mother knows best

[powershines]

Rapunzel doesn't sleep well, and she does wind up wrapped up in her hair overnight like a golden-cocooned butterfly. She's still dozing fitfully when the sun comes up.

Comments

[onerequest]

"Rapunzel, I would never."

[powershines]

"Wouldn't you? Not even if you came home early and I was missing, you wouldn't? Not ever, even if you had no idea where I was and thought I'd been legitimately kidnapped, it wouldn't cross your mind to check."

[hisowninvention]

[powershines]

"If you thought someone might have literally bundled me up, dropped me out the window, and made off with me because they had no regard for my well-being, you wouldn't check?"

[onerequest]

"...All right, this once, I did peek just to make sure you thought you knew what you were doing -"

[powershines]

"Then drop the pretense, Mother."

[hisowninvention]

[onerequest]

"Fine. I was hoping to address this part in more congenial circumstances, but you are aware that 'you're a missing princess and one day you'll rule the whole country, come be welcomed as such, I'll help you escape from the evils of food and shelter and a loving mother because I think the royal family is so terribly nice even though I have literally just stolen a priceless sentimental object from them' is the most transparent foolishness of all time? You weren't convinced yourself. You were half-hoping I'd catch up and rescue you."

[hisowninvention]

[powershines]

Rapunzel looks at Rolan, suddenly smaller.

[hisowninvention]

"Everything I told you is still true," he says. "And you've learned plenty more since you left the tower. You said yourself, I couldn't have faked what I got from Vlad."

[onerequest]

"Convenient opportunism. Nothing more," sneers Gothel.

[powershines]

"So I just happen to look more like the queen than like you and he was taking advantage well in advance of having a way to prove that?"

[onerequest]

"Darling, I've never pretended we have a strong resemblance. You look like your father."

[powershines]

"Of whom there are no pictures."

[hisowninvention]

"All we have to do is go to the city, talk to some people or go straight to the king and queen, and you don't have to take my word or hers," says Rolan. "That's why you came in the first place, isn't it? To find out for sure, for yourself?"

[onerequest]

"Darling, the risk, the danger -"

[powershines]

"How's the search for somewhere safe where I can help people going, Mother?" murmurs Rapunzel. "Any end in sight?"

[onerequest]

"I never promised you it would be quick, but you're only eighteen -"

[powershines]

"I don't think I am. I'm going to find out."

And Rapunzel picks up her pile of hair and marches in the direction Rolan was leading her earlier.

[hisowninvention]

Rolan un-leans from his tree and catches up to her.

[powershines]

"Not that I expect it to matter in the relevant case," mutters Rapunzel under her breath, "but if she turns out to be right I am going to be furious with you."

[onerequest]

Gothel watches them go, for a moment -

and then turns and rides into the woods at a bit of an angle.

[hisowninvention]

"I haven't lied to you about anything," he says. "I won't swear I'm magically absolutely right that you're the missing princess, but after the time we've had and the queen's portrait and all, I'm as sure as sure gets. And I know she's plain wrong about people being so terrible. Terrible people exist but there's just not that many of them." He glances after Gothel.

[powershines]

"I don't know. I'm going to find out."