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The Lure
"Are you writing again?"
Rapunzel looked up at the prince, her quill pen frozen mid-script.
The prince's arms fell to his side, the piece of silk dangling uselessly from his fingertips. "Who could you possibly be writing to? It's not like you get out much."
She smiled as she finished off the sentence then dropped her pen and leaned back in her chair. "Continue, love."
Prince Alluring looked back at the window for a brief moment, debating on if he should just leave. In the end, he tossed her the silk piece anyway. "For your ladder. How are we doing anyway?"
Rapunzel picked up the purple cloth and reveled in the smooth shimmer. Mother Gothel was always willing to give her whatever she desired -- anything except the outdoors -- but Rapunzel knew very well that Gothel's budget was equal to that of a flourist's; so Alluring had been fulfilling his escape plan by himself, delivering all the pieces of silk one by one. Any excuse to visit, though didn't really mind the company.
A gust of wind.
The pen rolled into Rapunzel's lap.
Alluring and Rapunzel exchanged daring looks.
They dashed for the letter.
"Who in the world is Charles?"
Rapunzel sighed and collapsed on the table. Alluring's eyes skimmed the parchment in his hands. He found her tower due to his nosiness. He'd find out who Charles was.
"Some commoner in Ever After? You're kidding."
"Yes, I am." She sat up and held out her hand for the parchment. "I'm just testing your loyalty, love."
Alluring didn't hand it over but instead grabbed the stationery and flipped through the stack of letters found inside. Rapunzel huffed and walked away, silk cloth in hand. If he wanted to get nosey, she knew better than to stand in his way. She opened the closet door and pulled out a pile of silk all tied up together, the project stuffed clumsily on the top shelf behind some blankets and pillows. It was already so big that it dragged on the floor as she took it back to the table.
"It's coming together," the prince said, finally looking up from the parchment. He picked up a bit of it as Rapunzel absently shoved it around to find the last rung. Alluring took one of the knots and yanked. "You tied these pretty well. I'm surprised."
"I've had to use paste on some of them," Rapunzel said. "Silk's not exactly the best material for ladders."
"You would know, I'm sure."
"I trust your judgment and no one else's."
She never made eye contact with her prince, using the busy work as an excellent excuse. Eventually, Alluring tossed the letters into the pile of silk and left for the window. "I think it's about time I head out. Your mother's going to be here any minute, probably."
"Probably."
He stood by the window, waiting for her to come, but she was so focused on her ladder that he had to call her name to get her attention. Rapunzel jumped, brushed her hands off as she waltzed over, and scooped up her golden hair.
"I'll be back tonight," Alluring said, sitting himself on the windowsill. She made to throw her hair over, but Alluring held her wrist. Rapunzel looked at him, saw his soft look -- that puppy dog face she fell in love with every time. "I promise, we'll get you out of here, and you'll be that princess you've always dreamed of being."
Her heart flipped and she smiled. "Yeah, I know."
He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. It was one of those don't-leave-me kisses that Rapunzel read in stories, the kisses that always left the couple with chipped hearts before they parted.
"Take care, princess."
He swept her hair down the tower, Rapunzel handling a tight grip. With one last peck on her hands, he bounced down the wall of the tower as quickly and lightly as he usually did. Rapunzel winced at each tug, but the further down he went, the less tugging she felt. That last leap to the ground, that relief of his weight, was like stealing away her very heart.
Alone once again.
She watched her Prince Alluring mount his majestic white steed and gallop away into the trees. The silence of the tower settled heavily on her ears. Clearing her throat, she halfheartedly pulled in her golden hair and walked back inside to stuff the ladder back in her closet.
Her letters.
She picked up the stack which lay half-hazardly in the silk. On top was a letter from Charles she got yesterday, the one she was responding to. Her eyes were drawn to the one bit that had been haunting her thoughts since.
....
The prince seems to be about as protective of you as your mother, and I am convinced it will only end in bad news. Trust me when I say there are better choices than a piece of royalty, even for penniless folk like ourselves. Once you are free of your confinement, explore. You have a good conscience on you; you will know who to spend your life with, but let me warn you that you will only be unhappy with such a man as Prince Alluring.
Take care, princess.
Rapunzel sighed, setting the letter down. She stuffed the ladder back in its place and closed the door, thinking of how she could respond to her friend.
There was a faint whistle. Rapunzel looked to the window, and in swept a white bundle of excitable twittering. The dove was hurled in by a gust of wind, sending him flying into the room without any control over his steering. He flapped straight into the sofa and tumbled down on his tail, ending his song with a downward glissando.
Rapunzel smiled, both at her little friend and the new note tied around his ankle, and reached to pick up the dove. "Hey, you," she said, tickling his chest. The bird bounced right on his feet and cooed. "Is Mother coming?"
He whistled again with as much alert as before.
She nodded, tying off the letter. "Is this from Charles again?" The bird whistled the Charles-Whistle she grew to learn and love. "I haven't even replied back, though! I wonder why he sent another letter. How'd you know he'd send another one anyway?"
