What if, instead of kidnapping Princess Rapunzel, Mother Gothel had instead helped raise her alongside the King and Queen of Corona? What if Rapunzel and Cassandra had grown up in the Castle of Corona together as honorary sisters? How would things h...
"My flower! Where is my flower?" The old woman cried with dismay. She desperately groveled around the place the flower had been planted, hoping to find it torn out of the ground or a spare petal dropped, but it was no use; the flower was gone. She quietly cried while laying on the bare ground, knowing her time was fleeting.
In the old woman's despair, she heard unfamiliar voices trailing off in the distance.
"Quickly, guards, we have no time to waste. The queen needs us!"
"Don't you mean she needs this magical flower and the healing properties it entails?"
"Well, yes, but... argh! Never mind! Let's just get back to the castle as quickly as we can!" The guards took off in haste, leaving nothing to chance.
"Wait!" The old woman shrieked. "That's my ticket to eternal youthfulness!" She tried to chase after the royal guards, but her strength quickly waned. She fell to the ground, gasping with every breath, as her skin turned to prunes and her hair a pearly white. She didn't want to believe this was her pathetic end, but she honestly couldn't see herself living another four hundred years at the rate she was declining.
When the old woman had all but given up hope, she heard a piercing voice echoing throughout her mind.
"Gothel!" the voice screamed. "I thought you were better than this! Letting two measly mortals get away with my precious flower and your key to immortality? I have to say, I'm disappointed. However, I see potential in you yet, so I'm going to revive you just this once. I have a plan".
The woman was escorted to the castle, where she was able to witness the birth of the new princess. The newborn girl was breathtakingly beautiful, with her emerald eyes, her rosy red lips, her snowy-white complexion, and most of all, her glowing golden hair. The woman learned by word of mouth that the queen and king were expecting their first child when the queen grew deathly ill. None of the doctors could explain or heal her illness, so the king summoned his royal advisor for help, who told the quaking king of a magical flower with healing properties. With no other options, the king sent his guards to find the flower, and by some miracle, they retrieved it and healed the queen and unborn princess. The relieved king and queen rejoiced over their baby girl, who they named Rapunzel, named after the herbs growing around the miracle flower.
"So what should I do?" The woman asked the voice lurking over her. "Kidnap the girl?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Gothel. Kidnap her? And what, have the entire kingdom after you? No, I have a much better idea. I want you to meet with the king and queen tomorrow, bright and early, and humbly request a royal position serving the princess. You will get to live in the castle and retain your youth, so long as you have access to the princess and her magical hair. When the girl grows up, then will you be able to take her power for yourself, staying young and beautiful forever, while I'll finally get my revenge on Corona. Mwah hah hah hah!" the voice laughed sinisterly.
Gothel protested this notion, proclaiming she was far greater than the king and queen, and she would be embarrassed to work for such lowlifes. The voice, however, wouldn't let up, and the old woman was forced to accede.
"Fine! I'll do it! But what about Cassandra? I created her to help fulfill our evil destinies, but what use will she be if I'm living in the castle?"
"Take her with you" the voice commanded. "She can grow up like a princess and maybe she and Rapunzel will become friends, gain trust among one another. With time, you may find that Cassandra will be our greatest asset to defeating Corona once and for all".
With that, the two again laughed sinisterly and continued to converse about their evil plans.
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