I totally didn't get this idea from Downton Abbey. What are you talking about?
I don't own Tangled.
Torn Apart
Her tower was cold no matter how many blankets Rapunzel piled on. She couldn't even enjoy watching it snow outside. There was no fire to warm her up. Mother wouldn't let her to light one. She was too young.
Speaking of Mother, she was supposed to be home days ago. Each day, Rapunzel ran lower on food. She tried to savor it, but even that wasn't helping.
Slowly, Rapunzel stood from her bed. She nearly crawled to her window. Just to check if Mother was there and she simply hadn't heard her. Opening it, a wave of wind and snow burst in. Rapunzel slammed the window with a whimper.
"Mother, please come home soon."
"Mother, please come home soon."
"Sweetheart, I'm right here," Arianna replied. She looked up at the two midwives standing near the edge of the bed. "What's wrong with her? Why is she saying that?"
Phyllis, the new, younger midwife that Frederic insisted come, straightens her posture. "She's distressed, your highness. It's only natural for childbirth for the mother to appear this way."
But the other, Annika, the very midwife that had delivered Rapunzel herself into the world, was shaking her head. "She shouldn't be hallucinating, ma'am. Something's wrong."
"Then find out what it is!" Cassandra exclaimed. Rapunzel whimpered again. "It's gonna be okay, Raps."
Phyllis rolled her eyes, but got out of Annika's way. Cass stayed by her friend's side, holding her hand, tightly. Arianna kissed her daughter's forehead. Annika looked up.
"Your highness, May I speak to you? Privately?" she requested.
Arianna nodded. The two women found a corner to talk in. Annika ratted off a list of symptoms and asked whether Rapunzel had experienced them. Arianna answered yes to each. Annika's expression tightened.
Headaches, swelling, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness were a few of the things she'd experienced throughout her pregnancy. Most of them seemed normal. But the way that Rapunzel has experienced them caused Annika to worry. And the fact that Arianna had also experienced preeclampsia. That made Rapunzel's chance of also getting it even higher.
"What's wrong, Annika?" Arianna asked. She needed the truth.
"It seems like the princess may be experiencing preeclampsia."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Like. . . ?" Then realization punched her in the stomach. "Like me. . . Oh, goodness, no! What-What can be done?"
"Very little, I'm afraid. We were extremely lucky that we had a magical flower to save you. Both the mother and child can suffer."
Arianna looked the midwife in the eyes. "Do everything you can."
Annika nodded. The two took to Rapunzel's bedside. Cassandra dabbed a wet cloth on her forehead. Phyllis rolled her eyes at the sight of Annika. Arianna pressed a kiss to her daughter's cheek. None of them knew what could happen. Good or bad.
"Mother! Mother! Please come back! Don't leave me! I need you!" Rapunzel cried. Tears formed in her eyes and began to run down her cheeks.
"I'm here!" Arianna answered, almost as distressed as her daughter.
"What's wrong with her, Wagner?" Cass demanded Phyllis.
"This is perfectly-" she began.
"I believe that this is preeclampsia," Annika interrupted.
She began to explain what it was to Cass, but Phyllis suggested that they talk. Cassandra sent them a nasty look as they stepped away.
"Mrs. Fischer, we don't want to cause any further distress for the princess, do we?"
She shook her head. "But this is preeclampsia. If it becomes eclampsia, there's little hope that both of them will recover. I told the queen we need to make sure-"
"You told the queen?"
"Well, I thought that would be best seeing as this must likely-"
Phyllis let out a dry chuckle. "It isn't. Now, I have a baby to deliver."
"Mom, the cornanation's over. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't."
At least, she called her 'Mom' this time. Arianna was doing her best to comfort her daughter while the midwives continued to disagree. Cassandra had already attempted to get them to quote-en-quote, "Shut up and do the one thing they were born to do." She had to leave the room a few minutes after that. Not that Arianna blamed her. She wouldn't mind taking a quick walk. This labor was just about to hit fourteen hours.
Arianna remembered the day that she brought Rapunzel into the world, clearly. She remembered each pang of labor, seemingly draining her of life. She'd nearly given Frederic a heart attack. That day was gruesome, but everything ended up alright in the end.
Well, not exactly everything, but they didn't have to be afraid of Gothel stealing the child this time.
Arianna wanted a happily ever after for her daughter.
She made sure that Rapunzel was comfortable enough before approaching the two midwives. Cass entered the room then. She let Rapunzel grip her hand. The midwives froze at the sight of the queen.
"Phyllis, what is wrong with my daughter?" Arianna asked.
"Nothing, majesty. This is all natural."
"Uh, huh. Annika, what is wrong with my daughter?"
"Preeclampsia, ma'am. All her symptoms point to it."
Arianna knew about all the unnatural headaches and stomachaches that she'd had in her own pregnancy. She knew that was what it was. Annika was right. Last time, they'd found a magical flower to save her life. They didn't have one now, but they had a chance for a miracle with Annika.
"Phyllis, you will leave this room. Unless Annika needs your assistance. You will alert Eugene about his wife's preeclampsia. Annika, you will be the one that delivers my grandchild. We will do our best to get everything you need." Arianna glanced at Phyllis's shocked expression. "Alright. We need to help Rapunzel now."
It was getting worse.
Rapunzel's hallucinations were becoming more violent. She began to scream. Not from physical pain, Annika didn't think. She probably was too confused to feel any of that. Rapunzel began to hit her head with her hand, letting out loud cries. Cass attempted to hold her down.
"I won't be able to save both," Annika said. She turned to a maid. "I need you to find the father and tell him that I'll do my best to save his wife. Given the circumstance."
She came back a few minutes later, paled. "Um, he said that neither of them better die. Or else."
"I'll do my best."
A shrill cry rang out.
What a great way to enter a fandom? By basically killing off one of my favorite characters. I mean, I'm not saying anything, but still. Sorry. And I mean, I might do a sequel, so.
Thanks for reading!