- The Test
The heavy-set seneschal had been alerted to the coming of the party. The Testing Chamber had been provided with extra security. The Captain of the Guard was there as well as a couple of scribes to capture everything that was said, and quite a bit was said by all the parties.
But it was finally time for the test. The seneschal brought out the scissors.
"What are those for?" asked Rapunzel fearfully, as she caught the flash of the metal and heard sheering clash of the blades as the seneschal tested them.
"The test is very simple, I need a sample of your hair," said the seneschal in his deep voice.
"Mother!" Rapunzel ducked behind the kidnapper. The seneschal would have been amazed by this, but from what he had learned in the last few hours, it wasn't really a surprise.
"Please, isn't there some other way? Cutting the hair destroys the power in it," begged Gothel, holding the Princess Solara under her arms next to her chair.
The seneschal looked suspicious.
"When I snuck into the nursery I found that the power was in the hair of the baby, I cut a lock of hair to take just that. I didn't want to take the babe, but I needed the power to stay alive. I thought a piece would be enough but it wasn't it turned brown and the power faded. It was terrible but I just had to live, so I took her. I'm sorry. See here, the other end of the hair that I cut," Gothel revealed the brown lock under Rapunzel's hair.
The seneschal looked and brought the lock close to the brown lock, they looked the same. Gothel began the song, the hair glowed and then the lock in the vial jumped out and fused with the cut lock on the girl and it quickly grew to match the rest of the hair.
"I guess that would conclusively prove that she is the Lost Princess," quipped Flynn.
There were nods about that.
"Well then, I will take you to your parents. Come with me, your Highness," said the seneschal.
"But, Mother,... Eugene?" Asked the princess uncertainly as Mother's arms fell away. She wanted to meet her parents, but what would happen to Mother and Eugene?
"They will have to remain in custody for now, their crimes have been most serious." The seneschal was leading Rapunzel to the doors, but she ran back and stopped in front of Mother, biting her lip and bouncing on the balls of her feet. Gothel smiled sadly, opened her arms and they hug.
"I love you very much."
"I love you more."
"I love you most."
There was a gasp at that and Gothel winced.
The Lost Princess hugs Flynn Rider.
"You are my new dream."
"And you are mine."
A last look back at the door.
And then she is gone.