Rapunzel's bare feet pattered inaudibly against the carpeting throughout the corridors, seeking out for Pascal, whom was hiding as a camouflaged golden knight atop a steed frozen in a gallop, posing valiantly.
She purposely ignored him, strolling alongside the adorned table of expensive trinkets, except for when she whirled around to scare him out of his 'hiding place', jolting him back to his original color, and on the floor. She chuckled behind her hand, but impishly smirked and fisted her hand determinedly when Pascal scurried away rather abruptly beneath her feet, brushing past them in a challenge, which she took. No matter how advantageous she was with her ability to detect him instantly and with her technical cheating of no shoes, she loved playing with him.
She almost bumped into her parents, which she regarded with a loving bruising embrace they couldn't refuse, and pecked Eugene on the cheek, thinking of him too. This was her family, her real mother and her father, she gained kindness not from them but also Eugene, with a little affection on the side.
Rapunzel swung her doors open with her hands still on the handles, but they didn't remain, neither did her playful look as it dropped to shock and apprehension.
A figure was grasping her drapery, the sunlight incompetent to bring this stranger to view, their cloak suspiciously obsidian and masking their face, but the eyes, glowing a pale verdant exuding a terrible hunger, for they, no, she was staring at her hair, a few loose golden strands framing and hanging low beside her face, she couldn't meet her adoptive daughter's eyes.
She greeted Rapunzel with a clean mocking whisper, not hoarse like Rapunzel anticipated, but she couldn't help but recoil as Gothel's hood was swiped off her head, her hair a healthy black she was accustomed to in her childhood. Those eyes kept staring at her with atrocious penetration, greed beckoning her closer to pat Rapunzel's head, who flinched, in a show of patronizing, Mother Knows Best.
No, she doesn't.
Rapunzel temptingly reached for Gothel's hand to stop adoringly clutching her hair like she missed it so, but she couldn't. Not because Gothel slapped her hand away, but for she was already sauntering back to the curtains, smiling nastily, wolfishly as she's got this treacherous child right where she wanted her. Rapunzel could tell that she was still something insignificant in Gothel's eyes, something small and weak, but that was obviously mistakable. She could fend for herself, but Gothel can't. Because without her hair to shine it's power in this woman, to restore her youth for a temporary bit, she's the helpless one. Without her strength of her younger years, way younger years, she had much more of a chance to be overpowered by the dangers of the world than Rapunzel ever could. And she wasn't a child. Not anymore. Gothel's lost all privileges to touch her hair and make her feel small, make her feel like she needs protection from anything and everything.
Leave me alone! She wanted to shout, but was stunned as Gothel raised her arms and brought upon dozens of black rocks to make her feel trapped, claustrophobic. This was all in her head, this was just a dream, but could it be more than that? A forewarning, a vision? She didn't have time to dwell in her subconscious as pillars of spikes towered over her, glowing cerulean white.
And her hair disentangled from it's braid, hovering and glowing golden, radiating and matching the power of the Sun itself.
Gothel was reflected in the biggest black rock of all, proud of Rapunzel's returned hair, those eyes were practically starving, her age was catching up with her rapidly as her hair frosted from ebony to ivory, her flesh exploding and shriveling with hundreds of wrinkles, distorting her, eating her away, she was so ancient, she demanded her youth to be restored now!
Rapunzel covered her ears in the attempt to drain out Gothel's exclamations, but it was pretty futile, she gritted her teeth from more than just as a prevention to listen to this madwoman. Yes, that's exactly what she thinks she is, what she knows the lengths she would cross to selfishly keep the Sun's abilities in her hair to herself, nobody else should know about it, should deserve it!
Give it to me, Rapunzel! Or...it's back to the tower with you.
Never!
Your defiance amuses me, flower. Let's come back to your home, where you will be safe and sound, my dear.
Wake up!
Confounded yet desperate to escape this vivid dream, Rapunzel awoke with a gasp, shooting upright. Her hair in the similar mannerism as it was inside her mind, but now she's witnessing it, if only shortly, for the blonde locks plummeted back on her bed, her floor, and ceased the illumination.
XX
King Frederic and Queen Arianna were outside in the courtyard, seated at a reserved table just for them, the biggest and by far the comfiest with plush chairs, dining in on breakfast. Or at least one was.
