Hi everyone. First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Second of all, this story is dedicated to all fans who just absolutely adore Belladonna. Aside from her initial intent of killing everyone, I can't help, but find her so adorable! Well, enjoy.

Chapter 1: The Royal Half-Sisters of Floralia

Long ago, in the ancient Floralia Kingdom, there was once a King and a Queen, King Crisanto and Queen Violante.

King Crisanto was a great man, with pale blond hair that reached a little passed his chin, wearing red royal robes. His Queen, Violante was well loved. A beautiful woman with long blonde hair and fair skin, dressed in a lilac gown and a green cloak. She also wore a small golden crown and necklace. Her appearance resembles the kingdom's patron Goddess of Nature and Balance, Flora.

For the Kingdom of Floralia itself... As beautiful and serene as it may be, it shall serve as a cage to two lovely birds. Why? Well, allow me to explain. One day, Queen Violante was sick upon realizing that she was with child. The sickness caused her to become ill of heath. Fortunately, being a dedicated follower of Goddess Flora, the Queen was given a medicinal potion by the goddess, herself. It was made by the Flower of Life, the Lilac Bellflower.

"It can help me?" Violante asked.

"Yes," Flora answered. "However, the potion will not guarantee your life."

"I understand." she answered.

"It will, however, ensure that your child will be born healthy."

"I don't care about my life, so long as she arrives safely." the Queen replied.

"She?" Flora questioned.

"I can tell that it will be a she." Violante happily answered. "Thank you, Goddess Flora."

The Goddess didn't know how to reply. She rarely interacted with the humans on Earth, but when she did, it was usually for special occasions. Plus, being the Goddess of Nature and Balance, her response will normally come out as neutral. Just a nod was enough for a response before she disappeared.

After taking the potion of life everyday, a beautiful baby girl was born in the year of 1993. However, the Queen was extremely tired and weak from childbirth.

"Dear, what's wrong?" Crisanto asked in concern.

"Nothing, just tired." Violante assured. "Crisanto..."

"What is it, my Queen?" the King questioned.

"Her name... Our daughter's name..." she trailed off.

"Yes?"

"Her name is..." she paused. Looking over to see a vase full of rampion bellflower, the Queen continue to ponder on the thought. It looked so much like the Lilac Bellflower. "Rapunzel..."

"What?" Crisanto was confused.

"Rapunzel, that is her name." the Queen confirmed.

"Alright, Rapunzel will be our daughter's name." the King agreed, smiling.

She smiled back until she closed her eyes. Crisanto continued smiling, blinking his eyes a lot as tears fell out. He knows the she wouldn't want him to be sad, so he kept on smiling. Even though deep down... He was sad.

Late at night, the child in the nursery room couldn't sleep. She didn't cry loudly to wake anyone, but she missed someone. She missed her mother. Suddenly, she stopped crying to stare at a light near her cradle. A woman with long blonde hair, green eyes, dressed mostly in green appeared. A flower crown was worn on her head... Was she her mother? Obviously, being an infant, Rapunzel cannot tell that this woman was not her mother. Yet, you cannot deny the similarities.

The Princess let off a soft giggle as she was put in the arms of this woman whom she mistaken for her mother. The Goddess gave her a rather sad smile, pitying the child for her loss. Violante was one of the very few followers whom she admired. She wasn't the only mother who died and never got the chance to be there for the young ones in the family.

"Though I may not be your mother, Rapunzel, I will give you a gift in honor of the late Queen." Flora spoke softly to the child. The Princess just looked at the Goddess with those bright blue eyes of hers in curiosity. Putting the child down in her cradle, Flora continued, "The Queen was very fragile and poor of health, but you are the only one that reminds me of her. Therefore, I shall make you my fifth Guardian. So you'll forever be in the people's hearts, just like your mother. Princess Rapunzel, I give you the gift of life and dub thee, Guardian of the Lilac Bellflower."

The Goddess Flora created an orb of light, inside is the flower that Rapunzel is blessed with. The orb float from her hands and into the girl's heart. It was such a gentle feeling that it soothe the child to sleep peacefully. Taking one glance at the Princess, Flora smiled before disappearing.

The Princess, although very young, grew to be the very spitting image of her late mother as time goes by.

