Alternately Tangled: Chapter 6

Memories began flooding her brain, almost hard to process. In a second the golden light flashed across her eyes, two blurry faces smiling at her. She had seen them before, she knew.
‘Flower…” Gothel rested her arm around her daughter, hurried her to go but Rapunzel barely registered her words. Her eyes were locked at a distance where the town people gathered to celebrate something really interesting. She couldn’t see anything; hear anything but the blurry faces of the past.
“Hail king and queen of Corona!” the crowd cheered again at a distance.
“Flower, we must hurry.” Gothel was now clearly annoyed with Rapunzel’s weird behavior.
“Do you want the guards drag us to the prison?”
Rapunzel was silent. Her feet never moved an inch from her place.
“Flower, are you….” The impatient mother pressed her hands over her daughter’s shoulder, turning her face towards her, so that their eyes locked together again.
Instead Rapunzel’s eyes trained the blood socked flag around her injured hand; the golden sun was shining too brightly.
And the ray of the rising sun was almost blinding.
Yes, she could see them, those blurry faces- king and queen of Corona, the sun she painted all over her tower wall was now paining her heart too badly. Slowly she raised her eyes so that her green orbs were looking back into the dark pupils of her so called mother.
“I’mthelostprincess.”
‘What?” Gothel threw a confused glare, still impatient. The day was growing older; she had to leave before many people could notice the unnatural girl with magic hair.
“Stop mumbling Rapunzel!”
“I am the lost princess, aren’t I?” This time Rapunzel gazed confidently at her mother ‘Did I mumble, mother?” her voice was steel, green eyes on fire “Or should I even call you that?”
Gothel gasped at the unnatural look in her daughter’s green eyes- she couldn’t see the afraid, submissive young girl she knew, but found a determined princess, who knew her true identity. For a second she stopped at her pace, mouth wide open at the sudden realization.
She was losing her flower, again!
Looking at the new found rebel young girl, Gothel took a deep breath. She was just a girl, too easy to tame, she knew her for long eighteen years. Slowly she took a step forward, wrapping her comforting arm around her, whispering, “I know how you feel about everything flower. But why so ridiculous question?”
Her arms were open to hide her flower again like she did for long eighteen years, but this time Rapunzel flinched back, pushing her arms away from her, green eyes still wide with the realization of the truth.
“It was you…” she inhaled sharply, “”It was all you…..” her voice trembled for a second, impending cry rising to her throat, chocking her “You lied me all the time.”
Her clam emerald eyes had turned into two fireballs, almost burning her fake mother ‘You kidnapped me, just to use my powers! You are taking away from my own parents. You are taking away from my Eugene.” Her little body was shaking; her feet were ready to take a flight.
Gazing into her eyes suddenly Gothel realized that her girl was stepping away from her inch by inch.
“All I did is to protect you flower.”  Even at the edge of her anger Gothel decided to clang to her last chance, with a warm motherly smile upon her face, she offered her arms to the shaking girl “The world is so cruel….” Her voice was soft and soothing.
“STOP!”  Rapunzel bellowed, pushing another woman so hard that she landed on the cobble stone road.
Tears welled up from her large eyes, she couldn’t see anything anymore. Her body was shaking with uncontrollable anger, fear, grief, she could hardly resist herself.
“I’ve enough of your lies mother.” She shook her head impatiently; the long hair fell loose over her shoulder, her tiny feet were ready to take a flight. All the lies, all the delusions, she had enough! Now she needed to tell the world the truth.
The sun was rising. Rapunzel stepped out of the shed, ready to take the journey to the world..
“Rapunzel…” Gothel pulled herself from the ground, calling her angry daughter “Where you are going?”
“To tell the world the truth.” She replied, not bothering to look back her fallen mother “To tell the world that Eugene was right.”
Instead she heard a stiff laugh from her mother.
“What do you think he is still waiting for you?” there was something in her tone, which made Rapunzel to stop.
“What?” She spun back, still shaking “What you’ve done to him?”
“That criminal.” This time Gothel walked out of the shed, took a step closer to her daughter, the red rays of the morning sun matched her bloody gown.
“He will be hanged for his crime.”
