Rapunzel, Rapunzel

Chapter 3 Let Down Your Hair

“Oh, alright.” Gothel sighed. “It appears this is how I will finally throw my back out doing this rather than climbing up to a window.”

“Oh, Mother,” Rapunzel giggled again and then thought of something. “You know, I think I read about this fruit, grapes I think, that if you eat it you will never grow old.”

Gothel’s body froze as she looked at her daughter sharply. “Where did you read about that?”

“One of these books, I think.” Rapunzel rummaged around through the groups of books built as a fort, and pulled one up. “It was this one. It had a whole segment on that fruit.”

Gothel took the book, examining it. “Where did you find this book?”

“In your bedroom,” Rapunzel replied, shamefully knowing she was in trouble.

“Rapunzel.” Her mother looked at her sternly. “What did I say about taking things out of my room without asking?”

“Sorry, Mother.” She looked at Gothel pleadingly. “You were just gone a long time and I needed an extra book for my fort.”

Gothel let out a sigh. “I do not mean to get upset with you, Rapunzel. I just really do not think you should be reading this.”

Rapunzel gave her a curious glance. “Why not? I think it would be nice to find a way to stay young forever, don’t you?”

“Well,” Gothel explained sternly, “to get these grapes someone must be sacrificed, and the sad thing about the world we live in is there are a lot of people that would do just that so they could stay young.”

Rapunzel’s eyes fell to the ground as she simply muttered, “Oh.”

“I am going to get rid of this book,” Gothel decided as she head towards the door, passing by something else of hers on the ground. She picked it up and let out another breath. “Rapunzel, why did you take my scarf?”

Rapunzel shrugged unsure of why exactly she took it from her mother’s room. She did not even use it for any of her games.

“I don’t know,” she finally answered. “It was just there, I guess.”

“Just there?” Gothel repeated in dismay. “You sound just like… never mind. Let me just put these away and then I will come back to help you organize this mess.”

Gothel, walked down the spiral steps to her room, located on the second floor. The tower consisted of three stories. The first floor was a combination of a family room, complete with a fireplace, and small cubicle kitchen. Gothel had the second floor, while Rapunzel’s room was the top and the only room with a window, in which she greatly appreciated. While her mother was gone during the day, she would look around into the outside world, but usually only saw wild animals roaming about the prairie. Every so often, Rapunzel would spot an actual person from a distance, but they rarely came near the tower. The few times that they did, she found herself too shy to speak to them.

Once Gothel returned, Rapunzel had to endure yet another lecture on how taking other people’s things without asking is wrong. This led to the topic of thieves and how they are punished in the kingdom of Tiare.

“You know, King Harold just passed a new law that if a thief is caught stealing, then the punishment will be that they get their hand chopped off,” Gothel informed as she continued to pick up her daughter’s clothing.

Rapunzel fidgeted with her necklace, not really participating much in the cleanup process. “It is not as though I have to worry about that, seeing as I am never allowed outside this tower.”

Gothel gazed at her daughter sadly. “I am sorry, Honey, but it is just too dangerous for you out there. Trust me, you are much better off here.”

“I know.” Rapunzel recalled being warned of the dangers on several occasions. “I am just curious of what it is like out there.”

“How about this?” Gothel suggested. “The next time I go out I will bring back some things that kind of show where I have been.”

Rapunzel smiled. “Okay.”

Years ago, she had found that every time she made her mother feel guilty about not letting her out of the tower she would get several presents out of it. Still, Rapunzel did wish to experience the world outside of her home, just a little.

“Oh, that is your hair,” Gothel said as she set down the lump of braided hair she picked up. “It just shimmered again so I thought it was some of your jewelry. Honestly, Rapunzel, I wish you would let me cut your hair. This is getting way out of hand.”

Rapunzel looked over to the end of her braid, which was piled up across the room. “I like it long. Is it not more elegant for ladies to have long hair?”

“Not this long,” Gothel commented. “It takes nearly an hour to brush it each day. This is beginning to be a lot of work for me.”

“I can help you brush it,” Rapunzel suggested.

Gothel let out a brief huff. “You always say that and then only help for the first couple minutes.”

Rapunzel shrugged. “Most of it is hard for me to reach.”

“All the more reason to cut it,” Gothel pointed out, but then caught sight of her daughter’s sad eyes. “But if you really like it long then we do not have to.”

“Thanks, Mother.” Rapunzel pulled some of her hair closer to her and added, “You know, when I stood near the window, my hair did that thing again where it shimmers gold, but only just for a moment.”

“Really?” Gothel muttered, her tone distant.

“Yes,” Rapunzel continued, fidgeting with strands of her hair, “but only a little, just like it did a few moments ago when you picked it up. Do you know why it does that?”

“Well,” Gothel rose up straighter as she lifted the last fallen book and placed it on the shelf. “You know it just does sometimes. Your hair is quite unique.” She paused and took a moment to look around the room. “I must say I am wiped.”

“Me too,” Rapunzel muttered, even though she had not contributed much to the cleanup. She then turned around and asked, “So what is for dinner?”

“Oh right, dinner.” Gothel rubbed her head in exhaustion. “I was going to make rampion stew. Does that sound good?”

Rapunzel smiled, but replied, “Your stew is always good, Mother, but we do have that a lot.”

Gothel let out a sigh as she brushed her hair behind her shoulders. “I know, but it is the only thing that will grow around here. Perhaps next time I go into Taire I will pick up some of their finest meat.”

“That sounds wonderful, Mother.” Rapunzel then turned her head to her top shelf. “Oh, I almost forgot, you have got a letter. Some man came by and slid it under the back door. It says it is from someone called Frederick.”

Gothel’s complexion lightened as she went over to grab the letter. “You did not read it, did you?”

“I only glanced at it.” Rapunzel looked down to the ground, folding her fingers behind her back and asked innocently, “So who is Frederick? Is he someone special? How come I have never heard of him?”

“He is just an old friend,” Gothel mumbled, staring at the letter, “one I have not seen in many years.”

Rapunzel tilted her head in concern as she stepped closer to Gothel. “Is everything okay, Mother?”

“Yes, fine,” Gothel answered in a quick breath, swishing the letter behind her back and abruptly making her way to the door. “I should get started on our dinner now.”

Before Rapunzel had the chance to inquire any further on the matter, the door closed, leaving her alone utterly dumbfounded, wondering the secrets her mother concealed of her past.