Rapunzel Pt. 02

"When Uncle Angus isn't here?" Hans asked.

"That would be best."

"I can take a hint, Rapunzel. I'll go and see to the horse. Hans? Will you come to tell me when it is safe for me to come back?"

"Of course, Uncle Angus. I will." Hans replied. "Mum, Jutta, please let Rapunzel try. You have nothing to lose, and possibly it will help. I trust Rapunzel. Please?"

Hilda still looked worried.

"Please Mum," Jutta asked.

"I'm off," Angus said. "See you soon."

"Are you sure it won't hurt her?" Hilda asked Rapunzel.

"It won't. Nor will my hair." She replied.

"Very well. The children would like to see your hair first. To be honest, so would I. Is it really that dangerous?"

"To men? Yes. To women and children? No."

Rapunzel shrugged her back pack off her shoulders. Some of her braided hair came out as she pulled the pack around to her front. The two children helped her to unfasten the thongs. Her hair shone like spun gold in the kitchen. Gradually the full length of it was revealed, covering the kitchen table in lustrous coils.

Jutta and Hans were fascinated. Even Hilda was surprised at the amount of hair.

"What can you do with it?" Jutta asked.

"I can use it as a caress, or a weapon," Rapunzel replied. "I can make it do almost anything."

Hilda was doubtful. Jutta persuaded her. Rapunzel's hair pulsed across the kitchen table in waves before forming itself into the shape of a body on the table.

"What do you think of that?" Rapunzel asked.

"It's odd," Jutta said, "but it shows you're not the human you look like."

"Could we touch your hair?" Hans asked.

"Yes, Hans, you can now. But never when you are older," Rapunzel replied.

Hans and Jutta gently stroked the hair on the table.

"That's enough," Hilda said. "You've seen Rapunzel's hair. That will be something to tell your children eventually."

Rapunzel gradually wound up her hair. All four of them helped to braid it and fasten it with the leather thongs before Rapunzel put it into her backpack.

"Now, Jutta, I want to look at your leg," Rapunzel said. "Could you lie down on the kitchen table?"

Hilda and Hans helped Jutta to get on the table and straighten her body. Jutta pulled her skirt above her knees. Jutta's right leg was distorted below the knee and shortened. Her right shoe had a wooden patten strapped underneath it to try to match the length of her left leg.

Rapunzel's hands gently stroked Jutta's leg from knee to ankle. Hans and Hilda watched in amazement as Jutta's leg straightened. Jutta couldn't see what was happening but showed no sign of pain as the change took place.

"Your hands are very gentle," Jutta said. "They feel like soft feathers on my skin."

Hans nearly said something. Hilda held a finger to her lips to warn him to keep quiet as Rapunzel continued to stroke Jutta's leg. After five minutes she stopped.

"Jutta, you can sit up now," Rapunzel said.

Jutta sat up. Her legs were still visible below her raised hem. They matched now except for the useless patten on her right shoe. Rapunzel nodded to Hans to take the patten off. He had to cut the laces holding it.

"Can you stand up?" Hilda asked.

Jutta slid off the table. Her skirt fell downwards. She still hadn't realised what had happened. She staggered as her two feet hit the floor at once. Hilda was there to support her. Jutta looked shocked. She stood and moved her right foot experimentally, putting her weight on it very carefully. It held. She took a couple of steps holding on to Hilda's arm before letting that support go. Jutta walked to the end of the kitchen, turned around and walked halfway back.

Suddenly she ran towards Rapunzel and gave her a fierce hug.

"Thank you, thank you," Jutta shouted as the tears ran down her cheeks. Hilda was crying too. Hans pretended that he wasn't but he joined Jutta in hugging Rapunzel.

"You can tell your Uncle Angus that he can come back," Rapunzel said.

"I'll go," Jutta replied before Hans could. "I can get to the stable easily now."

"Be careful, Jutta," Rapunzel warned, "at least for a few days until you are used to the change..."

Jutta was out of the kitchen before Rapunzel had finished speaking. Hilda came towards Rapunzel warily but accepted a hug beside her son. Rapunzel kissed Hilda on the forehead.

"What have you done, Rapunzel?" Hilda asked cautiously.

"Later, Hilda. I'll tell you later," Rapunzel said.

After the evening meal and when Hans and Jutta had gone to bed, Rapunzel, Angus and Hilda sat around the kitchen table.

Rapunzel explained what had happened with Prince Johann, and that she was looking for him and possibly Euryale who might be with him.

