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]

"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."

[hisowninvention]

"Yeah."

[powershines]

Walk. Walk. Walk. Hair hugged in a bundle to her chest.

[hisowninvention]

"...Do you want a hug?"

[powershines]

"No thank you."

[hisowninvention]

"Okay."

[powershines]

"I-I'm sorry."

[hisowninvention]

"...For...?"

[powershines]

"Not - trusting you? Not wanting a hug? I don't know."

[hisowninvention]

"It's okay. I don't mind. I'm taking you to the city because I want you to have a chance to see what's true for yourself, and I'm offering you hugs because you look sad and I want to help. There's no reason to get mad at you about any of it."

[powershines]

"Okay."

[hisowninvention]

[powershines]

Walk walk walk.

[hisowninvention]

Walk walk walk.

(Somehow he gets the feeling they haven't seen the last of that woman. But there's not much he can do about that that he isn't already doing.)

[powershines]

"How long do you think it will take us to get there?"

[hisowninvention]

"Another hour or two, maybe." He sighs. "I'm worried she's going to try to stop us somehow. I'm at least reasonably confident she isn't following us, but she knows where we're going, so she doesn't have to be."

[powershines]

"I don't know what she'd do to stop us. But she - gave up fast."

[hisowninvention]

"In my experience, people who give up that fast about something they've invested this much in aren't actually giving up. And I can think of all kinds of varyingly ugly possibilities for what she might do, but I'm not sure if you want to hear them."

[powershines]

"I think I'd rather know."