Chapter 62 - The Weekend Of: Part 4 of ?
Rapunzel awoke with a start, her face sweaty and chest heaving. She sat up immediately, quickly eyeing the side of her bed where Eugene slept peacefully, before looking up to the rafters and seeing Pascal gently and quietly snoring in his little bed.
Rapunzel then dropped her head and looked forward, feeling an agonizing sense of claustrophobia once again. She had a faint remembrance of what she had just dreamed about, something with... a hooded, one-eyed figure... but everything else about it was nothing more than a fuzzy mess pushed to the back of her memory vault. She was also confused, because she remembered getting to the bottom of this nagging feeling in her chest and stomach just a few hours prior... but even though she knew now for a fact that her marriage with Eugene would absolutely not be a trap, she couldn't draw the strength to look at the painted walls of her room that she felt like were ever so slowly encasing her in.
"I need to get out of here," she murmured, desperate beyond beliefs.
Cassandra had been sleeping soundly, not a concern in her small world that was being a lady-in-waiting to the heir to the throne, while also being a hopefully guard-to-be in the near future. That is, if her father ever learns to trust her judgement. Cassandra didn't know exactly why her father, Gainey Jones, was so hesitant on her joining the ranks. Sure, it could be the simple, misogynistic reason society typically upheld that positions of power, like the rank of guard, are meant for only the hands of men. But... her father, knowing him better than she knew anyone else in this world, wasn't that type of person. Or... he never was when she was around...
Nevertheless, Cassandra knew deep down inside that she would never be content with the lady-in-waiting job. For whatever reason, she's felt this pull... this lure to join the guard ranks, maybe because of having been raised by the man in charge of all of them, but her goal in life has always been to one day be the first woman to break the barrier and set a new precedent for society.
Oh, but who knows when that day might come...
Who knows...
Sigh.
In this moment of REM sleep, she was dreaming about what her life might've been like had she taken up the opportunity gifted to her by the Queen of Ingvarr. What type of warrior she would be... fighting in a battalion with others more like herself... when she was all of a sudden woken up by quiet, frantic knocks at her door.
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
"Awwww-ha-ha-ha," she whined and cried, her voice laced with sadness and irritation. She grabbed a nearby pillow and pulled it up to her face. "This can't be happening... not again..."
*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
"Why, oh why does this have to happen to me of all people?" she said in a pleading voice. She lowered the pillow from her face and let out another groan. "What did I ever do to deserve-"
*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
"God, if you're up there, somewhere, listening to me,-" she looked up to the ceiling with her hands held intertwined over the pillow, "-I'd really like to know why you're all of a sudden against me getting a good night's sleep!" She paused, "Is this some kind of sick, twisted joke you're playing? Are you laughing right now?" She clenched her teeth, "Do you find my pain and suffering funny-"
*KNOCK*
"ALRIGHT!" Cassandra snapped, heaving. "I hear your damn knocks! Who are you and what the hell do you want with me at,-" she looked over to her clock, and her face fell, "-two in the morning," she finished quieter, falling back onto her bed with a... you guessed it, another groan. She closed her eyes, silently begging that whoever was so mean-spirited enough to bother her after even after she was woken up hellaciously early the previous day-
Wait.
Woken... up... yesterday...
Cassandra sat up in her bed, opened her eyes, watching the door intently as it was pushed open from the outside, revealing a disheveled brunette-haired Princess who looked absolutely worse for wear. "Rapunzel?" she gasped. Rapunzel stared at her with widened, frightful eyes, taking a slow and small step inside, before immediately walking over to her weapons closet. She wiped her eyes, "Raps, what are you-why are you-"
"Cass," she said, her voice desperate. She pulled open the closet and reached in for a cloak. "I'm sorry, I really am, but I have to take you up on that offer you gave me yesterday." She was holding a darkened, black cloak now, her hands trembling as she messily brought it around her head and dress that Cassandra could tell, through the visible wrinkles, she had slipped on in the dark of the night.
And Cassandra just sat there, staring at her friend with an agape mouth. "Wha-?"