The words came with a sudden shock that Rapunzel felt almost fainted. Mouth wide open, she could hardly bear those words.
“It’s not true…” she whispered.
Gothel took another step closer, one arm resting upon Rapunzel’s shoulder, she smiled “Oh flower, don’t you ever wonder why the roads are so deserted in this time of day?”
Rapunzel had never thought of that. With the little experience in the outside world, she suddenly could feel a strange silence around them, the roads were deserted, and even the shops were closed. As much she knew the city roads were never so silent especially in this time of day.
Just like the day when the Stabbington brothers were hanged.
An unknown fear clutched her heart, unknowingly her eyes turned towards the public square, barely visible from this outskirt of the town; it was too much crowded, like the whole kingdom gathered there around something particular.
“Without any proof no one will believe you flower.” Gothel’s arms weighted on her shoulder like a mountain, she could barely move “And the last witness will be gone soon.”
Rapunzel’s eyes narrowed, her vision cleared and suddenly she could caught a glimpse of the thing of their interest.
The gallows.
And she could see him, standing before the hangman’s noose, hands tied in a painful position, feet bare, the guards hardly shoving him towards the stage.
Just like her dream.
“Eugene!”
‘Eugene!” she called his name again. But her voice couldn’t reach him.
“No!” tears welled up from her jade green eyes like fountains, long hair running loose behind her,  feet ready to take flight towards her love.
With a sudden tug at the end of her golden hair, she nearly tripped over the tangle of her hairy train.
“Mother!”
“I can’t let you go flower!”  Gothel whispered, wrapping the end of hair in her firm grasp, she watched the princess struggling, trying to free herself. Pascal climbed over Gothel’s shoulder stuck his tongue inside her ear. But she brushed him away. The poor chameleon landed on the ground, unconscious.
“Let me go, mother.” Rapunzel tried to fight, still unwilling to hurt the merciless woman physically but without her trusty frying pan she could hardly manage to threat the witch. As much she struggled moving forward, the tug on her hair grew stronger; she stumbled on the cold hard ground. A deep gash appeared on her forehead, letting the blood flow along a thin line. She screwed her eyes and inhaled sharply, her head was aching badly, and her scalp was on fire.
“Stop Rapunzel.” Gothel was now really annoyed playing tug of war with a young, headstrong girl.”This is enough. We must go away from here before people begins flooding this road.”
“Mother, please.” Rapunzel fell on her knees upon the cold cobblestone ground “Just give me a few minutes.”
Her eyes caught him again, climbing the stairs, only an inch away from the rope.
She paused; her head was aching so badly that she could hardly think anything clearly “Just let me save him. I promise I’ll go with you.”
Her vision was almost blurred with the defeat, her heart was pounding faster with the fear of the loss of her love, body trembling like a fallen leaf in storm, hatred and rage was burning her from inside. Stormed with all the emotions she could only stare at her once mother’s eyes, pleading, waiting for her final words.
Instead Gothel’s lips twisted with a sly grin, turning her once motherly face into a horrible monster.
“I don’t believe you, flower. Anymore.” She tightened her grip around her hair, “I can’t let you go.”
She pulled the cloak over her head, and began to walk forward casually with the end of Rapunzel’s magic hair in her tight grasp.
Her head was aching badly with the tug at the end of her hair; her eyes trained the prisoner standing on the stage. Some sort of commotion rose among the crowd, delaying his sentence.
The tug on her hair was getting stronger; mother was merciless, whenever she tried to pull backward mother never let her go.
If she wanted to go, then she must hurt Gothel physically. But she couldn’t do that, she knew. All the lies she told her, but she was her mother once. Still she knew she couldn’t stay like this longer, she had to make a single choice.
What she really wanted - Hair, mother or Eugene?
“Are you coming, Rapunzel?” mother was calling “Don’t make me to drag you though the way to home.”
She inhaled deeply, the tug was getting stronger, and she had to decide, now.
Her grip around the mirror shred tightened, the jagged end cut though her palm, letting the blood flow.
Alright if mother wanted the hair she could have that, and she wanted Eugene, she was going to have him.
