Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens, and from this drop of sunlight, grew a magic golden flower. It had the ability to heal the sick and injured. One day, a old woman named Mother Gothel discovered the Golden Flower. She decided to use its power to keep herself young and beautiful for hundreds of years.
As those centuries passed, there grew a small and happy kingdom, which was ruled by a beloved King and Queen. The kingdom was surrounded by sparkling blue water, its gentle waves dappled by sunlit skies, and the island was rich, both in good fortune, and in an easy harmony among its people. Though the people of the kingdom had heard the legend of the Golden Flower, no one had ever seen it. It was the stuff of stories told around the fires on cold winter nights. They had never really needed the flower.
The people of the kingdom had recently become joyful, as there was news that the Queen was going to have a child, but all too soon, the kingdom's happiness came to an abrupt end. Word spread the Queen was gravely ill. There seemed to be nothing that could help her...or was there?
Perhaps the Golden Flower was more than merely an old legend. Willing to try anything to save her, the people launched a search throughout the kingdom and the surrounding lands. They combed the hills and fields, mountains and valleys. They even crossed the clear blue water to explore the stark and rocky terrain on the opposite shore.
Mother Gothel, who had kept herself and the Golden Flower isolated from the people of kingdom, was singing softly to the flower, as she did every day, when she spotted some strangers in the distance. They were searching every square inch of the land. Mother Gothel began to panic. Quickly, she hid and watched as the strangers moved closer to the rocky ledge where the Golden Flower grew.
"We found it! We found it!" The strangers shouted at last.
Mother Gothel watch horrified, horrified, as a palace guard uprooted the flower and carried it off. In a panic, she followed the strangers as they brought the flower to the castle. She stayed hidden, hoping to come up with a scheme to get the Golden Flower back, but it was too late. The flower was made into a potion and fed to the ailing Queen.
Its magic worked, and the Queen soon recovered! The King and all the people in the land rejoiced. Soon afterward, the King and Queen stood on their royal balcony, holding the newborn Princess together. She was such a darling baby, with her mother's emerald-green eyes, and curly golden hair that gleamed in the sunlight, and her name was Rapunzel.
The palace courtyard was filled with the cheers of the kingdom's people as they saw their princess for the very first time. Mother Gothel, who was watching from the shadows, did bit cheer. Without the magic of the Golden Flower, she was growing older by the day. Seething with anger, she waited.
As the day faded into night, the King and Queen launched a single glowing lantern into the night sky to celebrate their princess' birth. All their love and hopes for the Princess' happiness were contained in the lantern. The crowd joyfully watched as the glowing lantern rose to the heavens, but the King and Queen's happiness was sort-lived.
For later that night, as the kingdom slept, a vengeful Mother Gothel crept into the royal nursery and approached the Princess' cradle. Swiftly, she thrust her hand toward the child, but she suddenly stopped. The lovely golden curls of the infant entranced Mother Gothel. Compelled to gently stroke the baby's hair, she quietly began to sing, as she had so many times with the flower.
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Somewhere Only We Know
FanfictionWhen a young viking and a spirited girl connect with letters from a magical mailbox, they begin a beautiful friendship, and it will soon be put to the test by certain events from both of their worlds. Inspired by "The Lake House".
