The feast had been going full-swing for two days, with no sign of stopping. The queen hadn't partaken much, still tired from the birth of the princess. But she still sat next to her beloved, a radiance of joy. The royal couple sat on the thrones of Goldstein Castle, smiles wide as their subjects and guests celebrated. Jesters, troubadours and poets roamed inside the hall and about town, singing the praises of the newborn princess, along with folk songs, traditional theater and all sorts of other jovialities and amusements. The jousting tournament planned for the afternoon promised to be exciting, as the prince of the neighboring kingdom was in attendance, and a keen lancer. The people were joyful, there was a plenty of ale, and the meat was well-roasted.
A moment of quiet descended on the feasting hall around noon, when the doors opened to admit a strange figure. A small elderly creature flew in, and a hush spread from one staring face to another. She, for it was a she, looked like a combination of an exceedingly small grandmother, and a well cared-for potted plant. Mostly human-looking, excepting the size, she had branches for hair, and little flowers grew in random spots on her rough skin. She wore a green cloak and was levitating by unknown, but presumably magical, means.
The king and queen stood in respect. As everyone else hurried to mirror them, the fairy flew towards the throne in a sedate pace. The kingdom of Goldstein had always had a good relationship with the fairy-folk. Never had they been persecuted or vilified, as had happened in other places. And as a gesture of goodwill, the fairy folk blessed the occasional child, and of course any royal offspring.
"You are most welcome godmother." called the king, and the fairy smiled and nodded. Not quite a bow, it was still a gesture of respect. She had, after all, blessed the king as a child, and her blessing of healthy teeth had kept him in good stead. One might find a blessing of healthy teeth a tad mundane for a king, but experience had taught the fairies that anything too overt, like beauty or strength had a habit of going awry, hence the restriction to more practical blessings, with less chance of the magic going wrong.
The babe was brought in by her wet-nurse, wrapped snugly in blankets, and presented to the fairy godmother. Smiling in approval, the elderly fairy stroked the baby's head, feeling the fuzz of hair already growing.
"Ahem." she cleared her throat and the entire hall went silent, waiting for her blessing. "I bless this child with good, strong, hair."
Cheering erupted from the crowd, and a spontaneous chant of "Hair, hair, hair without compare." made it's round of the hall. The king and queen thanked the fairy godmother who allowed herself to be convinced to stay and feast.
The ongoing cheering lost some of it's energy when the doors opened to admit a second fairy. The second of three, for a royal child was worth more than one blessing. Gradually the hall quietened as the fairy, this one wearing blue, and with predominantly yellow flowers growing on her, flew high above them, leaving a glittering trail in the air that hung like a constellation against the dark ceiling.
"Show off..." murmured the first fairy.
The second fairy alighted at the baby princess and squealed in delight when she saw her. Raising her hands high, she called in a loud voice.
"I bless this child of royal blood, in the name of the forest and the trees, the rivers and stones..."
The first fairy rolled her eyes, but the second fairy's moment in the spotlight was not to be denied.
"...In the name of the sky and the wind, the wild wolf and the wise owl." She laid her hands on the baby and finished.
"With strong and beautiful hair."
An awkward silence held it's breath.
"That's what I gave her you ninkompoop." said the older fairy.
"Well how was I supposed to know that, you old toad?" bit back the second fairy grandmother.
They both caught the worried glance of the king and hurried to reassure him. A double blessing was rare, but wasn't cause for concern.
"It probably just means that her hair will be a bit harder to cut, and maybe grow faster."
The king turned to the waiting crowd, and raised a cup.
"My child is twice blessed!"
Cheering erupted again, and another round of the "Hair beyond compare" chant was started. It went for a good while, and everyone was wondering where the third fairy had gotten to, when a small figure, looking very young indeed, flew into the hall at speed, bouncing off the floor like a stone skipping over water. She made a hard brake at the wet nurse, who held up the baby protectively.
