The tower was quiet. Too quiet.
Rapunzel lay curled on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, the weight of her sorrow pressing down on her like an unseen force.
Eugene had betrayed her.
She had believed in him, trusted him. But in the end, he had taken the crown and left. Just like Mother Gothel had warned.
Her fingers trembled as she reached under her pillow, pulling out the small piece of fabric she had hidden there. A handkerchief. The very one Eugene had given her on the night of the lantern festival. The night she had felt truly free, for the first time in her life.
She traced the golden sun emblem embroidered into the cloth, the same sun symbol that had been everywhere in the kingdom. It had felt familiar then, but she had been too caught up in the wonder of it all to question why.
Now, something about it gnawed at her, clawing at the edges of her mind.
Her gaze drifted to the walls of her chamber, to the countless paintings she had made over the years. She had never truly thought about them before. They had simply been a part of her, images that had poured out of her soul, onto the stone.
But now, in the flickering candlelight, she saw them differently.
The swirls, the patterns, the bright golden shapes.
They were all the same.
The sun.
A breath caught in her throat as the realization settled uneasily in her chest. She staggered out of bed, clutching the handkerchief tightly, her bare feet padding across the floor as she examined each painting more closely.
It had been there all along. The very emblem of the kingdom had been in her paintings since she could remember.
A cold shiver ran down her spine.
She backed away from the walls, heart pounding, and turned toward the mirror above her small wooden vanity. Her reflection stared back at her, wide-eyed, lost.
Then, like a flash of lightning, memories surged through her.
Blurred, hazy images, shadows from a past she hadn't known she possessed.
A soft mobile hanging over a crib. The golden sun emblem etched onto the fabric.
Gentle voices—warmth, love.
A woman and a man, their faces indistinct, but their presence unmistakable.
The King. The Queen.
And the tiny baby cradled in their arms.
Golden hair.
Emerald green eyes.
Her breath hitched.
It's her!
Her fingers gripped the edges of the vanity, knuckles turning white. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight the dizziness threatening to overtake her.
She was the lost princess.
The kingdom's missing daughter.
Rapunzel stumbled back, her foot catching against the leg of the stool. It toppled over, clattering to the floor with a loud bang.
Downstairs, Gothel stirred from the kitchen.
"Rapunzel?" Gothel called, concern laced in her voice. "Are you alright, dear? What's going on up there?"
Rapunzel couldn't answer. She was still trying to steady her breath, to come to grips with what she had just uncovered.
Gothel's footsteps echoed on the stone as she started toward the stairs. "Rapunzel?"
Before Gothel could reach her, Rapunzel stepped out from behind the curtain of her chamber, gripping the fabric tightly as she leaned against the doorway.
Her voice trembled, barely above a whisper.
"I'm the lost princess."
Gothel froze mid-step.
"Speak up, dear. You know how I hate mumbling."
Rapunzel lifted her gaze, her expression shifting from shock to steel.
Her voice was clear this time. "I am the lost princess, aren't I?" Her tone hardened. "Did I mumble, Mother? Or should I even call you that?"
Silence.
For the first time in her life, Rapunzel saw something she had never seen before.
Fear.
Mother Gothel, always composed, always in control, stood motionless at the foot of the stairs. For the briefest moment, panic flashed across her face before she forced a chuckle, her lips curving into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Rapunzel, dear," she said smoothly, stepping forward. "Why would you ask such a ridiculous question? What nonsense has filled your head now?"
But Rapunzel wasn't fooled.
Not this time.
She saw how Gothel's hands trembled ever so slightly. How her voice, usually dripping with saccharine sweetness, carried a hint of unease.
"You lied to me," Rapunzel murmured. "My whole life, you've lied to me."
Gothel sighed dramatically. "Darling, you're overwhelmed. That thief left you heartbroken, and now you're imagining things. Honestly, I—"
"Enough!"
Rapunzel's voice cut through the air like a blade.
Gothel blinked, momentarily startled.
"All my life, I've been hiding from the world," Rapunzel said, her voice shaking with emotion. "From people who would use me for my magic. But the only person I should have been hiding from—" her voice cracked, her fists clenching at her sides, "was you!"
Gothel stiffened.
Rapunzel took a step down, her green eyes burning. "This is all your doing, isn't it? You aligned with the Stabbington brothers. You used me. You stole me from my real family."
Gothel scoffed, flipping her cloak over her shoulder. "Everything I did was to protect you."
"Protect me?" Rapunzel shook her head, laughing bitterly. "You stole me! You kept me locked away for eighteen years!"
Gothel reached for her, but Rapunzel shoved her hand away.
"This has to stop," Rapunzel whispered. "You've done enough."
Gothel's eyes darkened. "And where will you go, hmm?" she asked, voice soft, condescending. "You think that thief will be there for you?"
Rapunzel's breath caught.
"What did you do to him?"
Gothel smirked. "That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes."
Rapunzel's heart stopped.
"No…" she breathed, shaking her head. "No, that's not true."
"Oh, don't worry, dear," Gothel said, stepping closer. "Everything is as it should be." She reached out, brushing Rapunzel's hair, her precious golden hair, between her fingers. "Now, let's put this nonsense behind us, hmm? I'll make you some tea, and—"
Rapunzel's hand shot up, gripping Gothel's wrist.
Gothel gasped, eyes wide as she tried to pull away, but Rapunzel held firm.
"No," Rapunzel said, voice unwavering. "You were wrong about the world. You were wrong about me. And I will never let you use my hair again!"
Gothel struggled, finally yanking herself free. The force sent her stumbling back into the nearby mirror. The mirror behind her shattered, shards of glass scattering across the floor.
For the first time in eighteen years, Gothel had lost control.
Rapunzel turned toward the exit, ready to leave.
A slow, bitter chuckle filled the room.
She turned back.
Gothel straightened, smoothing her dress, her lips curling into a sinister smirk.
"You want me to be the bad guy?" she said, voice dripping with venom.
Her dark eyes gleamed with malice as she stepped forward.
"Fine."
Her smile widened, twisted, unnatural.
"I'm the bad guy."
The candlelight flickered, casting long shadows across the tower walls.
And the nightmare began.