"Why?" Hilda asked. "You seem to have used him and then tossed him out."

"He might be stupid, but he didn't deserve to be blinded by Euryale. If I can, I'd like to make him see again..."

"With the tears of an adult virgin?" Angus protested. "You might as well be looking for a unicorn."

"But you're a healer, Rapunzel," Hilda said. "What you have done to Jutta's leg is amazing. But what did you do for me and Hans? I felt something change when you kissed me."

"You two? As I did for Angus. I wish I could heal Prince Johann's blindness like that. I can't. My mother will have caused his blindness by magic that I can't undo. I just healed the few things that were wrong with both of you. You and Hans are reasonably fit and well so a hug or a kiss was enough. Fixing Angus' back took slightly more from me. Mending Jutta's leg was much harder, but now it is repaired it will stay that way even as she grows."

"Thank you, Rapunzel. That was very kind of you."

"Kind? I had another motive as well. I have invested in Angus' wife so that she can produce and sell clothes. She'll pay me ten per cent of any profits when there are some. I want to support you to start up the weaving and tailoring business again, Hilda. When you make profits, save ten per cent for me."

"But... That needs money. I don't..."

"I have money, but you need more than that. You need Hans and Jutta to be able to help you more around the house if you are going to run a business. Now Jutta's leg is better, she can do more until the business is established. Later both of them can be apprentices."

"Rapunzel? You are talking about more money that I could possibly repay for a decade."

"I'm immortal, Hilda. A decade? That's a short time for me. Euryale and I have plenty of money from investing in people over centuries. How much would you need, to hire a weaver, pay your guild dues, get cloth and repair the house?"

"I don't know, Rapunzel. I just don't know."

Rapunzel reached into a skirt pocket and produced five gold coins.

"This enough, Hilda?"

Hilda's face went white with shock.

"With that much I could hire half the tailors in the city. Two gold coins would be ample, Rapunzel. Even if my business became successful I'd never be able to repay five."

"Two it is," Rapunzel replied handing them over.

+++

The next day Hilda sent Hans and Jutta out into the city to try to find a blind young man and a woman with odd hair. They went different ways but came back together three hours later.

"The woman with odd hair was here but left a couple of months ago," Hans said. "She was with a blind man at first but he vanished shortly before she did. Jutta knows more."

"I spoke to a sentry at the Royal Palace," Jutta said. "He's always been friendly to me perhaps because he has a daughter of my age. He told me the blind man had been arrested because he was wearing a sword. He is somewhere in the Palace, apparently treated well but not allowed to leave."

"Thank you," Rapunzel said. "Now I have to get into the Palace to see if I can find Prince Johann. I'm puzzled. Even blinded they should have recognised him. His sword alone should identify him."

The children left to get ready for bed.

"Perhaps they have identified him," Angus suggested when the children had gone. "but didn't want people to know that their Prince was blind."

"I'll try tomorrow," Rapunzel said.

"Tomorrow I'll have to go back home," Angus said. "My wife will be worried if I'm away more than a night or two. Will you come and visit us, Rapunzel, please? I'm sure Jean would like to thank you. We'll be free of debt and able to support ourselves."

"How will you get back to your tower?" Hilda asked.

"Walk," Rapunzel replied. "I might have to stay at an inn for one night but Angus' cart doesn't go much faster than I can walk."

"Won't that be dangerous? An attractive woman walking on her own?" Hilda said.

Rapunzel laughed.

"But I'm not a woman, Hilda. I'm an immortal monster. I'm more dangerous to men than they are to me."

"You haven't behaved like a monster. You've healed Jutta. You're helping me."

"Even monsters can appreciate friends, Hilda. Tomorrow I'll try to get into the Palace to see my friend Prince Johann."

"Will he want to see you, Rapunzel?" Angus asked. "You and your mother treated him badly."

"He won't SEE me, Angus. He can't. But he enjoyed most of his time with us. I didn't blind him. My mother did, and if I can I want to reverse that. Why she did it? I don't know. She must have had a reason. She doesn't do bad things just because she can. Feeding her hair is different. She and I have to do that sometimes but if we stop soon enough it isn't life-threatening. Her hair hurts more than mine does but doesn't kill. Or rather doesn't HAVE to kill. If we are attacked? That's different. We'll react and the attacker will probably die."

"I still find it difficult to think of you as a monster, Rapunzel," Hilda said.

"Angus and Hans had the right reaction to me, Hilda. They were afraid of me. I'm no threat to Hans now. He's too young. But when he's adult? Most women are afraid of me too because of the damage I can do to their men. But you, your children, and Angus are friends. You are safe from me. Even Prince Johann was safe from me as far as his life was concerned."

