Chapter 8: Nightmares and Daydreams
The sun's rays flowed through the window that led to Rapunzel's bedroom, slowly crawling across the floor and up the bed to where the princess lay with the sheets strewn about her, dressed in a white nightgown with her chocolate brown hair splayed out around her. As the sun hit her face, she grunted in sleepy annoyance before rolling over to face away from the window, the movement causing Pascal to tumble from his position on one of her pillows and onto the mattress. The movement jostled Pascal awake, prompting him to slowly open his eyes and sleepily look around the room, smacking his dry lips.
As he looked around, Pascal noticed the door to the room slowly opening. Narrowing his eyes, Pascal focused on it, watching as Merida slowly poked her head into the room. Seeing Rapunzel sleeping, she grinned brightly before raising a finger to her lips as she noticed Pascal watching her. Slipping quietly inside, Merida tip-toed across the room, the rustling of the dark green dress she wore being the only sound she made. Stopping in front of the bed, Merida's grin widened as she leaned towards Rapunzel, Pascal taking the opportunity to scramble off of the bed.
"Rapunzel," she said softly, "Rapunzel, it's time tae get up."
Rapunzel made a few sleepy noises and raised her head to look at Merida through squinted eyes.
"Merida?" she questioned groggily, "What are you-"
"Happy birthday!" Merida exclaimed as she sprang forward and flopped onto Rapunzel's bed, the motion causing Rapunzel to bounce into the air with a shriek before falling on the floor in a tangle of sheets.
"Ye okay?" Merida questioned with a mixture of amusement and concern as she pulled herself over to the side of the bed. Rapunzel sat up and pulled off the sheet that had draped itself over her head and pushed her hair out of her face before turning to look at Merida. The two princesses looked at one another for a few quiet moments until Merida began to worry that she had done something wrong. Then, Rapunzel smiled brightly and began to giggle at her friend, prompting Merida to do the same, a look of relief washing over her face.
"Ugh, my head," Rapunzel groaned through her giggles, placing her palm against her forehead.
"Did ye hit yer head?" Merida questioned with a note of concern.
"No," Rapunzel answered, shaking her head as she pulled herself up and sat on the bed, "I think it's from yesterday."
"Ye were pretty oot o' it by th' end o' th' day," Merida agreed as she shifted her place on the bed so she was sitting next to Rapunzel.
"I definitely overdid it," Rapunzel agreed as she ran a hand through her hair, "How many did I have again?"
"Two," Merida answered with a chuckle.
"I'm not very good at this drinking thing," Rapunzel observed with a weak laugh.
"Ye'll get better," Merida reassured her with a smile, "It jist takes saeme practice."
"I hope so," Rapunzel replied, "I don't remember even getting back to the castle. In all honesty, even with how I feel, that was one of the best night's sleep I've had in awhile."
"Why dae ye say 'at?" Merida questioned in confusion.
"Well….there's a reason that I usually get up as early as I do," Rapunzel explained, looking slightly uncomfortable as she rested her clasped hands in her lap, her eyes cast down at them, "Sometimes….a lot of the time….I have nightmares."
"Aboot whit?" Merida asked with concern.
"A lot of things, honestly," Rapunzel answered, taking a deep breath and looking back at Merida before continuing, "Sometimes I'm back in the pyre, the heat burning my skin and the smoke filling my lungs. Other times, I'm a baby playing with my cousin Elsa, only to watch her get pulled into the darkness by something that I can't see. Then there are times where I'm underwater in a wrecked ship and I see my aunt and uncle's corpses floating in the water. And sometimes, I wake up in a small, dark space and I start to panic when I realize what it is."
"Whit is it?" Merida asked, her concern turning to worry.
"My coffin," Rapunzel whispered, her eyes wide as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"Och, Sun above," Merida whispered in realization, "It's because ye….it's from when ye…."
"When I died," Rapunzel finished, her eyes shifting away from Merida to look at nothing, a lost expression on her face.
"Sun above, Rapunzel, Ah cannae imagine whit 'at must hae been like," Merida said sympathetically, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder.
"I actually don't remember much of it," Rapunzel admitted, turning to look at Merida, "You know how people say when you're dying, you see a light at the end of a tunnel?"
"Aye," Merida replied.
"I didn't see that," Rapunzel stated, "Well, I mean there was a light but it was more like a rainbow kaleidoscope. And there was a noise, like a buzzing noise."
"Buzzin'?" Merida questioned in confusion, "Like a bug?"
"No," Rapunzel answered with a shake of her head, her expression pensive as she tried to think of how to explain properly while looking away from Merida again, "It sounded like….like a bird flapping its wings very fast, faster than a bird actually could. I don't know how else to describe it."
"'At's sae strange," Merida commented, a confused and thoughtful look on her face, "Ah can see why it's been troublin' ye."
"That's not the main thing that troubles me though," Rapunzel confessed as she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.
"Whit has been?" Merida asked, squeezing Rapunzel's shoulder.
"In the nightmares, I always feel like I'm being watched," Rapunzel explained, "Even the one where I'm in the coffin. Sometimes I see someone too. Someone who….who doesn't belong."
