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Lilly sat on the grass, hurrying through her lunch.
"Why the rush, sweetheart?" Eugene asked, laughing slightly.
"I want to go and play!" Lilly said with her mouth full of bread and ham. She swallowed, and stood, brushing grass off her dress.
"All done," she said, and ran off. Eugene rolled his eyes and chuckled. So much like her mother!
Lilly looked around her, making sure no one was watching or following, then slipped through the thick, green vines. She ran up the staircase, and looked around the room. No sign of the strange woman.
"There you are, Flower!" Lilly jumped, and spun around.
"Hi," Lilly answered, still shy.
"I'm feeling very worn out today, dear," the woman complained. "Please sing for me." The woman sat down in a chair, and Lilly sat at her feet, as the woman brushed her golden locks. She sang.
"Flower, gleam and glow…"
As the soft little voice of the child reached the woman's ears, and the slivery-blue glow touched the brush in her hand, she felt her skin smooth out, and her tired old bones grow young again. She closed her eyes, glad of this feeling. When the song finished, she set the brush down, and pulled Lilly onto her lap.
"You sing very nicely," she said.
"Mama didn't like hearing me sing that song yesterday," Lilly told her. "I sang it to heal my knee, and it worked, but Mama didn't like the song."
"Mama was just surprised to hear the song after so long," the woman said. "What is your name, child?"
"Lillian. Or Lilly."
"How pretty," the woman stared thoughtfully out the window.
"What do I call you?"
"What?"
"What should I call you?" Lilly asked. "I can't call you nothing."
"Just call me Grandmother," the woman told her.
"But you're not-"
"I know," the woman replied. "But I looked after your mother a lot as she grew up, so I may as well be."
"Okay."
After a minute or so of silence, Lilly pulled herself off Grandmother's lap.
"I have to go," she said softly. "Papa will wonder where I am."
"Oh, so soon?" Grandmother said. "But you only just got here."
"I'll come again tomorrow," Lilly promised. "And the next day, and ever day after."
"Promise, little Lilly?"
"I promise," Lilly answered. She took Grandmother's large white hand in her small one, and smiled shyly at her. Grandmother smiled back, and kissed her hair.
"Don't forget," she called from the window as she waved. "Tomorrow!"
"And the next day," Lilly added.
"And every day after," Grandmother finished. Lilly grinned up at her, and then ran through the tunnel and into the forest. She decided she liked that woman.
From the tower window, Gothel stared after Lilly, a smile on her face. Now she would have eternal youth forever, and no one could stop her. Rapunzel would never know; Lilly had promised to keep it a secret, and if she was anything like her mother – and Gothel knew she was – she would never, ever break that promise.
Ever.
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