She moved the chair, placing it in a pool of sunlight, and would have moved the table as well, but it was so heavy that she couldn’t budge it. After collecting a few dozen strands of hair, she took them with her to the chair. The sun was high in the sky when she began to braid them. When she had braided three-quarters of their length, she knotted more strands to the braid and began to braid them in as well. By the time the sun set, the hair rope was long, yet still not long enough for what she needed.
The night was mild and the sky was clear, so she didn’t bother to close the shutters. After a quick meal, she wrapped herself in a blanket and lay down so that she could look out the window at the same stars she saw from her bedroom window at home. The familiar sight made her feel a little less lost and alone.
Even before Annie ate anything the next morning, she returned to braiding the hair. She worked with a frenzy that made her clumsy at times, so she had to slow down and undo some of the plaiting more than once. Intent on her work, she didn’t hear her visitor at first.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel,” he called again. “Let down your hair!”
Annie dropped the braid and jumped to her feet. Whoever this was, perhaps he would help her get out of the tower. She ran to the window and leaned over the ledge to see a young man standing down below with his cap in one hand and a bouquet in the other.
“I’m beginning to get a picture of this girl Rapunzel,” Annie muttered to herself. “Rapunzel isn’t here,” she shouted to the young man. “Tell me, is she a princess from a local kingdom?”
“Is this a trick question?” the young man called back. “My darling Rapunzel isn’t a princess. She’s the beautiful daughter of two peasants and was brought up by an evil witch in this very tower. Now how about letting down your hair so I can come up and spend the day with my beloved. Tell her that Prince Ludlow has arrived.”
“I already told you, she isn’t here.”
“What do you mean she isn’t here? It’s Thursday. I’m sure she’s expecting me.”
“She’s gone. I’ve looked everywhere and I can tell you with absolute certainty that I am the only one here.”
Even from a distance, the young man looked disappointed. He held the flowers as if he was about to throw them away, but then he paused and glanced up at Annie again. “I don’t suppose that you could let your hair down and—”
“No! My hair isn’t long enough. Let me guess, you don’t have a ladder.”
“Why no, I’ve never needed one.”
Annie sighed. “And you don’t have any other way to get up or down, do you?”
The young man shook his head.
“Listen, Your Highness,” said Annie. “I’m stuck in this tower and I need to get out. Do you think you could come back tomorrow with a ladder or whatever you need to get me down from here?”
“Actually, I have plans with my wife tomorrow. Thursday is my day to visit Rapunzel. We’ve had a standing appointment for years.”
Annie laughed to herself. “This just gets better and better. Did Rapunzel know that you’re married?” she called down to the young man.
“The subject never came up,” he said, sounding stiff and angry. “It’s obvious that I’m wasting my time here,” he added, and turned to walk away.
“Wait!” called Annie. “If you happen to see a young man named Liam, please tell him that Princess Annie is in this tower and needs to be rescued!”
“Rescue yourself!” Prince Ludlow shouted back. Dashing the flowers to the ground, he stalked back to where he’d tied up his horse.
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to do,” Annie murmured as she returned to the chair and picked up the hair rope again.
Annie worked on the braid for the rest of the day, and went to sleep that night with only a little more to do. Excited and nervous, she didn’t sleep well and got up as the first rays of the sun peeped over the ledge of the easternmost window. It didn’t take long for her to finish the braid, knotting the end in a circle just big enough for her foot.
The braid was as thick as two of her fingers and held up well when she tested it, so she tied her own hair back, hitched up her skirts, and carried the rope to the table. Running the rope around a table leg, she stuck her foot in the circle she’d made and wrapped the braid around her waist, just as Liam had taught her to do outside the ogre’s castle. Then, perched on the windowsill, she dangled her legs over the edge and dropped the other end of the braid. It fell in a golden coil, unfurling down the side of the tower until the end lay draped across the ground.
