The Rapunzel in a Field of Rapunzels - Part One
Wherein the knight Lady Red Riding Hood meets someone who needs her help...
Hi everyone,
We’re back with another installment in The Red Riding Hood Saga!
This is Part 1 of 2, and the second part will be out next Thursday!
Part One: Julie and Rapunzel
I ate my stew.
After having spent most of the day travelling, I was exhausted.
And so, I had come into this inn, hoping to have a nice meal before getting some sleep.
I had left my bags in my rented room upstairs, and had gone downstairs to the inn's dining hall to eat.
However...
"What sort of pisswater is this, boy?!"
I looked over.
A garishly-dressed man waved a mug of ale at the young man who had just served him.
The two bodyguards next to this seemingly-rich customer stood up and closed in on the server.
"Yeah," one of them said, "don't you bumpkins have anything good to eat around these parts?"
The bodyguard pushed the young man, who stumbled and fell onto the ground.
"I-I'm sorry, sir!" the server said, scared.
I sighed and stood up, about to approach.
The garishly-dressed man laughed, "If you're sorry, then-"
But, before I could even take one step, a woman with a wide-brim hat had stepped forward and poured a mug of ale down the rich dolt's head.
"If you don't like the food and drink," she said, "then maybe you should just leave!"
The two bodyguards turned and looked at their employer in shock.
"What are you two idiots doing?!" their employer yelled, "Get her!"
One of the bodyguards lunged at the woman with the wide-brim hat, but she easily dodged out of the way.
The other bodyguard pulled out a sword, and menacingly said, "Now, why don't you quietly come with us, and we can settle this?"
Scoffing, the woman with the wide-brim hat drew her own sword - a rapier, "Did you think you were the only ones with blades?"
Then, holding the rapier blade close to her mouth, she sang - her brief song reminding me of the operas that I had attended with the princess so long ago.
A stave of musical notes flew out from the singer's mouth, and encircled itself around the rapier's blade.
The bodyguard charged.
The singer flicked her rapier at the bodyguard, and the stave of music shot out.
Then, with another flick of her rapier, the stave wrapped itself around the charging bodyguard's legs.
The bodyguard tripped and crashed into the floor.
"Why, you!" the other bodyguard was about to attack.
I summoned my wolf between them, and it growled at the bodyguard.
The other bodyguard stopped, surprised.
"Enough!" I said, walking over.
"As a knight of this kingdom," the words sounded weird in my mouth, but I continued nonetheless, "I order you to stop!"
The fancy fool eyed me up and down, "You are a knight?"
I summoned my other wolf in front of him.
It bared its fangs and growled.
I drew my own rapier, Wolfsfang, and said, "Would you like to find out?"
"N-No, ma'am!" he answered.
"Good," I said, "Now leave."
"B-But, where will we go?" he asked, "It's the middle of the night!"
I glared at him, "I don't care. Now apologize to everyone here, and leave."
Reluctantly, the rich jackass stood up.
"I-I'm sorry, everyone..." he said, quietly.
"You want to say that a little louder?" the woman with the wide-brim hat said, clearly delighted at the turn of events.
The garish fool looked at me, and I glared back.
"I-I'm sorry, everyone!" he said, almost yelling.
Then, the fool and his bodyguards quickly left the inn.
The inn erupted in cheers.
The singer helped the server up.
"T-Thank you both!" the young man said, "They'd been here for days now, always complaining about something and making a ruckus... We didn't know what to do!"
"Yes, thank you both," the elderly owner said, walking up, "Allow us to repay you - your stay and food will be on the house!"
I looked at the owner, "Thank you, but I couldn't accept-"
The singer interrupted me, "I don't know how noble you knights have to be in this kingdom, but I, for one, could use the free lodgings and food. So thank you, ma chère!"
She shook the owner's hand, and gave me a wink.
Giving up, I bowed my head to the owner and said, "Thank you for your hospitality."
The owner laughed, "Anything for our saviours!"
And with that, the inn's dining hall returned to normal and I went back to finish my meal.
"So," the singer said, sitting down at my table, "you are a knight?"
"Yes," I said, before taking a sip of my stew.
"There is something that I would like your help with," she said, "May I explain?"
I looked at her, exhausted, "Can this wait until the morning?"
She looked at me.
Then, she laughed, "My apologies, I can see that you are very tired."
"Of course, it can wait," she said, "I am staying in the first room after the stairs."
