Corona was a fairly large country, at least relative to the countries around it. The capital of Corona (also named Corona), was built on shipping port, on an island connect to the main land. It was a shipping port that had one entrance/exit for ships, and the water was otherwise inside of a valley. It was secluded enough to be safe from attacks, and close enough to trade routes to be a major shipping port, which added to Corona's wealth.

Frederick's holding was not like this at all. On Frederick's mother's side he was a Lorraine, the ruling royal family. On his (deceased) father's side he was a Salian, the wealthiest family besides the Lorraines. His family holding was a combination of his mother's dowry, and the Salian estates. Unlike Corona's capital, which was a sea port housed in a valley, the Salia was an area of rich farming ground. A lot of Corona's food was grown in either Salia or Salian owned property, especial Coronan Apples.

Lephia knew all of this, but it was one thing to know it, and another to see it. For sure, Frederick's maison wasn't as large or grand as the palace in Corona, but it was still ages past the rough, sturdy tower her family lived in. She fought down the urge to tuck herself against Frederick for comfort. When she married Frederick these would be her lands, and her people, and it would be her job to care for them. If Frederick was unable to separate Eugene Fitzherbert and Rapunzel, and Frederick had to push forward on his other plans then she would be the person in charge of his estates.

It was a daunting task, but in some ways she loved the challenge. Frederick had promised to pay off her family's debts and leave her mother with a generous bride price besides. Lephia was a daughter of the mountains, but now she would have to run a holding where the main problem wasn't having enough food for the winter, or being attacked by bandits, but making sure that they produced enough food to feed everyone, but not so much as to not make a profit. She would be in charge of making sure Corona had enough food.

Yet somehow none of this compared to the hardship she was about to take: meeting Frederick's mother.

Frederick's mother was an attractive older woman. Her face had lined some over the years, but she didn't look that far off from the portrait of her hanging in the halls of Corona's palace. What's more, she looked just like Frederick, same hair, same eyes, same complexion. Brown hair, brown eyes, fair skinned. She held herself tall and proud, like a woman who had much. She was tall and slender, and regal.

Lephia didn't want to stand next to her. Lephia wasn't ugly, and she wasn't fat. Merely, she didn't have the carriage of someone who was born from the line of kings. At that moment Lephia fully understood the stress Rapunzel felt to live up to a royal way that, by having not grown up with it, she'd probably never fully grasp. Lephia understood, as she exited the carriage with Frederick and walked over to greet his mother, that Lady Gisela of Lorraine and Salia would never accept her.


"Why are we doing this again?"

"We're buying a wedding present for Lephia and your cousin Frederick," Queen Catherine told her daughter.

"Not to be rude… I mean, I don't know know, I mean why not just…"

"Would you mind speaking up a little bit, I'm having trouble hearing you, and I'd like to hear what you have to say," Queen Catherine said.

There is was, just another sign that the queen wasn't like Mother Gothel. Gothel always ridiculed Rapunzel for mumbling. Her real mother didn't do that, but asked her to speak up so she could hear and understand. The idea that her mother really wanted to know what she had to say made Rapunzel smile and gave her the confidence to speak up. What she didn't know was that Eugene, after promising not to tell anyone what she'd told him about Gothel and how she was treated by her fake mother, went to the King and Queen and told them everything he could so they'd understand her better.

"Why are we buying something from town and not ordering something made?" A few weeks ago, or even with many of her teachers now, Rapunzel would never have asked such a question, not out loud anyway.

"There are a couple of reasons. For one, a lot of the wedding will be custom made. Second, it's good to be seen around town once in a while. Third, it's good to give shops our business, it will temporarily boost their sales. And finally, buying special under garments for the bride is a tradition in my family." Queen Catherine said that last bit with a smile so ready for trouble that Rapunzel was temporarily reminded of Eugene.

"So, why am I here?" Eugene asked.

The queen glanced back at him, still smiling. "So I can embarrass you by making you spend a day with your future mother in law in a lingerie store," she said with a wicked look on her face.

She'd drug him out of his normal job with some vague comment about needing a guard. At the time he hadn't minded so much because the work was boring and he'd be with Rapunzel, even if they did have a chaperone. He'd been spending as much time with her as he possibly could to make up for how many weeks they'd lost. Somehow being back together made being separated even for a small bit of time seem all the more worse.

Now he was starting to wonder if it wouldn't have been better to stay in his office decoding messages.

"Is it really a tradition?" Rapunzel asked.

"Yes, actually. In my family the women get together and buy undergarments for the bride for her wedding night. My sisters did it for me, and I did it for them. When you get married I'll with Lephia to buy for you," she said with a pleasant smile that inspired fear in the pit of Eugene's stomach.

He'd always assumed that he needed to be afraid of King William the most, but now he was starting to reconsider. Queen Catherina, the King had said, had been strong for her husband when Rapunzel was taken away. It was clear to Eugene now how far the Queen had gone, and would go. Rapunzel was a lot like the Queen, in flashes. Rapunzel loved adventure and learning new things, difference and discovery. This could sometimes include looks that put his Smolder to shame.

Then there was the Queen, who was every bit as intelligent, but without all Rapunzel's fears and with all kinds of strength, confidence, and a downright wicked personality. Yes Queen Catherine had brought him along to torture him, but there was something very clear about her saying she would buy underwear for her daughter's wedding night: If the Queen was ever given reason to doubt him, or to feel that he would be a bad companion for Rapunzel he'd be dead so fast. The King wouldn't even have to back her up. King William would give Rapunzel away at the wedding, but without Queen Catherine's silent consent would never be a wedding.