Far upon the horizon of the kingdom, up around the large cliff sides of the mountains that protect the outer ring of the kingdom, a small group of people were resting. Carefully hidden amongst the narrow crevices for shelter from the harsh desert winds, they rested under the cool stones while two others broke away from the group. One a man and the other a woman as they looked over a rock to keep an eye out for anyone who ventured to their hiding spot. Earlier a pair of scouts were sent ahead and had yet to return.
"Why haven't we gone to the capital yet? We've wasted enough time-"
"The guards will be posted all over the kingdom now that the princess and her company have arrived. Lady Caine, it will be foolish to make our presence known especially when your group is too weak and exhausted to fight. Once our group is back to their strengths, we'll be able to move closer. Trust in me, great things come to those who wait."
A great part of Lady Caine hated to agree with him as she looked back at her group who were resting or drinking the last of their water. While the Safirians that led them here were in far better shape than her own band of criminals. They barely made it through the desert and had lost a few horses along the way which forced them to travel at night with dwindling supplies. Far behind schedule compared to Rapunzel and her groups that it was a miracle none died from being pushed far behind their limits all for Caine's revenge. It burned with a passion as she awaited any and all opportunity to quench this thirst for blood against King Fredric and Caine had set her sights on hurting his precious daughter. The sound of stones and footsteps alerted them, but it was the scouts that returned from their mission, bringing food and supplies as they headed off to wake the others so that they better wake and can claim their meals or starve. The temptation of food after days of travel was enough for Caine to go over and make sure there was no fighting amongst the others. They had to keep their strengths and wits about them, otherwise they'd all be dead.
"Can we trust them?" A scout went over to his leader, speaking in their native tongue so that the others wouldn't overhear their conversation.
"Of course not. Once we take the Jewel of Safira, we will have control over the kingdom and rebuild it. No one will stand in our way, especially that brute and runt of a witch."
"And what of the outsiders?"
"Merely dog food and sacrifices for our cause. No point in losing our own when these fools can rush in while we focus on the plan. And once we take over, we'll kill them all."
Whether it was the approaching dawn that brought upon a chorus of birds to sing their greetings or perhaps the uncomfortable sleeping position, Rapunzel awoke with a sigh as she carefully rose up from sleeping on Eugene's chest. The long travel and the excitement of yesterday's dinner had no doubt exhausted everyone as they remained in deep sleep. Crawling off the bed to stretch, stepping over the pillows and blankets thrown on the floor, and walking over to open a window to greet the day, Rapunzel wasn't even met with a preglow, only warm desert winds. The sky was still covered in a reddish hue with stars shining proudly and no doubt that the sun would be arriving to bring its burning light. Looking around, the room was dimly lit and her attention was brought to Eugene snoring loudly with his mouth open and an arm covering his eyes. Despite his usual beauty routines, one would think Eugene slept perfectly still, but he was certainly full of surprises when given the opportunity. Quietly, Rapunzel went over to lie beside him and waited for sleep to claim her again, but it seemed that the uncomfortable weather wouldn't allow her as she began to sweat a bit. With a sigh, she decided to get up and walked over to the wardrobe to change out of her pajamas and select one of the many summer dresses that the servants in Corona had packed for her.
With nothing else to do, there was no harm in getting ready for the upcoming day and a queen must rise before her people in order to begin her duties. Taking a quick peek into a separate room, Rapunzel smiled as her confirmation was correct that it was a large washroom.
"Wow. I guess Safira really likes mosaic windows and plants." Rapunzel spoke to herself as she saw the window that would light up the room once the sun hit along with a pebble floor along with more foliage that hung from the ceiling. There was also a large tub with a covered water barrel and a small bucket beside it. Next to that was a basin. A quick wash would be nice to refresh herself and Rapunzel was more than grateful to have her short hair especially with the weather. Even in the summer back home or on particularly hot days, Rapunzel's golden hair was a great weight to drag around during the heat and no doubt she would be far slower in Safira's heat. Now that it was gone, her hair felt a lot lighter and wouldn't need so much management as a quick wash and brush made it a lot easier to get ready. It was practically a blessing.
While Rapunzel was finishing preparing, Pascal had woken up with a stretch and leapt down from his sleeping spot onto Eugene's chest and crawled over to a bookshelf to greet her with a smile. Taking a quick snack as he noticed a mosquito land nearby before Rapunzel scooped him up for a good morning kiss and placed Pascal on her shoulder before they left the bedroom for Eugene to continue his rest. Stepping out of the room it seemed that no one else was awake as Rapunzel stepped into the lounge room, marveling at the decor and structure, wondering if it was still kept in its original state or perhaps these were merely new additions to the castle. Despite its marvel, Rapunzel's shoulders slumped a bit as the memory of Demanitus' message came calling in the back of her mind and the arguments from last night didn't help much either. It raised more questions than answers along with how Rapunzel could possibly fit in all of this.
