3 June 2024 part 1

I felt quite accomplished with how much I got written here. Still not 100% satisfied; I think I hit too many of the arguments, was a bit too thorough with Phillip dressing down Isaac. That doesn’t quite feel right. I might need to identify the most important points and keep it to those. Or I might be overthinking it; I do have a tendency to do that. Also, I still worried I’m making Isaac too much of an entitled brat. I’ve tried to pull back some, but… it’s not working great. Could be a lot worse, of course, but… Well, I might have to wait and see how his arc shapes up.

…And what were you expecting? Some ephemeral, yearning princess hoping for a chance at freedom? This isn’t some bard’s tale, Isaac.”

That stung more than Isaac would have expected. Had he really based his entire image of his sister on stories? But then again, what else did he have to go off of? “She’s not really anything like me. Or Mom or Dad, for that matter.”

“Your sister spent her whole life stuck in a magical tower, with only a mad fairy to keep her company. It’s kind of amazing she can talk with us at all, isn’t it?”

Isaac scowled. “Then why doesn’t she want to come with us!? I mean, it still has to be better than that musty old tower, right?”

“Is it, though? The Tower seemed to provide her almost anything she needed.” As Isaac opened his mouth to reply, Phillip held up a hand to stop him. “And one other thing. Say you’re right. Say we convince her, and she come back to Lowenveil City with us. What then?”

That’s when it really sunk in. Isaac had wanted someone to replace him; an heir to the throne. Aurora… couldn’t do that. “I’m stuck as the crown prince either way.”

“That’s not the worst of it, actually.” Isaac looked up at his friend in shock, so Phillip continued, “Did you forget? She’s only got a few weeks before she turns sixteen. So she’d have just enough time to connect to people, for them to get attached, and then bam! She keels over dead. Any guesses how she feels about that idea?”

“But… Surely there’s something… I mean, we have Maleficent…”

“The same Maleficent that’s always hounding you about the dangers of magic?” That shut Isaac up. Phillip smiled wryly. “Though, to be fair, I started with that, too. Even asked the princess about it.” He gestured to the Tower. “But, well. All magic has a cost, right? Care to guess what the cost for a life is?”

Isaac’s face turned ashen. Once he’d taken a few deep breaths, he said, “Well, crap. What can we do?”

Phillip shrugged. “When I asked, she seemed fine with us coming back tomorrow, at least. Gothel doesn’t come back until the day after.”

“Even though she just kicked me out?”

“Yeah. Just… Maybe be a bit more chill? She doesn’t seem used to people, and you can be… a lot.” He grinned. “If it helps, she’s really into the King Arthur books.”

Isaac blinked. “Really? Huh. Where does she get them?”

“No idea. Maybe the fairy picks them up on her trips outside? Or maybe it’s weird tower magic.”

The conversation wound down from there, and eventually the two boys went to bed. It took several hours before Isaac actually managed to sleep, though, with all the thoughts chasing around his head.

1 June 2024

I got quite a bit of planning done this day, but by the time I was writing, I was already falling asleep. Fortunately, starting the week after, I am coming in an hour later, since training is done, and that should help me be a bit more rested.

Isaac was still in a daze when Phillip came down a few minutes later. The large boy helped him up. “C’mon. Let’s set up camp for the night, at least.”

It wasn’t long before they had a makeshift tent set up and a couple of squirrels roasting over a fire at the edge of the clearing. While they waited, Isaac finally spoke. “Was… was that really Princess Aurora?”

For the longest moment, Phillip stared at him, unimpressed. “She looks more like your mom than you do, Isaac.”

“I mean, sure, but…” What was he even trying to say? “She’s… not what I was expecting.”

Phillip raised an eyebrow. “And what was that?”

14 May 2024

Reworking the last bit of the previous post, and then continuing from there with Rapunzel’s perspective. Yes, the Arthurian legends are a novel series in this universe; no, I haven’t nailed down which form of “cannon” is the “cannon” of the fictional series. Nor am I likely to stress too much about it.

…”You’re coming with us, aren’t you? I mean, we finally found you.”

Rapunzel squeaked and started to shake her head, but Isaac either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “It’ll be great. Mom and Maleficent will have someone new to fuss over, and you’ll get to finally be with your family. You can learn to be a proper princess, and since you're the oldest, you can take over the kingdom while I discover new things and build foreign connections. Doesn’t that sound grand?”

It was only then Isaac noticed the panic on Rapunzel’s face. She sucked in a deep breath and shook her head. “N-no, it does not. Th-thank you.” Even as Isaac opened his mouth to protest, she turned her back on him. “I think you should go, now.” She snapped her fingers, and suddenly there was no floor under Isaac’s feet. He fell onto a long, winding ramp that never seemed to end, Finally, it dumped him…

Rapunzel took a few moments to catch her breath. When she turned around, though, her face turned bright scarlet.

