Chapter Eight: Decisions and Alterations

Tickets for the Annual Auradon Charity Gala were selling faster than anyone could say 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'! It didn't surprise Roselyn though, it was the most glamorous event of the year; everyone who was anyone wanted to be seen at the Gala. However, Roselyn wasn't going for a selfish reason like that, she wanted to give back to the less fortunate people of Auradon. The money that was purchased for the tickets was given to the people that needed it the most and the tickets for the event didn't come cheap either.

As Roselyn watched the frenzy of people that had flocked the nearby booth selling the tickets from the comfort of a shady tree, she leant back against its thick trunk and turned her attention to the book she had in her lap. Roselyn had spent the past week studying with Jay in the library after dinner and his reading has been improving but he still had a lot to learn. Roselyn was so proud of Jay nonetheless. The test was next Monday, and Roselyn was a hundred per cent certain that he was ready for it.

Turning another page of her book, a thought that she had tried to suppress suddenly crawled into her mind, 'I have to find a date'. It's not that she didn't want a date, she was perfectly happy to go by herself, it just was that the thought of being asked out was daunting because she had never been out on a real date before. Plus, she had to turn up to the Gala with an escort as it was a custom that the children of the King and Queen that hosted the Gala to have the first dance; Roselyn would be a laughing stock if she showed up with no date.

"Roselyn!" A voice called out, "Oh my gosh, I have been looking for you everywhere!"

Roselyn looked up from her book to see Lonnie running towards her, she looked like she was going to combust with excitement.

"Hey, Lonnie, what's up?" Roselyn greeted before she placed her bookmark on the page that she was on and closed her book.

"Well," Lonnie started as she was unable to keep her excitement contained, "I heard from Scarlett, who heard from Aziz, who overheard it from a couple of the tourney players that Jay is going to ask you to the Gala!"

It took a few moments to register what Lonnie had just said before Roselyn's eyes widened in realisation, "W-What?"

"Jay wants to be your date at the Gala!" Lonnie repeated, clapping her hands with an excited squeal, "and he told me that if I saw you, he told me to tell you and he is looking for you."

'No, no, no, this cannot be happening,' Roselyn panicked as she picked herself up from off the ground hastily before she took off, leaving Lonnie dazed and confused.

Roselyn had to get back to her dorm room, it was the only safe place on campus for her right now; she just hoped that she didn't run into Jay on the way there. Trying to be as discreet as possible, Roselyn managed to run all the way to her building where her dorm room was, which was located on the other side of the campus.

Bursting through the door of her dorm room, she quickly slammed the door shut behind her. Not even noticing that Claire was sitting on her bed, staring at her as if she was some kind of alien. Roselyn then threw her book onto her bed and moved to the window, looking to see if Jay was anywhere nearby.

"Um, Roselyn what are you doing?" Claire asked monotonously, "You look like you've seen Mother Gothel."

"Don't even joke about Mother Gothel," Roselyn stressed, the name never failed to send chills down her spine.

Claire put her hands up in defence, "Sorry, but you it does look like you've been chased by her. Are you okay?"

"No, of course I'm not okay!" Roselyn shouted as she moved away from the window before she paced back and forth.

Claire shook her head at Roselyn's behaviour, "Okay, Roselyn, you need to calm down and take deep breathes."

Roselyn began to breathe in and out slowly which made her feel a little better but it didn't help her heart that was beating like an unsteady drum.

"Now, tell me what happened," Claire insisted, giving Roselyn her full attention.

"Well, I was outside in the courtyard, just minding my own business when Lonnie came up to me and told me that Jay is planning on asking me to the Gala!" Roselyn explained in one giant breath.

Claire's eyes widened in shock before she frowned, "Ugh, Roselyn, what did I tell you about him?"

"Yes, I remember what you said," Roselyn sighed, as she continued to pace around the room, "But Jay is the complete opposite of who you think he is!"

Claire gave her best friend a sceptiCal look before her eyes widened, "Don't tell me that you have feelings for Jay now."

"Well," Roselyn began but drifted off as she twirled her hair shyly, "Maybe — I don't know! I'm still trying to figure out my feelings."

Claire sat in silence for a moment before her features softened before she sighed deeply, "Roselyn, you know that I'll support you no matter what your decision; but I still don't think Jay is the best choice for you. You deserve so much better than him."

It upset Roselyn to hear that Claire didn't approve of Jay; she figured that Claire would be happy for her.

"Trust me, Claire, I know you'll support me but I'm convinced that Jay has changed for the better," Roselyn countered, "and plus, thank you for your concern but it's for me to decide whether or not that Jay is good for me."

"Fine, but if he hurts you, it's my duty to hurt him twice as hard," Claire grumbled before crossing her arms across her chest.

'A fine is good enough for me,' Roselyn beamed brightly, ignoring the threat as she knew that Claire implied it as a joke before she ran up to her best friend and wrapped her in a hug. Claire stood frozen in place for a couple of seconds before she eventually hugged Roselyn back, a slight smile played on her lips.

