The altar was a slab of black rock, and as Rapunzel was dropped painfully on its surface, shackles were secured around her wrists and ankles preventing her from doing anything more than rattling her chains ineffectively.

The King and Queen appeared, following a man in a dark and tattered cloak, his twisted face partially hidden beneath the shadow of his hood. His gnarled hands held a ritual knife. The wavy blade was inscribed with the scales of a dragon, and its face composed the handle grip where its open jaws clenched around a ruby.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Rapunzel questioned when she found her voice at last. "I'm your daughter, aren't I?"

"You are indeed," the King confirmed.

"The only one we could ever have," the Queen added.

"When we asked a fairy, Gothel, for assistance," the King explained, "she used her magic to aid us in having you. But, before we could perform the ritual, she stole you from us. I should've known better than to trust a fairy."

"I should've known better than to trust you," Gothel growled as she floated down from the darkness of the ceiling.

"Mother!" Rapunzel called out instinctively when she saw her.

Guards rushed to confront her, but a pass of her hand froze them motionless as if time had halted for them.  When she clenched her hand, the man with the ritual knife collapsed to the floor and remained still.

"You came to me asking for a daughter," Gothel accused. She floated to a soft landing beside the altar, never taking her glaring gaze from the royal couple. "You asked for a child, not a sacrificial offering."

"It's our child," the Queen snarled. "It's not your concern what we do with what is ours. You had no right to steal her."

"I never stole her," Gothel countered. "I rescued her, raised her as a proper mother should, protecting her from the likes of you. Even learning of your lies and deception, I spared you and yours that day in the hopes you would see your error and change. I can see that mercy was in error, and I must now make amends."

The King and Queen tried to flee, but Gothel extended both hands toward them, turning the royal couple to dust. Their crowns clanged against the ground as they fell next to the now empty robes. Gothel turned to Rapunzel.

"I'm so sorry," Rapunzel lamented.

"I know," Gothel accepted with a sad smile. "I did what I could to protect you, but somethings have to be faced sooner or later."

Gothel touched a hand to the shackles holding Rapunzel, and they transformed into smoke and blew away. Rapunzel sat up and threw her arms around the woman she'd always known as Mother.

"It's alright now, Child," Gothel soothed. "Come, there is more you must see."

Gothel led Rapunzel out of the ritual chamber and back to the throne room. Gone were the white marble floors, replaced by black stone, chipped and dirty. The banners hanging from the walls were tattered and covered in dust and cobwebs. The armor of the guards was rusty and bent. Even the nobility were clad in rags that made them look more like street beggars than the wealthy.

"What happened?" Rapunzel questioned.

"The King and Queen maintained an illusion over the city, masking what they truly were," Gothel explained. "With their death, the magic decays and shows the reality."

"Why are they staring at us like that?" Rapunzel asked.

"You are the last of the royal line," Gothel replied. "They look to you to see what you will do."

"I don't know anything about ruling a kingdom," Rapunzel whispered frantically.

"That's why I shall be your adviser," Gothel said. "If you so choose."

"Absolutely, yes," Rapunzel agreed before Gothel had even finished speaking.

"Then, may I advise you to do some renovations around here," Gothel offered.

"A good idea," Rapunzel agreed. "How?"

"Like this," Gothel clarified with a knowing smile. A wave of her arm transformed the throne room back into its original grandeur. A sweep of her hand across the nobility and guards returned their former elegance. "No longer an illusion, but the real thing. There are stores of food confiscated from the populace within the lower levels of the palace. The people would be most grateful if they might have it back."

Rapunzel pointed to one of the guards.

"You," she commanded. "Take as many people as you need, from anywhere you can find them, and return the confiscated food to the people."

"At once, my Queen," the guard answered with a bow of deep respect. He enlisted a number of the nobles in waiting and hurried them from the room to carry out the orders.

Rapunzel stood near the throne but couldn't make herself sit upon it, until Gothel used her hands to vanish the old thrones and summon a new one. Composed of white marble and cushioned in silvery silk, it still felt far more extravagant than she was used to, but it was better than thinking about all the evil commanded from the thrones formerly in the room. Taking a seat she looked out at what was now her throne room and her people.

"It is clear my family has done much harm to this kingdom," Rapunzel began. "Today, those things are dead, and we begin a new day. With your help, this realm shall become a better one, a lasting one, and I shall never cease to serve you."

As the nobility knelt before her, Rapunzel looked to Gothel who stood beside the throne. She graced Rapunzel with a loving smile and a nod of approval.

In the years the followed, Rapunzel kept her promise. Word of her kingdom spread far and wide, and it became known that nowhere else was a realm as prosperous or as truly happy as the one ruled by the queen with the golden hair.