When is a white cow not a white cow?

  "So you realized your precious moment wasn’t worth it a little too late then? Now your husband needs you most and you aren’t there for him."

"Yes….one of each…" She looked to the mysterious man with a small nod. Rapunzel brushed some hair from her eyes. "It’s just very hot here…I don’t suppose you’d know how to get out of this horrible place…I-I don’t know how much I’ll be able to survive here…"

"How on earth did you end up out here in the first place? And your children.." She was right, they would not survive much longer. 

little lion man // mumford & sons

lastmxdnight

He let out a shout as the witch squeezed his ear..hard. He always told himself he deserved the punishment she gave him in their squawking. "How was I supposed to know the one thing in your garden that was off limits? If you had told me not to take them, I wouldn't have! Something you failed to mention in the bartering for my daughter."

The old man took a deep breath and pulled himself free from her grasp, taking a good few steps away from the hag. His ear as red from her grip and he muttered as he rubbed it. 

And the children…oh what a world they were born into. He had no idea how his sweet girl had managed to keep herself and these babies alive in this wasteland. She thanked him for the water, but could not put her children down for even a moment to care for herself. He held his arms out. “Please, let me help. Even for a moment.”

She swallowed and handed one twin off to him. “P-please be careful. He’s fussy…” She hadn’t the slightest clue where that word had come from, or what it meant. But it seemed fitting for some reason. “Thank you…” She took the skin from him and took a small drink. “But surely…you need some of this for yourself…?”

"Oh. no dear. Really. I'm fine. I'm used to this sort of climate. I've done quite a lot of travelling in my time.." His eyes went down to the boy, then to the other baby.

"A girl?"

YOU’D BE LUCKY TO EXCHANGE HER FOR A SACK OF BEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

justifiesthxbeans

"So you realized your precious moment wasn't worth it a little too late then? Now your husband needs you most and you aren't there for him."

wouldberapunzel

The mysterious old man could do nothing but watch with grief as his youngest daughter was banished from the tower by the witch. Her only protection and comfort gone in a mater of moments. 

It took longer than he had hoped to find her after that. After all, he had to fix one mistake before he could fix another. After securing his family line once again..and a very brief family reunion, the man was off once more. He had to find his girl. And reunite her with her Prince. 

After wandering the desert, he heard the faint sound of not one..but two infants crying. He followed the noise until he saw her. Hair..yellow as corn.

Just like her Mother. 

His usual sarcastic tone was removed as he approached her, pulling out a skin of water. 

Rapunzel had wandered for…well she couldn’t tell how long. Her stomach had swollen unnaturally, or at least it had to her. Then one awful night, somehow these two little tiny babies had come to be and gods, the pain they had put her through so many hours of pain and the blood. There had been so much of it and nobody there to help her.

Even has her mind felt like it was slipping, she had these two creatures, these two miraculous and beautiful babies to keep her company. Even if she was struggling, the two of them were worth it. She’d keep going, if only for them.

And the children...oh what a world they were born into. He had no idea how his sweet girl had managed to keep herself and these babies alive in this wasteland. She thanked him for the water, but could not put her children down for even a moment to care for herself. He held his arms out. "Please, let me help. Even for a moment."

See, this is what I think is so cool about the way Rapunzel and her prince are around each other. Look at the above picture.

He doesn’t have a problem showing her his vulnerability; she doesn’t have a problem with him being vulnerable.

IMO this makes their relationship pretty much the total opposite of Cinderella and her prince, which is a relationship built 100% on appearances and not reality. 

Cinderella admits to herself (and us) that she CAN’T show the prince who she really is, because then he wouldn’t want her.  And her prince - well, he knows how to be charming but not sincere.

Rapunzel’s prince, on the other hand, is nothing BUT sincerity. Klutzy, earnest, “Bad idea!” “Your hair! I like it!” blurt-it-out sincerity.  The Great Pumpkin would visit him in a heartbeat.

Why is this? Who knows? Both princes were raised by the same people, we presume.But maybe that’s a wrong presumption.

Obviously Cinderella’s prince, being the heir to the throne, got a set of instructions that’s more “How to Charm Your Subjects So They’ll Believe Anything” than “How To Be an Effective King”.

Whereas Rapunzel’s Prince, apparently…didn’t. Aside from sharing some vanity and competitiveness with his big brother, he doesn’t seem to be anything like Cinderella’s prince. Their personalities are very different.

My own personal theory on this - and it’s not really based on anything except a passing knowledge of English nobility - is that he and his brother are NOT the only two males in the royal family. If there is at least one other brother between them (who doesn’t figure in the story), then Rapunzel’s prince is neither the heir nor the spare. He did not get the same training his brothers did - why would he? - and he would be basically regarded as superfluous and more or less ignored, expected to go into the military or clergy when old enough so as not to be a drain on the royal treasury (which is what happened in English nobility). 

It’s even possible that Rapunzel’s prince is wearing a military uniform, which would explain why it looks so different from Cinderella’s prince (again, that’s a theory not supported by anything, but what the heck!!)