"Whit dae ye mean?" Merida pressed.
"There's someone, a man, who keeps appearing in my nightmares," Rapunzel went on, "I don't know who he is. I've never seen him before but he keeps showing up."
"Ye're sure it's t'e same person?" Merida questioned.
"He's impossible not to recognize," Rapunzel replied, "He's tall and gaunt, dressed all in black with almost grey skin. But his eyes are what I always remember. Yellow eyes, like a wolf's."
Merida blinked in surprise at Rapunzel, not knowing what to say to the other princess as the brunette pulled her legs closer to herself. By that time, Pascal had wandered back to the bed and crawled up onto Rapunzel's shoulder, stroking the young woman's hair gently. As Merida continued to watch her friend, a look of determination crossed her face.
"Well, as scary as they may seem, they're still just nightmares," Merida declared resolutely, "They cannae actually hurt ye."
"I guess you're right," Rapunzel agreed, turning to look at Merida again.
"Ah know Ah am," Merida stated as she stood up and turned to Rapunzel, offering the other princess her hand, "Let's nae let a few nightmares ruin yer birthday, alright?"
"Okay," Rapunzel replied, a small grin spreading across her features as she took Merida's offered hand and allowed the redhead to help her to her feet.
"Let's get ye ready," Merida said with a smile, "After all, Ah'm sure ye want tae look good on yer birthday. Especially fer a certain saemeane."
Rapunzel giggled as she let Merida lead her over to her wardrobe, her disposition becoming sunnier at the mere mention of her certain someone.
Meanwhile,
Quasi wandered by himself through one of the wings of the castle, dressed in his favorite green tunic. All around him were bits and pieces of Corona's history and the royal family with it. Portraits of the various rulers, along with other important figures, lined the walls, and glass cases holding items of importance.
Eventually, he came to a crossroads of hallways. Before him, Quasi knew, the hall led to a large, ornate room that was once used to hold the tiara of the Lost Princess. However, since both the Lost Princess had been found and a large security flaw had been found in the room, it currently wasn't being used for anything at all. Quasi turned away from the door and went down another hall, which came to an end in front of a set of large double doors.
Standing in front of the door was a single guard, dressed in his red and gold uniform and carrying a tall, iron spear. He was a pudgy man with brown hair sticking out from under his helmet and dull, blue eyes examine some grit he had found on his uniform. He looked up as Quasi entered the hallway, smiling as he saw the hunchback.
"Good morning, sir!" the guard greeted cheerfully.
"Good morning," Quasi replied with a smile and a nod, "It's Samuel, right?"
"Indeed it is, sir," Samuel confirmed with a nod, "You're here to see the general, I imagine?"
"He wanted to meet me here," Quasi replied with a nod, a nervous expression on his face.
"He got here a little while before you," Samuel explained, "Should I knock for you?"
Taking a moment to try and calm himself, Quasi gave Samuel a small, hesitant nod. Nodding back, Samuel reached over his shoulder and knocked on the door, the sound echoing into the room on the other side.
"Enter," a brisk voice said from the other side, prompting Samuel to open the door and step aside to let Quasi enter, smiling as the hunchback passed him. The room beyond was a large, circular one, the floor made of polished marble while the walls were covered in white plaster. Windows lined most of the wall, allowing sunlight from outside to filter in and light the room naturally. At the center of the room was a marble pedestal, upon which sat a kite shield resting on a plush purple pillow, in front of which stood Francois with military rigidness, his back to Quasi and the door.
"Good morning, Quasi," Francois greeted, glancing over his shoulder at the hunchback as he entered.
"Uh, good morning, sir," Quasi replied as he shut the door behind him, "You wanted to speak with me?"
"I did," Francois confirmed, "Thank you for coming, I know today is a very busy day but I felt it was urgent."
"What did you want to speak with me about?" Quasi questioned as he walked up next to Francois. As he drew closer, he was able to get a closer look at the shield, which was made of such finely polished metal that it reflected light as easily as a mirror, though the curved structure caused anything it showed to become warped and distorted.
"I heard about what happened yesterday between you and my son," Francois replied, his gaze turning from the shield to Quasi, whose face turned pale at the words.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean for anything to happen," Quasi quickly sputtered, only to stop as Francois quirked a confused eyebrow at him.
"What are you apologizing to me for?" Francois questioned, "It is I who owes you an apology."
"R-Really?" Quasi asked in surprised confusion.
"Of course," Francois replied with a nod, "It was my son who acted without honor yesterday. Not only did he unjustly disparage the character of both the Crown Princess and the Hero of the Realm, he attacked an unarmed man."
Francois sighed and looked back at the shield, quietly studying his reflection for a few moments.
"I thought I had raised Leon right, brought him up to be a good man this kingdom could be proud of, but clearly I was wrong," Francois sighed, turning his attention back towards Quasi, "It is my fault though. In my fear that the Princess would never return, I raised Leon to rule Corona when my brother and I passed. I allowed him to dream of something that would ultimately never be his."
"You….You can't blame yourself for that," Quasi said, a pang of sympathy striking him.