Annie swallowed hard. The ground looked far away now. If she were to slip or make a wrong move … Resolving not to look down again, she grasped the dangling rope with both hands and lowered herself down the wall. The first few yards went well, but her arms soon began to shake and she had to force herself to keep going.
Annie was nearly halfway down when she heard a horse and rider below her, but she didn’t dare look. With her breath rasping in her throat and her heart racing, all she could do was focus on working her way hand under hand down the rope. She had nearly reached the ground when a pain of strong arms wrapped around her waist and lowered her the rest of the way.
“I thought I’d lost you for good,” said a familiar voice, and Annie looked up into Liam’s eyes. “Was it too terrible?” he asked, glancing up at the tower.
“You have no idea,” she replied, letting her head rest against him. “So who told you where to find me—Mortimer or Ludlow?”
“Neither,” he said, sounding confused. “Actually, I found the men who kidnapped you. They were happy enough to tell me where you were once I’d tied them up and offered to shorten their miserable lives.”
Annie smiled, even though he couldn’t see it. “You do have a way with words.”
CHAPTER 14
ANNIE TURNED IN HER SADDLE to look behind her, but they had ridden far enough that she could no longer see the tower above the tops of the trees. When she was facing forward again, it occurred to her that something wasn’t quite right. “Are you sure this is the way to Treecrest? The sun is in front of us. That means we’re headed west.”
“We’re taking a short detour,” said Liam. “There’s another prince I want you to meet.”
Annie tugged on her reins, making her horse stop short. “But I need to get to Treecrest as soon as possible. I should be there already. The princes are probably waiting for me.”
“And they’ll continue to wait,” Liam said. He rode up beside her so that their knees were touching. Leaning across the space between them, he rested his hand on hers and squeezed it gently. Annie looked up, flustered, and felt her face redden when he looked into her eyes and added, “I swear that this is important. I wouldn’t ask you to do it otherwise.”
Annie had to clear her throat to speak. “How far away is this prince?”
“We’ll reach his castle before dark. We can spend the night there and leave for Treecrest in the morning.”
“Who is the prince?”
“His name is Clarence. He’s the crown prince of Dorinocco … and he’s my brother.”
“You mean you feel a special kinship with him? What did he do, save your life, or did you save his?”
Liam shook his head. “Nothing like that. I mean he’s my actual brother. We have to go see him, but I thought you should know who I am before we get there.”
“That doesn’t make sense! You were a guard in my parents’ castle, and you’ve been guarding me for the last few days. Why would a prince pretend to be a guard? Oh, I get it! We’re going to pretend that you’re a prince while we’re there, just like we pretended that I was a boy when we went to Shimshee.”
“That’s not at all what I meant,” Liam said, letting go of her hand as he sat back in his saddle. “I really am a prince! I know I may not look like one, certainly not like Clarence. He’s the handsome one.”
“So you and Clarence are like Gwennie and me? One of you got all the magic gifts and the other is normal?”
r /> “Sort of,” said Liam.
Annie nodded. “I see. It isn’t that you want to pretend to be a prince now—you were pretending to be a guard all along. Congratulations. Everyone in Treecrest believed you. Why were you there? To spy on us? I feel so stupid!” She was angry, too, and the more she thought about how close they’d become and how much she’d trusted him, the madder she grew.
“I wasn’t there to spy on you!” said Liam. “My intentions were never anything but good.”
“Really?” said Annie. “Then why didn’t you tell us the truth?”
“Because I couldn’t,” Liam replied. “I wanted to tell you. Lying to you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.” He looked so sincere and earnest that Annie found herself wanting to believe him. But if he hadn’t told her who he really was, what else hadn’t he told her?
Annie thought the castle was beautiful. Located on the top of a high hill, it offered its occupants an uninterrupted view of the surrounding countryside. It was riddled with so many slender towers and swooping archways that the entire white-stone structure looked light enough to float away. Even the gates were a sparkling white and looked as fragile as lace. Annie could hear their magic singing as she passed below them. Curious, she reached out a tentative hand and touched the white metal, which immediately turned a dull gray. She had thought the magic made them strong, but it really just masked their true appearance.
