A/N: Alrighty so... this idea just kinda hit me today and I really liked it so I went with it. This is just the intro/first chapter, but there definitely will be more to come! Let me know what you think!
My eighteenth birthday. I couldn't believe eighteen years had passed. Eighteen years since I was born, eighteen years of growing, learning, laughing, understanding. Every day on my birthday, my father and mother, the king and queen, held a large celebration in my honor. They said I was lucky to still be here after the incident. It was an incident we didn't much like to talk about, and it was always pushed to the back of everyone's minds. It lurked like a dark shadow, like that rain cloud that hung at the very edge of a perfect day. It was there, but we didn't talk about it.
You see, eighteen years ago, only hours after my birth, a kidnap was attempted. An old witch, a woman known as Mother Gothel to the villagers of Corona, tried to kidnap me for my magical hair, my mother always told me. That was why I had that one lonely strand of brown, the one I always kept tucked safely in the depths of my blonde locks. Gothel snuck in late one night and tried to steal me away, but the guards were faster. They caught her before she could flee the castle, and she was thrown in the prison to be hanged in a week's time. But something had gone terribly wrong. The day before Gothel's supposed death, she disappeared in a puff of smoke and dust, never to be seen or heard from again. From that moment on, I was put on lock down. There were to be guards watching me twenty four seven, and I wasn't to go anywhere alone. If she could disappear in such a way, she could easily find her way back in the castle, my mother and father reasoned. They lived in fear of the idea of her return and of the loss of me, their only daughter. So each birthday was a reason to celebrate that they had managed to keep me safe for yet another year.
It was one day away, and preparations were already underway. As usual, there was to be a large festival for most of the day full of baked goods and booths, dancing and art, live entertainment and whatever else the villagers came up with this year. Afterwards there would be a more private feast, though the guest list was well over 50 by now. Finally the evening would be finished with it's usual affair: a releasing of the lanterns in my honor. And every year, I would feel just as embarrassed and overwhelmed as I always did. I always told my parents it was just too much, but they never listened. They always insisted that I was something special, a gift they needed to cherish, and so the celebrations would go on as usual.
I let out a soft sigh as one of the maids, Marietta, deftly wove my hair into intricate braids. It had gotten so long, but what would one expect when it hadn't been cut since I had been born? It was part of my morning ritual, this braiding, because I'd found that if I wore it down out and about, it tended to get dirty and knotted, a situation that was not fun to deal with later in the day. Marietta finished the braid off with a few small flowers and then backed up, letting me stand and stretch after the grueling half hour I had to spend sitting. Thankfully, my usual classes had been canceled due to the fact that most everyone was busy preparing for the celebrations. That meant I had the day all to myself, and I planned on spending it in the best ways I possibly could. I just had to find a way to allow my parents only a few hours of freedom. I'd decided last week that that was all I wanted for my birthday: a few hours out in the town without a guard shadowing me. As I slid into a purple gown, which Marietta hurriedly laced up in the back, I let out a soft sigh and looked up at the ceiling. It was covered with paintings I had done over the years, mostly out of boredom and partially out of my want to decorate the bland beige walls so it felt more like a place that was my own. I had plenty of free time on my hands, because despite being a princess, I wasn't allowed much freedom at all. What with magical hair that just so happened to heal the sick and injured, it was no wonder that over the years there had been quite a few kidnapping attempts on my life. Luckily we had decent enough security, and I had managed to stay safe. But in keeping my safe, my parents had seemed to have forgotten that I was still a growing girl who needed to get out every once in a while. So on occasion I was allowed a picnic in the woods with a few choice guards, or sometimes just a ride out into town. But it was always in a large group. I was never alone, never independent. And I hated it.
Marietta hurriedly curtsied before heading out of my room, leaving me alone. As soon as the door clicked shut, I rushed over to the window and cracked the window. My small (usually) green friend Pascal, a chameleon I had befriended one lonely afternoon when I was younger, sleepily climbed in through the crack and up onto my shoulder, where I gently stroked his head with my index finger. He was the one true friend I had seemed to make over the years, since everyone else was kept distant to ensure my safety. Sure, I got along well enough with some of the maids who came in now and again, and on the few occasions I had been allowed into the village, I had met some nice people, but I never really got to know any of them. I was hardly ever allowed out of the castle, and it when I was, my guards usually scared off anyone I might have been able to befriend. So for my eighteenth birthday, the one that marked my entrance into adult hood, all I really wanted was some time on my own, to do what I wanted with myself for once in my life.
Pascal nuzzled into my cheek as I picked up a paint brush, fully intending on finishing off the main masterpiece of my bedroom I'd been working on for about ten years now. I only worked on it on the day before my birthday, and now, it was so close to completion that I felt it would only take a few strokes to finish. I took my time in preparing the right colors, and after a good hour of work I finally stood back, looking at my masterpiece. It was finished. Finally, after ten years, I had finished it. It almost felt like the end of an era, I thought with a satisfied smile. Since I'd finished one of the two things on my to do list for the day, I decided I would tackle the next one now, the one that would be a real challenge: convincing my parents to let me go out for once. I set Pascal down on my dresser and pushed my braid over my shoulder as he looked at me quizzically. "Today's the day, Pascal," I told him with an excited grin. "I'm finally going to ask them!" He gave me what could only be described as an approving grin and a nod and I placed a quick kiss on his head before heading towards the door.