Was it possible that the Empress Sinclair was really a false heir, but the people were very loyal to her and it was noticeable that they merely tolerated Samson despite him growing up in Safira. So what power did Sinclair have over the people compared to her brother? And Minerva didn't make much of a good introduction to herself while the rest of her family seemed pleasant. What was their place in the kingdom as Rapunzel was told by Tamaa that their family was exiled. Are they still royals or could Sinclair reverse this? Would this 'Jewel of Safira' be able to determine who was in the right? And even then, how did Rapunzel fit in all of this? It all would be more simple if they could just meet the empress or even better, everything explained and easily fixed without unnecessary conflict. It was bad enough that there was drama stirring when she and her friends arrived, but the message from Demanitus didn't make things any easier, especially with how vague it was.
Suddenly, there was a creaking noise that caught her attention as the main door to the room was pushed open with a whisper, but no one was there to announce their presence. Perhaps a guard had accidentally opened the door or one of the servants was bringing food over as quickly and quietly as they could so that they wouldn't wake anyone. Despite the lessons that royalty and any higher nobility shouldn't engage much with peasants and others unless for special events, Rapunzel was not one to follow the traditional ways especially if it meant throwing away common decency. It was one of the things why Corona was very fond of Rapunzel as her own thoughts were completely opposite to what was expected of her position along with aiding those when she could around the kingdom. Quickly, she headed over to the door and opened it wide enough to greet whoever was going to come in, but there was no one. Looking around, there was no evidence of anyone or anything to even prompt the door open in the first place. There wasn't even a guard standing at their post which was even more strange given that last night, everyone was more active than a hive of bees. Okay sure, entering a new place where everything is different and being really far away from home was one thing which wasn't so bad. But when the door of the room where you and your friends rested in just mysteriously opened for no logical reason, then that was a completely different thing.
"Hmm..." Rapunzel furrowed her brow and turned to Pascal. "This either can be a very loose door, a set up, or maybe this whole prophecy quest is just trying to speed up this whole process of me finding things out...Look Pascal. Every fiber of my being is telling me to stay here and stay out of trouble, but at the same time. I need to see the empress, this is important."
Gently, Pascal gave a reassuring pat on Rapunzel's cheek and gave a salute that wherever she went, he was ready to help her. Directing her attention back to the room as if asking what the others would think if Rapunzel just left without any explanation. No doubt that Eugene or even Nigel would try to stop her along with conversations that she needed to be patient along with other well meaning suggestions to not cause trouble and damage Corona's reputation.
"I have a plan." She whispered to Pascal. "If anyone asks why we're gone, we'll just say that we were curious about the breakfast service, along with food options since Lance and Shorty have big appetites. I know Lance will back me up on that growing children need their nutrition. And if we can, maybe arrange eating in the garden since it's so stuffy here. Sounds good right?"
There was a nod from Pascal as the two stepped out of the room and carefully made their ways around the halls.
Whatever they were looking for was sure to appear and if not, well, it was still nice to leave the room and stretch out their legs. Maneuvering through the halls it was odd that there weren't many guards on duty or even any servants carrying on with their daily duties. It felt as if the entire castle was abandoned and Rapunzel did her best to keep her mind off things that perhaps this entire place was maybe haunted. Without a doubt the sun was already up as the windows shined brightly and no doubt the others would be awake. At that point, Rapunzel began to feel silly about the whole idea of leaving the room all because something silly. After all, even a gentle breeze could cause the door to slam or open if it wasn't properly closed in the first place and it wasn't the first time that happened in the history of ever. Maybe someone did enter the room to drop off something or maybe even Shorty could've wandered in and out. There was just no point in worrying the others over nothing and Rapunzel looked around to find anything familiar to help return to the room.
An open window had caught Rapunzel's attention and she walked towards it to take a breath of fresh air. The sun slowly shifted it's glow to bring light all around and warm the land from last night's chilly air and Rapunzel enjoyed the gentle breeze on her face until something caught her attention down below. At first she didn't mean to stare with a smile on her face, but it just sort of happened as Rapunzel saw two women sitting across from one another: a guard who had a very large scar across her face and a servant whose hair was kept in a bun. They exchanged smiles and giggles all while holding eachothers hands as they were more preoccupied with one another to even notice the others around them carrying on with their duties or even seemed to care that they were being watched from above. Once done with their conversation, the women had stood up to share a goodbye and parted ways after exchanging a quick kiss on the lips. Taking notice, Rapunzel found it interesting that no one else stared at the romantic display nor did they seem to even show any care between the two. It was pretty cute.
