Lady in the Tower_Rapunzel (Tangled Tales Book 5) Read online

  Lady in the Tower (Rapunzel)

  Tangled Tales Series - Book 5

  Elizabeth Rose

  RoseScribe Media Inc.

  Copyright © 2018 by Elizabeth Rose Krejcik

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual organizations or persons living or deceased is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without the author’s written permission.

  Cover created by Elizabeth Rose Krejcik

  Edited by Scott Moreland

  Contents

  Authors Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  From the Author

  About Elizabeth

  Excerpt from A Perfect Fit (Cinderella)

  Excerpt from Dragon and the Dreamwalker

  Also by Elizabeth Rose

  Authors Note

  This is Book 5 in my Tangled Tales Series. The de Bar siblings have been cursed by the old witch, Hecuba. One by one, the siblings are learning to overcome their shortcomings while they find love, and break the curses along the way.

  Of course, it is better to read the books in order, but each book also stands alone. These are twisted, tangled, romantic, and very paranormal retellings of the age-old fairy tales you probably remember from childhood.

  Here is the list of the entire series.

  Lady and the Wolf – Book 1, (Red Riding Hood)

  Just a Kiss – Book 2, (Frog Prince)

  Beast Lord – Book 3, (Beauty and the Beast)

  Touch of Gold – Book 4, (Rumpelstiltskin)

  Lady in the Tower – Book 5, (Rapunzel)

  A Perfect Fit – Book 6, (Cinderella)

  Heart of Ice – Book 7, (Snow Queen) – coming soon

  The books are also available as paperbacks, and will all be in audiobook format soon.

  Thank you,

  Elizabeth Rose

  Chapter 1

  Hanging by her long braid and swinging from the tower, Rapunzel de Bar hurriedly lowered herself to the ground. She barely dared to breathe, hoping Hecuba wouldn’t notice she tried to escape. Lightning slashed across the sky, lighting up the tall, stone tower in an eerie bluish glow. Thunder rumbled in the distance, sounding like the low growl of an angry giant. It would be only minutes before the sky split open and rain came pelting down. She had to hurry!

  “I knew this wretched curse had to be good for something,” she said aloud to herself, never having anyone but the witch to talk to since she’d been imprisoned in the tower. “I’ll show the old hag no one can keep me locked up and treated this way.” Rapunzel had cleverly tied the end of her very long braid around the bedpost in the tower. Then she used her hair as a rope. Climbing out the window, she rappelled downward, making her way to the rocky earth below.

  With no doors and only one window in the tower, she had no other means of escape. This had to work. Waiting for her brothers to save her had become tiresome. They were taking much too long. Besides, it wasn’t as if a knight in shining armor were going to ride up and rescue her. Nay, she decided if no one were coming to her rescue, she would just save herself.

  The witch had, thankfully, left her alone for the time being. Rapunzel could only hope in the light of the moon she’d be able to find her way in the night back to Castle Fane in Slapton. That’s where she’d last seen her brothers Hugh, Arnon, and Stefan. Or possibly, she could make her way to the last place the old witch had her hidden at Breckenridge Castle before bringing her here. She’d seen her brothers, MacKay and Stefan, arrive at the gate of Breckenridge in a failed attempt at rescue. She’d called out to them but was whisked away by Hecuba before her brothers could make their way to her.

  “I’m almost there,” she said aloud, looking to the ground that was still a good body’s length or more away from her. Her hair was long, but not quite long enough to reach down the entire length of the tower.

  With one arm wrapped around her blond braid to support her weight, she reached into her boot with her free hand and grabbed the pair of shears she had hidden there. Her only hope was that wherever Hecuba was right now, she wasn’t gazing into that mirror of hers. If so, Rapunzel’s escape would no longer be secret. No one could hide from the witch’s magic mirror.

  “It’s not going to hurt,” she told herself, eyeing up the hard, jagged earth below, trying to convince herself it was true. Rapunzel decided to stay positive in this dire situation.

  Opening the shears and placing the sharp edges against her hair, she prepared to cut herself free. The beating of her heart echoed in her ears even louder than the distant thunder.

  As she prepared to snip her locks, she heard the sound of hoofbeats pounding the earth, coming right toward her. Dangling like a limp rag doll in the air, she curiously watched the scene unfold. Unfortunately, her luck became worse when the sky opened up and released a torrential downpour. It was the last thing she needed.

  One rider on horseback sped past beneath her, and another followed right behind him. Closing her eyes, she squeezed the shears against her braid, severing the hair in two. Down she fell, crashing into the second rider, managing to land atop the horse instead of the ground. Her fall had been broken! Rapunzel’s eyes sprang open. Her arms flayed wildly, grabbing for the man that sat in front of her on the horse as she tried to regain her balance.

