Rapunzel's Fate

“Even if there is a solution, I can’t risk this plague getting any worse. Even a short detour could cost dozens of lives. This is the only way, Jehoram. I’m never going to find my parents, and I’m never going to be able to explore the world.”

— Rapunzel

If only Rapunzel's tale had ended when she left the tower. At least it did not become a tragedy, but the story of the real woman was not quite the triumph that the fairy tale portrays. The story is not old enough yet to become true legend, but it is included here as a tale of courage and strength, and a memorial to a truly remarkable woman.

The Story As Known

As ramshackle as it looked from the outside, the inside of the tower was fairly sizeable and well-kept. They hadn’t even been away long enough for much dust to gather. There were various scars in the main room from that final battle with the witch, but most of it was reparable, and the kitchen table was somehow unscathed. Jehoram was pretty sure he remembered smashing into the solid wood at one point.

— From Out of the Tower

Rapunzel was taken from her parents by the witch Feliveg as an infant, and raised in the witch's tower. The girl was, according to most sources, treated humanely, but not to the standards of any loving parent or guardian, or indeed anyone needing anything beyond a servant. Due to the nature of the enchantments on the tower, Rapunzel was unable to leave, and her hair grew to a prodigious length.
When the Hero Jehoram investigated, he promptly decided to help her escape the witch. This took some effort, involved his being thrown from the tower and blinded, and also memory loss for the last two months of his life, essentially erasing the majority of his time with Rapunzel. The young lady herself was capable, and with the metaphorical push she was able to defeat Feliveg and cast her down.
Literally. It was rather gruesome.

The Adventure and the Plague

“This is Uvdalf the Uncorruptible. He’s our wizard.”
Rapunzel blinked. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘un-corruptible’? As if it was spelled with a ‘u’?”
“He did.” Uvdalf smiled slyly. “That way it’s an alliteration. Easier to remember.” He winked.
“But it’s supposed to be ‘incorruptible’. With an ‘i’.” Rapunzel smiled back, showing a lot of her teeth.

After leaving the tower, Rapunzel set out to see the world. She convinced Jehoram that they'd been engaged, and since he couldn't remember well enough to say otherwise, he went along with it. They met up with some of Jehoram's friends, and went questing as per the heroic traditions.
Then the plague struck. The initial symptoms were innocuous enough: the patient would develop severe nausea, and their skin would turn blue. Eventually, they would turn into a cloud of smoke. None of the doctors or mages in the area had any idea how to stop it. Even Rapunzel's lingering odd magic effects did nothing to help.
Rapunzel and Jehoram searched for a solution, frantic to stop the spread. Their search grew more urgent when one of their companions contracted the disease. Eventually, they were led to a co-worker of Feliveg's: the witch Nasturium. After the heroes were thoroughly defeated by Nasturium, they came to a truce, and she revealed the cause of the plague.
Feliveg, as per the work and traditions of her guild, had been contracted to craft a number of deadly curses. Since such things are dangerous, she had followed protocol and bound the core of the magic to an anchor: Rapunzel, safely contained within the tower. Feliveg released the curses to the world with her dying breath, and when Rapunzel left the tower, the magic was unleashed.

The Return to the Tower

Rapunzel smiled, and there was just a tinge of relief to it. “Oh, I don’t mind. Not right now, anyway. This world, it’s complete nonsense, but I can make my part of it good.” She picked up a book and put it on the shelf with a loving pat. “It’s easier to make a part of the world good if it’s a small part.”

Rapunzel returned to the tower. There was no other solution. Feliveg, the only person who could possibly know the exact nuances of her curses, was dead. She told Jehoram the true nature of their relationship, that he had simply helped her, and there had not been enough time for romantic feelings to develop, let alone an engagement.
He remained her friend, and in time they fell in love for real. As far as I am aware, Rapunzel yet remains in the tower. Her husband Jehoram and her children were able to leave, and they all searched for a way to release her, to no avail. According to her own words, she is quite content, but those who know her oft describe a wistful look in her eye, a desire for the adventure she had so desired.

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A more detailed version of this story can be found in Fractured Ever After: A Collection of Fairy Tale Retellings, available on Amazon.