Phillip stood their, shuffling awkwardly, a strange expression on his face. “Erm. I, uh… Sorry about him. Isaac can be… He’s a bit of a dumbass sometimes.” He scratched his cheek, then asked, “Just checking, but, he’s okay, right?”

Rapunzel curled her shoulders in and nodded. “J-just… He’s just outside.”

With a nod, Phillip scratched the back of his neck and took another look around the room. “Oh, wow! Did you paint that? That’s Percival, right?

Instantly, Rapuzel’s expression brightened. “You read the King Arthur books?” When Phillip nodded, she pressed, “How far have you gotten?”

“I’m all caught up, even with the latest book [author]’s released. You?”

“The old lady just appeared in court and told Percival off for being too polite.” Rapunzel grimaced. “I… don’t actually know how far behind I am. Is that the latest one?”

“They just released the next one after that a month or so ago; it ends at a bit of a cliffhanger, but I love it. The dynamic between Perce, Gawain, and Bors is amazing.”

For a moment, Rapunzel let herself get excited, but then a stray thought occurred to her. If the latest one only came out a month ago, she’d likely never get a chance to see who [author] resolved the latest cliffhanger. She’d barely have time to read the newest book, honestly. Tears started flowing down her cheeks, which sent Phillip into a panic.

“He,:” Rapunzel finally asked. “He d-does know I’m go, going to die soon, right? The p-prince, I mean.”

It took quite a while for Phillip to respond. “I think, for us, we’re still processing the fact that you’re real, not just a story told to keep us in line and away from magic. What that means, for us or for you… I don’t think that’s hit yet. At least for me. And Isaac… well, he’s a bit tunnel-visioned at the best of times. Even if he knows, I don’t think it’s hit him yet.”

7 May 2024

I worry that I’m making Isaac too judgmental. He is supposed to be flawed, but I need to balance that; not sure. Probably relies on the rest of the narrative before I’ll know for sure—if that’s even something you CAN ever know for sure.

Next to Isaac, Phillip gawked at the Tower, and the way its hallways stretched well beyond the space it should have had. Isaac couldn’t muster the excitement. Even in the most magical place on the grandest adventure he’d likely ever get to go on. Isaac could only stare at the girl leading them onward.

This was Aurora? Really? This cowardly, frail slip of a girl was supposed to be his long-lost sister?

Over and over, Isaac tried to deny it, tried to find some other possible explanation. But each new theory was more outlandish than the last, and the more he thought about it, the more his dreams of adventure seemed to fall apart around him.

After around fifteen minutes, Aurora–rather, Rapunzel–led them to what at first seemed like a dead end. Then she knocked on the wall, and it opened to reveal one of the finest paint studios he’d laid eyes on.

6 May 2024

This encounter is a hard one to get pinned down. I’ve been struggling with planning it out for a while. Part of that is I want to show Rapunzel’s social anxiety in a way that is both accurate and respectful —not sure if I succeeded there or not—but it’s also hard to get the balance of Rapunzel’s and Isaac’s dynamic right. Having Phillip around helps; he’s steady enough on his feet he can balance things out. But he’s also not the focus, so I can’t really overmuch on that.

That’s referring to the next few days of posts; this scene has been my focus for most of this week.

It took an eternity for the prince to climb up the window, and still, he arrived far too quickly for Rapunzel’s peace of mind. He extended a hand. “Hi, I’m Isaac. Are you Aurora?”

Even that was enough to send Rapunzel into a panic. What was she supposed to say? Would he get upset if she didn’t follow courtly etiquette? Was their a special way princesses were supposed to accept handshakes? Would it be better if the prince never found out who she was?

By the time Rapunzel had tentatively accepted the handshake, Isaac’s face was beginning to cramp. So as soon as they’d shook once, Rapunzel pulled back into a corner and tried to breathe.

A moment later, the other boy, who was quite solidly built, crawled in from the window. He took one look at the situation and said, “Oi. It’s not even been a minute and you’ve terrified the poor girl.”

Eyes wide, Rapunzel fervently shook her head. “N-no. I… I’m just, not used to people.”

Isaac frowned and glared at the other boy, but he just ignored the prince. “Huh. Well, pleasure to meet you. I’m Phillip.”

“R, Rapunzel.”

At that, Isaac’s face really did fall. He took a deep breath and put on what Rapunzel assumed was a disarming smile. “Sorry about all that. We’re looking for my sister, Aurora. Do you know where she is?”