Arianna noticed her husband kept picking at his food, while her's was near completion. She rested her utensils, and her hand on his hand, questioning him on what was the matter. Though she could see in the King's eyes, that this was more pressing than as far as royalty is concerned, for he's pondering on his daughter, he was worrying as a father.
He hasn't been social with Rapunzel lately, as their last conversation kinda ended on a bad note, a disagreement for each of them. He was the cause of her departure, but she has kept her word in staying within Corona, not going ahead and touching magical rocks, which he made a little too clear. He didn't know how to approach her, to be honest.
Just talk to her; for me?
He nodded, but his thoughts still gnawed in the corner, and he took his first bite of sustenance to calm his insistent anxiety and hunger.
XX
As Cassandra touched up Rapunzel's braid with feminine accessories such as a violet flower clip-on, Raps was distressing about what she dreamt the night prior, and the other couple reminders where the black rocks made an appearance. She was shushed by the Handmaiden as her voice got a little carried away, a little loud, and these walls aren't as thick as one might think. People could be listening in or passing by the room at this very moment, better be safe than sorry.
Rapunzel assumed their secret was already told, about her hair, but Cass dismissively waved that one off, for everybody was bound to perceive the 70 feet of unnaturally bright locks. Hardly anybody had blonde hair in Corona, and their's wasn't so extended, dead giveaway. Though if anybody knew who exactly took the Princess out, it would ruin her career as Lady-in-Waiting, bringing down her friendship with Rapunzel and canceling her status along with the Guards, bringing her finally to a place of Christianity, a Convent, which is listed as one of her primary things she doesn't work with. A blown secret, especially when it involves the King hearing about the supposed compliant Lady-in-Waiting, whose never went behind his back, can do a lot of damage to one's life. Especially for Cassandra. People in Corona aren't the best when keeping their mouths shut, they tend to gossip and spread everything until it gets to the castle. Let's just not tell anyone; okay Raps?
She wanted to tell Eugene.
Cassandra almost looked freaked, or maybe revolted to share with Fitzherbert. His name might've been mentioned, whispered audibly between the two young women, and the man himself happened to be hear that last snippet, Don't tell Eugene.
"Tell Eugene what?"
Cassandra pulled away almost hastily, glowering at the intrusion, but he payed her no heed as Rapunzel rubbed at her arm, avoiding his look, but he wasn't delving for answers.
Ok, maybe he was, but he held Rapunzel's hands with such care it looked deceiving, like she wasn't just the only one he was looking at, but the unspoken words inside of her, if this was a some kind of secret, which he detests, then it shouldn't be a problem for Rapunzel to tell him what's going on. He doesn't trust the She-Demon who's all ice, coincidentally boring her eyes in his like a beast. Her bitter frigid personality can't numb him now, besides Rapunzel still has yet to speak her troubled expression, which was concerning to him.
She still kept her mouth shut, apologizing with sincerity, and he dropped his curiosity, for now.
It also happened to be that when Cassandra told him that he had the biggest mouth in Corona, he offensively, blindly pointed out a secret of Pete the Guard's, who is terrified of mimes.
The guard himself was walking by, and he heard his secret being told, by Eugene who obviously can't keep it in-between.
I think this is a life lesson for all of us, keep the crucial concealed in the very depths, don't even let it near your mouth, for a certain dud will let things slip if you spill.
XX
Rapunzel was sketching the wondrous view of the garden in her journal; commenting and marveling at the customary vegetation, the woven vines, the emerald moss and plethora of intricate shrubs.
She closed the book when Cassandra came walking up the polished stone steps, announcing that she found a solution to this hair problem, for a rumored wizard called Varian might be able to help.
Rapunzel was all for it, but be warned; some say he's unstable, dangerous.
Could that really be, or were they just not giving him a proper chance?
Whether or not he's a danger to his village or if he has any sorcery, which could be both negative, unexplained, it sounds like we have a one way ticket to answers. Let's not stall—the sooner, the better.
XX
They deliberately rode on horseback to the territory of Old Corona, Cassandra maneuvering Fidella down a crooked path, passing partially wrecked architecture that was just houses with their ripped shingles, opened cobblestone walls in need of repairs.
Here it is.
A timeworn bricked foundation, by far the largest and the worst: slanted, breaches on the roof, a fallen chimney. Despite it's impairment, it was still by far the most charming out of the others; according to the archway shadowing an immaculate stream, trees intact with their crisp golden and shiny emerald leaves.