+++

Early the next morning Angus left to go home. Hilda and the children were working together on plans to restart the tailor's business but Jutta had difficulty concentrating. She wanted to skip, to dance, and to enjoy her healed leg.

Rapunzel made her way to the Palace. She asked a guard if she could talk to the officer of the day. The guard was reluctant but agreed to call his sergeant after Rapunzel have him two silver coins. The sergeant required five silver coins before he took Rapunzel to the guard office.

"Young lady," he said after he had shut the door, "I appreciate the money. I will take you to our officer if that's what you want but I should warn you. He's a nobleman, a rich nobleman. He doesn't take bribes but..."

"But?" Rapunzel prompted.

"He likes pretty young women. What he wants is their bodies, not their money. I shouldn't say this but he's a lecher."

"I'll try to forget that you were the one who told me," Rapunzel said. "I'll still like to see him, please."

"I have warned you," the sergeant said.

"You have, and I appreciate that, but I need to see him."

"Very well." The sergeant stood up. "Please don't blame me for whatever he does."

"I won't, Sergeant."

Rapunzel followed him along a passageway. The sergeant knocked on the door and waited to be told to come in. He put his head around the door.

"A young lady wishes to see you, Sir," he said.

Rapunzel heard the officer's voice.

"Is she pretty?"

"Yes, sir, very."

"Then send her in."

The sergeant stood aside and motioned for Rapunzel to enter the room. She walked in. The officer stood up. The sergeant shut the door.

"Well, young lady? You wanted to see me? Why?"

"I want to talk to Prince Johann, Sir."

"Prince Johann? He went missing months ago."

"And now he's back," Rapunzel retorted.

"Is he?"

"Yes. He's back and he's blind."

The officer looked at Rapunzel quizzically.

"Is he now? You're sure of your facts?"

"Yes. Prince Johann is back in the Palace but he's blind."

"If I believe you, what do I get in exchange for taking you to Princess Eleanor?"

"Princess Eleanor? Who's she?"

"Princess Eleanor is looking after Prince Johann. They became engaged recently. No one else would look at her and he can't."

"I don't understand, Sir."

"You will when and if you see Princess Eleanor. But what do I get first?"

Rapunzel sighed. She lifted the front of her skirt above her knees. The officer's eyes dropped.

"Ah. Yes. That could be a satisfactory payment. Follow me."

The officer walked into another room. There was a prominent bed. The officer pushed Rapunzel on to the bed. She lay back and hitched up her skirt to show her blonde bush.

"There you are. I get to see the Princess. You get what you think you want."

The officer wasn't listening. He shed his clothes as fast as he could before climbing on top of Rapunzel. His hands stroked her bush for a minute or two before he lifted himself to penetrate her. Rapunzel's legs spread further. He didn't notice that her hair was wriggling around her head. As he plunged deeper Rapunzel's hair slowly wrapped itself across his back and legs. He pumped harder. He gasped as Rapunzel's hair clamped across him.

He was forced further inside Rapunzel than he had been inside any woman. He tried to pull back. Her hair stopped him. He tried to lift himself with his arms. The hair lashed around them, tying his arms to his body as he slumped with his head beside Rapunzel's. His protest was stifled by a hair gag tightly wrapped around his mouth. He ejaculated helplessly into Rapunzel. He was no longer the sexual predator but Rapunzel's victim. She sighed with pleasure as her hair started to drink blood from his naked body. His futile struggles slowly subsided as he knew that he could not get free.

"Now, Sir," Rapunzel whispered to his ear, "You have had what you wanted. So have I. If I get to see Princess Eleanor I'll let you free. If not?"

Some of her hair flexed around his neck and squeezed.

"You'll die? Is that clear?"

The officer nodded his head as much as he could. He had limited movement but the nodding was repeated.

"I see the Princess?"

The nodding was more frantic.

"Good."

Rapunzel relaxed the noose around his neck. She moved so that she was sitting up looking down at his body tightly wrapped in golden hair. She uncovered his mouth so he could talk even if he was face-down on the bed.

"Who are you?" his muffled voice asked.

"A better question, Sir," Rapunzel's voice was mocking, "would be 'what are you?'. I'm not a defenceless human female. I'm a Gorgon's child and you, Sir, are my victim. You'll live but be more careful in future. Not everyone is what they look like."

"You won't harm the Princess or the Prince?"

"I won't harm them in any way. I promise."

