown eyes when he returned from being with another woman was like a stab in his heart every time for he knew by her expression that it made her sad to think of another comforting him. Hansel grows restless thinking about what cannot be and jumps out of bed to clean up, get dressed and go find his sister so they can leave this place.
Gretel shakes off her thoughts of Hansel and tries to remember her task, continuing her stroll to the market. As she works her way from vendor to vendor perusing their wares and purchasing the food for their next journey, she is unaware of the eyes that follow her every move. Her distraction over what happened earlier with Hansel had knocked her off kilter and her usual cat-like instincts were affected. With her purchases made, she set off to find a place to sit near the town square. She settles on a stone wall and takes an apple out of her package. "I wonder what day it is", she thought to herself as she bit into the crisp, juicy apple. Just then her question was answered by the bell of the church behind her. Gretel swings her legs over the side of the stone wall and turns to watch the people at church. The massive, double wooden doors to the church are opened by ushers and the people file down the steps quickly, some giggling and laughing heartily. Instead of being on their way home, they line up on either side of the steps of the great entrance forming a path to the street. Just then, a newly married couple glides through the church doors and down the steps, through the crowd and amidst the cheers of jubilation Gretel's face sours and she murmurs under her breath, "Saturday, fucking wedding, it figures".
With so many people cackling and making so much ado about the couple, Gretel doesn't realize that one man in particular breaks off from the crowd heading in her direction. Right as she turns around to throw the apple core over her shoulder, a man with light blonde hair, eyes the color of sapphire, and a tall masculine frame comes to stand in front of her. She turns back and makes eye contact with him. Gretel curses silently to herself for not hearing the stranger walk up on her. "Good morning, Miss Gretel. How are you enjoying our town?", the man utters in a polite, engaging manner. Gretel smiled as she launched herself off the stone wall to be on level ground with the stranger who invaded her space. She looks up at him with inquisitive eyes as she realizes he is much taller than she original thought from her vantage point on the stone wall. He then reaches out a hand to her and speaks gently, "Forgive me, Miss Gretel, I didn't mean to startle you, I only wished to make your acquaintance and thank you for ridding our town of the witch". Gretel did not want to take his hand, but he seemed insistent on the act of shaking her hand, so she acquiesces and he takes her hand in his. She feels the smoothness of his fingers and palm, his powerful, but gentle grip on her delicate hands and wonders if he notices how rough her hands were. His hands are not at all like Hansel's or hers. Hansel's hands are tough and callous strewn from wielding weapons and building witch traps. This man's hands felt as if they had never seen the wooden handle of a plow or a shovel.
She snaps out of her thoughts and says, "You're welcome, your Mayor paid us handsomely to come to Freiburg and hunt the witch that plagued your lake and townspeople".
"Miss Gretel, please allow me to introduce myself, I am Josef Graf and I am so pleased to finally meet you.", the man spoke gently as he kept her hand in his so much longer than was appropriate to Gretel. As Gretel's palm starts to feel warm as he clasps his left hand over top of hers and holds her right hand in between both of his, she gingerly pulls her hand out of his grasp.
"So, Sir, are you friends with the bride and groom?" she smiles as she places her hand down at her side.
"Yes, Miss Gretel, I know the Groom, his name is Karl and he works on my property outside of town and Miss Gretel, I like to be called Josef, so I implore you to call me Josef and not Sir", he counters as he gazes into her eyes with great intent.
"Of course Josef, I must be getting back to my room, my brother and I will be leaving today", Gretel remarks hastily as she tries not to return his intense gaze, but is unable to look anywhere else.
"Miss Gretel, I had hoped that I may ask you to dine with me this evening, so that I may get to know you. I am very sorry to not have the opportunity", he sighs and continues, "of course only if you were not spoken for already."
Gretel tosses her head back and laughs at the inference that she might be betrothed to another man. In their travels growing up, Hansel wouldn't allow a man to become friends with her, let alone anything more than a slight acquaintance. If he had been standing there to hear that line, he would have probably already tossed the man across the courtyard by now.
"Miss Gretel, do you find it peculiar that I would want to become more acquainted with you or are you intended for another?" his voice is deep and husky as he tilts his head slightly and winks at her. At this she blushes and looks down for a moment, only to regain her senses to answer the man.
"No, Josef I am not otherwise engaged, spoken for, intended to or anything else to another man", Gretel offers. "I merely am so picky that no man would have me, just ask my brother, he can barely stand me", she looks back up with a smirk emanating into a smile when she rejoins his gaze.
Meanwhile, Hansel makes his way down the cobble stone street, scanning back and forth with his predator like gaze searching for Gretel. He combs through the market knowing she would have went to get more food for their travels. He has no luck there, so begins to make his way toward the town square hoping she is among the commotion that he hears, also hoping she isn't the cause. He sees a woman with long dark hair coiled on top of her head wearing a dress of white linen and lace and a young man with a large smile on his face standing on the bottom step of the church surrounded by well wishers. "Well, that sure isn't ever happening", he mumbles to himself as he scans the crowd for Gretel only to be disappointed by the sight he sees at the end of the courtyard next to the stone wall. Hansel draws in a deep breath and grimaces at the view in front of him, Gretel smiling up at a stranger, who seems completely enthralled by her every word. His fists tighten involuntarily at his sides and he tries to clear his mind as he walks over to break up the interlude.
