20 November 2022
We’re starting to get close to the end here. It’s actually becoming harder and harder to know what to write, and this was one of the first days I started to feel that. I did enjoy writing Frederick’s arrival, and tried to catch some of the subsequent awkwardness. But I had no idea where to go with her talk with her Tower, so I shelved it for quite a long time.
For a long time, Tower just held her close. Finally, he said, “You are an amazing and wonderful young woman. And don’t let anyone, especially yourself, tell you otherwise.” He smiled down at her. “These people - your parents, Maleficent, your brother Isaac - it is clear how much they care for and love you. That’s because they see the things inside you worth loving.”
Aurora smiled weakly. It was a nice sentiment, if nothing else.
Tower raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, if you don’t believe me, answer this. Is a life’s value only in how long it is? Does being the oldest automatically make someone the best or the wisest?”
“Well… no. Not really.”
“Then why should you be worth any less just because you may not live as long? Isn’t it the same principle?”
Aurora shook her head. “But I’m sick. I can barely walk from one town to the next without collapsing. I can’t do anything worthwhile.”
Once again, Tower looked at her with a single eyebrow raised. “Excuse me? You brought an entire room to life with your paintings and skills. And that is just one example. Do you know how happy it made me to see you working on something you enjoyed so much?”
A couple days after collapsing and waking up in town.
When Rapunzel woke the next day, she could hear a great commotion from outside the inn. She forced herself to her feet and struggled out the door.
She gawked as soon as she got outside. Somehow, overnight an entire army had appeared as if out of nowhere. Isaac seemed to be arguing with the man in charge, who looked to be in his late 30s or early 40s. The family connection between the two was obvious, and he had the same bright red hair as Rapunzel, with a well-trimmed beard to match. King Frederick; Rapunzel’s father.
He and Rapunzel made eye contact, and Rapunzel gave him an awkward wave. He stopped mid-sentence and walked over to her. He stared at her face long enough she started to get uncomfortable, before he finally said, “Aurora?”
“Um, yeah.” Rapunzel looked down at the ground and rubbed her arm. “Although, um, I actually go by Rapunzel now.”
Frederick gingerly raised a hand to Rapunzel’s cheek. She looked up at him, and in the softest voice he said, “You have your mother’s eyes.”
A moment later, he hugged her tight, as if he was afraid she’d disappear if he let go. Once that thought crossed her mind, Rapunzel’s heart sank. She would disappear soon, wouldn’t she? In two or three days, now, she’d most likely be dead. And if she avoided that, whatever was left wouldn’t be her, would it?
Isaac coughed, and Frederick finally released her. He gave her one last smile, then looked over to Isaac. “What happened to the fairy? And I thought Aurora–” He paused, then corrected himself. “Rapunzel wasn’t going to leave?”
“Yeah… about that…” Rapunzel smiled sheepishly and wouldn’t meet Frederick’s gaze. “Moth… *cough* Gothel stole away Isaac’s eyesight when she caught him in the Tower, so I kind of… got mad and stole hers back? And after that, well, I couldn’t exactly stay, could I? So… here I am.”
Frederick’s eyes widened, and he looked at rapunzel with newfound respect. Then his expression hardened. “Still, she might come after you, either in retaliation or hoping to take you back.” He turned to one of his officers. “Conners, take a squad and–”
“Please don’t!” Rapunzel ran out into the road ahead of the army. “Gothel is… okay, I know she kidnapped me as a baby, but she’s mostly harmless. She’s still dealing with trauma from whatever happened between her and Queen Maleficent, that’s all.”
Frederick scowled at the mention of Maleficent, then sighed and softened. He focused his gaze on Rapunzel. “You say she’s harmless? Are you sure?”
“If she were going to come after us, she already would have,” Rapunzel answered. “Besides, she’s blind now.” Assuming she hadn’t used Isaac’s eyesight. But she didn’t need to tell them that.
“Plus, disturbing her now when she’s stable might be like kicking a hornet’s nest,” Isaac added. “Who knows how much damage she could cause if she gets serious.”
Most recently updated draft of Rapunzel, the Sleeping Beauty (potentially including unposted content)