"RAPUNZEL! LOOK OUT!"

… A few hours before

There was never any break for Eugene and Lance, along with the help from Max and the Pub Thugs, as they proceeded with the difficult taste of fixing their home. The journey from Corona to the Dark Kingdom and back, finding out shocking revelations, and even more actions led to everyone wanting some form of peace and normality. The damages done by Zhan Tiri and Cassandra left far more grievous impacts than what were first assumed in the kingdom. Some hope was spared as Sheriff Quaid "the Blade" of Vardaros, and his deputy Vex, had come to help along with a few others as repayment for what Rapunzel had done for them. Fair was fair, but unfortunately, Quaid had passed away weeks afterwards which dimmed many spirits and the citizens of Vardaros, now led by Vex, returned home to properly for their sheriff and take him home. Perhaps one day they would return again to continue the help, but in the end, some Coronans had left with them.

Despite the bad news and low spirits, there was some good news as the schedule would still be kept on to date despite the minor setbacks. Fights weren't as frequent as they used to be, but tensions were still high between people. Everyone was exhausted from the efforts that were supposed to clean up their homes only to see that they've been chipping away little by little with almost no visible progress that they looked to their king for possible new unclaimed lands to cultivate. Oftentimes it felt as if everything was working against them as even some of the criminals who were tasked to work would slack off or would try to sabotage things. It was a part of Rapunzel's plan to rehabilitate them as she saw that there could be some good if they were given a chance and fixing home was a start. Perhaps a positive environment of trust and teamwork with each other would open them up on a path of redemption back into society. Despite her intentions, they weren't taking it too well. A rare few had been able to find their paths on a different career, but others were so adjusted to their criminal lives that they refused any aid.

And it was back to gloomy skies with an optimistic view on the future. Yeah right. No matter what happened, it felt pointless. Looking across the land Eugene sighed as he leaned against a cart, but he had faith in Rapunzel. But sometimes faith wasn't enough to fix Corona and Old Corona. Maybe what they needed was a new plan.

Perhaps a short rest would give Eugene some new ideas on how to speed up work as Quirin and Varian had already completed what they needed to do and left for the capital. Before he could close his eyes, Maximus, practically one of the best guards in Corona, despite being a horse, came behind Eugene to startle him with a snort. It's almost as if he enjoyed the work, keeping tabs on everyone and time, trying to pull the heavy work, and making sure everyone followed safety procedures, along with some help from the Coronan guards and the Pub Thugs. Regardless, Eugene was not impressed. "What? I can't take a small break?"

With a snort, Max pointed to a large hourglass set on a table by Varian to indicate time spent on working. By judging the sand, break time wasn't for another hour.

"I was just resting my eyes for a bit. I get it. We need to fix our home, but going straight into work after completing a long journey is a bit much."

Max stomped a bit and snorted. If he could talk, he'd most likely go on about duty to the kingdom first and so on.

With a laugh, Lance came by to shove an apple in Max's mouth. "Come on buddy. The last thing you'd want to do is overwork yourself."

With a disgruntled grunt, Max spat out the apple and it hit the side of a small cart that carried debris which caused it to fall apart.

A domino effect began. Once the cart fell apart, a large rock in the debris had rolled downhill to knock a pole down, which knocked down a bit of construction, and even more damage as people tried to quickly avoid getting hurt.

The three exchanged looks and were quick to follow the trail of disaster in order to help anyone and everyone to move out of the way.

Elsewhere, afar in the roads of the kingdom.

A large black caravan decorated with gold markings and velvet curtains had been following the trail laid out for them towards the kingdom of Corona. Usually, caravans or carriages were pulled by horses, but this one was pulled by four strange looking animals. Each beast had the head of a horse with curled horns like a ram, the body that looked like a cross between a bull and a stag with long legs like a sheep, and no tails were found on them. And their coats were similar to patterns found on horses as they strutted along the tail; two were piebalds, one was a roan, and the other was a dun. The halters and harnesses for each animal was a beautiful royal blue fabric with gold metals with their individual names on their chest piece. Absolutely exotic and magnificent as they were not common animals found in the northern regions and along the journey, people had paused to gawk and stare as they strutted their beauty.

Alongside them, there were four riders on camels armed with either swords or crossbows: two ahead of the group and two behind in order to look out for any foolish thief that dared to test their skills. Ensuring their duty of protecting the two figures within that sat across from one another as they awaited to arrive towards their destination. It took many days since the last kingdom they visited and there was word ahead that Corona was already a few more miles away, easy arrival if they pushed the animals to pick up the pace a bit more.

