Ravishing Rapunzel (Passion-Filled Fairy Tales, #6)(42)

“I know she wasn’t mine, but I did well by her. I protected her.”

Giselle shook her head. “You locked her away, and made her think the world was dangerous for her.”

“It was dangerous,” she said, looking up. Giselle gave her a stern look. “Fine, I should have given her more freedom, but I was afraid she’d 0be corrupted, the way I almost was.”

Giselle sighed and patted her sister’s hand. “I know that Stil left you, but sweetheart, his leaving shouldn’t have sent you off to become this. It shouldn’t have soured you on the world the way it has.”

Gothel grimaced. “Stil did more than leave me,” she said.

“What did he do, Gothel?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, does it really? All that matters is that after he left, I knew I needed to protect people, young women. That’s all I was trying to do with her.”

“And her parents? What did they do to deserve that?”

“They were thieves,” she said.

“They were,” Giselle admitted. “But was that punishment really fit? Could they not simply grow you more rapunzel?”

Gothel looked down into her cup of tea again. “How is she?”

“Rapunzel, you mean?”

Gothel looked up, nodded.

Giselle smiled. “Happy,” she said.

“I heard she found him and they’re living together in his kingdom now.”

“Oh yes,” she said. “I went to their wedding, the little one with her parents. The king insisted they have a royal affair with all the kingdom, but they did it for him. They didn’t really care for it. They’re just happy to be together finally. He searched for her for so long, even after what you did to him.”

Gothel’s eyes widened, and then she frowned. “So, he really did love her. I suppose that’s why the spell broke.”

Giselle remembered Rapunzel telling her that Bradyn had been blind and unable to speak when she found him. “So, what exactly broke the spell?”

“It’s a FaeRisen spell, so it goes away if the wrongdoer makes amends or, in this case, was forgiven and loved again by the woman who inspired its wrath. The moment her love and affection touched him again, the spell was broken.”

“So, I suppose it was truly her tears of joy at having found him that caused him to be alright again.”

Gothel nodded. “I miss her,” she said.

Giselle raised an eyebrow. “Then go see her, ask for forgiveness.”

Gothel took another sip of her tea. Giselle decided to do the same. There was no point in pushing things with Gothel. She was never one you could push. You just had to tell her things and let her make up her own mind.

“I should ask for forgiveness from her. But, I think before I can, I need to see someone.”

“Her parents?”

Gothel cackled. “No,” she said. “Or perhaps yes. I owe them an apology, too. But, no, my demons run deep, sister. I think I need to go back to the beginning. Back to where this all started for me.”

Giselle sucked in a breath and then said, “Stil?”

“Yes,” she said. “Old Rumpelstiltskin and I need to have a talk.”