The new fairy panted, out of breath, rising and falling in the air in time with her breaths. She fanned her self with a leaf growing from her head.
"Oh dandelions! I'm so sorry I'm late." she bowed to the king, the queen, and the wet nurse for good measure. Clocking the looks that the other two godmothers were throwing her she stood straight, tidying her yellow dress.
"Right, I'll get to it right way."
The elderly fairy held up a hand. "Hold on. Both me and Violet here blessed the child with good hair, so please-"
"Got it!" interrupted the youngest fairy. "I bless this child with amazing hair!" she proclaimed, nodding at a job well done.
The two fairies, both her seniors, fixed her with angry glares.
"What?"
~
As is time's wont, it passed. And despite the worries of both the royal couple and fairies, the child grew well and healthy. Her hair stayed the same deep blonde of childhood and grew at a slow but steady rate. It was impossible to cut, causing some initial alarm, but it also always looked good no mater the length, so everyone eventually got used to it. Other than that, Rapunzel, for that was the child's name, grew up happy, if a bit pampered.
The kingdom was prosperous, and the king well liked. Rapunzel would spend much time among her subject and was always greeted with joy. Her, now waist-length hair, was instantly recognizable and that chant of "Hair beyond compare" had endured in drinking songs, ballads and even a few plays that included her rather unusual blessing ceremony. She was thoroughly sick of it by this point, but smiled and thanked as a princess should whenever someone thought themselves clever to include it in a play or performance. All in all, Rapunzel, along with the rest of the kingdom, led a blessed life.
But, as all thing do, this too had to eventually come to a close.
Wizards and alchemists had taken note of the story, eagerly spread by the proud citizens of Goldstein. At first, letters were sent asking for any cutting of her hair that might be provided. Given that nothing could be found that could cut her hair, and the few attempts made had caused Rapunzel distress, those were politely declined.
What followed were offers of payment, in sums that even a prosperous king would not find insignificant. Again, as polite as possible, the offers were declined. The pause in letters led the royal couple to hope that that would be the end of it, but alas this was but the prelude to a more direct approach.
An alchemist appeared one day at the castle gate, with a full retinue of servants, and lavish gifts for king, queen, princess and their nobles. In an audience the king could not refuse, the alchemist asked for the opportunity to study the princess's hair. Reluctantly, and after the urging of his nobles, the king accepted.
The Alchemist produced a great deal of esoteric and magical devices with which he examined the princess's hair. His smile became ever wider and the king could see the bare avarice in his eyes. Already regretting his choice, the king bid the Alchemist farewell, who left the next day. After that, the letters only increased in frequency and darkened in tone. They asked for access to the princess, both promising riches, and alluding to consequences should the king refuse.
The king turned to his nobles, but found them already swayed by gifts of gold. Whoever had set their sight on his daughter, they seemed to have a boundless supply of gold, and their influence spread wide. When he appealed to the neighboring kings, they all advised him to acquiesce, hinting that his small kingdom was not up to the task of resisting the masters of the mysterious alchemist. Still the king refused, and fearful of a kidnapping, kept the princess in the tallest tower of his castle, only allowing her to leave under heavy guard. His nobles still pressured him to accept a deal, but he held firm. A short while later, they stopped trying to persuade him.
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That should have worried him more.
~
It was a cold night in late autumn, the air carrying a sting that promised a bitter winter to come, when dark figures appeared over Goldstein castle. Riding gigantic bats, the figures wore tight cloaks made of a shifting, flowing fabric as dark as the night; Darkness spun into cloth. They alighted on the tower, the bat's claws scratching the stone as they found their grip. Silently, the figures descended to the windows. Below them, the castle slept. The guards had received instruction, and payment, not to look up.
Silently, the window to the princess's bedchambers was opened. The hooded figure came through like shadows, their feet not making a sound. Barely visible, they seemed to glide across the floor. Rapunzel lay in her bed, peacefully resting. Her elderly maid had taken to falling asleep in the couch next to the bed, made anxious by the king's fear for his daughter's safety. A stiletto, as thin as a needle, punched into her throat, and she barely made a sound as she died.