Josef laughs at Gretel's remarks, never taking his eyes from hers and replies candidly, "I think you ought to give me the opportunity to change that situation."
As Gretel contemplates his words, she suddenly feels her brother's presence nearby and her demeanor changes, she had never been the object of someone's desire before and she feels a little flushed thinking back to this morning's excitement, but stiffens as Hansel rests his hand in the small of her back before coming to stand at her side.
"Gretel's situation is perfectly fine the way it is", so I suggest you go back to wherever you came from right now", Hansel challenges.
"Is it now?" Josef returns the challenge. "Why don't you let Miss Gretel decide on her own if she would like a gentleman to call on her, she is grown, is she not?"
Gretel glanced up at her brother sideways and gave him the look, meaning he needed to stand down. He was past that point, and she knew it, she winced as Josef laid down the challenge to her brother's resolution. Gretel chimes in, "Hansel, this is Josef, he stopped by to thank us for our good deed yesterday."
Hansel shoots the same glance back her way and slides his hand into hers and holds it protectively against his side, while he proceeds to chide Josef, "Well Josef, had you honorable intentions towards my sister, you would have first asked my permission before speaking with her."
Hansel continues to glare at Josef, but Josef never loses his cool demeanor, smiling and simply stating, "Hansel, my apologies for not speaking with you first, but upon meeting your sister by chance this morning, I was overcome by the need to invite her to have dinner with me." He continues, "Would you allow your sister to dine with me this evening?"
"No." Hansel says coldly. "We are on our way out-of-town."
"I see, well Hansel, if Gretel tells you she would choose otherwise after I leave, I will be celebrating the wedding of my friend at the town hall and would be happy to stop by the Inn and escort Gretel to my home for dinner. We would be accompanied by my grandmother who resides with me." Josef offers one last time and gives Gretel another wink before leaving her and Hansel to rejoin his friend's celebration.
Hansel watches Gretel's expression as Josef walks away, it is mixed with surprise and a bit of longing. He notices that part because she looks off towards the bride and groom and sighs wistfully for a moment before regaining her composure and returning to her usually hard ass self. She turns around sharply and pokes him in the chest, "What the hell was that about? You didn't have to be so cold," she exclaims, "Josef was very nice to me."
"So, Josef can go home and eat dinner with his Grandma, he doesn't need you." Hansel raises his eyebrows and stares into his sister's eyes fuming.
"No, he doesn't need me, but maybe he wanted me." She knew that wasn't going to go over well, but it came out of her mouth before she had a chance to pull it back in and crap did she regret saying that line.
"Well, dear Gretel, if you want him, you know where to find him, I'm leaving", Hansel sneers and walks down the path towards the Inn, leaving Gretel standing there alone.
She grabs the package of food off the stone wall and heads in Hansel's direction. Gretel does not want Hansel upset with her, but he damn well better understand that she is a grown woman who can make decisions for her self.
When Gretel enters their room, Hansel is sitting in the chair with his feet up on the window sill, arms stretched behind his head with his hands laced together. Their eyes meet and she can tell that he is struggling with his thoughts.
Hansel gazes up at Gretel, her eyes so dark and so beautiful, what man wouldn't want to be with her, he thinks to himself. Why should he keep denying Gretel the opportunity to find love? Perhaps settle down and have a family? He knew the answer. He couldn't voice it to himself, let alone her, so he always became an ass and an overprotective brother in order to keep the fools that didn't deserve her away. But, what if one day, a man came along that Gretel didn't want him to push away? What if this Josef was that man? Who was he to deny his sister, the only person in the world he loved, a happy and normal life, should she want one? He continues to gaze upon her face and study her while he ponders what his life would be like without her.
With his eyes locked upon her, Gretel felt for the first time in her life that Hansel was slipping away from her. She wanted to know what he was thinking, but he would never tell her, he wouldn't even talk about their parents to her. So, she put down the package on the desk without taking her eyes off him and continued moving towards him, kneeling down next to him, placing her elbows on the arm of the chair and laying her hands on his chest. Gretel broke the silence, "Hansel, what is it?"
He continued watching her and reached down with one hand and began to stroke her cheek with his thumb. Hansel was trying to choose his words carefully, but before he could speak, Gretel continues, "Hansel you know I would never do anything that would hurt you, I won't go to dinner with Josef."
"Gretel, you have every right to have dinner with a gentleman of your choosing and I am sorry for making you feel like a child," Hansel conveys. "I don't want to keep you from having the kind of life that you deserve."
"Hansel, I don't want a life without you," she bites her bottom lip and whispers, "but sometimes I want more." Gretel didn't know how else to make him understand that she wanted to be a woman.
He sighed lightly, Hansel understood what she meant and it made his stomach churn violently. "Then, if this Josef is someone you want to get to know, then I think you should go have dinner with him," Hansel forces himself to say.
"He could be a nice guy, I don't know, I have never thought about someone courting me before." Gretel replies half heartedly.
"I will go by the town hall and tell him to call on you for dinner later, why don't you take some of that money we earned yesterday and find something a little less Witch Hunter like to wear, besides it smells a little like dead witch to me." Hansel hopped up out of the chair before he could change his mind and ask her not to choose another man. Hansel left her standing there incredulous of what just took place and set off to speak to Josef.