Rapunzel sighed. "I... I can't explain it. I had a nightmare... or, I think I had a nightmare," she said, her voice breaking at the end. Cassandra knew her friend all too well to the point where she knew Rapunzel was about to break down crying again if she didn't do something and step in. So that's what she did; though reluctantly, she jumped out of bed and briskly walked over.
"Okay... okay," she said gently, cautiously. She crossed her arms, yawning once more. "Was it the same one you've been having?" Her sleepy eyes then widened in subtle realization, "Wait, you're still feeling-"
"I don't know!" Rapunzel screeched. Cassandra involuntarily winced, and she immediately apologized. "Cass, I'm-"
"You're sorry... yeah," Cassandra said, blinking. She, in an irritable manner, yawned again, "You're sorry for messing with my already hectic sleep schedule by waking me up in the middle of the night two days in a row; sure, okay. Everything's fine and dandy and fixed now because... you're... sorry." Her voice was ever so sarcastic, and was tainted at the end with an added bite. Clearly, she was not happy; but can you even blame her? Who would be happy getting woken up at two in the morning - let alone, two nights in a row? (the previous night was at three, but you get the point)
Rapunzel whimpered, her fingers trembling as they held onto the ends of the cloak near her face for dear life, and she looked on the verge of tears. The agitation in Cassandra's eyes dissipated away almost as quickly as it had been summed up when she saw this, and she herself now sighed lowly. "Rapunzel..., Raps, please... please don't cry, I didn't... I didn't mean it like that-" She extended a hand.
"No," Rapunzel croaked, wiping her eyes, stepping back. Her eyes were glistening ever so faintly from the small, dim candle light coming from out in the hall. "It's okay... I-... you have a right to be frustrated with me, b-but I can't... I need to get out of here. I'm sorry, but... I-I can't explain it..." Her words fumbled over each other, and she she turned her trembling head while holding onto her cloak for dear life as she finished, "I just... I just need to... to go outside... I-I need to get out of here... like, right now..." she said desperately.
Cassandra took a second to contemplate her next move, looking back to her clock which now told her it was ever so slightly past two now. She bit her lip, thinking a deep thought, before turning back and forcing a smile. "Okay... I should really get my sanity tested soon. But, regardless... it looks like you and me-" she pointed her right thumb at her own right shoulder, "-have a date with destiny."
"Alright," said a giant, half face-painted thug with a deep voice. He and a few other disheveled, angry looking face-painted hooded men stood and sat in this room inside a sewer, around a table sitting directly in front of a small wall with a blue banner. The banner had words written on it in red-paint, spelling out "Appel Pies" with a small red depiction of a poorly drawn apple right smack in the middle. "You've gotten us all up at this ungodly hour." He slammed his knife down onto the table, his voice irritated. "Tell us what this plan of yours is again, Pocket?"
"Oh," Pocket chuckled darkly, "it's not my plan, gentlemen." His voice lowered, and he stepped towards the group of thugs sitting and standing around the table. "It's Lady Caine's plan."
The mention of the cruel vindictive Lady Caine got the thugs mumbling and whispering among one another with intrigued glances. "Lady Caine's plan, hm?" The apparent leader of the small group, the large thug, again commented.
"Yes," Pocket assured, grinning wickedly. "You see, friends. As you surely know, nineteen years ago the crown Princess of our dearly beloved Corona was kidnapped. Since then, she was held hostage in a tower up until almost exactly one year ago when our old friend Flynn Rider came to her rescue." He turned around and walked towards the very same painting of King Frederic. "But shortly after her disappearance, after the Kingdom spent countless and rather useless months searching for her, only finding no avail in doing so... the King-" he clenched his fist and pumped it down in a dramatic fashion, "-snapped. Frederic Helmsworth tightened the laws and unfairly imprisoned even the pettiest of thieves, or those he liked to call... 'undesirable'." He grumbled irritably, turning back to the group, "People like you and me, people who have been given no other choice in life but to stoop to these lowest of lows because it's the only way we...-" he clenched his fists and jaw, growling, "-can... survive."
The leader thug stretched and raised his hand, nodding slowly. "Yeah... we all want him gone for that reason, obviously." He eyed Pocket warily, "But what does Lady Caine need us for?"