"Please," she said, as she stood up, "find me in the morning when you are ready."
"But, before I go," she said, "may I know your name?"
"Red Riding Hood," I said, "but you may call me Red for short."
"Ah, Lady Red," she said, bowing, "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Julie."
I nodded, "It's nice to meet you as well, Julie."
She smiled. Then, with a small salute, she left.
And so, at long last, I finished my stew in peace.
***
Morning had come.
I prepared for the day, including putting on my red riding hood and strapping my rapier to my hip.
When I was ready, I walked out of my room, preparing to go see Julie.
However, before I was even fully out of my room, the door to Julie's room at the end of the hallway opened.
And out walked... the young man who had been serving us last night?!
The young man turned around, as a barely dressed Julie stepped into view.
"Last night was lovely," she said, leaning against the doorway.
"Y-Yes, it was!" the young man said, embarrassed, "T-Thank you very much!"
Julie laughed, "There's no need to be so embarrassed!"
She leaned in and gave the young man a kiss on the cheek, "In case I don't see you again, mon chéri."
The young man's face blushed even brighter than before.
Then, Julie turned him around and gave his buttocks a light smack, "Now off you go - I have things to do!"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" the young man said.
And he hurried down the stairs - embarrassed, but happy.
Julie looked over, "Oh, Lady Red! I didn't notice you there."
"As you can see, I'm currently not yet ready for the day," she said, giving me a wink, "Please, give me a few minutes, and then I'll meet you downstairs?"
I nodded, jolting myself from what I had just seen, "O-Of course. Please, take your time."
Julie smiled, "Thank you, Lady Red."
She turned and went back into her room, closing the door as I recomposed myself.
***
"Thank you," Julie said to the server, giving him a wink.
The server blushed and hurried away after leaving our breakfast on the table.
"So, Lady Red," Julie said, as she sliced off a piece of ham on her plate, "I need your help - I would like to steal something from a witch."
My hand stopped before it could deliver the bread to my mouth.
I raised an eyebrow, "You know that I'm a knight, right?"
"Yes, yes," Julie said, waving her knife around, "but this is a bad witch, and I want to steal a person from her!"
Julie ate the slice of ham from her fork as I watched her.
"I... I think I would like some more details?" I said, as I ate my piece of bread.
"Ah, good," Julie said, smiling, "the fact that you haven't dismissed me yet, like so many others have done before, is a good sign!"
"Well then," she said, taking a sip of her drink before continuing, "let me tell you my story..."
~~~
On my way wandering through the world, I had travelled to these outskirts of your kingdom, Lady Red.
As you may have gathered, I am not from this kingdom - rather, I am from a nearby region that I would rather not divulge. My apologies.
One day, as I rode on my horse through a forest, I heard a voice singing.
Its enchanting melody enraptured me, so I followed the voice to find its source.
Soon, I would reach a field of rapunzels in the forest, and in the centre of that field of flowers stood a tower.
I looked up, and there she was - the most beautiful woman with the most beautiful voice, leaning against the window and singing her song.
I watched and listened, entranced by her and her song.
And when her song was finished, I rode up to the tower.
"Ma chère," I said, "You sang that beautifully."
"Oh!" the woman said, startled by my appearance, "I hadn't noticed you there."
"But thank you, for enjoying my song," she said, smiling sweetly at me.
Ah, that smile, Lady Red - she had me smitten.
From her window, she looked around, as if trying to find something.
Then, satisfied with her search, she looked at me once more, and asked, "Would you like to join me, so that I may have some company?"
Excitedly, I answered, "Yes, very much so!"
My heart pounded with excitement as I rode around the tower, hoping to find the door.
But, I couldn't find one, and I ended up back under her window.
"M-My apologies," I said, a tinge embarrassed, "I can't seem to find the door to your tower?"
She giggled, "That's because there isn't one."
"Then, how may I..."
My voice trailed off as her beautiful, long hair began to grow even longer.
It continued to grow longer and longer until it reached me. Then, the hair on my end curled up into what looked to be a seat.
"Sit," she said, smiling, "I'll bring you up!"
"Are you sure?" I asked, afraid that I would be too heavy for her hair.
"Don't worry," she said, "you're not the first person that I've used my hair to carry up this way."
And so, I cautiously sat down on the seat of hair.
To my relief, it was surprisingly firm and felt quite strong.
