Rapunzel, Maximus and I were walking down a faint path that would hopefully lead us toward Corona. I wanted the chance to show Rapunzel around the kingdom before the lanterns came out later that night, and she was eager to see everything she could.
She led the way, skipping merrily along the little trail. Every once in awhile, she would stop to sniff a flower or to pick up a ladybug. The whole thing radiated childish excitement that was a bit contagious. I found myself smiling while she twirled a piece of her hair between her delicate fingers as she pranced onward.
Maximus sniggered from my side. I rolled my eyes at him. The horse had insisted on keeping me within a three foot radius. He was clearly afraid that I would run, and considering my past record, I couldn't really blame him for thinking that. Still, ditching Rapunzel at this point was completely out of the question.
"Ow!" Rapunzel exclaimed as Maximus accidentally stepped on a piece of her hair.
He whinnied apologetically, and she immediately forgave him.
As we continued walking, I bent down and began collecting the majority of her long, golden locks. We continued like that for quite some time: Rapunzel in the lead, dancing along cheerfully; Maximus glaring at me from my right, making sure I wouldn't escape; and me, giving up my manly appearance as I served as a caddy for her endless hair.
Eventually, the trees surrounding the path began to thin out, and we were able to see the spectacular kingdom before us. It was situated on an island in the middle of a large lake that was connected to the rest of the land by a series of stone bridges. The path we'd taken ended about fifty feet in front of one of these bridges.
Rapunzel wasted no time at all. She flashed an ecstatic grin back at me and Maximus before running off, full-speed, in the direction of the kingdom. As she continued to sprint, the length of her hair began to slide out of my arms, following behind her. By the time she stopped moving long enough for me and the horse to catch up, I was no longer carrying any of her hair at all.
I ran alongside Maximus as we struggled to keep up with Rapunzel. She stopped right before the bridge, happiness radiating from her whole being.
She smiled at me and silently mouthed, "Wow."
I grinned back. Seeing her this excited, this pleased was actually causing me to feel a bit happier myself. I really wanted this visit to live up to her expectations. After all, this was the biggest day of her life. I didn't want it to disappoint her.
Sorry that this is a super short chapter. I didn't have a lot of time to write it. I just wanted to let you guys know that I might not update for the next few weeks. AP Exams are coming up and I really need to study. I probably could have gone without including this chapter, but I didn't want to leave you with absolutely nothing. Alright, well review and let me know what you think!