The Big Four - One Life

Chapter 2 - His Only Believer

"Rapunzel! Open the door please!"

"One moment mother!"

A girl attired in a bright purple gown which reached the floor bustled around her small room. You'd think this girl would be quite unextraordinary if it weren't for her hair. It reached at least twenty feet; she always had it intricately braided to keep it out of her way and today it was tucked underneath a headdress so only her fringe escaped to frame her face. Her green eyes shone bright as she opened the door to see her mother, the Queen of Corona, looking at her with a wide smile.

"You look beautiful," she said lovingly, adjusting the medallion around her neck and kissing her on the forehead. "Come now. Your father's waiting."

Rapunzel followed her mother out of her room and they descended the castle staircase. "Remind me again why we're travelling to Scotland?"

"The King and Queen are hosting games to compete for the hand of the princess. We've been invited to the wedding of the princess and her victor. We should be there for about a month."

"Mother," Rapunzel said with her head hanging, "I won't know anyone there, will I? I can't help thinking I'll just be alone for a month."

"The princess of Scotland is your age," the Queen answered, "I think you two might get on well - oh!" A rush of cold air swept past them and Rapunzel followed it with her eyes. She knew exactly what it was. "I'm glad we made sure to pack the furs. Will you be warm enough in your carriage?"

"I'll be fine Mother," Rapunzel smiled. "I've got my fur cloak."

With that, they climbed into the two carriages, the king and queen in one, Rapunzel in the other, slightly smaller one. She felt a gust of icy air follow her inside and as soon as the servants accompanying them were settled in their compartment and she was alone, she smiled to herself.

"I thought I heard you say you'd be lonely." A mischievous voice spoke from opposite her, "didn't want the princess to be all alone on her voyage to Scotland."

Rapunzel looked up to see a white-haired, barefooted boy draped in a cloak with frost adorning the edges and clutching a staff. He was smirking at her with his quirky eyebrows that made her grin.

"You know," she said matter-of-factly, "I'd have been fine without you, you know."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "but I wouldn't want to miss leaving my first believer behind. I'd miss her too much for that." Sometimes he could be smoother than the silk that made her dresses.

"You could easily have visited me when I got there," she said, fiddling with her tiara. He stood up and moved to her side of the carriage so he was sitting by her side. Gently, he adjusted the jewel-encrusted headpiece so it was straight. A lock of golden hair shuffled in front of her eyes, fallen from her sweeping fringe.

"Thought you might get lonely," he said, his voice low. "I didn't want you to think I'd abandoned you."

"I'd never think that," she murmured, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. "I would have missed you though. It's a two day's journey just to the coast."

"I know," he smiled at her. "I figured you couldn't just read the same three books over and over again. We can talk instead."

"Thank you, Jack." Rapunzel took one of his hands that was resting in his lap; she felt his fingers curl around hers and saw a pale pink flush creep up his pale skin, making her smile. "It means a lot."

"For you, my princess;" he smirked as he regained his confident demeanour. He flipped her hand over so he could press a kiss to it, his lips lingering for a second longer than necessary, "anything."

Rapunzel blushed. Jack did things like this often but she could never tell when he was being serious or not; for now she decided to keep quiet and let things run over in her own mind. She cleared her throat and pulled her hand away, reaching up to the overhead storage compartments where she'd packed her books and sketching paper. Placing them down on the seat between them, she smiled nervously.

"So, what's first?"

"Let's read." Jack picked up the book on the top of the pile and read the golden cursive writing down the leather bound spine. "Viking War Poetry? What's so interesting about that then?"

"The Vikings often write poems about battles and the voyages they've been on," Rapunzel gushed excitedly, "they make really interesting reading actually, there are some really fantastic stories in here, look; let me show you the Tale of Erik Bloodaxe..."

They read the poems together for a few hours until Rapunzel grew tired. Jack said that they didn't have to continue but she shook her head and re opened the book to the page about the Dragon Tamer.

"Rapunzel, you should get some rest -"

"Jack, I'm fine, just read this..."

He sighed at her stubbornness and trained his eye on the runes which were translated on the opposite page. This double page spread was adorned with beautiful hand drawn illustrations and prints of hundreds of different dragons, however they all looked much more docile than you might expect. In the middle bottom of the right hand side was a black silhouette of a young boy with a fur vest and messy hair. He was lifting a hand as though to reach out to a ebony black creature with glowing green eyes who seemed to be leaning in towards his touch. Jack focused on the translation of the poem and began to read aloud.

"In the dark of the night,
We'd run, spears in hand and fight,
A great force unknown to all but one,
One who holds a sword of the sun.
An unlikely hero for our kind
Nevertheless, in the light he'd shine.

He tamed the beast we'd fought so long,
Proof that muscle may not make man strong,
He charted the clouds and mastered the sky,
The first of us then, to fly.
He held his ground; went against his leader
Abandoned, disgraced, of that he was sure.

Until he did what every great warrior must try,
Rise, strike back for justice, strive.
It was no easy feat, he knew,
T'was a death warrant, surely that was true?
He fought well, with his brains over brawn,
Though he paid a price; creating a Hel  where he'd fall.

Valhalla, he must have gone,
That's what they thought; hope then shone.
He was saved, by the creature once hunted,
Bonds were formed, back home they were led.
He paid a price, we must not forget,
But it was worth it for the peace they met.

Here is the tale of our hero; the perfect decoy,
The defeated dragon and the one legged boy."

"It's the best one," Rapunzel murmured as she yawned, closing the book and placing it to the side. "I read it last week and I thought you might like it."

"It was great," Jack said with a smile, patting her on the shoulder cautiously. "Really though, I think you should get some rest Rapunzel. You're exhausted."

"But the blankets are in the other carriage," she said, stifling another yawn.

"Lean on me," Jack opened his arms, grinning at her. "I'll be your pillow. I might be a bit cold but -"

"Thanks Jack." Rapunzel slipped her shoes off, crawling nearer to him on the velvet lined chair. She lay down longways with her head on his chest and an arm around his lean frame. The princess was half asleep before Jack could do anything; he placed an arm around her, running the smooth silk of her dress over his forefinger and thumb gently.

"Sweet dreams Rapunzel," he whispered as she drifted into her own little world of dreams.