All she ever wanted was to meet someone else. Somebody she could talk to, a new perspective. Maggie was the only one she ever had to talk to.

"Rapunzel"

She could hear Maggie's calls to let down her hair. She sighed as she opened up the window and hooked her long heap of blonde curly hair around the protruding brass knob.

Maggie had brought flowers along with her normal gifts of water, bread and cheese. She talked on and on about her vegetables growing, the difference of this season from last.

Sometimes she would bring fabrics for Rapunzel to sew new clothes when Rapunzel had outgrown other gowns. Rapunzel's growing stage had ceased, she was now a full grown woman. She stood on the shorter side, at least she was taller than Maggie, slim yet curvy with her full chest. This was all too hard for anyone to notice seeing as she was high up in a forgotten tower in the woods.

No one knew she was here, well except Maggie of course.

"...but you know the tomatoes are looking great this year despite our onions. How do you like the peonies Rapunzel?"

Rapunzel snapped out of her trance she seemed to be in as she gazed out the window.

"Oh, they're wonderful Maggie."

"Rapunzel, is there something wrong?"

Rapunzel looked back out into the vast sea of trees. She already knew how this conversation would go. She would ask if she could go outside, Maggie would say it isn't safe for young girls. Rapunzel would say she turns 18 in a few months, Maggie would just say that she is still extremely young would have to think about it.

It would be easier to not say anything at all.

"Nothing, my stomach feels a little weird today." Rapunzel looked down, she did have a pit in her stomach. It wasn't a complete lie.

"Oh, well Darling, I will let you get some rest. Drink all this water. You hear me?"

Before she knew it, Maggie was gone, sliding down Rapunzel's hair, down the tower with such ease. She only did it every day.

Rapunzel had been in that tower as long as she could remember. Maggie was not her mother. Maggie had made this clear from the start. Her parents were beggars, in a city full of evil and crime. When Rapunzel's mother stole a loaf of bread from Maggie, Rapunzel was in her mother's arms. Maggie gave Rapunzel's mother the ultimatum of either the bread or Rapunzel.

She must have been hungry because Rapunzel had been with Maggie ever since.

Rapunzel didn't mind the tower itself. It was open, but not enough. She felt the tower would one day consume her. For a while she was restless but now was exhausted with hopelessness.

Most of time Rapunzel painted or read. Maggie brought her books sometimes, books were hard to come by according to Maggie but nevertheless Rapunzel had books. Those were a great escape, she was able to explore the world from her tower. Other times Rapunzel would sit by the window, she never realized she would be singing until she would have to catch her breath. Sitting in the breeze with the sun shining on her face was her bliss.

Maggie would always make fun of her singing, said she was off-key. Rapunzel never cared how she sounded so she let it roll off her shoulders whenever Maggie would say something unsavory.

Rapunzel unhooked her hair and pulled it back into the tower. She decided to braid her hair, this task itself normally took an hour. It demanded a lot movement and detangling. She sang as she divided three enormous strands.

When she finally got to the end of her hair, she tied a light blue ribbon to match her dress. It was her favorite dress, she had had it forever, always mending it when ripped or unthreaded. It went just past her knees with a full skirt, tight around the waist. Now that she was older her chest fit quite snug. She had one floor length mirror in her tower, not the clearest of mirrors having cracks and scratches but nevertheless showed the truth. As Rapunzel stood before her mirror, she saw a young woman with bright blue eyes staring back at her. She was no longer a child.

Rapunzel sat back at her perch by the window and gazed out into the unknown of the woods.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Jerking out of her daze, Rapunzel looked down to see what appeared to be a young man. He had a sword wrapped to his belt and a brown horse next to him. With her heart racing, she shrank back immediately, hiding from the window.

"Hey come back! Where did you go?" The man laughed playfully.

Rapunzel inched herself away from the window, careful not to stand up so she would stay out of view. Curiosity itching at her feet, she stood for a brief moment, looking down again at the young man. He was very attractive, even from where she stood she could tell her was extremely tall and brawny. Her eyes widened and she ducked once again from the window.

"Hello? Miss?"

Rapunzel cursed and stood up slowly, squaring her shoulders in an attempt to appear tall and strong.

"What do you want?" She said shakily. Why couldn't she sound more assertive? She thought to herself.

The man smiled, a wave of comfort flowed through Rapunzel. She had never met another person besides Maggie. She felt swept off her feet gazing down at him, also terrified. Maggie warns her endlessly about men, saying they were animals, that they only wanted one thing.

"I just wanted to let you have a beautiful voice." He smiled again.

Rapunzel blushed. She opened her mouth to say something but found herself completely dumbfounded.

"What is your name?" He said with his hands on his hips.

She stared down contemplating what to do. She had two options, she could jump into her bed and hide... or talk to him.

"What is yours?" She cringed at the thought of Maggie finding out.

"My apologies, my name is Peter, Peter Haverville." He bowed, very proper. "Now what is your name?"

"Rapunzel" She blushed.