"If I thought you would, I'd rather die than take you to see the Princess."

"I'm pleased you have that much respect for your duty but the only person at risk is you. You still are. Betray me and I could kill you in seconds. Understood?"

"Yes."

Rapunzel released the officer.

"Get dressed," she ordered.

He dressed himself frantically.

"That won't do," Rapunzel said. "Look in the mirror. You're supposed to be a guard officer not a sloppily dressed private. Sort yourself out."

He rearranged his tunic, combed his hair, and refastened his trousers.

"OK," he said. "We'll go to see Princess Eleanor. I'll have to wait outside the door to take you back to the gate."

Rapunzel followed him. He stopped to put his head around another door.

"Ralph? Can you stand in for me for about half an hour? I have to escort a lady."

"A lady? You dirty dog! Yes, but you'll owe me."

They went on through the Palace's corridors and down a flight of stairs. They seemed to be in the basement. The officer knocked at an inconspicuous door.

"Stay here," he whispered to Rapunzel.

A female voice said "Enter".

The officer went in, shutting the door behind him. Rapunzel waited a couple of minutes. He opened the door again and came out.

"You can go in. I'll be waiting out here until you've finished."

Rapunzel walked into the room. A woman was sitting with her back to the door.

"Stay there. Don't come any further. What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you and to Prince Johann," Rapunzel replied.

"To my fiancé? Why?"

"Because I might be able to help him get his sight back, Princess Eleanor."

"And if I don't want him to get his sight back? What then?"

"Why wouldn't you want the Prince to have his sight back?" Rapunzel was startled.

"Because then he might not want me as his fiancée. He can't see me so he doesn't know what I look like. If he could? Would he want me?"

Princess Eleanor stood up and turned around. Rapunzel winced involuntarily. Eleanor's face was disfigured by scar tissue. The end of her nose was missing with the nostrils enlarged and almost flat to her face.

"He likes my turned-up nose. Do you? Who are you? Who?"

"I'm Rapunzel, Euryale's daughter."

"Rapunzel!" Princess Eleanor almost shrieked and then started hysterical laughter. It took Eleanor a couple of minutes before she could speak again.

"Why would he want to talk to you? Your mother blinded him."

"Did she say why?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, Princess Eleanor, it does. My mother doesn't do things without a reason. I don't know why she blinded Prince Johann but I think she must have told him why. Has he told you?"

"Yes, he has. I think we do need to talk, Rapunzel."

Princess Eleanor clapped her hands. A woman servant put her head cautiously around a door.

"Tell the officer standing outside the door, from me, that he is to come back in two hours time."

"Yes Ma'am," the servant said with a curtsey.

"Then bring us some tea."

"Yes Ma'am." The servant went out through the door Eleanor had come in.

"Sit down facing me, Rapunzel. I don't often talk to people face to face. It upsets them. I feel like upsetting you."

Rapunzel sat down.

"It won't upset me," Rapunzel said. "It was a shock the first time but not now. How...?"

"...did it happen? I was a toddler and I escaped from my nurse. I found my way to my Palace's kitchens and tipped over a pot of boiling water. My face took almost all of it. My layers of clothing protected my body but not my hands."

Eleanor held out her hands. Like her face they were a mass of scar tissue.

"If I hadn't been the fifth daughter they might have taken more care of me but one of my older sisters was having a tantrum and all the servants' attention was on her. They didn't notice me slipping away."

The tea was brought in. The servant poured two cups before leaving.

"If you or I want more than one cup I'll have to summon a servant or ask you to pour. My hands aren't steady enough."

"Thank you. One will probably be enough. Can we talk your about your fiancé and my mother?"

"OK," Princess Eleanor sighed, "If we must. My family and Prince Johann's thought we should be suitable partners even when we were very young. It wasn't fixed. It was just a possibility that might work when we were adults. My accident changed that. I was no longer acceptable as a wife and potential Queen. Princesses and Queens are expected to be beautiful. I'm not and can't be. When Prince Johann came back blind his parents were horrified. He couldn't be a blind King. But because he was blind he wouldn't know what I look like. Our parents resurrected the match between me and Johann. A blind Prince wouldn't know that I was a disfigured Princess. We could be happy together, perhaps, even if no longer as rulers. I was brought to this Palace in a closed coach and met Johann again. We get on reasonably well, perhaps better than most of the nobility in arranged marriages.

Johann likes my voice. He knows I'm scarred but he doesn't know what I look like. He likes my gentle touch. He even likes my snub nose."