"Come on Pascal. I'm sure the others are probably looking for us." Rapunzel turned away and headed back towards the room. Or at least tried as each corner and hall began to look similar to the last that it was safe to say, they were lost. At this point, Rapunzel was ready to just throw her hands up in defeat and climb out a window as an escape regardless of what people would think...that was until she heard a noise. Like a faint whisper followed by a few clicking noises which brought Rapunzel and Pascal into a sense of unease as they looked for whatever could possibly have made the noise. The sound of a door closing shut had urged Rapunzel to hurry and call out to whomever was possibly there to help her, but the second they turned the corner and into the dark hallway, Rapunzel came to a halt. Taken aback with a yelp as there were a pair of large figures ready to lunge forward and attack whoever dared to come close and once her eyes adjusted to the dark, Rapunzel was able to make out the figures were just statues that were placed in front of large golden doors. Despite Pascal's frantic head shaking as if telling her not to go any further, Rapunzel carried on and stood before one of the figures, taking notice of how similar they looked to Catalina's werewolf form. Marveling at the craftsmanship to highlight the fur, expressions, and the armor they wore while their eyes, teeth, and claws were made purely of gold. A small part in her mind wanted to reach up and stroke its face, but decided against it as if expecting the stone guardian to come alive. Directing her attention to the large doors, Rapunzel, with some hesitation, pushed one open and entered the room to look for whoever came through earlier in order to ask for help.
At this point, Rapunzel had had enough of seeing hallways, but at least this one was short and at the end was a very large room that was dimly lit with candles. It looked like a large study as there was a couch and chairs, bookshelves, and even a fireplace, yet there was something else interesting that caught Rapunzel's attention. Stepping forward to look around, she marveled at the walls that were decorated with banners and portraits that had pedestals standing under them. Yet out of everything that looked symmetrical, there was one thing that was out of place in the farther right which looked to be the head of everything as Rapunzel stood before it.
A pedestal with a golden oil lamp with black handles and strange markings that shined brightly like a rainbow even as it was protected by a glass case. Behind it was a wall of mosaic which created a figure made of white glass with light blue garments and all around them were swirls of other colors. Could this be the Jewel of Safira? A fancy oil lamp? What was so special about this thing?
The noise came again. A familiar whisper that drew her to the room in the first place, but then was replaced with a horrific shriek and finally silence. With a gulp, Rapunzel moved closer, slowly, towards the entrance of the next hall and she immediately froze as there was movement from the corner of her eye. Something completely unnatural compared to everything she'd ever known or even seen throughout her travels. There was a creature. A very horrifying creature that made her blood freese over as it hadn't taken any notice of the two as Rapunzel began to back away slowly to keep it that way. Even in the dimly lit room and it's dark coloration, she was able to get a good look at its face as it crawled on all fours and its focus on the ground, unaware of the visitors. This creature was the size of a small child and was very thin, with a large head and no visible ears, shuffling around as a clear sign that it was hungry. It paused and gave a sniff in the air, snapping its head around and stared at Rapunzel and Pascal with large eyes with a smear of liquid around what she thought was its mouth but it was difficult to tell. Quickly, Rapunzel grabbed a candlestick, ready to strike in case that thing dared to come close, but rather than attack, the mouth opened to reveal rows of sharp teeth and it let out a hellish shriek before running out of the room and disappeared into the shadows.
There was a loud sigh of relief as Rapunzel and Pascal relaxed a bit. The last thing they wanted was a fight with whatever that thing was and believed it was time to head back to forget what they just encountered. Before they could turn around, Pascal tugged at Rapunzel's hair and gestured for her to look at the ground where there was another smaller creature. Completely different from the previous thing as Rapunzel knelt down a bit and upon further inspection, it was clear that this other poor creature was lying on its side, dead. Looking to be about ten inches with a very dark coloration like soot, this one was certainly even more odd looking as it was covered in a strange quill-like curly fuzz and peaking out of the bottom were a pair of human-like feet sticking out from its hair. What bothered Rapunzel more was the face as its large pale eyes were in shock and the beak open as if letting out a silent scream. With a sigh and nothing else she could do, Rapunzel stood up and backed away, hoping she could find someone soon to tell them about what occurred in this room.
Looking around, there wasn't much else to take notice of this particular room compared to the other one besides the creatures Rapunzel and Pascal had just encountered, except for some strange looking flowers. This was odd. What was so important about this room that there would be statues of werewolves guarding the entrance? Perhaps she could also ask about those other creatures that she encountered as well. Whatever they were, chances are she was going to see them in her nightmares. Hopefully something else could be able to distract from what they had just met. Returning to the room with the oil lamp, Rapunzel glared at the item before finally, she made the decision to place her hand upon the glass. It seemed safe enough as she placed the candlestick aside in order to take the protective cover off and carefully placed it to the side on the ground. With a deep breath, she moved her hands forwards to try and take the item for further inspection as Pascal watched her with wide eyes. But the light in the room was obscured by a large figure behind them.