Liam rode ahead of her to speak with the guards by the steps leading into the castle keep, and though she couldn’t hear what they said, she saw them bow their heads in deference before one of them turned and hurried into the castle. When the prince dismounted, stable boys rushed to take his horse’s reins.
Liam’s manner had changed as they’d approached the castle, and he now had the regal bearing of a prince, with his back straight and his head held high. He came to help Annie down from her horse, looking as if he wanted to say something, but a young man in his late teens arrived, distracting them both. He was one of the most handsome men Annie had ever seen, with hair the color of sunlight and vivid blue eyes that reminded her more than a little of her sister’s.
“Liam!” said the young man. “Where have you been? I was hoping we’d seen the last of you, but Father has been talking about sending out a search party. He’s been waiting for you to return ever since—”
“Clarence,” Liam interrupted, “I’d like you to meet Princess Annabelle of Treecrest, the second daughter to King Halbert and Queen Karolina.” Taking Annie’s hand in his, Liam led her toward the young man.
“Whatever possessed you to bring her here?” demanded an older woman, who had followed Prince Clarence out the door.
“I have my reasons,” Liam said. “Annie, this is my mother, Queen Lenore. I thought it was time you met.”
“You’d better have a good explanation,” said the queen, and she turned to go back into the castle.
Annie held Liam’s hand as he escorted her inside, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes now and then. She saw the guarded way he looked at his mother and brother, and thought it would be better not to try to talk to him again as long as they were around. Following the queen up the steps and down a long, airy corridor, they entered the Great Hall. Two wooden statues of armed soldiers flanked the door with other statues standing at attention below the tapestries that hung on the walls. It was an impressive room and far grander than the Great Hall in Treecrest.
The queen stopped at a table and pointed at the bench beside it. “You will wait here,” she ordered Annie. “I wish to speak with my son alone.”
The queen’s manner would have been enough to make Annie dislike her, but she liked the woman even less when she saw the look of scorn she cast at Liam. Annie didn’t think any mother should look at her son that way. She felt a pang of sympathy for him as she watched him leave the Hall.
“I wouldn’t want to be him right now,” said Clarence. “Mother doesn’t like surprises. There must be more to you than meets the eye if he was willing to bring you here. You don’t look like much, certainly not like any princess I’ve ever met.”
“Really? You look like a typical prince.”
Clarence scowled, just like Gwennie would have if anyone had said that she was less than extraordinary. Annie had to stop herself from smiling; the prince was so much like her sister that she felt as if she already knew him.
“I don’t care what you say; she is a true princess and deserves to be treated like one,” Liam said from the door to the Great Hall. He and his mother had returned and neither one looked happy.
“Then she’ll sleep in the Princess Chamber,” said the queen. “It’s still ready from the last time a so-called princess visited, so we won’t have to go to any extra effort.”
“How thoughtful of you, Mother,” said Liam. His mother didn’t seem to recognize the sarcasm, however.
“You know I always have my boys’ best wishes at heart,” she said, beaming at Clarence.
“Yes, I’m well aware of that,” Liam said, glancing at Clarence as well. “Annie,” he called, seeing her seated at the table. “We have much to talk about.”
“Not tonight, you won’t,” Queen Lenore snapped. “The girl is going to the chamber now. You can talk to her in the morning and then I’ll send her on her way.”
Annie was dismayed. She wanted time alone to talk to Liam. She had so many questions that she wasn’t sure where to begin. Why had he pretended to be a guard? Why had he brought her here? Why was his mother acting as if she didn’t believe Annie was a real princess? Why was Prince Clarence sneering at her again? Did she really want someone like him to contend for her sister’s hand?
