Woohoo! I am *loving* this! Especially now I have discovered that Tangled isn't the only subject covered out here (Duuuuuh. Anyways). So I am reading every Zutara-fanfic there is. Thinking of trying some Treasure Planet or The Lion King. We'll see.
As always, please review, it makes my day complete! Especially today, I have made some big mistakes at my job :( It's going to be okay, but I still feel bad about it. Luckily, I do have good feelings about my exam from yesterday (Dutch. Urgh).
I was silently taking in my surroundings. It was the second time I stepped out of the cave into the forest. Still, I already knew that this particular forest would never, ever, cease to amaze me. Where else in the whole wide kingdom would you be able to find a pub cosily named The Snugly Duckling, only to discover it was inhabited by thugs. Or just a pub called the Snugly Duckling, period. That's why I couldn't keep my inner smile from appearing on my face.
"What are you thinking of?"
"The time we spent in The Snugly Duckling." I only have to say the name and I start glowing. He notices. Of course he does. Somehow, he understands my body language way better than I understand his.
"Yeah, you smile. You somehow managed to have a good time."
"Aah, come on Eugene. You were dancing and singing too. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it." Hihi. I'm not *that* bad at body language. It had been clear for all present to see that he really, desperately, utterly had not enjoyed the dancing and singing.
"Grr, argh. Wait.. What? No!"
"Very articulate."
"Thanks. Let it be enough that I most certainly did not enjoy my time in that pub." He managed to say 'that pub' as if it was the greasiest, filthiest, most inhospitable place he had ever been to.
"But you did enjoy the Kingdom Dance, didn't you? Don't tell me you didn't, I'm not buying it."
"Yeah, well, yeah. Sure. I liked that. Which makes me think of a more pressing matter. What are we going to do when we arrive at the Kingdom?" By this time the cave had already disappeared behind us. Both of us were walking, with Max by our side. Pascal was, as always, to be found on my shoulder. Eugene had at first insisted on me riding Maximus. But he was clearly tired from the sprint to save me. Added to that, he was already burdened with all my stuff. So I nicely refused. Eugene had wanted to make a fuss about it (he is more and more becoming a real gentleman. Though at times Flynn could still surface), but in the end he saw too that it would have been cruel to Max. And now we were heading down the hill. I didn't exactly know where the city was. But knowing it was situated near a delta, the only right way could be down. Of course Eugene knew the way too, so there was no way we were getting lost. Still, shouldn't think that too loud. You never know.
"What do you mean? Don't we just present ourselves to my parents?" It was hard to think it. I had parents. More importantly, I had a father! I've never had a father before. I wonder what they will be like.
"Uhuh. You know that Corona is riddled with Wanted-posters, all portraying someone who is supposed to look like me, but with the strangest noses I have ever seen?"
"Oh. Right. Hadn't thought of that. Still, I am the lost princess. The guards will have to obey me, won't they?"
"Sure they will. Once they have been proven that you are this mysterious lost princess. You don't even have the same hair colour anymore as when you were lost!" Hmm. He was right about that. Still, I think it won't make that much of a difference.
"But I am my parents' daughter! Surely they will see the likeness."
"Maybe. Possibly. But I am most certainly not prepared to bet my life on it." And then I saw the solution. How come neither of us had thought of this earlier?
"We have Maximus!"
"Yeah, so what?"
"Well, he is a palace horse. And if I have understood him correctly, he is not just any palace horse. His master was the Captain of the Guards. Once the Guards see that Maximus is friendly with us, they will know that we mean no harm."
"I still think it's risky."
"Of course it is risky! But what else is there? We are just going to walk in and get to the palace as quickly as possible. Preferably unnoticed. When we are there, my parents will recognise me, I will convince them to pardon you and we can live happily ever after." He still didn't look very convinced. I wasn't either, for that matter. But it's as I said. What else was there?
