Saving a Princess - Part 3
Rapunzel turned her emerald green eyes to the stranger, who'd named herself as Merida. Panic flooding her. Oh gosh- mother was here! She'd freak if she saw her! Sure, they'd only just met- and she was technically trespassing on her tower- but she seemed nice enough. She had to hide her- she couldn't let her mother see her. Coming to a split second desicion, she bashed her towards the cupboard.
"Get in, get in, get in! Can't let her see you! In!" The girl made noises in protest, and probably would have put up a really good fight, but Rapunzel had caught her unawares, and so managed to shove her into the wardrobe. "Stay there- don't make a noise." She finished, slamming the door (quietly) in the surprised, and annoyed, girl's face. She made to go towards the window, then turned back. "Sorry." She apologised, before dashing to the window.
"Coming mother!" She called down. She threw her hair out, over the hook, and to the ground- like she'd been doing ever since it was long enough. She made sure her mother had made a good foot loop (as always) before pulling her up. She strained her muscles hard, as she dragged her hair through the hook, pulling her mother upwards. It didn't matter how long she'd been doing this- it never got any easier. She counted the lengths of the room she did... Two... Three.. Just one more... Four. Mother was home.
She released her death grip on her hair, slouching slightly as she recovered her energy.
"Hi." She managed, through deep breaths- all that pulling really took it out of her.
"Oh, Rapunzel. How you manage to do that everyday? It looks exhausting." Her mother praised. She smiled at it.
"It's nothing." She said, modestly. She did try her best to impress her- always working to make her happy.
"Then I don't know why it takes so long." She sang. Her face fell- had she really been that bad? She had tried her best- she really had- was it still not good enough for her? Her mother broke into quick, sudden laughter. "Oh honey, I'm just teasing." She told her. Oh, right... heh- that was a good one. She forced a bit of laughter out to try and please her- she never had understood her mother's sense of humour. If she didn't clarify she was joking, it often left her a bit upset (and it was hard to tell when she was or wasn't 'teasing', as she put it).
She ran through her mental schedule of what normally happened next. She was in the tower. She'd put down her basket, next- she'd inspect herself in the mirror, and then... oh no. She'd ask her to sing for her. She couldn't do that in front of the stranger in her closet! She liked Merida, sure, but she wasn't going to trust her with the biggest, most important secret of her life just like that! She had to distract her mother from the mirror before she asked her to sing. She panicked- what to do? What to do?! She was getting closer to the mirror. "Mother, I want to leave the tower." She blurted out... and immediately wanted to slap herself afterwards.
Now she done it. Oh why?! Her and her big mouth. Leaving and seeing the world was always on her mind, so it was no surprise it just randomly came out when she panicked... But now she was in for it. Well, if nothing else, it succeeded in distracted her. She tried not to wilt, as her mother froze, and turned round to face her.
"Outside?" She repeated, dangerously calm. "Why, Rapunzel, why on earth would you want to do such a thing?" She asked. Something told her she should probably leave it there- apologise for talking about such a touchy, forbidden subject- but she couldn't help herself.
"I want to see more!" She told her. "I've read my nature books a thousand times- I want see some of this stuff myself! I want to swim in a stream, climb a tree. Go running in the grass!" Her mother had turned and walked away from her, as though attempting to do the same to the conversation.
"Rapunzel, we've been through this." She cut her off, voice losing its light edge. She was heading into dangerous territory here. "The outside world is a dangerous place- you wouldn't last five minutes." She said, with finality, as though that was case closed. As always, dismay filled her as she heard these words. She wasn't so small anymore- she felt sure she could handle it! And it couldn't be all bad if their were people like Merida in it.
She so desperately wanted to see, and experience, new things. The idea that she might be trapped in this tower for all time... it was just awful! She had to let her leave some day, right... right? The longer she stayed, the more doubtful this seemed.
"Oh, come on, if I could just-!" She protested.
"Enough, Rapunzel! YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THIS TOWER! EVER!" She yelled.
Rapunzel felt her shrink. Mother had never shouted at her like that before. She hated upsetting her like that, but at the same time she was desperate to see all those things she saw in her books. She always dreamed about them, but she couldn't disobey her mother... or could she...
She looked to the cabinet where she knew Merida to be hiding. She'd lived in the outside world... and she survived. Maybe- just maybe- she knew enough to keep her safe too. Maybe... she could take her out. Just for a little while- just to see the world for a bit- then she'd come straight back to the tower. Then once mother found out she could handle herself, maybe she'd let her out! But there was a problem. Mother wouldn't ever let her leave- especially with a stranger. She'd have to do it without her knowing- and to do that she have to send her on a trip... a long one. She'd have to introduce the idea for the long journey when she was in a better mood, but first she needed to speak with Merida- and beg her to take her on an experience of a life time. And she couldn't talk to Merida whilst her mother was in the room.
She steeled herself- she hated lying to her mother after all she'd done for her. It made her feel like a despicable person. She heard her moan to herself, as she sank back into her chair.
"Great. Now I'm the bad guy." She bit her lip, and waited...
