Short Story Collection

The Tiara

After Rapunzel's 'happily ever after' wedding, she had a daughter and then her daughter had a daughter. Rapunzel had finally become a grandmother. Rapunzel's daughter, Rose, had not inherited her mother's beautiful hair but her granddaughter did. The beautiful baby had fine hair that was as soft as silk and shone like gold. They named her Cadmium. Although it sounded like a strange name to most, the royal family absolutely loved it because Princess Cadmium was born in autumn, and the colour of her hair was a beautiful shade that blended with the autumn colours.

Years passed and Princess Cadmium grew more beautiful each day. As a child, she was very stubborn and her grandmother feared that she would become a spoilt, ignorant child. But, Cadmium learnt many lessons even though she was only a child. She was intelligent and understood things. She was the youngest, yet at times of trouble, she was the wisest. She had used the behavior of other princesses to better herself, and as Rapunzel watched her little granddaughter grow up, she knew in her heart that Cadmium was to be an extraordinary queen one day.

Rapunzel never liked for Cadmium's hair to be cut. So, they had finally come to the conclusion of letting Cadmium keep hair that grew to just above her waist. Cadmium, who was more commonly referred to as Caddy, had a wonderful personality. She was sweet, kind, confident, brave and still a little stubborn, but she had great love and respect for her grandmother.

One day, while Cadmium was at the castle completing her school lessons,Rapunzel and Rose sat in the garden having tea. Rapunzel took a sip of tea, brought her long silver braid (her had greyed over the years) over her shoulder and said,"Darling, I wanted to discuss Cadmium's coronation. Her birthday is in a few months."
"Yes,Mother I am aware of that." said Queen Rose.
"She will be seventeen," said Rapunzel,"and then we will have to train her until she turns eighteen."
"Yes, Mother, "replied the Queen, "that's exactly why I called you for tea. I was hoping that we could postpone the coronation until she turns twenty."
"Postpone the coronation? Until she's twenty?" asked Rapunzel, completely outraged. "Have you gone mad? The crown will not glow if we are even two days late, nevermind two years."
"Tiara, Mother. Not crown." replied Queen Rose calmly.

In the kingdom, everytime a coronation had taken place, the tiara of a princess or crown of a prince, would sparkle or glow when placed on the head. The tiara had first been worn by a fairy queen and the crown by a king who had inherited magic. When the crown/tiara glows, it is because the fairy queen had put magic in it. This was to show the people that the wearer would rule the kingdom well and was to be trusted.

In royal families, coronations take place when the heir turns eighteen. When the tiara does not glow, it is either because the coronation was done late (in this case it should be passed on to the next heir),the wearer is not worthy of being crowned or the hands of an evil person touched the tiara.

"Mother," said Queen Rose after Rapunzel had calmed down,"I really don't think that Caddy is ready."
"Why not?" snapped Rapunzel, but she didn't wait for an answer. "She's beautiful, talented, wise, kind, she's everything! It's either we crown her next year, or we get her married."
"Oh!" gasped Queen Rose. "But then we will lose our kingdom's only heir."
"Exactly," said Rapunzel. " I suggest that we start training her now. "
"Unfortunately, I have to agree Mother."

***

The next year, Cadmium was trained and ready for her coronation. She wondered if the tiara would glow on her head. Would she be worthy? Shd awoke two days before her birthday. There was so much fuss. She needed peace, quiet and time. After she got dressed and braided her hair, she went to the back garden. As she approached one of the rose bushes, she saw a little glass room next to the greenhouse. That was where they kept the tiara. If she tried it on now she would know if she was worthy, but that would be wrong. She opened the glass door and looked at the tiara...Suddenly, a woman burst  in, grabbed the tiara. "No!!" cried Cadmium. The woman laughed. Cadmium knew that laugh. It was Mother Gothel. What? How could that be? Thought Cadmium.

Rapunzel came rushing through the garden. She had felt very uneasy that morning, and had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. Gothel swooped down,grabbed Cadmium and flew off. "NO!!!" cried Queen Rose. "My little Caddy...Mother get her back. Use the magic in your hair." sobbed the queen.
"Rose," said Rapunzel,"it's not that simple."
"Please," she pleaded.
"I...I can't," replied Rapunzel,"I gave up my magic when I had you. Otherwise, you would have inherited it and...well...people would have killed you. I couldn't risk that."

Queen Rose sat quietly. If she hadn't inherited her mother's hair, why did Caddy? Sensing what her daughter was thinking, Rapunzel said,"Rose, this is why Gothel came. Caddy has magic in her hair."
"But she cut it," said Rose.
"Yes," replied Rapunzel, "but Caddy's magic is stronger than I realised. It doesn't turn brown after cutting. It's exactly what Gothel wants. And now, she has the tiara as well. We have to get it back before sunset, or we're doomed."

***

"Let go!!" screamed Cadmium as Gothel swooped into her lair. Gothel flung her towards a large cage but kept the tiara firmly in her grasp. Anger surged through Cadmium. Her hair glowed and she rouse off the floor. Gothel desperately tried to grab a piece of hair to cut, but failed. Light radiated from Cadmium's body. The light struck Gothel and she turned to dust. The tiara landed on the ground, just as Rapunzel entered with Rose at her side. Cadmium glided to the ground as Rapunzel rushed to her.
"You're more powerful than you think, my dear," she said to her granddaughter. Cadmium smiled as her mother said,"Well Caddy, in two days time is your birthday. You've had enough action today to last you a life time!"
"Come on," said Rapunzel, "let's go home."

Rapunzel awoke on the day of her granddaughter's birthday;the day of the coronation. She walked to Cadmium's room, where the servants were helping her with her dress. She looked anxious. The entire village had heard of the incident two days ago. If the tiara didn't glow, how would the villagers know if their ruler was worthy? Cadmium turned and smiled at her grandmother. She looked beautiful in a dress that was a beautiful shade of amber and which complimented her hair.

Cadmium stood in the hall in front of the entire kingdom. The tiara was being placed on her head. As it was placed, it did not glow, but the kingdom cheered because they knew Queen Cadmium would be a fine ruler.

Cadmium reached the mike, and spoke:
"I know the tiara has not glowed, which is ironic, because, ever since I was a child, I always thought that the tiara defined who you were. But I have now learnt that objects don't define who you are, nor do people. Only you can define yourself, by believing in yourself and showing others that they can believe in you. I am infront of you all today because you believed in me. Thank you."

As Cadmium stepped down, the tiara shimmered on her head.
Rapunzel smiled. She knew her granddaughter was worthy of the tiara. She recognised the power in her, the strength, bravery, honesty, integrity, kindess and most importantly, love. These were the qualities that the tiara was used to test. It glowed on the head of a person who possessed most of these qualities, but it shimmered on the head of a person who had all these qualities and more.

And in this story, that person was Queen Cadmium🌻