Note: Hello there, everyone. We finally finished watching RTA at a friend's request and felt inspired to write something about it. We are just trying out some ideas for stories, so if you liked what you read and would like to see more of it, please feel free to let us know. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you, and we hope you enjoy it.
"It's already too late. What's been spoken cannot be undone."
She found herself breathless in a void, surrounded by swirling tendrils of darkness. She stood on a reflective pool of still water, and beneath her bare feet, she saw herself with long, golden strands of hair, grinning back. Her reflection spoke with a hiss.
"The Sundrop is gone. Its light can't protect you anymore. You've been doomed the moment you said those words."
She tried to scream, but her voice had been stolen, and what remained scratched at her throat. She compelled her feet to move, but she felt something tight wrap around them. It was her reflection's hair, bursting from the pool, tightening around her ankles. She gasped as the hair traveled further up her legs, squeezing her so tightly she went numb. The reflection laughed, and more strands of hair shot forth from the darkness, lashing out like whips, tangling themselves around her waist, her wrists, her arms. She tried desperately to pull away, but she was forced to a stop when a long, coarse strand of blonde hair wrapped itself tightly around her jugular. Her eyes went wide, and fear overtook her like nothing else she had felt in her life. It was the end. She couldn't move. Couldn't think. Her freedom had finally been stripped from her, and as the panic filled her and her heart raced faster in her ears, her reflection began to laugh—and then, she started to sing, her voice beautiful and haunting.
"Wither and decay…"
The hair turned black, and the hair tightened around her limbs.
"End this destiny…"
She felt her arms snap under the pressure of her binds, and her instinct told her to scream, but even if her voice hadn't abandoned her, her neck was squeezed so tightly that no sound could escape anyway. More hair engulfed her, covering her face, blinding her, running up into her nose, her sinuses, choking her from within. It dipped into her mouth, her throat, pushing into her stomach, flooding her insides like some invading parasite.
"Break these earthly chains…"
Her life was fading. She could feel it leaving her. Her soul—drained away into the reflection. Stolen. Her mind failed her. She was so weak. So tired. Why fight it? It was only death. She had never been scared to die before. Just embrace it. Embrace the end.
"And set the spirit—"
Rapunzel's eyes shot open, and she sat up in bed with a startled gasp. She clutched her chest, trying to catch her breath as she reclaimed a sense of her surroundings. It was still dark, but a different kind of darkness. Not hostile, but cool and familiar. There was moonlight shining in through the window, and as her eyes adjusted and she slowly calmed herself, she could see the dim blue light shine onto the endless murals that orchestrated memories along her bedroom wall. She was in her bed. Safe. Secure. Very much alive.
She felt something rustle next to her, and she panicked only for a moment before she realized that it was only Eugene, lying next to her wearing a silk robe and a plushy facemask. He was still sound asleep, undisturbed by her shock. Go figure; she had been married to the man for four months, and in that time, she learned that once he was deep into his beauty sleep, not even a hurricane would be able to stir him. Not that that was a bad thing. She didn't want to disturb him with something so trivial as a bad dream. Even a such a surreal one.
Rapunzel heard a small squeak, and in a matter of seconds, her adorable pet chameleon raced down her shoulder and planted itself on her lap, looking up at her with overly big, concerned eyes. Rapunzel smiled warmly at him, sensing his worry and doing her best to alleviate it.
"Sorry for waking you, Pascal. I just had a nightmare. That's all."
Pascal continued looking quizzically at her, not buying her explanation in the slightest.
"Okay, a weird nightmare," Rapunzel. "But that's it. Everything is fine. I'm sorry I got you up so early."
Now that she thought of it, what time was it? It couldn't be deep into the night, but that sleep felt like it had lasted an eternity. She supposed that it didn't really matter. She would have to get up rather early for her busy day tomorrow—or… today, rather. She had too much to do to let something like a nightmare get to her. She knew that she needed to get back to sleep as soon as possible to make sure she had energy for everything that was set out for her.
