Things have gotten serious with Part 1 of 'Chains of Her Sorrows'.

1. If you're easily startled/not comfortable with writing that portrays depression and/or mental illnesses in general, then I understand if you can't pull yourself to read this chapter. But, I have worked up to this point in the story and I promise you all that nothing graphic will come to fruition. Also, this is really only the beginning of this little story arc.

2. This is an edited version of this chapter. Check chapter notes, I'll explain what's changed.

3. As always, apologies for any spelling/grammar mistakes that fall through the final cut. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 24 - The Chains of Her Sorrows: Part 1 of 4

Type: Four-shot

Description: This is a continuance from 'Rapunzel's First Halloween' but is not a part of that chaptered saga because Halloween has passed. In this chapter, we dive into the feelings Rapunzel is dealing with, the chains of darkness that have taken hold of her heart. Frederic and Arianna confront her in the morning and Rapunzel does do her best to put on a happy face, but she eventually breaks and lashes out.

"It's all my fault!"

Rapunzel threw her pillow against the wall and huffed a deep breath. Pascal watched aimlessly as his friend dealt with her deepest and darkest sorrows known yet.

"He did something so wonderful for me, and I was too stupid to see he wasn't feeling well all day! He was hurting while I was making a Halloween Costume! A Halloween costume for crying out loud! How old am I again!?" She looked to Pascal for support, but he only stood there silently, not knowing what to say, not knowing any words that would make his friend feel better. In the thirteen years they have known each other, Rapunzel has never acted like this.

"Eugene's done nothing but wonderful things for me ever since he returned me home, and I've only let him down time after time after time!" Rapunzel ran over to her bed and threw herself into it, sobbing relentlessly into its fabric.

It all started the day before at that picnic table. When the thought of wanting to see Eugene, how much she's missed him ever since he took that wretched and stupid job at the docks, thinking about that.. horrible thing she wanted so desperately to say about the orphanage because she hates how occupied he always is with his classes and work there.

The whole thought process of wanting him so badly and being so mad about how distant he's been opened up a pit in her stomach that she's been trying to just shove down deeper and deeper for months. And finding out he got that job at the Docks and that he'd be working on a day they specifically always spend together; that was the beginning of her mental breakdown, whether she wanted to believe it or not.

Yes, Rapunzel has adjusted quickly to her new life, but it's also something that was and still is completely foreign to her. She has also had someone's calming presence in her life to help her keep going, someone aside from her parents and the teachers who have been nothing but kind to her. This certain someone's presence in her life has helped alleviate the stress, helped her deal with all the problems she's found during her days and weekends.

This someone has told her over and over again that everything will be fine, that she'll get through it, and that no matter what happens, he'll love and be with her throughout it all.

But now she barely sees that certain someone, and she blew the only two days they had together because of something she did. Because of the way she felt.

I am selfish!

The Crown Princess of Corona is slowly breaking inside, with chains of sorrow taking hold of her heart. And much to her dismay, she knows that things will only get worse before they can become better.

Rapunzel cried herself to sleep that night, a pain in her heart growing, aching for him, everything that was and is him, Eugene. But she doesn't think that she deserves someone as good as he is. She doesn't believe she deserves this palace life, she doesn't believe she deserves to be a Princess. She thinks she is nothing more than a failure for a daughter, a failure for a Princess, but worst of all:

She thinks that she is a failure as a girlfriend to the greatest person she's ever met.

Rapunzel's felt groggy when her eyes opened at six like they normally do each and every morning. But this time, instead of skipping out of bed with a wide smile on her face, completely ready to face what the new day had to offer, she could not find the strength to pull her tired and sore body out of bed. She looked up to Pascal, who was sound asleep, so calm, so peaceful... and she didn't want to wake him, nor did she want to even be awake herself.

So she went back to sleep, with no one bothering to wake her up as per her parents' instructions the previous night.

It was now 9 A.M and she rested against the back of her bed, sitting up as she held Pascal in her hands. "Mama and Papa are probably mad at me.." she whispered, fighting back the urge to cry. Pascal whimpered in her palm.

"Because I ruined their evening. That's all I do. I ruin things for them, for everyone, for.. Eugene.." She felt herself tearing up more and more. No wonder he got that job at the docks. Why would he want to be around her when everything she does, everything she touches is ruined by her very presence? By her blindness?

"Why couldn't I see? He was probably hurting that very morning when he was with me after my nightmare. I should've known better, I should've been able to see!" Her voice grew louder before she heard the soft knocks coming from behind her door. Rapunzel sniffled and reached over to grab a tissue.

Gothel was right about me all along.