Inside the caravan, there was a lean man dressed in green robes with gold trims who kept his piercing amber eyes focused on the chapter in his book. Delicately licking his fingers to turn the page and adjust his glasses every now and then as they shifted during the travel. His skin was a tan with darker markings around his eyes and his hair was as dark as the fancy chocolates that sat beside him. Carefully taking the time to select which of the delicious candy would fall victim to his sweet tooth as he ignored the coughs and groaning of his travel companion across from him: his cousin.

"You know, Tamaa." The other moaned. "The more you eat those, the more they'll go straight to your hips. And I've been noticing a proper double chin there since we've been on the road. I hope your hubby likes chubby."
"Shut up Samson."

At that Samson gave a huff as he sat up. "I still don't get it. Why do we have to come here again? Those other snobs in this silly Seven Kingdoms thing already declined our invitations, so why would this Corona place be any different?"

"Because," Tamaa closed his book, emphasizing the sound as he removed his glasses to set aside, narrowing his eyes at Samson. "It is an order from the empress, your sister, to go and find alliances within the kingdom outside of home."

"She's not the empress, yet."
"She's always been. With or without some silly tradition of a ceremony. Regardless, this is important. In order for our home to return to its glory and gain more people to help build up our population, we require close allies from any kingdom willing to provide aid and in turn, alliances and trade would make us strong-"

Before Tamaa could finish, Samson gave a loud yawn. "Why don't we just take over and harvest the lands? Sounds easier than making friends."

"And start a civil war that could last generations? You'd be foolish to even suggest a thing, think about it. Displace one royal family and you'll need to eliminate all heirs or mingle the bloodlines and even then there's always going to be someone fighting for that particular crown. They'll make allies and even more enemies. Think Samson! You're such an oversized brute, sometimes."

"Ugh… then why did I even bother to come?"

"We've been over this. Your sister was tired of you complaining that you didn't have an important job and rather than have you laze around to get fatter, she assigned you this position to prove you have worth. Those were her words, not mine. And I agree with her. You need to get out more and start making yourself look as presentable as a prince."

"Oh yeah?" Samson smirked. "And why are you here then? You're a prince, but you're also her royal stooge."

"You know I'm only two years older than her, right?"

"Still a stooge."

"She knows what to do even without my presence and as royal advisor, it's my job to make sure you heave and keep your attitude in check before you make a fool of yourself."

"I may be a brute, but I'm no fool! You can't talk to me like that!"

"Oh on the contrary, I can. I get a gold pass to make sure you don't mess this up! Threaten me or throw a tantrum all you want, but in the end, if you mess this up, your sister will hear about it."

Both men glared at one another with teeth bared, fists balled, ready to lunge into a physical fight if need be. With a snort, Smason called out to the coachmaster to halt the caravan.

"Where are you going?" Tamaa shouted at him.

"I'm going for a walk! It's too stuffy in there anyways."

"Oh no you don't-"

"You're going to stop me? I'd like to see you try. I'm going to walk ahead, try to keep up."

With that, Samson was right that Tamaa was unable to stop him as the caravan rocked in place once he got out into the light. His skin was darker than Tamaa's, with short dark brown hair combed upwards in an arrow cut and a goatee on his chin. There was also a bit of an underbite and with his mouth closed, Samson had two bottom fangs sticking out which added to his monstrous look. At first glance, this was no ordinary man, but a giant out of a fairytale.

In fact, Samson was no man at all, at least not by certain standards, but he was, in fact, a teenager at the ripe age of sixteen. And there was no indication that he would stop growing anytime soon. With all the temperament and pride that a boastful prince his age, without a care in the world of repercussion, Samson was already gone from the eyes of the others who were stunned as he left, leaving after giving a distasteful gesture towards his cousin as he left.

"Should I follow him?" A guard rode up to Tamaa who glared at the direction Samson disappeared over.

"No. He's big enough to take care of himself. Besides, he knows where we're going. Let's move on. With luck we'll catch up to him before we arrive at the castle."