Pocket reached forward and picked up an idle apple that had been sitting on the table, and he began to toss it up and down. "Gentlemen, what if I told you that Lady Caine is promising to make you all rich and famous beyond your own beliefs, while also providing you with the perfect opportunity to exact revenge on Frederic Helmsworth and his family for all the treason they've committed against the citizens of Corona?" He turned back to the group and threw the apple, which landed directly onto the red-apple drawn picture with a loud *SPLAT*. He then leaned forward, finishing in a whisper as all the thugs stared at him with widened eyes, "We don't have much time, so I'll ask you all once. Who's... in?"
Cassandra took a small while to get dressed, for she was still half-asleep practically, until she was finally ready to get going with hers and Rapunzel's journey. She was the second and final one to finally walk out of her room, but not before grabbing a small satchel with a long, lengthy piece of rope to accompany them for where they'd soon be going:
Outside Corona's border wall.
Along the way, Cassandra had grabbed a dimly lit, green-colored lantern, and ever so often, she glanced back at her friend. Rapunzel's face wore an expression not at all like the frightened, scared and afraid Princess dealing with nightmares she had come to her as. Instead, Rapunzel looked as if she was having the time of her life, as if she was sincerely and genuinely excited to go out here in the middle of the night and travel outside Corona's wall. And Cassandra still couldn't believe she was doing this.
The girl should really get her sanity tested.
They walked under a small little doorless archway, entering an old storage room the guards used for all sorts of chests and storage compartments surely full of all kinds of inheritables that have gone unclaimed over the years.
Rapunzel smiled looking around and about, clearly never having been in this part of the castle before, and she gasped when Cassandra flung back a curtained banner, revealing...
"Is that a secret passage!?" she squealed quietly, running forward and pulling the banner down, not noticing how it landed right on Cassandra's face. She knelt down on both knees to inspect.
"It was,-" Cassandra said, her voice muffled, "-before you announced it to the whole cas...tle..." She pulled the banner off her face and looked forward, only to see an empty passageway that a few seconds ago had just contained a way too vibrant brunette-haired Princess. "Rapunzel?"
After tracking down her ever so joyous friend (why was Rapunzel so awake at this point in the early morning, again?), Cassandra led her through the dimly lit passageway.
"That was so... fun!" Rapunzel announced after she pushed open the grate door. She crawled forward and stood up straight, stretching her legs and arms while doing so. They were now far away from the grounds of the castle; specifically, they were actually right next to the main bridge entrance and the lake Rapunzel had lovely memories being out on during the two lantern festivals she's taken part in.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you-" Cassandra held up the grate, "-that we are supposed to be-" she then placed it back in its spot, "-sneaking out."
Rapunzel walked forward, turning back to face her friend with a cocky smile. "Cass, one thing you've yet to discover about me is that I am fully capable of being sneaky when I want to-" Her voice caught when she was tackled to the side.
"Shh," Cassandra whispered, a finger to her lips. She motioned her eyes to the street, where two guards walked in tow next to one another. "Nightly patrols. Give it a few seconds."
Rapunzel's eyes widened in panic. "Wait, what!?" she whispered, more like a hiss.
"What?" Cass turned back to her, confused.
"I... I didn't..."
"You didn't stop for a second to think about the guards who patrol the island grounds throughout the night?" Cass chuckled, lightening up, "Don't worry about it. Most of these guys are as blind as bats anyway, so if we're careful enough there's no chance they'll see us. And we're leaving the island in about a minute, anyway."
"Cassandra," Rapunzel pouted, standing up straight. The guards were far gone by now, and she placed both her hands on her hips in an authoritative manner, "That is not a nice thing to say about those hardworking men! They are just simply doing their best job and deserve nothing but praise for all the hardships they go through day in and day out." She tilted her head off to the side, tapping her chin and mumbling, "That reminds me, I haven't thanked Stan and Pete in a while... and isn't Stan's birthday coming up in a few weeks?"
Cassandra opened her mouth to retort, because even while most of her father's men were doing their best, their best wasn't all exactly that great. But instead of telling her ever still so naive friend this, she opted to sigh, not wanting to get into an argument now of all times. "Okay... you're right. I'm sorry."
Rapunzel smiled and extended her a hand, then pulling her up. "Thank you." Her expression then turned to one of confusion, of perplexion, "But how did you even know those guards were there in the first place?"
