Page 51 of Rapunzel's Gambit (All That Glitters)

“I—is—is he… sick?” I finally stuttered.

The squire’s eyebrows rose as a slightly baffled expression crossed his face, replaced soon after by deep pity. “No, he…he passed away recently.”

“No.” My head moved from side to side as if in a stupor. My mind went numb, stupefied from the shock of the news. Fuzzy squiggles swam across my vision, and I collapsed onto my knees, my chest suddenly tight and constricted as I fought for air.

Griffin knelt beside me and patted my back, telling me that he was sorry to be the bearer of bad news. My ears weren’t working properly. His words washed over me, as garbled and unintelligible as if I were underwater. All I wanted was for this little charade to end so I could discuss everything with Pollox. A pox upon that dragon, why hadn’t he shown up yet?

“You…you’re lying!” The accusation burst from me. It couldn’t be true! Father was in perfect health—he had the best physicians in Rookwyn at his disposal. He couldn’t just keel over and die, just like that. Who was Griffin, acting like some supposed rescuer, rushing in to “save” me then throwing heavy information around like that before we were even on the ground? He must be the sort of pathetic man who reveled in causing others pain, the sadistic, self-centered… I threw an ugly look at Griffin, then felt my denial begin to trickle away. His face was contorted in anguish, just as mine was.

“I’m so sorry, Princess, truly I am.”

As much as I wanted to be angry and rage, my hostility slipped away like water in cupped hands. What reason did a lowly squire have to lie to me? He had simply been trying to express his sincere condolences. I was the one who should be apologizing for hurling accusations when he had merely been trying to give sympathy.

“I’m sorry—” I began in a cracked voice, but he cut me off immediately.

“You have no need to apologize. My father also died unexpectedly many years ago; I know how you feel.”

Now guilt was piled onto the complicated mess of emotions all battling for predominance in my mind.

“How did it happen? How did my father die? He was in good health.”

He bit his lip, clearly unwilling to divulge more information when his earlier statement was causing me so much grief. “That doesn’t matter right now. We need to go.”

“Tell me.”

From his hesitation, I already knew. His words only confirmed what I feared. “There was an uprising after he refused to give out rations, and…and…”

“The people killed him?”

He bowed his head in acknowledgment. The air was evaporating from around me. I was falling…falling into a black abyss…

“Princess? Princess! Princess Rapunzel—” Griffin’s voice echoed in and out of focus as I struggled for breath. I tried to pay attention to what he was saying but could barely manage to stay conscious.

“Wha— what?”

“I am sorry to do this to you right now, but we really do need to get going before the dragon comes back. There will be time to grieve later.”

I nodded mutely, barely registering what I was agreeing to. Griffin wrapped his arms securely around me and took out the levitation ball. After so long of wishing that Griffin would hold me, the action no longer held any allure. I wanted Pollox.

Once on the ground, Griffin grabbed my hand and led me over to the horse tethered at the edge of the field. I obeyed the pressure without thought. The rest of the familiar scenario played out almost exactly as it always did, but it was as though I were watching it from someone else’s perspective. Pollox arrived in a blaze of glory, terrifying the horse and causing it to bolt before anyone could mount it.

I couldn’t even work up the energy to do my usual part in this acting. Pollox must have noticed that I wasn’t myself, because in between emitting a jet of flame that caused Griffin to run, yelping, back into the forest and flying off to pursue the terrified squire, he paused to nudge me gently with his snout. I stared off into space and placed a hand on Pollox’s scaly side, wishing more than anything that he and I could be alone so I could give in to the grief that was threatening to swallow me whole.

Pollox chased Griffin away, then came back to find me huddled on the ground, unable to do so much as move independently. What would happen to the kingdom if I didn’t return? Would Lord Morvain seize control? Would it be absorbed by a larger kingdom? I had been so selfishly concerned with my own future that I’d neglected the entire kingdom. What did it matter that Pollox and I snuck out at nights to give gold to those in need? A kingdom needed a ruler in order to function correctly.

“Rapunzel?” Pollox scooped me up, flew into the air, and gently deposited me on the balcony. “Rapunzel, what’s wrong?”

I let out a ragged sob. A tear dripped down my nose, hot and salty, as it cut a track through the grime coating my face. I drew in a shaky breath, trying to control my emotions. Pollox, still in his dragon form, lumbered about on the stone roof of the turret, checking all around for any signs of additional visitors. Once he was satisfied that we were done for the day, he turned his attention to me.

“Rapunzel, what is it?”

Another ragged breath. Pollox was right—human emotions were too painful. My shoulders shook as shuddering sobs began to wrack my body. I didn’t want to do anything but wallow in my misery.

A blaze of heat washed over me as Pollox transformed into a man. The moment he crouched next to me, I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed my eyes shut as I choked out the news. He returned my gesture, wrapping his powerful arms securely around my waist to hold me as I cried, head tucked under his chin.

An icy hand had gripped my heart, and I couldn’t understand it. My father and I hadn’t been close for years. I had despised the way he ran our kingdom, so why did the news of his death hurt so badly? I had already accepted that he would never be the man he used to be, but perhaps that was the pain of it—it was like he had died twice.

My surroundings swam in and out of my water-logged vision. For the last several months, I had been conning other kingdoms out of treasure with no communication from Father. Had he genuinely hoped I would return, or was it all for show? What would he have said to me if I had come back? I had left without so much as a farewell letter, and now, I had no way of knowing how my disappearance had affected him. Had he thought of me in his last moments?

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