"Hold on!" she said.
And suddenly, I was being lifted up by her hair!
I held on to the rope-like hair next to me to steady myself, surprised to find it quite strong as well.
When I reached her window, she stepped back, and her hair continued to carry me into her room - lifting me through the window and bringing me in.
And that was how she had carried me into her tower.
I slipped off from the seat and stepped onto the floor.
As her hair retracted, I took my hat off and bowed, "Thank you for inviting me in."
She giggled.
"My name is Rapunzel," she said, "What's yours?"
"Julie," I said, smiling, "pleased to meet you."
"And I must say," I said, with a cheeky smirk on my face, "you are, by far, the most beautiful flower in this field."
Rapunzel giggled, her laugh sweetly plucking the strings of my heart.
"Thank you," she said, "You are quite beautiful yourself."
"Please," she said, gesturing to some chairs by a table, "won't you tell me a bit about yourself?"
I won't bore you with all the details about our flirtation, Lady Red.
I will just say that, over tea and biscuits, the sweet and fascinated Rapunzel listened to me as I regaled her with tales from my travels and my past. And, as a former opera singer myself, we bonded over our love of singing.
When the night came, I prepared to leave.
But, as I was preparing to go, sweet Rapunzel grabbed my hand.
Her lovely eyes looked at me longingly, and she said, "Will you... come back tomorrow?"
At that moment, the moonlight shined on her.
I leaned in...
And we kissed.
At that moment, everything fell into place.
I took her by her hand, and led her to the bed.
Then, we spent a wonderful night together.
And no, Lady Red, I won't give you any more details than that, after all-
Oh, your face is telling me that you don't want any more details...
I'll... continue my story.
*ahem*
So, in the morning, as the sunlight shined in through the window, we woke up next to each other.
I looked over at her, and sweet Rapunzel said, "I've never done anything like that before."
I smiled, "Did you enjoy it, ma chérie?"
She looked back at me, and smiled, "I did."
I leaned over to kiss her, but suddenly...
"Oh, Rapunzel!" a singsong voice called out, "Let down your hair for me!"
Rapunzel's eyes widened with panic.
In a frightened whisper, she said, "You have to hide!"
Confused, I began to say, "What? Who's-"
She quickly covered my mouth and raised a finger to her lips.
"Quiet!" she said, in hushed tones, "I'll explain later. Please, you have to hide!"
"Oh, Rapunzel!" the singsong voice called out again, "Don't make mother wait!"
"S-Sorry, mother!" Rapunzel called out as she jolted up from the bed, "Please wait a moment, I am undressed!"
And while that was true, there was no humour to be found in the moment.
"Okay!" the voice replied, its singsong nature unceasing, "But don't take too long!"
Rapunzel jumped out of the bed, and nervously gestured for me to do the same.
Seeing Rapunzel's panic, I quickly got up and gathered my clothes and things, before rushing into the opened closet that Rapunzel had directed me to.
As Rapunzel got dressed, I cracked open the closet door a little, so that I could see who had her so worried.
Rapunzel rushed to the window.
"S-Sorry, mother," she said, as her hair grew longer and stretched down below.
Moments later, Rapunzel had carried another figure into the tower.
At first, this figure seemed to be a woman. However, as I watched her, it appeared to me that she might not have been entirely human.
Perhaps she was a fairy? Or maybe a human who had dipped into the darker magicks? Or perhaps she was something else altogether.
But, whatever she was, I found her unnerving and... inhuman.
So, for simplicity's sake, I'll just call her a witch for now.
"Oh," the witch said, "I noticed a horse wandering around below. Did you have visitors?"
My own eyes widened in panic.
"Oh, um," Rapunzel paused, before answering, "No, mother - the horse seemed to have wandered into the field by itself yesterday. Since there was no one around, I decided to let it stay."
"I-Is that alright, mother?" she asked, nervously.
Rapunzel's 'mother' laughed.
"Of course, my dear!" she said. Then, with a song in her voice, "But only if it doesn't eat my rapunzels!"
"Y-Yes, mother," Rapunzel replied, "I'll make sure to feed it, so that it won't."
"Good girl!" the witch smiled and patted Rapunzel on her head.
"Now then," the witch said, "here is the food and supplies for the week, and the books that you asked for!"
And with a flick of her wrist, thick plant vines began to carry those things in!
"Thank you, mother," Rapunzel said, with a small smile.