  The force of knocking into the man sent both of them tumbling to the cold, wet ground. Rapunzel gasped as the horse reared up and pawed the air. The animal cast a shadow from the moonlight, threatening to come crashing down on her. It would have landed right on her if the man hadn’t rolled over the ground and pulled her out of the way with him. The horse’s hooves crashed down right next to her head. With eyes opened wide in terror, Rapunzel held her breath.

  “Bid the devil,” the stranger ground out. With both of them tangled in his long, black cloak, she found it nearly impossible to move. Rain continued to fall like a barrage of arrows, soaking them to the skin. The next crack of thunder was so close that it spooked the horse.

  The horse whinnied, and turned and ran away in the dark.

  “Nay! Come back here, you stubborn nag,” screamed the man, ripping his cloak out from under her and jumping to his feet. He took two strides, starting to go after the mare but stopped in his tracks when he realized it was no good. He’d never catch the animal in the storm.

  “You!” he spat, pointing an accusing finger at her next as he stomped toward her. His booted feet splashed in the puddles of water that were quickly accumulating on the ground.

  His hood slipped off his head, enabling her to see his features in the moonlight. Short, black, curly hair glistened in the rain. Water dripped down his face from a strand hanging over his eye. His craggy brows made his features look menacing. And the stubble on his chiseled jaw told her he hadn’t shaved in days. “It’s your fault I lost not only my horse but also my bounty.”

>   “Bounty?” she asked, pushing up to her knees, looking for her shears in case she needed to use them for protection. “Who were you chasing?”

  One strong hand clasped around her arm as he dragged her to her feet. Dark eyes the color of weathered blackthorn drilled into her. “You’re a girl!” he spat as if the idea not only surprised but also disgusted him.

  “Good of you to notice.” She pushed back her shoulder-length hair. It felt freeing to be rid of all that weight. But even with her hair mostly gone now, that wouldn’t last long. Every time she cut it off, it grew back longer and even stronger than before. This was the curse she’d been saddled with, thanks to the evil witch, Hecuba. The witch tortured Rapunzel’s father, warlock Lucio de Bar, by using his children to get to him.

  “Where did you come from, anyway?” He looked up at the tower window, shielding his eyes from the pouring rain. “What is this?” The man walked over to the single turret, perusing her severed braid swinging back and forth in the wind. It hung out of the open window. He jumped up, trying to touch it, but it was out of his reach.

  “I’m sorry, Sir Bounty Hunter, but I have no time to talk.” Rapunzel didn’t need to explain herself to strangers. It would only waste her precious time. Seeing he wasn’t a threat, she found the shears on the ground and slipped them back into the top of her boot.

  “My name is Sir Marco Drago del Rossi the Third. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”

  “No, sorry.”

  “But I’m the best bounty hunter in all England.”

  “The answer is still, no. Now, I’ve got to run.” She turned to go, but his fingers clasped around her wrist like a vise. When she glanced back over her shoulder, he was clenching his jaw.

  “Are you sure you haven’t heard of me? My family roots trace back to Italy for many generations.”

  “Nay, your name means nothing to me. I haven’t heard of you or your family, and neither do I care. Now let me go. I don’t have time for this.” She struggled against his hold, but he pulled her back to him once more and spoke in a low voice.

  “Do you mean to tell me you know nothing about . . . my kind?”

  “Your kind?” She perused him from head to foot. He was dressed in leather warrior’s attire that looked more like an ancient gladiator than a knight. “Do you mean men who are not brave enough to fight for the king, so they run after criminals to collect bounties instead?”

  “Nay.” A muscle in his jaw ticked in aggravation. Drops of rain trailed a crooked path down his cheek, but he did nothing to wipe them away. “I’m brave, I assure you. I told you I am a Drago.”

  “I’m not even sure what that means, but my guess is you’re a fallen knight who has turned to mercenary behavior, sold out for coin.”

  “You know nothing of my circumstances and should not be talking so brashly to a Dragon Lord.”

  “Dragon Lord?” She burst out laughing. This man was out of his mind. “There are no such things as dragons or men who control them. You are a fool if you think for one second I’m going to believe it. I still don’t even believe you’re a knight, though you used the title of Sir in your name.”

  “All right, so I’m not a knight,” he admitted, dropping his hand from her wrist. “However, my father was one, and I should be titled as well.”

  “I see. Then, you’re naught more than a bounty hunter after all.”

  He seemed to ponder the thought for a moment, and a look of disappointment washed over him, changing his demeanor. But then he held up his hand and shoved it close to her face. “Take a look at that,” he said as if he were waiting for a specific reaction. She sighed and took his hand, seeing a mark on the back that looked like a burn or perhaps a wound that hadn’t healed. It was purple and unsightly.

  “That’s odd. What is that ugly mark?” she asked, moving his hand from side to side. She wrinkled her nose as she perused it from all angles.

