Chapter Text
Mother Gothel knew that things were changing, and she wasn't comfortable with it. Rapunzel had been talking about these infernal lanterns for years now, as if they belonged to her, but now they were all she talked about, and something she spoke of every day. Rapunzel had become affixed to the lanterns, and, by extension, the outdoors. She had begun asking for more books, for paintings of things she could not see.
"Mother…" she had brought up one day. "Could you get a painting of a waterfall for me?"
"Whatever for, Rapunzel? There's one just behind the tower." Gothel dismissed, chopping onions.
"I know." Rapunzel paused there. "But the window is on the other side of the tower, so if I lean out I can hear it, and you told me what it was, but I've never seen it."
Gothel hesitated. "It's nothing extraordinary. You're fine."
Rapunzel was silenced by her snapping remark, but Gothel was not foolish enough to believe she had dropped the issue. As soon as Rapunzel focused on something, she was consumed by it. It fascinated her and she could focus on it forever.
Mother Gothel slid her ingredients into a bubbling pot, and slinked upstairs to rest a little before dinner. She was, unfortunately, always getting older, and things began to exhaust her more easily. She laid down on her bed. Rapunzel had made it up again, piling on dozens of her little handmade throw pillows. She was so cutely disgusting.
She laid sleeplessly for 20 some-odd minutes, then slid back downstairs to check on dinner. Rapunzel, the little housemaid, was stirring the pot and seasoning their meal. Good.
"Darling, we have just enough time before dinner. Why don't you sing for Mama?"
"Sure! Yeah, of course!" Rapunzel bubbled, placing the lid on the pot. "But first, look!" she scuttled to the side and grabbed a piece of paper. "I made a countdown to when the lanterns come back. It's only in five days! And if we don't count today, 'cause it's almost over anyway, it's only four days! Now, wait, I'm not done." She grabbed another piece of paper, depicting a personal stormcloud just over the side of a mountain. "Ta da! Our waterfall."
"They don't really look like that, dear." Gothel snapped, annoyed.
"Oh, sorry." She placed the paper on the table and turned back. "But I could find out what they do look like if we went there! Mother, I'm almost eighteen, and I've been watching these lanterns every year. They go up high – higher than the tower! But if we got to the top of the waterfall, I doubt they'd go higher than that! We could hike up there together, and I'll pack food and blankets for us, and we can watch them together! Wouldn't that be – "
"Enough, Rapunzel, honestly! How many times do we have to go through this?" Gothel raised a hand to her temple.
"Sorry, Mother, it's just-"
"Rapunzel, please." She moved by the fire and sat down in a plush chair, head still in hand. "I'm feeling very worn out. Sing for me."
Rapunzel scooted her tiny stool next to Mother Gothel's large chair. "Of course, Mother." She sighed sadly. " Flower gleam and glow -"
…
"What are you doing, Rapunzel? You've been sitting there all morning."
Gothel was only exaggerating a little. Rapunzel awoke as early as ever, ran through her chores, and then gathered up her paints and sat in front of one of the few blank spaces left in the tower. She bit her lip and tilted her head, thinking deeply, but not painting.
"I just don't know what to put here."
"You exhaust me, Rapunzel, I'm going to go lie down for a bit. Wake me just before lunch."
"Of course, mother!" Rapunzel said cheerfully, trying to compensate for how she had upset her mother.
As soon as Gothel had slunk upstairs, Rapunzel picked Pascal up out of her paint box. "Coast is clear!" she smiled, and Pascal chirped a response.
"A waterfall would look great here!" Rapunzel nodded. Her smile dropped. "I just wish I knew what one looked like."
Pascal chirped again, and Rapunzel gasped. "I can't leave! What if someone should see me, and try to take my hair?"
Pascal squeaked, rolling his eyes.
"Well, no, I have never seen travelers around here. We'd have to be super quick though, just to be safe."
Rapunzel crept up to the staircase, checking to make sure that her mother was still asleep. "Looks good, Pascal!" she whispered, then crept over to the window.
