LGBT Fairytales!

A Princess and a Knight - Rapunzel Re-Write

 She is beautiful.

I see her every day, with her long golden hair and her perfectly pristine skin. Hear her voice like the angels as I ride past, singing of love that never comes and time she will never get back. Smell the flowers she cares for and the food she bakes. She is the perfect girl.

I am not.

I am a soldier, who wears silver rather than silk, with short brown hair rather than long flowing blonde, who plays with swords and bows rather than flowers and food. She is a woman, and I am... not.

As my mother, brother and father have always said, "if one only be charming, then there is nothing more to do." However, as I now stand beneath this goddess of a woman, spinning a ball of courage on the loom of my heart, I find their words more stressful than helpful. I am not a charming girl. No one, not even my brother - who seems to see more girls than friends these days - is charming, he uses his looks to get girls. I don't have looks.

"If I may ask," The girl calls down, hanging her hair over a hook in hopes of seeing the knight that had galloped across her garden. I peered wearily up the tower of stone, the violets that climb her tower catching my nervous eyes and leading me back down to the grassy ground. "Is it me you would like to speak to, or my mother?" My eyes shot back towards her, my muddy brown eyes meeting her electric blue ones. She may be tens of meters above me, but I could still see her concern and confusion.

"Erm... You, miss. I would love to speak with you, if I may." Her head twisted in thought as my feet shuffled across the ground. I dipped my head in shame, waiting for the rejection to come. She picked her hair off the hook, letting the length of golden hair flow down to Earth and meet me on the ground. My eyes trailed up, waiting for her answer so I would know if I'm leaving here with a smile or with tears.

"Well, dear knight. Would you rather speak in screams or come up here to join me?" I could feel my eyes widen with joy as she said those words, a smile beaming down on me as she gestured to her hair. I took a fist-full of her gorgeous hair in one hand, noting the wonderfully smooth texture as I pulled experimentally. My eyes connected with her's again, looking for an ounce of pain as an excuse to pull away now. But she barely winced, and so I took another fist-full and started to climb, periodically looking for any indication that I had to stop.

I saw no fear or pain in her eyes as I got closer. If anything, there was only anticipation and joy. As I reached the top, my arms burning and my heart racing, I looked deeply into her eyes. Her face glowed, nose and cheeks flushed as I leaned across the windowsill. There were subtle green lines in her striking blue eyes, which were staring directly into mine. Her lips were pink as a rose, pursed slightly as my eyes jumped around the beautiful face which I have admired for so long.

"You're prettier up here than you were down there..." I mumble, feet meeting the stone rim as I sink down. Her flushed cheeks grew redder, stutters falling from her mouth as she turned around to welcome me inside. I climbed over and into the window, falling onto a soft purple and white rug. She was still running around the room, her hair flying over my head as she moved around.

"You are quite nice." She mumbles, stopping in the center of the room, and staring at me timidly. I smiled crookedly, hoping she would see I'm not trying to be threatening or anything of the sort. We each chuckled, my armor clinking lightly as I stood up. She was taller than I had imagined, taller than me, but still standing curtly and beautifully. She looked graceful standing there, her hair falling limply around her body and her dress flowing across her skin. It was a purple and pink dress, with white accents everywhere. She looked, once again, beautiful.

"I- I'm Eleanor. Eleanor Fitzherbert. What is your name?" I blurt, instantly regretting telling her my name. I removed my helmet quickly, hoping she wouldn't judge the fact that I'm a girl as well. A very different girl, but still a girl.