Rapunzel’s face turned red as she realized she messed up. Or had she? He mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to figure out if it would be better to tell them who she was, knowing she’d die soon, or if it would be better if they just never found her.

While her mind spun, the two boys waited a moment before Phillip shrugged and opened the door. They were already out in the hallway before Rapunzel finally called out, eyes closed,, “I-it’s me!”

The two looked back. Isaac asked, “It’s you? What do you…”

“It’s, it’s me. I’m Aurora.” Rapunzel shrank into herself. “B-but please. Please just call me Rapunzel.”

For a long, long moment, no one said anything. Finally, Phillip asked, “Well. Seems like we’ve got a lot to talk about. Do you have a private room or a table where we could sit and be a bit more comfortable?”

26 April 2024

It was only a few days later when Isaac, Phillip, and the two fairies entered the Lost Wood. Isaac immediately hated the place; it made the back of his neck itch, and all the trees felt like they pressed in on him, leaving him trapped.

Maybe half an hour in, Lena stopped to stare at something Isaac couldn’t see. “Ooh, that is clever. I suppose she really was royalty once.”

Isaac blinked. “Huh? What’s going on?”

“Oh, I’m talking about Gothel, youngling. The reason any of you get lost here is Gothel has taken some of the reality away from these woods. Not a great deal, but you mortals aren’t designed to perceive the ‘between’ places, and so you get lost instead, forget things. It’s really quite ingenuous.”

For a moment, Isaac chewed on that. “Why couldn’t Maleficent notice that? She’s not really mortal anymore, is she?”

Lena scowled at the mention of Venwald’s queen, but Frieda chuckled darkly. “Had it been anyone else she faced, the Fairy Killer would have noticed. How long did she wander these woods, searching for something she can never find, I wonder?”

That only left Isaac more confused, but neither Lena nor Frieda would say anything more on the subject. Not that they paid much attention to Isaac and Phillip in general.

Several hours of silence later, and the group stumbled on a clearing with a tall tower, looking far better kept than something this isolated should be.

“Well, here we are,” Frieda announced. “And what luck! It seems poor Gothel isn’t even here at present. You truly have fortune on your side, princeling.”

“Don’t forget what you owe us, boy,” Lena added. “We’ll even go distract our dear friend for a bit. WOuldn’t want you to die before your debts are paid. Ta-ta!”

Isaac’s eyes widened. “Wait!”

But they didn’t. One moment they were there, the next, they were gone.

Isaac and Phillip looked on in disbelief, then turned back to the tower. “Think she’s actually in there?”

“Has to be. They wouldn’t have risked losing the deal otherwise.”

The two boys approached, trying to find a door or something. But even after circling the thing twice, the only entrance they could find was a single window thirty or so feet up.

5 April 2024

This is quiet a long one; there is a surprisingly large amount to cover with this section of my poem-outline. It’s fun, though!

Temper thy expectations,

Dearest friend of mine.

We know not her wishes

Nor what she may’ve endured.

Wise though thy words,

I cannot my heart restrain.

E’en to see her mor than I once hoped

Look; anon and we arrive.

My queen, all hail. Safe trip, I pray?

Though, alas, it was not so for us.

The prince’s sight is… changed, to say

And the princess will not leave her  room.

Changed, you say?

Did he fall to fairy’s curse?

‘Tis best if I tend to him,

While you thy daughter greet.

Agreed. Then I shall go.

A knock, rejection, but–

I am neither prince nor Phillip.

May I enter?

Panic, shock

Already she stands at my door!?

Long have I longed and dreaded this meeting

But… A smidge of courage, I open the door.

I… I am sorry I’m not more

Not a princess, not bold, not brave

Just… me.

I… I never even tried to leave.

Her words like chimes blow past

None settle. Instead,

She is in my arms, at last.

And there we stay, in silence.

~~~~~

The prince before me, changed indeed.

Mortals were not meant for fairy sight

Only one other I know of, but such is luck

That one is me, and I can guide you.

Well enough, and thank thee, truly.

But what e’en is the point?

All is worthless, ash and dust.

All… all that is… ‘cept thee?

Indeed, even when Death takes me

Never shall I age or rot.

But that is of no import.

Come, there is much work to do.

~~~~~

A wond’rous, glorious week

‘Tis not so bad a way to go

Though regrets remain, I will not lament

My time is up, it seems

The princess collapsed,

And fades so fast!

O great Queen of sorceries,

Is there aught thou canst do?

There is. Indeed, long planned.

But I do not like it.

My friend, my queen, dearest Hannah,

Are you sure this is thy wish?

