Rapunzel ♔ n.h.

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

After helping Mother arrive safely on the ground, I sat down on the balocny and began to cry. I know what I did was wrong and that Mother would not approve but I don't fell that these consequences are fair.

Sure, I broke Mother's number one rule but does she have to send me away? How far from here will my new tower be? Will there be birds singing? Will there be deer running? Will there be bunnies playing?

I have to have someone to talk to. I can't be quiet for the rest of my life and up until now, I always spoke to Mother. Everyday. Every morning and every evening. Now I may be lucky to speak with her once a month or even scarcer. What if I never see her again? Won't she miss me?

My sobs are interrupted by a voice;

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me."

It's not just a voice. It's Niall's voice. It's the voice of the reason I'm being sent away. A voice I never want to hear again as long as I live.

I crawl on my hands and knees quickly into the tower and into my room where I can shut the door and not be forced to listen to his soft voice and the way my name rolls off his tongue. I can picture him standing there, smiling up at the tower, hand on his forehead to block out the sun to see me clearer. I can picture his horse, laying in the grass behind him as it always seems to when we spend our days together. All of it.

"Rapunzel?" he calls up again. Just hearing his voice makes me want to rip out my hair.

I've never felt this way towards anyone. Maybe it's because besides Niall the only other person I know is Mother but I still haven't had those feelings before!

"Are you up there?" he calls yet again. Of course I'm up here. Where else would I be? "Perhaps she's sleeping, Phillip." he must be talking to the horse now. I hear him mount his steed and take off down the winding dirt road towards the village.

My body relaxes the moment I can no longer hear hooves crashing against the dusty road. He's gone and tomorrow, so shall I.

♔

Over the course of the next couple of hours, I pack my most precious belongings into a silk bag Mother made for me for my 14th birthday. It's never been out so this feels like the perfect time to use it.

I pack my dresses first. The pink one, the purple one, the blue one, the grey one, the orange, the yellow, the green. I pack my grey slippers as well as my hair brush. I put my favorite books in the bag along with some of my favorite dolls and stuffed toys. I pack my paints and then I'm done.

I pack one of Mother's books as well but she doesn't need to know about that.

Once I've finished, I go into the kitchen to make one final meal before leaving. Mother won't be home for another while yet but when she does return I want dinner to be perfect. It's my last chance to change her mind after all.

I decide on preparing the chicken Mother got from the butcher yesterday. She likes chicken. Maybe if I make it perfectly, she'll allow for me to stay. I could stay forever and make her chicken. It has to be perfect.

I cook the chicken as best as I can but we were out of a few of the various spices but it should taste good just the same. I've even arranged it nicely on the plate. I set the table using the table cloth Mother made yet never used and I lit some candles we had lying around. It all looks quite nice.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me."

This is it. Showtime.

I scurry to help her up quickly as she shouldn't have to wait for too long.

"Good evening, dear." she steps onto the balocny and presses her lips to my cheek. "Are you all packed?"

"Yes Mother." I smile and she returns it. "I've also made dinner."

"I wish we could eat darling but I'm afraid we won't be leaving in the morning now. We are leaving tonight."

"P-Pardon?"

"It's far too risky to be out in the daylight with you so we shall leave once the sun has completely disappeared from the sky."

"Have you found a new tower?"

"Not exactly."

"Then where are we to go?"

"Patience my dear, you'll see when the time comes." she walks past me into the tower. "What did you prepare for dinner?"

"Chicken." I say, following her into the eating area.

"Such a shame it's to go to waste." she clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth in disappointment. Almost as though she's scolding me for having cooked the meat.

"Are you sure we can't eat even the slightest?"

"You can but I'm going to go to bed. I suggest you do the same my love. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

"Right."

"See you in a while, Rapunzel." she shuts the door to her room, leaving me alone in the kitchen, next to our untouched dinners.

I feel the tears come before the start to fall. Our last night together and she won't spend it together. Will she even miss me?

I'll miss her more than the moon would miss the sun. More than a bunny would miss carrots. More than peanut butter would miss jelly. I need a mother. I need my Mother. I'm not ready to be on my own.

I dry my tears on my sleeve and begin clearing the table. I blow out the candles, fold up the table cloth and lastly dispose of the chicken. So much for giving it one last shot.

Mother's probably right about me having a nap. Who knows how long we will be walking. I assume we're walking. I don't have a horse or even know how to ride one.

After a couple of hours of shut eye, Mother shakes me awake.

"Rapunzel." she whispers. "Come on, we've got to leave."

I open my eyes to see her standing above me with a sincere smile on her face.

"Let's go, darling." she grabs my hand and helps me from my bed. She leads me out onto the balcony with my hand in her right and my bag in her left. She hands me the bag and then goes back into the tower for a moment before returning holding both hands behind her back.

"How far away is the tower, Mother?"

"There is no tower." she says as she shuts the door leading into the tower, trapping us on the balcony.

"Then where are we going? Do we get to live in the village?"

"We aren't going anywhere, Rapunzel."

"You mean we're staying here?"

"Of course not." she steps closer to me. I see the object behind her back shine in the moonlight. "You're leaving."

"I know that Mother but you're taking me where I'm going, right?"

"You never were that bright were you?"

"What are you-"

"Stop talking!" she shouts and reveals the object behind her back; a pair of scissors. "I took you in and watched over you your whole life yet you repayed me by betraying me! You went behind my back and you still expected forgiveness!"

"Mother,"

"Don't call me that! I'm not even your mother you foolish girl."

"What?"

"I'm not your mother. Your mother is somewhere out there." she grimaces as she points off towards the village. I turn my back to her to see but the moment I do she takes the scissors and slices my long braid right off! I scream in horror as well as shock at how she could possibly do something like that.

"Why did you do that?" I shriek at the woman I once called mother.

"You're going away now Rapunzel. And you're never coming back."

And with that, she pushes me over the railing.