The witch looked at Rapunzel.
"What's wrong, my dear?" she said, "Aren't you happy to see me?"
"I-I am," Rapunzel replied, "but, mother, why won't you let me leave this field? Why must I stay in this tower?"
The witch laughed, before answering, "Don't be silly, dear - I've told you so many times before! I traded your parents some rapunzels for you. So now you're my Rapunzel in my field of rapunzels!"
The witch giggled delightfully at her own jest.
"Then why let visitors come?" Rapunzel asked, her voice full of sadness and desperation, "And why chase them away once you've discovered them?"
"Well, my dear," the witch said, with a wide, devilish grin on her face, "the point of having an object in your collection... is so that others may covet what they don't have!"
The witch giggled again, pleased with herself.
"But, mother," Rapunzel tried again, "my life has been spent whiling my time away here. There is a bigger world out there, and I want to see it!"
At that, the witch turned angry.
"You ungrateful child!" the witch yelled, "Did I not feed you, clothe you, and take care of you from the day that you were born?! Did I not leave you in the care of my most excellent pixies while I was away when you were too young to care for yourself?! Have I not allowed you to try to take care of yourself when you were old enough, as you asked?!"
Her voice boomed throughout the tower, and the vines started to creep in through the window, threatening to blot out the sunlight.
Rapunzel fell back onto the floor, afraid.
"Y-Yes, mother!" she cried, with tears in her eyes, "I-I'm sorry!"
Then, as sudden as her anger was, the witch's face turned into a smile and the vines began to retract.
"Good girl," the witch said, reaching down to pat a frightened Rapunzel's head.
I swallowed to wet my dry throat, and forced myself to stay still and silent - I could not act rashly, even as angry as I was at what I had just witnessed.
The witch stood up and smiled again, "This has been a nice visit, my dear."
She walked towards the window, and stepped out onto a waiting platform made of vines.
"Be good while I'm away!" she said, that singsong voice returning.
"Y-Yes, mother," Rapunzel managed to squeak out.
And as the witch waved goodbye with a smile on her face, the vine platform carried her down from the tower.
---
Minutes had passed.
I stood still inside the closet while Rapunzel stayed on the floor - there were still tears streaming down her cheeks that I longed to wipe.
More minutes passed.
I cautiously opened the closet door, and stepped out.
I paused for a moment...
And nothing happened.
I rushed to sweet Rapunzel's side.
"Rapunzel...," was all I could say, as I pulled her into my arms.
She let out a wail that broke my heart.
---
"Watch," Rapunzel said to me, as she walked towards the edge of the field of rapunzels.
Suddenly, a large thicket of vines sprouted from the ground, blocking our way into the forest.
As a further warning, thorns spiked along the vines, threatening to wound anyone who dared to try and leave.
Rapunzel backed away from the forest that surrounded the field...
And the vines retracted back into the ground.
With the rapunzels back in place, it was as if a fence of thorny vines hadn't really been there only a few moments ago.
"Anyone else is free to come and go," Rapunzel said, "except for me - mother traps me here with those vines."
"And even though she lets me have visitors," she said, "she casts them out whenever she finds them - it's as if it's all just some game to her."
"She'd toss them out of the tower, use her plants to whip them out of the field - any number of things," Rapunzel said, "And no one has returned, because they're too scared of mother."
She turned to me, "So, if you wish to leave as well, I understand..."
She turned away, her eyes tearing up.
I grabbed her hands, and gave them a gentle squeeze.
"I'll stay," I said.
Rapunzel looked into my eyes. Sadly, she said, "You can say that now, but..."
I pulled her into a hug, and I repeated, "I'll be here for you, I promise."
---
A week had passed, and the witch visited Rapunzel again.
This time, Rapunzel showed no resistance.
When the witch sang, "Oh, Rapunzel! Let your hair down for me!"
Rapunzel quickly did so after I had hidden in the closet again.
She graciously accepted the food, supplies, and other items that the witch had brought for her.
And she made small talk with her 'mother', hoping to appease the witch so that the witch would leave sooner.
When the witch was satisfied with her visit, she gave Rapunzel a kiss on the forehead, and said goodbye.
Then, she left on her vines again, exiting the tower with ease.
A few minutes after the witch had left, I got out of the closet.
"Why does she ask you to use your hair," I asked Rapunzel, "if she can use her plants like that?"