But still, that nightmare—there was something exceptionally tangible about it that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps it was just her shock that it actually was a nightmare. She used to get them all the time after she first left her tower, but ever since she defeated Zhan Tiri, every night had only met her with quiet, sensationless dreams. She had taken that as a sign from the universe that her adventure really was over. There was no longer anything she needed to fear. She, and everybody else, got their happily ever after. It was done. Yet that nightmare, the sensation of her own hair wrapped and twisted around her neck like a noose, shooting into her stomach, writhing its way through her organs like a worm, was more vivid than any of her peaceful nights of rest. Hell, it felt more alive than when she was actually awake.
Rapunzel sighed and gently patted Pascal on the head. She was overthinking things. It was just a bad dream. It meant nothing. She lied back down on her pillow, and forced herself to take a deep, calming breath. Everything would be fine, as long as she could go back to sleep.
In the moments before she drifted off, her hand wandered up to her throat. The last thing she thought before she drifted back off to sleep was how strangely sore it was.
Corona had a great number of holidays, and to say that Rapunzel loved them all would be an understatement. She simply couldn't help but love the fact that her Kingdom was so dedicated to celebrating even the smallest wonders of the world around them. It was like an ever-present reminder of how much good there was out in the world to be celebrated, and celebrate they did; it seemed like hardly a day went by where she wasn't planning one set of festivities or participating in another. It was one of her favorite duties as a Princess, partially because of how naturally it came to her, and of how stress-free it was.
This day was so not stress-free.
Today's holiday: The Day of the Rose. The occasion: to celebrate the coming of spring and good tidings, as well as the copious amounts of flowers that bloomed throughout the fields surrounding the Kingdom. Should it have really been called The Day of the Flower, then? Yes. Yes, it should have been. But Rapunzel didn't name the holidays. She merely celebrated them. Maybe that would be one of her duties when she became Queen—Official Creator of Holidays. She quite liked the sound of that, and it was passive little thoughts like that which were the only things keeping her sane as she struggled through her incredible not-stress-free day.
Nine o'clock: Host a breakfast with the Prince of the Kingdom of Vaslupia as he visits for the festival. Ten o'clock: Cut a ceremonial ribbon for the remodeling of Attila and Monty's bakery. Ten fifteen: Stop the wild goat before it once again smashed Attila and Monty's bakery. Ten thirty: Run back to the castle to change her clothes which were covered in muddy goat prints. Ten thirty-one: Give a walking tour of the Flower Festival to chatty tourists. Eleven forty-five: Check in with the decorators she hired for her parents' massive anniversary dinner. Because did she mention that it was also her parents' anniversary? Probably not, because twelve o'clock: Host another meal with the Prince of the Kingdom of Vaslupia. Twelve o'three: Watch the Prince of the Kingdom of Vaslupia suffer an allergic reaction to blueberries. Twelve o'four: give CPR to the Prince of the Kingdom of Vaslupia. Twelve o'six: Watch medics properly resuscitate the Prince of the Kingdom of Vaslupia when she couldn't. Twelve o'six again: listen to the Prince of the Kingdom of Vaslupia tell them they are ending their trade negotiations. Twelve o'seven: Apologize to her Father for forgetting to ask about the Prince of the Kingdom of Vaslupia's food allergies.
That was all before the water heater exploded in the basement.
By the time the sun had set, Rapunzel was more exhausted than she had been in a long time. It was almost like she was back on the road, traveling across the world, except far more tedious and with less of a chance to be randomly turned into a bird. She wanted to crawl back into her bed and pass out, and it took Pascal climbing on top of her head and tugging on her hair to direct her where to go for her to keep moving. She had to put on a happier face. It was five fifty-five, which meant that in five minutes, her parents were going to be hosting a dinner for the most esteemed citizens of Corona, and that also meant that in seven minutes, she would be giving a speech to the most esteemed citizens of Corona. Normally, she could blow through an inspiring speech in her dreams, but this one had to be special. It was the first speech she would give from her life as a married woman, and for an occasion celebrating love at its finest, she wanted all of her love for Eugene to be poured into the speech as well.
Her eyes were locked to her hands, counting through her important talking points on her fingers.
"And so, let's have a toast to the blooming flowers of Corona, and the enduring love that ever blooms in our hearts." She pursed her lips. "I don't know, Pascal. Enduring love sounds a little too cheesy, right? Or is it not cheesy enough? Unyielding love? Undying? Omnipresent?"
