001 — RAPUNZEL'S TOWER

Rapunzel stood on the spiral stairs clutching the end of the staircase as her Mother told her that she would be leaving to get supplies. This wasn't uncommon for the woman and neither was Rapunzel's requests every time.

"Can't I go with you Mother?" She pleaded hopefully, she never understood why she wasn't allowed to go. Sure her Mother said it was dangerous for her but if she were to stay with her Mother the entire time she didn't see the problem, but as always Dahlia refused her request and Rapunzel would be left dreaming another day of what life would be like outside of her tower.

"I have told you a thousand times Rapunzel. The outside world isn't safe, dear. You are to stay up here for your own protection. People can be cruel, they would jump at the chance to take you away from me" Dahlia replied reciting the words she always tells the girl. In truth Dahlia has grown a bit soft for the girl, she does care for her wellbeing but she cares more for her own and it would cause chaos if anyone were to ever find her and find out who she really is.

Rapunzel's eyes saddened as her eyes dropped to examine her bare feet. "Yes Mother" She uttered, bitterness in her tone.

Rapunzel unraveled her arms from the staircase as she made a start to walk to her room before her Mother called back out to her.

"Rapunzel?" She stopped on her fifth step as she looked back.

"Yes Mother?" She asked her inquisitively.

Dahlia sighed before walking up to the girl. She took her face in her hands before starting to speak again.

She smiled softly at Rapunzel. "You know I'd do anything to keep you safe, I always have. I just want to protect you, you understand that yes?" Rapunzel nodded at her question. "Now whilst I'm gone you have to promise me you won't step a foot out of the tower, it's not safe for you." She spoke as she clutched Rapunzel's hair.

Rapunzel looked unsure at her request, Dahlia could see it in her face and sighed before moving her hands from Rapunzels hair to her shoulders gripping them softly.

"Promise me you won't go out of this tower. Promise me..." The woman said the desperation was strong within her tone and Rapunzel thought it was because she was scared for her child's safety so she slowly nodded agreeing to her Mother's terms even if she didn't want to, but what she didn't know is that it was for another reason...a reason that Dahlia hopes she will never know.

"I promise, Mother" Rapunzel tells her as she hugs Dahlia.

Dahlia smiled as she caressed Rapunzel's hair. This was a normal thing for the two, Rapunzel took it as an act of love but in reality Dahlia loved the girl's hair as it gave her power and power gave her youth. "There's a good girl, now off to bed" She shooed Rapunzel away as she went to think of her next plan of action of getting the newest member of the Mikaelson family.

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By morning Dahlia had left the tower to get some supplies for Rapunzel as she would be leaving later that afternoon for a few days on business, leaving Rapunzel alone in the tower. The girl started her day by baking and then tidying and moving onto brushing her hair. Her hair is well over 70 metres long but she's forbidden to ever cut it as it's her source of magic, if she loses her hair she loses her magic, but she can ulter the appearance of its length with magic to make it more manageable. She reads a few books before getting bored and moved onto some painting with some old paints she still had use of.

Rapunzel was in the middle of organizing the kitchen when she heard a rattling coming from the tower door. She grabbed the item closest to her which happened to be a frying pan before hiding behind a pillar, as she knew her Mother wouldn't be back so soon. The rattling continued for a few more seconds before a figure climbed into the tower. Rapunzel knew it wasn't her Mother as she always announced her presence with a secret knock and since no one else knew of her she wouldn't be able to guess who it would be. Maybe it was one of those ruffians her Mother was telling her about and now she truly did feel as fragile as a flower.

"Alone at last" She heard them say.

She held her breath as footsteps approached near her hiding spot she jumped as a large shadow cased over the room and screamed before slamming whoever it was over the head with her frying pan. The ringing of the pan was loud and echoed throughout the tower as what looked like a man was sprawled out upon Rapunzel's floor unconscious. For a second she thought she might of killed him and leant down to nudge his face with the pan in slight worry but blew a sigh of relief when she saw his chest rising and falling slowly, letting her know that he was still alive.

But now what was she going to do when he woke up. If he truly was a thug or a man with pointy teeth a frying pan would hardly protect her against him, but looking down at him closely he looked peaceful to Rapunzel and somewhat handsome. Sure Rapunzel has never seen a man up close before but she had seen pictures in books and her Mother even sometimes let her watch movies so she knew that he was definitely appealing to the eye.

The guy let out a groan as he started to come to. Rapunzel quickly looked around the room urgently trying to find something that would help her in the situation but before she could think anything through she slammed the boy with the frying pan again successfully knocking him back out.

"Sorry" She whispered as she tiptoed back to him knowing that he wouldn't of heard her but apologizing anyway. Her eyes scooped the room as they landed on a wooden chair. At first she tried to move the boy normally but that turned out to be less than helpful as Rapunzel didn't have any upper body strength at all. So instead she placed her bracelet on (the one that Mother gave her that binds her magic as she doesn't want her exposing herself to anyone, it would be too dangerous) and so her hair returned to its natural length without the glamour of magic (or as natural as magical hair can be as it had now grew to be over 70 feet long) and even though she knew she was never allowed to see people or have a friend, she wanted to at-least feel normal so she would sometimes take off her bracelet when her Mother wasn't around and spell her hair to a normal human length.

It must of taken her a good half hour and over twenty attempts to get him to sit upright on the chair without tipping over but she had done it. Now all she had to do was wait for him to wake up again and make sure not to knock him out.