"Please go away, I'm busy!" she yelled in a horrible attempt at a joyous tone.

"Sweetheart? It's.. Mama, can we come in?"

Rapunzel bit her lip and looked down to Pascal. He was nodding eagerly to her to let the two monarchs come in. He's hurting almost as much as she is right now from seeing her in this saddened state. He wants nothing more than to just snuggle up to her and do his best to try to rid her of all these worries, these fears in her life, but the truth hurts: he's just a chameleon, and half the time he doesn't even understand the things he even says.

"You don't have to, Mama, I know you're probably busy-"

"Nothing is more important to us than your well-being, precious girl." She heard her father's deep voice and inwardly groaned. They aren't going away, are they? "Our duties can wait. Your mother and I wish to speak with you."

She sighed and barely mumbled an "Alright". She vigorously wiped her face and turned her frown upside down, hoping her parents wouldn't see through the lies of the invisible mask she wore, hiding the true way she felt right now. They have so many responsibilities, so many things to do, and she absolutely hates the idea of them wasting time that could be spent bettering the Kingdom on her.

She smiled at them as they walked in and stood above her as she laid in her bed. She made her best impression to them that she was feeling nice and dandy, perfectly ready to take on the day!

"How are you feeling this morning?" her mother asked.

"Much better, Mama. I'm sorry I slept in so late. I wasn't feeling well last night, but I feel much better now. Extra sleep helps, it sounds like!" She held a grand smile upon her face and batted her eyelashes a little, knowing that almost everyone adored the way she looks when she makes this move. But, under her covers where she had just moved her hands, she was already twiddling with her thumbs in absolute anxiety.

Both her parents exchanged looks, her father eventually speaking up. "Rapunzel, are you sure everything is alright?"

She nodded eagerly, and during all of this, Pascal had rushed up to her shoulder, well aware of the act and shtick she was trying to pull. He shook his head violently, trying to tell her parents that she's lying and that she is in fact not okay. She is the furthest thing from being okay.

They didn't appear to catch the idea.

"Sweetie, you do know that if you are stressed from all your classes, we can arrange to have some of them limited?" her father asked.

NO! No no no no...That would make things so much worse! More free time to spend all alone, by myself, left to my own thoughts? That's the opposite of what I want! Are they TRYING TO TORTURE ME!?

"No, Mama, Papa, please don't do that. I love my classes." A look of fear rose upon Rapunzel's face and she suddenly felt the urge to cry. Her parents again exchanged looks, and Arianna moved to take a seat on her bed. Frederic kept standing.

"They keep me busy through the day, and I need them to become the Princess you and this Kingdom deserve! I know what everyone's saying about me and it's all true. I'm so far behind, if anything I need more classes!" She nodded eagerly. "Yes, more classes! More work!" More distractions from this pain in my heart.. "Can they be on the weekends, Sunday preferably?" So I can take my mind off a certain someone who doesn't want anything to do with me anymore..

Frederic and Arianna both started too grow uneasy. The consensus between them both after last night is that the most likely problem with their daughter is that she's too stressed out because of the intense school-work her tutors have been assigning her.

"Well," Frederic chuckled, "if that's how you feel, then I can gladly speak to your tutors about assigning more work-"

"Fred." Arianna gave him a menacing look and he immediately shut his mouth. She returned her eyes back to her daughter. "Rapunzel, I am your mother, and one of the many, amazing perks that comes with this blessing is being able to tell when something is nagging at my daughter's insides. You have no reason to fear me or your father. Whatever it is, we will understand."

Rapunzel's lip startled to tremble but she kept her act up, still smiling, but it having slowly fallen throughout all this talking.

Arianna took her hands and held them in her own. "Sweetheart, let us help you.. what's the matter?"

Rapunzel rubbed her Mother's knuckles soothingly and looked between her and her father. Her eye had started to twitch ever so slightly and her smile had begun to look a bit creepy, a bit too forced. "Nothing's bothering me, Mama, Papa. My stomach has just been feeling a bit upset, that's all! I assure you that's the truth. But I feel much better today. Even if I was feeling down, I wouldn't want to worry you about it," she laughed awkwardly and brushed a lock of hair away from her face.

Her father knelt down to talk to his daughter on her level, "It is never a burden to us. Please, Rapunzel, if you think that it is-"

"I know it's not any burden, Papa," she butted in, her excited gaze nearing scary levels of creepy. "And if I am feeling down, if I am feeling stressed, I will come to both of you." Her smile, if anything, has grown from the time her parents entered. Rapunzel felt her insides as they slowly twisted and turned, screaming at her to give up the act, to just tell them. Her eyes had begun to dampen with wetness as she held a straight smile, ear to ear.

