Rescuing Rapunzel (20 page)

“Nick!” Kiki said, turning to look at him and, if he was not mistaken, her cheeks were pink with embarrassment. “You would not believe the behavior of your so-called friend!”
 

Or perhaps anger
, Nick mused.
 

“I did nothing,” Bryan replied, attempting to wipe himself clean.

“I would say that when you call a woman a twit,” Penn said from the other side of the table, “porridge on your head is no more than you deserve.”

Kiki grinned. “I knew I liked you, Penn.”

Bryan glared at him. “I did no such thing.” He brushed at his shirt with a wet napkin, making even more of a mess. “I said her little friends were twits, and if she wished to associate with such ninnies, she would surely become one herself.”

“Bryan! You just called me a twit! Again!” Kiki reached for something to throw at him.

This time, Bryan had his hands up, ready to defend himself. “I was merely recounting the situation to your brother.”

Kiki put down the cup.

“It still does not change the fact that it is true.”

“I am not a twit!” Kiki turned to Nick. “Brother, correct this…this…beast before I hit him with something else!”

Nick raised his eyebrow. “He has a point.”

“Nick!”

“That will teach you to cry foul to your brother,” Bryan said. “Even he agrees that your guests are twits.”

“Ambitious twits,” Nick amended.

Kiki’s eyes went dangerously dark. “Watch what you say, Count, or I will call you out.”

“That would hardly be a fair fight,” Nick muttered.

“You, sir, are supposed to be on my side,” Bryan said.

“Can I help it if she is better with a sword?” Nick laughed.

Penn, of course, could not let any of this go. “The two of you behave like children. Go have a nice romp in the woods and be done with it!”

Kiki’s face went ashen, her mouth wide in shock.

“Penn!” Bryan shouted. “I would never do such a thing with Kiki! She is…she is...” He glanced at Kiki, swallowing. “She is like my baby sister!”

Kiki’s eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not a baby.”

“You do a good impression of one,” Penn said with a jolly grin. Truly, that man was having far too good a time this morning. Probably had found someone to warm his bed last night.

“Besides, I would kill you,” Nick added, glaring at Bryan, who just chuckled as he continued to clean up his mess.

“Oh you would not,” Kiki said, though not nearly as forcefully as he would have expected.

Nick raised his eyebrow. “Try me, little girl. You are far too young to be romping with anyone.”

“You are not my father,” Kiki countered. “It is not up to you to decide what I do, or who I do it with! I will…befriend whom I please. I will marry whom, and when, I please.”

“I will be the duke in a few years, and then it will be up to me,” Nick said. “Maybe, if you grow up some, I will let you marry.”

Kiki opened her mouth, then closed it, looking remarkably like a fish stranded on shore. Her face as red as her dress, she threw down her napkin and stormed out of the room, muttering obscenities a proper young lady should not have been acquainted with.

Nick sighed. “She spends too much time around the soldiers.”

Penn, still laughing quietly, picked up his glass. “Yes, but at least she will be able to defend herself when she does marry.”

“Lord help that man,” Bryan said, grabbing her barely touched napkin to finish wiping himself up.

A servant entered, saw the mess that was Bryan and let out a groan, before taking the upturned bowl and the rest of the dirty plates away.

Nick shook his head. “Go clean up, Bryan. I shall see you on the field shortly.”

Bryan grinned. “Planning to try some archery today?”

Nick shook his head. He should never have said anything to Alda about the presents. His first inkling of his mistake should have come when she had burst out laughing as he regaled her with the tale. He sighed. She had probably told half the castle by now.

“I heard about your archery skills,” Bryan added as he walked out the door. “You need lessons.”

“You were not available,” Nick replied.

“What were you doing with a bow?” Penn asked. “And how did I not know?”

“You were too busy playing with the girls. I was wooing a girl trapped in a tower.”

Penn shook his head. “You besotted fool.”

Nick smiled, because, yes, he was besotted. He knew, in his heart of hearts, he was madly in love with Rapunzel. Katherina. He sighed. If only the situation were not so complicated. He did not even know what name to call her.

“Did she wake?” Penn asked.

Nick nodded. “Late last night. She had a nightmare. Woke up screaming.”

“I would wake up screaming if I found you next to my bed.”

“As would I,” Nick said. He picked up his cup. “We talked for a few minutes then she fell asleep again.”

Penn let out a sigh. “I cannot believe your mother has been letting you sit by her bed every night.”

“What she does not know will not hurt her.”

“As if your mother does not know everything that happens in this castle.” Penn smirked. “I am certain Kiki learned espionage from your mother.”

Nick laughed as he dished himself some food. “And swordsmanship from her father.”

“A deadly combination in a woman, to be sure,” Penn said with a grin. He stared at Nick for a moment before speaking again. “That is good to see.”

“What?” Nick asked.

“You smiling. You have not smiled in some time.”

“I smile.”

“Not all the way,” Penn replied, picking up a roll from the basket in the center of the table. “You were getting on my nerves.”

“I am sure you managed to take your mind off it,” Nick said as he took a bite of his food.

“You think all I think about is women?” He glared.

Nick paused, fork in midair, as he stared at Penn. “You think about other things?”

Penn’s shoulders drooped. “Not much else,” he said with a laugh. He gestured at the opening door. “Speaking of which…”

In came Lady Eva and Lady Corline, their skirts swaying as they stopped at the buffet. They did not even look at the food nor did they appear to realize he and Penn were already seated.

“She must be his mistress,” Lady Eva said. “He has never been one to keep his flies buttoned.”

