The brat had yelled, and that's where it all went downhill. Gothel had been alright at first- sung the song, felt the familiar reshaping and smoothing and tightening of skin, and had the scissors poised to take her own strand. Who needed the flower?

But just as she'd snipped a chunk off, it had turned brown, wilted, and left her old and undesirable again. Take the child, get it over with, her mind had screamed, but the infant was screaming, too, and there was no time. She hopped over the balcony just as her parents had rushed in to see their little miracle glowing like the fires of hell.

There had to be a way to get close to her. Rapunzel was too valuable to lose. Her own personal drop of sunlight. Four hundred years was too young to die, and Gothel was going to make sure she lived much longer.

Corona was abuzz the next day. Word had spread that the new princess had shown… extraordinary abilities during the night. Nobody knew what that meant, of course, but the appearance of a cloaked, dark-haired woman at the castle made it feel significant. Washerwomen and blacksmiths talked about it all morning. The patrolling guards attempted to discourage it, but they often got into it themselves.

Inside the castle nobody spoke. Nobody dared to breathe. The issue at hand felt more like a death sentence than an odd occurrence.

The king paced his study endlessly. The citizens would have to be kept in the dark about this. Corona was still so new; how would they react to a freak princess? Leon knew they were superstitious and paranoid. His daughter was going to have to stay hidden if he had any chance of a peaceful reign.

Queen Aurore sat in Rapunzel's nursery, looking at her sleeping child but unwilling to touch her. It had been the flower. She knew it was bad luck even as it saved her life. In the same night an intruder had tried to get her daughter and Rapunzel had exhibited strange abilities. Rapunzel scared her.

Thank God the new nurse had arrived. She was setting her room up at the moment, but she'd assured Aurore that she would be alright until she'd returned. The less time with Rapunzel, the better.

The woman had appeared early this morning- Mother Gothel, she called herself.

"You need a wetnurse, do you not?"

Aurore had been stunned at how blunt the woman had been- and how clearly she'd read the queen's mind. "I, um, yes, I do. Are you attempting to apply for the position?"

"I am intending to receive it. You'll find that I'm more than qualified. Now, living arrangements. I expect a room next to the baby's, joined by a door if possible. I will not require any pay, but I will need meals. As the child grows I will provide her education- the basic sciences, mathematics, literacy, and if you would like, royal manners."

Who was Aurore to disagree? Leon had told her to keep Rapunzel quiet. An advertisement could not be put out for a nurse. Gothel was a godsend.

"There's actually an entire wing I could set aside for you. A kitchen, fully stocked, complete bathroom, bedroom suite, and rooms for Rapunzel. We want full protection for her, so we would prefer that you agree to stay within the castle until we dismiss your services."

Gothel had smiled strangely then. "I doubt you will want to dismiss me, Your Highness. You will find I am invaluable."

That night, as the king and queen slept on the other side of the castle, Gothel rocked the baby. "Everything is working out fine, you know," she murmured as she swayed. The incantation had worked to put the child to sleep, and now Gothel was admiring herself in the mirror.

She disliked the look of a baby in her arms, but it was going to work, for now. Security was too tight to allow for a getaway, but the king and queen need never see them. Gothel was free to use Rapunzel as she liked, shape her into whatever she needed. By the time the girl had come of age, Gothel could convince her to run away. After that, it was an eternity of youthful looks, gentleman callers, and her drop of sunlight.

Yes, Gothel would pay her dues for a few years. It would all pay off later. "Congratulations," she murmured, patting the sleeping infant's thick hair. "Soon you'll be the lost princess."