"Remember my pal Owl?" Rapunzel nodded. "Yeah. If you've forgotten, he's my pair of eyes in the sky." Cassandra extended her left arm out to the side and whistled, watching, with Rapunzel's eyes trailing along, as Owl hooted ever so quietly through the dark night, before flying down and landing on her wrist.
"Owl!" Rapunzel questioned, leaning forward. She extended a finger and rubbed behind his ear, a spot she knew he liked. "I'm so happy to see you again! It's been way too long since we've talked. How have things been?" Much to Cassandra's surprise, Owl hooted something back to Rapunzel, shrugging his little wings with a tired sigh. "You've been taking care of your sick wife, but she's been rather rude to you about it?" Rapunzel huffed, "I know that feeling. Yeesh, let me tell you about the one time I tried to look after Cassandra when she had a leg sprain. That girl hates to be taken care of, let me tell you-" Her voice caught at seeing the confused face of her friend. "Is something wrong?"
I'll just ignore that sly comment, Cassandra thought inwardly. She chose to go back to her main question. "You can talk to Owl?"
Rapunzel tilted her head, Owl mimicking her exact movements, "Yes...?"
Cassandra blinked. She turned to her little friend, "And you're married? Since when?" He hooted something quiet back to her, "Recently? ... Okay." She blinked a few more times beginning to question her own sanity and existence in this small little moment before shrugging her shoulders, "Well... alrighty then. Tell your... wife that I said congratulations." Nonchalantly, she threw her arm up in the air, sending Owl back to wherever he came from, probably an ill and cranky lady owl.
When he was gone, Cassandra then clicked her tongue a few times, and in the background, a groggily-looking worse for wear Maximus and a wide awake and alert Fidella rose from behind some barrels.
Rapunzel stepped forward, her heart skipping a beat. "Maximus! Fidella!"
Fidella gracefully walked forward, while Max yawned and took a few steps right behind her. Clearly the well-respected and well-versed male was not an early morning horse. But, even such, he had a never-ending affection for the Princess, a girl he considered to be one of his closest friends (horses included). And, of course, he would go the ends of the Earth to protect and serve her and overall make sure she's happy, so when Owl came hooting down to him and Fidella telling of a journey that she would be soon adventuring on with Cassandra (another human Max considered to be a friend, because of his connection and bond with Captain Jones), was soon to be taken, he reluctantly agreed just because he loved the feeling he gets whenever that heart-warming smile dazzles across her face.
He neighed a sleepy huff as Cassandra graciously grabbed and petted the front part of his nose. "Max is a little... sleepy, but I'm sure he'll be good once he gets out there running a lil' bit." She looked to her lady horse, "What do you think, 'Del?" Fidella neighed in delight with a raised head, walking forward. Cassandra followed her, while Max simply stared in awe at her beauty as Rapunzel then walked up to him.
She grabbed and caressed his nose in a similar way. "I appreciate you joining us tonight, Max. I know this probably wasn't what you envisioned yourself doing..." Max's face fell with hers, "But I want you to know...-" she leaned forward, whispering into his receiving ear, "-that what you're doing tonight means the absolute world to me. And I promise you, soon, I'll take you somewhere fun in return. How's a trip to the local apple orchard after the wedding sound, hm?" She drew back, and Max neighed in delight, nodding his groggy head. He raised a hoof and saluted her, an act that made Rapunzel burst out into a fit of giggles. She drew back close and wrapped her arms around his neck, cuddling him. He accepted this act through another delightful neigh. "You're the best horse a girl could ever ask for, Max. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Maximus drew back again, looking at this girl he would go to the ends of the world protecting this Princess he helped rescue a little over one year ago, now. His attention was diverted though when the sound of a bow being shot filled his ears, and he and Rapunzel both turned, watching as a harpoon-like arrow flew through the air, landing with a quiet little *THUMP* all the way across the lake.
Rapunzel stepped forward towards the small little boat Cassandra had arranged for them, then stepping inside as she and her friend helped the two horses get on in the back. Because of their massive combined weight, Maximus and Fidella's back end was tilted more downward, but the boat thankfully was able to stay afloat as Cassandra took the helm and pulled them across. Just to their left was the main entrance bridge, and Rapunzel took a second to glance up at a different pair of guards who were walking across its structure in the direction of the main island.