It wasn't fair being treated like this. If Samson could, he'd smack that pompous jerk right in the jaw for being so condescending and all that talk of his sister being such a saint for sending them off on some royal errand made him sick. All he wanted was some respect, not to be crammed into a caravan and sent away from home for months to meet some Northern snobs. Looking back, Samson was already a good distance away from the caravan and noticed that he was a lot closer to this 'Corona' wall. Dumb name for a kingdom by the way. Still… it was better to arrive with his cousin than alone, after all who would actually believe he was a prince without the proper entourage?

And then, Samson saw her. Right before he had even exited the treeline, there ahead was a woman with short hair and a crown on her head, wearing a very pretty dress, walking out of the woods with a small lizard on her shoulder. Weird. Was this what his sister warned him about? A trickster fairy? Perhaps, but fairies can be tricked if given the right form of flattery. Maybe she was friendly. Better yet, maybe he can ask her for directions to get this journey over and done with as soon as possible, but how to approach her without frightening her. He was many things, but certainly no fool, even if he had a tendency to be a little clumsy given his size.

A large crash had caught his attention and Samson watched as there was a trail of carnage heading towards the women. So caught up in her own world or distracted by whatever plagued her mind, that she didn't even recognize the danger she was in. Without hesitation, Samson leapt into action and with all the swiftness his large body could muster as someone called out to the woman.

"RAPUNZEL LOOK OUT!"

It all happened so fast.

One minute, Rapunzel was walking out of the woods with her mind clouded, then she heard Eugene call out to her and when she finally took notice, it was almost too late. The constructions of a guard tower had fallen apart and one of the large support posts came crashing down towards Rapunzel that she nearly saw her life flash before her eyes. Without warning, she was knocked onto the ground and Rapunzel did her best to shield herself from the impact, but nothing happened. No heavy feeling of equipment or collision of pain.

When she looked up, Rapunzel was in awe as a giant held up the post with little difficulty and tossed it to the side before turning to her. From her guess, this giant was about five feet, give or take, taller than a Stabbington brother with the build of the Baron and eyes of copper glaring at her. After a momentary silence, he gave a friendly smirk before offering a clawed hand to help her stand.

"RAPUNZEL!" "PRINCESS!" "PRINCESS RAPUNZEL!"

Princess? This couldn't be the actual princess of Corona, could it? While several people came running to aid and cater to their princess, Samson took a step back to give them space.

"SAMSON!"

Oh boy. Hearing his name called by Tamaa, Samson turned to see where his cousin came running towards him while the caravan halted on its course by the entrance of the woods. About time they caught up to him, but hearing the way Tamaa sounded, Samson wasn't so happy to hear about the rant. To be fair, the other man had just witnessed his cousin running towards some falling construction platform and had wasted time on assaulting the door to try and pry it open before a guard was able to let him loose. The moment he was in front of Samson, Tamaa needed a moment to catch his breath and began shouting obscenities and worry in their native tongue all while the giant pouted and rolled his eyes.

Once Eugene was certain that Rapunzel was unhurt, he pulled her closely into a hug, while also subtly moving her away from the mysterious strangers as the guards from both parties took a defensive stance. The air was tense between the two parties before Rapunzel pushed away from Eugene's embrace, trying to deescalate the situation that she was fine and the guards were ordered to stand down. With things calming down, both groups were able to make themselves presentable and start over.

"Hello," Rapunzel began, speaking towards the larger giant. "I am Princess Rapunzel of Corona and I owe you a great thanks for saving me earlier. Who might you be?"

The other man spoke after clearing his throat, stepping forward and bowed with a grin. "Princess Rapunzel of Corona, I am Prince Tamaa and royal advisor to the crown of Safira. And this is my younger cousin, Prince Samson and practicing as ambassador for our nation. We were sent by our empress to relay an important message and special invitation to the royal families around the seven kingdoms."

The name has shaken Rapunzel within her core, but she did her best to keep smiling on the outside as she was introduced to the princess.

"An invitation?" She questioned, that sounded far more interesting.

"This is a matter of importance which must be presented in the audience of the king and queen, and you, of course. Not in public like gossiping old women." Tamaa smiled sweetly as Samson looked away from them, bored.

"Of course! The castle isn't too far from here. Please, follow me, I'm sure you're all tired from wherever you came from."

"Thank you, your majesty." With that Tamaa gave a clap of his hand for the caravan to be set in motion to follow the Coronan guards once ready.

Before heading into the caravan, Samson had paused to speak with Rapunzel.
"You're the princess Rapunzel, right? The one with the golden hair that is supposed to heal?"