"Let down your haaair!"
Rapunzel bustled back to the table, piling everything neatly into her stationery box as quickly as she could, and then sliding it to the end of the table once again. Her dove friend twittered by the window when her mother was dismounted and ready to climb.
Mother Gothel was the last person she wanted to keep waiting for fear of Gothel's bad temper. Rapunzel picked up her locks and threw it over the side, sending her dove over the side as well. She gasped and looked down, hand over mouth, but the bird popped right back up, chewed her out a bit with more song, and flew into the safe confines of the tower. "Sorry, Cricket," she said quietly.
Below, her mother had already begun her climb up the tower side. She wasn't as delicate about it as Prince Alluring, and Rapunzel would make more of an effort to help her inside if only to get her mother off. The hair.
With a sigh of relief, her mother hopped inside the tower and stretched her limbs. The first thing she ever did was inspect the tower as if she expected a secret visitor would one day pop in and try to steal her daughter away.
Pfft. As if.
Finally, she whirled and hugged her daughter, worries all worn away just like that. "Rapunzel, my dear! I see you're doing well now, despite the untidiness you've left your tower."
"I was reading a book and got distracted," she said innocently. Her mother sweeped into the tower and set herself on the sofa. Cricket peered from behind a picture frame on the fireplace mantel, no doubt thinking that was where he had landed only minutes before.
Mother cleared her throat.
Rapunzel jumped and fetched a cup of refreshing water as was customary in every visit of hers.
After a drink, Gothel finally spoke. "I'm afraid to admit they ran out of that silk cloth you asked for again, so you will have to wait a bit longer before I can get you any."
"No matter," Rapunzel said, setting herself lightly in the armchair. The shop has been 'out of that silk cloth' for the past few weeks. "I will find other distractions in the meantime. It's become a talent of mine, I must admit." Mother Gothel didn't find the humor in that, nor would she ever find any humor if someone held up a LAUGHTER sign to cue her in.
They sat in further silence, Rapunzel not really in the mood to carry conversation with her. But Mother Gothel seemed to notice the distant look in her eyes as the girl stared into the crackling fireplace. "You're thinking of that Prince Charming, aren't you?"
Her heart stopped.
"It's useless," she continued without a care in the world. "I found him and put him down for good. You won't be receiving any letters from him anymore, so spare yourself of such frivolous fantasies."
Rapunzel watched her mother with the same panicked expression. Gothel cocked her brow. "Don't look so surprised. When you explained the letter you got yesterday, I took it to heart. You shouldn't be disturbed by such outsiders, and good thing I found him. He was bad news. Never trust a man without seeing his face first. And even then, watch what you do. Men are never good news."
Rapunzel was stiff now, her mind running wild about Charles. Yesterday, Mother Gothel had noticed the letter from him. Rapunzel had stuffed it away before she could read it, but a story had to be used to explain it. So she chose the lamest story she could.
Well, she got a bit nervous.
Though the part where she explained Prince Charming had helped Cricket heal his wounds? That part was true. It was how she first heard word of Charles. He tied a by-the-way note to Cricket's leg, and ever since, they had been exchanging letters.
"Don't give me that." Mother Gothel sighed and took another drink of her water. "I've got somewhere to be. I won't be able to visit later tonight, so make do without me."
"Of course," Rapunzel said quietly.
Mother pursed her lips and set her glass down on the side table. "I think I'll leave you to your miserable thoughts." She glided toward the window as a queen would to her chariot, waiting impatiently for that incompetent chauffeur to open the door for her.
Rapunzel meandered over and pursued the usual routine. Her mother left without giving her a final hug or good-bye, taking the roughest travel down the golden stair of Rapunzel's scalp. The end of Gothel's travels left a painful throb in her jaw due to her clenching teeth.
She was left alone with confusion. When Mother Gothel had said she found him, Rapunzel had no idea who exactly she found. Charles was a commoner, Prince Charming was a fantasy. And yet, Mother Gothel had such sharp instincts. She probably could've found him out easily even without reading the letters.
Cricket flitted down beside her elbow and twittered lightly. He nipped her elbow, flapped his wings, and even sang her favorite little tune, but all to no avail. She only stared out at the night sky, head in her hand and deep in her thoughts.
The white bundle struck a birdie salute and tumbled over.
"Cricket!" Rapunzel shrieked, jumping out of her dreams. She peered over the side just as the white dove shot right back in front of her, twittering madly at the success of his plan. She smiled and shook her head. "You know how much I hate that."
The dove followed her inside as she grabbed the stationery to resume writing her letter. It was what she looked forward to every day -- writing to that good conscience of hers in Ever After. Behind Prince Alluring's back.
She was so going to regret all of this.
As soon as Rapunzel had opened her stationery chest, she noticed the rolled up parchment right on top. Cricket flew down into the chest next to it and chirped the Charles-Whistle, sending a smile across her face. She unrolled the note.