The lizard squeaked approval, and Rapunzel reached out to grab the hook outside the window. She swung her body out, so her heels hung off the back of the windowsill. She needed perfect, perfect balance.
"Okay, here goes." She encouraged herself, and flung her hair up around the top of the tower. It wrapped around a few times, just due to the sheer length, and she gave it a quick tug to be safe. She nodded at her lizard friend and jumped off the ledge.
She screamed – she didn't expect to fall! Her hair caught her, it was wrapped well around the tower, but she was swaying off the side of the building, her feet a good two feet below the platform.
"Okay, concentrate. Come on." Rapunzel tried to kick her feet and climb up the side a little bit. She would only get up a few inches before she would slip and fall back again. These failures made her panic, and every time she looked down, she became less comfortable with this whole idea of being outside her tower.
Pascal chriped at her, scrambling around.
“Pascal, help!” Rapunzel whimpered. She thought that she was strong, but she could see now that perhaps that wasn’t the case. She struggled to pull herself up, feet kicking, heart racing, wondering if her hair would slip and cause her to plunge down-
"Rapunzel!" Gothel came to the windowsill, looking out and gasping. "How on earth did you get out there?"
"I-I was trying to get up higher and I can't do it!" Rapunzel stammered.
"Here, try and swing yourself a bit over here." Mother Gothel said, waving her hands and directing Rapunzel.
Gothel's strength had atrophied considerably, but she was still able to pull Rapunzel up enough for the girl to get enough footing to propel herself back into the tower.
"Rapunzel! What were you thinking?" Mother Gothel spat.
"I'm sorry, mother." Rapunzel said softly, pulling her hair back into the tower. "I thought everything would be okay."
“Rapunzel, you’re not strong enough. Not for this. Not for anything.” Mother Gothel hissed.
This was not the first time Mother had called her weak, and Rapunzel suspected it wouldn’t be the last. Normally she was able to explain it away - that she was just being honest, that she was cranky from the stress of her day, that she just didn’t understand. But this time Rapunzel wondered if it was really true.
…
Things were especially, especially not okay. Gothel was forced to face a reality that hadn't even yet crossed her mind. Rapunzel was supposed to be her solution, not another problem. This was supposed to be how Gothel stayed safe, stayed alive! But, there was one notable difference between Rapunzel and a flower, and one Gothel was only just accepting.
Rapunzel couldn't live forever.
Even if Gothel took every precaution and kept the girl as healthy and safe as reasonably possible. Even if Rapunzel learned her lesson and took no more stupid risks. Even if every bit of fate and faith combined to help Rapunzel live 100 years, she would still one day die. And Gothel knew she would then die as well.
But she wasn't ready for that to happen. Gothel would not die on any terms except her own, and she had to find a way to prolong Rapunzel's life infinitely, in order to prolong her own. So she needed to get the power in Rapunzel's hair transferred to another thing. Or, by Gothel's reckoning, to another person.
Which meant, Rapunzel was going to soon have a baby.
…
Gothel also knew that should couldn't simply forgo everything she had built over Rapunzel's almost-eighteen years. There had to be another option besides releasing Rapunzel to the outside world, with the hopes that she'd find a mate and have lots of small, magical babies. There were too many variables, and too great a likelihood that something would go wrong.
But it was just as risky for her to try to find someone herself and bring him back. What was she supposed to do, bring a man up into the tower? Have Rapunzel hoist him up and then introduce him as a fairy tale prince? She would be terrified, as Gothel had taught her to be, and he would then know where they were located. No, in order to protect her secret, she still needed a place to stash Rapunzel.
That left only one option. Yes, there was still risk involved, and Gothel was not thrilled about that, but it was the safest possible option for such a dire situation. It would have to do, because going without another magical child could not be an option. The risk of doing nothing, you see, was the highest risk of all.
