An Inconvenient Princess~A Retelling of Rapunzel by Melanie Cellier

Author:Melanie Cellier [Cellier, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Romance
ISBN: 9781986331951
Google: 6JPyswEACAAJ
Goodreads: 38214693
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2018-03-08T00:00:00+00:00

It was the senior guard at the manor who presented us with the map I had requested, and he had gone to the effort of marking the areas that the guards had already searched for the missing villagers. We thanked him profusely, and he gruffly turned our praise away, attempting to foist a couple of guards onto us. But we stood firm in our rejections of the assistance, accepting only an escort to the gates of the town. Arthur would have rejected even that, but I thought it polite to accept something at least.

The prince’s relief at escaping the earl’s home was almost comical. And when Narelle joined us for the ride to the gates, wearing a stunning riding habit, with a carefully positioned hat, I made the mistake of glancing at Rapunzel. She was staring in fascination at the other girl’s hat. Or, I suspected, at the enormous bunch of feathers that waved from the top of it. They were admittedly the most fashionably large feathers I had ever seen.

“What a hideous hat,” she said loudly.

Narelle glared at us, her color rising. She was clearly trying to decide what punishment she could give the other girl without incurring Arthur’s disapproval. Apparently, she couldn’t think of any because she turned away with her nose in the air.

“Rapunzel!” I whispered. “You can’t say things like that!”

Rapunzel looked at me in astonishment. “Why ever not? It’s true, isn’t it?”

“Well…yes. But it isn’t polite.”

“Oh.” She seemed to be thinking hard. “So, it isn’t polite to mention ugly things?”

I nodded. “Yes, exactly. You might hurt someone’s feelings.”

She looked earnestly between Narelle and me. “So, then, I definitely shouldn’t mention—“

“Rapunzel!” I cut her off.

But I couldn’t help starting to giggle, and when I met her eyes, the knowing sparkle in them only made me laugh harder. Her willingness to laugh at her own ignorance often surprised me. It was one of the many things that made her so endearing.

Soon enough she was giggling with me. We fell about, clutching at each other, while Narelle haughtily ignored us, and Arthur glared daggers in our direction. He didn’t seem to appreciate receiving even more devotion from the poor girl.

The earl’s daughter gave her sole attention to the prince throughout the ride, able to keep her horse beside Aster since the guards were clearing the streets ahead of us. Rapunzel and I had accepted mounts for the ride to the gates, not wanting to hold the others up, but we had decided to return them with the guards once we exited the town. It seemed far too likely that if we took them, the horses would end up requisitioned by the bandits.

To my surprise, once we had dismounted and said our farewells, it was me Narelle drew aside, not Arthur. She swallowed, seeming to struggle with whatever she wanted to say. I remained silent, having no idea what she might want with me.

“You will find her, won’t you?” she asked at last.

I blinked at her. She could only be talking about Anneliese.

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