Flower Gleam and Glow

Prologue

So. This is a Tangled AU, obviously. I have a very rough draft written, so I don't know how quick updates will be. This is also my first work in this fandom, so I'm pretty nervous. It takes place in the 1840s (the original movie took place in the 1780s), but since this is essentially a fantasy world, homosexuality isn't a big deal because I said so.

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Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called Polania, ruled over by the Laurinaitis family. The current monarchs were the Queen, Daina, and her King Consort, Feliks. However, there was a blood curse passed down through the royal family that finally awoke in Queen Daina, and as she became pregnant with an heir, she fell very ill.

Beside himself with worry for his pregnant wife, Feliks send the country on a hunt for a cure.

One was eventually found in the form of a mystical flower, which had been guarded for the past three decades by a man named Ivan Braginsky.

The guards took the flower, and ground it up into medicine, which they gave to Queen Daina; after drinking the medicine, she was cured, and gave birth to a baby boy with glowing blond hair.

They named the boy Tolvydas, affectionately called Tolys. In celebration, the kingdom released floating lanterns across the lake.

However, when Ivan discovered that the flower had been taken and used by the Queen, however, he was furious.

In his anger, he did the only logical thing:

He broke into the castle.

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Ivan peered down at the baby boy. In the time without the flower, he could feel himself aging. How foolish they were, to not realize what the flower had been capable of. Not only was it a miracle cure, but it had held the key to eternal youth. It would have been simple to just bring the ailing Queen to the flower, but no. They went and desecrated it, and now he had to resort to breaking into the Castle Laurinaitis.

He couldn't allow himself to grow old and risk dying alone; he had to at least see his brothers again.

Carefully, Ivan clutched a piece of the baby's blond hair, and using a pair of scissors, cut it.

There; no harm done.

Then, to Ivan's horror, the lock of hair lost the golden color of the flower's magic and turned brown.

The only way to preserve himself was to take the child with him.

Ivan hesitated; taking a child away from its parents was not something he was crazy about doing, but--he couldn't let himself grow old and die, either. Not when he he'd been completely alone since he was twelve.

Besides, it would be nice not to be so lonely anymore, wouldn't it?

His decision made, Ivan grabbed the sleeping baby, and stole away into the night.

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The next morning, Queen Daina entered Tolys's room, only to find the crib empty.

She screamed.

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The king and queen sent guards all across the kingdom looking for their son, but he was never found.

King Feliks came up with the idea for a tribute on Tolys's birthday; each year, at night, they'd let loose floating lanterns across the lake in honor of the Lost Prince—just like they'd done when he was first born—, to let him know he'd always have a home (wherever he was).

Each year, the festival took place.

And each year, their son continued to be missing.

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Seven Years Later

"Father?" a seven-year-old Tolys asked on the night of his seventh birthday as Ivan brushed his ever-growing hair. "Why can't I go outside?"

"The world is filled with bad people, Tolys, who would take you away from me and use you for their own ends," Ivan said. "It's better to stay here, where I can protect you."

Tolys nodded; Ivan just wanted what was best for him. Besides, it was best not to argue, or he'd get mad.

After Ivan went to bed, Tolys, unable to sleep, caught sight of a glow coming from the window. He got up and crept to the window, and spotted glowing yellow lights hanging in the sky.

He stared, mesmerized; he couldn't remember seeing those lights before.

Then again, he'd never been up past his bedtime before, either.

Tolys continued to watch the floating lights well into the night.

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Ivan: *scrooge mcduck voice* I did the only logical thing. I broke into the castle and stole the baby.

Also, Polania is based very, very, loosely on the Polish-LIthuanian Commonwealth. I say very, very, loosely because it a) wasn't around in the 1840s, and b) wouldn't be okay with homosexuality (which is why this is a fantasy world).

Tolys is Lithuania--Toris is not a real name, let alone a Lithuanian one.

Daina is nyo!Lithuania.