Her Princess

True Love's Whatever

But fairytales only last so long. Both girls pulled away from their kiss and ran away, scared of what this meant.

Happily ever afters, as Rapunzel had learned, didn't happen for people like her. Her whole life she had grown up reading fairytales, dreaming of the day she would get her own. Except that in her mind, Rapunzel was always the prince.

What could she do now? Return to her tower and meet her prince again? Delude herself into thinking she was happy?

She climbed back into the tower. Snow White couldn't be her princess. It was impossible. It was unheard of. But as she drifted off to sleep that night, she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss.

* * * * *

Snow White didn't know how she felt about the kiss. She kept reliving that moment in her head- the soft sounds of breathing, the freckles on Rapunzel's nose and the specks of gold in her eyes that Snow White could see as they both leaned in, hesitant and afraid. She wanted to live in that moment forever. But they had to move on. The problem was that, if not for the kiss, both girls would forget about each other. Every fairytale character forgot about the Hero Academy and everyone in it eventually. But now that they had kissed, the memory of Rapunzel was sealed in her brain forever, and another story had begun, even if it was left unwritten. In other words, there was no going back. And when she married her prince, Snow White would be dreaming about her princess, always knowing that the story could have gone in a different direction if she hadn't been afraid to take it there.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear the rapping on the door.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" a voice croaked out.

Snow White stuck her head out the window. "I am sorry, ma'am, but I am not allowed to let anyone in while the dwarves are out mining," she said. "They forbade it."

"That is all right with me," said the old woman. "I am only trying to get rid of my apples. Don't worry," she added with a kind smile. "They are not poisoned. Look." She split an apple in half and bit the green half. Then she offered the red portion to Snow White.

Snow White hadn't eaten fruit for days and days, and the apple looked so tempting. It was dark red and shiny, and the inside was white and crisp, dripping with juice. Surely the dwarves would let her take an apple from an innocent, kindly old woman. She hadn't opened the door, so she wasn't really breaking any rules. She accepted the piece of apple gladly.

"Thank you so much," she gushed. "I haven't eaten anything fresh in so long. It's all just meat and porridge. The dwarves I live with are very generous, and I am extremely grateful, don't get me wrong, but I've been craving fruits and vegetables for a while."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," said the woman. She smiled again, her dark eyes crinkling. "Enjoy your apple. In fact, if you like it, you can take the whole basket."

"You are so kind," said Snow White. She bit into the apple eagerly, tasting the burst of sweetness and tart aftertaste. Red juice dripped down her chin.

She had barely swallowed the bite of apple when everything went black.

* * * * *

The next day, Prince James came to Rapunzel's tower again.

"My dear princess-" he began, bowing deeply.

Rapunzel shushed him. "No need for pleasantries," she said. "I think we're past that point. Say, dear prince, how would you like to marry me?"

"M-marry you?" Prince James reddened slightly. "I believe, er, that in such cases, it is, um, customary for the man to ask the woman for her hand-"

"In that case," said Rapunzel impatiently, "why don't you go ahead and ask me?" Let's get this over with, she thought. She wasn't going to get her happy ending with Snow White, so she might as well get this fairytale thing done with.

"Oh," said Prince James. His posture relaxed and the color disappeared from his face. "Yes. Ahem." He cleared his throat and bowed down on one knee. "My dear Rapunzel, you are beautiful like the sky and all the stars. I love you more than anything in the world. May I take your hand in marriage, so that you can be my princess forever?"

"I'd be happy to, James," said Rapunzel. "Now I can finally escape from this tower. Look, I found this rope. We can attach it to the hook and-"

"Please, let me." Prince James took the rope and knotted it on the hook by the window. Then he took Rapunzel in his arms. She leaned forward and kissed him. It felt empty and strange and the prince's lips were coarse and it was nothing like kissing Snow White. "I love you," she said. Never had she felt so fake in her life.