"Hm? Oh! Yes. Well that was a while ago, but it's gone now. It's a long story."

"Ooh. I'd very much like to hear it some day."

"Okay!" Eugene stepped between them before Samson could bombard her with questions, "Back up buddy. The princess needs her space. Once we get things settled you can ask all the questions you want."

With a pout, Samson slowed down a bit to match pace with Taama and was given a scolding look.

"For once, can't you just listen? Know your place!"

"I do know my place, I am a prince, higher ranked than you. Besides, they can't do anything to me."

"Wrong, lummox. You're a prince back home, but here you have no power at all."

"..."

"Remember, the Empress needs us. Try to act civil."

"...fine."

Once he was gone, Eugene looked over at Rapunzel. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Really." She walked over to mount Max's saddle. "I was just...I had a lot on my mind and I was looking for you so I could take Max back."

"It's just, y'know, the cart coming out of nowhere, these guys showing up, I'm just concerned-"

"It's fine Eugene. I've got other things on my mind to worry about that we can talk about later. Let's just see what they want. You coming?" She offered her hand for him to take, but Eugene declined it with a smile.

"It's okay, I'll catch my own ride."

With that, Rapunzel was off to lead the caravan towards the kingdom as Lance walked over to Eugene with a pair of horses.

"Now, I'm no expert. But I'm pretty sure something is bugging her."

"Yeah," Eugene sighed. "But...when she's ready. I'll be there to listen."

Once the guests from Safira had time to properly gather their necessary materials and dress more accordingly, they were escorted to the throne room by Rapunzel. Only two of their guards came along with their princes as the others stayed with the caravan to care for the animals and keep an eye on those who were a little too curious.

Within the throne room, Rapunzel had made her way to sit beside her father and mother, King Fredric and Queen Arianna. The royal advisor, Nigel, stood by the sides along with Eugene as they watched on. They were already informed of the visitors that sought an audience with them and were curious to hear whatever this mysterious message would be. All formal introductions were made between the Coronan royal family and the Safirian princess.

"Your royal majesties," Prince Tamaa spoke with cheer in his voice. "It is an honor to be in your presence. I, Prince Tamaa, royal advisor to the crown of Safira, alongside with my younger cousin Prince Samson, who is practicing as ambassador for our nation, have been sent from our homeland to inform the Seven Kingdoms of the most wondrous news."

"And what may this wonderful news be?" King Fredric asked. In response, Tamaa gave a smile of malicious intent.

"The previous ruler of our beautiful home, known formerly as 'The Tyrant' is dead. For years, his reign had caused much suffering and turmoil for the people of Safira, but now he has been dealt with. A new era of prosperity shall commence under the rule of a new heir to the throne and the empire rejoices that it will rebuild itself for a brighter future with allies."

At that, Fredric gave a huff. "I've heard of your empire and of 'The Tyrant'. And I've heard of his own actions until there was no more word from Safira. Many assumed that the land fell apart and others that it never existed in the first place. I can't say I'm sorry for him...But what are your relations to the crown? Both of you are princes' of Safira, correct?"
"Yes," Tamaa nodded. "My father was the third uncle to the former ruler. And our dear Samson here was his youngest son and last child."

"Oh...well." Fredric was taken aback at this. To insult the former tyrant in front of his own son felt like an awkward situation to which Samson smirked.

"I don't have any fond memories of him." Samson spoke. "It didn't matter who he hurt so long as he benefited from it. There's truth to Tamaa's words; I had witnessed his fall. 'The Tyrant' is dead and gone for good."

"I see… If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"Oh! Well I've recently turned sixteen this February." Samson puffed his chest out proudly of his little age accomplishment.

"SIXTEEN?!" Eugene exclaimed loudly, cheeks red once realizing that his sudden outburst had drawn the attention of everyone in the room. Even then, others had shown that they were thinking the same, all while Eugene tried to diffuse the attention from his person. "Umm… I'm sorry was that out loud? It sounded like it was loud. Haha. Kinda got me off guard. Sorry again."

"Yes," Tamaa smiled, patting his cousin on the arm. "We're all proud of our little Samson."

"Sixteen years of living with the same tyrant." Fredric continued.

"Enough time to know that even in death, my father's grave isn't even worth spitting on."

"Wow, he sounds really awful." Rapunzel furrowed her brow. "How terrible do you have to be when people rejoice in your death?"

