The morning brought about the same routine: waking up, looking outside, reading, and calligraphy; however, there was one difference. After finishing with calligraphy, I walked down the stairs to see that she was putting on her traveling cloak. Tilting my head, I approached her, not remembering her ever leaving before—but then, how did I know that was her traveling cloak?
"Where are you going?" I asked her.
She let an exasperated sigh and said, "Why do I have to explain this every time? You like food in your stomach and I have to feed you somehow. I'm going out to make some money and get some supplies." Taking another moment, she pointed at me and said, "No funny stuff this time. I don't want to come home to see the floor splattered with paint or dozens of cakes and cookies that we'll never eat; although, we did make quite a bit of money selling them. Anyway, just stay calm this time."
With that, she looped a grappling hook to a perch outside the large window and used it to rappel down the side of the tower. Once down, she was able to yank on it in a specific way to make the hook unhinge from the perch and fall.
I watched her leave and fade away into the cloudy grey. What was she talking about? She has never even left the tower before. I don't remember doing those things. Suddenly beautiful colors, colors I have never seen before, began to bloom around me. Even the tower began to sprout expressive colors and I noticed, as if for the first time, the number of paintings along the walls. I took a minute to admire them, as memories of creating them seem to reform within my mind. Rounding back to the window, I looked up at the large, blue sky and smiled. Then I looked down to the enchanting forest below and the grass that was swaying in the gentle breeze below. As all of this was happening, my hair grew to about my shoulders, blonde highlights appearing.
I shook my head angrily and said, "Every time she's around me, I become her puppet! I know that Mother Gothel is just protecting me. She took me in after my parents abandoned me. They didn't want me because I'm…like this."
Feeling something land on my shoulder, I looked over to see a little chameleon. I smiled as he gave me a nuzzle against my cheek. "Hello to you too, Pastel. It feels like ages since I last saw you!"
Narrowing my eyes a bit, I threw up my hands. "But look at me, Pastel! Sure, it's safe here, but I'm not living my life at all. What does Mother think she's doing by keeping me here until I die?" I looked desperately at my only friend. "I know I'm different and no one might not understand, but living a little is better than not living at all, right?"
Pastel gave me a smile and patted his chest with a claw, as if to say, "Don't worry, I'll protect you!"
I gave a light giggle and patted him on the head. A sound disturbed the gentle moment. It sounded like metal digging into stone. Curiously, I walked back over to the large window and peered down. I shot backward and grabbed Pastel.
Shaking him, I gave a whispered yell, "It's a man! A man! Why is there a man?"
Panicking, I ran into the kitchen and looked around for anything I might use for protection. I saw a pan I was going to use to cook lunch sitting on the bricked counter. Grabbing it, I snuck quietly back into the room and hung back to the side of the window. The man slid into the room nimbly and looked to a satchel that was slung around his shoulder. Fear took over and without any conscious thought, I smacked him over the head with the frying pan. He stood there for a brief second, perhaps wondering what had hit him before he collapsed to the floor. I gave a yelp and dropped the pan on the floor. Quickly, I picked it up again and held it out at the unconscious man. What is he? What does he want? These questions kept repeating themselves in my head.
Curiosity got the better of me, as I knelt in to get a closer look. Pulling his head up with my pan. Being unconscious, he suddenly seemed a lot less threatening than before. He groaned. Once again, without thinking, I clogged him over the head, my eyes squeezed closed. I peeked out with one eye and verified that he was once again knocked out.
It took quite a few minutes, but I managed to get one of the chairs out of the dining room and tie the mysterious man to it using my bed sheets. Lifting the man turned out to be a lot more difficult than I imagined, but I somehow managed to pull it off.
After all that effort, I noticed a satchel on the floor. I remembered that it belonged to the man. I gave a quick look back at him to confirm that he is still unconscious before walking over and scooping it up. I opened it and found a crown inside. It was made out of shining gold, I had never seen gold in person before. Large jewels were set inside of it. The only visible gold was made into thin, elegant bands. I don't know much about the outside world, but I had read a lot of fairy tales. It looks exactly like a princess's crown. Curiously, I walked over to the full-body mirror, trying my best not to look at my reflection. I slid the crown onto my head, the cold gold tickling me. I gave a peek with a single eye and then open both eyes in amazement, transfixed at myself. The crown almost seemed like it was…made for me. My hair began to grow vigorously, transforming from the brown-blonde mix into radiant, golden streams. Just before my hair was about to touch the floor, I threw the crown off in shock, gasping for air. I looked back at my reflection and my hair had reverted back. Picking up the crown, I put it back into the satchel. This man might be bad after all, this crown was definitely not his, but at least this gave me an idea.