Seven years later, King Crisanto soon remarried to a woman named Melanie. It was after the day that Queen Violante died that the King of Floralia met with Princess Melanie. A woman with fair skin, long black hair, and hazel eyes. She was dressed in red with gold detailing. In time, whenever Crisanto felt lonely over the loss of his wife, it was Melanie who was there to comfort him. He could tell that she was a good person and that she wasn't trying to led him astray. Soon, they fell in love and he had proposed. She accepted, but her father didn't allow the marriage. Because of her instant refusal to marry anyone else other than Crisanto, her father locked her and a servant in a tower for seven years.

Once those seven years have passed, Melanie was able to reunite with Crisanto. This time, they got married. Upon becoming the new Queen of Floralia, Queen Melanie had the servant who stayed with her for seven years be made to her most trusted advisor.

The servant never showed her face, claiming that it wasn't worthy to been seen by royalty. This servant's name was... Mother Gothel. She was the one who had stayed with Melanie for seven years. Seven years of planning around the unexpected young woman, seven years of hiding and figuring out a plan to bring the downfall of Flora. Her time spent with the woman wasn't a waste for she convinced the royal that she was a friend.

And that trust will soon come in handy one day... That she can be very sure of.

After the marriage, Queen Melanie soon found out that she was pregnant a few weeks later. She was very sweet and compassion, but those lonely times spent in the tower had led her to become worried. She haven't experience the outside area for seven years. That could make anyone feel like they know nothing.

"Gothel, you are my friend. You stayed with me during those seven years... Why?" Melanie questioned.

"Because... I wanted to. I couldn't let a beautiful Princess like you suffer in that tower by yourself. And look at you now. You're a Queen." Mother Gothel answered. "Something wrong, dear?"

The Queen snapped out of her thoughts as she turned to her friend, "Oh no, it's nothing." she quickly dismissed it.

"Melanie, if you have something you want to say, then say it." Mother Gothel insisted. "I'm not your father, I will listen to you."

The woman sighed, "It's just... I know that Crisanto loves me, his sweet daughter, Rapunzel, loves me... But, what about the kingdom?"

"Dear, I need you to clarify for me."

"What if everyone still prefer the former Queen? I know I'd make a wonderful Queen, but... What if I'm not good enough compared to former Queen Violante?"

"Don't fret about it, you wouldn't want the little one inside to grow up all negative like you, do you?"

"I guess." the Queen smiled.

"Here, drink up." the old woman offered her tea.

"Thank you, Gothel." Melanie replied as she took a sip. She looked up at the servant, "It's sweet."

"Sweet from the most ancient flower of all." the servant replied.

Unbeknownst to the Queen, that tea had something extra to give it the sweet taste. It's sweetness that masked something very horrible, much like the servant, Mother Gothel. Over time, as Melanie continued to drink the tea, she would feel extreme headaches and dizziness. Even her once fair skin eventually turned deadly pale. The King didn't understand what was going on so he called the doctors for help.

It wasn't soon that the Queen gave birth to a baby girl in the year of 2000. The joy of being a mother spread to her mind, but something was wrong. She doesn't know why, she just does. She then noticed something strange in the royal gardens. Dark purple flowers started to bloom outside. Strange, she doesn't recall those flowers. Where did they come from? She looked down at her daughter. Is it possible that after the Princess was born that these flowers came?

But how? How was that possible? She know that the Goddess Flora had blessed Princess Rapunzel with the flower of life, but could she had done the same with her daughter as well? No, it can't be done by her. She may be emotionless, but she wouldn't give her daughter the flower of death, would she?

Placing the child in the cradle, the Queen whispered, "I'll be back, okay? Mommy with be with Bella soon."

Giving the sleeping child a kiss, the Queen went out of her room. She needed answers and she know who to asked. In the hallways, the Queen continue as a familiar figure was seen up ahead.

"Gothel." she called out.

The sorceress turned to face her, "Yes, my Queen?"

"Something's wrong with Belladonna."

"How so?"

Melanie directed the servant's attention to the garden.

"These flowers had appeared when they weren't before. I think they're connected to my daughter." she explained.

"So it has been done..." Mother Gothel trailed off.

"I beg your pardon?"

A crazed laugh came from the servant, "It's been done! The child will soon be made into the last Guardian... All thanks to you, Melanie."

"What? What's going on?" the Queen demanded. "Answer me!"

Calming down, the servant answered, "You were such an insecure child, Melanie, that you helped me achieved what I planned."

"What are you talking about?"

"That tea you've been drinking everyday? I added a potion that contained the Deadly Nightbloom. They crave for a master just like you have craved to drink the tea everyday." Mother Gothel answered. Seeing the Queen stumbling back, she laughed, "Oh, don't worry. I only added a small dosage so you wouldn't die from it. But, it's has been the cause to your recent dizziness and change of appearance."

