Wicked Tales: Rumple’s Game

"Duck! It wasn't a duck, it was a goose! And what of the wizard?" The old man sighed and rubbed his temples.

"There is no wizard in that story," Caitlinn told him.

The old man shot a look of disbelief in her direction. He threw up his hands in frustration and barked, "Enough girl, just go to sleep. I will tell myself stories to keep me entertained." He waved her protests away and turned his back on her. Caitlinn shrugged her shoulders and curled up into a ball. She stared at the ever growing pile of coin. Eventually, she fell asleep, realizing at the last moment that without a story being told, she still had not paid the man for his gold.

The following morning the door to the tower opened and Caitlinn's slumber was disturbed. Her eyes flew open and she gazed at the feet that were stepping across the threshold of the tower. She jumped up and smoothed her skirts, picked out straw from her hair and gasped in shock at the piles of gold coin that seemed to cover every inch of the floor, expect where she'd been sleeping and where the stool and wheel still stood.

Guifford's expression was one of shock, quickly replaced by joy. "Oh my! You really did it. But how?" he asked. He walked over to the nearest pile and scooped up a handful of coins. "They have the King's image and his seal on the back. How did you do this?" Guifford asked again and scooped up more coins from a different pile.

Caitlinn stood silent as Guifford examined every pile. He turned back to face her and stared into her eyes. "You'll do another tonight. I don't know how you did it, getting past the guards to find an engraver, but another night you'll spin. There will be double the guards and more locks placed on the door. You'll not leave this tower today and in the morning you'll be exposed as the liar you are."

Guifford stormed out, but not until after he gathered several handfuls of coin, which he stuffed into whatever pockets he had on his person. Caitlinn watched him leave. Her face pale. Her words stolen. "Another day? But..." It didn't matter what she wanted to say, the man was gone and she was stuck in there until he found it in his heart to free her.

An hour passed before the door to the tower was open. A maid brought in food, followed by several men who held empty buckets. As the men filled the buckets with coins, more servants came in and dropped off bundles of straw.

"You don't look tired," the maid said, interrupting Caitlinn's musings.

"Tired?"

"Yes, Chancellor Guifford told the King you were exhausted after your spinning and wished to remain in the tower to rest. He also said you offered to spin another night for the King in order to increase your dowry."

Caitlinn closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "I am tired, but not from spinning."

The girl shook her head in wonder. "None of us thought you could do it. I mean. . .turning straw into gold. It's witchcraft you know. But the King doesn't care about that. We all know the forest is enchanted, so why would you not be enchanted too? I've always loved the stories that come from the woods. You live on the other side of it don't you?"

Caitlinn shook her head yes, and began to eat her meal. "What is your name?" she asked the maid.

"Adrianna, my Lady."

"You don't have to call me that," Caitlinn insisted. "I'm Caitlinn, the Miller's daughter."

"Oh you are much more than that. You are a treasure. Look at what you did! You are also going to be our Queen. You are not just the Miller's daughter anymore." Adrianna turned away and left the tower, the men soon followed, both those that had emptied the tower of its gold and those that had filled it with straw.

Caitlinn ate her meal and then closed her eyes. She slept for hours and when she awoke it was night and she was staring into the eyes of the old man again. "You came back!"

"Of course. You've not paid me for my gold yet," the man answered. He looked around and shook his head. "More straw, I see."

Caitlinn shook her head. "Yes. It seems Guifford wants more."

"Aye, it's Guifford alright, but you want Hedwig."

"Yes, I do," Caitlinn admitted. "Would you spin this straw into gold again?" she asked.

The old man frowned. "You owe me for the gold from last night. Your stories were horrid, what else do you have to offer me?"

Caitlinn bit down on the inside of her cheek. The stranger sighed and took his place at the wheel. "Rumor has it you sing," the old man said as he began to repeat the actions from the night before.

Immediately, Caitlinn nodded her head with enthusiasm. "A song then?" she asked.

"And another kiss," he answered.

"No!" she hissed.

"Then no gold," the man answered back.

Caitlinn thought about the kiss from the night before. It had been awful. She had wanted to expel the taste of him from her mouth as soon as his lips had met hers. Yet, the idea of kissing the man was not as bad as the idea of facing Guifford and Hedwig with no gold. "A kiss," she agreed.

