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.”

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?”

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.

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.

10 January 2024

As you can see, though, I decided to have a very different sort of Rapunzel. I couldn’t convince myself that the more badass version wouldn’t have left on her own years ago, no matter what excuses I made. Even if such excuses would work in real life, if I can’t believe it, how will I convince my readers to buy into it

Yes, Rapunzel had figured out the truth of her real family several years ago, now. She’d thought about leaving the Tower to go and meet them. Once, she’d even snuck out and gotten as far as the nearby village.

As soon as she’d arrived at the fringes, however, she froze up. There were so many people. Each of them had their own dreams, feelings, hurts, worries, goals. How was Rapunzel supposed to talk to any of them? What was she supposed to say? Mother Gathel, as well-meaning as she was, could be a lot all by herself. How was Rapunzel supposed to handle a whole town’s worth of people?

So she ran back. And any time Rapunzel so much as thought about leaving, she’d panic and decide it wasn’t so bad staying in the Tower, anyway.

Not that it would matter much at this point. She only had a [few weeks] left to live, anyway. It seemed almost cruel to go meet them now, when she’d just be taken away again so soon.

Rapunzel shook the morose thoughts from her head and focused on her painting. Queen Hannah always seemed to have a kind and gentle face; it soothed Rapunzel’s soul as she got lost trying to recreate it. She was so focused, in fact, that at first she didn’t notice the Tower’s warning.