Without any second thought she raised her shaky arm, ran the jagged end of the broken mirror through the sunny locks…
With a jerk the weight lessened from her head, leaving the pervious magic hair turning into a large giant snake over the road. Rapunzel pulled herself up from the ground, legs still wobbly from the shock; she let her feet carry her towards her destiny throwing away the past with the magic hair.
She never heard her pervious mother screaming, trying to gather the remnant of her rapidly browning hairy trail, never saw her growing older and older and at last into turning into a pile of dust.
Rapunzel didn’t turn back. She was too tired of all the lies she had in the past.  
She had no idea what kind of welcome was waiting in her real home, still she decided to never look back. Now she didn’t care anything anymore.
And all the more, as she sprinted to the public square, the sun was rising higher and higher and the hangman was ready to tie the noose around the prisoner’s neck.
()()()
“She is the lost princess!”
The king’s head jolted up with the firm pressure upon his hand from beside, blue eyes turned towards the anxious gaze in the green orbs of his companion- the queen.
“What?”
“Rapunzel is our lost daughter.”
The king turned towards his grieving queen, dark circle lined her beautiful emerald eyes, body still shaking from the excitement, and the eyes were bright with hope. “She is our daughter, Rupert.” The queen’s tiny hands clutched the front of his brown royal shirt; there was urgency in her voice “Rider knows the whole matter. You must stop this execution, Rupert.”
His blue eyes measured the depth of his wife’s feelings; a fear began clouding his mind.
“What you are saying?” He whispered, his arms instantly encircled his grieving wife in a safe shelter. He knew her bleeding heart from the loss of the new hope. But what now? Was she losing her mind?
“She is not our daughter.” The king gently cupped her chin and tilted her head so that their eyes locked together. ‘And Rider is guilty. It is proven in the court.” his voice was clam.
“But Rupert…” the queen insisted.
“It’s not possible, Anne.”
The conversation between the royal couple had already crossed the boundary of whispering to the pretty loud heated words. Even one by one the curious councilmen gathered around the royal couple in order to take in the whole situation.
‘Your highness, Lady Gothel had already shown her proof.” The redhead councilor said.
“Yes, and Miss Rapunzel never denied her as her mother.” Another joined him.
“But….what about this?” The queen was now desperate, the bloody rug letter was now lying before her, nobody even cared to consider this “Can’t you see the similarity?” she looked around her almost yelling at the respected noblemen of the council, distrusting the proof “Rider knows the truth. I need to talk with him. “
“But everything was settled the court, your highness. We believe it is nothing but Rider’s plan.”
“You fools!” The queen yelled almost at the verge of tears “How can you be so blind?”
The noblemen fell silent with her sudden outburst, red faced with humiliations.
“Have you lost your mind, Anne?’ now the king was impatient gazing at the mad eyes of his wife, wrapping his comfortable arms around her “Can’t you see it was already proved. Rapunzel isn’t our daughter and Rider is a…”
But the queen hardly registered his words or anything else. Unknowingly her eyes followed Flynn, now standing on the gallows, only an inch away from the noose.
Only one minute to go.
And their eyes locked for a second. Flynn wasn’t struggling anymore; instead there was cold fire of hatred dancing in his brown eyes.
The queen cringed at his look.
“Please stop this execution.” The queen begged “We must find her. I believe only Rider can tell her location.”
But everyone remained silent as before.
()()()
He never knew that a minute could be so long. It seemed like he was standing here on the gallows for almost an eternity.
He watched them arguing. He knew on what they were arguing. Gazing into the queen’s green eyes he had seen the defeat.
The council didn’t believe Rapunzel as the princess.
And Rapunzel would never find her true identity.
Thirty seconds. The coroner was checking his gold watch motioned the hangman to tie the noose around the prisoner’s neck. The excitement was rising among the audience.  At last the notorious Flynn Rider would never bother them again.
His eyes took around the surroundings- the captain standing at the lead of the guards with a proud grin upon his face, the excited crowd below and the arguing royalty.
He was only an inch from the death.
Then how he should feel now? Terrified? Sad?
Gazing into the queen’s green eyes he began to feel angry instead- on this merciless world, the blindfolded laws, thick headed royalties where there was no place of emotion. The cruel world led him to take the false name of Flynn Rider; the merciless world let the princess to be banished instead of being honored.
