In one of their many mirrors, the odd sisters watched as Rapunzel entered for the first time the kingdom, with its cobblestone paths, elaborate archway entrance, and enormous blue castle nestled on a lush green hillside. The kingdom was a vibrant, beautiful place filled with lovely muted purples and blues. And everywhere Rapunzel looked, there were purple banners splashed with gold stars. There were flower garlands and gingerbread-style cottage storefronts. It was the most beautiful place Rapunzel had ever seen. There was a magnificent mural on one of the enclaves, where little girls gathered to leave offerings for the lost princess. The mural was of the King and Queen and their daughter with golden hair. The lost princess.
The odd sisters saw Rapunzel dash off before they could help her remember. But they wove a spell to bind her, and spun their words like a web, tangling her within her story—the story of the stolen baby, the Princess who was spirited away from her true family, the little girl without a home until the day the thief brought her back. As they watched the Princess dance in the square, they filled her heart with joy and the overwhelming feeling that she was at home. She had never felt so alive.
And then it was time—time to watch the lights.
It started with one lantern. One lonely and heartbreaking lantern. Rapunzel didn’t know why it filled her heart with such sorrow to see it floating alone, reflected in the water, but then the kingdom started to shimmer with thousands of lanterns, and her heart was filled with the same joy she had experienced when she saw the mural of the royal family.
“I think she knows, Lucinda.”
“I think there’s a spark of it in her heart. I think she almost knows.”
“I’m happy we gave the King and Queen the idea to light the lanterns on her birthday,” said Lucinda, watching the lights rise into the heavens.
“They’ve been calling to her. Just as we hoped,” said Martha.
“Do you think Circe will blame us for betraying Gothel? For giving the counter enchantment to the King so his guards could get through the thicket?” asked Ruby.
“We did it to get Gothel out of that horrid place. To bring her closer to us! We had no idea it would…Never mind. Gothel is lost to us,” said Lucinda.
“Look—I think Rapunzel knows.” They watched as the young princess experienced more joy than she had known her entire lifetime.
“She will know soon. The spark is turning into a light. Her world has shifted,” said Martha, smiling at the Princess surrounded by the floating lights.
“Wait? What is that? That green light?” asked Ruby.
“What green light?” asked Lucinda. “Where?”
“Look, in that mirror. On the shore! Gothel’s hooligans!” And then the mirrors went black.
“What’s happened?” The sisters were in a panic.
“Show us the girl!” screamed Lucinda, but all the mirrors were cold and still, and eerily dark.
“I don’t understand!” said Lucinda, searching all the mirrors and finding only blackness.
“What’s wrong with the mirrors? Why have they gone black?”
Then a face appeared in every mirror. It was solemn and filled with wrath.
“Stop interfering!” It was Circe.
“We’re helping!” cried the odd sisters. “We’re helping the Princess.”
“You’re not to interfere with anyone ever again. Do you understand?”
“But—”
“It will only end in heartbreak if you do, my sisters, my mothers.”
“But—”
“Every time you try to help, something goes wrong. You are walking nightmares, a menace! Ursula is dead because of you! Maleficent has died by your hands! Snow White is forever plagued by nightmares because you tortured her as a child! You destroy everything you touch! Now please, you’ve already ruined one life in this story, and I’m afraid she is already beyond redemption. Do you really want to ruin another?”
“But—”
“No! Leave this to me! If you ever want to see me again, you will leave it alone. You will trust that the fairies and I have this handled. Do not interfere!”
“What do you mean you and the fairies?” asked Lucinda.