Page 33

RAPUNZEL

A urora shifts beside me, the tiny bed creaking beneath our combined weight. The room is quiet except for the faint crackle of the fire on the hearth, the flames casting dancing shadows along the stone walls.

Outside, the wind whispers through the trees, carrying the crisp scent of damp earth and pine. I breathe it in, trying to calm the storm inside me, but my thoughts churn restlessly as I think of Ren.

Closing my eyes, I think of our kiss in the garden. The way his lips brushed mine—soft and hesitant at first, before it became something more… something deeper.

How can I push him away when he’s already stolen my heart?

Guilt and shame begin to creep in as I think of Prince Theron. I squeeze my eyes shut. I hate all this uncertainty, and I wish so much that I could remember my past. If I did, it would make all of this so much easier. A small whimper escapes me as I fight back tears.

Aurora’s whisper cuts through the silence. “Rapunzel?” When I don’t answer right away, she shifts so we’re facing each other. “Are you all right?”

“I—” I shake my head. “I’m not sure.”

“What’s wrong?” She takes my hand in her own, studying me in concern. “Are you worried about the witch? Because if so, I doubt she will find you here. And even if she does, Lyra, and Maribelle will help keep you safe. They have powerful magic. And Thalric is very strong and—”

“It’s not that. I just… wish I could remember my past,” I admit. “I hate not knowing who I was or how my life was before.”

“Lyra said they may return on their own,” Aurora offers. “They’re not gone. They are still buried deep in your mind.”

Sadness fills me. “I have a family somewhere out there, but I cannot remember their names or where I’m from.”

“It is the same for me,” she says. “Flora, Lyra, and Maribelle said they found me on their doorstep, in a basket, when I was a baby.” She reaches for the side table and pulls out a folded parchment from the drawer.

“This note was tucked beneath my blanket,” she says, eyes glossy with tears.

“It’s from my parents, promising they would come back for me… when it is safe.”

“Safe? From what?”

“I don’t know,” she whispers. “And neither do the Fae sisters. But I have faith that I will meet them some day.” Aurora lifts her brown eyes to mine.

“Do not give up hope, Rapunzel. I believe you’ll find your family.

” She squeezes my hand. “And who knows? You may even regain your memories before you reach Ren’s kingdom. ”

She continues. “If not, you can still go to Sylvalis and seek out Prince Theron… see if he can provide any answers about your past.”

“That’s the problem.” I swallow hard. “I’m scared.”

Aurora tilts her head. “What are you afraid of?”

I turn my gaze to the ceiling, tracing the uneven lines of the wooden beams overhead as tears threaten to fall.

“What if I was betrothed to Prince Theron? What if we were in love? Or what if… when my memories return, my personality is not the same? What if I am a different person than who I am now?”

The words taste bitter as they leave my mouth. The fear of the unknown, of losing who I am, claws at me. What if the person Ren kissed tonight—the person I am in this moment—is not the real me?

What if I was someone who would not even be in love with Ren? I don’t voice this last fear aloud because it’s too painful to even consider.

“Rapunzel.” Aurora squeezes my fingers again, her voice soft but steady. “I think you’re asking the wrong question.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“You keep wondering what if you were in love with Prince Theron before. But maybe the better question is: who are you in love with now?”

My breath catches.

Aurora continues. “You could spend your whole life chasing a memory that might never return. And even if it does, it might not feel the same once it’s here. You’ve changed. Time changes people. And you’ve been through so much in the past three years.

“You were betrayed by someone who claimed to love you and care for you. When all along, Drusilla was actually holding you captive. She was the one who’d stolen your memories.

And Ren saved you and he has been there for you through the pain of that betrayal.

And in the midst of all of this, you found love. ”

I shake my head. “But if I belong to someone else—”

“You don’t belong to anyone, ” Aurora says. “Not Prince Theron. Not even Ren. You belong to yourself. And that means you get to choose. Not based on the past, but based on who you are now.”

Her words sink in, quiet and true.

She shakes her head. “You don’t have to wait for the person you were. You can choose to live as the person you are. Right here. Right now. And I’ve seen the way you look at Ren. The way he looks at you. That’s not something you find every day.”

Tears burn behind my eyes.

“And if you keep waiting until everything makes perfect sense, you might miss something beautiful that’s already blooming. Life doesn’t pause just because the past is unclear. It keeps moving forward. And sometimes, we have to be brave enough to move with it.”

Aurora’s eyes meet mine evenly. “You don’t need permission to follow your heart, Rapunzel. It’s already yours.”

A quiet breath escapes me as her words touch something deep within.

She’s right. I don’t know what the future holds.

I don’t know if I’ll remember my past or discover some long-lost truth that changes everything.

But in this moment, I do know this: I’m in love with Ren now, and I want to choose him.