The queen tilted her head back so that she was looking down her nose when she finally addressed Annie. “My son insists that you are a true princess and deserving of every courtesy. Therefore, you will be shown to the chamber we reserve for visiting princesses, where you will remain until morning. At that time, I will decide on what course of action we will take next.
“You!” the queen declared, pointing at one of the guards. “Take this girl to the Princess Chamber and make sure that she stays there until I send for her in the morning. And as for you,” she said, turning back to Liam, “our conversation is not over yet!”
The Princess Chamber was partway down a long corridor where the last rays of the setting sun slipped through a tall, narrow window at the far end, providing the only light. Annie was listening for magic when the guard stopped and opened one of the many doors. She had scarcely stepped over the threshold when the door shut behind her and she heard the locking bolt grate home.
Annie frowned. She didn’t like being locked up anywhere, especially after spending so many days imprisoned inside a tower. Hoping to find a second door or some other way to get out, Annie began inspecting the room. Floor-to-ceiling wall hangings divided the front of the room from the back. A small gilded table and three uncomfortable chairs stood on one side of the door, while a tall cupboard rested against the wall on the other. Candelabrum scattered around the room held a wealth of tapered candles. Annie expected to see a normal bed on the other side of the curtain, but when she pushed her way through she was surprised to find a stack of mattresses rising higher than her head.
“They’ve got to be joking!” Annie muttered as she walked around the mattresses, inspecting them from every side. “That woman is crazy if she thinks I’m going to sleep up there.” The mattresses smelled musty and their edges were speckled with mildew. They had obviously been there for a very long time.
The sound of the door scraping open drew Annie back through the curtains to the other side of the room. A maid was setting food on the gilded table. She was laying a rose beside the plate when she looked up and saw Annie. “Good evening, Your Highness. My name is Meg. I’ve brought you your supper. The rose is from Prince Liam. He said to tell you that he’s sorry, although he didn’t tell me what for.”
“Thank you,” said Annie. “And please thank Liam
for me. And while you’re at it, tell him that I can’t possibly sleep on top of a pile of mattresses. I don’t even know how I’d get up there.”
“That’s easy enough,” said Meg, who looked to be about the same age as Annie. “There’s a ladder. Here, I’ll help you set it up.”
Annie followed the girl back through the curtain to where a long wooden ladder lay on the floor under the only window in the room. Metal bars crisscrossed the window, making it impossible to get out that way.
Pushing up her sleeves, Meg reached for the ladder. “Here you go,” she said as she lugged it to the side of the mattresses. “Now you can sleep up there snug as a bug in a rug.”
Annie poked one of the mattresses with her finger. A puff of dust wafted toward her face. Coughing, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “I can’t sleep on a stinky old pile of mattresses! You can tell the queen that I said—”
“Oh, but Your Highness, you have to!” said the girl, her eyes opening wide. “The queen expects you to, and if you don’t she’ll take it out on me!”
“I won’t tell her if you won’t,” said Annie. “All I need is a blanket and I’ll be able to sleep down here. This floor can’t be any worse than the one I slept on for the last few nights.”
“Please don’t, Your Highness! What if the queen walks in during the night and sees that you’re not on the mattresses?”
“I suppose she might...,” said Annie.
“Surely you can sleep up there for just one night?” the girl added.
Annie sighed. “I guess so...”
“Good! Then it’s all settled. I’ll be back with a fresh tray in the morning. In the meantime, just call out if you need me. I’m to sleep right outside your door.” The girl smiled as she extinguished most of the candles before bustling out of the room, leaving Annie looking up at the mattresses.
She was testing the first rung of the ladder with her foot when the scent of roast chicken lured her to the table by the door. Although everything looked delicious, the rich, heavy sauces coating the chicken, peas, and baby potatoes kept her from sampling more than a few bites. After a small sip of wine, she set down the goblet. Something must be wrong with her; everything tasted like the herb her nanny had used to help her sleep when she was young. Maybe, she thought, the moldy cheese I ate in the tower makes everything taste funny.