"You little snake!" Melanie yelled. "You poisoned my daughter!"

"Heavens no!" the servant replied with a smile. "I didn't poisoned her, you did. And now, your daughter's life is up to Flora now."

"What are you saying?!" the Queen became frustrated.

"Unless something is done about it, soon... The potion might do harm to the child, even more. I've heard that another Princess had taken the potion as well. Ha, she was merely an adult! Her body soon gave in to the potion and she fell."

"I've recalled the Princess from the Bernese Alps did consume poison, but I never thought that the poison originate from that... Flower." the Queen remarks.

"It's not that surprising, children are more at risk. To you, it may be ill heath, but to your daughter..."

"No..." Melanie trailed off in fear.

"I always heard that apples grow very sweet during this time of the year... The same thing with berries." Mother Gothel taunts. "And... If I recalled, you named your daughter Belladonna. How very fitting. The name of the flower of death!"

"Leave! And don't ever come back to my kingdom!" Melanie yelled, however, she started to feel her forehead becoming hot.

"Oh? Feeling a little sick are we, my Queen? Now that you've serve your purpose in my plan, you can just go ahead and die!"

Before she knew it, the Queen collapsed just as Gothel turned her back on her, laughing.

The Queen was taken back into her room where she remained there for three days. She wasn't getting any better.

Looking at the cradle, she muttered tearfully, "I'm sorry, my daughter. Because I was fooled, this was the results. Your curse... Cannot be broken."

"Mother?"

Melanie looked towards the door. A young girl was poking her head curiously behind the wooden exit. She was wearing a pink dress, flowers decorated her long hair.

"Rapunzel, come in." the Queen replied gently.

The girl's eyes beamed in delight as she happily enters to room. Noticing the Queen's somber expression, her smile turned into a frown.

"What's wrong, Mother?"

"Rapunzel, I need to asked you something. Can you do me a favor?" she softly spoke.

"Of course, anything to make you smile."

"Well, I'd very much appreciated it if you can take care of Bella for me." she slowly got up from bed and took the infant from the cradle before carefully place her into Rapunzel's arm.

The girl was very excited as she gently rocked the small child back and forth.

"So this is my little sister!" Rapunzel whispered in excitement. "Oh, she's so cute!"

"I want you to take care of her for me." Melanie told her. "Can you do that?"

"Yes, but why?" the girl questioned.

"Because I know you can handle it." she simple replied.

Queen Melanie knew.

Just yesterday, the Goddess Flora came to her. She warned the Queen that she cannot take the powers out of the child. All she can do is make Belladonna the Guardian of the Deadly Nightbloom. The Queen was, at first, angry at the Goddess, asking if she cared what happened to her child. Flora, however, responded that it was the only way to keep the child alive. If she had done nothing about it, the poison within the child will eventually take over her and kill her. Being made into a Guardian will allow the Princess a chance to control them and to, hopefully, make peace with herself.

"A Guardian and their flower are linked. They worked together and respond to their feelings. Just like with animals, plants have a mind of its own." Flora explained. "Had I not intervene, the flower would be in control, instead of Belladonna."

"There is no other way?" the Queen asked.

"I wished I could help more, but that's all I can do. What's done cannot be undone, especially when it comes to choice." the Goddess replied. "So, I asked you, Melanie. What do you choose? Please think about it before you decide or you might regret it later."

The Goddess left, leaving the Queen to ponder over everything.

Now, the woman has entrusted her daughter to Rapunzel, knowing that their powers will keep the other safe. It wasn't long until Queen Melanie died from the effects of the potion. And what's worse was that she never got the chance to warn her husband about Mother Gothel's true nature. So the scarred woman still remains within the Kingdom of Floralia until she is needed. As for the Queen, her spirit still haunts the palace walls, unable to rest for the mistaken in trusting her servant.

One year has passed and eight year old Rapunzel have been caring for her sister just like she promised. She loves her sister dearly and Belladonna, in turn, grew to love her big sister with each passing day.

The two were those birds, trapped in a birdcage. Though, they hoped that one day, they can spread their wings and escape this birdcage. To explore the outside world, away from confinement... To a world that can be so vast as the large blue sky.

What do you think? Please leave a review. By the way, the story I based Queen Melanie is on Brothers Grimm's Maid Maleen, a tale very similar to Rapunzel and something that I see if fitting for Melanie. See you guys soon.