"Mother... I'm sorry I questioned you." She said, submissively. "You know best, right?" She coaxed, using one of her mother's favourite phrases- that seemed to stir her slightly out of her annoyance. Rapunzel noticed the food filled basket she'd brought in, and it gave her an idea. "Is that hazelnuts?" She asked, trying to sound excited. It wasn't that hard- her mother's hazelnut soup was the best, but it also took quite a while to make. Hopefully it would give her long enough to plead with Merida, and get her to agree to take her out. A slight smile began to tug at her mother's lips.
"Yes. I'm making you hazelnut soup, tonight. It was supposed to be a surprise, but you went and spoiled it." Uh oh- had she made things worse?! Would she make her cook instead, for talking about leaving? She'd never get to talk to Merida then! "I'm teasing!" She laughed. "Stop taking everything so seriously." Rapunzel smiled, weakly. Oh yeah, that funny sense of humour again- just as hilarious as ever.
Her mother scooped up the basket in the crook of her arm, and started walking out the room.
"I'll be downstairs if you want me." She called back, apparently just as cheerful as she had been when she first came arrived, then she went through the curtain. Rapunzel sighed with relief, leaning against the nearest cabinet. Whew, she was gone. That was intense. She jumped as the cabinet banged underneath her. Of course the closet she leant on had to be the only one with a person inside it.
She opened the door, ready to apologise again for stuffing her inside the cupboard, but she couldn't say a word before the red haired girl burst out with an incredulous.
"Yeh've neva bin outside!" She whisper yelled. Rapunzel fiddled with a loose piece of hair as she realised how odd it must sound.
"Um, yeah.." She muttered. "Mother doesn't like the idea of me leaving." She explained. Merida snorted, rather dramatically.
"Well ah could see tha'." She rolled her eyes. "Tha's it. Me an you are goin' on an adventure trip." She told her, giving no choice otherwise. Rapunzel blinked. Had she really just said...? And she hadn't even asked? She was going to take her! She was going outside!
She squealed, jumping up and down on the spot just thinking about it. Ohmygosh nowaynowaynoway!
"Thank you!" She exclaimed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She jumped forwards, giving her new friend an excited hug- which she seemed rather stunned at, but was grinning never the less when she pulled back.
"Right, so here's the plan. You get rid o' that devil o' a mother o' yours." She began.
"She's not a devil." She protested. That was a bit mean, but, from what she could see, Merida wasn't very restrained with her words. "But, yeah, I was thinking I could suggest for her to go on a long trip tonight." She told her.
"Nice one. Then we can ha' a good few days to ourselves." She said, excitably. Rapunzel felt the urge to do another happy dance. They were doing this! They were actually doing this!
But, was she okay with it?
"Are you sure you're alright with it?" She asked. "You know, like, being my bodyguard? Keeping me safe and all that?" At the title of "bodyguard" her eyes lit up, and she immediately straightened her back proudly.
"Keep you safe?!" She questioned. "You jus' so happen t' be lookin' at the bes' archer in all the lands." She boasted, impressively. Wow, she was?! Rapunzel thought- then a something occurred to her.
"But, where's your bow, then?" She asked. She didn't think she was lying, or anything, but if she was such an incredible archer, then she would have a bow and arrow on her nearly all the time- especially if she's going adventuring. Her face darkened, somewhat.
"Oh, it, er... it broke." She said. There was clearly a lot more to that story than she was willing to say right now, but she let her curiousity slip. Merida's face brightened suddenly.
"We can go t' a town! I can ge' a new bow, then! How bout Corona?" She suggested. Rapunzel nodded her head, happily- wondering where Corona was and what it was like. She couldn't wait to see it! Oh, she was getting excited already! She couldn't wait!
The bang of a pan from downstairs reminded her how quick things would turn bad if her mother found her unplanned friend visiting. She looked back to her.
"You need to go." She urged, suddenly fearing that her mother was going to burst through that curtain at any moment. She lifted her hair up to put it on the hook, but Merida pushed past it.
"Oh, save it. I don' need ya fancy hair lift." She said, lowering herself off the ledge to clamber down. Just before she went, she asked. "An what's up wi' ya hair, anyway?" Rapunzel tensed at the mention of her hair. It was always a very sensitive topic- even moreso than going outside- especially to strangers. She panicked, and closed the shutters, praying she'd think she just hadn't heard the question.
She sighed, dropping her head back onto the shutters, and looked across the room- at her books. Finally, she might see those illustrations in real life! She couldn't wait to see it! To feel it! The world outside the tower!
Suddenly inspired, she decided to release her excitement the only way she knew how. Through painting. She got out her paints- they were running a little low... inspiration strike! She could ask her mother to get her some new ones! She just had to catch her at the right mood, and she might just agree.
Picking up her remaining paints, and tying herself securely with her hair from the high beams, she began painting. It was high up, and partly in shadow, where her mother couldn't notice it- not that she would, she hardly ever looked at all her hard word anymore. It was just in case. She dipped the brush into the red, and started painting- letting her imagination run wild. Her hand leading the brush to describe her dreams and hopes for the promised journey.
Once finished her hands were filthy, but she was really happy with it. A blond girl with a river of hair cascading down her back, and a red head girl with a tangle of wild locks, stood side by side. Hand in hand. Staring out over a breathtaking landscape. Trees, rivers, mountains and more, all waiting to be explored. She looped her hair into a loose swing beneath her, and sat, looking at the painting of the coming day.
The day she'd always dreamed of... and now, thanks to Merida- thanks to her friend-... she was going to see it come true.