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]

"The door to the tower was bricked over years ago. Gothel used to get in and out from the top window via, um, my hair. I - she must have got in somehow when she came home early and I wasn't there, because she read my notebook. Maybe she climbed or had some kind of magic plant that would do it, fast climbing ivy or something?"

[sundayfish]

"We'll send people to the tower with tools to get past the bricks, then, can't assume she'd leave it climbable for anyone else - and the ones to the fellows in the forest ready to make an arrest, and we'll make sure there's plenty here to look after you -" Cearl motions to another guard. "Going to be double shifts for a while, and bring in some of the reserves." The guard nods and goes.

[hisowninvention]

With the help of the map, Rolan makes his directions more precise.

[sundayfish]

And with more precise directions, Cearl delegates the tasks to which these directions are germane.

And then sits back down and regards his daughter.

"Your friend staying for a while?"

[powershines]

"He said he would."

[hisowninvention]

He nods.

[sundayfish]

"Right. Cl- Rapunzel, your room's still - your room, but it hasn't been really updated, you'd probably be more comfortable in a guest suite to start. We can put you next to each other."

[powershines]

"Okay. Thank you."

[hisowninvention]

"Thanks," echoes Rolan.

[powershines]

"Should I be expecting to do anything about the - lantern ceremony or anything else soonish like that?"

[sundayfish]

"If you're up for it," says Cearl, "we could announce you're back from the balcony before the lanterns go up, and you could release ours."

[powershines]

"That's only - letting it go, right? They float by themselves."

[sundayfish]

"Right. You could wave but you don't have to make a speech if you haven't got anything to say."

[powershines]

"Okay. I can let a lantern go and wave."

[hisowninvention]

[kindestgarden]

Queen Ranae is being quiet, less like she has nothing to say and more like she has everything to say and has been warned against saying it all at once.

She's looking at princess and companion both, though, curiosity bubbling behind her eyes.

[hisowninvention]

He wonders how much of that Rapunzel is catching. At a guess, he'd say not much. Maybe he should offer to translate whenever they next have a minute to themselves.

[kindestgarden]

Ranae loses her hold on quietude. "Do - do you want a look around the palace, so you won't get lost?" she asks Rapunzel.

[powershines]

"Um - yes, thank you."

[sundayfish]

"Well, here you've got the entrance hall. Doesn't always have the chairs in it, sometimes there's this or that event using the space."

[powershines]

Rapunzel nods, and gets up when her parents do.

[hisowninvention]

Rolan follows, sticking close to Rapunzel. He did say he'd stay with her, after all.

[powershines]

Rapunzel appreciates this. And keeps hold of his arm.

The palace is big. They look at rooms in it. Including the room Rapunzel was stolen out of as a baby. Which has a crib in it but not a proper full-sized bed, which is why they will be staying in the guest rooms that Cearl saves for the last part of the tour. The rooms are next to each other but don't adjoin.

[hisowninvention]

That seems reasonable.

[kindestgarden]

"Rapunzel," says Ranae, "your dress is beautiful, but do you want to be in something less traveled-in and maybe more formal for the lantern release? There's not enough time to make something new but I think you're close to my size if you want to try some things on."