*Rapunzel*
This morning, I see blood on my nightdress and panic. For a moment, I think something inside me has ripped open.
“Your courses have begun,” Mary says, appearing behind me. “The Alpha prince will be sorely disappointed,” she adds with a laugh.
I laugh, too. Weakly, but with relief, I laugh.
At breakfast, I inform Horace that a female complaint precludes any visits to my bedchamber for the time being. It feels good to say that. Fueled by the memory of my useless practice sessions, I launch into another pronouncement. “I should like a two-hour stop this afternoon to practice.”
Horace looks at me as if I’ve just announced my intention to immigrate to Philadelphia. “Our route is laid out and on a strict schedule, Rapunzel, as you know.”
“I must practice, and I’m too tired to
