AHHH this is such a cool ask but I also have some studies going on so please have these sketches + some headcanons for now!! <33 I had some inspo from Disney's Tangled and Barbie as Rapunzel. Enjoy :)

PatJean Rapunzel AU

It starts with Jean...

... Who was kidnapped by Mother Gothel when she was a baby. It was for political leverage over the king and queen... (Gothel had some beef with them.) For most people, Jean is known as the lost princess.

Jean doesn't rlly have magical hair lol. Gothel made her grow it out bcuz she's the main 'key' for getting up the tower (basically her hair was used as a rope up the tower)

Jean was forbidden from cutting her hair short, though Jean wished she had bangs like the princesses in story books... (foreshadowing)

Raised by Gothel, who actually cared about her and raised her to be self-sufficient. She groomed Jean into being scared of the outside world, though.

Learned herbalism, gardening, and domestic skills from Gothel. She takes care of the plants in the garden right outside of the tower (under Gothel's supervision)

Read fairytales alotttt as a kid.

Despite Gothel's fearmongering, Jean daydreamed that she would be swept off her feet by a prince someday, so that she would have someone to protect her while she explores the world around her.

When she was six, she asked Gothel if she could have a prince as a birthday gift 💀 (yes, a whole grown ass man.) She was chided for that; "You can't have a prince as a puppy, child."

Not allowed to have pets. She sometimes watched and played with bugs (spiders, butterflies, etc) in her tower and on her windowsill when Gothel wasn't around.

Spent most of her time in the tower either reading books that Gothel gifted her, painting with home-made paint from plants, making products for Gothel or styling her own hair.

Jean did Gothel's hair and makeup and was taught to make beauty products from the herbs for her

When Mother Gothel disappeared after what felt like a week, Jean started doing her own hair and looks because she was bored. That's when she eventually cut the front of her hair so she could have bangs. She kept her hair long in the hopes that Gothel would come back safely.

It continues with Patrick...

... who was a disgraced nobleman who became a hired sword.

Disowned by his family for reasons like overspending on his businessca— I mean his horse and not being 'chivalrous' enough. However, his failed betrothal to a respectable noblewoman (Evelyn) was the final nail in the coffin that got him kicked out.

His horse is named Fleur-de-Lys.

Fleur-de-Lys is slightly neglected because Patrick can't afford a proper groom for her, but grooms her meticulously on his own anyway. Probably takes care of her looks better than his own on some days.

Was eventually hired by Gothel to protect and extract Jean from the tower when a search party was sent by the royal family to hunt down Gothel and Jean.

Patrick took the job because he was broke (shocker, I know. the medieval world does NOT like this guy.)

Jean has no idea about Gothel's plan. She also doesn't know that Gothel got detained and thrown into a dungeon.

The moment Patrick arrives with his shiny steed, nice-ish clothes and sword in his belt, Jean immediately goes "My hero!!!" and "My prince!!!" and lets her hair down for him.

Patrick tries to explain. He really does. But Jean is so relieved, so ready to believe, that she talks over him and calls him her prince.

Patrick has never been called a hero in his life. He is deeply pathetic and lonely and greedy for any warmth that isn't transactional, so he stopped correcting her.

He ends up squatting at the tower with Jean. Not just because Jean invited him to stay, but because he also lowkey hates his life at the village.

And, he ends up telling Jean not to leave the tower either cuz... well he's a loser and a sucker for her kindess and ends up falling for her.