Golden Braids and Dragon Blades: Steampunk Rapunzel

Chapter 15: Just One Kiss

Ewan stayed with me, relaying the misfortunes of Marianne and Elinor Dashwood—the heroines of Sense and Sensibility—until my eyes finally started drifting closed. I was half asleep when Ewan finally held out his hand and led me back to bed.

“You don’t even need a blanket with hair like that,” he said with a laugh as he covered me.

I smiled but was too tired to respond.

I heard Ewan close the window and check the locks before returning to his room. I heard his door squeak, but not the telltale click of it closing. Through the slits of my eyes, I could see he’d left the door ajar.

He really did want to protect me.

The thought comforted me, but also set my mind to work. All my life, someone had been protecting me. Maybe I was special. Maybe I was the descendant of King Arthur—who was very special. But if I was, that also meant I had a fierce strength living deep inside of me. Maybe I needed to start protecting myself for a change. I was, after all, a Pendragon.

Estrid nudged under my neck, a dragon/cat scarf once more. Only a Pendragon would have a dragon lapdog I thought with a chuckle, and then I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Rays of sunlight shone in through the tall windows. I woke feeling groggy and disoriented, unsure where I was for a moment. A soft little nose pressed the palm of my hand, and I sighed reassuringly, stroking the tiny dragon’s ears, feeling the ridges on her back, and the familiar shifting sensation of her scales.

I was about to drift off back to sleep when my mind tripped over my senses.

Gasping, I sat up.

Estrid tumbled from my neck and landed in my lap on her back, giving me a tired but frustrated huff, which sent a puff of smoke drifting across the bed and up toward the brocade fabric overhead.

I glanced across the room to the settee where the clothes I had been wearing yesterday sat folded: a petticoat and a worn bodice.

“Mother,” I whispered then glanced down at my dragons. Not cats, dragons. “Ewan!”

I heard the bed in the other room creak then a sound like Ewan might have fallen on the floor. He appeared a moment later in a pair of sleep trousers, brandishing his pistol in front of him.

“Rapunzel? What is it?” he asked, scanning the room, his weapon ready. He looked all around, his eyes finally resting on the three dragons sitting in my lap.

Wink clicked loudly, her calls quick and anxious. She wanted to go look for Mother.

“No,” I told her. “We have no idea where she might be. Stay here.”

There was a knock on the door. “Miss Penn?”

It was the maid.

Ewan motioned to me to stay quiet. He went to the door as I quickly grabbed all three dragons and shoved them under the blankets.

“Oh! Mister Goodwin,” I heard the maid exclaim when Ewan opened the door.

I turned from the dragons to Ewan who was standing in my doorway—mostly undressed.

“Oh my God,” I whispered then chuckled as I felt my cheeks redden. I had never even been kissed before, let alone…that.

A moment later, he closed the door. “She’ll be back with some tea. Rapunzel, what happened?” he asked, setting his pistol on the dresser. He rushed back across the room and sat on the edge of my bed. He took my hand. “The enchantments.”

“I don’t know,” I whispered.

Slowly, the three little bundles under the blanket reemerged. They clicked and called to one another.

Ewan rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. “Maybe Gothel went back to the Otherworld. If she left this realm, her enchantments would falter.”

“Or…” I whispered.

Ewan shook his head. “Don’t think the worst. Agent Hunter sent Agent Louvel to find her. Louvel never misses her mark. We’ll find out where Gothel is very soon. Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be okay,” he said, rubbing his fingers on the back of my hand reassuringly.

I glanced from the dragons to Ewan, taking in his athletic form, the ripple of muscles on his stomach, his firm chest, and the smattering of dark hair on it which trailed down low to… The sight of him in such a state made dragon-sized butterflies go fluttering around my stomach.

Estrid chirped, happy to have her wings back, flew to the window and looked outside. She called to her sisters, who wiggled out from under the blanket to join her.

“The grounds are expansive here. I think…I think we could take them outside.”

“Now? In the daylight?”

Ewan nodded. “Willowbrook is a huge estate. Beyond the gardens are fields and a forest.”

“How do you know?”

Motioning for me to follow him, and still holding my hand, Ewan led me from my bedroom through the adjoining door into his chamber. His bedchamber was distinctly masculine. The walls were made of dark wood panels, the furniture a match. Heavy green velvet draped his bed and the windows. Oil paintings depicting wildlife ornamented the walls. Except on one wall—the one to which Ewan led me—there was an illustrated map of the estate. The map was massive, taking up half the wall. Someone had lovingly drawn the entire park, trimming the images with gold filigree. It was a pretty piece that had become yellowed by time. Ewan was right. The grounds around Willowbrook were Pemberley sized.

“They never get out in the sunshine. They only went out at night. If you think it’s safe… They’d love it.”

“Then let’s try it,” Ewan said with a smile. “I’ll ask the staff to make us up a picnic breakfast. We can eat outside.”

I grinned at Ewan. “I think the Bennet and Dashwood ladies would approve of your plan. Did Miss Austen teach you that women like such things?”

Ewan grinned, but an unexpected look of sorrow flashed behind his eyes. He smothered it. “Of course, but—and no offense—I think I’ve finally won you over. It’s Estrid I’m trying to please.”

From the other room, I heard a click and snort.

“I’d swear she understands me,” Ewan said, looking back toward the door.

“Why would you think she didn’t?”

He looked at me.

I shrugged.

Ewan smiled then looked down at his bare chest. “I suppose I should put on some clothes if we’re planning an outing.”

A blush rose to my cheeks.

Ewan motioned to my locks. “Need help braiding?”

I shook my head then began bundling up my tresses.

Ewan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “This might take a while. Should I ask for lunch instead?”

“Very funny. I’ll be ready before you are.”

“Want to bet?” Ewan asked.

“Absolutely,” I replied.

“Okay, if I’m right—and I will be—you’ll owe me…” Ewan began, tapping his chin as he thought.

A kiss? Wait, what?

“…ah, I know. You’ll tell me what’s in your bag,” Ewan finished.

I tried not to look disappointed. “Fine.” Wait. Fine? No! I couldn’t tell him about the egg, could I?

“And I’ll owe you?” Ewan asked.

“I’ll think of something,” I said with a grin, unable to stop my eyes from drifting down his bare chest once more.

To my shock, Ewan blushed. “O-okay,” he stammered.

I looked away. Oh my gosh. Oh, no. Elizabeth Bennet would definitely not ogle Darcy like that, would she?

“All right then, are you ready?” Ewan asked.

I nodded.

“3…2…1.”

Gathering up my hair, I turned and fled his room, banging the door shut behind me. This was one race I definitely wanted to win. My heart kept conjuring up all manner of prizes I could claim from him. But in the end, it kept drifting back to one thing: a kiss.