Never have I been more sure.

Aurora has not even had

An honest chance to live.

Can I, as mother,

Prize my life above my child’s?

Mother, what meanest thou?

What plan have you concocted?

A quiet dread fills my chest

Surely, you cannot mean…?

Dearest Isaac, know I love you,

And I’m proud of who you are.

Whate’er happens, we’ll watch o’er you.

Maleficent, ‘tis time.

Ne’er have I regretted a promise more

And decades since last I shed a tear

Yet I will respect thy wish

Breath for breath, and life for life.

W-what?

I am… awake?

Is this Heaven?

But no, there is the prince, and Phillip, and…

No.

No no no.

Please tell me she did not!

What worth have I, a timid girl,

That a queen would yield her life for me?!

14 February 2024

I am not entirely happy with this. The deal Isaac agrees to at the end, in particular, seems far too unbalanced and idiotic even for this version of Isaac, especially when I don’t think that’s going to cause significant problems later. If it does, I still need to make it more believable.

The two fairies looked over his note and studied him carefully. Lena asked, “And what will you give us in return?”

Huh? Isaac blinked and cocked his head.

“You are requesting a service of us, are you not?” said Frieda. “Quite a difficult one at that. So, how will you compensate us?”

That… actually seemed quite fair. He felt at his coin pouch; he doubted the amount in there would tempt them. What else did he have of value?

One idea struck him, and with some trepidation he unbuckled his sword and set it on the table, sheathe and all. Yet the two fairies merely looked at it disdainfully.

“That's it?” Lena asked.

“He could be offering his swordsmanship as well,” Frieda posited. “How else would we know how to use it?”

Isaac flinched and shook his head. The sword he could part with, but his skill… The thought made him shudder. But what else could he offer? He took back the paper and quill to write, “What would you want of me?”

They studied him for a time. “What about three moments of your time, picked at our discretion?”

“Or perhaps… your thirst for adventure?” Lena walked up and used Isaac’s chin to turn his head to the side. “Yours is surprisingly powerful, after all.”

Cold beads of sweat trailed down Isaac’s back. His thirst for adventure? Who would he even be without that? And three moments of time… It sounded like a good deal at first, but it seemed suspiciously like owing the fairies a debt. Isaac felt grateful for all of Maleficent’s dry lectures on magic. With a shake of his head, he wrote. “I’d rather not pick those. Is there something I could do as a prince?”

Lena huffed and turned away, but Frieda continued to stare at him, unblinking. Finally, she said, “Do you have power to let the fae freely and legally enter Lowenveil?”

He did not. Especially after what had happened with Aurora, his mother would never allow that. And even if and when Isaac became king, he knew better than to just open the doors to any fae who asked. But… if it was just these two…

“The fae in general, I cannot,” he wrote. “But especially if you help return the princess, I am sure I can convince the queen to make exception for the two of you, and let you walk openly. And so the two of you, and only the two of you among the fae, would have free access to Lowenveil.”

After reading his words, Frieda leaned back and nodded to herself. Lena sneered, however. “And what of her? The Fairy-killer? We know your family has dealings with that witch. What protection can you offer us?”

Isaac blinked. “I can try to convince her to spare you, to leave you be. She is my godmother; with the help you’re offering, I should be able to prevent her from harming you.”
“And if you cannot?”

For a long time, Isaac paused. He had an idea, but was it worth the risk? Finally he put his pen to paper. “Then you can have me. Whatever I have at that point is yours.”

Both fairies’ eyes lit up at that, and wide, almost cruel smiles formed on their faces. “Agreed.”

13 February 2024

And here is where we finally get to see Lena and Frieda step into their own as terrifying fey creatures. I really dragged my heels on this one…

Isaac shrugged. “I might surprise you. My older sister was kidnapped by a fairy right after she was born, and because of that, they made a point to teach me all sorts of things about magic and how it works.”

Both women froze, and Deifra’s tea cup slipped from her hands to shatter on the floor. Alne asked, “Your… sister, you said?”

That’s when it clicked. The shack that was sturdier than it looked. The colors of their dresses. Their names. “You’re those fairies, aren’t you? Lena and Frieda.” Isaac couldn’t keep himself from grinning.

It seemed that was a mistake, though, as Deifra–Frieda–reached out into the air and pulled, like she was tugging on a string. Something yanked itself out of Isaac; he couldn’t see it, but he could feel it as it left.

In the same moment, both women shifted. Instead of a frail wisp of a girl, Frieda was now a full-bodied, statuesque woman, even a bit taller than Phillip. Lena was still short, roughly around Isaac’s height, but instead of an old lady she now had youthful even elfin features, with dark hair pulled back in a long braid.