Pascal was too busy trying to steer her away from crashing into a wall to give her his approval.
"Hmm… maybe existential? That sounds a little too impersonal, though."
She barely noticed that she had been steered into the royal ballroom until Pascal pulled down sharply on her hair and forced her gaze upward. The beauty of the room was enough to pull her out of her worried stupor for just a few moments. Every single inch of the ballroom—from the murals painted on the walls, to the stone pillars propping up the roof, to the light fixtures dangling from overhead like little stars—was covered head-to-toe in flowers of all shapes, types, and sizes. A delightful mix of aromas immediately struck her senses, and she took in a deep breath as she was instantly reminded of frolicking in springtime fields. If it was physically possible to breathe in a rainbow, Rapunzel was certain it would be just like standing in that room. She calmed down and took in another deep breath, sighing contently as she refocused herself.
There was some mild chaos amongst the beauty, however. Along the sides of the room were an unknowable number of different platters of food, and while most of it lay undisturbed, one particular set of pastry was currently stuck in the middle of a tug-of-war between Corona's new Captain of the Guard and a former thief who couldn't resist his deeper urges.
"Ugh, for the love of…" Eugene ranted, tugging hard on the pastry. "Why did I ever think it was a good idea to let you guard the food?"
"Because you understand that I have impeccable self-control," Lance said with a confident smirk. "And I have guarded the food excellently, if I may say so!"
"You ate fourteen slices of pecan pie!"
"Which is now extra safe in the confines of my stomach!"
The two battled back and forth over control of the silver platter, croissants and biscuits and cookies with jam fillings sliding dangerously along its metal surface, until their battle reached its peak and they both lost their grip, sailing backward and causing the platter to fly up in the air and, after seemingly hanging in place, plummeted rapidly to the earth. They both gasped in horror, realizing their mistake, and as the platter descended, they both braced for disaster. Fortunately, Rapunzel was there, diving out of nowhere just in time to secure the platter in her outstretched arms and prevent a disaster of pastry-tastical proportions mere minutes before guests were scheduled to flood into the ballroom.
"Got it!" she cried with relief, lying on the ground. "Catastrophe averted!" Pascal hung onto her hair for dear life, nearly thrown off off her by her dive. He dangled in front of her face before he scampered back to the safety of her shoulder.
"Nice catch, Rapunzel!" Lance said with bristled awe, hurrying back to his feet. "You can always count a Princess to have your back. Now, if you excuse me—"
Before Lance could lay another one of his thieving fingers on the desserts, Eugene snatched the tray away from Rapunzel's grasp and held them away before any more of its delicacies could be stolen.
"I think you've had enough for today, Lance. Are you all right, Rapunzel?"
"I'm fine," Rapunzel said with a smile, brushing herself off as she returned to her feet. "Nothing I'm not used to."
"I know," Eugene said, carefully returning the pastry tray to the table while keeping an eye on his former partner-in-crime. "I just want to make sure that you're fine with the big speech tonight."
"Oh, that?" Rapunzel said with a laugh. "That's fine. You know I'm fine with speeches. I can give a speech at the snap of a finger."
Eugene nodded his head. "You're worried about the speech."
"A teensy bit, yeah."
"Look, Blondie," Eugene sighed lovingly, taking Rapunzel's hands in his own, "there is literally nothing to worry about. It's a speech in front of a bunch of hussie-fussie people whose opinions you don't care about. You'll do great as always."
"I know, but still," Rapunzel explained, "it's weighing on me. I just feel like I need it to go perfect this time."
"I'm sure whatever you say will wonderful," Eugene said warmly. His gaze was averted from hers, however, as he saw the Queen approach them, no doubt drawn to them by the commotion with the pastry platter. He gave a quick salute, trying to maintain his cool, though the knowing smirk the Queen gave as she approached him implied his act wasn't working.
"Everything okay over here?" she asked politely. Eugene quickly shot a glance to Lance, who also, after only a few awkward moments of hesitation, saluted in kind.
"Yes, Your Highness," Eugene said with authority. "Everything is in tip-top shape!"
"That's very good to hear," she stated. "And Eugene, I told you before: You're allowed to call me Mom now."
