10 November 2022
Looking back through my notes, this was the day I finalized the relationship between Gothel and Maleficent, and their shared history together. It doesn’t come up in this clip, but it did completely redefine who Gothel was and what her motivations were for me. I like this version much better, even if she is less like the archaic “true fae” in a lot of stories.
In the parts I wrote on this day, I really wanted to show that Rapunzel doesn’t really grasp the idea of family. to her, they’re all strangers; what does it matter if they’re related? I would like to explore this more, but I don’t think she’s very strongly attached to Gothel, either, for a variety of reasons. Her only attachment is to the tower itself… And that’s its own whole basket of worms. this very much puts her at odds with her brother Isaac, who was raised to prioritize family over almost anything else (and I’m not sure there’s even an “almost” there).
Rapunzel had let out a squeak when the grappling hook had sailed through the window. Fortunately, the tower took care of things, but it had startled her.
She peered down at the two boys, the blonde in particular. What on earth made him so determined to talk to her? Sure, they were related, but it’s not like they knew each other. It’s not like she’d be around much longer, anyway. Even if she survived Maleficent’s curse, she still had the blowback from the fairy gifts, and, well… Death might be the better option.
Rapunzel shook the negative thought out of her head. She glanced back down; the boys were still figuring out what to do next. She bit her lower lip, then leaned her head out the window and shouted, “Oi! Why are you trying so hard to get in here?”
The tow boys were stunned to see her, but the blonde quickly recovered and cupped his hands around his mouth. “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but you’re my sister! Princess Aurora!”
That’s it? “Yeah, and? So what?”
That seemed to shock the prince. Apparently, he thought his reasoning was self-evident after that. Or maybe he was just surprised she already knew she was Princess Aurora? Finally, he pulled himself together enough to shout, “We’ve been looking for you ever since you were taken away. We want you to come home!”
Rapunzel’s expression soured. “I am home!” She patted the window sill. “The Tower is all I need!”
When the prince made that determined expression, Rapunzel’s heart sank. He was so certain he could ‘fix’ her now, wasn’t he? He shouted, “What about Mom and Dad? Don’t you want to meet them? They’re your family!”
“I’ve never met them before! So not particularly, no!”
Once again, the prince was at a loss. Rapunzel couldn’t help but smile to herself. It was fun messing with his emotions. Finally, he threw his hands up. “Look, Aurora, will you just let us in? Please?”
She glowered at him. “My name is Rapunzel!”
For the first time, the bigger boy - Phillip? - spoke up. “Wait, Rapunzel? Like the cabbage?”
Rapunzel shrugged. “I think it’s a fairy thing. Lily, Daisy, Rose. The see the mortal world like a garden or something. At least I’m not called Hemlock.”
Phillip nodded, then shouted back, “You’re very beautiful!”
Where did that come from? Rapunzel rolled her eyes, even if she doubted they could see her from down there. “Gee, thanks. If you still say that after my fairy gift has run out, I might even believe you!”
The prince glared at his friend, then turned back to Rapunzel. “Look, can we come in? I just want to talk!”
For a long time, Rapunzel just stared at him. In the end, she decided that ignoring him would only make things more annoying and complicated. She tapped the ground, and the Tower opened a door leading inside for the two boys. She headed to the lake room; it seemed the best place for this kind of talk.
The door opened in front of Isaac, even though there hadn’t been the slightest indication of even an archway there before. He exchanged a look with Phillip, and the two cautiously made their way inside.
To Isaac’s surprise, the interior was very brightly lit. Lanterns hung every few feet along the wall. He wasn’t sure what made them glow; presumably some kind of fairy magic. Whatever it was, it didn’t produce heat like flame.
The corridor led them up a long, winding stairway. That eventually led to a large set of double doors. When Isaac opened them, though, his jaw dropped; inside the room was a massive lake. The ceiling still hung twenty feet above them, and he could still make out the walls on all sides, so he knew they must still be inside the tower, somehow. But a room this size, much less with a lake in it, should never have been able to fit.
Rapunzel was seated before them at a tea table. She looked up to the ceiling and said, “Tower, three cups of tea, if you would, please. And maybe a small assortment of snacks?”
Isaac and Phillip approached her in bewilderment. “How… Where does it all fit?”
“It’s fairy magic, obviously.” She waved them to sit down, then stared at Isaac intently enough to bore holes into him. “You said you wanted to talk. So talk.”
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Most recently updated draft of Rapunzel, the Sleeping Beauty (potentially including unposted content)