As usual, as soon as I stepped into the hall, two guards were at my sides, marching a few steps behind me. It wasn't unusual and I didn't even bother to turn and look to see who accompanied me today, for I knew the rotations like the back of my hand now. As we marched silently through the halls, no one even bothered to look at who was coming; everyone was so absorbed in their work that had to be finished today, before the festivities started, that they couldn't even be bothered to stop and give the trapped princess a look of pity. Instead they just continued working, forcing their eyes down on the tasks at hand. It wasn't a long walk to my father's office, though, and soon enough I was knocking on the tall oak door, standing as straight as my back would allow, and he was calling from within in that deep, powerful voice that summoned up both fear and respect, "Come in!" I didn't wait, and entered with my hands behind my back, my braid pulled over my shoulder. He looked up from his desk, gave me a loving smile, and went back to writing. "What can I do for you, my dear?" He asked, figuring there was something I wanted by the way I kept my head down slightly. My mother, who I noticed was seated in front of the desk, took my hand in hers and smiled up at me.
"Rapunzel, dear, you really should wear shoes around the castle," My mother tisked slightly, her brow furrowed. I sighed and nodded towards her, still looking for that little bit of courage I had been trying to summon up the whole walk here.
"Alright, mother. But… I have a request… for my birthday," I said meekly, my eyes fixed on my bare toes, which I was wiggling against the cool stones of the office floor. My timidity on the issue seemed to have gotten my father's attention, for he looked up then, curiosity written across his face. I didn't wait for permission to go on, and instead took a big gulp of breath and whooshed my words out in one breath. "I want to go out into the city, with out guards, by myself. For once. Please?"
The room was completely silent and my father's smile faltered. "Rapunzel," he murmured, clearing his throat as things commenced as usual. The shock was over, now they would give their answer. One that was an evident no, I could already tell. "It isn't safe. You know it isn't. There are bad people out there, and we don't want to lose you, darling," he said as he jotted something down on the paper in front of him. I let out something between a frustrated sigh and sob and turned to my mother with pleading eyes. She shook her head before adding in her say.
"Dearest, I know that this is what you want, but… It just isn't a good idea. You will understand one day," she said with a tired sigh.
"You two can't look after me forever!" I cried, more angered than upset. "I will be an adult tomorrow, tomorrow! And what will I do when you aren't here to look after me anymore? I won't be ready, and… and…" I stopped and deflated. I knew it was no use. They were both looking at me and I sighed. "I just want an hour, maybe two," I asked, my voice pleading now.
My father shook his head. "It's not going to happen. Not today, Rapunzel," my father said flatly. My mother stood and hugged me close.
"Think of something else, darling. You will be eighteen, afterall, there has to be something you want?" I shook my head, then.
"Just some new paints… I'm almost out," I informed them softly. They nodded and my father smiled then, and I took my leave with a quick kiss to each of their cheeks.
I made my way back to my room where I grabbed Pascal, deciding it best to go for a walk through the castle rather than sit cramped in my stuffy room all day. He and I had gotten down a system in which he would sit on my shoulder, hidden by my braid, and the guards couldn't see him. That way, I didn't feel as alone, and I had some form of company that would communicate with me, even if he didn't necessarily speak. Once Pascal was securely blended in with my blonde locks I headed back out the door, this time taking a different direction, and heading towards the throne room. I peeked inside, and for once it looked empty. The guards waited outside of the door upon request, and I made my way up to the two large thrones, running my fingers across their smooth wood arms, looking from one pedestal to the other, then to the third, smaller one. As usual, my father and mother's crowns were already sitting upon their heads. But mine, the smallest pedestal and the one located in the middle, sat upon a red velvet cushion. I had no reason to wear a crown, everyone knew who I was, and I never went out of the castle anyways, so there was no point. My fingers absently traced over the glimmering gemstones, and Pascal clicked in my ear, nuzzling his head against my cheek as if to cheer me up. My smile faltered for a moment, and I was about to turn and leave when a noise caught my attention.
It sounded like something being dropped. I looked around, but nothing seemed out of the usual. The windows were all in place, and I was just as alone as I figured myself to be. As soon as I turned back towards the pedestal, though, a small cry left my lips. The young man I came face to face with seemed just as shocked as I was. He was hanging from a rope tied around his middle, and in one hand was my crown. For a second we just stared at each other, as if wondering what to do. But he reacted faster than I, and in a split second, his hand was around my mouth and he'd managed to scoop me up into his arms.
I sat frozen, completely unsure of how to react. As we were hoisted higher and higher, out of the throne room, all I could focus on was the stranger's face. He'd had handsome features, and some of the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. It wasn't until we were on the roof that I realized just what was happening, though, and the fear sunk in. I thrashed against the man, but his grip was too firm. He kept his hand firmly over my mouth while the other arm pinned my hands to my side. Two others were waiting for him, but before I could examine them, a bag had been thrust over my head and I was hoisted up onto someone's shoulders.
"Shit, Rider, we only wanted the crown." This voice was rough, and I couldn't imagine it belonging to the attractive young man that had snatched me from my home. I would have screamed had they not secured a gag over my mouth. Instead I settled on kicking my feet, trying to get purchase, but failing miserably.
I heard a faint chuckle as an arm came to wrap around my legs, holding them still. I squirmed to the best of my abilities, but it was no good. "Well, I figured a lost princess would make for quite the ransom, right?" There were mumbled agreements from all around as we started to move, though in which direction or how we were moving I was unsure of. All I knew was that I was being kidnapped, something my parents had always feared. Their worst nightmare was finally becoming a reality.