The faint wetness of her eyes, the faint glisten they showed from the sunlight that shined in through her windows, was all it took for Arianna to suddenly realize that something very dark is troubling her previous daughter. She looked up to Frederic for support, and he seemed to have been thinking the same thing.

She turned her head back to Rapunzel and continued talking in her sweet and gentle tone, despite the large uneasiness she was now feeling about the logistics about this current sotuation. "Sweetie, are you sure there isn't anything-"

"Haven't I told you already, Mama!?" Rapunzel yelled.

Arianna winced, jumping back in shock. Rapunzel retracted her hands and curled them up into fists by her side, punching her bed between her words. "I told you that I am FINE! Nothing is bothering ME! I am happy!" She laughed, tears falling down her face, "I'm happy where I am! I'm happy living in this castle! I love love love my life as a Princess! Everything's fine! Why can't you see that!? Are you two blind!?"

Rapunzel took deep breaths and she watched in horror as her mother stood up and wrapped an arm around her father's waist. They looked on towards her in fear with widened eyes, and she felt her own two cheeks burn as they dampened with the wetness from her tears.

She jumped up from her seat in her bed, unknowingly causing Pascal to tumble downwards to the floor. She clenched her teeth and pointed directly at her father's chest. "I love you both, Papa, but you treat me as if I'm some little girl! I'm not a girl! I'm a woman! I'm an adult! And adults are supposed to deal with these things on their own! On my own! Mother Gothel dealt with these problems on her own, and so can I! I don't need your help, I don't need anyone's help!" She flailed her arms and hands about as tears poured down her face in a hot, steamy mess. Both her parents' brows had furrowed in sadness and their lips pouted, their eyes now damp with tears to top it off.

"Leave! Leave me, leave me alone! I want to be alone!" And then it happened. She pushed her father violently, causing him and her mother to fall on their feet backwards involuntarily. Both of them looked upon her, their mouths gaped open and eyes widened in shock, not knowing the words to say.

"I never want to see the two of you again! If Mother Gothel were still here, she wouldn't even question me! She'd leave me alone inside that tower for days upon days at times! She knew when to let me drown in my sorrows, letting me do it in the only way I should! I hate you!" Rapunzel pointed at them, her voice cracking, her lip trembling. Heck, her whole body was practically shaking. She watched in horror as her two parents, the two people that she knows have done so much more for her in 4 months than Gothel had done in 18 years, stepped back and moved towards her door. She opened her mouth again, wanting to say the worst, sick and hurtful words that could come to mind, but she couldn't find the strength to speak.

Frederic's heart was practically beating out of his chest at the sudden outburst of his daughter. He looked down at his wife, hoping she would be able to come up with some sort of explanation, some sort of way to comfort their little girl in her most trying time, but he saw the same look that he wore on his own broken face.

The both of them don't know what to say, nor do they know what to do.

Rapunzel couldn't stop her head as it shook in anger, a headache dawning upon her, and she curled her fists one last time, leaning forward, scrunching her eyes as she let out the loudest scream, the loudest shriek she has ever let escape from her tiny mouth. Her parents both scurried out of the room in a hurry, closing the door behind them, the sound of her screams echoing throughout her room and the entirety of the outside hallway.

For a moment, Rapunzel stood there, her breaths beginning to slow. And then it dawned on her what she had just done.

She pushed her father. She berated them both, him and her mother, with her words. For eighteen long and painful years, she has suffered through the same physical and emotional abuse from the witch-lady who claimed to be her blood mother.

Rapunzel gasped in shock, her eyes scrunching up as her body cried out to her in pain. She ran to her bed and threw herself into her pillows, trying too hard to catch her own breath, to put herself out of her misery. Never in her life had Rapunzel ever wanted to curl up in a ball and escape to her little chambers of her tower. Never in her life did she ever crave Gothel's soothing words as much as she does right now.

"Don't worr,y my flower, Mother will always be here for you. Mother will always protect you from the horror that is the outside world."

"You must never leave this tower, my flower. The outside world is too dangerous a place for a naive little girl like you!"

"No one, my sweet girl, will ever understand you the way I do. No one will ever love you the way in the ways that your sweet, dear Mother loves you."

At-least she would be safe there. At-least she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else.

A/N: Hope this wasn't too dark. Next Chapter, we catch up with what Eugene's been up to. In terms of updates, just refining some dialogue and stuff. That's probably going to be most of what I'm doing from here on out until Ch. 29.

Edit History (MM/DD/YY):

1. 6/11/20