Under the Roses

123 - Those Whom Fortune Favors

RAPUNZEL

Rapunzel's heart was pounding in her chest. This was it. This was the day she'd been waiting her whole life for. Today.

Today, she would be crowned Queen of Ailthe. Today, she would be betrothed to Prince Ivan.

Today.

"Arms up," Madge said, and Rapunzel obliged. She was too happy to even snap or be annoyed at being told what to do.

"This certainly has been a turn of events," commented Madge's assistant, Pip. He was sewing the finishing touches—beads and flowers—to Rapunzel's skirt.

"What, you didn't think I would get to marry Prince Ivan?" Rapunzel said.

Pip gave a shrug that revealed nothing. He waved a sewing needle in a gesture that Rapunzel couldn't read as much as she could read Nicolai's gestures. "I'm just saying. Not only are you going to eventually marry the Crown Prince of Eilyste, but you're also going to be crowned Queen of Ailthe. You, the missing heir."

"It's not that hard to believe," Rapunzel huffed. "And it makes a lot of sense, just look at me. Obviously, I couldn't have ever been some sort of peasant."

"Obviously." Madge scoffed. "Okay." She finished fiddling with Rapunzel's sleeves, and Rapunzel dropped her arms. She didn't know why she had to be stuck with Madge again on the happiest day of her life, but whatever. At least she looked good.

She was dressed in a violet gown, which hung all the way to the floor at the moment, but Madge said when she put her shoes on, she would be tall enough that she wouldn't trip on the train and die. Rapunzel glanced at herself in the mirror. Her hair had been done already, twisted and plaited and pinned atop her head. There were no decorations in her hair because she was going to be wearing a crown.

The crown. The Crown of Ailthe. Her crown.

The betrothal would take place after, and then there would be a reception for both ceremonies. Rapunzel wouldn't have minded if the engagement came first, but, apparently, there was some sort of formality about crowning her first. Whatever.

Some people had already been sent out to Ailthe to clean up the palace for the ceremony. Rapunzel imagined them finding Red and the others hiding out in there. They had probably killed Alice and Whit and Vanessa, and Red had probably got away because that was what she did. Rapunzel wondered if Red was going to be there. She hadn't seen her in so long.

"Okay," Madge said again. "Shoes on." She held out a pair of silver slippers that matched the embellishments on her gown. "You'll wear these for the betrothal ceremony, too."

There was a tap at the door. "Ready?" That was Cecilia.

"You can come in and take a look," Madge said as Rapunzel adjusted the strap on one of her slippers. They actually fit pretty comfortably.

Cecilia cracked the door open and slipped in. She was dressed up too—at some point, Cecilia and Nicolai had been designated Rapunzel's guardians, not that Rapunzel had wanted them to be. Probably because they'd been the ones to administer the blood test. They were going to act as Rapunzel's "parents" for the betrothal.

Rapunzel had always kind of assumed that she would be walked down the aisle by...Well, she hadn't thought that far yet. Maybe Andrina?

No. She'd always thought she'd be led down the aisle by her real parents. Her real father, or her real mother. She'd always thought she would find them. Alive.

But no. They were dead. Her father had been dead for ten years. Her mother had been dead for less than a month. Andrina was dead too.

"You look lovely," said Cecilia.