There was no warning as Rapunzel was roughly shoved aside and barely caught her stance as the large figure was quick to return the glass over the oil lamp, guarding it and watching closely to find if there was any damage done to it before looking at the princess. This figure under the light was revealed to be a very elderly man who looked so brittle that a good sneeze would be enough to break every bone in his body. The massive mane of silver dreadlocks were brushed back and trailed down to his lower back with a beard to match as he stalked towards Rapunzel like a lion and stood tall enough that his sheer size could've rivaled that of the Baron. Upon further inspection, Rapunzel took notice of the golden fang that protruded from his lower jaw as he bared his teeth at her. In an attempt to show her bravery, Rapunzel stood her ground, but it wasn't easy as eyes of hellfire burned down upon her.
"Why did you come here?!" His voice was harsh as thunder and Rapunzel held up the candlestick as a way to defend herself. It may not be her trusty frying pan but it was better than nothing. Well almost, Rapunzel didn't anticipate that the elder would have enough force to strike the make-shift weapon out of her with a single swipe and she began to back away as he spoke again. "You shouldn't be here!"
"W-wait! I am Crown Princess Rapunzel of Corona! The guest of the empress! Which means that if you hurt me-"
Somehow that made him even more angry as his eyes widened in fury. "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE?!"
The sudden outburst made Rapunzel fall back in fear and at that Pascal leapt up to try to defend her, but was caught in an iron grip of the elder and thrown back onto Rapunzel's lap. With determination, Pascal was ready to pounce again as Rapunzel held him closely in her arms while the elder continued his tirade.
"Not just any outsider! But the royal princess?! Snooping around in the sacred halls of the royal family! Nearly tainting the most sacred relic with your disgusting hands like some crooked thief!"
"..."
"Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
"I-I'm sorry." Rapunzel's voice trembled as she looked up pleadingly. Never had she felt so helpless as her lip began to quiver. How out of everything she had been through was some elderly man criticizing her actions as being far worse than fighting Zhan Tiri?
But what came next was unexpected as the elder's face began to soften with remorse as he looked upon her face. With a heavy sigh, he shook his head and relaxed a bit before reaching down to offer his hand to help Rapunzel stand up while continuing to stare her down.
"My apologies, your highness. This room is sacred and completely off limits to all outsiders. It is my duty to protect these at all costs… You should not be here. How did you get in here? " The elder spoke softly as he offered a handkerchief so that Rapunzel could gather herself.
With a gulp and shaky breath, Rapunzel answered. "I was looking for the kitchen in order to ask about food preparations. And I got lost. Then I heard a noise and found this room and saw...there were these two creatures in the next room-"
At that the elder gave a huff. "You shouldn't worry about them. They're harmless. But that doesn't excuse you from trying to touch a very important relic, especially with a poor lie."
"Lie?" Rapunzel's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
"I've raised many children throughout my life. I know when they lie and when they speak the truth. And yours is by far the weakest. I ask again. Why are you here?" Now the elder's tone indicated that he was losing his temper and with no other point to lie, Rapunzel told him.
"I came here because I was looking for answers about a prophecy in regards to the Jewel of Safira. I didn't think I'd find it so soon and I wasn't going to steal it."
"Well take this lesson that you shouldn't be touching things that don't belong to you. Since you're so curious," He smirked at her. "That's not the Jewel of Safira."
"What? But I thought-"
"It's just an oil lamp, but it is an important historical artifact to the land. One that many have lost their lives for trying to steal it. You narrowly escaped an outbreak of war that the royal family would not hesitate to destroy any alliances to have justice served if the relic was stolen or destroyed even by accident. But it is not the actual jewel of Safira." He narrowed his eyes on her. "How do you know about it?"
"..."
"Do not try my patience. I already shamed myself for losing my temper earlier. Your actions in this room, however, have put you under suspicion of treason."
"I'll tell you, but I need you to know that I'm not crazy." Rapunzel took a deep breath as the elder raised his brow.
"Okay! Lord Demanitus, if you didn't know, was one of the greatest alchemists in the world who studied the mysteries of the Sundrop and the Moondrop and switched minds with a monkey and became a companion to a traveling woman, Madame Canardist, but that's another story. He came to me and prophesied about this 'Jewel of Safira' and how it's this key to something big, but I don't know what!...Wow...No matter how many times I try to make it sound normal, I just sound even crazier. But it's the truth! It's how I first found out about Safira before Tamaa and Samson first stepped foot in Corona. A great danger from the far south, where the land is barren with seas of sand. One who has the power to destroy whoever crosses their path without discrimination. They may become my greatest ally or my most dangerous enemy. I am not the only one who is at risk of losing everything that is dear to me. The Jewel of Safira is the key."
"..."
"I am not insane!" Rapunzel stood her ground. If she had to repeat this over and over again, then she would, regardless of what anyone would think of her.
"I believe you."
"...Really?!" Rapunzel and Pascal looked at each other in confusion as the elder continued.
"You'll understand soon enough. I can tell you this. Sinclair does not take these sorts of warnings very lightly, regardless if they are false or true. Why didn't you tell anyone about this when you arrived?"
"I talked to Samson about it but he thought I was crazy." Her brows furrowed as she repeated the same thing he told her. "That I was crazier than she was."