My dearest princess,
Your prince approaches upon a pure white mare,
but do not appear 'til these words declare:
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair
so that I may climb up the golden stair."
Rapunzel's brow furrowed, staring at Cricket. The dove cocked his head and tweeted.
"Why would Charles send me this? It's not like he knows where my tower is--"
"Rapunzel! I've come! Please, let down your hair!"
The girl jumped and instinct had her dashing to the window already, but Cricket twittered fervently, tugging on the sleeve of her gown. Rapunzel stopped, looked to the dove, then to the note in her hand.
"Rapunzel, my princess! I didn't travel far but waited for your mother to leave so that I may come in swiftly and take you away. Please, let us finish your ladder and be off for the palace in Everlasting."
The girl's heart was absolutely torn. Prince Alluring was pleading for her -- this was her love, her first love who promised her a future. Then there's the letter from the mysterious man who tended to her dear Cricket in his time of need, who promised a prince would take her away...
"...Rapunzel? Please, before a bear or worse should find me here. It is night, after all."
Bears? Charles was a swordsmith. He probably knew how to fend for himself. Yet... perhaps this was the prince Charles was talking about. Her Prince Alluring would come on a dapple mare and take her away.
Cricket didn't want her to go though.
With one last sigh, she froze in her spot, knees locked to further convince herself that she wouldn't let her prince in. She was going on a lot of faith for this, but hey, she technically had all the time in the world. She wasn't going anywhere.
The silence was heavy upon her eardrums, and it was so hard for her to not look out her window. She never heard the horse trot away nor did she hear Alluring call her name. The suspense was eating her from the inside out, not knowing where her love could be or what he could be doing. Knowing Alluring, that prince could be finding a way up himself--
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair so that I may climb up the golden stair."
Charles! Her heart did countless flips, and she rushed to the window, Cricket fluttering behind her. Down below, she could make out a white mare, but it was too dark to see his face.
She excitedly tossed her hair over the ledge and hung on tightly as the man climbed up. Her thoughts danced with the endless fantasies of that mysterious commoner in Ever After.
Then it dawned on her.
The climb up the wall was an all-too-familiar quick glide to the top, the gentle bounce, the huffing and puffing of her very Prince Alluring. Her love seated himself upon the window sill, his face clear in the faint firelight.
"Good evening, Princess," he said kindly. Sweetly. Honestly? The look in his eyes were exactly like the time they had first met, the day he had discovered the tower, the moment he sat on this very window sill and told her she had a lovely singing voice.
"You know Charles...don't you?"
He smiled widely. "I know him pretty well, actually."
"The letters..."
"Clearly his handwriting."
She bowed her head. "Is he well?"
"Never been happier." Her head instantly shot up, more than happy to hear those words. Alluring's smile grew further at her excitement. "He wouldn't stop talking about you. Said something like... saving his princess from a tower."
Her heart sank again. This is where her regrets would start.
Alluring took her hands. "Let's head out tonight. We'll arrive to your new home, and you can explore. As long as you wish. Days, weeks. Months. As long as you're not trapped here with your mother. I'll be sure she is punished--"
"No!"
Alluring straightened at her panic.
Rapunzel fumbled for the right words. "I... I love my mother. She only means well. It's what mothers do. If she weren't my mother, she'd treat me so much worse than this. She's done nothing wrong. In fact... I'm not sure I can leave her."
"What about Prince Charming?"
Her heart froze once again. "How... Charles told you...?"
"She's probably gone to complete her mission of 'disposing the prince and his foul name,'" he said. He squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, she won't be touching a hair on his head."
Rapunzel's brow furrowed, thinking of what he just said. Her expression then fell to suspicion. "Prince Charming doesn't exist. That was the fake name I used--"
"--indicating Charles--"
"--to keep him safe. He is safe, right?"
"You have a good conscience on you." His eyes twinkled.
She squeaked, throwing her hands to her face. She couldn't tell if the tears or the butterflies would come first, but she knew most certainly she was at a loss for words. Cricket twittered then cocked his head.
"I apologize most sincerely if I have made a false move in any direction," he said about as formally as any prince could say it. "The moment I knew you were in trouble, it would have been foolish to throw your only source of help into the pit of despair as well. My focus was to get you out, and that's what I did."
Rapunzel couldn't speak, watching him with watery eyes.
"I hid my name, and I used a commoner later on as a last minute detail. Proved to be effective, I think. You won my heart here at the tower, but then I won yours later. With this little guy." He ruffled the dove's head, who flapped his wings and tweeted in retaliation, tumbling out of his reach. Rapunzel shook her head in such strong disbelief. He smiled, stealing her hands back and kissed them. "How else could I lure her out?"
She flung her arms around him and held him tightly, not afraid to let her tears fall into his shoulder. "There is no other way!"
"So what do you say, my dearest princess?" His breath tickled her ear. "Shall we go explore the world? I must warn you, though. You can probably do better than this piece of royalty."
"All I need is my Prince Charming."
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