Isaac tried to protest, only to discover he couldn’t make any sound. He could breath just fine, but his voice was just…gone.

“I could not risk that you might have some way to summon the Fairy Killer here. So, what is it you want, boy?”

Isaac’s expression soured, and he tapped his throat. In response, Lena passed him a sheet of paper and a quill. Once he accepted it, he paused. It didn’t exactly seem like the best idea to tell them he’d only shown up out of curiosity. Then he got an idea, and began to write.

“Could you help us find Aurora? We think Gothel took her to the Lost Wood, but anyone who enters winds up losing all sense of direction for months. Maleficent has tried to help, but she can’t perceive Gothel or anything related to her, so that hasn’t worked.”

8 February 2024

Lena herself had transformed into a nervous-looking woman with a hint of buck teeth. She frowned at Frieda for a moment, then huffed and plopped into a chair, arms folded. “Fine. But if they’re here to arrest us after all, I’m turning them both into frogs.”

Isaac refrained from commenting. He hadn’t paid much attention during Maleficent’s lessons, but he did know enough to know that wasn’t possible. There were plenty of other unpleasant things she could do, though. “No worries. That’s not why we’re here at all.” Then he had the most brilliant idea. “Could you help us find our way though the Lost Wood? We’re pretty sure that’s where Gothel took my sister, but we have no way of getting past her magic ourselves.”

Lena narrowed her eyes. “Why don’t you get the fairy-killer to do it? Surely she can handle something like that.”

With a shrug, Isaac replied, “Apparently, Gothel is terrified enough of Maleficent to put up wards and things specifically to defend against her. Something about old grudges?”

Both Lena and Frieda nodded, as if that made perfect sense. Isaac himself didn’t quite get it, but that didn’t matter. Frieda asked, “So what do we get out of this?”

“Hm?”

“What kind of payment are you offering for helping you get your sister back?”

6 February 2024

Hello! ‘Tis Phillip,

Though now much at a loss.

Two wayward children follow at my heels

Who, though royalty, need constant minding

Rooms we require to stay the night

Dear princess, can thou tend to that?

I’ll watch the prince and the horses

And a pigeon send to our queen

M-me?

In there?

No task could be more terrifying!

Ah… he left ere I spoke.

I yet lack the courage to decline…

One step by step,

To the dreaded counter I tread

T-, two rooms for us, please?

Eh? What meanest thou, where is my coin?

None on my person, and even had I,

Which coin is worth what?

At such a loss; what should I do?

E’en this simple thing goes awry…

Phillip, what cruelty is this?

The treasure, though found, is but dross

My eyes now see nothing but bones

And she, for sure, no princess can be

Spoke she ever otherwise?

Oft did they warn thee, thy mother and her friend,

Of the dangers of magic, now felt.

Is it a shock they spoke true?

Still, I’ll help where I can.

Already the pigeon alights

Both queens ere long should arrive

Inside, what a mess,

Worse than I had supposed.

Dear princess, thy best was enough

But I have aplenty. Good sir, three silver a room?

Embarrassment, regret

Why thought I not to go ask?

What place have I in a world such as this?

Just allow me to hide away here.

5 February 2024

…into the building.

The smell wasn’t any better inside than out; something foul bubbled in a cauldron in the kitchen. Every shelf was filled with the strangest ingredients Isaac had ever seen, from eyeballs to salamanders to things he couldn’t even identify. The living room was equally cluttered; knick-knacks of all shapes and sizes covered every available surface.

Alne led them upstairs to a dimly lit room, where a frail girl about the boys’ age sat quietly behind a table. She wore an almost ethereal pink dress, like the wisps of a cloud at sunset, and her eyes had been hidden behind a blindfold. Alne said, “Deifra, dearie, you have customers. A couple of fine young men.”

Deifra nodded and reached out toward a crystal ball on the shelf. Once Alne had passed it to her Deifra asked, “What… kind of fortune did you want told?” Her voice was quiet, and felt almost cultivated to reinforce the idea she might fade away at any moment.

Isaac smiled at her. “Actually, I’m mostly curious about how it all works. What lets you tell people’s fortunes? What kinds of things can you see? How do you interpret them?”

“Dangerous… questions,” Deifra replied. “The spirits… won’t like it.”

“Besides,” Alne cut in, “it’s all terribly confusing. Even I got lost trying to make sense of it. Best leave it to Deifra.”

Isaac shrugged. “I might surprise you. I know quite a bit about magic and fate and all that; my godmother made a point to teach me, since a fairy kidnapped my older sister not long after she was born.”

