We Have Leverage

The Art of the Deal

Rapunzel – when she was twelve years old – had to take a leap of faith.

Mother had been gone from the tower for a very long time, such a long time that all the food in the tower had run out. Rapunzel had waited for as long as she could after that, she had been so young after all, waiting and hoping that Mother would come back because she was so little, and she couldn't possibly take care of herself.

(At the same time, a piece of her had wished Mother would never come back because Mother always so strict and hated most of the things she liked and never let her go outside.)

But then after a week and a half with no Mother, Rapunzel had to decide if she wanted to keep praying Mother would come back or if she needed to leave the tower. Rapunzel has been terrified to the bone but also excited beyond compare when she chosen to find a way out, which she found in the boarded-up stairs Mother claimed to have gotten rid of years ago.

Rapunzel had been so excited when she stepped out into the grass for the first time, the feel of emerald green blades soft against her bare feet and the sun beating on her arms. Birds and butterflies became real not just pictures in a book and paintings on her wall.

The outside world was her world now, and she was excited and terrified and anxious to be apart of it.

For the first two years, she had been on her own. In those two years she hadn't wanted to, but she had devolved quite a few handy skills as pickpocket. Once she got her hair under control as very long ponytail (she was much too scared to cut it, even years after leaving Mother's care), she became a rather good little petty thief.

A few coins out of a lady's purse here, an apple off a cart there. Not much, never enough to be caught, just enough to get her through a couple days. Though her contempt for it remained as the two years went on, a resignation came with it. She had no skills, nothing to sell, no way to get an apprenticeship, just about the only way that could get some money was her hair.

And though Rapunzel had come to realize how terrible Mother was to her, her advice to keep her power hidden she learned perhaps had been something worth listening too.

But on Rapunzel's fourteenth birthday, her world changed again.

She had been in the capital city for the Lost Princess's Anniversary. That always drew big crowds, which made it easy for her to get a little extra off the carts. She could steal enough fruit and coins to last her maybe two weeks – a month even, if she played her cards right.

Then, from across the pavilion, she had seen two people watching the baker's shop. They were walking down the street on opposite ends, peeking inside as they passed and whispering whenever they met. The two were scouting it out for something, most likely for some bread and coins.

Rapunzel had watched from the corner, keeping a watchful eye on the fruit stand she herself was planning to strike first, seeing if they were a threat to her own chances. If these two got caught, that would put the guards on high alert and force her to up her game, so she didn't get caught likewise.

The two boys were older than her, that was obvious. By how much she wasn't sure, but enough that she could tell that they were closer to adulthood than adolescence but still young enough to be her peers.

One was incredibly tall, with dark skin and a red vest. He lacked any hair on his head but had the beginnings of stubble around his chin. He was stocky – much stockier than most thieves she could think of, so Rapunzel was willing bet that this boy leaned more towards the muscle side of whatever partnership he had with the other boy.

The other boy was tall as well – no where near as tall as the other boy, but much taller than her – with tan skin, and brown hair cut in short strands at the base of his neck and a few hairs on his chin as well. He was smaller than his friend, much wirier, better fitted for thievery. He was the leader, she could tell from his posture and the glance he gave his friend. Even if it was never spoken, this boy was the leader.