But there's a time and place for admiration, now just didn't cut it. Rapunzel and Cassandra dismounted, the former maintaining her composure as even if Varian was somehow a danger to them, as so much has been said about his instability, she was gonna use her courage, determination to get through this. Besides, what if this was all in her and everybody else's imagination?, and they thought ill of him when there's really nothing to be afraid of. She's not familiar with fear, and she rejects the idea of not giving him an opportunity, everybody deserves one.
"So this is where Varian lives..." Rapunzel started with an awkward smile and a rub to the neck. She appeared uncharacteristically tentative.
"...It seems cozy" Rapunzel continued, Cassandra absently placing an unflinching palm on her shoulder, as her protective friend, "in a way where I should've said farewell to my loved ones before coming here"
We'll be just fine, Raps. Everything's gonna be alri—
Cass halted in her words and lowered her fist as she was gonna knock, but the double set of untouched doors had another thing in mind, for one creaked open, and they took it as permission.
Yet nobody was on the other side, except a contrasting darkness with perceptible amaranth fog drifting in through the cracks of another door opened just a crack for visitors, or intruders.
Rapunzel was trying to make the best out of this uneasy situation, telling herself repeatedly that it's just harmless fog, but Cassandra's boot touched a tripwire, awakening things on their left side, a bellow passing it's oxygen into a Bunsen Burner, igniting it and sliding it under a flask, the pink chemicals within bubbling and extracted from a sinuous tubing that ejects in an empty magenta sphere, like a ball without it's rubber, finally exploding onto the feet of the two, trapping them. It was very thick, very gelatinous, and they were stuck.
It could only get better, read the sarcasm, when a cloaked figure approached, with a viridian cloak and a silver mask with a distorted angry voice, no eyeholes, which somehow made this guy intimidating, this had to be Varian. He was certainly justifying the whole dangerous thing.
Cassandra kept a hand on her sword's hilt, not yet unsheathing and just to make it clear that she meant business even when she couldn't move her feet. She's not going down without a fight.
Rapunzel raised a hand, soundlessly calling for Varian's attention, asking politely if it was possible for him to examine her hair, him being a magic expert and all.
Oh, he can. But correction; nothing in here is related to magic, therefore he isn't either, it is alchemy, nothing more, nothing less.
He revealed himself to be a young adolescent; he wore goggles atop his jet black head, with an interesting stripe of pale blue. Delicate light blue eyes, light blue patched up sleeves, an apron, and chunky black gloves.
This substance they were in dissolved just like that, with a bottle of white sprinkles. Varian explained that it was for certain intrusive critters who mess around with his work, for a raccoon happened to be there, and he was tossed into a room of clutter, as was the noise of miscellaneous objects crashing on the floor. Good, that room wasn't even used. Also good, for the door was locked so he doesn't have to worry about meddling.
Now, that's on the other hand. The Princess, ahem, Rapunzel was reasonably here upon the seclusion of Old Corona, he couldn't turn that down. He couldn't decline any sort of experiment!
Her hair, ah yes. The hair that was restored through the excuse of magic, which he finds illogical, impossible. Alchemists don't believe in the"easy way" of science. With Alchemy, there's research, tools, ingredients that can testify whatever's properties, so to speak. Working with fire, his abundance of chemicals, of various colors and utilities, just confounds other's minds, science hasn't been seen much, can be deemed as crazy, but Varian would rather take the name-calling of his fascination, anything rather than being a worker of wizardry. That's just a fact that he has to abide by whenever he has company.
Now, back to the matter at hand, he advised Rapunzel to rest herself on a laboratory bench, clearing equipment and drawing out a large rotating magnifier, it's glass zooming drastically in on her sprawled out braid, but he saw nothing remarkable, the cortex providing the otherworldly gold, shining like the Sun. The strands were delicate to the touch, he was permitted to feel and view in unison, all he could comment was it's extraordinary length, but not like they didn't already know that.
But don't fret! For the awesome power of Alchemy can surely solve anything, if put to the test, it's bound to be the victor!
In his enthusiasm, he knocked aside his device he honestly forgot was still there. It spun a 360, impacting Varian's head with enough force to draw blood.
He saw the blood, and his consciousness was done for; babbling incoherently and falling, his head hitting the floor, which Rapunzel had to wince at.
She and Cassandra exchanged a look of bemusement, their eyes traveling down time to the young male resting in an uncomfortable position.
You wanna shake him or should I?