Tower Bound

Hilde's guardsmen were very well trained, and apparently this wasn't her first expedition into the woods, so when we left, led by a giant wolf, they didn't bat an eye. She had a horse just for all the gear she'd packed and carried a wicked-looking black wooden staff as her only weapon. I didn't bother to ask if it was enchanted.

Ella and Snow led the rest of the horses, having bonded with them using their Disney princess magic. Ella was dressed in her sturdy maid gear, and Snow in a very well-made but simple dress of her own, probably not a good idea putting her in maid gear just yet.

I, of course, was on Silver, armed with my bow and sword as usual, but now I also wore some armor I'd borrowed from the guard's stash. Nothing too crazy, just some mail, pauldrons, light gauntlets, and armored boots. I was also armed with a small assortment of carefully labeled potion bottles in a padded leather pouch the Queen had given me.

I also had a full complement of bracelets at this point. That's ten for those keeping track at home. Five plus one for each member of my retinue wearing one, including myself.

Hilde had also given Ruby the same enchantment as the horses for safe travel in the forest, though she claimed not to need it.

The Enchanted Forest was immediately darker here than when we'd traveled the road from the Kingdom of the Sun, the trees were massive and grew close together. Footing would have been near impossible for the horses except for the queen's magic. As it was though, we traveled with no problem and made good time on the first day of our journey.

Ruby found an excellent clearing to set camp, and the naked woman helped me set up my tent, then helped me break it in while the others set up the rest of the camp. The green-eyed woman was savage in bed and a great fuck.

The rest of the girls wanted a turn as well when they got done, of course, so I pulled Hilde in to join us while Ella and Snow entertained each other. The way my harem was growing, I should really grab Sexual Calibration soon. Dinner wasn't nearly as fancy as in the castle, but campfire cooking has a charm all its own.

Hilde had set wards about the camp, so we didn't even need to set watch. Really handy having her around.

After a quiet night, we ate, then pulled up camp and headed on. One of the great things about having a werewolf on point, nothing that got wind of her stuck around very long. I can only assume she led us around the worst of what the forest had to offer though, cause the trip was uneventful. No complaints from me.

It was starting to get late again when Hilde stopped us. "We should be close, could I have my mirror, Master?" I whistled for Ruby, then pulled the magic mirror out of my extra-dimensional cubby and set it on the ground. After dismounting, she came over and gestured at it for a bit, then turned back to me. "Very close, Master." She pointed to our left. "If we head that way, we should soon see it, and better yet, before that we'll come across someone gathering herbs in the woods."

"Gothel?" I asked.

"Yes Master, and well hidden. I doubt your werewolf will have any problem finding her, though."

I dismounted myself and put the mirror back away. I pointed to Snow and Ella. "Okay girls, you two stay on horseback and keep the mounts together, stay back a bit. Ruby you lead the way, but stay out of her sight and circle around behind her when we get close. Hilde, you're with me." I drew my sword and started after the big wolf. Hilde pulled her staff free from her baggage and followed.

Not long after, we came to a wide clearing, and sure enough, a short tower could just about be made out over the trees across the way. Closer at hand a wide variety of bushes grew scattered about the clearing. I wasn't certain, but I think Wild Talent was trying to tell me this area was actually cultivated, probably by the herbalist, and not let run wild.

I could hear someone humming while entering the clearing, but it quickly cut off as I waded through the tall grasses growing in the open spaces. Hilde and I broke apart to circle the bush I'd heard it from. There, huddled in a green cloak that did indeed do a very good job of blending in, was the woman I was looking for. I think if it wasn't for Wild Talent I might have missed her. However I didn't get to her before she pulled something out of a woven basket that she was holding.

She gasped in surprise when instead of being launched at me it went flying away from us instead. Then Hilde was there wielding her black staff. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." She said menacingly.

"I wouldn't try to run if I was you either." Knowing full well that was her cue, Ruby rose from where she had been hiding in the grasses. Gothel looked like a cornered rat, time to offer a carrot before she did something stupid. "Now, before you do something stupid, let me reassure you. I have something you want very much, and you have something I do. We don't even need to trade. I'll hire you with what you want, and that will give me mine."

"I don't have anything. I'm just a humble herbalist making my way in this cruel world." She was a pretty good actress, I'll give her that. She did very well to look terrified and helpless, but I knew better.

Time to cut through some bullshit. "Gothel. I know very well just who you are, I know what you're hiding in that tower, and I know you'd do anything for eternal youth."

"What? How?" Back to cornered rat.

I pulled out a bracelet. "Gothel, don't do something we'll both regret. hear me out. This can offer you eternal youth, no longer would you be tied to this place. All you have to do is put this on and let it attune to you." I pulled out a second bracelet. "And put this one on Rapunzel and let it attune to her."

She shook her head, though I thought I could detect a bit of something in her eye like greed or envy. "This is a trick, your petty bauble can't do that."

Gothel suddenly spun in place until she was facing Hilde. She went pale as the tall woman thumped her staff down. "Look at me woman! Do you know who I am? I am Queen Grimhilde of Germonia!"

"The Queen?" The herbalist squeaked.

"Yes." She held up her arm, showing Gothel her bracelet. "Eternal youth and no lie. It is why I am here, now put on the gift he has for you while you still have arms." Well, that was one way to convince her.

While Gothel still stared at Hilde in horror, I just clamped the bracelet on her arm. She looked at me in shock, apparently momentarily having forgotten I was there. "Now it can take up to a week to attune to you. Three days if you really want it to, and I know you really want eternal life. No more need to stay here bound to this tower and your captive's hair."

"And for this, I just need to put one on her as well."

I grinned as I passed it over. "And convince her she really wants to give in to it, and I know you can be very convincing when you try."

"Very well, I shall do so." There was that glint in her eye again.

"Oh, you're going to do it now, we'll be escorting you to the tower. And be warned, we don't need to climb a rope made of hair to get inside."

"I'd just tear it apart from the outside." Hilde growled.

I had to give it to her, the scare tactics seemed to be working better than my trying to smooth-talk Gothel. Villains knew how to motivate villains, I guess.

Ella and Snow came into view as we headed towards the tower. Gothel was indeed smart enough not to try and make a run for it, of course, Ruby was right there.

As she climbed the tower, I checked her countdown with my bracelet. Ninety-eight hours. Well, not the minimum but not the maximum either. She was probably trying, but either stubbornness or skepticism was keeping her from giving in fully. Five days was fine.

Not long after Gothel had climbed up and entered the tower, another timer showed up, Rapunzel seventy-two hours. Whatever the old woman told her, it had worked. That was good enough for me, she wasn't getting these off. Not without removing a limb. In three to five days, I'd have both. Gothel wasn't bad looking, and she'd likely be even better aged down to twenty-five. From the brief flash we'd seen peeking down at us as the witch went inside, Rapunzel was pretty cute too. Double score.

I mounted back up on Silver and led the group around the tower to head further north.

"On to Corona. We have an appointment with the Captain of the Guards, he just doesn't know it yet."

Hilde looked puzzled. "What do we need with him?"

"We're going to hire his adopted daughter to escort us to Tirulia. She's dying to prove herself as good as any of the other guards, and I bet she'd love some jewelry."

I laughed as Ruby led us on. That was going to be a really fun reunion when we got back.

Hopefully Gothel survived it.