“Why do you think he brought her here?”

“Ah, who can say? Perhaps she is expecting.”

Corline made a shocked little gasp.

“His mother must be beside herself with shame,” Eva said in a satisfied tone.

Nick quietly pushed back from the table and, unnoticed, went to stand behind Eva.

“Could it be, though? That it is his intended?” Corline asked.

Eva waved a hand. “That child has been dead for a lifetime.”

“She could be, though. What if she is?” Corline asked.

“Then I will have to make sure she is returned to her family.”

“Ladies,” Nick said from behind them, making them shriek. “If you choose to speak of my guest, Lady Katherina von Stroebel, choose to speak kindly, for if you do not, I will see you both sent on your way.”

The girls stared at him, eyes wide and looks of utter shock on their faces.

Nick turned on his heel and left the dining room without another word.

Chapter 31

I awoke to the sun shining through the windows as Alda bustled about, opening curtains and laying out clothes. Alda had a thick build and strong arms and helped me move the first day, acting like I weighed nothing. The plates of food she brought me were so overflowing I guessed she ordered double of everything. I had yet to leave my bed unassisted, for every time I stood the room began to spin and I wound up on the floor.

“Good morning, my lady,” Alda said. “It is a beautiful day, and past time to get out of bed.”

I swung my legs to the floor and the room stayed still. Getting to my feet did not make things markedly worse. I sighed with relief and Alda positively beamed. She brought me a dress so lovely, I hesitated to touch it. The white chemise was trimmed with delicate lace and edged in blue and green ribbons along the top and the bottom. The bodice was midnight blue and unlike any I had ever worn.

“I still cannot get used to this,” I said, staring at the intricate dress.

Alda sighed. “I will help you.” She spun me around and began tightening the laces. “A lady of nobility always has a maid dress them.”

“Oh!” I cried out as she reached around the front and adjusted my bosom.
 

“My lady, this is what I do,” she said with an exasperated sigh.

“I am sorry,” I said, bowing my head.

“You will learn.”

When she finished, I felt shoved into my clothing, all of it heavy and pinching me together. I felt far from a lady, more like a stuffed doll. It was still hard to imagine I had a station at all. I could not quite comprehend everything that had happened. A moon ago, I was a girl in a tower, and the only person in the world I knew was my mother.

All that had been swept away and I felt thrust into a new life, a new world. One with a maid to attend to me. It felt surreal. As if I had fallen into one of the books I had read and could not find my way out.

“Come. Sit.” Alda directed me to a chair. She had a pair of scissors in her hand.

“That will not be necessary,” I said, jumping out of the chair.

“Do not be silly, my lady.” She pushed me down. Unable to disobey, I sat. She combed my now-short hair, and before I had a chance to protest further she had cut a strip off the bottom. The pieces lay on the floor like little yellow feathers.

“Oh my goodness,” I said. “I never even felt it!”

“Why would you, my lady?” Alda stared at me as though I had lost my mind.

Maybe I had.

Alda brought me a mirror after she had finished. My face was oval and my eyes had the shapes of almonds. Even my cheeks seemed more angular, especially after Alda pinched them, giving them a rosy glow. She also told me to bite my lips, which turned them a bright red.

I barely recognized myself. Again, I could not help wondering if this was a strange dream. I had hair that rested just above my shoulders. I wore clothing of a lady of station, and I looked…

So beautiful.

“Do you think you are ready today, my lady?”

I met her eyes, and from the determined look on the older woman’s face, she thought I was. Whether I agreed, I was not sure. “I can try.” I glanced at the window. The sun shone so brightly today. Perhaps it would give me strength.

“Come then, my lady.” Alda headed to the door, and I started to follow her.

She cleared her throat.

I stopped. “What did I forget?”

She pointed at my feet.

I sighed. “Shoes.” I walked to the door, where my new slippers rested. Foolish little things, they were. All they did was keep me from feeling the ground beneath me. Besides, they pinched my toes together. As soon as she moved a few paces in front of me, I took them off.

I followed Alda through Nick’s home, taking in the simplicity of it, the strength of the wooden posts holding the stones in place.

It should have been dark, but it was not. Sunshine beamed through the doorways, windows and carefully placed holes in the rock, allowing light to dance over the main rooms. It felt glorious, large and open, and I wondered what kind of formal gatherings were held here. Balls? Dinners? Weddings?

My heart leapt at the thought of marriage, and I blushed at my silliness, embarrassed by my foolish thoughts. So lost in my silly musings, I only realized Alda had stopped at a door when I almost ran into her.

“My lady,” she said, making a clucking noise with her mouth. “You must put your shoes on.”

I put my hands behind my back, to hide my shoes. “Why?”

“It is improper to run around without shoes. Certainly you do not want to dirty your feet!”

I blinked. A part of me very much wanted to do just that. Yet her stern look made me hesitate. “Of course. I am sorry.” I put the pinchy shoes down and slid them on. “They are uncomfortable.”

“My lady, you will adjust. This is a change, is all.”

I nodded, for she was right. It was a great change. Everything around me was a change, and I was not quite sure I was ready for it.

We reached the main entrance, and Alda pushed the door open to reveal the courtyard of the castle. I found myself pausing at the door, unable to move forward. Even after everything I had been through, stepping over the threshold seemed suddenly too much to contemplate. Everything I had wanted to feel for so long waited beyond the door, yet I was afraid.

“Go on, my lady,” Alda urged. “Nothing will happen to you here.”

Alda gently pushed me toward the opening.