"Did he now?" The elder's voice was low.
"I hoped that maybe I could meet with her in person so that we can speak in private, but she hasn't appeared yet. Is it true? About what Samson said, is Sinclair crazy?"
"For your own safety and that of your home, Princess, we will forget that this little incident ever happened. I will relay your message to the Empress as your answers lie with her. As far as you need to know, to save face, just say that I, Ambrose, spoke with you."
"You want me to lie?"
"You being in this room, by our laws, would have you thrown out into the desert." Ambrose began to lead Rapunzel to the main door of where she entered and opened the doors so that she could walk through. "Those who uphold our ancient traditions will demand justice that even the Sinclair would not be able to save you. At the moment you will need to be patient until she calls for you. Now leave this room, you will have the answers you seek."
"Thank you."
"Tell them about the creatures you saw and you attempted to follow them. In a way, your lie will hold some truth."
"I will. How do I find my way back?"
"Ask the wolves." He gestured to the statues before pausing. "And another thing. The pup with the red hair. If she has any questions, have her speak with the beast masters.. Now if you'll excuse me I have many important tasks to take care of."
"Oh, of course. Thank you...Wait did you say your name was-"
At that, he pushed Rapunzel out of the room and closed the doors, locking them before Rapunzel could even get a response.
Well then. That was interesting. With a sigh, Rapunzel tried to think, which proved difficult as her mind was buzzing with more worries, especially about her mistake that could have been catastrophic for everyone. And then it hit her. The wolf with the red hair. Catalina. There was a chill in the air and it raised goosebumps as Rapunzel looked at the door, but no doubt, Ambrose was already long gone.
"Okay. Welp. I guess our only option is to ask." Rapunzel tried to smile at Pascal who looked as if he was done for the day. Turning to one of the wolf statues, she took a deep breath, and asked. "Hello. I'm a little lost. Is there a way that perhaps you can help me get back to my friends?"
They waited patiently before deciding that it was pointless.
"Oh well. Can't say we didn't try, right Pascal?" Rapunzel smiled at him to try and lift up the mood. Until the statue snapped its head around to look at her. Startling the two as its golden eyes glowed and a small blue flame emerged from its jaws to float before them, dancing back and forth, disappearing before Rapunzel and appearing again at the end of the hall. Coaxing them to follow and as soon as they were close enough, the flame continued to do this until finally Rapunzel and Pascal were led to the ballroom and near the garden of last night's event.
"Thank you." Rapunzel smiled at the will-o-wisp before it disappeared. As they headed towards the door, there was a pause as Rapunzel overheard chatter in the garden, of loud arguing amongst people and a very distinct voice.
Eugene!
Noticing that the side of the bed had gotten cold, Eugene yawned and stretched to shake the sleepiness away from his body before gathering the strength to rise. The morning heat weighed heavily upon him as he looked around the room, but found Rapunzel was nowhere in sight. A few of the pillows and blankets that decorated the bed last night were tossed onto the floor in favor of the lighter and sleeker fabrics to provide comfort. With a sigh, Eugene entered the washroom to pour cool water into a basin and rigorously washed his face before continutin to get ready for the day. Looking at the mirror to spot for anything that could pose a problem given that the sweat and sand would bring unwelcome visitors. It was one thing to stress about not stressing in order to prevent imperfections on the face, but Eugene took his reputation and looks seriously, especially in the presence of other nobility. Not only for himself, but also to better distance himself from the old life regardless of the countless enemies he'd made as 'Flyn Rider.' While few were able to forgive and move on, others weren't so quick and would've preferred to have his head on a silver platter. The pressures of running a kingdom and to aid Rapunzel as her friend and fiance had occasionally taken a toll on his usual beauty routines and their first night in Safira didn't make things better.
Ever since the kingdom that no one had ever heard of was first brought up thanks to that crazy monkey Demanitus, Eugene did not appreciate that it added onto even more struggles of trying to keep things together. And furthermore, Eugene was not at all pleased with how Rapunzel was taking it and knowing her, he was nearly counting down on how soon she would do something crazy and unfortunately Eugene was right. Whatever leftover spirit for adventure was inside her had urged Rapunzel to chase after a dragon. Still, it was difficult for Eugene to even remotely stay upset with her and having her sleep in his arms for comfort had brought a sense of serenity in a long time. Quickly, Eugene had gotten dressed so that the heat didn't get a chance to wear him down and put a damper in his attitude. With a final look at a mirror and tossing some of the blankets and pillows onto the bed, Eugene was ready to go and nearly ran into Nigel as the royal advisor was about to knock.
"Oh good morning Nigel. Have a good sleep?" Eugene smirked as the royal advisor's hair was beginning to frizz thanks to the morning air and he could make out a few darker underlines in his eyes. Looking behind him, Eugene spotted the others were already awake and restless to look around at what Safira had to offer. Keira and Catalina were talking up a storm about what they'd be able to explore along with thoughts of breakfast, Varian was reading a book while lying on a lounge chair with Ruddiger looking over his shoulder, and Hamuel clumsily flew over to land on Eugene's shoulder with an affectionate lean on his cheek. Lance was looking out of the mosaic windows and eyed down at the little public below making their ways onto their usual routines.