"And as I said before, that is still incredibly uncomfortable for me," Eugene said still authoritatively. "I will go check the perimeter one last time now! For reasons completely unrelated to anything going on over here. I wish the Princess Rapunzel good luck in her speech."
He took off to fulfill the rest of his guard duties, but not before taking Lance by the arm and leading him away from the rest of the food. Queen Arianna and Rapunzel watched them go away, and then Arianna turned to give Rapunzel a gentle smile.
"Are you ready, dear?"
"Mostly," Rapunzel confessed. "Eugene might have a point, though. I don't know why I'm feeling anxious about this."
"Would it have anything to do with the hundreds of important dignitaries?" Queen Arianna pondered.
"No. Usually it wouldn't matter at all," Rapunzel noted. "I've just been feeling weird all day today. I don't know how to describe it, but it's like I'm off-balance."
"Well, you are carrying around a lot less hair," her mother joked. "And you have had quite the day so far. I remember some of the rougher days your father and I had after I became Queen. Sometimes it can feel like the entire weight of the world is on your shoulders. You just have to pick your head up and keep moving forward."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe I just need to eat something."
Queen Adrianna nodded slyly. "Those pastries did look pretty good."
A bell suddenly rang out, signifying the start of the new hour and the imminent arrival of their guests. Rapunzel and the Queen hurried to their seats at the head table of the ballroom, next to King Frederic, before the flood of guests suddenly burst through the doors. The Dinner of the Rose was a time-honored tradition of the Day of the Rose. It was a chance for the royal family to honor those in the Kingdom and from abroad who worked tirelessly to ensure their land was prosperous. Hundreds had been invited, from not just within the city walls but also from the villages scattered throughout the Kingdom—nobles, priests, and anyone else of high stature deemed worthy enough to enter the walls of the palace. Of course, Rapunzel was more than willing to give her father a gentle nudge to invite others—merchants, chefs, schoolteachers, and the other members of Corona who allowed their great Kingdom to operate functionally. Her father was more than happy to agree, and the end result was that for the past several years, the Dinner of the Rose was an event that could be attended by more than just the elite of their society... though mostly it was still elite members of society. Progress was still progress.
There were dozens of long, elegantly decorated tables lining the floor of the ballroom, and guests eagerly rushed to fill their seats, ready for the feast that the royal family had prepared for them. Rested on top of each plate was a single, beautiful rose, and as she took her own seat and watched the ballroom fill, Rapunzel delicately took hers in her fingers, avoiding its sharp thorns, and brought it to her nose. Its smell was sweet and like a spring breeze, and it almost immediately calmed her nerves. She had nothing to worry about. It was just a speech. She had addressed her citizens dozens, if not hundreds of times before, and every time she was met with love and support. Pascal squeaked on her shoulder, and she felt a rush of calm come over her.
When the crowd eventually settled at their seats, excited and eager to partake in the feast, King Frederic stood up, clanging a spoon against his wine glass to draw the crowd into silent attention.
"Good evening, everyone!" Frederic said grandly. "I am so honored to have you all here to celebrate this glorious holiday. It is always a wonderful occasion when the denizens of Corona can come together and celebrate the coming of each spring. Our chefs have prepared a fantastic meal for you, and we encourage you not to be timid; today is the day we welcome a new season, so gorge yourself to your heart's content. Also, we would like to share the positive news that our engineers are hard at work, and our water heater should be fixed by tomorrow morning!"
The crowd nodded amicably at that news. King Frederic paused for a moment to soak up the atmosphere, and then finished his speech succintly.
"Before we begin, however, my daughter, Princess Rapunzel, would like to say a few words to you. I hope everyone hear listens well to what this wonderful Princess has to say."
He turned the room over to Rapunzel, and she took a deep breath. Time to do this. She calmly stood up from her seat and gazed out into the crowd of hundreds. They were all staring at her, judging her, and her sight might have been deceiving her, but she could have sworn that they were eyeing her hungrily like sharks, waiting for her to flounder and fail. She felt her throat tighten, and suddenly, every single word that she had written down beforehand, each syllable she practiced over and over again so she wouldn't mispronounce all fled from her memory like birds soaring freely in the air. She stood there in total silence, unsure of what to do, and even though not even a second had passed in real life, she felt like she had been standing there for an eternity. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't feel. Like she was suffocating. Suffocating. Suffocating…
And then, she glanced to her side. Far away, on the other side of the room, standing by one of the entryways, was Eugene, smiling encouragingly at her. Their eyes met, and that was all it took. She looked down at the rose resting gently between her fingers, and then she gazed back over the crowd and smiled. How could she forget? She was Rapunzel—she didn't need to memorize her speeches.