"I... I don't know," Rapunzel replied, "I think she wants me to obey her, and she wants to know that I will - I have not dared to ask beyond that."
"I see," I said, not knowing what else to say.
What a repulsive 'mother'.
---
"Julie?"
I turned in the bed to face Rapunzel.
A few more days had passed, and it was now nighttime.
"Yes, ma chérie?" I replied.
"Do you...," she hesitated before asking, "Do you want to leave?"
I looked into her eyes - had she noticed my growing restlessness?
Reluctantly, I told her the truth, "Yes."
A moment passed.
Her eyes started to tear up.
"But I want to leave with you!" I said, my hand reaching for her cheek, "I want to take you out there and show you all the joys and adventures that the world has to offer!"
Rapunzel took my hand off her cheek as she sat up in the bed.
"But, how?" she asked, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
"I... I don't know," I said, as I sat up as well, "but I will find a way. I promise you - I will find a way!"
I squeezed her hand back, as she pondered my words.
"I... I believe you," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I'll miss you, but I believe you."
I pulled her into an embrace.
As she rested her head on my shoulder, I could feel her wiping her tears away.
She pulled back a little, and we gazed into each other's eyes.
She kissed me, and I kissed her back.
And just as we were about to begin making love to each other, Rapunzel asked, "Have you bedded anyone else other than me?"
I stopped, and I began to blush.
As you can tell, Lady Red, I am usually quite unabashed when it comes to such matters - however, for the first time in a long time, I felt a tinge of embarrassment in front of a soul as innocent as Rapunzel's.
"Many times," I replied, "but if you want me to stop-"
"No!" Rapunzel blurted out.
Her face turned red as I looked at her with amusement and puzzlement.
"Was it..." Rapunzel's face blushed even more, "enjoyable with them as well?"
I laughed, "Depends on who you mean, but it usually was - especially if they knew what they were doing too."
"However," I said, as I brushed aside Rapunzel's hair and gently stroked her chin, "There's fun in teaching as well."
She turned away, her face and voice full of embarrassment, "You... You sweet talker!"
I laughed again, before I leaned in to kiss her neck.
"I don't mind if you have other lovers while you're away," she said, "but..."
"But?" I asked, between kisses.
"After we leave, I want to have other lovers too!"
I pulled back, and I looked at Rapunzel's face - it was sweet, honest, and very embarrassed.
I burst out laughing.
"D-Don't laugh!" she said, her sweet face now mixing anger and embarrassment together.
"Sorry, sorry!" I said, trying to stifle my laughter.
"Alright," I said, reaching out for her hands, "it's a promise then - after we leave, we'll find you as many lovers as you can handle!"
Her face turned bright red again, as one of her hands reached for a pillow.
She threw the pillow at my face, and cried, "D-Don't make it sound like I'm insatiable!"
And so, that night, we made love - a bittersweet love that was sweet with our adoration for each other and bitter with the soon-to-be parting.
~~~
As Julie finished her story, I looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "You... did not have to tell me about your private affairs with Rapunzel."
"Ah, but how else then, would you...," Julie's voice trailed off.
"It was... important to me that you know I hadn't betrayed Rapunzel," she said, with a tinge of what I felt was undeserved guilt in her otherwise charming and confident exterior.
"And beside, ma chère" Julie said, giving me a wink - her confidence and charm back in full force, "how else then, would you know that we may spend a night of passion together without betraying my lover?"
I paused, both embarrassed and impressed at Julie's gall.
"No, but thank you," I said.
Julie stood up and took off her hat, before gracefully bowing, "Then please accept my apologies, Lady Red - I did not mean to offend."
The whole dining hall stared at us, so I quickly said, "It's alright, Julie."
She sat back down, and, after a moment, the other patrons went back about their businesses.
"So," Julie said, getting back to the matter at hand, "I have been wandering these outskirts, never going too far, so that I could stay close to Rapunzel."
"I've been searching for several months now - trying to find someone who would believe my story, or a knight who I could heed for help," she said, "And now I've finally found you."
"Tell me, Lady Red," she said, her eyes glaring intensely into mine, "will you help me free Rapunzel?"
Thank you for reading!
Try and guess who the inspiration for Julie was! I would love to see your guesses in the comments!
(Hint: Yes, of course there’s a trick involved! 😆)
And please join us next Thursday for the conclusion, in…
Part Two: The Flower Blossoms