So she went on down to a pub where criminals of all sorts were known to gather. This was the place you went if you needed something, of any nature done. She scanned the crowd, drawing her cloak closer to her shoulders in order to try and remain unnoticed. She needed someone who was unthreatening – or, at least, less threatening than so many of these men, with their furs and scars and Viking hats. She needed someone that would scare Rapunzel just the right amount. She had to trust him - and quickly. And she would do so, because she was naive. But she had never seen a man outside of a storybook, and she would be alarmed at the sight of one, because she was weak.
And she found him, in a worn-through blue vest, sitting alone and drinking, counting out meager coins. He seemed desperate enough to take any job, which is exactly what she needed. Gothel approached him slowly, and when they made eye contact she tried to smile, but smirked instead.
"Hello." She slid down to the seat beside him.
He stuffed all his coins in the pouch and gave her a puzzled look. "Do we know each other? I feel like we don't know each other."
"We're about to get to know each other."
"Look, if you're trying to drum up customers-"
"Not like that boy, I need your help instead." Gothel snapped. Huh, maybe she didn't look as old as she thought though.
"Well, what is it."
"I have a job, of the more unsavory sort, and I need a fellow like yourself to carry it out."
"What is it?"
"I have a daughter, and I don't wish to give too many details on the matter, but she needs to be with child."
"What." the man said, almost flatly. There was no way this woman was asking this. Any experience he had with parents was enough to show that they typically wanted quite the opposite. And no one, no one, would come right out and say such a thing, if that’s what they really meant. Right?
"It's messy in execution, but whatever morals you have should be undisturbed, as I assure you that this is ultimately the right thing to be doing. And I have this-" with a thud, a considerable sack of coins landed on the table, more than he had gotten from any one job.
"and she wants to be pregnant?" he asked. Stealing tangible things seemed almost saint-like compared to this. But it was such an odd situation, he wasn't sure what to make of it.
"Wants to be?" Gothel smiled fakely. "She needs to be, more than anything."
“Then why isn’t she here?”
“It’s complicated, uh - your name?”
Flynn didn’t know whether to trust this woman but, hey, it’s not like he was giving her his real name anyway. “Flynn.”
“Flynn, yes, lovely name. Look, this is simple. Transactional. The details and the purposes are complicated, but you leave that to me and my daughter. I just need you for a little bit, and then you can be on your way. We shan’t darken your doorway again, and you can just...forget!”
Flynn paused for a moment. The premise of it was shocking, yes. But there were just enough cracks to allow for something good to shine through. So this girl wanted to have a baby. Maybe she was painfully shy, that would explain why she sent her mother. Maybe she was a lesbian, and didn’t want to get marry a husband just to get a baby. Flynn wondered if it was wise to think on any of these things too hard. It’s not like this woman was asking him to attack or to kill her. Just to...romance her a bit. Nothing he hadn’t done before. It was weird, and definately an unusual was to go about this, but...but he could use the money.
"So that's all you need me to do?" Flynn still sounded a little uneasy, but so much money was being offered up, for an act he already technically did so often. Romance, bed, leave. He had never done it quite like this, but well, if it's what the girl and the mother wanted…and for so much money…"Just hang around the girl, schmooze a little, kiss a little, bun in the oven?"
"That's right." She smiled, speaking in a sing-song voice.
Flynn laughed, falsely believing he already knew the answer to the question he was about to ask. "And what if she doesn't like me?" As if!
"Well, you're only getting paid for the last part." The dark-haired woman said straightforwardly, dropping a sack of coins into his hand and leaving. "See that it's done."
Flynn felt his stomach drop. He was wrong, and he didn't get the answer he was expecting.
There was a little scroll of instructions in with the coins. Flynn guessed in case he was stupid or something. This clearly meant a lot to that woman. There was also promise of more payment once the job was complete, a prospect that enticed Flynn, and helped him continue to battle his conscience. The daughter would be in the woods, and there was a little map for him to find the spot she'd approximately be. She'd have very long blonde hair, green eyes, and be wearing purple.