"Rapunzel," Arianna interjected. "These events happened before you were born and after you were taken from us. While Safira is a far away land, word was quick to spread of what that monster had done. Many horrible stories that I hope you won't have to hear about."

"There was a time in which those within the land attempted to seek out aid," Fredric commented. "The Tyrant made things even worse by cutting off all connections to the outside lands, intent on capturing those who escaped, raided nearby lands to keep people at bay, and completely isolating the people. Seems to be the reason why many had forgotten Safira was even there in the first place."

"That's awful." Rapunzel gasped.

"Which is why we are celebrating." Samson smiled as he stepped forward. "Now with him gone, we can finally return to our former glory and it begins with making as many alliances as possible to strengthen the land."

"And who will rule?" It was Nigel who spoke up first. "Both of you are heirs to the throne, I presume. Yet one of you is an advisor and the other an ambassador."

"Oh that's easy. The one who defeated 'The Tyrant' herself. This is why we are here. The royal families of the Seven Kingdoms are invited to the land of Safira for the coronation of its new ruler: Empress Sinclair."

At this Fredric and Arianna looked at one another in confusion before their attention was back onto the princes as Rapunzel watched them. While she may have not known much about this kingdom or the events going on, something about this "Sinclair" definitely had some form of impact on them.

"Sinclair?" Arianna questioned. "...But she's been dead for seventeen years."

"No. She lived." Tamaa took his turn to speak with a smile. "Even I couldn't believe it when I saw her again. But I knew her when we were children and I am confident that the one who sits on the throne is the same Sinclair who escaped death itself."

"Mom? Dad? Who's this Sinclair?" Rapunzel furrowed her brows at them.

It was Arianna who told the story.

"Sinclair was one of many children belonging to 'The Tyrant' who was said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, but it was rumored that he...disposed of them in order to keep the crown for himself. Long before you were born, your father and I received an urgent message to meet with the previous advisor known as Ambrose. He pleaded that he had searched all over the land that would provide sanctuary for the supposed last heirs of Safira's royalty and that Corona was the farthest out of all the kingdoms. We hadn't actually met Sinclair, but there was great urgency to find a safe place for her and others. Before any of us could take action, 'The Tyrant' had learned of the plan and closed off all borders. Threatening to hunt down anyone who was under suspicion of the plot and the last we heard was that both Ambrose and Sinclair were never seen or heard from again."

"The truth is a bit more complicated than that, your grace," Tamaa spoke up. "Ambrose was actually our uncle, one of the three imperial princes' along with my father and the one who would parent 'The Tyrant'. While it is true that he did try to sneak Sinclair and many other children of Safira into safer lands, it was only himself, Sinclair, and our former captain of the guard who escaped, but only Ambrose was brought back. From what we were told, the captain had died valiantly, but there was no word about Sinclair. 'The Tyrant' had sent out multiple orders to finish what was started yet there was nothing. Only a day after Ambrose had died from old age, eight months ago, Sinclair returned and had claimed the throne. Now, the land is showing signs of bountiful harvests yet to come and many people who we thought were long gone are returning, life is returning to Safira once again."

"Your majesties," Samson gave a hopeful smile. "We are excited to share this victory with those willing to accept our invitations. Will you accept and join in our festivities, along with the coronation? There will also be the grand presentation where the entire empire comes together in a grand celebration."

As Samson spoke, something in Rapunzel's mind clicked. The Jewel of Safira… These were people of Safira. There was a wave of shock as Vigor's words echoed in her mind. Could it be that destiny was coming to her already?

Before Samson could finish, Fredric had interrupted the conversation all while Rapunzel began to think hard about the invitation. It was the coronation of the new ruler. What could this 'The Jewel of Safira' do with the coronation?

"Your royal highnesses," Fredric began. "This is a lot of information to process and we are happy to hear that your kingdom is prospering after such hardships, but Corona has faced some unexpected problems. We are working to rebuild and expand our own lands that need careful surveillance, we may not be able to attend this ceremony. How soon would the coronation take place?"

"Well, give or take how far each of the seven kingdoms are from one another compared to Safira," Tamaa began to think out loud. "I would say, two to four months of travel and the coronation would begin before the summer. In order to accommodate the travel, Empress Sinclair will also send complimentary caravans and our most elite guards in advance, along with supplies to last until arrival."

"Have any of the other kingdoms accepted this invitation as well?"

