Frosted (Frosted #1 | Jackunzel)

{ Chapter Four }

''Mmm! That smells absolutely delicious, darling.''

Rapunzel gently set the two bowls of maultaschen down onto the table. The smell of it floating throughout the tower was the most delightful thing in the world. Maultaschen was both Mother and Rapunzel's favourite meal. They were lucky they had the resources to make them weekly.

Mother drifted over to the table to take her seat as Rapunzel ran back to the kitchen to fetch the loaf of bread she'd baked while Mother was gone. She'd done a lot of baking during those two days; it had helped Rapunzel calm herself down from her near tumble down the tower. She set the loaf down over a neatly-placed cloth between the both of them. Rapunzel sliced a few slabs with a butter knife, handing one to Mother, who smiled gratefully.

"Oh, how do you find the time?" Mother exclaimed, devouring a forkful of food before Rapunzel could sit down.

Funny, Rapunzel always thought she was consumed with time to spare, not the other way around. But she didn't say anything as she took a bite of her food. It was warm and flavourful, just the way she liked. It swept all of the worries from her brain like a wet cloth against a dirty table.

A wet cloth turned frozen by cold.

A wave of chills raked over Rapunzel's spine. She wondered what that must feel like. The cold. Despite all of the distractions she'd managed to busy herself with, Rapunzel had found herself crying to her Guardian more than usual lately because of her utter lack of courage. Why hadn't she been able to do it? Why couldn't she be like the Guardians of her book, so brave and full of adventure? So carefree like the Old Man Winter?

A harsh clang! of rattling dishes sounded, startling Rapunzel out of her revery. "For goodness sake, what's wrong, Rapunzel?" Mother demanded, fists laying idly on the table. "You're ruining a perfectly good dinner."

Rapunzel felt her heart quicken in her chest. She knows, she knows, she knows! "Nothing, Mother," she said instead.

"What did I tell you, Rapunzel? Look me in the eye when you speak. It's ridiculously impolite!"

Rapunzel did as she was told. Her gut clenched painfully; she hated lying to Mother. Keeping a secret floor tile and attempting to temporarily run away was one thing, but speaking untruth's to her face was something else entirely. Still, she couldn't tell Mother how she'd been feeling of late, and not only because of the things untold she was withholding. Mother was already under so much stress. Confessing her problems would only make Rapunzel feel like a heavier burden on her shoulders.

"Nothing's wrong," Rapunzel gave her her best smile. She moved to say I promise, but the words couldn't make it out of her mouth. Instead, she stuttered an "I swear," which sounded awfully suspicious even to her own ears.

Mother sighed loudly and leaned back in her chair. "Well now I know something's wrong! How in the world do you expect me to keep my appetite after that?"

"Nothing's wrong, Mother," Rapunzel insisted yet once more. But she couldn't hold Mother's eye, no matter how hard she tried, and she hated herself for it. "I would tell you in a heartbeat if anything was."

A shadow passed over Mother's face. "I swear with every passing year, you become less and less grateful I saved you." She jerked her head to the window, where the sun had already begun setting. "Would you really have rather I'd left you out there? To your freedom? Like your extraordinarily kind parents so effortlessly did?"

Mother's words felt like a punch to the gut—not that Rapunzel knew how that felt like, but her imagination was as vivid as her eyesight. "No." Her voice was weak. She didn't remember her abandonment—she'd been far too young—but the thought of where she would have been if it hadn't been for Mother Gothel made Rapunzel all the more grateful. She might not even be alive would it not have been for her.

She couldn't believe she'd almost run away yesterday. How incredibly and absolutely selfish of her, after everything Mother had done! Cold rode on the wind again, feeling like a blanket wrapping itself around her shoulders. When she looked to the window, she caught a slight movement, so quick she wondered if she'd imagined it. She told herself it was Pascal, even if something in her heart knew that it wasn't.

Rapunzel met Mother's eyes and lowered her chin in shame. "I'm sorry, Mother."

Her expression softened entirely, all of a sudden. "I am too, Flower," Mother tipped her head gently to the side, grey eyes wide. "I can't bear thinking about what would happen to you if I didn't make it back from one of my trips. It would completely break my heart, knowing I wouldn't be here to protect you." She reached a hand across the table, taking Rapunzel palm inside of her own. "I love you, my little Flower."

Rapunzel gripped gently at Mother's fingers. The steadiness of her hand comforted her greatly. "I love you more," she answered.

Mother smiled. "I love you most."

When they were finished eating, Mother lifted a hand to her temple, a sign that her migraines were acting up again. "Will you clean up the table, Rapunzel? I've had a long two days—you wouldn't imagine."

Rapunzel smiled, carefully setting her plate overtop the other. "Of course, Mother. Anything for you."

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I'm sorry this chapter was so short! But if you want something to ease you through to the next update, check out my new book Rising Untangled! It's a series of Jackunzel short stories I'm working on based on given prompts. Please, let me know what you think, good or bad!

*Edited (February 12th, 2020).