  “Not that!” He made a fist and showed her his knuckles. “I’m talking about this.” He wore a large ring on his pointer finger made of gold. Rapunzel found it intriguing, as it looked like nothing she had ever seen before. She moved his hand in the moonlight to inspect it. The ring consisted of a thick, ornate band with what looked like claws holding a round green and yellow marbled stone. In the center was an oblong, black spot. The whole thing reminded her of an eyeball.

  “I see,” she said with a smirk and a nod, knowing her jest would be wasted on him. He didn’t look scholarly at all, but more of a warrior who lived by brute force alone. “I suppose next you’re going to tell me that this is the eye of a dragon. Did you want me to start shaking in my boots? It won’t happen because I am not afraid of you or anyone, Sir Dragon Lord.”

  “My name is Marco Drago del Rossi the Third,” he corrected her, this time leaving out the title of Sir.

  “I heard you the first time you rambled off that ridiculous name.” She dropped his hand and turned on her heel. Lifting the hem of her gown, she trudged through the mud, heading deeper into the woods. She had to make distance between her and the tower. The heavy footsteps of the odd man following her rang out as he crashed noisily through the foliage like a bull in heat.

  “My name is not ridiculous. By the way, what is your name, Lady of the Tower?” he asked.

  “Lady of the Tower?” She stopped and turned around, amused by his little name for her. Perhaps the stranger had a playful side to him after all. Her eyes swept the area watching for the witch. The Dragon Lord had distracted her and slowed down her escape, even though she did enjoy his company. Locked away in the tower, she always felt so alone. Still, if she didn’t hurry, Hecuba would be coming after her, having seen her in the magic mirror. Mayhap, this man wasn’t as worthless as he looked and could help her escape even if he didn’t seem very brave or knightly.

  “If you must know, my name is Lady Rapunzel de Bar. The first,” she added as an afterthought with a sarcastic grin. “Now, are you going to help me escape or not? Because if not, you’re only slowing me down.”

  “Must I remind you that because of your foolishness, I no longer have a horse? Did you expect me to carry you to safety on my back? Who are you running from? Perhaps if I knew more facts, I’d be more apt to want to save a damsel in distress.” He scanned the area as he spoke.

  “There is no bounty on my head if that’s what you’re wondering,” she told him. “If you help me, there will be no money involved. Let’s get that straight right now.” The rain continued to pour down on them, soaking her gown and sending a shiver up her spine.

  “Then what is my motivation for risking my neck to help you?” He had the nerve to lift his palms in the air and shrug his shoulders. Aye, the man was naught but a louse after all.

  “Excuse me for even thinking you might help a lady in need solely out of the kindness of your heart,” she retorted.

  “Everyone has their price, my lady. Don’t fool yourself. No one is going to help you if there isn’t something in it for them.”

  “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t need or want your help, so excuse me for even mentioning it in the first place.” She took off at a run through the forest, trying to get away from not only the tower and the witch, but now this fool as well.

  Rapunzel hadn’t gone far before she felt the sickening stretching of her hair as it started to grow. The tendrils reached out from her cut hair like worms searching for the earth. Running faster didn’t seem to help matters at all because, within seconds, the length of her hair reached her feet. Like some kind of sea monster on shore, the tendrils spread out over the rocky ground in all directions.

  It yanked her backward, making her cry out in pain. Her hand flew to her head to try to keep from being pulled in multiple directions at once.

  “Wait, Rapunzel,” called out the man named Marco, stopping suddenly in his tracks when he saw her curse in action. As if her hair was an entity of its own, the tendrils reached down and wrapped tightly around tree trunks and rocks to hold her in place. It even embedded itse
lf into the ground like roots. A prisoner of her own hair, Rapunzel was kept from moving or escaping. Her heart sank to know her actions tonight were all for naught.

  “God’s eyes, what am I seeing?” Marco squawked, unsheathing his sword and swiping his blade at the tendrils of hair.

  “Nay, don’t,” she warned him, holding out her hand, but it was too late. The strand of hair he cut made a hissing noise. The part still connected to her head recoiled, then lashed out for him next. “Go!” she shouted. “You must leave here at once before Hecuba finds you. She’ll punish anyone who tries to help me.”

  “Hecuba?” he asked, doing some fancy footwork to avoid the creeping hair that swirled over the ground raising up in front of him like an adder getting ready to strike.

  Tears formed in Rapunzel’s eyes. She wasn’t one to cry easily, but couldn’t go on living this way. There wasn’t a day gone by that she didn’t regret her decision of leaving the safety of the nunnery where her brothers had put her to keep her hidden from Hecuba’s magic. She had hated living in solitude with only nuns but, mayhap, it was the lesser of two evils after all. Staying at the convent kept her from having the decent life of a lady, but being Hecuba’s prisoner was a fate worse than death. And lonelier, too.

  “She’s coming,” Rapunzel whispered, feeling the witch’s presence. “Please, leave here immediately.”

  “I am not a coward,” he protested. “I will prove it by staying to help you.” He raised his sword in the air, getting ready to strike at her hair again. Why had he chosen this moment to start acting like a warrior?