There was a crash as the crystal ball slipped from Deifra’s fingers. Alne looked no less shaken as she asked, “And who, who did you say your godmother was?”

Everything clicked together. Green and pink dresses, a shack out in the boonies… Even their names. Isaac couldn’t help but smile widely. “Right, I never introduced myself. Prince of Lowenveil at your service; my godmother is queen of Venwald. You might know her as Maleficent.”

With a speed that belied her aged appearance, Alne bolted for the door. Unfortunately for her, that’s where Phillip had been hovering since they came in, and he was able to block the entryway.

“You don’t need to be so scared of me, Alne. Or would you rather I call you Lena? I’m not here to arrest you or hand you over to my godmother.”

Lena froze and looked back at Deifra. Deifra–or Frieda–shifted, and where there had been a frail girl, there was now an ageless, statuesque woman. “There’s no sense in keeping up the charade. Let’s see what the boy wants, Lena.”

3 February 2024

This wasn’t a very good attempt. It did help me gather my ideas, though, so when I went back to it a couple days later, I was able to come up with something much more coherent. I still hadn’t started treating Lena and Frieda seriously yet, though.

…into the building.

Everything in the house was either green or pink. From the walls to the knickknacks covering every surface, from the cabinets to the floorboards. On top of that, the place was so cluttered Isaac and Phillip had to be careful where they put their feet.

Alne led them to a small room upstairs, where a frail wisp of a girl wearing a blindfold sat at a table, sipping from a porcelain cup. She wore a pink dress that was quite ragged at the hem. “Deifra, dearie, we have guests. A pair of fine young men.”

Deifra turned to face her and nodded. Alne invited the boys to sit down, before she took a seat herself behind a large crystal ball. “Now, tell old Alne what sort of fortune you’re looking for.”

“Actually,” Isaac replied, “I wanted to understand how it works. How do you determine people’s fortunes? What kinds of things do you see? How do you interpret that?”

Alne’s smile grew strained. “These secrets come with great dangers, and for those not well-versed in the mystic arts, I doubt it would even be comprehensible.”

“Good thing I am well-versed,” Isaac said. “Ever since a fairy kidnapped my sister, over fifteen years ago, my family’s made a point to study this sort of thing.”

Deifra’s cup fell out of her hands and shattered, and Alne froze in place. “I-is that so? But even still, I can’t just–”

It all clicked together. The pink, the green. Even their names. “You’re the fairies that were there, aren’t you? Lena and Frieda.” He gestured to Alne and Deifra respectively, a massive grin on his face.

This could be perfect. If these two could help him get through the Lost Wood… Not only would he be lauded a hero, but his sister could take over the kingdom. He’d be free to go on all the adventures he wanted.

1 February 2024

“Isn’t your godmother a witch? Isn’t this, like, child’s play compared to the things she can do?”

Isaac shrugged. “Maybe? But Maleficent’s even worse than Mom is when I get near magic. I think she blames herself for what happened with my sister.”

It took another hour or so to reach the shack in the center of the swamp. A rickety old sign teetered at the edge of the island, with the words, “Fortunes and Potions! No Refunds.” The shack looked dilapidated at first glance, but closer inspection revealed it was actually quite sturdy, and just designed to look bleak.

With a grin far too wide for the dreary atmosphere, Isaac said, “Well, let’s check it out!” He marched right up to the door and pounded on the door, with Phillip only a couple steps behind him.

A scratchy female voice called out, “Just a minute!” A short time later, the lock clicked and the door opened a crack, revealing a hunched, beady-eyed woman even shorter than Isaac. She wore a fraying green dress over her stooped frame. “Yes? What can Alne and Deifra do for you?”

Alne and Deifra… Something about the names tickled the back of Isaac’s mind, but he put it aside. “Hi! I heard you do fortunes?”

“Yes, yes! Come in, come in!” The old woman led them into the building…

31 January 2024

This is one of the results of the outline; I got a firmer bead on Isaac’s characterization, and so started rewriting his scene to fit better. It still took some effort to get right, though; I’ve been trying to pin Lena and Frieda down as comic relief characters for a long time, and… well, if I want the fae to be threatening, they really can’t be. But that’s for later.

“Why did I let you talk me into this?”

Prince Isaac looked back at his friend, a tall, stocky boy with brown hair. Phillip was knee-deep in much, and based on his expression, the smell of the swamp didn’t particularly appeal to him, either. Isaac smirked at him from the log he stood on. “Because you find standing guard outside my door just as boring as I find my lessons?”

“That still had to be better than this.” Phillip stepped into a particularly deep area and cursed.

Isaac shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s not that bad.”