And that's when she really realized that there was no going back. She was going to travel outside Corona's border wall, finally seeing the world outside her small little Kingdom. And while there were lingering feelings in the back of her head of what her parents or Eugene might think if they found out she did this, the level of excitement she now felt was strong enough to push them all to the side.
Back inside the castle, Queen Arianna was sleeping peacefully in her bed next to her husband when she was awakened by a few movements. She turned to rest on her backside, bringing her hands to her eyes and rubbing them as her husband mumbled inaudibly, appearing to still be asleep. His face was tensed up, brows knitted in a mix of fear and sadness.
"No... no... guards... guards, please... my child..."
She felt the instant burn in her eyes as the realization dawned that her husband was having another nightmare about the night... that...
"My daughter... no... what... what have I done..."
She blinked away the faint glisten in her own eyes, her husband's movements slowly becoming more stronger and prominent. His body was twisting, legs and arms kicking ever so slightly. This was not abnormal, but she found it strange and saddening, because for all she knew, her husband only last had a nightmare about that dreadful night a mere few weeks ago. The longest span he's gone without one, really, since Rapunzel had been returned the prior year.
"NO, MY CHILD!" Arianna shrieked and jumped in response to Frederic's eyes widening in a state of panic. And before she could even react through stable words or actions, he had sprung himself up and immediately ran over to their open balcony doors. Arianna stared in shock as his trembling hands pulled the handles of the door out even further.
"Darling! Eleanor, baby!" Frederic looked out to the ocean view, cringing his eyes shut when he saw nothing but the calming ripples of the water. In his mind he imagined the state of fear his baby girl was now in, how terrified... how traumatized she was... these were vivid images in his mind, memories forever ingrained into his very soul... he could still hear her cry... the deafening, ear-piercing cry that broke and shattered his heart...
Tears fell down his cheeks as the sickening realization dawned upon him that his baby girl's kidnapper had indeed gotten away. But... but there's still time... I won't lose her! I can still save her! I won't fail you, Eleanor!
"Frederic, honey, you're hallucinating!" Arianna pleaded.
He stumbled his way back into the room, ignoring his now standing and pleading wife as he ran to the door to their bedroom. He had his hand on the handle when he felt a petite, gentle and calming hand grab onto his left arm. He jerked his head to see his wife's face, which was now stricken with tears of her own. "Fred, Fred... sweetie, you need to calm down. Take a deep breath-"
"I can't, Ari! That bitch has our daughter! I can't waste any more time,-" he turned back and pulled open the door, despite his wife's strong grip she had on his left arm, "-she's getting away!" He stepped out, pulling his arm free, yelling, "Guards! My child, Princess Eleanor has been kidnapped!"
"Fred!" Arianna hissed, pulling him straight back into their room with a dramatic slam of the door. "Honey! Calm. Down." His chest was heaving with panicky breaths, his face a sweaty and teary mess now. "Our daughter... Eleanor is safe." The name Eleanor was the name they had given Rapunzel at birth, a fact few, if any, knew to this day. Not even Rapunzel knew this was her birth name.
"How... how are you so sure... she was just... I saw it with my own two eyes..."
Arianna lifted a trembling hand up to his left cheek, and after hesitating, Frederic slowly nuzzled himself into her touch. "You were having another nightmare, love. Follow my eyes,-" she looked to the side wall, where a painting of her, Frederic, and a grown Rapunzel sitting for a family portrait was hung up, "What do you see? Who's that in the picture with us?" she asked, her voice gentle.
Frederic stared at the picture, his eyes tearing up, breaths slowing, "That's... that's..."
"Our daughter," Arianna said, tearing up again, "that's our blessed little angel, all grown up... do you remember her name? It's not Eleanor, but..."
