my birthday.”
“I missed it, though.” His eyes skimmed over her. “I missed everything about that grand day. Even your ball.”
She sighed. “Yes, well, even I missed my ball, so all is well.”
All at once, he stepped away and bowed low over her hand. “My dear Princess Rapunzel of Ellyania, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”
She giggled, her whole face lighting up. “What, now? Here? With these chains?”
How he loved to see her happy. “Why ever not? Every girl should be able to celebrate her coming out with a proper dance upon the arm of a handsome prince.” At her laugh, he continued, “Unfortunately, since I am the only one available at the moment, my somewhat mediocre looks will have to do.”
“Good heavens, you are quite the most dashing man I have ever met, and you know it, scamp!” She quickly curtsied and before he could reply and said, “Yes. I would be most happy to stand up with you. I thank you graciously for asking.”
A SURPRISED CHUCKLE ESCAPED Rapunzel’s lips as she gathered her skirts. Jonathan slipped an arm around her and began to count gently near her ear.
“One-two-three, one-two-three.”
“I cannot believe you know the waltz!” she exclaimed.
“Hush. I am certain there are many things you do not know about me.” He held her right hand and began to sway ever so slightly to the simple count. And then in a moment, they began to really move. Short, easy steps, but they were moving.
“One-two-three, one-two-three . . .”
“Oomph!” Rapunzel tripped upon one of her chains and stumbled into his chest. “Forgive me!”
“No. It is I who had not thought about the stupid things.” He released his hold. “Are you hurt at all?”
She giggled. “No. Just my pride.”
“Hmm . . .” He stepped back and looked at the winding rows of metal. “They will make dancing deuced challenging.” Walking around her, he suddenly snapped his fingers and said, “I have got it. Hold still.” In a trice, Jonathan swooped down, walked in front of her, and in each hand, held the weighty chains.
“But how will we dance?” she asked. “Are they not heavy?”
He shrugged. “Not particularly. But I imagine they would become tiresome after a while.” Stepping forward, he grinned. “So we better get started straight away.”
“What would you have me do?”
His charming eyes looked right into hers. “Why, come closer and wrap your arms around my waist or neck, and we shall dance as I carry these chains safely away from our feet.”
“I think my mother would faint if she ever saw me attempt something so scandalous,” she whispered as she came as close as she could and placed her hands around his middle.
“Well, I would make a comment about how your mother managed to faint over the smallest things—remember the collection of toads we insisted stay in your treehouse?”
Rapunzel gasped and then laughed. How could she forget? “I have missed you. I have missed all of our mischief and fun and conversations of seriousness too. I have just honestly missed you as though a piece of me has been gone.”
His gaze captured hers again. “Aye, and my heart has never beaten for anyone but my sweet Rapunzel. I have missed you—our banter, our teasing, our bickering, our laughter, our talks, our dreams, our long nights discovering and building and thinking of the world around us. I have missed my dearest friend more than I have missed anyone.”
Slowly she removed her arms from around his waist and settled them up upon his neck, her head nestling into his shoulder. She sighed as she heard the deep thud-thud of his heart and felt the warmth of the rise and fall of his chest under her cheek. To hold him, to feel so safe and protected and cared for . . . loved. She felt so very loved. “I cannot bear to be apart again. “
“Nor I.” He sucked in a large lungful of air, and she grinned as she felt the warm breath splay over her hair and cheek. “I have never known
“I missed it, though.” His eyes skimmed over her. “I missed everything about that grand day. Even your ball.”
She sighed. “Yes, well, even I missed my ball, so all is well.”
All at once, he stepped away and bowed low over her hand. “My dear Princess Rapunzel of Ellyania, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”
She giggled, her whole face lighting up. “What, now? Here? With these chains?”
How he loved to see her happy. “Why ever not? Every girl should be able to celebrate her coming out with a proper dance upon the arm of a handsome prince.” At her laugh, he continued, “Unfortunately, since I am the only one available at the moment, my somewhat mediocre looks will have to do.”
“Good heavens, you are quite the most dashing man I have ever met, and you know it, scamp!” She quickly curtsied and before he could reply and said, “Yes. I would be most happy to stand up with you. I thank you graciously for asking.”
A SURPRISED CHUCKLE ESCAPED Rapunzel’s lips as she gathered her skirts. Jonathan slipped an arm around her and began to count gently near her ear.
“One-two-three, one-two-three.”
“I cannot believe you know the waltz!” she exclaimed.
“Hush. I am certain there are many things you do not know about me.” He held her right hand and began to sway ever so slightly to the simple count. And then in a moment, they began to really move. Short, easy steps, but they were moving.
“One-two-three, one-two-three . . .”
“Oomph!” Rapunzel tripped upon one of her chains and stumbled into his chest. “Forgive me!”
“No. It is I who had not thought about the stupid things.” He released his hold. “Are you hurt at all?”
She giggled. “No. Just my pride.”
“Hmm . . .” He stepped back and looked at the winding rows of metal. “They will make dancing deuced challenging.” Walking around her, he suddenly snapped his fingers and said, “I have got it. Hold still.” In a trice, Jonathan swooped down, walked in front of her, and in each hand, held the weighty chains.
“But how will we dance?” she asked. “Are they not heavy?”
He shrugged. “Not particularly. But I imagine they would become tiresome after a while.” Stepping forward, he grinned. “So we better get started straight away.”
“What would you have me do?”
His charming eyes looked right into hers. “Why, come closer and wrap your arms around my waist or neck, and we shall dance as I carry these chains safely away from our feet.”
“I think my mother would faint if she ever saw me attempt something so scandalous,” she whispered as she came as close as she could and placed her hands around his middle.
“Well, I would make a comment about how your mother managed to faint over the smallest things—remember the collection of toads we insisted stay in your treehouse?”
Rapunzel gasped and then laughed. How could she forget? “I have missed you. I have missed all of our mischief and fun and conversations of seriousness too. I have just honestly missed you as though a piece of me has been gone.”
His gaze captured hers again. “Aye, and my heart has never beaten for anyone but my sweet Rapunzel. I have missed you—our banter, our teasing, our bickering, our laughter, our talks, our dreams, our long nights discovering and building and thinking of the world around us. I have missed my dearest friend more than I have missed anyone.”
Slowly she removed her arms from around his waist and settled them up upon his neck, her head nestling into his shoulder. She sighed as she heard the deep thud-thud of his heart and felt the warmth of the rise and fall of his chest under her cheek. To hold him, to feel so safe and protected and cared for . . . loved. She felt so very loved. “I cannot bear to be apart again. “
“Nor I.” He sucked in a large lungful of air, and she grinned as she felt the warm breath splay over her hair and cheek. “I have never known
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