The princess stirred in her sleep, and a powder-like fine sand was sprinkled over her and she fell into a deeper, magical, slumber. Her hands and feet were tied, and she was placed into a basket that hung between three bats. As silently as they arrived, the figures departed, black shadows against the full moon.
~
Rapunzel woke up in an unfamiliar place. She was lying in a small bed in the corner of the white room. There was little else in the room, excepting a chair and a small table with a glass and a jug of water. Her head felt fuzzy, and she tried to rub the sleepiness from her eyes. The door opened and a woman wearing a strange uniform entered. It was white with red accents, and seemed to have been spun in a spiral around her body. She sat down and smiled at Rapunzel.
"Hi there, you must be wondering where you are."
Rapunzel nodded, even as she tried to sit as far as she could from the strangely dressed woman.
"There's nothing to worry about. We're just going to examine your hair - isn't it pretty - and then you'll get to go home. How about that?"
"I want to go home now." said Rapunzel, with as much determination as she could muster. "I'm a princess, you can't do this."
"My dear, it was your father who allowed us to bring you here."
"That's a lie!" called Rapunzel, and her hair seemed to poof out a little.
The woman just smiled at her and stood up. "Get some rest. Tomorrow we're going to figure out what makes your hair so special."
She left the room, and a bolt could be heard sliding on the other side. Rapunzel hid under the sheets until a feverish sleep took her. Tears stained her pillow as she kept waking up expecting to see her room and maid.
~
"Age" asked the man with the dead eyes. Rapunzel didn't answer.
"10, nearing 11" said the woman from the day before. "Remember, The more you help us, the faster you can go home."
Rapunzel crossed her arms. She was sat in another featureless room, on a tall bench surrounded by all sorts of medical, and other, devices. Scalpels, saws, thread and needles, but also butcher's knives, hammers, tongs, strange black arrows and even swords hung neatly organized from racks on the walls.
They had weighed her, measured the length of her hair, and used a stethoscope to listen to her heart, her lungs and even her scull.
"I want to go home." she repeated. The two adults ignored her.
"Let's start with normal materials." said the dead-eyed man, picking up a small pair of scissors.
Rapunzel shied away, but he only took a single hair and tried to cut it. Predictably, it didn't work. The scissors bend around the hair, letting it slip between the blades. The woman made a note , and the man picked up a knife.
They tried knives, saws, clippers, a sword, glass, stone knives, another of her own hair, a red string... Then they tried to damage the hair. It was draped over an anvil, and a large hammer was used to smash it. It seemed to Rapunzel that she could feel the shock of the impact through her hair, but that might have just been the loud sound.
A few hours later, they had exhausted all the tools in the room. Rapunzel dared to hope that this was it. "You can't cut it, can I go now?"
The man's emotionless eyes looked right through her. "Oh child, we are just getting started."
~
The next day she was brought to a room that clearly belonged to an alchemist. Beakers and vials bubbled with strange liquids, and there was a heady scent in the air. The same man who had visited her kingdom and tried to cut her hair was waiting for them, also dressed in the strange white and red uniform.
He smiled wide when he saw her, but his eyes never found hers, he only looked at her hair.
"Ready, Master?" asked the woman. Both she and the emotionless man from the day before were there. She hadn't found out their names yet.
"Oh yes... I have been preparing for this for a long time."
He took one of her hairs and pinched it in a clamp. Then he put a candle flame underneath it. A few seconds later he replaced it with a stronger flame, coming from a circular tube. A minute later he removed the flame and held the hair up for inspection. He brought out a magnifying glass and leaned closer.
"Marvelous" he said, grinning like a tiger.
"Now for the acids."
He took her hair and dangled it into a vial from which came a strong, biting scent. Rapunzel began to feel an itch on her scull, right where the hair ended. The itch got worse and worse, until pain, sharp like a needle was digging into her head. Rapunzel cried out, clutching at her hear.