"And you'll sing till I tire of hearing your voice," the spinner spoke.

She shook her head in agreement and moved toward him again, finding a spot at his feet to sit. She closed her eyes and waited for the kiss. Nothing happened for several minutes. When she got tired of waiting, she opened her eyes and squeaked at the sight before her. The laughter of the old man rang through her ears. "A kiss, my child," the old man cackled.

Caitlinn stared at the man's crotch. While her eyes had been closed, he'd released his manhood and had left it there for her to discover. "I can not kiss. . ." Her words died as her mouth was forced mid sentence to become filled with his stiff tool. Strong hands that had held her to his kiss the night before, held her once more. Caitlinn tried to lift herself from the thick shaft of the old man's cock. He moaned as her mouth slid up an inch. He pushed her back down, forcing her to accept him again. She swallowed instinctively and shuddered when he moaned his pleasure. Again she tried to free herself, by pulling her head back; once more he muttered low and pushed her back down.

"You want your gold?" he growled out.

Caitlinn whimpered and a tear fell from her eyes. She looked up at the old man and studied the look his face took on as her mouth was forced to blanket it. She became lost in this and without thought her head bobbed down to take another inch of the stranger's shaft. He grinned wide, revealing the teeth that appalled her. She grimaced at the sight and swallowed the saliva that had been building up in her mouth. That motion made the old man grunt and pound deep into her throat. Caitlinn gagged; the sensation bringing her back to reality.

Both of her hands moved to grip the old man's legs and she tried to push herself off of him. He only laughed and shoved her back down. He wrapped a strong set of fingers through her hair and lifted her from his rod. His other hand came down to his shaft and he wrapped his wrinkled fingers around the velvet skin. Caitlinn winced at the stinging in her scalp. She watched his hand move up and down his sex and she stared at the juice that slipped from its opening. Soon she was trying desperately to free herself as the white creamy liquid of his climax squirted out and landed on her upturned face.

As soon as the final spray exploded from the old man's shaft, he pushed Caitlinn away, laughed and returned to the wheel. Caitlinn again scurried to a pile of straw and wiped at the come that covered her complexion. She spit out the drops that had fallen into her mouth. Her hands came up to sweep away the hot fluid that covered her cheeks and neck. She glared at the man and screamed her anger at what he'd done. "I said a kiss!"

Another round of laughter erupted from the man's chest. "Sing girl."

Caitlinn spit again and tried to calm the beating of her heart. Her fingers were clenched in fists and her pulse raced in her veins. Her stomach was knotted and her thoughts jumbled. "Sing girl," the man muttered again and stalled in his spinning.

Caitlinn began to hum softly. It was a shaky tune at first, the sound barely a whisper, then in time she began to sing a favored lullaby her father had taught her. As she sang, she watched the straw bundles turn to thread, which then were fed through the wheel and around the bobbin to pour out and slide easily down the shoot. Gold clinked to the floor and hours passed. Caitlinn's voice wavered and eventually grew hoarse. "A break," she whispered, somewhat breathlessly.

The wizard lifted one brow and then shrugged his shoulders, but continued to work. Soon Caitlinn's eyes were growing heavy and as she succumbed to the wee hours of morning, she swore she heard the old man chuckling.

"You've done it again!"

The loud exclamation made Caitlinn jump from her place on the floor and she stared at the piles of gold that surrounded her. "There's even more here than yesterday. One more night, girl and then you'll gain your freedom."

"No!" Caitlinn cried out and rushed Guifford. "I've spun two nights worth of gold for Hedwig. Surely I've proven myself!" She grabbed at his retreating form and pulled him toward her.

Guifford jerked his arm away and pushed Caitlinn back. She stumbled and fell into a pile of coins. "I demand to see Hedwig," she shouted as she pushed herself back up. "I've been locked in here two days. The chamber pot is stinking. I want a bath. I want to see my father and I demand my freedom!"

The Chancellor laughed and stepped away from the door, to allow Adrianna, the maid to walk in. She carried a tray heaped with food and placed it on the stool. She glanced at Guifford, who nodded toward the foul pot that Caitlinn had used off and on during her two days. "Order a bath for the girl and a change of clothes," he told Adrianna.

"And the King. And my freedom!" Caitlinn rallied back.