"So, when are you going to face the music?" Claire spoke up, untangling herself out of the hug, "As much as I want you to stay away from him, you can't hide from Jay forever. He's bound to see you around campus sometime."

Claire was right, sooner or later, she would have to face Jay. Roselyn hoped that it wasn't today, and hoped that Jay didn't show up at her door demanding an answer, she didn't respond well under pressure.

Suddenly, a series of shrill rings interrupted Roselyn's thoughts, which made her jump a little. Peering over at her phone, which was resting on her bedside table, she went over and looked at the caller ID.

"Not if I'm away from campus," Roselyn responded to Claire quickly before picking up her phone.

"Hey, mum!" Roselyn answered with a grin, knowing that her mother was also smiling at the other end of the phone.

"Roselyn, sweetheart!" Rapunzel greeted with much enthusiasm, "I was just calling to say how much your father and I are looking forward to tonight and that Eddie will be there to pick you up just under an hour."

"Okay, sounds great," Roselyn said in a cheerful tone. The princess of Corona was glad that she could go see her family as the students of Auradon were given off campus privileges during weekends.

"Oh — Before you go, I also wanted to tell you that I have scheduled another fitting with the royal seamstress tonight!" Rapunzel said in a sing-song voice, "Both of your Gala and coronation dresses will be finished, isn't that exciting?!"

Roselyn cringed as she thought about standing for hours on end and being poked by pins and needles, just fantastic. "Sounds awesome, mum!"

"I'm looking forward to seeing you again, sweetie. I miss you so much," Rapunzel said softly.

"I miss you too, mum," Roselyn said I'm a sad tone but suddenly perked up, "Oh — I nearly forgot to tell you; its Parent's Day at school coming up towards the end of the month, and I'd love it if the whole family came."

"Sounds absolutely perfect, your father and I will be there, along with your grandparents," Rapunzel promised.

"Great, looking forward to it!" Roselyn grinned.

"Okay, we'll talk more tonight, sweetie, bye!" Rapunzel bid her goodbyes and Roselyn did the same.

Roselyn hung up the phone before she tossed it into her bed. She then let out a deep sigh before she flopped onto the bed herself. Her mind couldn't help but drift back to the situation she was stressing about before her mother called; she had to figure out her feelings before Jay asked her to the Gala.


It felt good to be back home again, even if it was for just for the weekend, but school life was never far away as she had loads of homework to distract her. However, homework could wait for tonight as Roselyn was currently standing on top of a large tuffet stool in front of a tri-fold mirror, being fitted for both her Gala dress and her Coronation dress.

The royal seamstress was fixing up minor adjustments and putting the finishing touches to both dresses. Roselyn's feet felt like they were going to fall off, she didn't know how long she was standing for but she was hoping that she could sit down sometime soon.

"You're going to look absolutely beautiful, sweetheart," Rapunzel beamed at her daughter.

Pascal, her mother's loyal chameleon friend, who was perched on Rapunzel's shoulder, purred in agreement. "The most beautiful girl at the gala and coronation!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

"I don't know about the most beautiful," Roselyn tittered shyly, shifting from one sore foot to the other.

"Well, to me and your father you are," Rapunzel smiled at her daughter.

Pascal, who got a little offended that Rapunzel let him out, grunted angrily to get her attention. Rapunzel giggled before playfully rolling her eyes at her companion, "and Pascal thinks so as well."

Roselyn shook her head at Pascal's antics, "Well thank you, Pascal."

Pascal smiled at Roselyn, chirping happily. "So, has anyone asked you to the Gala yet?" Rapunzel asked with a teasing tone.

Roselyn felt her whole face grow hot, "N-No, not really — I — ugh, it's complicated."

"Really?" Rapunzel said with an intrigued tone, "How so?"

"Well, there's this guy at school," Roselyn started hesitantly, "When we first met, he was this arrogant ladies man who flirted with nearly every girl he came across, but over the course of a couple of weeks, he turns out to be this really genuine guy. I think I'm falling for him, but I'm not sure about my feelings just yet because Claire and a few variety of people aren't convinced that he's changed for the better," Roselyn took a deep breath in and sighed, "In the end, I don't know what to do, my heart and head are telling me to do two different things at once!"

Roselyn pulled at her long mousy brown hair, twirling it around her index finger. She was careful not to reveal which boy she was talking about, her mother would've had a heart attack if she found out that her daughter wanted to go to the Gala with the son of Jafar, as well as date him. Roselyn really didn't now what to do, she was afraid of what everyone would think of their relationship.