"Friends, family, people of Corona," she began confidently. "We are so honored that you could come here today and spend this time with us. On this day, we traditionally celebrate the coming of spring and the flowers that bloom within the Kingdom. We celebrate the wonders that our world has to offer, and we cherish that we may partake in those wonders together. This year, however, is different. This Day of the Rose represents more than just the start of a new season, or the blooming of a new flower. Today is the start of a new era in Corona. Over the past few years, our Kingdom has faced struggles like it hadn't seen in centuries. We battled storms, usurpers, and threats beyond anything we could have imagined. It's gotten a little crazy, to say the least. Yet, through it all, because of your hard work and your courage, we are still standing here, stronger and more united than ever. We overcame. We survived."
She saw the crowd murmur in approval, and she carried on. "This Kingdom, like the seasons, has gone through a period of change. We've learned to adapt and grow and sometimes fight to hold onto the things that are precious to us. I know that all of you have had to make changes recently for the sake of Corona, and I also know that not everything has gone as perfectly as we have hoped. And like all things, change can sometimes be scary, and unpleasant and can come unexpectedly. There was a point in my life where I was so afraid of change that I literally refused to leave my tower. But…" She looked back over to Eugene, and her heart swelled. "I know now more than ever that changes can also be beautiful. It can bring things into your life that you never even dreamed of. Without change, we would never get the arrival of spring. We would never get to experience so much that the world has to offer. And so, I say, at the dawn of this new era of Corona, let us embrace whatever changes might be in store for us. Whatever new challenges may come, whatever new foes threaten our land, whatever new doubts may come to us, let us remember that as long as we find strength in each other, and as long as we hold onto hope, we can embrace that change. We will be ready to march on and shine as brightly as the sun."
Rapunzel raised her flower to the sky, and inspired by her words, the crowd of hundreds moved to do the same.
"To Corona!" Rapunzel shouted.
"To Corona!" the crowd cried in joyful return.
"To its people!"
"To its people!"
"And to the Day of the Rose!" Rapunzel said proudly, "and to all the changes that it—"
The smile dropped suddenly from her face, and all at once, she became deadly still. Her words stopped. The crowd waited for her to finish her sentence, and they kept waiting, staring at her, confused as to why she cut herself off before her end. A few of the rowdier guests tried finishing the toast regardless, but their petty cheers were quickly overwhelmed by the silence. The Princess just stood there, motionless, her expression completely blank. She did not blink or breathe.
She just... stood there, holding the bright red rose in her outstretched hand.
A few concerned whispers broke out amongst the crowd.
"Is she all right?"
"What's going on?"
"Why is she standing there?"
"Is this part of the speech?"
King Frederic quietly reached over, tugging on his daughter's dress. "Rapunzel? Is everything okay?"
She did not answer him. She didn't even look at him.
Queen Arianna leaned over. "Rapunzel? What are you doing? Rapunzel?"
No response.
Nothing.
From across the room, Eugene felt his whole body tense up. Something… something was wrong. He kept looking at Rapunzel anxiously, waiting for her to suddenly burst out into a laugh and say that she was just joking around, or admit embarrassedly that she had forgotten the last thing she was going to say, or just finish her sentence and sit back down so they could enjoy the feast. But as the seconds counted on without her moving so much as a muscle, his heart beat in his chest. She was a statue, like she was frozen in time or lost in a trance. The crowd's whispers started to grow louder, and he looked toward the King and Queen for answers on what he should do, but they had none themselves. All they could do was sit and watch as their daughter stood lifelessly in front of them, dull and still.
Until, that was, she finally said something, her words mellow, empty.
"Wither and decay."
Eugene's racing heart skipped a beat. No… it couldn't be…
"End this destiny."
Her expression was unchanged. Her voice almost mute. But she kept speaking.
"Break these earthly chains. And set the spirits free."
