Queen Mother

With Rapunzel starting to relax around Frederic, Arianna snuck back to the nursery to get a nightgown for Rapunzel to sleep in. Tonight they would be a family again.

Returning to her room, the queen smiled as she watched her husband and daughter interact. For the first time in four years, Frederic seemed whole again.

“Alright, Sunbeam, bath time and then it’s time for bed, alright?”

Rapunzel grew more and more comfortable with Frederic. She told him all about how she’d met Pascal. When Arianna came back, she looked over at her and nodded. 

“He can sleep here too, Precious, we’ll make him his own bed and he can sleep right next to you.” Looking to Frederic Arianna gently touched his shoulder to comfort him.

“Do you want to tell Papa, all about Pascal?” Arianna asked setting Rapunzel down on the bed so that she could grab a pillow for Rapunzel and Pascal to sleep on, she didn’t know if lizards slept on pillows, but this one did at least for tonight.

Rapunzel nodded. She had to prevent herself from grabbing Arianna to keep her from leaving. Instead she grabbed her hair again and clutched it in her hands. 

Frederic felt afraid to move. He didn’t think he’d be able to take it if she remained so afraid of him. “Pascal? He’s a…a friend of yours?” he asked.

Returning to her room, the queen smiled as she watched her husband and daughter interact. For the first time in four years, Frederic seemed whole again.

“She’ll warm up to you,” Arianna mouthed to her husband over Rapunzel’s head as she looked around the room.

“Yes, your room is right through that door,” Arianna said pointing to the door that connected the nursery to the king and queen’s room. “But I thought it would be fun if you slept in here in the big bed, how does that sound, Sunbeam?”

Frederic slowly nodded. He had felt tears sting his eyes at the sight of their little girl. Already she was so big. But he refused to cry. 

They found Frederic in his and Arianna’s bedroom, Arianna could see it in her husband’s eyes that he’d been waiting nervously to see his daughter. Almost as nervous, Arianna figured, as Rapunzel was to see him.

“Rapunzel, this is your Papa, do you want to say hello?” Arianna encouraged, given time, her little girl wouldn’t be so shy and afraid. With time they would be a family again.

“You’re going to be sleeping in here with us tonight, won’t that be fun?”

Rapunzel held Arianna tighter as they walked into the room. She didn’t look up at the King, rather she noticed his feet. He wore boots, but they were big. He was big, tall, looming. Mother had always warned her about men. And so she felt fear as she stared at his boots. 

The blonde slowly allowed her eyes to travel up to Frederic’s face. The King, sensing her fear, remained where he was, despite the urge to rush over and hold his little girl in his arms again. “Hello Rapunzel,” he said.

Rapunzel calling the woman ‘mommy’ broke Arianna’s heart, but she tried not to let it show. 

“Thank you, Captain, you will let me know as soon as she’s found, correct?” The queen said before leaving the room.

“Alright, let’s go find Papa,” Arianna cooed trying to push away the hurt in her heart. “He’s so excited to see you, Sunshine, he’s missed you so much just like me.”

The Captain nodded. “Absolutely your Majesty,” he said and turned back to the map once they’d left.

“Rapunzel, this is your Papa, do you want to say hello?” Arianna encouraged, given time, her little girl wouldn’t be so shy and afraid. With time they would be a family again.

“Rapunzel had a question,” gently rubbing Rapunzel’s back to soothe away any fears her little girl may have, Arianna, approached the captain with Rapunzel in her arms.

“Go on, Precious, he won’t bite.” The queen encouraged gently, “you can ask him, go on.”

Rapunzel rest her head on Arianna’s shoulder before meeting the Captain’s gaze again. His expression softened and the blonde felt Pascal gently nudge her. 

She took a deep breath. “I wanted to know…if you found my mommy?” she asked softly.

The Captain wrinkled his brows a moment in confusion at her question before looking at Arianna. He felt a small pang of sympathy for the Queen before looking back to Rapunzel and clearing his throat. “I’m afraid not, Princess. But we’re still looking and we won’t rest until we find her.”

“Thank you, Captain, you will let me know as soon as she’s found, correct?” The queen said before leaving the room.

Leaving the nursery behind, Arianna carried Rapunzel to the war room, she was sure she’d find the captain there plotting what to do next with the woman who had taken her baby away.

“The captain isn’t as gruff as he seems, he has a little girl about your age, so he’s secretly a big teddy bear.” Arianna smiled as she knocked on the door and poked her head inside.

“Captain, may we come in?”

Rapunzel wrinkled her eyebrows before smiling at the thought of a giant teddy bear being a guard. She giggled softly to herself before growing somber again as they entered the room.

“Of course your Majesty,” the Captain called. He was staring intently at a map of the village and moving pieces around. “Have we searched here? Or here?” 

Stan nodded. “Yes Captain, we’ve covered those places.”

“Well she can’t have disappeared,” the Captain grumbled. He looked up at Arianna and the Lost Princess in her arms. “Your Majesty…how can I be of service?”

“Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your entire life?”

“Hurry home, princess.”

“Look at me, wasted away to practically nothing.”

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s in love.”

“Relax. Don’t be such a guppy.”

“I just don’t see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad.”

“What is that girl up to?”

“I tried to stop her.”

“I don’t deserve to live!”

“Darling it’s better down where it’s wetter take it from me.”

“Why don’t you got tell my father? You’re good at that?”

“We mustn’t lurk in doorways. It’s rude.”

“One might question your upbringing.”

“Not that I blame you. He is quite a catch.”

“Poor unfortunate soul.”

“They dote and swoon and fawn on a lady who’s withdrawn. It’s she who holds her tongue who gets her man.”

Nodding, Arianna encouraged Rapunzel to continue.

“It’s alright Sweetheart, I’m here, your safe with me, you can tell me anything.” She said gently rubbing her daughter’s back. Soothing her daughter’s fears was the most natural thing in the world for Arianna, she hadn’t gotten the chance to soothe Rapunzel’s nightmares as a child, but she was here now.

Rapunzel shivered, but in no way did it have anything to do with the temperature.

“Yes, we may,” Arianna said pulling a rope so that a maid could clear their plates and picking Rapunzel up.

“First the captain, then Papa.” Arianna smiled as she hoisted Rapunzel onto her hip, “would you like to bring Pascal with us?”

Rapunzel held onto her mother and looked from her to Pascal before nodding. She needed him. She held a strand of hair out for him to hold onto and climb up, which he did, resting on her shoulder. She smiled softly at him before looking back to Arianna. 

“The captain isn’t as gruff as he seems, he has a little girl about your age, so he’s secretly a big teddy bear.” Arianna smiled as she knocked on the door and poked her head inside.