He was to surprise her, and have done whatever he needed to do within three days, and bring her back to the same spot. He was to not bring up the deal, Rapunzel should be properly romanced, if at all possible.
If at all possible.
Flynn felt uneasy at this whole prospect. Sure, he was a thief and the scum of Corona society. Yeah, he took bread from markets and jewels from castles. But the level of harm he could cause this girl was worse than he would ever intentionally do. But he had accepted the money, and decided that if she really did want this, and was receptive to his advances, then he'd go through with it. But only if she wanted it, truly. He didn’t have to tell that creepy old lady that part. It probably wouldn’t matter, anyway. He was the most charming man alive, right?
He didn't have a permanent home, and typically made camp throughout different places in the woods, moving base periodically in case the guards – idiots! – ever got wise. Sometimes he'd stay over at pubs, and occasionally he'd have too much to drink and just pass out somewhere in town, but he did, sort of, have a home of his own.
Additionally, he knew the woods very well, and knew exactly how long it'd take him to get to their sort-of meeting spot. Slicking his hair back, and checking his reflection in a nearby pond, he set out to meet his match.
…
"Darling, I know you've been pining lately." Gothel plopped herself down next to Rapunzel, stroking the girl's blonde hair and giving her a soft smile.
"What do you mean?" Rapunzel asked softly.
"That dangerous, dangerous thing you did yesterday-"
"Mother, I'm so sorry, I never meant for it to go that far! I promise I'll never, ever-"
"Good." Gothel said firmly. "It was dangerous Rapunzel, and I hope you've learned to never leave the tower. But I know why you did it. I know that you wanted to see things."
"I'm sorry, mother. I know it's wrong to want to leave, and dangerous too, but I just can't help but think that there's more out there to see." Rapunzel sighed, still unable to make eye contact with Gothel, for fear of what the woman might say.
"Rapunzel..." Gothel could feel the annoyance seeping into her own voice, so she decided to get out the next words as clearly as possible, before the whole exchange went to waste. She took a second to compose herself, then continued. "There's nothing out in the world. Not for you. So I will give you three days to see this, and by the end of that time, you'll see just how empty the world is, and finally know for sure that this tower is the only place in the whole wide world where you belong."
Rapunzel sat up straighter at this, glowing with her rose-colored view of everything. "You mean it?" she grabbed Gothel's arm and beamed up at her. "I get to go out? Into the woods? Into town?!"
Gothel needed Rapunzel to go out of the tower, but she didn't need her to do it with such enthusiasm. She almost considered revoking the gift in and of itself, and finding some other way to get the flower to live on. But Gothel knew she couldn't bring anyone into the tower, and she knew there wasn't another way to extend the flower's life indefinitely, so that meant Rapunzel had to leave the tower.
"For three days, got it?" Gothel raised her eyebrow and looked sternly at Rapunzel. "This is for your own safety. If you spend too long in the outside world, it will consume you."
"When, can I go now?" Rapunzel seemed unaffected by Gothel's stern warnings.
"Yes. I'll go with you, and the spot where I leave you must be the spot where you return." Gothel rose.
Rapunzel ran around the tower, looking to see if there's anything she should bring. She was then forced to face that she knew nothing of what was in the outside world, so she knew nothing of what would combat it. Rapunzel slid down the side of the tower on the hair, and Gothel attached a rope to the hook above the window in order to both get down and get back up, as Rapunzel would obviously not be able to aid her return, and Gothel didn't have three days to spend sitting outside a tower. The two ventured through the woods; not far enough where Rapunzel would be unable to find her way back, but far enough where the thief would be unable to see the tower, and their secret would remain safe.
As soon as they arrived, Gothel gave Rapunzel a final scare about the fearsome world, and Rapunzel leapt in for a hug goodbye. With no other bells, Gothel departed and left Rapunzel alone for the first time, in the middle of the woods.