Phillip glared up at him, and finally found a dryer patch of ground to wade to. “You know your mom’s going to be pissed at us when we get back, right?”

“I’ll just tell her I was trying to find my sister. It’s even sort of true.”

Phillip just raised an eyebrow.

“What? It’s true! I’d love to find a way to bring her back. Then she can be crown princess, and I’d be free to see the world and go on adventures and such.”

“That seems like a terrible idea.”

“Worse than leaving me in charge?”

For a long moment, Phillip didn’t reply. “Lowenveil’s doomed, isn’t it?”

Isaac’s grinned widened, while he did his best to ignore the little prick he felt at Phillip’s comment. 

“It’s all kind of moot anyway,” Phillip added. “Unless we find some kind of fae magic of our own, we’ll never be able to get through the Lost Woods anyway. Which reminds me… What were we after out here, again?”

“Rumor has it there’s a couple of strange women out here pretending to be witches. Thought it might be worth checking out.”

30 January 2024

This was a lot of fun! I struggle with coming up with outlines for my stories, and particularly putting said outlines to paper. I’m not sure why; it just seems boring to me, I guess? So I had a thought. What if I made it a more creative project? So I started writing my outline as a poem. It’s not a particularly amazing poem, but it is fun to write, and has helped me decide how the story goes. I have two other Rapunzel poems continuing where this one left off as of this writing (April 24). I really enjoyed the formatting to convey the different POVs, though I’m not sure how will the second poem will translate.

Come one, come all,

And see the blessed babe

Aurora, our light,

Our hope and delight.

Fae gifts touch her

Good health, and grace, and more

What cost have these?

‘Tis secret, hidden so none may see

But one, late come

Maleficent, queen

Fae’s foe, pronounced the woe

Gifted the sweetling child

For Gothel, nightmare again

Traumas cloud all thought

The child she takes

Spirited away from the kinslayer’s grasp

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down crimson hair

Cooped in the Tower, trapped not with bands

But fear of what lays beyond

Fear begets fear, and so she stays

Cautious, quiet, mostly content

Only wandering through paints and in dreams

“Tis glorious adventure seek we this day!

Is it not so, dear Phillip?

Perhaps more grueling than glorious,

But so it is. What mischief make we today?

Why, two fairies over yon,

Would make quite the excellent catch

And with debts to claim

Perhaps a princess, my sister, at last

Through forest and fog

Evading the kidnapper most foul

To a grand Tower’s base

And yet, where lies the door leading in?

Eh? People? Outside?

And worse, family, to boot

What can be done? What should be done?

Can hiding avail me aught?

No, still here, still striving

Why seek they one such as I?

My doom is near, already at the doorstep

Yet still… To speak for a bit should suffice?

She is not who I’d dreamed

This sister of mine

All the adventures I’d yearned, and more,

All shadows and reflections and gone

Too timid by half, and no thanks

Still, her choices are hers, not mine

If here she will stay, ne’er to travel,

I’ll visit so often, at the least

What is this scent?

A human, a boy

Intruders in my abode?

A thief in the night

Or that woman’s spy

He’ll not take her from me!

Spare him his life

But instead, steal his sight

See, child, the mercies I show?

Rage

Despair

The only kin I’ve known

Mercy? What mercy?

I was never yours

Though ne’er I planned to leave

Then as you took, take I in turn

Your sight I’ll trade for his

And if you think I’m yours to keep,

Perhaps it best I leave you

My home…

What have I done?

That… who was that?

Not the Rapunzel I raised

The power, the fury, the magic within…

Like her. It was her, again.

Maleficent.

Blind

Lost

Confused

Whate’er did I do wrong?

A touch of fingers

A gift of sight

But no less lost than before

27 January 2024

Rapunzel had only been in the library an hour or so when the Tower notified her that someone was outside. It was very odd; had Mother forgotten something?

It was not Mother she found, though, when she poked her head out the window of the receiving room. Instead, it was a couple of boys; one was blonde and fairly short, while the other was tall and quite stocky, with sandy brown hair. The blonde one called up, “Excuse me! Sorry to bother you, but is your name Aurora?”

Rather than reply, Rapunzel pulled her head back and slammed the window shut, before she curled into a ball in a corner of the room. Aurora. That was her real name, right? Which means that boy was probably…

“My brother!?” Rapunzel squeaked. She looked back up at the window and realized she’d basically just slammed the door on a prince, even if he was a relative.

It took another ten to fifteen minutes to work up the courage to crack the window back open and peek outside. Just then, a metal hook struck the wall near the window. It was connected to a rope, leading down to the bigger boy, where the blonde boy encouraged him.

