Ever After

"My prince your carriage awaits outside near the castle gates. Your maiden is going there as we speak," Ned, my father's favorite servant told me as two tailors were stitching up an out of place seam on my boot.

"Right. And the horses, have they been fed? Have they eaten?" I asked while looking out of the window that was overlooking the fountain near the back gardens of the castle. It was a gift from the King of Germany a few months before I was born. My father was not very fond of the King of Germany because of his blue-blood activities. The royal German family were inbreeding to keep their family blood pure. Basically mating with their siblings, if you will. I honestly thought it was quite odd to do such a thing, but the Prince of Germany was a very fun boy to hang around with. Whenever he came to our royal functions, he always made jokes and made the family laugh, so I looked past him being a child of his mother and her brother. But the fountain was beautiful. Such a beautiful fountain it was. It consisted of four nude women each holding jars over their heads. The jars were neatly painted with Greek Gods and mystic creatures. When I was a little boy, I would always sit on the edge of the fountain and gaze at the women holding the jars as the clear water spurted and sprayed out of them and into the rest of the fountain water. I was certainly amazed by how the water moved in the same pattern no matter how many times I blinked or rubbed my curious eyes.

"Yes, we fed Alistair a pound of apples and Goldie a pound of grains. The King insists that you feed your horses more hearty meals, sir."

I smirked and looked over at Ned who was slightly messing with his hair. He was so nervous whenever he spoke to me. It's pretty odd, considering the fact that I, besides my soon to be wife Rapunzel, am the nicest person in the castle, besides the other servants that he's grown accustomed to. "Well what do you have in mind, Ned? " I then asked, jumping off of the stool when the women were finished mending my shoe.

"Well, it's not my decision or place to decide sir. The horses are in your possession and I gladly follow whatever decision you choose," he said, gripping his purple robes.

"I choose for you to make my decision, Ned," I said, slapping him on the shoulder. "You need to loosen up."

I then walked out my bedroom and into the long hallways of the Brantley castle. Our family has been royal for many, many years. My dad is king. My grandfather was king. My great grandfather was king and so on. Our kingdom was the most sanguine and compassionate kingdom of them all. The Lords, Dukes, Middle and Lower classes would agree. But unlike the rest of my family, my coming up was a little different.

When I was 17 years old, riding around my horse through the forests, I heard the most beautiful voice ever to be heard. It sounded like the voice of an angel and I wanted to hear more. I followed that voice and came across a tall tower. It looked unbearable to climb, but I knew that amazing voice was coming from up there. Before I could go seek it, a thin woman with gnarled black hair and almost sickly pale skin walked up to the tower and yelled,"Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair, so that I may climb the golden stair!" Soon, masses and masses of golden locks were falling from the tower's only window. The woman climb the tower using the hair and stayed in there for a great deal. As soon as she left and was out of sight, I made my way over to the tower and used the same chant as the woman had used. Let's just say when I reached the top, I saw the most beautiful girl that ever graced the world. Her long hair spiraled around and around the room. She was terrified of me at first, but soon we learned so much about each other and I knew I was in love. Through all of the drama and the evil doings of that horrible woman that held her hostage, we were soon together and are now due to be married in a matter of months.

Although my story sounds like the nicest or most romantic, I felt like something was missing. I did not know if it was the fact that we weren't married yet, or something else. Every time I looked into those nice eyes of hers, I can't help but have a sinking feeling in my chest. What was wrong with me? Was I ready to marry her? Or was I just nervous at the fact that I was finally marrying her after all this time? I was finally being committed to someone forever.

Today Rapunzel and I are taking a carriage ride through the town. We were planning to see her family that she hasn't seen ever. Well, I guess you could say ever since she was a little baby, but who can honestly remember those times? As I walked down the steps towards the front gates, my father walked out of the washroom and smiled and nodded at me. "My dear son, you've grown up to be quite the man, haven't you? 18 years of age. Where did the time go? I remember you being a little lad, running up and down in the gardens and singing songs along with the birds. You are truly a gift my boy."

I smiled, grabbing onto my father's hand and clasping it tightly. "Thanks father." He pulled me into a heartwarming hug and I couldn't help but let a tear escape my eye. I was letting that tear out for a number of reasons. My family loved me and my life was going the way I planned. I was marrying a beautiful woman, but also that tear was for my confusion of this marriage. Of course, I won't share it with everyone else. I couldn't possibly say I didn't want to marry her because that wasn't true. I was in love with her. I was. My heart just had a piece missing and I wanted to find it before this wedding could even happen.

As soon as we pulled away I smiled at him and he grinned before making his way down the hall past me. I then jogged down the stairs and out of the front door. The warm spring air hit my skin and I smiled, smelling the fresh flowers growing around me. I saw the carriage that was sitting near the front gates and I ran over to it. Rapunzel's silhouette shown through the shade of the large carriage. Our coachmen was about to speak before I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling him to shush. He nodded and kept tending to the horses. I slowly turned towards the other side of the carriage, smiling at Rapunzel's humming.

"Boo!" I jumped in front of her. She screamed flopping over as her gown flew up exposing her legs. I laughed grabbing her hand, pulling her up. She smacked me with the fan she was holding and sighed.

"Auden, don't frighten me like that. You know I'm sensitive," she said, smoothing out her dress.

I smiled and kissed her cheek before hopping in the carriage next to her. "I'm sorry, love. I was just being funny." She smiled back at me and her gloved hand grabbed mine.

"I'm so excited to see my family," she murmured looking back out of the carriage side window as it started to move through the gates. I ran my fingers through my blonde hair and grabbed her hand, kissing it. "I hope they like me."

"Now why wouldn't they? They're your family."

"But they haven't seen me in years. What if they don't...appreciate me?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "Trust me. You'll be fine, dear. Your mother and father will be glad to see you and they probably won't want you to leave when it is time to depart."

She smiled at me and patted the middle of her long braid that was coiled in the bottom and front of the carriage. As she gazed out of the window once more watching the people of the villages that went by, I tried to figure out what was wrong with me. That empty feeling in my chest was back again and I did not know why. When she kissed me, my skin didn't burn with joy and excitement as it used to, but then again, I couldn't resist that lovely spell she would put on me whenever she gazed into my eyes. Those were the ups and downs of my feelings. One day I felt completely drawn to her, and then the next, I felt as if things weren't right. Something wasn't there. I felt like a bastard for having the terrible feelings, but I couldn't help them. I felt that if I wasn't truly complete with her then I would go to hell for lying and marrying her.

I just need to fix this problem. No matter how many times that empty feeling comes into my chest, I was going to ignore it. I had my love for Rapunzel and Rapunzel only. Nothing was going to stop these feelings for her. This empty feeling will go away.