"...I'm afraid not… Upon our arrival and case, they haven't made a decision but it may be a bit early for them to consider a final decision. We hope to await their responses before the deadline, which is in one month."

At this, Rapunzel stood to speak. "Perhaps, my parents and I can discuss this further before making a final decision. After all, as my father has stated, Corona has faced some roadblocks, but we still have time to make a final decision."

Looking at one another, Fredric gave a nod to Arianna. "Well, you are right about that Rapunzel. Your royal majesties, perhaps you would like to take a rest from your travels as our guests."

"Well, we are ahead of schedule," Tamaa smiled at Samson. "I see no harm in a quick rest before we return home. We thank you for your kindness and hospitality."

He gave a bow, roughly nudging at Samson who didn't seem to read the room and was quick to follow after Tamaa.

With a smile, Fredric ordered one of the servants to escort the two princes back to their rooms as the royal family were left in private. Arianna turned to speak in Rapunzel's direction, curious on what she had to say in the matter.

"Rapunzel, you clearly have something on your mind about this. Care to tell us?"

Could she truly tell them about a fortune telling monkey being the legendary wizard that saved Corona eons ago from the same Zhan Tiri that attacked them? If her father knew, he would no doubt refuse the invitation in fear of Rapunzel's safety in a foreign land.

"The truth is..." She hesitated. "We've had some problems in Corona after the whole Zhan Tiri fiasco, the people are worried about the upcoming winter and that the food we have might not be enough. Perhaps an alliance with Safira could provide some help for us. Besides, Sinclair clearly wants to make an effort in making friends by opening up the Safirian borders. We were invited to her coronation as an empress! How different is that compared to me being coronated as queen?"

"The difference is bloodline and absolute power, your majesty." Nigel spoke his turn. "An emperor, or in this case an empress, rules over the entire land, while a queen rules over a fraction of it. Think of it as if Sinclair rules over the entire Seven Kingdoms, but you and your family are only appointed to rule over Corona under her orders and if she saw fit, could easily replace you with someone else."

"Really? Wow."

Fredric was next to add his comment. "An emperor or an empress has more power and authority over a king or queen. From the information we've been given, the Safiran royal family has ruled like this for generations and it's a very strict business to ensure who is the rightful heir to the throne."

"And a lot of fighting for power." Arianna added her opinion. "It is why 'The Tyrant' saw to dispel any and all who would have every right to oppose him as heir to the throne, even his own children."

"But, there's Tamaa and Samson." Rapunzel tried to make light of things.

"Who knows what they've been through before Sinclair's return and it's best not to inquire any further. These are sensitive subjects to even talk about."

"Even with the invitation, I highly suggest against this, you majesties,' Nigel voiced his concerns. "It seems suspicious that this Sinclair has miraculously returned to their kingdom and overthrew a feared tyrant. Especially when many assumed she was dead. Yet everyone in Safira is ready to accept her as their empress?"

"Well," Rapunzel replied back. "Many in Corona thought I wouldn't have returned after I was kidnapped until Eugene found the old tower. Did you really think that I would ever come back no matter how many years you hoped?"

"That is different. Everyone thought Sinclair was dead, you weren't."

"What if Sinclair really did survive out there and all she wants is to help her kingdom? Meet with people who are willing to give her people a chance? It would still be rude to not at least think about it, the other kingdoms haven't made their decisions. We could be the first, but if everyone is so worried about all of us leaving, then I'll go."

There was a bit of a gasp in the room as Arianna furrowed her brow. "You?"

"Why not? After all, as future queen, wouldn't it make sense for me to meet with others outside of the Seven Kingdoms? Especially when one is about to be crowned as an empress and from what I've heard so far, she seems to be a very powerful ally." Rapunzel looked at Nigel before turning to her parents. "You two can stay and take care of Corona, while I go to your place. If I go, then perhaps the other kingdoms would follow along."

"Princess," Nigel pressed on. "There is a lot about this empire even before 'The Tyrant' had even taken over. Much that we do not know about."

Before the two could continue with their debate, King Fredric came between them. "Enough! Given that Prince Tamaa has confirmed that they are ahead of schedule and plan on staying for a while, we can discuss this later. For now, we should think things over before making any rash decisions."

With that, everyone was dismissed.

Later, Rapunzel had already returned to her room, resting on her bed as Eugene entered with a smile and a charcuterie board in hand.

"Hiya sweetie! Mind if I come in?"

She giggles a bit. "I don't mind. What's up?"