"I'm his father, Quasimodo," Francois retorted, "There's no one else to blame."
"He's still his own person," Quasi replied, "He makes his own choices, just like the rest of us. For better or for worse. And that means he still has a chance to pick better in the future."
Francois blinked down at Quasi for a moment before a small smile spread across his features.
"You are wiser than your years, Quasi," Francois commented.
"I grew up in a church," Quasi replied with a shrug as he glanced away and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, earning a chuckle from Francois.
"If we could all be so lucky," Francois stated, "I believe that the teaching you learned in the cathedral will help you in the future."
Quasimodo looked up at Francois in confusion, but instead of offering an answer, the general turned to face the shield again.
"Apologies were not the only reason I wanted to meet with you today, Quasi," Francois stated, "Do you know what this room is?"
"This is the treasure room," Quasi answered, "This is where they keep the most important items in the kingdom's history. Even more important than…."
Francois smiled as Quasi trailed off.
"Even more important than the crown you stole a year and a day ago," Francois finished for him, chuckling as he did, "Can you tell me what ones?"
"Well, first there's the Founder's Sword," Quasi explained, "It was the sword of Charlemagne, the first king and founder of Corona."
Glancing around, a confused expression crossed Quasi's face.
"I don't see it here though," Quasi stated, looking up at Francois for an explanation.
"It's here," Francois explained as he patted the sword that hung from his belt, "Though normally it is not."
"You carry it?" Quasi questioned in shock.
"As is my honor as a general of royal blood," Francois answered, "With the sword of my ancestor at my side, I become a symbol of the strength of our kingdom. I become something our people can rally behind. You can become that as well."
"I can?" Quasi asked, blinking at Francois in shock.
"You're already the Hero of the Realm, something the people of our kingdom believe in," Francois said as he stepped towards the pedestal holding the shield, "All you need is a symbol."
Taking the shield off its pedestal, Francois turned towards Quasi and held it before him, the reflective metal displaying a warped view of the hunchback's face.
"Do you know what this is?" Francois questioned.
"The Holy Shield of Saint Joan, the Lady Knight," Quasi answered with a tone full of wonder, gingerly reaching out to touch it before pulling his fingers back, "They say that it was given to her by Lord Soliel himself when he chose her to be his champion."
"So the story goes," Francois agreed with a smile and a nod, "She wielded it to defend the kingdom, when the kingdom needed it most. She wielded it well and now, Quasimodo, it's your turn."
"W-What?" Quasi questioned, looking up at Francois in shock, "You….you want me….no, no I-I can't."
"Of course you can," Francois replied with an amused snort before shoving the shield into Quasi's hands, "Here, see for yourself."
Out of reflex, Quasi grabbed hold of the shield as it was forced into his hands, taking a half step back in order to keep his balance. After catching himself, Quasi looked at the shield in wonder, the gleaming metal reflecting his wide eyes back at him.
"Light, isn't it?" Francois questioned, "I don't know who made it, but they sure knew what they were doing when they made it, since even with how light it is, the shield can turn aside any blade brought against it."
"I...I don't deserve this," Quasi said as he tried to hand the shield back to Francois.
"Don't be ridiculous," Francois chided as he pushed the shield back at Quasi, "You are the Hero of the Realm, like Lady Joan before you. She wielded this shield in the defense of the kingdom, and now, so will you."
"Do….Do you really think I'll need to help defend Corona?" Quasi questioned with trepidation in his voice.
"The sad truth is the world is not a friendly place," Francois answered grimly, "We must always be prepared to defend ourselves and those we love."
"The world is cruel," the words of a dead man echoed in Quasi's mind, "The world is wicked."
Quasi clenched his eyes closed and shook his head in an effort to banish those thoughts.
"Yes, you have first hand knowledge of that," Francois stated, observing Quasi's reaction, "Evil has many faces, and not all of them are apparent at first glance."
Touching the shield, Francois brought Quasi's attention back to it.
"That's why you'll need this," Francois stated.
"For protection?" Quasi questioned.
"That, yes," Francois replied with a small smile, "But legend also says that the mirrored shine of the shield can only reflect the truth. That anyone who looks at the mirror will see the image of their true selves looking back. The image of who they are underneath everything else."
His eyes widening in surprise, Quasi slowly turned his attention back towards the shield and the reflection it cast back at him.
"Tell me, Quasi," Francois said gently, "What do you see?"
At the request, Quasi focused on the mirrored shine of the shield. At first, all he saw was his own reflection looking back at him. After a few moments, Quasi realized that the reflection was being warped by the curve of the shield and the angle at which he looked upon it. His reflection seemed taller, with a straighter posture and broader shoulders. His face was different as well, handsomer even, with a strong jawline while still possessing his green eyes and dark red hair.
Quasi blinked in surprise at his reflection for a few moments before a smile began tugging at his lips. Lifting his gaze he found Francois smiling down at him.
"I thought as much," he stated with a satisfied nod.
A/N: So, this one has obviously been a long time coming, I guess all I can say is thanks for being patient with me while I wrote it. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it ended up being a lot of fun to write. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!
