The King

Rapunzel

Acelynn's POV

I woke up confused. My heart racing as I looked around the unfamiliar room. The events of last night came flooding back to me. Instantly my heart fell into my stomach. I sat there silently for a moment listening to hear if I was alone, and when I heard no other movement, I assumed I was. I looked around the bedroom I was in. The furniture was dark brown, almost black. The bedding and curtains were a dark green velvet material, and I had to admit the comforter felt amazing.

I got out of bed and opened a door that led to a walk-in closet. While it was massive and beautifully done, it wasn't the door I was looking for. I opened another door that revealed a large bathroom with a soaker tub and walk-in shower that appeared big enough to hold ten people. After using the bathroom, I opened the last door in the bedroom, which lead to a hallway with stairs that led down to a living room/dining room/kitchen combo. There was one door off the living room that had to be the way out. I opened the door to be met by a massive man who appeared to be one of the kings' guards. He turned around to face me, a slight smile on his face. "Can I help you, your majesty?" he asked.

I was taken back by his formality but quickly recovered. "Could you move aside so I can leave, please?" I asked sweetly with a smile.

My apologies, but I am under strict orders from the King to keep you in your apartment," he stated.

I was enraged by his reply. "Tell your King that I want to speak with him right now!" I growled at him as I slammed the door.

I paced the middle of the room while I waited. How could he lock me in his apartment? I looked out over the balcony. I was too high up, and there was no trellis to even think about making a getaway that way. The longer I waited, the angrier I became. How dare he try to control my life this way. Did he think he could keep me locked up forever? I wasn't Rapunzel, and I wasn't going to stay locked up in this tower the rest of my life. I heard the door open behind me, and I turned to see the King standing in the doorway.

For the first time, I looked at him. He had to be well over six feet tall with broad, muscular shoulders and arms. The rest of his body might have been covered by a white button-up dress shirt and black dress pants, but I could tell every bit of him was solid muscle. His face, though, took my breath away when my eyes landed on his. He had a chiseled jawline that looked like Michelangelo himself sculpted it out of stone. His eyes were a dark blue like two oceans you could get lost in forever. His hair was just the way I liked it. It was black like the night sky. The sides were cut short and clean, while the top was a little longer. He had slicked it back, but a few tendrils had fallen out, curling over his forehead. My wolf was going crazy and wanted me to jump into his arms. I shook myself out of the trance and set my face in a glare. "You can not keep me locked up in here!" I snarled at him.

He smiled down at me, which made me growl in anger. "Little Dot, I have no intentions of keeping you locked up in here forever. For starters, do you think it would be appropriate to walk around the palace in my t-shirt?" he asked as he stepped closer to me.

I stepped back away from him, but the wall behind me kept me from getting far. I was losing my confidence quickly as he broke down my argument. When I said nothing, he continued. "Once I can trust you not to run away again, I will allow you to roam around freely," he stated matter of factly.

Again my anger peaked, and I lashed out at him. "You can not treat me like a child!"

His brow furrowed as he reached out to stroke a piece of my hair, twirling it around his finger. "Do you think your actions last night were that of an adult?" he questioned.

It took a moment to come up with a retort that wouldn't sound too childish, and after a deep breath, I asked, "What would you do if someone came to drag you from your home against your will?"

He thought for just a moment before answering. "I would have had a conversation with this person. Found out why they thought this had to happen."

I looked down at the floor, defeated. He had an answer for everything. I knew no matter what I said, I would never win. His finger hooked under my chin and tilted my head up to look him in the eye. "Do not look so down, little Dot. You will get your freedom back. Now, if you have no more questions for me, I must return to my work."

I pulled away from him, wrapping my arms around myself, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. He left without another word closing the door behind him. I stood there for a moment, torn on what to do. Feeling sorry for myself won out, and I started to cry. He was never going to let me out of here. I curled up on the couch and cried until there was a knock on the door. I sat up, looking at the door. It opened without me answering it and in walked a lady with a tray of food. "Good morning, your majesty, I apologize for the intrusion, but the King instructed me to bring you some breakfast," she stated, looking embarrassed that she had walked in on me crying.

Of course, now he would decide when I would eat too. "I do not want it. Please take it away," I instructed her.

She looked torn on what to do. She did as I asked, though, and backed out of the room, taking the tray with her. I looked around the living room, taking it in entirely for the first time. It was cozy even though it was a large open room. The couches and armchairs were large and overstuffed. They surrounded a fireplace that had a very large tv over it. I moved from the couch into the kitchen, looking through the cabinets for a glass, and after getting a glass of water, I stepped out onto the balcony.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, and there were barely any clouds in the sky. The fresh air felt good as a light breeze blew across my face. It would have been a good day to go for a run which increased my sadness. One of my favorite pastimes was running before I started my day or after a stressful day such as this one. I curled up on a lounge chair, enjoying the sun against my skin. I must have fallen asleep because I was woken up by the same maid bringing in lunch. I looked at the tray, but all I felt was nausea, so I instructed her to take it away again.

I instead went to shower. The warm water felt amazing, and the jets massaged my muscles until I felt like jello. When I exited the shower, I was glad to see that someone had brought my belongings and had placed my clothes in the closet. Seeing as I wasn't leaving the apartment anytime soon, I slipped on shorts and a tank top and then pulled my hair up into a ponytail. I found my cell phone and was surprised to see that it was not dead. I walked down the stairs heading towards the couch to answer the many messages that were waiting for me. As I hit the last step, I heard someone clear their throat.