The One For The Prince

The queen of Khaezovia sat in her magnificent throne, twirling her hair on her finger. "Guard," she called. A man in a pristine uniform marched over to her, and took a knee at the base of the queen's throne. 

"Your majesty," he said, still bowing to the beautiful queen. 

"Summon the prince," the queen commanded. The guard obeyed, stood up, and marched off to go find the queen's son. 

The ruler of the land relaxed in her throne and sighed. "God help this child," she prayed. She waited for the guard to return with the prince, her heartbeat racing. 

After a while, her son burst through the palace doors. He took his time walking to the queen's throne. "Mother," he said, his voice loud and confident. He stood tall with perfect posture, his shoulders back and his chin up.  

The queen stared into the prince's deep blue eyes. "Have you decided on a wife?" She asked calmly. The queen had handpicked the most beautiful and hardworking women in the kingdom for the prince to choose from.  

"Why yes, I have," the prince replied. He stayed cool and collected.  

The queen's eyes lit up with joy. "Oh, how wonderful!" She exclaimed and clapped her hands together. "Which of the lovely ladies did have you chosen?" 

The prince looked his mother straight in the eyes. "Rapunzel," he said. 

The corner of the queen's mouth twitched. "Rapunzel? Isn't that the mistress in the tower?" She asked, trying to hide her anger.  

"Yes, it is," the prince replied, confident as ever. He had known his mother would not be pleased with his decision. The women the queen had picked were wonderful, but the prince didn’t click with any of them. He had been told stories of Rapunzel, and the prince knew she was the one for him. 

The queen stared to her son, fury blazing in her emerald eyes. The prince stared back, his gaze unwavering. They stared at each other, both waiting for the other to give in. The queen wanted to yell at her son, punish him even, but she couldn’t find the words.  

When it was clear no one was going to speak, the prince scoffed at the queen and pivoted on his heel. He marched straight out of the castle, knowing his mother was shooting bullets at him with her eyes. 

The young prince walked to the stables on the west side of the palace. He unlocked the wooden gate and stepped into the stables. Rows of horses stood before him. The prince trotted over to his horse, a beautiful white stallion named Callahan. He hooked a jeweled rope to the horse's saddle and opened the stall. He led Callahan out of the barn and into the courtyard.  

Once in the yard, the prince boosted himself on to the horse's back. He held the reins in his hands and looked out across the kingdom. He snapped the reins and Callahan was off. He ran through the village and into the woods on the outskirts of town.  

The prince and his trusty steed sped through the woods, disruption the natural beauty of nature. Birds flew out of the trees and deer rand away from the clomping of Callahan's hooves. 

The prince did not entirely know where the tower said to hold the maiden was located. He kept an eye above to trees, watching for a glimpse of the tower. He searched for what seemed like hours, with no results. But the prince was determined to save Rapunzel, and make her his wife, no matter how long it took. 

As he searched through the woods, the prince came across an old woman. She had long, gray curly hair and wrinkly skin. She walked along the path leisurely, holding a basket.  she looked like she hadn't showered in years. 

"Excuse me, Ma'am," the prince called out to her. He climbed off his horse and approached the woman. Had he not been so desperate to find Rapunzel, the prince would never had talked to such a person. Alas, he needed information. "Have you any idea where the tower of Rapunzel is located?" 

The strange old woman pointed a bony finger behind her. She stared at the prince blankly.  

The prince gave her a nervous smile and said his thanks. The woman did not speak, but rather started laughing like a madman. The prince was nervous to begin with, now this woman was acting like a psycho.  

The prince got back on to Callahan and headed in the direction given by the woman. It wasn’t long before the peak of the tower was visible through the trees. The prince snapped his reins and Callahan sped up. He was now only minutes away from saving the princess. 

When he got to the base of the tower, the prince got off the horse's back and reached his hand out to feel the stoned tower. The stones were smooth and cold under his fingers. 

The prince stepped back, took a deep breath and yelled, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" He expected beautiful golden rocks to come tumbling down from the tower so he could come up and meet the fair maiden. But rather than hair coming down the tower, a single rope fell. 

At first the prince was confused. He was too excited to dwell on it though. He figured someone climbing up your hair would be painful, so he didn’t question it. He just wanted to meet Rapunzel already. He began his ascent, his heart racing. Climbing up the tower was a lot harder than the prince had anticipated. 

When he reached to peak of the tower, he pulled himself into the window and collapsed on the ground, heaving. The prince heard movement in the small room of the tower, and jerked his head up. He sighed and pulled himself to his feet, brushing dirt off him and adjusting his hair. 

"The hell do you want?" A voice demanded from the shadows. The prince searched for the source of the talking. In the far corner, a man leaned against the wall, smoking a cigarette. He was tall and lean, and his shaggy blonde hair hung over his eyes. 

The prince stood confidently. "I am prince of Khaezovia, and I am searching for the maiden Rapunzel to make her my wife," he said. 

The mysterious man rolled his eyes and took a drag from his cigarette. Letting the smoke out of his lips he said, "That's me, but I prefer Raphael." 

"Pardon?" The prince said, extremely confused. 

Raphael walked over to the window, his leather boots clicking on the ground. He flicked the cigarette out and it fell down the tower. "Assuming someone told you about Rapunzel. She's not real. A fake." He crossed his arms. "I'm basically the male equivalent of this 'Rapunzel' you've heard of. I guess a guy stuck in a tower isn't as exciting as a hot chick." 

The prince took a step closer to Raphael. "Well this definitely is not what I had expected," he said. Raphael shrugged. "Yet I am intrigued." 

Raphael's gaze softened. He looked at the ground and said, "So I guess you're gonna leave?" He looked sad.  

The prince whispered, "No, I have come all this way for love." 

Raphael looked up at him. 

The prince stroked his face softly. "Sure, it is not what I expected, but maybe that’s okay." 

Raphael blushed. The prince softly kissed him. He had found his love.