Thirteen: The Lost Princess
"Do you want to go back to the kingdom?" I asked her the next day as she scrubbed blood out of our clothes in the stream.
"Yes." She said almost instantly. "No?" This was an exact reverse of what had happened in the forest when I'd asked her if she was going to come back to the tower. "It's complicated." She finished.
"Why?"
"I've never been anywhere. I've never met anyone." She said as the water turned red.
"You've been to the kingdom. You've met people." I corrected her gently. She let out a small laugh and lifted my vest out of the water. She turned to look up at the tower from where we were on the ground. Her eyes did a double take over the cloak of her kidnapper.
"She brought me everything I ever needed." Rapunzel said quietly.
"Hey." I came to sit next to her and wrapped my arms around her as she cried. "If you want to go to the castle, I'll bring you. If you want to stay here, I'll take care of you. If you want to go to Spain or Britain or Russia, I'll take you." She nodded and lifted her head, smiling.
In the end, Rapunzel asked for me to take her to the kingdom to at least meet her real parents. She stitched my vest and shirt. We recuperated for three days, mostly staying in bed or running around at the base of the tower. Maximus had stayed, grazing at the base of the tower for those days.
"You ride it?" She asked, looking at me skeptically as I put my hand out to help her up onto Maximus' back. I nodded. "Show me." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. I let out a small laugh and leaped up into the saddle seat. I pressed my heels into his sides and he walked in a little circle. I pulled the reins gently and he stopped. I waited. "I wanna try!" I said, her eyes full of delight. I put my hand down for her and she grabbed it. I pulled her up with ease and sat her in front of me. "Go!" She said, all excitement. I pressed into his sides and we took off at a trot for the kingdom.
"Wait here!" The guard looked breathless looking at Rapunzel. His face had drained of color as if he had seen a ghost. My heart ached. I felt like I was delivering her to her new home and she was delivering me, involuntarily, to the noose.
We waited, holding hands, looking out over the kingdom from the palace's balcony. She didn't say a word and she didn't have to. She was nervous and excited and still in mourning. I heard the double doors behind us open and I turned at the same time as Rapunzel. Her hand dropped from mine as she saw the Queen.
The Queen looked so much like just an older version of Rapunzel. Her brown hair was long and had a few grays that streaked through it elegantly. Her eyes were the same bright green as Rapunzel's. Seeing them together, it was obvious that Rapunzel was the princess. I watched as they embraced and the King joined them. The three of them melted to the floor, stuck in the embrace.
I felt sad and happy. I was glad to see her with the family she was supposed to have but I felt out of place, like no one would be able to see past Flynn Ryder to Eugene Fitzherbert- that I'd never be forgiven and therefore could never follow Rapunzel.
The Queen opened her eyes and looked up at me. She smiled and lifted her hand to me. I took it, expecting a handshake, a silent thank you for returning their daughter to them. I was surprised when she pulled me down into the reunited family hug.
We were home.