"Nothing much, other than you being pretty eager to go in place of your parents towards this far away land that we haven't even heard about. Well, except for your parents. And there was also this morning, you've been spacing out a bit. Is everything okay?" Eugene offered Rapunzel a grape.

"Oh." She took the little fruit from him and looked it over. "Eugene, I've got to be honest with you. And I think since we're alone, it's best that only you should know about this."

"..."

"This is important and I need you to promise to not tell my parents about it."

"Okay. I promise." At this he shifted closer to listen carefully.

"Eugene, when I went to take a walk in the woods, I saw Madame Canardist."

"Madame Canardist? What was she doing here?"

"That's where I'm getting at. She said that she was traveling a long way to Corona all because Demanitus had a message for me."

"But isn't he just a monkey now? After what happened when we went to the Dark Kingdom."

"I know, but what I saw and what I was told. That's what's bugging me. Earlier, I wasn't so sure about how to take care of Corona after everything that had happened and this message that Demanitus gave me, I think I need to go to Safira. With or without my parents' permission, if I have to. I can't tell them the truth, if I did, then they'll make sure that I won't go."

"Rapunzel, this sounds serious. Downright dangerous. What was this important message about anyways?"

"A great danger from the far south, where the land is barren with seas of sand and stone. There is one who rules over them all. One who has the power to destroy anyone that crosses their path without remorse. They may become your greatest ally or your most dangerous enemy, so choose your words wisely, princess. Tread carefully for you are not the only one who is at great risk of losing everything. The Jewel of Safira is the key."

At this Eugene furrows his brows, his eyes darting back and forth, thinking of what this could all mean and what it had to do with Rapunzel. She continued.

"I think that Sinclair is this person who can be my greatest ally if given the chance. Better an ally than someone who could possibly be even more dangerous than Zhan Tiri. And that's what scares me the most. And this 'Jewel of Safira'. Maybe it has something to do with her. I need to go."

"You don't think she'd just turn on Corona or the other kingdoms just because we didn't accept an invitation to a coronation, even if they think she's the real Sinclair, do you?"
"I don't know what to think. And I really don't believe that she would ever raise anything against us if we don't accept, but what if she makes an ally with someone who doesn't like Corona? Maybe Tamaa or Samson would be able to give us some more information about her."

Eugene watched in concern as Rapunzel told him this disturbing news. With a deep sigh, he gave her a smile and held her hand.

"Rapunzel, we've been through a lot. And all those times, I worried about you. About us. And even then, you still manage to surprise me. No matter what, I'm by your side all the way. If you want to go, I'll be with you along the whole way through...I have an idea. I'll talk to Tamaa and see what I can find...Samson, I think might have a little crush on you. It'll be easier for him to open up if he gets to talk to a pretty ray of sunshine you are."

"Thank you." She smiled at him and moved to press her lips against him.

There was a knock on the door and Stan, one of the Coronan guards, asked if they were allowed to speak with Rapunzel. Once the door was opened, she and Eugene were told to meet with the king and queen as it was of great importance. Without hesitation, Rapunzel grabbed a hold of Eugene's hand to make a beeline towards the room where her parents and Nigel were there waiting for them.

Stepping forward, Fredric and Arianna kept their eyes on Rapunzel as her father had a gaunt look on his face and gave a heavy sigh. "Rapunzel. It has been decided."

Mentally, Rapunzel prepared for bad news that she wouldn't go and was already planning on making her case. If that doesn't work, then she'll probably have no choice, but to sneak out with a few companions, before the Safirian princes' would leave.

Then, Fredric smiled at her. "Your mother and I have decided that you will be going, in our place, towards Safira to attend the coronation of Empress Sinclair. You will be given your choice of companions along with personal provisions for the journey."

Well...not the reaction she was expecting, but Rapunzel didn't care much as she hugged her parents closely and pulled away. "I promise, I'll do my best to represent our home!"

"We know you will. Which is why Nigel is also going with you."

The color on the royal advisor's face drained a bit as he looked at the king in disbelief and Fredric continued. "I've found it interesting that both Tamaa and Samson are royal princes' yet have taken important roles as advisors and ambassadors for their home. It was to teach Samson how to engage in royal affairs and I thought it would also be good for you. With his help, you will be able to represent Corona. We can't have you give out bone crushing hugs to everyone you meet."

She giggled at that. Maybe, things wouldn't turn out so bad.