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

[powershines]

"Yeah. I have a lot of hair."

[hisowninvention]

"It's so pretty, miss!" says the little girl. "Do you braid it? I just did mine!" She proudly displays her two small braids, one on either side, each of which comes down just past the local shoulder.

Rolan continues to grin.

[powershines]

"I can't braid my own hair anymore. It got much too long for me to do."

[hisowninvention]

...The little girl looks back at her friends, then up at Rapunzel again, then bites her lip.

Rolan decides to help out.

"Do you and your friends want to help braid my friend's hair? Rapunzel, what do you think? It's bound to make it easier to carry." And it will be tremendously cute.

[powershines]

"Suuuure. As long as they only braid it and don't try to - trim it or anything."

[hisowninvention]

The little girl nods vigorously and summons her friends, all of whom are very excited about this prospect. Rolan is just as pleased as they are.

[powershines]

Rapunzel holds still and lets them work.

[hisowninvention]

And soon Rapunzel's hair is extremely braided. It doesn't even touch the ground anymore. (Rolan occasionally has to pick a girl up to facilitate them reaching high enough, but he doesn't interfere beyond that.)

The girls have also seen fit to include multitudes of flowers.

"Aww, it's lovely," says Rolan.

"It's the prettiest hair in the world," asserts the first little girl.

"I think you might be right," says Rolan.

[powershines]

"Thank you."

[hisowninvention]

"You're welcome, miss!" says the girl. The others echo her in chorus. One of them adds, "Happy princess's birthday!"

...Rolan giggles.

[powershines]

"...Happy princess's birthday to you too," echoes Rapunzel.

[hisowninvention]

The girls wave goodbye, and Rolan waves back, and he leads Rapunzel away.

"Well, that was adorable."

[powershines]

"Yeah." Rapunzel picks up the end of her braid and looks at it. "Are we almost there?"

[hisowninvention]

"We're - let's say, almost almost there. There's just one more busy market to avoid."

[powershines]

"Okay."

Rapunzel is noticeably happier.

[hisowninvention]

So is Rolan!

[powershines]

Rapunzel espies a pair of people walking down the street with one hugging the other's arm.

After a moment's thought she hugs Rolan's arm.

[hisowninvention]

Well. Okay then.

Their route around the final busy market takes them onto a narrow street with absolutely no one else on it, and when they emerge from that, they're at the edge of an open plaza directly in front of the palace. He heads for the extremely large doors.

[sundayfish]

There is a man in a crown speaking with some of the guards near those doors.

Rapunzel's hair, even braided up and beflowered, is - eye-catching. She catches his eye.

And he stares at her.

[powershines]

Rapunzel hugs Rolan's arm tighter.

[hisowninvention]

Rolan pats Rapunzel's shoulder with his free hand and keeps walking toward the king.

[sundayfish]

The king breaks away from the cluster of murmuring guards.

"Who are you?" he asks the two of them, mostly Rapunzel.

[powershines]

Rapunzel finds herself completely unable to reply.

[hisowninvention]

"I'm Rolan, and this is Rapunzel, and I'm pretty sure she's your daughter, your majesty."

[powershines]

"H-hi."