Rapunzel hadn't realized how fully lonesome this outside world would be. She had always imagined people, tons of people packed into squares and halls and every sort of building she had read about in her books. She thought there'd be more towers, and ones she could see from here. But there were the trees and the birds and the bees and her, standing all alone, and not quite sure where to go from here. She didn’t know which way to go, or how to go about it, but she ws here.
Pascal popped up onto her shoulder, and the stroked her lizard friend. "It's gonna be fine, Pascal." She spoke to the lizard, but she was assuring herself.
Mother Gothel hadn't given her a map, or instructions, or directions, and it hadn't occurred to Rapunzel to ask for them until it was too late. So Rapunzel picked a sunny spot in the forest, and decided to head towards it, and hope that eventually her path would let out in some sort of town. She began walking forward, and felt how the grass was cool and mashed beneath her feet. She had never smelled the trees and woods before, not like this, and everything was so close and encapsulating that she began to run, if only to soak up as much of everything as one could!
She laughed as she hooked her arms around trees and spun, she picked up leaves and examined flowers and – a pond! She dipped a foot in, and it felt nice – not at all slimey, like Gothel had told her they were. She saw small fish scattering about, and was amazed to finally have more than a picture, and know how they moved and looked. She took another step in, reaching out for the fish. Soon, she may be able to know what they felt like.
"Hey!"
Rapunzel whipped around. The voice that yelled (for her? At her?) was far deeper than Mother Gothel's, and besides, she was gone by now. There was someone else in the woods, and someone who was looking for her. Rapunzel’s heart pounded as she jumped to the worst conclusions. Rapunzel tentatively walked out of the pond, hoping that she had not been spotted, and that it was merely some people from town, exploring the woods, and not looking to do her any harm.
After all, she tried to rationalize, who would want to hurt her?
…
This had to be her. She was standing almost knee-deep in a pond, with the longest blonde hair he had ever seen! This was a girl who must be truly dedicated to shampooing. She right by the 'x' on his map, and he hadn't seen anyone else on his walk over here, or seen anyone in the area by her. This had to be the girl.
He called out to her again. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Stay back!" she adopted a defensive stance, and held up both hands, as if that would actually stop someone.
But Flynn aqueisqeued. "Okay, Blondie-"
"Rapunzel."
"Right. Anyway, what brings you out here, to the center of the forest, waist-deep in a pond? That's not exactly normal."
Rapunzel flushed at this, both from embarrassment and from fear that this – this – ruffian! – might still be able to hurt her. "Never you mind. Now…I'll just be heading into town, and you can just – just stay here!" She began marching west.
"That's not the right way." Flynn called out, laughing a little.
She turned a 180 and began marching again.
"Still wrong."
She turned to the left. "Well then this way HAS to be right!"
Flynn took several large strides to catch up with her. "Listen, you don't know where you're going, do you?"
"I know perfectly well. I'm going into town."
"What are you going to go see?" Flynn said flatly.
"Everything."
"Where are you staying?"
"Someplace."
"Do you know where to get food?"
"They've gotta have hazelnut soup."
"Hey," he felt almost bad for this girl for a second. If she had ever been into town, it clearly hadn't been for a very long time. This mother of hers hadn't really set up a good plan, and it was sounding like this girl wouldn't have food or a place to sleep. "let me go with you." Flynn said, knowing this was the right thing to do, but wondering when doing the right thing had become his style. "I'll show you around town, out of the kindness of my heart. You seem like you need some help navigating anyway."
Some sort of frog slime-thing popped onto her shoulder.
"Ew, you've got something." Flynn moved to push it off her, but Rapunzel knocked his hand aside.
"That's Pascal." She explained.
"You didn't bring food, but you brought a frog?"
"Chameleon."
"Semantics. Anyway-" Flynn cut off when the frog jumped onto his chest and scurried up to his own shoulder, humming very strangely and seemingly examining him. What kind of girl was this?
Pascal looked back at Rapunzel and nodded, and Rapunzel stepped forward to pick up Pascal and put him back on her own shoulder. "Well," Rapunzel smiled. "Pascal says you check out, so I can't argue with that."