Yes, he hated this world, he hated everything.
The world would hate him as Flynn Rider forever. But they would never know the lost Eugene Fitzherbert, the downer boy with heart full of dreams- of home, of love, of Rapunzel.
The drums began picking up the tempo. “Three seconds.” the coroner began counting.
How much he wanted to see the Rapunzel for the last time, her sparkly green eyes, innocent face lighting up with joy, the night sky twinkling on her green orbs.
“Two seconds.”
Just for once. But no, he had failed her. Again.
“One second.”
The guard’s hand was on the lever.
And Flynn’s eyes grew lit up with a sudden figure appearing from the crowd.
“NO!” just then a brown haired petite figure sprinted from nowhere, pushing the crowd, trying frantically to make her way through the wildly cheering people. The end of her brown hair was jagged, her chest rising & falling heavily with her every breath.
“Rapunzel!” Before Flynn could even struggle against his captor, the guards swarmed around him, grasping his arms, their nails digging inside his flesh, keeping him in place on the gallows.
The next moment the guards caught her too.
“She is your princess.” Flynn yelled at the crowd “Let her go.” Instead he got only a mocking grin for the guards “Enough Rider. We really don’t believe your story.”
His sad eyes met Rapunzel as she tried to struggle against the guards, failed.  And here he was struggling over the gallows unable to get rid of the noose, he couldn’t even reach her. Tears flooded his vision, he could hardly see.
No one believed them.

()()()

“Rapunzel!” The queen’s eyes grew wide with recognition. She had no idea how her hair turned brown but she was unmistakable from her glittering lavender gown. She was struggling hard against the guards while the captain held her firmly.
“You are not allowed here, girl.” He was saying. The girl looked around herself for help and for a second her eyes met the queen eyes in a pleading gaze.
With her brown hair she was nothing but an identical young version of the queen.
“Rupert!” The queen’s little fingers were now clutching her husband’s shirt tightly “Please, Rupert. Stop this.”
The king nodded. Flynn’s rug letter lay open in his hand. That crown, that crown…. His eyes hadn’t mistaken the young version of his own wife.
‘Sire, this is the banished girl. Should we…..” the rising whisper among the councilmen was cut with the whisper of the old king, eyes almost blurred with happy tears, leaving his council at the brink of astonishment.
“No! She is our daughter! And Rider is…..”
But before he could finish his sentence, in the square the coroner was at the end of the countdown,
“Zero.”
“No! Eugene!” the next moment the princess stirred.  Unknown energy surging through her body the petite girl managed to shove the guards restraining her to the ground, eyes wild with desperation, rushed to the stage where the prisoner was just hanged. A wild cry rose among the crowd, as the captain followed her, the guards moved with to make sure that Rider couldn’t survive this time.
Within a blink of an eye, the guard pulled the lever.
She stopped at her pace as the trapdoor beneath Flynn disappeared suddenly and he fell.
The guards caught her again, began dragging her away from the gallows.
“Take her to the prison.” The captain ordered, the crowd cheered. “Please let me go.” Rapunzel was at the verge of tears as she saw helplessly Flynn struggling with the rope around his neck now suffocating him.
“Stop!” the next moment the bellow from the king silenced the wild crowd. Even the captain stopped at his pace, turned to find the royal couple now standing in the middle of the crowd.
“And cut the rope. Free Rider.”
“Your majesty!” The captain’s eyes were wide with shock.
“Leave your princess.”
Rapunzel’s head jolted up with the declaration from the royal man. For the first time she met his eyes again as the guard’s arms slipped from her. As their eyes locked the king nodded and Rapunzel was really grateful.
And the royal family sprinted towards the gallows where the guards managed to cut the rope and pulled the prisoner up.
“Eugene!” Rapunzel dropped on her knees beside him.
But it was too late.
The rope had cut through his skin and his lips were a sick shade of blue.
“Eugene!”She took his head on her lap, stroking his messy hair, pressing a kiss over his still warm forehead. He looked extremely peaceful as if he was sleeping. His breathtaking smile was still lingering to his lips as if he was dreaming.