"Good morning Eugene." Nigel gave a small smile, somewhat better rested from the journey, but it was clear that no one in the party was prepared for the Safirian heat despite the warnings. "I trust you and the princess had a good night."
"Well I did. Where's Rapunzel?"
"...She's not with you?"
At that, Eugene's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"We assumed that the two of you were still asleep. Which is why I came to try and knock on the door."
There was an uncomfortable silence in the room once the realization had come that Rapunzel wasn't there. The main doors to the room had opened and Tamaa with a pair of guards, a man and woman, had entered with smiles to greet everyone. Pausing in his greeting as everyone stared at the Safirians.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GONE?!" Tamaa's blood went cold as he shouted at Nigel who was visibly irritated at being yelled in the ear. His attention was turned to Eugene who tried to keep everyone calm before anything could escalate and kept Tamaa's focus on him as Nigel rubbed his ear.
Turning to Eugene, Tamaa had tried his best to stay calm. "When did you last see her?"
"Last night when we all turned in for sleep. When I woke up. She wasn't in the room." Eugene responded. "Look I'm upset too, but chances are that Rapunzel probably took a step out to get some fresh air since it's a bit stuffy in here. She must've woken up before everyone else and I'm sure she'll be back."
"That's not what I heard." All eyes turned to Shorty who held up a yam that was probably from last night's dinner. "Sunshine-"
"That's my nickname for her, thank you very much, but go on." Eugene crossed his arms in irritation but leaned a bit in curiosity of what Shorty had to say. While he was a nuisance at times, there were moments where the old man wasn't completely useless despite first glance.
"Ahem. I heard Sunshine say that she was gonna go to the kitchen with the frog to talk about breakfast." Shorty smiled proudly. "That happened a few hours ago when it was still dark out, before the sun came up. She also wanted to know about this empress person."
"Before sun up? That would mean she was gone for five hours..." Tamaa furrowed his brows. "I'm afraid that the worst case scenario would be that Princess Rapunzel may have gotten lost in the castle."
"Lost in the castle? Wouldn't someone have found her by now?" Nigel questioned.
"This place is far more massive than you think...You'll find out more about this castle once we've located the princess." At that Tamaa turned to speak to a guard and by the tone of his voice, it appeared urgent as the guard bowed and turned to leave while her partner stayed by Tamaa. "Word will be spread and I'm certain one of our guards will find her. It's total chaos if you don't know your way around here. Come. Let us wait for her in the garden. The cooks have prepared a fantastic breakfast. I'm sure the princess will show up."
The others were hesitant about this. Looking to Eugene for guidance and with a deep breath, he answered with a smile.
"Alright. Knowing Rapunzel she just got a little curious about the castle and she's been eager to explore since we got here. There's no harm in waiting for her."
It was better than nothing as Tamaa nodded and ushered the others to follow him once they were ready. With the others ahead, Nigel pulled back to speak with Eugene.
"The princess is missing and we're going to have breakfast? I hope you have an explanation for this."
"I do and I know Rapunzel. If there's something suspicious about this, I'd rather have everyone outside rather than closed up in here."
"What are you insinuating? You don't think they could've-"
"Rapunzel is a lot tougher than she looks. And I don't think anyone in Safira will do anything to hurt her. They asked the rest of the kingdoms to attend this coronation for the empress and other than Equis, Corona accepted the invitation. They seem pretty cautious about keeping up good terms with whoever comes to the kingdom. Let's keep our heads and try to stay calm. Maybe they'll find her soon. Besides, we may need to keep our heads up for any danger."
"Such as?"
"Dragons." Eugene smirked before walking up ahead as Nigel froze a bit and shuddered.
"I'd prefer to not be reminded of that."
The garden looked fairly different from last night's activities as the grass was beginning to yellow and the sunlight was already beginning to beat down hard. From what Eugene could try and figure out, judging by the sun's position and the shade from the flora, it looked to be around ten or eleven in the morning.
"So..." Catalina asked. "How hot does it get here?"
"Oh. Sometimes you can cook an egg on a rock. And this is just the spring." Tamaa answered before pausing to take a look at the group. "...Maybe it's best that you avoid direct sunlight when given the chance."
Now at the breakfast table, the group began to fill their plates from the array of breads and pastries, cuts of meats, cheeses, fruits, and vegetable slices, along with a few dishes that weren't familiar. But it couldn't hurt to try them. Already at the table was King Trevor as he read a book with a cup of tea and Max was enjoying the shade of the tent. There was no sign of Lady Minerva and her family which seemed odd at first, but given that they were related to Empress Sinclair, chances are they were busy with private matters. Or after that awkward scenario from last night, perhaps they just didn't want to show up. While the others enjoyed their morning refreshments, Eugene didn't seem able to find an appetite as his gaze kept falling back at the castle. Asking a servant almost every other minute if they had found Rapunzel and soon his concerns were beginning to shift towards the others.