"Oh good, I've always wanted Amphibian Approval." Flynn said sarcastically. Pascal flicked out his tongue and hit Flynn in the ear. "Hey!" Flynn yelled. "That's so gross, you gotta keep him from doing that!"
Rapunzel giggled. "Oh Pascal, be nice to…what's your name?"
"Flynn Rider." He was a little offended she hadn't heard of him yet, but, then again, she didn't seem to know which way north was, or how to navigate a pond.
"I'm Rapunzel." She smiled up at him.
Fitting. A strange name for a strange girl, but, regardless, one he was stuck with for the next three days. The group began the trek into town, one that would take a few hours, and Flynn still wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to seduce a girl who already seemed so immune to his charms. But he was the great, dashing Flynn Rider, and he was sure that he would find a way.
After miles of walking, they finally reached town. Rapunzel seemed to gape at the buildings, as if she had never seen one before.
"There's tons!" she finally exclaimed, gesturing out to the piled-up town. "Literally dozens of buildings!"
Flynn nodded slowly. Wow, this girl was sheltered. Hopefully her kid would be a little more worldly. "Yeah, there are. Most of the downtown you'd be interested in on the west side of Corona, 'cause a lot of this is just people's homes, with a few neighborhood shops or home businesses sprinkled throughout."
"Let's go!" Rapunzel bounced, and lunged for his hand. "Where's food?"
Flynn stalled. He didn't really have money, and he also didn't think it'd be particularly charming to rob someone in order to take her out to eat. So he had to go somewhere where they'd take his name on credit, or, at least, knew he'd eventually pay off his tab.
"I know of a tavern – you probably haven't been. It's called the Snuggly Duckling."
Rapunzel had never heard of the place, and she wasn't quite sure what a tavern was, but she did know one thing: "Ooh, I do like ducklings!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together and jumping a little.
"Then it's settled!" Flynn gestured his arm out towards where they were supposed to go, and the two walked.
She naturally walked faster than he did – she had a bit more pep in her step, anyway. So Flynn lagged just a few steps behind her, watching as she constantly swiveled her head around, admiring the forest, the sky, everything around her, as if she had never seen it before. It was…rather endearing. She was a bright young lady, but he had found her in the strangest of ways. She would turn back every once in a while, just a couple of times, and smile back at him, and he felt so strangely about this act. Why would she be so sweet to him, if she didn't even know him? And how drastically would her disposition towards him change if she knew why he was really here?
"Here – Rapunzel!" he waved his hand and pointed the opposite of the way she was going. "The tavern is this way, come on."
Rapunzel walked up to him and asked. "So, Flynn, what exactly is a tavern?"
At that moment, Flynn flung open the door, revealing exactly what one was – or, at least, what this tavern was. It was packed with burly and swarthy men, wearing varying hues of brown. The second the door swung open, Rapunzel felt what must've been over one hundred eyes on her! She shrunk back a little – she wasn't aware there were even this many humans in the world – much less a single tavern! She wished that she had something to duck behind, or keep her safe, but she had no weapon and only her wits.
Flynn noticed how her small hand found the crook of his arm, and he suddenly felt a pang of guilt for bringing her here first, of all places. But it was here or no food, so she just had to get used to it.
"They won't do anything to you, I promise." He said softly, but avoided her gaze when she hopefully looked up at him.
Rapunzel sat down in an empty chair and Flynn swung by the bar, ordering some stew for the girl, and a pint for himself. It arrived shortly thereafter, carelessly slung into dishes and tossed to them. Rapunzel squirmed at the sight of the sludgy soup, she was used to her painted bowls and decorated spoons, and lovely dishes she had all day to prepare. This could not have been farther from it. Still, she bravely tried the new dish, as she had been waiting her whole life for something new.
"It's good!" she smiled at Flynn.
"Yeah, it's the only edible thing they have here." Flynn mumbled into his drink.
"This isn't much of a date, is it, Rider?" a crackling voice said, leaning down to get a better view of Rapunzel and her long, long hair.