“Look I’ve found my family.” She whispered, wishing desperately to see his brown eyes again.
But she couldn’t see his smoldering eyes anymore.
Standing at distance, with guilty heart and tearful eyes, the royal couple watched their daughter cradling the thief’s body.
They didn’t stop her.  
And the princess stayed vigil beside Flynn, her beloved, and her tired knight sleeping after years of battle.
A single drop of tear rolled from her emerald eyes.

()()()

TWO MONTHS LATER-
()()()

Almost ten maids surrounded her- tying the laces of her shiny golden corset or adjusting the layers of the elaborate velvet gown cascading from her waist in many layers, some busy getting her uneven ends of the messy brown hair in a manageable shape some choosing the perfect matching shoes for her tiny feet.
“You are done, your highness.” After fitting the shoes the maids rose from their positions. ‘May we go now?” Martha, the head maid bowed respectfully, waiting for the permission to leave only to find a clueless gaze from the princess, even after two months of her lesions about being a royal, she hadn’t yet accustomed herself with this new state.
“You can.” The answer came from another woman, dressed in an elaborate white gown, crown adorned with sun standing at the doorway.
‘Yes, your majesty.” The maids bowed again respectfully to the queen before leaving the room.
When they left, the queen stepped near the place where her daughter stood, a sigh escaped from her throat when she met her silent gaze. She walked closer and cupped her chin so that her daughter is looking into hers.
“You look beautiful, darling.”
The princess looked at her reflection in the giant mirror before her, the old one was broken on the fateful day, and a new one replaced that one. She looked really gorgeous in the sparkling body hugging corset, the matching light pink velvet gown cascading from her waist to the floor, messy brown hair tamed, sure she looked like a princess.
“Everyone is waiting for you, Rapunzel.” She said again.
Rapunzel gazed into her mother’s identical eyes, she knew she was feeling her pain; possibly it was tearing up her heart too.
“Give me a minute, mother. I need a moment alone.” She whispered her voice was low.
The queen was a sensible woman; she nodded, gently pressing her arm. Her sympathetic touch said it all. “Be quick.” She said before leaving.
Again Rapunzel was alone in her room. Wrapping her arms around her, she sank in a corner, afraid, alone.
How could she go through this?
“You look amazing, Blondie!” her head jerked up only to find a brown headed young man leaning against the wall, with a mischievous smile plastered upon his face.
“Eugene!” Rapunzel whispered, still unable to believe her eyes, she rose from the ground, flew in her love’s welcoming arms.
Eugene buried his face in her shoulder, cradling the crying girl in his arms, hugging her tight. His warmth filtered through her body, spreading a warm sensation.
“I love you, Blondie.”
“I love you more, Eugene.”
“Why so sad Blondie?” now his calloused fingers were wiping away the tears welling up from her eyes.
Resting her head in the shelter of his chest, the princess whimpered, still confused “ I’ll be the crowned princess today. Eugene, how can I take this responsibility? I was never been a princess before.
Her words brought a smile in the former thief’s lips.  Pulling her closer, he planted a small kiss upon her nape of neck, “You can Blondie. I know.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because, you are Rapunzel.” He smirked, then running his fingers at the edge of her pixie brunette hair “Besides I’ve things for brunettes.”
His eyes twinkled with mischief, his gaze became intense. Color rising to her cheeks, she tried to escape from his embrace only to be caught again in his strong arms. She punched his chest playfully but he held her tight, slipping one hand behind her neck, pulling closer.  
“Look.’ He whispered and she followed him.
In the mirror, they looked like a happy couple, again.
She tilted her head gazing into his gorgeous amber eyes, he reached for her lips until she felt a sensation she had almost forgotten, warm and impossibly light.
“Stay .” her tiny fingers clutched his shirt, clinging to him for dear life.
“I can’t, Blondie.” His words were sad.
“Why?”
Silence!
She opened her eyes only to find the endless emptiness beside her again.
He was never there, never was.
()()()
The whole kingdom was celebrating; the royal court was full of noblemen, councilors from home and abroad. The whole crowd stood up, watched the princess of Corona walking down the hallway, head high in the air, proud and confidence blazing in her jade eyes. The whole crowd busted in applause as she stood among the crowd.
