My Name is Rapunzel
PART ONE
CHAPTER ONE
1763
“Yes, I'll marry you, Henry. Yes!” The tiny squeal escaped my lips. If only I could remain the proper, reserved young lady I was brought up to be, but the excitement was too much. Engaged? At eighteen? To the man of my dreams? A future king, no less? How could I possibly stand still and remain poised as mother would have expected? I bounced on my toes and slung my arms around Henry's neck, pulling his towering form level with mine.
“Oh, Rapunzel.” Henry's voice groaned as his hands sought comfort on the sides of my face. He gazed into my eyes with such fervor I could nearly feel it with every passing beat of my heart. We were dangerously close, nearly one entity, as we would be for the rest of our lives.
The warmth of his breath collided with the wintry nature of night in soft, white puffs that formed clouds around my face. His fingertips trailed across my cheek and then my lips, hinting at what was sure to come next. Would he kiss me? Surely, this occasion demanded a kiss.
Oh, no. I’d not be able to stall our first kiss a moment longer. I longed for a sneeze, a coughing episode, perhaps even a swooping bird to distract us from the heated moment that would soon claim my virgin lips.
I held my breath and bit my lower lip. Maybe, just maybe, Henry wouldn't want to marry me after we shared the intimacy of a kiss. Especially once he knew I had yet to discover that bliss in my life. He would be horrified to know that no man had ever before found me worthy of affection.
Should I tell him? What if he laughed? What if he thought I was pathetic in my innocence? He might assume that since no one else had taken an interest in me, there must be something wrong with me. Would he run from me, chased into the forest ahead by an unseen tormenter?
I saw only deep longing in his rich brown eyes as he leaned in toward me. The sweet smell of mulled cider danced on his breath. What should I do? Squeeze my lips together? Part them in invitation? Was there a strategy or certain rules to follow? If I kissed him and he pulled away from me, rejected me, I'd surely die.
He had to know.
***
Oh, my sweet Rapunzel. I gazed into her beautiful blue eyes. So innocent. So tender. To think I’d be the only man who would ever touched that face.
Dare I smile as she strained her timid mouth to reach mine? So desperate for that first kiss, yet so afraid.
Desperation for a kiss was no strange feeling to me. I wanted it as badly as she. But savoring this moment was delectable…precious. It could never be reclaimed.
Rapunzel’s shoulders trembled beneath my firm grip. A look of confusion passed across her face. If I waited too long, she’d think I had second thoughts. I drank in the sight of her full lips. When I’d first realized that I’d be the only man to ever touch those lips…I knew she had to be mine.
A lifetime of kisses awaited us.
I leaned my face closer and inhaled the flowery smell of her breath.
She shifted her feet, much like a pent-up horse with the promise of a run. I must let my colt out of the stable.
I looked into her eyes and offered a soft smile of promise. We faced many challenges, Rapunzel and I, but none of that mattered. We’d have to face them together, and we would. Happily. But what was it that made my parents so angry about our union ? They promised to force me from the throne if I married her. Did they have the power? No, that was a question for the magistrates. I wouldn’t even think about that on this day. Nothing would deter me from marrying my love. Not a throne. Not a kingdom.
I pressed my lips to hers. Shock bounced through my nerves as our skin touched.
Neither life nor death would ever separate us.
***
I opened my mouth to voice the words of my innocence—words I feared would cost me my true love—but before I could utter a single one to explain myself, I was silenced by the gentle crushing of his lips against mine. Like soft footsteps on rose petals. I closed my eyes and the sounds of the forest disappeared.
Weightlessness. I could float away, past the clouds and beyond the moon. Why had I put this off for so long rather than allowing Henry to kiss me long ago? But maybe it would never before have been as sweet as it was in that moment, because this instant was perfect for love.
Henry slowly pulled away, still cupping my face and savoring every second. He whispered, “A happy life is having you as my wife. If I die today, I'll die a happy man.”
He still loved me. He didn’t recognize my inexperience. He didn’t cast me aside as unlovable or assume others had. How could I not have smiled at that?
“Nothing could take this feeling from me, not now, not ever. I'll always remember this moment for as long as I live.” As if that wasn't enough to last a lifetime, he added, “I love you.”