Rapunzel Goes Home (extended edition)

~ Chapter 038

~ Setting Up Quiet Time

Queen Rebecca found her daughter Princess Rapunzel wearing her lavender tower dress, in the palace garden, sitting on a stone bench, leaning on a tree, looking over the ocean.

"How are you, dear?" She was concerned, Rapunzel looks so tired and it was still morning. They had introduced Rapunzel to her staff and bodyguards and it was getting time to meet… some more people, the queen wasn't exactly sure who was next.

"Hello, mama. Just resting," said the princess Rapunzel.

"That's good. You're meeting a lot of new people, and it's tiring for me sometimes too. I come here to rest, too, when I feel overwhelmed by it all."

Princess Rapunzel gives a faint smile. "Mama, how do you remember them all? There are so many people."

Queen Rebecca smiles gently and looks around to make sure they are alone, and leans in. "I don't. Not to say I don't try to learn people's names and faces, but right now, so many people are trying to meet you, you don't have to try to remember them all. I'll point out the really important ones, though."

"Okay, thank you, mama. It's not easy being a princess." Rapunzel smiled a little sadly, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the tree, she felt so overwhelmed all the time now, nothing was as it used to be and she didn't know what to do with herself. She didn't even need to clean her room. It felt so strange not to have to dust, sweep and mop in the mornings, but she did make her bed. It was something comforting to do.

She had a staff, all those people dedicated to making her life easier and safer. She had no idea how to handle that, at all. What does she need with a staff?

"No, it isn't, or being a queen, but you are doing fine." The mother reassured the daughter.

"I don't feel fine. They all say they love me, but they don't know me. They've never met me before. How can they say that?" Rapunzel looked back at her mama, someone she is trying to love like she did Mother, who betrayed her so utterly. Love felt so messed up inside her right now. So many lies got mixed up with her love.

"Well, they love what you represent. You are their hope for the future. Stability to the kingdom. A continuation of the monarchy."

"Oh. I'm more of an idea to them then a person." Rapunzel, bit her pink lip, and looked a little sad about that.

"No, you are a person with a big idea attached to her."

"Your Majesty, your Highness, its almost time to meet the ship building guilds," said Mortimer the seneschal, coming up the grey flagstones.

The queen helps up the princess, who struggles a little.

"Are you alright?" Mama asks, concerned about her baby.

"I don't know anymore, mama. I am so tired, the nightmares are not helping." Rapunzel says tiredly.

"No, they're not. I'm tired because of them too. I don't usually get up quite that early, normally."

"Mama, I'm so tired all the time now. I can't seem to sleep at all now without waking up with a screaming nightmare. I haven't had a good night's sleep since I left my Tower. Even naps end in nightmares, or would that be napmares?" Asked Rapunzel with a puzzled look on her face.

Rebecca smiled, "I don't know, but that is a good word for it. You went through such terrible things. I think this is your way of trying to deal with all the things you've gone through."

"Maybe, but it doesn't seem like a good way of doing it. Thank you, though, for coming and comforting me after them, that does feel really good."

"You're welcome. We'll always be there for you. You are my sunshine."

"You warm my soul." Mama and daughter hug tightly. They used words that reminded them of love, alternatives that didn't hurt, it was awkward, but they would work through this.

The queen has a thought. "Mortimer, can you open up some quiet time in the afternoon?"

"Of course, your Majesty," Mortimer said, it would mess everything up again, people would rant and yell especially the head of the ship builders guild, but the royal family will get some rest. He had heard of the nightmares that plagued the princess. He thought he'd better schedule the quiet time in for the princess until they abated.

No, he'd schedule quiet time for the whole family until further notice.

~ End of Chapter 038

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Author's Note: I realize that Rapunzel has to be an introvert. It would be the only way she could survive being almost completely alone for all those years. Introverts energize themselves by having time for quiet contemplation and deep thought. Something she had in abundance in the tower. Not that she can't be social, but she doesn't know how to handle the sheer mass of people yet.

Had she been an extrovert, someone needing to be around others, she would have gone insane, which would have been bad.

For her being an introvert was good but has downsides too.

Meeting dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of people at a time is a big drain on her.

She needs to learn her limits and learn how to do things she never has before.