"Too weak to handle myself out there, huh Mother? Well, tell that to my pan here." Rapunzel boasted in the mirror as she silently applauded herself in her mind before swinging the pan onto her head with a clank. She moaned in pain as she soothed the wound with her hand before something in the mirror caught her eye.

She reached down to the bag open on the floor and pulled out what looked to be a necklace with a blue amulet attached to it. She suddenly felt drawn to it as if it had a connection to her. She studied it carefully before turning around and placing it in front of her to see what it would look like if she were to wear it.

As she continued to admire it a voice took her out of her trance causing her to knock the mirror slightly as she panicked throwing the necklace back into the bag and hiding it in the nearest pot before hauling the boys body into a cupboard and quickly rushed to the window where her Mother looked up at the girl expectantly.

"Well what are you waiting for? I'm not getting any younger stood down here?" Her Mother called up at her as Rapunzel nodded before lowering down the rope.

Once Dahlia reached the window of the tower. She announced to Rapunzel. "I have a surprise for you!"

"Uh, I do too Mother" She replied nervously as she wrung her hands together behind her back before subtly looking at the cupboard in which she shoved the boys body.

Dahlia took out a bag of beignets from her bag that she brought from the city. "Happy Birthday Rapunzel, for tomorrow at least. I got you some of your favourites" She said as she handed Rapunzel the bag. "I'm sorry I won't be here tomorrow I have some very important business to attend to for a few days but you'll be alright on your own yes?"

Rapunzel smiled at the sweet treats but was still uneasy at what she wanted to tell her Mother. So she set aside the pastries and took a breath knowing that she needed to do it. "Well mother, there's something I want to tell you" She announced edging to the cupboard where the boy was placed.

Dahlia huffed assuming this conversation was about Rapunzel wanting you leave the tower again which it was. "Oh Rapunzel, you know I hate leaving you after a disagreement. Especially when I've done nothing wrong" She said spitefully causing the girl to frown slightly before brushing it off knowing that this was more important, she could finally prove to her Mother that she wasn't the fragile flower she believed her to be and that she could handle herself out in the world.

Rapunzel paced slightly. "So, I've been thinking about what you said earlier..." She trailed off knowing it was a sensitive subject.

"I hope you're not still talking about leaving the tower" Dahlia asked her sternly not liking where the conversation was heading but she was surprised in the slightest.

"Before you answer, yes I'm leading up to that" Rapunzel replied as she went to open the cupboard door to reveal the boy she had caught breaking into the tower.

Dahlia stopped her as her hand touched the handle. "Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart." She feigned an upset expression making the girl feel bad for making her upset.

Rapunzel nearly just about dropped the subject altogether and would of if it hadn't been for the fact that there was still a boy tied up. "No Mother. I'm just saying, you think I'm not strong enough like I can't control or handle myself out there. But if you just-"

"Darling. I know you're not strong enough. We're done talking about this" She demanded.

"But trust me, I..." Rapunzel held the handle about to open the door to show her Mother.

"Rapunzel." She said sternly.

"...know what I'm-" She twisted the door knob as the door edged open slightly.

"Rapunzel." Dahlia spoke again her tone getting more aggressive.

"Oh, come on" Rapunzel begged.

That's when Dahlia lost it. "You have no other life Rapunzel! You are not leaving this tower, EVER!" She yelled at the girl. Rapunzel for a second looked slightly scared of the woman and her harsh words. Her hand slipped from the handle and the door which was ajar shut softly.

Dahlia sighed as she slumped in the nearest chair. "Urgh, great. Now I'm the bad guy." She said pressing her fingers to her temple.

Rapunzel shuffled uncomfortably her eyes shifted from her painting of a city to the cupboard that could possibly be her way of freedom. An idea evolved in her head as she thought about her to execute it. But she knew she had to get on her Mothers good side first and to do that she would have to play the role of the obedient daughter.

Her eyes landed on her Mother and she talked softly. "All I was going to say, Mother is that...I know what I want for my birthday, now."

Dahlias eyes shifted to Rapunzel as her posture relaxed slightly glad that the girl had finally given up on leaving. "And what is that?"

"New paint. I'm running low on that yellow you got me a while ago." Rapunzel said remembering the time Dahlia have her that specific paint as it took her a few days to find the exact colour the girl had asked for as it had to be custom made.

"Well, I suppose it's on the way to where I'm headed anyways." Dahlia told the girl knowing she could get the paint from New Orleans. "You sure you'll be alright, on your own?"

Rapunzel nodded. "I know I'm safe as long as I'm here." She replied. Repeating what Dahlia had recited to her so many times.

Dahlia smiled happy with her answer as she pulled on her coat before making her way towards the tower window. "I'll be back before long. I love you very much, dear." She told the girl holding her face in her hands. The girl was precious to her but for reasons Rapunzel didn't know.

"I love you more" Rapunzel added. Hugging her Mother goodbye.

As Dahlia descended the tower she called back out to the girl. "I love you most."

AUTHOR NOTE :

if any of you are confused on her powers basically when she was healed by the flower it gave her healing abilities which she can only access with her hair, which is why she doesn't cut it (exactly like the movie). The only difference in this book is that because she's also a witch, when she doesn't have her bracelet on which Dahlia gave her to suppress her powers she can disguise the length of her hair with magic so that it appears normal. When the bracelet is on her hair goes to its natural (70+ meter) length as she's unable to use magic to make it look normal.

She's also immortal aswell due to her being linked to the spell, and since she's asleep for 100 years and only awakes for a year that's why she's only just turning 16, hope that makes sense.