Guifford lifted a brow to her and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "King Hedwig has gone to a neighboring Lord's. He will return in the morning, upon which you will present him with another room full of gold."

Caitlinn shrieked in anger and launched herself at Guifford. He thwarted her efforts by lifting her hand to strike her. She stopped short and stared at him. "When I am Queen..."

Guifford laughed again. "I believe the word is 'if' not 'when'. You still have another night's worth of spinning to do."

He ordered a guard to remain in the room with Caitlinn, while the servants again emptied the tower's precious metal and filled it with more golden bundles of straw. Caitlinn slipped to the floor and wept. She remained there until Adrianna returned with more servants that had brought a tub and buckets of water for her to bathe.

Adrianna dismissed the servants as well as the guard, much to Caitlinn's surprise. "He's my intended," the girl said when Caitlinn voiced her concern for Adrianna and the man's safety.

"Thank you," she whispered back and allowed Adrianna to help her remove her soiled clothes. She slipped into the hot water and shuddered as its heat seeped into her bones. Adrianna washed her hair while Caitlinn asked her questions concerning what was happening outside the tower walls.

"Chancellor Guifford spoke the truth. King Hedwig is visiting a noble. It is his mother. He's gone to invite her to your wedding."

Caitlinn spun around in the tub and water sloshed across the sides. "His mother!?"

Adrianna laughed. "Yes, his mother. He did however order your release from the tower." Her voice had dropped considerably as did her eyes. "I'm sorry my Lady. I fear Guifford has his own agenda for your third night in the tower."

Caitlinn frowned. "I suspect he's going to keep this final spinning for himself."

"I fear you are right. But Hedwig knows you can spin the straw into gold and he knows you've done this twice. If you tell him you were forced to spin a third night's gold then he'll demand it from Guifford."

"Guifford knows I would tell, too. I see the greed in his eyes."

Adrianna nodded. "What will you do? If you spin the gold, we all know he will take it. If you don't he'll claim you a liar and a trickster."

"But I've already given him two nights worth!"

"It won't matter to Guifford. Another night is what he's ordered. If you fail to produce, then he'll still claim you a liar and you and your father will perish." Adrianna thought a moment. "Oh, my Lady, what if he executes you before Hedwig arrives home?"

Caitlinn paled. She climbed from the tub and wrapped herself up tight in a towel. The coarse fabric rubbed against her skin and she welcomed the rough friction. She sat down on a pile of straw and contemplated her next course of action. "Adrianna," she suddenly said, "I will spin this gold, but you must come to the tower before Guifford. Your intended is the guard. He will let you by and neither of you will be punished. I will hide away until Hedwig returns and then we will reveal Guifford's plan." Adrianna nodded her head and soon she was leaving Caitlinn to her musings.

Hours passed and Caitlinn spent her time turning strands of straw into wreaths. Eventually night fell and she waited for the wizard to appear. More time snaked by. The moon rose high and the stars appeared to double and then quadruple in number. She stared out the tower window and wondered where and when the strange man would appear. When the moon began to drop back to the horizon and the stars began to dim and disappear, Caitlinn felt true despair. The wizard had not yet come and she had only a few hours before Adrianna would be there.

Tears fell from her eyes and she buried her face in her hands, slipped to the floor and openly wept. "Women, always weeping. The river flows backward when a woman weeps."

Caitlinn looked up and stared at the old man. "You've come back!" she exclaimed.

"Of course I'm back. You've yet to pay me for my gold!"

"I sang for you and I. . .," she paused.

"Your voice failed and then you slept the night away. I stayed up and worked my fingers to the bone. Now pay me and I'll be going."

"Going? You can't go. I have to spin this straw into gold come morning and it's almost time," Caitlinn pleaded.

"More gold! You've not paid me for what you have now. I'll not do it. Now give me my fee and I'll go."

"I have nothing to give you. Please. . .please spin the straw into gold again. I'll become Queen and then I can give you whatever you seek."

The old man stared at her and Caitlinn begged him with her eyes. She dropped to her knees and clutched at his trousers. "Please. My father's life as well as my own rests on this straw. I swear to you, I'll give you anything once I am Queen."

"Anything?" the strange wizard asked.

"Yes," Caitlinn replied. She could see him thinking about what to demand of her and she prayed that she would be able to grant it. She told herself she would, no matter what he wanted. After all she had to save her father and herself.