Flynn didn't have a lot of friends, it was the nature of being a thief constantly on the run, after all. But the Snuggly Duckling also had a lot of thieves, constantly on the run, and Flynn found this was one of a few places – one of three, arguably – where he could be himself and relax. Sometimes new guys would swing into the tavern in passing – be they criminals of not. Now, those guys would cause trouble, trying to turn in people spotted on warning posters. People who were often him. But it was a quiet day, and Flynn had nothing to be concerned about.
Well, for himself anyway.
"Shove off." Flynn pushed the leering man away.
"Hey, now, I'm just trying to be nice to the little lady." The man reached out a beefy hand towards Rapunzel. "I'm Bone-crusher, and what is your name."
Rapunzel perked up – she was hoping to make friends! "I'm Rapunzel! I've never been to a tavern before – are they all like this?"
"Never been to a tavern before? A little fighter like you?" he said, in a tone that was almost half-mocking.
"No, I swear it!" she said, holding up both her hands to prove she wasn't crossing her fingers.
"Hey, now Bone-crusher, leave the little doll alone. It's not often we get someone so pretty in here." A large-nosed man ran slimy fingers through Rapunzel's hair. "How'd you get it so long, honey?"
"Oh, well I brush it every single day; it takes a really really long time – like hours – to do so. And once I get all the tangles out, then I have this oil stuff my mother gave me, and it makes it even softer, and I do this every single day."
"Hey, guys, leave her alone. She doesn't want any trouble." Flynn subconsciously scooted towards her, not liking the look in their eyes or the way they spoke to her.
"Oh, Flynn, don't worry!" Rapunzel looked back at him. "I wanted to make friends!"
"Now, what brings you here?" Another man asked, turning into the conversation.
"I'm on an adventure!"
" Are you? "
"How delightful!"
"And where are you going, little lady?"
"Anywhere! Everywhere!" Rapunzel smiled. "I only have three days before I have to go home, but I found Flynn here," she gestured towards him. "and he promised to take me all around the kingdom."
"Did he?"
"In exchange for what?"
Another man laughed. "We know Flynn around these parts. What does he want from you?"
"We can probably guess."
Rapunzel looked at Flynn, confused. He hadn't asked for anything, and they had spent enough time together that he would've been able to bring it up. Were you supposed to pay guides? Had mother forgotten to tell her about that? She didn't have any money, or anything to trade!
"Nothing!" Flynn cried, annoyed. "She doesn't owe me anything."
Rapunzel looked relieved, but a hook-handed man laughed. "What, are we supposed to believe you're doing things out of the kindness of your heart now?"
"Maybe he is." Rapunzel defended her new friend; her only friend.
"Turned over a new leaf."
"You know, I have too." A particularly hairy man interjected. "And I want to prove it." He smiled at Rapunzel, showing how he was missing several integral teeth. "And the way to be provin' that sort of thing, it seems, is by showing a pretty girl around the kingdom." He rested a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder. "I'll take over from here, don't worry."
"Hey, stop touching her-" Flynn pushed the man off of Rapunzel.
"C'mon Flynn, she doesn't know any better. You can have her back tomorrow."
"No fair!" Another man cried out, sliding into a seat next to Rapunzel.
"What are we going to do?" Rapunzel asked innocently. "Maybe we can all go-"
"No, because you and I are going now !" Flynn jerked Rapunzel up, a little more forcefully than he meant to, and dragged her out of the tavern.
One of the men laughed, allowing Rapunzel's hair to flow over his calloused hands and she fled from the tavern.
…
"So that's a tavern!" Rapunzel said, still chipper, as she didn't fully understand what had happened back there.
"Yeah." Flynn said bitterly. "And I'm sorry that was our first stop." He put his hand at the hook of her waist and steered her back into the forest.
"Oh, I'm not. It was new, and interesting. Can we see some gardens now? Or go into downtown, like you were mentioning before? I can barely even picture it!"
