Rescuing Rapunzel Read Free Page A

arrow at the stone wall next to the window.
    Tormenting girls, on the other hand, had never been a problem.
    There was a brief chorus of shrieks, followed by Kiki sticking her head out the window. “You missed!”
    Bryan aimed another arrow at her. “By design, my lady. By design.”
    Kiki put her arms on the window sill. “Go ahead. And I shall see you hanged.”
    Bryan glanced at Nick. “Can I?”
    “It will serve her right if she has to have an arrow pulled out of her head.” Nick rolled his shoulder. Might teach her some sense, too.
    The next arrow whistled past her ear as it flew into the castle.
    Penn cheered as Kiki, followed by her friends, screamed. Kiki had ducked to the side and bumped her head on the edge of the window. Rubbing her head, she yelled, “Count von Thalunburg, do you know how many laws you have just broken?”
    “Enforce them,” Bryan countered, putting away his bow.
    Kiki put her hands on her hips, let out a grunt and disappeared, returning only to throw the offending arrow back out the window.
    Penn burst out laughing.
    Nick gritted his teeth. He should have found their exchange horribly entertaining–teasing his little sister had been a favored pastime most of his life, and Bryan and Penn had always been willing to assist in the torment. This was not the first time Bryan had shot arrows at Kiki nor, he wagered, would it be the last. Not that Nick ever worried. Bryan was the best archer in the provinces.
    “Let her be,” Nick said, wiping sweat off his face. “She has been…reasonable lately.”
    Not too reasonable–she did have quite a collection of squealing, staring, marriage-minded ladies following her around this spring–but still. She was making an effort.
    It was taking a surprising amount of effort on his part to keep away from them. He never entered his room alone, avoided his mother’s events whenever possible, and made sure to lock his room each night to be certain no lady tried to trap him into marriage. Still they managed to find him.
    There were few places he could get any peace from the girls, though one remained in the back of his mind, plaguing him more and more every day.
    The Black Forest.
    In spite of the vagabonds and thieves inhabiting the forest that created the center of the White Mountains, it remained a favorite place of Nick’s to ride. Even in his youth, he loved sneaking off there.
    The image of the hidden tower flashed in his mind and he pushed it away. All he wanted was to be free of women, not chase after one in a tower.
    Penn came to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
    Guilt swam in Nick’s gut over what he had just done to his friend. He should know better. Penn was honorable and would never consider a flirtation with Kiki. She was as much a sister to him as she was to Nick.
    “I…”
    Penn waved his hand in the air. “Forgotten.” He let out a sigh, rocking his head back and forth. “You must be out of sorts to assume such a thing.” He glanced at Bryan. “Or to let Bryan stop after only one volley.”
    Nick smirked.
    Bryan joined them. He ran an appraising eye over Nick. “What has you so occupied, my friend?”
    Nick hated how his friends saw through him so easily. He had been out of sorts. For days. He had tried ignoring it. He had tried denying it. He could no longer do either, nor could he keep lying to himself over the source of his unrest. It was the music, the sweet song from the tower.
    For the past two days, he had forced himself to remain at the castle. Yet every part of him wanted to ride out now, this minute, and find the tower again. He had ridden out twice in the last week–only to note its location on the maps of the Black Forest since he had been unable to find it on his father’s maps. He had yet to mark any location, though.
    On neither occasion had he dismounted, nor gone closer to the tower than the outer wall. Instead, he had lurked in the shadows, like a monster in a fairy tale, watching. Hoping for a glimpse of