"Will Princess Rapunzel be joining us anytime soon?" King Trevor asked as he cleaned his lips. "I would've assumed she would be here by now."
"She'll be here." Eugene's tone was beginning to show his impatience.
"Where do you think she is?" Varian asked as Ruddiger climbed his shoulder to take a pastry from him.
"I have no idea. If Shorty was right, and that's debatable-" Eugene cocked a brow as Hamuel landed on his head with a grape cluster in his mouth. "Uhh...If Rapunzel did go to the kitchen or if she got lost and is still wandering around, someone would've found her by now."
"Well if it's Rapunzel. Someone's bound to notice her. Right?"
"...I'm going to give it another minute. And if she's not back yet...I don't know." He reached up to take a grape from Hamuel.
And finally. He had enough. Standing up from the table, Eugene called Tamaa over to speak with him with Nigel close by his side.
"Okay look! I get it. Sure, Rapunzel tends to wander off a bit to explore around, but it's pretty worrying that no one in this entire castle was able to even run into her?" Eugene's tone was starting to sound irritated.
"Prince Eugene, I am sorry. But please trust us, we are doing our best to find her." Tamaa pleaded with him. "You must be patient."
"I think we've been patient long enough. Where is Rapunzel?"
"EUGENE!"
That was no unfamiliar cry as Eugene turned to see Rapunzel running over with a smile and he beamed when she jumped to hug him.
"Rapunzel!" Eugene twirled a bit with Rapunzel in his arms, Pascal holding onto her shoulder to not be thrown off, before setting her down to look over her. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"I got lost." She relaxed in his company. "...There was something in the halls and I tried to follow it. I sort of wish I didn't, I ran into some weird looking creatures. "
"Creatures?"
"Yeah. You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. I don't even know how to describe them."
"Come on, Rapunzel." Eugene chuckled a bit. "We've seen some crazy stuff. Try me."
"Okay. Well, one looked like a weird small black bird with human feet."
"A creeper!" Tamaa spoke up.
"Creeper?" Rapunzel and Eugene looked in confusion as Tamaa continued.
"They are completely harmless. They're more of a nuisance really around these parts that eat crumbs."
"Oh and there was another one." Rapunzel continued. "It was...disturbing. It ate the creeper."
"A critter. Another harmless nuisance that hunts the creepers. They're more active when people aren't around. I'm so sorry you had to see that."
"Feels like the names should be swapped." Eugene furrowed his brow.
"I have no idea who named them or how long ago when they were found. They've just always been known by that name." Tamaa shrugged as he looked at Rapunzel with a small smile. "But our home has a variety of strange and exotic beasts. They may look terrifying but they are harmless...mostly. We were all very worried about you, princess. I do hope that this little setback won't dissuade you from a tour of the kingdom."
"Of course not." Rapunzel smiled.
"Are you sure?" Eugene asked.
"Yes. Honest, Eugene, I'm fine. I got a little turned around, but everything is fine now... Oh hey breakfast! I'm starving!"
After Rapunzel was settled and relaxed after breakfast, she had told everyone that she had found the room door unlocked and that the guards were missing, which had bothered Tamaa as they would not have left their posts unless dismissed. Perhaps the creatures that Rapunzel encountered alerted them long enough for the princess to step out of the room and had gotten lost, underestimating how massive the castle was. Regardless, she was adamant about the tour and that perhaps the group would be able to meet with the empress afterwards, having faith that Ambrose could tell Sinclair of the urgent news that Rapunzel spoke about. Once properly dressed and prepared for the day, everyone followed Tamaa outside of the castle and out of the gates in order to greet the small populace of people. It was a long walk downhill and there was some joke on how they would be able to climb back up the hill as they finally arrived at the castle gates.
Unlike Corona, where the streets were filled with people to carry on their daily activities, Safira's people were few as some shops and vendors were open to sell food, drink, and trade items with one another or merely talked by open windows. Others swept the front entrances of their stores for sand and leaves, some of the elderly sat outside in the shade to play board games, while others were busy above the buildings and were pulling tarps to provide shade down onto the streets below. While Tamaa had stated that there weren't as many people in Safira compared to the old days, the majority were most likely resting in the morning hours, preferably to come out during the night to continue their trades. Another thing that Rapunzel took notice of was the lack of children. In Corona there were many children running around and causing mischief, but in Safira it felt as if there were none at all. The answers to her questions were concerning as children were usually kept indoors with some exceptions in order to protect from the sun, but that was before the Tyrant. During his reign, no one was safe, not even children, and families focused on rationing what they can amongst themselves rather than expand their families. With the promise of making alliances from Corona and Equis along with the end of the Tyrant, there is a chance that Safira will be able to survive.