"Aha! A reaction!" said the Alchemist with a smile. "Bind her, and shut her up will you?"
The woman grabbed her arms and held them down while the dead-eyed man put straps on her. Another strap went over her mouth, tightening painfully and chocking her screams.
"Now let's see what the acid has done."
The Alchemist pulled out the hair from the vial using tweezers, and wiped it down with a towel. He examined it with a looking glass, and made a note. Then he started pacing.
"No damage. The follicle seemed unharmed, but the reaction of the subject indicates an effect. Regeneration? Does the hair draw power from the rest, from the subject itself? No. A child would not sustain that level of power. Proceed with other toxic substances."
He nodded to the dead-eyed man who took his place. He picked up a vial containing a dark green liquid that moved by itself, swirling and twisting in the glass. He met Rapunzel's pleading eyes with his own emotionless ones. He didn't seem to register her existence as he began his experiments.
~
That night, Rapunzel had to be carried into her room, still shaking and trembling. They gave her a sleeping draught, and despite herself, she fell into dreamless slumber.
The next few days were much the same. They had talked of drugging her during the tests, but the Alchemist rejected it, wanting to see her reaction to his foul concoctions.
A week later, blessedly, the tests stopped. She was told that she would soon be going home, and she hoped the nightmare was over. She still had tremors, and the headaches hadn't gone completely away, but she could sleep again, if only due to exhaustion. Her hair was still whole. Nothing they had tried had worked. It only caused her pain, but her hair withstood it all. She wished her blessing gone, or for these people, whoever they were, to succeed, so that they might let her go.
As the days passed, she noticed a change in her hair. It had always styled itself as it pleased, and no comb or braid could change it for long, but it seemed to have developed a mind of it's own. It seemed more... active. It swayed when she moved her arms, like a cape flowing around her. Sometime she woke up from a rare good dream and found her hair had wrapped her tight in a warm cocoon. She wasn't afraid; the hair immediately loosened before she could even think of it, but it was strange.
Then, the tests began again. This time they tested her body, making her run, or lay down, or do squats until she threw up. They overfed her, starved her, froze her room until she was shivering, and heated it up until she could barely breathe. Her hair tried to protect her as much as it could, wrapping her in a cold and gently swaying in the heat to move the stifling air. When it tried to lift her from the ground, where she had collapsed after another grueling training session, the Alchemist noticed.
After that, she was forced to spend most of her day trying to move her hair deliberately. By this time, she had given up hope of going home. The lie had been repeated so many times that it had lost its luster. Hope had left her, and in that void, anger flowed in. Against the Alchemist, the people who had taken her, her parents for not protecting her... where was her rescue? In all the stories, a prince would have arrived, killed all the bad people, and rescued her. Taken her home.
Home. Tears filled her eyes at the thought.
No! She shook herself. There was no use in thinking about that.
She instead focused on her training. She could now move her hair with much more control, though she feigned incompetence during the day, and practiced in her room at night. Her hair became more an extension of her, and she could use it to grab things in a clumsy grip. Her days weren't so bad, now that the pain has stopped. She felt like they had forgotten about her, as she was only in one in a line of cells. Then, the dead-eyed man appeared at her door again.
~
"Report." said the Alchemist to the dead-eyed man.
"After failing to incise the hair, we turned to more indirect methods. We attempted to remove the skin around the follicle and remove it that way. Sadly, the protection of the hair extends to it's base, and the subject's scull appears similarly resilient. We also made incisions in other places. Her face, torso and limbs do not seem to share the same protection. The blessing seems localized the hair on her scalp. Finally, as per your hypothesis, her hair seems a remarkable conductor of magical energies."
The Alchemist looked down at the still muzzled Rapunzel.
"Excellent work. I have contacted our smiths, and they have finished my design. In one week, we will be cutting her hair."
He leaned down and looked at the bound Rapunzel in the eyes.
"Won't that be fun?"