As Rapunzel sat on Roselyn's soft plush stool of her vanity, she listened intently to what her daughter had to say. She loved it when her daughter opened up about her thoughts and feelings and didn't feel the need to bottle or hide things from her. Seeing that her daughter was a little at war with herself, Rapunzel decided to give her daughter some motherly advice and guidance. Rapunzel glanced down at Pascal, he nodded as if to say to her 'lay it on her'. So, to lighten the mood, Rapunzel let out a laugh, which made Roselyn raised an eyebrow questionably at her mother.

"This young man you described sounds a lot like your father," Rapunzel chuckled before her demeanour turned serious, "but this situation sounds familiar. When I was around your age, your father proposed to me once I was reunited with my parents. However, I wasn't ready to marry. It wasn't that I didn't love your father, it was just my love for adventure was stronger and I wanted to figure out who I was before I was tied down to your father and the commitments of being Queen. Despite the discontentment of your godmother, Cassandra, your grandfather and most of the royal court disregarding Eugene's proposal, it never discouraged me from loving your father and eventfully marrying him," Roselyn took in her mother's wise words but she wasn't done yet, "So, what I am trying to say is Roselyn; listen to your heart and not the voices in your head or around you. Don't listen to others criticism to heart, as it isn't anyone's concern what you do with your life; it's your own. I followed my heart, I took risks, but most importantly; I believed in myself and sense of judgement and I think that you should do the same."

Roselyn silenced her head so that she could listen to her heart, and it was telling her to accept Jay's offer and go to the Gala with him. Once Roselyn mentally accepted Jay's offer, her gaze shifted away from the window and met her mothers. Judging by her daughter's smile, Rapunzel knew that she had just made her decision and she knew that it was the right decision. Rapunzel smiled at her daughter in return before she leapt from her seat and pulled Roselyn into a tight embrace. Pascal soon joined in as well. The seamstress, who was fixing the hemline of Roselyn's dress, jump back to let them have a moment together.

Before long, mother and daughter soon pulled away from their embrace to let the seamstress continue on with her work. After a while, the seamstress was finished with her coronation dress and then instructed Roselyn to put her Gala dress on so that she could put some of the final touches to it. Roselyn compiled before she went into the other room to get changed.

Stripping off her Coronation dress, Roselyn then held up the heavy dress, admiring the seamstress' handy work. She was amazed by how stunning the dress was and she couldn't wait to show it off during the coronation. Taking one last look at it, she safely placed the dress inside its protective bag before she turned to her Gala dress that was in another protective bag.

Taking her Gala dress out of its protective bag, she then slipped it on. She had to admit to herself that the dress was enchanting and that it showed off all the right curves. While fiddling with the zip at the back of her dress, Roselyn couldn't help but wonder, 'What would Jay's first reaction be when he sees me in this dress?'

Roselyn blushed at the thought of Jay complimenting on how beautiful she looked and how his eyes would only be on her and her alone. The princess then snorted before she laughed at herself for concocting up such a ridiculous daydream, but she couldn't help that she was a hopeless romantic. As much as Roselyn wanted to hear those tender and loving sentiments, she couldn't imagine Jay being all sweet and romantic like that.

She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts from her mind as she managed to get her dress zipped up. Composing herself, Roselyn walked out of the room and stood in the middle of the doorway where Rapunzel and the seamstress were waiting for her. Roselyn's mother stared at Roselyn in awe at her beauty, while the seamstress wore a face of concentration, studying Roselyn up and down.

"Just needs a bit more diamonds," The seamstress mumbled as she went over to her workspace to grab a handful of diamonds.

Roselyn took her spot in front of the mirror once again, watching the seamstress' reflection in the mirror as she made her way over to Roselyn and added more diamonds onto the dress. With nothing better to do, the princess began to admire the colour and texture of the fabric and all of the little fine details that were stitched into place.

A short time later, the seamstress pulled away before announcing excitedly, "Your Highnesses, both dresses are complete! I hope that you are satisfied."

Rapunzel nodded with a kind smile, "They both look absolutely stunning, thank you very much."

Both mother and daughter thanked the seamstress again for her services, the seamstress curtsied as she took her leave, but not without collecting her payment first. Rapunzel and the seamstress stepped out of the room while Roselyn stayed behind and stood in front of the mirror, admiring herself. She couldn't wait to show off her new dresses at the Gala and Ben's Coronation, both of her dresses were beautiful and they were both certainly fit for a princess.


A/N: I finally got around to reading the second book of the series, Return to the Isle of the Lost, and the book did not disappoint. I can't wait for the third book, Rise of the Isle of The Lost, to come out in Australia as it is taking forever! Anyways, I wanted a little moment between Rapunzel and Roselyn, so I fit it in, I hope I did Rapunzel justice in this chapter!

By now, you guys probably noticed that this story is basically an AU fanfic, that also has some of the movie and book events, plus my own events, mixed in. I just wanted to clear that up. Also, I'm adding a little more extra exciting events towards the end, ones that you'll (hopefully) like and never see coming...I'll explain a little more when the time comes! For now, make sure you favourite, follow and review! :)