Ever After

Chapter Nine

I led Rapunzel to the Kingdom, where the bridge connecting the forest to the kingdom was. She squealed in excitement and ran to the bridge with her long hair trailing behind her. I smirked and turned my head to the right. Nailed to the tree was a wanted poster of me, and I was wanted dead or alive for a big price. I ripped the paper and stuffed it into my cloak.

"Wait, you can't bring all your weapons into the Kingdom. You'll be to suspicious." Rapunzel said before she left me.

"What do you think I'm doing?" I took off my bow and arrow, along with my sword and left it in the hollow of a fallen tree. I kept my daggers though, just in case. Hopefully no one would find my stuff.

"Another thing." Rapunzel said. Then she was licking her fingers, and dragging them across my eyes and pulling down my hood. Now my ashes were gone and on Rapunzel's fingers instead, and my hood was down revealing my face. My hair was in a long side braid and it fell on my shoulder when my hood was removed.

"Just to make sure you aren't any extra suspicious. No one has seen your face without the ashes, so they won't suspect anything." Rapunzel explained. I was stunned at how she thought ahead so much, but shrugged it off. It's not like she was stupid.

"Come on, you wanted to see the real world. Here you are." Rapunzel ran to the bridge and I followed her across it.

She was amazed with everything she saw. From the little stands selling apples and other fruits, to the numerous stores of books, bakeries, and shoe stores.

But her hair was constantly stepped on, her hair was all over the marketplace and people were getting confused. I picked up parts of her hair and she did the same. Although some of her hair still trailed us. We couldn't stay like this forever, we had to find a way to tie it up.

I noticed a group of girls who were braiding each other's hair. Maybe they could help us. I whistled to them and gave them the pounds of hair. For the next few minutes Rapunzel sat on the fountain side as the five little girls played around and braided her. Soon it was kept up just above the ground.

She thanked the girls and we continued to walk around the town. Or more of she dragged me everywhere.

Soon we ended up in a pub called The Three Little Pigs. We went in a bunch of drunkards were fighting each other, as others dodged thrown glasses and punches. Rapunzel winced, it was extremely different from the environment outside. But I was fine, by living on your own for a year, you pick up a few tips and tricks.

I ordered two glasses of water and Rapunzel and I sat on the counter chairs. There were sounds of laughing and crazy people running around. I could tell Rapunzel was uncomfortable, but I was thirsty.

I saw next to us was a person with a red hood over their face. They were drinking from a cup and they weren't wearing a cloak with the hood. It was bright red, but the rest of the persons clothes were similar to mine. Dark and breathable. Plus lots of pouches for weapons and tools.

"Watch out!" Rapunzel yelled and I ducked to the side just before a glass full of wine would have hit me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I said losing my temper and getting off the seat.

"Sorry pretty lady." The drunk man said caressing my cheek. I grabbed his hand and bent it backwards making him fall back in pain. I kicked him in the gut and noticed one of his buddies was going for Rapunzel. Before I could react though, the person in the red hood grabbed his hair, moved his head to the side and brought it hard on the counter.

Rapunzel got out her chair and ran to me and the person in the red hood. With just my luck, everyone noticed and soon a full scale fight broke out. Rapunzel, the person in the red hood, and I fought back to back off drunks and ruffians trying to hurt us. I had no weapons except my daggers, which I couldn't use anyway because I could get arrested. But we managed to fend off the others and get out the door while everyone was throwing glass cups and beating each other up.