Page 23

CHAPTER 23

T rue to his word, Father came to visit me only a few hours later. I heard him speaking in a low, concerned tone to the guard before a hesitant knock came at the door. “Rapunzel?” he called softly. “Are you awake?”

“I am. You may come in.”

He did so, nervously peering around with a hand up to shield his face as he did so. Word must have spread about Griffin’s nose.

“I’m not going to attack you,” I told him as calmly as possible. “But I would like to talk.”

“As would I. I meant to come earlier, but I had some meetings to?—”

“I understand. You have a lot of duties.”

“And yet I’ve failed as a father.”

Startled by his unexpected confession, I stared at him. I hadn’t heard him admit fault for years. “Have you?”

“I’m afraid I have,” he went on, crossing to sit beside me and pat my knee. “I’ve had a change of heart in the recent weeks. It’s why I amended my original proposal and allowed anyone, regardless of rank, to rescue and marry you. I thought you and Griffin had a connection.”

“I thought we did too, but I was wrong.”

“I see that now, but also…”

“Also what?”

He heaved a deep sigh. “Griffin has worked the hardest to rescue you and has proved time and again that he cares about you and about the kingdom.”

“But I don’t love him. He’s using me.”

“We can get your marriage annulled if you wish it?—”

“Yes, I want that. You never should have signed a marriage license on my behalf.”

“But…”

“There’s no but!”

“Rapunzel, please listen to me.” Father was so calm and kind that it unsettled me. Where was the calloused, ruthless man I’d become accustomed to? “You don’t need to marry him. But, as much as I love you, I need to put my fatherly feelings aside and do what is best for the kingdom.”

“What are you saying? You’re stripping me of my title?”

“No, darling. But until I have proof that you have overcome your dragon fever?—”

“I don’t—” I stopped short of shouting and inhaled deeply, determined to prove my sanity. “I don’t have dragon fever. I’ve never even heard of it. If this is something Griffin told you about, doesn’t it seem rather self-serving that he is the only one benefiting?”

“It does, and I’ve considered that,” Father acknowledged. “But there are other factors as well.”

“Like what?”

“Like the fact that you have made international diplomacy remarkably difficult. You have proven time and again that your desire to humiliate me in public is greater than your desire to care for the kingdom. Now, I’m not making any excuses for my own deplorable behavior in the past, and I’m not sure why it took me so long to see it in myself, but now that I have, I will need to see proof that you can conduct yourself in a manner befitting a queen, not just as a hotheaded princess.”

Beatrix came in with freshly laundered clothes but gave no indication she was listening.

“I can explain! I’ve been giving to the people in need. Pollox—the dragon—was helping me. There was an orphanage we helped, and…and there was a dragon that cursed our bloodline a hundred years ago. It affects the greed of the ruler and now I’ve made amends with Pollox, so that is why you’re like this again…what?”

Father was shaking his head, the overly sympathetic expression back on his face again. “It’s the dragon fever talking, dearest. It’s all right. We’ll get you through it.”

“I don’t have dragon fever!” I looked around in panic at Beatrix, who had always seen through my schemes and plotting and loved me all the same. “Beatrix! Tell him I’m not crazy.”

She kept her gaze lowered. “Can I get you anything, Princess?”

“Get me out of here! I’m not… Father, I ran away to be with the dragon these past months. I was never a hostage and I’m not confused. Griffin is wrong.”

“He’s very knowledgeable about dragons.”

“But he hasn’t lived with one for the last few months. I have. You think that keeping me locked in a tower after I’ve supposedly been locked in a tower for months will make things better?”

Father twisted his signet ring around on his forefinger, considering my point. “I will need to ask Griffin.”

“Why is it all about what Griffin wants? Did you really legalize a marriage between him and me?”

This time, Father at least had the grace to look embarrassed. “It was necessary at the time. What if you were killed and there was no successor in line? You signed your agreement, and Griffin had eyewitnesses that he had rescued you before the dragon stole you back. I promised in my decree that whoever rescued you…”

I massaged my temples in small circles, then addressed my father in a calm voice. “What would it take to prove I don’t have dragon fever?”

Beatrix curtsied and left with a quiet “Let me know if I can get you anything.”

“I don’t know,” Father admitted. “But I promise that I’ll make things right. I haven’t been the most attentive parent since taking the throne, but it will be different moving forward. No matter what, I’ll be more available to you now, even when you’re ill.”

“I’m not,” I whispered. “I’m not sick.”

“We’ll talk tomorrow, Rapunzel,” he told me with a smile. “We can figure this out.”

* * *

The following morning, both Griffin and Father came to visit me. All of my rehearsed statements when I saw Griffin walk through the door seemed inadequate to express my loathing. My only consolation was that his nose was crooked and still swollen, and I’d never felt more viciously satisfied by any other sight.

“How are you feeling today?” Griffin asked, his voice loaded with concern.

“Go jump off a cliff,” I spat.

“Rapunzel!” Father scolded, then turned to Griffin. “My deepest apologies.”

“It’s fine.” Griffin gave a painful, long-suffering smile. “Dragon fever does strange things to people.”

I really was in danger of flying into a rage. If I hadn’t been insane before, he would make me go crazy soon enough.

“I’m curious,” I said to Father with a smile. “Did Griffin tell you that he told me you died?”

His eyebrows knotted together and he chanced a glance at the squire. “No.”

Griffin shook his head. “No, dearest, remember? I said it was like he had died of grief when you disappeared.”

“No! You said the people killed him after he didn’t give them their rations.”

Griffin reached for my hand, but I slapped him away. “Maybe you’re confused.” He turned to father. “Sometimes with dragon fever, the victim will project their own circumstances onto others. So, if the dragon denied her rations, she will assume it happened to others.”

“That’s not true! Ask the dragon! He’ll tell you. He’ll…” I didn’t need to look at Father to know he wouldn’t believe me. Who would, after we’d been selling the story that I was his hostage for months? “I want our marriage annulled,” I shot at Griffin.

“We can do that once you are recovered,” he said graciously. “But remember when I first came to the tower? You said you’d always love me. I’m holding out hope that the woman who said that is still in there somewhere.”

“I never said that!” My blood pressure rose so high that I began to see spots. “I don’t love you and I never did.”

Griffin turned to address Father, who looked conflicted and aggrieved. “I’ve loved your daughter ever since I first met her playing chess. From the very first move, she captivated me, and I’d sacrifice anything for her. If I need to wait a hundred years for her to recover from her illness, I’ll do it, because she is worth waiting for.”

“He’s manipulating you!” I shouted. “He doesn’t love me. He’s just saying that so he can gain power.”

“I don’t need power,” Griffin countered. “All I want is to avenge you. Your Majesty, grant me the resources to kill the dragon who did this to your daughter. Once the beast is slain, her illness will disappear, and if she no longer wants to be my wife, I will abide by her wishes.”

“No,” I choked out. “Don’t kill him.”

“Rapunzel,” Father began in a placating tone, “we must?—”

“No! He hasn’t done anything to you. He’s wonderful. He’s…he’s…” My voice died. They would never believe me.

“We’ll have a trap set up if he tries to come for you again,” Griffin told me.

“Speak to me again, and I’ll break your nose a second time!” I took a step toward him, but he didn’t even flinch.

Father stepped in front of Griffin. “We’ll make sure you’re safe, dear. We are even working on clearing a path between here and the tower. It would only take a few hours on horseback to get there now; if he ever tries to take you again, I’ll send the whole army.”

“No.” My vision swam. Pollox was in danger, and I had no way to warn him.