The Golden Prince: A Rapunzel Retelling by Alice Ivinya

Author:Alice Ivinya [Ivinya, Alice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Rapunzel
Amazon: B0C3SLLV84
Published: 2023-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Maisie

I sat up and instantly felt nauseous. I leaned over the edge of the bed and emptied what little was in my stomach into the chamber pot.

When the heaving stopped, my dry lips stuck together, and my eyes felt scratchy. I blinked, glancing around the room, and realized light was streaming through the porthole. The floor rocked and jerked far more violently than before. It was a miracle I hadn’t fallen out of bed.

How long had I been asleep?

I staggered to the window with my arms outstretched for balance—my legs were weak from hunger—and squinted through the murky glass that was underwater one minute and showing sky the next. The constant plunging beneath the waves and the inability to tell which angle was level made the nausea rise in my throat again. I took a sip of stale water from the provided bottle and craved salt.

When had I last eaten? The last few days were a blur of running and bribing and hiding. Searching ship after ship for a suitable one. I had been focused on nothing other than survival and secrecy. But it was worth it. Hopefully, I had covered my tracks well enough that nobody would know I was on this ship. Winter, Mistress Faye, and Prince Thomas would never find me again.

And now we had set sail and were heading to a country where nobody knew me: Feyanda and the northern tundra. It was not a country Kobarans often traveled to. I could reinvent myself however I wished. And I wouldn’t have to rely on or fear anyone.

I tried to work out how high the sun was in the sky through the tiny porthole, but with the rocking and constant plunging below the water, it was impossible.

I grabbed some ship’s biscuits from the chest and flopped down on the bed, eating them slowly and hoping they would calm my stomach. Wherever I looked, my brain played tricks. The room stayed the same while my body told me I was rocking on waves. Only the angle of the lantern hanging from its hook moved. The nausea built. The room was hot and damp.

I needed to get out.

I slipped and staggered to the door and pushed down on the handle. It was locked. Panic seized me instantly.

No, no, no…

I pushed again, hoping it was just stiff. It didn’t budge. I wiggled the handle, trying different angles. I popped a sweet in my mouth but couldn’t taste it. The panic inside me grew.

Get out, get out, get out…

I thumped on the door, my mind going blank. “Let me out!” I shouted. “Help!”

Heavy footsteps sounded on the other side. I backed away from the door. There was a low murmur of voices and the unmistakable sound of a key in a lock.

Had I been betrayed? Had Mistress Faye found me? Or an agent of Winter?

The door swung open, and Greggory stood there, pushing his glasses up his nose. Of all the people…

“You?” I managed.

He opened his mouth, but I didn’t let him speak.

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