evilsnotborn:

reginamills-yourqueen:

evilsnotborn:

Rapunzel shook her head quickly at the question and her eyes grew wide, “No! I didn’t mean…” How should she respond, maybe this was another trick, but why? A lock of hair fell across her eyes and she angrily brushed the locks back.

 She hated her hair. It always grew so fast, and when they cut it she had to be asleep, but even in her sleep she could feel that it hurt. She didn’t understand why it mattered, but the one time she had been awake for the hair cut it had taken three men to hold her down the burning had been so bad. When she had cut her own hair, the one time she escaped, she had felt like her blood was burning uncomfortably. It didn’t hurt as much as when they cut it for her, and the pain faded quickly. However, she wasn’t sure since they had caught her so quickly, and the scissors had slipped cutting her enough to leave the thin scar she still bore. That pain had trumped any lingering pain of cutting her hair. “I don’t know.” She finally whispered quietly, her voice quavering for a moment.

Regina tensed as Rapunzel panicked, standing on the balls of her feet as if ready to run to her side. All she seemed to do was frighten the poor girl. This wasn’t going well. She never knew quite what to do around kids of any ages. And, now, Henry hated her and Rapunzel was terrified of her. 

So, she stood still a few paces away from Rapunzel, watching her as she messed with her hair. It was truly beautiful hair. Sure, it was long, but it flowed from the top her head like a quiet stream. Regina had never seen hair that long and she couldn’t look away. However, she quickly averted her eyes seeing the continued discomfort in Rapunzel. So, she peaked her head out of the door to check the corridor one last time and hesitantly turned her attention back to Rapunzel. “I’m sorry if this is a little out of line, dear, but would you like me to braid your hair?’ she offered, continuing to eye the hair that covered Rapunzel’s face. 

She looked up at the woman confused, why would this woman want to braid her hair? The only time anyone touched her hair was to cut it. “I can’t have anything to tie it back. It’s not allowed.” She said simply as if that was enough of an answer.

The talk about her hair made her nervous, but this woman hadn’t tried to cut it, or give her a shot, or anything. She said she was her mother, but Rapunzel didn’t have a mother. She never had. Mother Gothel had told her so many times. She wasn’t wanted, so Mother Gothel had taken her in until she had run away after the purple smoke came…

Something about that time returned to her mind, and made her remember a girl who wasn’t afraid all the time; that girl had been brave enough to run from the Tower once. Curiously she glanced at the open door—no one had ever left it open this long. She wondered what more was out there.

Regina nodded and turned her gaze to the floor. There was something about this girl’s hair, something she couldn’t quite grasp. There seemed to be an odd attachment to it and Regina was determined to figure it out. It had to be magic of some sort. But, what?

So, she took a hesitant step toward her and crouched down beside her. She tilted her head slightly so she could examine the hair out of the corner of her eye. However, she turned her full attention back to Rapunzel as she eyed the door, Regina’s eyes following slowly behind. “Please come with me. Hurry. I don’t know when they’ll be back,” she whispered, brows furrowed as she extended a hand to Rapunzel.