After hiding the satchel, I ducked into a dark corner. Even unconscious, the man still frightened me. I gave a little nod to Pastel.
The little chameleon leapt up onto the unconscious man's shoulder and puffed out his chest and furrowed his eyebrows as he gave the man a quick slap. The charming little creature, curled up into a ball in fear, but nothing happened. Growing irritated, he pounded on his cheek. That also failed. Angry, he launched a sticky tongue into the man's ear.
His eyes shot open and he gave a yelp of surprise, shaking his head. This succeeding in knocking Pastel off his shoulder. "W-what? What happened?"
"I know why you're here," I began as I stepped out of the shadows, keeping my frying pan trained on his head.
The man's eyes squinted quizzically into the darkness, trying to make out my face. As I was illuminated by the afternoon sun, his face softened and he got a smirk on his face. "Oh? And what might that be, beautiful?"
"Beautiful?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow, allowing my arm to relax for a moment, lowering the pan slightly. "How condescending!" I yelled back. "Look, if you think I'm just going to let you beat me up—or whatever else you wish to do—without a fight, you have another thing coming!"
He sighed and said, "Look, sweetie, I have no idea what you're talking about. Why would I want to beat you up? It's not like I come across many gorgeous women while romping through the forest. If anything, you're a blessing to see, especially since you're not a guard or an oddly persistent horse."
Lowering the frying pan, I asked, "You mean, you can't tell?" I looked to Pastel, who gave a curious shrug.
"Tell what, exactly?" He asked, trying his best to emphasize with his bound hands.
I brushed a blonde lock of hair away from my face and said, "That I was born male."
He gave a hearty laugh and said, "Oh, man, that was good. I wasn't expecting that. Now, sweetie, how about you just let me go?"
I blinked at him, surprised. He doesn't believe me? "I'm being serious. I am a girl inside a boy's body. I was born male. My mother warned me that people wouldn't understand me, that people would want to hurt me. I have no idea how you found out where I was—"
He threw up his hands, or the best he could, as he exclaimed, "Whoa! Back up! First of all, who am I to judge anyone? I mean, look at me. Second, I don't know who you are. I didn't know anyone other than that enchantress lady was here. The only reason I knew she was because I just happened to catch glimpses of the tower during the day. Otherwise, it appeared like nothing was here. During the night, the barrier seemed weak enough for me to get through."
Remembering last night, I recalled a man stepping through the forest. So it was him?
"I just figured this would be an ideal place to stay for a while until things settle down. I climbed up here to see if I could get a better look at the landscape and, perhaps, catch a nap before she came back. I had no idea anyone else was living here."
I glanced up to the mural above him. It's of the night sky, but instead of stars in the sky, there were drifting lights. They appeared every year on my birthday, I always dreamed of someday seeing them up close. Now that I have an outsider, I could use him to guide me there.
Approaching him, I said, "Okay, I'll make you a deal. I'll let you go, if you guide me to see the lights."
"What lights?" He asked.
With some effort, I turned the chair around, so he could see the mural. "Those lights."
Looking up at the mural, a look or realization dawn on his face. "Oh, you mean the lanterns!" Then he quickly looked back to me and answered simply, "Uh, no. See, the kingdom and I aren't on the best terms right now."
Crossing my arms, I said, "Well, if you want your satchel back, you'll do as I ask."
It seemed to dawn on him and he began frantically looking around for the crown. Then, recovering his composure, he sent her a smile and said, "Okay, honey, I get it. A country girl like you is scared to go outside without a strong man like me. Okay, fine. You have me by the short hairs, I hope you're satisfied. Since we're going to be traveling together, how about telling me your name?"
Still being cautious, I muttered, "Ra-Rapuzel."
"Bless you," He said jokingly, I just stared back at him. Clearing his throat, he said, "I'm Flynn Rider, the infamous rogue—nice to me you." There was a moment of silence and he asked, "So you're really a guy?"
"Don't call me that!" I yelled back and then I shrunk back, blushing with embarrassment. "I mean, physically I am male, but mentally, I'm female. It's hard to explain."