"No." Flynn said firmly. It wasn't worth it.
Rapunzel stopped in her tracks and looked up at him. "Why not?"
"Because I'm taking you home. Come on."
"No you aren't!" she stomped her foot. "I only get three days out here and I'm sure not going home now!"
"Rapunzel, if you knew what those guys were thinking, what they intended on doing-"
"What, can you read minds?"
"No, but I've been around those types before, and I know exactly what they would've done if given half a chance."
"Well, I'm not going back!" she insisted again, crossing her arms.
"Yes, you are!" Flynn didn't have much of an argument to give her; he didn't want her to know exactly what could've happened to her, or what likely would've happened if he hadn't forced her out of the tavern.
"You can go home, I'm going to town." Rapunzel said firmly, marching towards downtown.
"Fine!" Flynn caved striding to catch up to her and grabbing her hand. If she was absolutely and positively going to go into town, she sure as hell wasn't going without him. "I'll take you where you want to go, but if I say that a situation is dangerous, or that we have to get out, then we'll leave – okay?"
Rapunzel paused for only a second, and then agreed. "Okay."
Flynn breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She was going to kill him, wasn't she? "Good. Now, it's starting to get dark and shops will be closing up soon, anyway. I've got a hideout-camp sort of thing in the woods, we'll be safe there."
"You're taking me to your home?"
Flynn wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Le Chateau Rider awaits!"
…
Rapunzel didn't know what a 'chateau' was before, but now she knew that it meant a heavily-patched tent, a small fire with a pot over it, and a few wooden crates flipped over by a somewhat-flat rock.
"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "I wish I had my paints, I'd do up these crates so nicely."
Flynn smiled a little at this. "Maybe your next trip into town."
Rapunzel beamed up at him. She hadn't even been thinking of a second trip, but she was now! He was so nice to show her around – for free! – and then to offer to see her again? She supposed this made him her best friend. She went to push her hair back and found…a twig? She pulled it out, and flung it onto the fire pile.
Flynn chuckled, and pulled a few other sticks and things out of her hair. "We'll find a way to fix this. Have you ever considered cutting it?"
"Oh, I can't." Rapunzel said matter-of-factly. "It won't grow back. And it'll turn brown."
Flynn was confused by this, but he figured it was better if he didn't ask her too many questions. "Hey what's wrong with brown hair? I think I look rather dashing." He ran his fingers through his own hair and gave her a charming smile.
Rapunzel muffled her giggle with her hands. "Ok, Flynn, whatever you say."
She did find him rather handsome, but she wasn't sure exactly what she was supposed to do with those thoughts. He was supposed to be her guide, and besides, she had to go back to her tower in three – well, now two days. Was this how people normally fell in love? She didn't know. Mother had never told her. She had a story about love and a prince once, but Mother had taken it away several years back, because she was reading it too much.
"Hey, I'm at least cuter than the guys back at the pub."
"Pub?"
"Tavern."
"Oh, I suppose that’s true, then." Rapunzel smiled up at him, watching as he sat down incredibly close to her. She felt suddenly very warm, but attributed it to the fire Flynn had stoked up.
That fire didn't burn very long, maybe an hour, and Rapunzel felt herself becoming more and more comfortable with Flynn. He told her of his dashing adventures across Corona – stealing what needing to be stolen and running when he needed to run. He painted a picture of the bravest man alive – maybe the bravest man who ever lived, and then attributed that to himself. It sounded so fantastic to be real, but what did she know? How could she possibly tell if he was lying, or not for the own sensation, deep in her chest where her ribs came together, that he wouldn't tell her any falsities, or do anything to cause her harm.
That night, they bundled up next to each other to go to sleep, and Flynn watched as she reacted to the chilling temperatures, and how she went from breathing steadily to teeth chattering. Hoping he wasn't crossing a line, but feeling as if it was the right thing to do, he drew Rapunzel into himself and wrapped his arms around her, sighing happily as she ceased shivering, and did not even stir for the rest of the evening.