Mustering all her determination, she (sort of) shouted, “Please don’t throw things at the Tower! You might damage something!”

The two boys paused and looked at each other. The prince called back, “What did you say?”

Rapunzel repeated herself, at least a smidgeon louder, but the two boys just turned to each other and shrugged. She didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t hear her. She could step outside, but that was… scary. Not to mention the mess her hair would cause. On the other hand, if Rapunzel let them in, that would upset Mother, right? 

But what if they left before Mother came back? That could could even be her excuse to make them leave if they tried to stay too long. Right? Rapunzel could do that.

Nodding to herself, Rapunzel flipped the lever to let her hair down. The boys looked up in surprise, but the prince quickly started to climb up, with the other not far behind. Unfortunately for Rapunzel, they were already halfway up before she realized she’d have to actually talk to them. For a whole conversation. It was a small miracle she hadn’t started hyperventilating by the time they made it inside.

25 January 2024

“Good morning.” I greet Isaac as he walks in, although I don’t turn to face him. Instead, I stare at a series of paintings along the back wall, each a different version of him; short and proud, tall and laid back. A jokester, or too serious for his own good. Caught up in a thirst for adventure.

“Morning.” He looks around. “What… is this place?”

With a sweeping gesture, I turn to face him. “This? A fragment of a dream. A space between realities.”

“Huh.” Isaac cocks one eyebrow as he looks at me warily. “And why have you brought me here?”

“Because I want to understand you.” I conjure up a table and two chairs. “I want to know how your story changes you, and to do that, I need to know who you are at the beginning.”

I take my seat, and Isaac follows suit. “Okay… What do you want to know?”

That brings a wry smile to my face. “That is the question, isn’t it?” I conjure up a bottle of something–sparkling cider, perhaps–and offer him some. “Drink? It’s not alcoholic.”

He shakes his head; so this version is cautious. That seems a bit at odds with someone who would chase down witches and fairies on the off-chance they can help find Aurora. Perhaps I’m reading him wrong?

He squirms a bit in his seat. “What is it?”

“Ah! My apologies. I didn’t realize I was staring quite so intently.” I lean back and place my hands in my lap. “I do have one question, though. Why put so much effort into finding Aurora?”

“Well… She’s my sister, isn’t she?”

“Indeed.” I take a sip from my drink. “But you’ve never met her. She was taken before you were born, and I daresay most of the nation has given up hope of ever getting her back, especially this close to her sixteenth birthday and her predicted demise. SO what keeps the spark going for you?”

“I… The adventure of it, I guess?”

I nod to myself. “Then… Are you actually expecting to find her?”

That stumps Isaac for a long while. “I… I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it.” He paused. “I guess… before I stumbled into those two fairies, I never thought it was possible? And then I was so caught up in it all I never thought about what it might mean.”

24 January 2024 part 1

Tried to work on Rapunzel, then changed to a different story so I could feel less frustrated.

Phillip paused. “Like, the other fairies who were there the day your sister was taken?”

“Yep.”

“They’re not the ones who took her, though, right?”

Isaac shrugged. “We’ve known where Gothel is at for a few years now. The problem is, we can’t get there; she’s got some magic that keeps people from getting close. So I figured, why not counteract it with fae magic of our own?”

Phillip’s foot pulled free of his boot, causing him to curse. “And why… *oof*. Why would they ever agree to help us?”

Isaac’s eyes narrowed. “They owe my family a debt.”

23 January 2024

“Remind me. Why are we here again?”

Isaac lifted an eyebrow and smirked at his friend. Phillip was currently knee-deep in muck, and the odor of the swamp didn’t help improve his mood. “Didn’t I tell you? There’s been reports of a pair of witches around here. What kind of prince would I be if I let my people suffer such things?”

“No, I get that part.” Phillip grunted as he jerked one foot free. “What I mean is, why are we here? Don’t you have an army specifically to take care of stuff like this?”

Isaac hopped over to another dry patch of ground. “Why? Don’t think we can take care of it?”

Phillip responded with a flat look. “Isaac, we’re fourteen. What, exactly, do you intend to do if there really is a witch?”

For a very long moment, Isaac didn’t respond. “Did you know? This report was very strange. A large number of otherwise credible people have encountered these ‘witches’, with all sorts of strange, almost unbelievable stories. A bald man started getting his hair back, only for a number of local pets to start losing patches of fur. A family spends one year nearly destitute after a visit, only to get a double crop the year after that.”

Phillip squelched another step forward. “Yeah, okay. And?”

“The strange part is, no one can agree on what they look like. Youn, old, frail, stocky… There is only one detail that never changes. One of the witches is closely associated with green, and the other with pink.”