~ Rapunzel Goes Home (extended edition)

~ Chapter 013

~ The Test

The seneschal, Mortimer Danberry, pondered what had happened back in the Testing Chamber as he strode down the corridor to find the queen, she should be in her sewing room taking care of internal affairs. The interview was only a formality, all the false Lost Princesses had come with elaborate back stories and explanations, but he had never encountered anything like this girl before.

She was brunette for one very big thing.

The girl seemed completely honest and innocent. She truly believed her story. He knew that Maximus had broken the dam from the Captain's report. That the search for the crown had gone to the Snuggly Duckling.

He even knew that a girl with long golden hair had been in the city for the celebration, her joy and innocence had attracted a lot of attention. His princess warning system had alerted him and he was expecting her to make her claim but she never did. This girl had taken him completely by surprise.

But apparently they were the same girl. Hope soared up wildly in his heart.

No! not again, he smothered that hopeful feeling. The Test! The Test would tell if she was the true Lost Princess. Shaking his head he continued on to the royal apartments.

The day after the Birthday was set aside for rest and recovery. It was very hard on the King, he didn't speak of it but the seneschal could tell that the "celebration" was very hard on the king. He feared that the king was loosing hope. Every time a claimant was rejected the lines on the king's face grew deeper and the less he spoke. Mortimer did as much as he could to ease the burden of the King, but this was one thing that he couldn't help with.

Stopping outside the Queen's Sewing room, the seneschal settled himself and schooled his face to be strictly neutral, he had made a serious mistake with the first false princess and he had vowed never to raise false hope in his king and queen again. He nodded to the Lock Guard in his crossed sashes and fez-like hat, which always stayed near the Lock.

After the maid had let him in, he bowed to the queen. "My queen, there is another claimant. I am in need of the Lock."

The queen looked deeply at him, trying to fine some sign, but he held his neutrality and calmness as close as he could, he would not hurt them again. Nodding she turned away from her seneschal and removed a necklace with a vial containing the kingdom's Most Precious Treasure that she kept ever near her heart.

The Crown of the Lost Princess may be called the kingdom's Most Valuable Treasure, but it was really just a decoy. They could not keep the rumors of a very valuable treasure from spreading, but they did what they could to make sure anyone who wanted the treasure think it was something other then it was.

Still, it was surprising that Flynn Rider had pulled off the heist.

After the princess was taken they had found a lock of hair in the crib. What it had meant, was something the Privy Council had debated for some time, they had even included the Headwoman, doctor, surgeon, herbalist, and the midwife just to be sure they had covered all possibilities.

They knew that an old woman had stolen the princess, while the princess had had golden hair the lock was brown which was very close to the color of the queen's hair, but slightly different. It was the logical conclusion that the hair was from the princess and that the golden color of her hair was some kind of magical effect from the magic, golden flower they had used to heal the queen and that it was lost when the hair was cut and returned to its actual color. Much like the flower had withered when cut.

It wasn't the strongest evidence he'd ever seen, but it was the only conclusion that fit all the available facts. The test was very simple, cut a sample of the claimant's hair and compare them. Of course, all the girls so far had blonde hair that had stayed blonde when cut, so they could not be the Lost Princess. None had even understood the test.

The seneschal had the suspicion that the queen kept the Lock on her person so she would know if there was a claimant in the palace. She had the most hope of them all, and the king and queen always seemed to be together when he returned it with a shake of his head.

As the queen laid the warm vial in his hand, he gave the Lock a long look. It looked like… No! Clenching it in his fist he bowed carefully to his queen and left; the Lock Guard staying with him now.

The queen gazed at the doors for a long time. The queen nodded to her chambermaid who took up position down the hall, while the queen went off to be near the king.

"Easy, old man. Breathe. Follow the protocol," the seneschal whispered to himself, pausing just outside the Testing Chamber. Then he and the Lock Guard entered the Testing Chamber.

The claimant and Flynn Rider spun around from looking out the window. The Lock Guard closed the doors and took position directly in front of them, blocking the exit. Flynn looked at the guard suspiciously.

Going to his desk, he removed a pair of scissors and approached the girl. Fear shown in her eyes. Her hands moved to her shoulder as if trying to grip some hair that wasn't there anymore.

"What are those for?" asked the girl in a frightened voice.

"The Test is very simple really, I need some of your hair."

"But Eugene cut my hair already, it doesn't have any power anymore." Rapunzel was scared of the scissors, Mother had always warned her not to ever let anyone cut her hair. Eugene put his arm around her. Pascal eyed the seneschal suspiciously.

"Be that as it may, we must perform the Test if we are to know if you are the true Lost Princess."

Biting her lip; Rapunzel thought, she was the Lost Princess, and if this was the test she would do it. She was brave enough to do this. Her hair was already cut and powerless, but it was still scary. Burying her face into Eugene's shoulder she said, "Okay, do it."

Eugene put his arms around her shoulders and held her. Pascal turned around to keep an eye on the seneschal, frowning deeply at him.

With a puzzled expression on his face the seneschal approached and gently lifted a lock of hair and Rapunzel shivered as she heard the snip. She took a shuddering breath and then she slowly turned.

She saw the seneschal standing there, a lock of her hair in his hand next to a vial with something brown in it. The hand was shaking. His face was very pale. The scissors slipped from his other hand and landed with a clatter on the floor.

Eugene reached out and put an arm on the seneschal's shoulder, "Are you alright, man?"

The seneschal crashed to his knees, looking up with tears streaming down his face he said, "Welcome home, your Highness, we've missed you, so much."

And then he hugged them both around the waist. The Lock Guards were standing there with their jaws hanging open. The seneschal turned on his knees.

"Don't just stand there. Quickly man, tell them that she'll be at the plaza balcony. Move!"

The guard in front of the doors took off at run.

"Your Highness, please, come with me. You're going to meet your parents now." Mortimer said with a massive smile on his face.

Well, that took long enough.

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