Rapunzel's hand squeezed tightly around the rose's stem, and raw tears suddenly started to flow freely down her cheeks like waterfalls. Despite her tears, her face didn't move, and she continued staring straight out into the crowd as she continued stating the cursed incantation over and over again.
"Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains. And set the spirit free."
The crowd's chatter erupted, and Eugene stopped caring about his guard duties and rushed up to the head table. He leaped over the tables in his way and dodged past the royal guests until he made his way to the head of the room, moving as fast as his feet could carry him. He immediately grabbed his wife by the shoulders and shook her gently.
"Hey, Rapunzel, what's going on? Rapunzel?" he asked worriedly. He looked into her eyes; they were glossed over, distant and unresponsive. The chant continued.
"Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains. And set the spirit free."
She squeezed the rose even tighter, and as the thorns pierced her skin, a gentle trickle of blood started to pour from beneath her grip, running down her wrist. The wounds didn't phase her in the slightest. The King stood up, his usual stoic posture fading quickly.
"Eugene, what's going on?"
"I don't know," Eugene said fearfully. "Rapunzel, can you hear me?"
She didn't respond. He didn't understand—that stupid incantation was something he never thought they would have to worry about again. Why was she saying it? Was the Moonstone back? No, that was impossible. The Moonstone was gone, reunited with the Sundrop and blasted into space. It couldn't hurt them anymore. Her hair and eyes hadn't changed either, both their usual shades of brown and green. The Stone wasn't controlling her, so what was happening? He reached up to touch her face, and he recoiled at its temperate: cold as ice. The hand on her skin seemed to trigger something within her, and her face suddenly contorted in agony, and her breathing became short and heavy as the incantation picked up its pace.
"Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains. And set the spirit free."
Eugene grabbed her by the shoulders again, desperate not to hurt her, but trying whatever he could to get her attention.
"Blondie, I don't know what's going on, but you need to snap out of it, okay?"
She let out a pained gasp, continuing her chant through her choking sobs.
"Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains. And set the spirit free."
She was shaking, trembling from the sorrow or the cold, or from something else entirely. The crowd's worries had turned into a fervor, and a few of them were clamoring up to get toward the Princess, concerned for her safety. Frederic ordered them back, and suddenly the other guards stepped between the crowd and the King's table, and in a matter of moments a near panic broke out amongst the dinner guests. Arianna brought her hands on her lips, the moment becoming too much for her. Eugene couldn't let himself pay attention to any of that. Rapunzel was crying in broken, pained sobs, and her tears had fallen off her cheeks and had started to stain her dress, and she was struggling to get the words out through her cries, but she kept repeating them, again and again and again, like some entity had reached into her mouth was forcibly pulling the words off of her tongue.
"Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains. And set the spirit free. Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains. And set the spirit free. Wither and decay. End this destiny. Break these earthly chains. And set the spirit—"
And then, something happened. For half a moment, something flashed beneath her skin, and suddenly, a massive gash opened up on her right cheek, flowing beneath her eye down the path of her tears. The scar was blue and alive with energy, and Eugene jumped back in shock as it rippled across her otherwise perfect features. For those nearby who had seen it, their reaction was much of the same, stunned by the unexplainable wound on the Princess's face. The mark caused Rapunzel to snap back to life, and with a sudden gasp, she stopped chanting and looked at Eugene. Their gaze lasted for only a moment, but he could practically read every single thought that crossed through her mind. Pain. Shock. Embarrassment. Confusion. Misery. But there was something else that he read that stunned him. Tear-stained and confused, there was something in her green eyes that he could never remember seeing in her before: pure, undeniable fear.
Rapunzel's eyes rolled back into her head, and then she collapsed into Eugene's arms.
More panic erupted amongst the crowd, and a shouting match broke out between the King, the other guards, and the citizenry. It was impossible to make out the specifics of their worry and confusion, and as they verbally battled each other, Eugene just stood at the table, holding his unconscious wife in his arm, petrified and desperate to know what had just happened to the woman he loved. He held her as closely as he could, protecting her from whatever unseen monster had just attacked her. He held her so close that he didn't even notice that the rose she was holding had fallen from her hand and landed on the floor beneath them. If he had, he would have seen that it had turned grey and dead.