‘Rapunzel!” her father, the king welcomed with open arms.  Together the royal father and daughter stood together trying to make up the lost eighteen years among them.
When the hug was finished the king held his daughter at his arms length, gazing into her emerald eyes, sad with guilt, “I’m sorry, darling.”
Her eyes met her mother standing beside her for once. Then princess gazed into her father’s eyes, she knew how much sorry that old man was. She didn’t cry. She had to be strong, Eugene wanted her to be. Gently she patted his arms “It’s alright, father. I’m ready now.”
The old man’s face lit up with gratefulness, with the realization how easily she forgave him or how strong his daughter was. He wrapped his comfortable arm around her shoulder and let her to the ceremony pedestal, “Thank you, daughter.”
The queen descended from the throne to join the ceremony, so did the rest of the guests.  Standing before the royal emblem of the sun, with fearless heart Rapunzel uttered her vows to be loyal to her kingdom, to sacrifice herself for the well beings of her people and take care of them always.
She bowed respectfully to the king and he placed the crown adorned with thousands of diamonds over her head.
“Rise, Rapunzel, princess of Corona.”
The crowd busted into applause, welcoming their new princess. Rapunzel welcomed all of them, meeting and greeting every one of her subjects with usual gentleness. She saw her parents watching her with pride, possibly Eugene too.
She wanted to make him proud. It was his dream.
At last the darkness of the night enveloped the kingdom. It was the time of lantern festival.
“Mother, I’m going to the royal cemetery.” Rapunzel told the queen.
“But the people will be expecting you there.” The queen scooted closer, stroking her daughter’s hair “You are the princess now.”
“But Eugene will be expecting me too.”
The queen sighed, fighting hard to resist the tears to fall. “Alright.” She said at last kissing her cheeks. Then she took her hand and placed something on her palm before leaving.
Rapunzel let out a gasp when she saw the things on her palm- two lanterns!
But she had done crying so there were no more tears from her eyes.
She looked at the lanterns as she put it in Eugene’s battered satchel, then stormed out of the castle took Maximus from stable and began her journey through the woods.
()()()
Maximus stopped at the gate of royal cemetery. It was a lonely island surrounded by a tiny lake, pine trees shaded the souls rested in the peace, now bare in the mid winter.  
Unknowingly, a tear slipped from her eye. Rapunzel crossed the bridge alone. She remembered the last time she crossed the bridge connecting the woods with the town with Eugene, they were laughing, talking. They had a fight, a game. Then she saw the first death of her life, the fateful day when he was led to his fate.
If only, if only... the bane of all thoughts, she sighed.
Rapunzel walked along the narrow roads where a lonely grave laid.  When she got there, she sat on the grass, under the shady tree beside the marble tombstone. She had gathered flowers, not the grim colored flowers they choose for the dead, but the colorful ones- red, blue, purple, pink- all the cheerful colors that matched with his fun loving nature. She spread them across the white marble stone.
Tears trickled down from her eyes. It was cold but she wasn’t dressed for cold and cold was nothing when she was missing him. It was like getting a paper cut when one was already being slit at the throat.
She released the lanterns and they flew in the wind together. In the kingdom the lantern festival had began too. Slowly many other lanterns began joining them, the soft glow reflecting on the lake.
She sat there; her fingers traced the engravings over the cold marble stone.
Sir Eugene Fitzherbert,
A brave knight, who returned the princess to us.
He was knighted before his burial, honored as the royal hero by the whole kingdom.  The captain led the guard of honor to his journey to the royal cemetery. Now everyone knew the brave Eugene Fitzherbert, his dream, thief Flynn Rider was lost forever.
She gazed at the engravings, where many other tiny lines joined below. She had done this since the day he was buried, in each visit, leaving a line of conversation for him, her thoughts, like they were talking.
This time it wouldn’t be any different. She took a tiny sharp stone and began writing;
You can't die, Eugene. You never can do and never will.
Let’s start this over. We weren’t properly introduced yet.
I’m the crown princess Rapunzel of Corona. And my hair is brown.
But you can call me Blondie.

<<<THE END>>>