"Your first born child."

Caitlinn stared at his lips for several seconds. She blinked. Her jaw became slack and the words she wanted to speak of gratitude died in her throat. The old man continued to stare down at her. He said nothing as his words soaked into her soul. "My child?" she whispered, finally able to get past the lump in her throat.

"Your child. The first one born from your womb."

She rose from her feet and turned away. "Absolutely not!" she shouted.

Laughter filled the tower. "Then our business is concluded. The gold you have stolen from me will be returned to straw and when the Chancellor and the King see that the magic of your touch is no more. . ."

"Stop!" Caitlinn cried. "If I agree to this, then you'll leave the other gold alone and spin this?"

A smirk lifted from the man's lips. "You have my word. If you give me your first born then I will spin this straw into gold and the rest will be left alone."

Caitlinn thought of her father and her life. She thought of Hedwig and how he would hate her for lying to him. She thought of the hours that were fast approaching and she knew Adrianna would soon be there. With a deep sigh, she whispered, "I agree."

The wizard's cackling chuckle ricochet around the walls and coated Caitlinn with dread. She pushed the thought of what she'd agreed to away and watched as the old man sat down at the wheel and began to spin again. This time his hands flew much faster, so fast in fact that Caitlinn was almost hypnotized by the speed of his digits.

When the door to the tower opened, Caitlinn stood in the center of the room, the spinning wheel still turning, but the stool empty of it's Master. "You did it!" Adrianna gasped. "Of course I shouldn't have doubted you, but I did. I'm sorry my Lady. My intended is here and says to hurry. A horse is waiting for you and my parents will hide you away until King Hedwig returns home."

Caitlinn looked around at the glowing mass of coins. She wanted to give some to Adrianna, but knew Guifford would somehow know. She followed the maid from the tower, keeping her body pressed tight against the wall as she made her way down the steep and narrow steps. When she reached the bottom and felt the sunrise cast its rays across her skin, she shivered. Fresh air was a welcoming gift as was the full light of the day. She took a deep breath and then moved with Adrianna to a group of trees. There a horse was tethered and a small lad waited. "My brother," Adrianna replied. The boy bobbed his head to Caitlinn and assisted her up onto the saddle.

Caitlinn rode the horse deep into the woods, away from the castle and her village. The sun rose as she stopped to rest at the side of a stream. This is where she would remain until Adrianna's parents arrived. She curled herself up into a ball and tried to not think about the agreement she'd made with the wizard. Instead she thought of the love she had for Hedwig and how she would do whatever she had to do in order to keep her secret safe.

The sound of horses approaching made Caitlinn jump up from her resting spot by the river. She grabbed the reigns of her horse and turned to set eyes on Hedwig and his men. Her face grew ashen as she took in his angry features. She dropped the leads to the horse and fell to her knees. Hedwig dismounted and walked over to her. "You ran from me?" he accused.

Caitlinn looked up and tears fell. "I had no choice," she answered back.

Hedwig frowned and took to one knee. "There is always a choice," he whispered and cupped her chin. He lifted her gaze back to his and ran his thumb across the hot liquid that rested on her cheek. "Why did you flee?"

"I feared for my life. Guifford kept me locked away another night. I feared that he would find a way to make me look false in your eyes."

Hedwig pushed his fingers through his hair. "Guifford is a dishonest fool. I've been watching him for sometime, but I never thought he'd harm you. I saw you fleeing this morning. I had come home early in hopes to wake you myself. But as you ran, I became angry and stormed into the castle, shouting for answers as to why you were running away. Adrianna confessed her involvement as did her betrothed. They told me that Guifford had not released you as I had requested. I also learned that he'd lied to you about the second night. You were not to spend three nights in the tower, just the one, and that one you insisted on."

"But . . . my father wanted a larger dowry."

"No, your father went home that first night. He was offered a place to rest, but he said it was better he go. He'd done enough already. I still don't know what he meant by that. I owe him my life," Hedwig said.

"Your life?"

"He gave me his daughter," the King replied. He lowered his head to Caitlinn's and kissed her softly, then with their lips still pressed together, he rose from the grassy bank and pulled Caitlinn up with him. They parted and he looked down on her. "Guifford is locked in the tower. There he will remain until I feel his greed has made him suffer long enough. Come home with me my Lady and be my Queen."