"Rah...punzel..." Frederic murmured, everything coming back in realization. He stepped away from his wife's gentle touch and approached the painting, eyes focused on the green ones of his kin, and he lifted up a now still hand to the spot of Rapunzel's left cheek. He remembered, now. His daughter was kidnapped, yes... but that was nineteen years ago. Now, in the present day, she was back home. She was safe. Living in the castle... here, with them, in their Kingdom. In their Corona. Their daughter, a girl whom they had named Eleanor and whom had been renamed Rapunzel by her kidnapper, was safe. She was not in any more danger; he could breathe easily, now. The threat that came with the blonde, magical healing hair she once had was no more, having been replaced with beautiful, powerless shortened brown locks that shared the same color of his wife's hair.
Oh, how he loved that color.
Arianna walked up to him, wrapping an arm around his mid-section. She stared at the portrait with him, "You remember..." she whispered.
Lip trembling, Frederic replied, "Rapunzel..." A smile broke through, "That's such a unique and beautiful name. I like it far more than Eleanor," he said genuinely.
"I agree...," Arianna sighed, "but I think a small part of me will always see her as our little Ellie..."
"Yes..." Frederic chuckled, "that's understandable." He turned to her, looking down with a once again serious gaze. He maneuvered himself to her front, and she voluntarily wrapped both her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, darling... I-I don't know what got into me... it was as if I was back there on that night." He cringed his eyes shut, a few more tears falling. At his sides, both fists were clenched.
"Look at me, dear," Arianna requested, her voice melodic in a sense. "Show me your handsome blue eyes..." Frederic reluctantly re-opened them, revealing how reddened they had become once again. He intently stared at her. "Don't... don't look away. Stay with me... stay with me, Fred. Listen when I tell you that what happened that night... was neither of our faults." Frederic's eyes ever so slightly fell, and she brought her right hand to his left cheek. "Fred, stay with me." Frederic's eyes returned, and Arianna licked her dried lips before continuing. "You wear this pain in your heart, you've worn it ever since that day... and even after she has been returned to us, even after everything has returned to what it should've been... you still wear that pain." Her voice broke, "And I'm here to tell you... that you don't have to fight anymore... please, Fred, let go of your hate for that woman... let go of all this wear and tear in your heart so we can finally move forward with our lives." She wiped away another tear with her thumb, and fought back more tears of her own, "It's time to let go... it's time to move on, my sweet..."
Frederic's jaw was trembling. After his first slip-up, he never took his eyes off that of his wife. He memorized the shade of her pupils so well, from times like these, and could recite a hundred reasons why he loved them so. But now he stepped back, feeling a chill as her warm and gentle touch left his neck and cheek. He turned back to the portrait, gazing at his daughter whom was almost a picture-perfect representation of her mother in her early youth.
He sighed after a short silence. "Perhaps... perhaps you're right." He slowly turned back to her, a small smile creasing through his lips. "Perhaps it is finally time that I let go..." His voice then quieted, "But... I'm not sure I...I know how to, though. It's been so long, darling... nineteen years... if I haven't been able to let go by now,-" his voice grew more saddened, and even broke at the end, "-what says I even can?"
"You're right. It took me a long time to..." Arianna's head fell, "Far longer than it should've." A soft smile grew, and she raised her head, looking at him once more. "But I had you there to help me get through it. And I... I see now that I didn't do enough to help you, and for that I apologize. But I'm making you this promise, now, that... that no matter how long it takes... no matter what obstacles you or I may face... I will be there for you. I will do whatever is needed if it helps you... if it helps you move on. I promise you, my sweet Frederic, I will be there... forever and always..."
She extended her hands to his own dangling ones, and slowly intertwined her fingers with his. "How about... how about first thing tomorrow morning, at breakfast, you can speak to Rapunzel and express all that you have felt and still feel now. Re-acquaint yourself with her perspective again and be reminded that she doesn't and never has blamed you or I for what happened. How does that sound, dear?" Frederic stared down at her, nodding slowly, and she smiled. "Good,-" her voice softened, "-now, come back to bed... I want you to hold me like how you held me that... first night after..." She batted her eyes, softly pleading, "Do this for me, please... I need you, my sweet..."
Frederic slowly nodded, letting himself be drawn back to the comfortable chamber that was his and his wife's bed. His heart still ached for his daughter, for all the pain she's been put through... and even if it was not his fault, which was something even in this present day he had a hard time acknowledging, he knew that he'd go to the ends of this Earth to protect her now.
If given the chance to, he will right that wrong.
..