"So, Tamaa? What happened to the people that arrived with us on the journey?" Lance inquired.
"Oh many of them were once Safirians that escaped and were found again, while others are their descendants. It's a long and busy process of looking through the archives to find their proper documents and settle them back to their homes."
As the others were converting, Eugene walked beside Rapunzel, the two trailing back a bit as he held her hand. "Something on your mind sunshine?"
"...Yes. There's something I need to tell you."
…
…
…
"Are you mad?" Rapunzel's brow furrowed a bit as she walked beside Eugene. Both of them trailed slightly behind the tour as Tamaa continued to show off all of what the kingdom could offer. All while Rapunzel retold the accounts of what happened in the morning, Eugene was quiet and when she finished, he let out a deep sigh.
"I'm not mad. I'm just upset."
"There's a difference?" Rapunzel smiled a bit to try and lighten the mood.
"Honey," Eugene began, taking off Hamuel who was perched finely on his head and held him in his arms. "I know that this prediction thing that Demanitus told you is disturbing. And that it really doesn't help that he didn't just give you a straightforward answer to spare everyone from running around in circles. But we're in a completely different world from our own."
"Yeah, I know."
"Do you? From what you just told me," Eugene gestured towards the others who were surrounding Tamaa as he explained one of the larger buildings being one of the public bathhouses and swimming holes found throughout the kingdom. "Everyone here could've been put in danger. We haven't even met the empress yet and who knows how she would even react to this."
There was silence as Rapunzel lamented on her impulsiveness as Eugene paused and took her hand, lifting her chin up to face him. "Rapunzel. I'm right beside you every step of the way from Corona and to who knows where, but I can't help you if I'm left in the dark. Everything doesn't have to be all on you."
"... You're right." Rapunzel averted her eyes a bit before looking back at him with a small smile. "Okay. This time. I mean it. I promise. We'll understand everything together. You've always been so patient with me throughout everything, Eugene."
"It's my pleasure, sunshine." He gave her a kiss on the lips that Pascal shyly turned away and turned pink in blush as the two shared their romance for a moment. It would've been longer if they weren't in a hurry to catch up with the others, along with Hamuel moving his head up to be a part of the affectionate moment.
Together, Rapunzel and Eugene stayed a little ways behind the group, making sure to be seen in case they became separated through the crowd as they continued along the tour. Marveling at the hidden beauty of the city, blissfully unaware of what was happening in the castle.
While the servants and guards were attending to their usual tasks, a beast which resembled a cross between a cat and a monkey had rushed through the shadows. At first glance, it was about the size of a common housecat and was dressed up in a green top and brown pants like one would do with a pet. Pausing every now and then as its purple eyes adjusted to the light, round pupils growing and shrinking, studying the area around for activity before scurrying on and leaping onto a carpet. The light of the sun had revealed the true form of dark chocolate fur all over as it rolled around onto the warm spot, lazily fluffing up it's long tail with little hands.
Yes, little humanlike hands and feet to match with very sharp claws at the end. With a stretch, the beast had laid on its back and revealed a face identical to that of a human child, but with catlike ears on the side of its head, twitching at every noise that occurred around the room. It was apparent that despite the appearance, this was no monkey, but more like a human-catlike creature, and it had taken a shine to digging its claws into carpet. Sometimes playing and grooming its tail all over again, which added a handful of stray hairs onto the mess. Despite what the beast looked like on the outside, it was practically the equivalent of a spoiled child in age and mind, along with the bold and shameless simplicity of a feline.
"Tuomas! No!"
"Is he causing trouble again?"
"He's ruining up the carpet!"
"Oh no! That's the fifth one this month!"
Fine. If they cared so much about the stupid carpet, then Tuomas would play with the tapestry as he stood up on two feet, strutted over, and his little claws sank into the fabric and tore it at the ends. After all, the little beast was a beloved companion to the Empress Sinclair from her days in exile and the moment they stepped foot in the land, Tuomas was treated like a little god. At times, he was untouchable as he aided in catching pesky pests such as mice and rats that nibbled on the food reserves, while also winning the hearts of the other servants by playing the cute card until eventually his true colors began to show. Ignoring the servants pleas as some were too afraid to come up and stop him, Tuomas continued to pull at the tapestry until an elder came forward and was quick to give him a light smack on the rear to prevent any more damage, startling him enough to run off on all fours with great speed.
What they didn't know was that they fell straight into his trap. All according to plan as Tuomas looked back with a smirk before scrambling down the hall and hopped up the stairs. Now that the servants were distracted with more work thanks to his little stunt, there was barely anyone to stop his original scheme or to even notice where he was headed. Quickly moving away from peering eyes, Tuomas darted across the hallway and peeked around the corner to see the castle guards in front of the large door. The door belonged to the strangers.
Before, Tuomas had taken notice of these smelly intruders that entered the castle, but stayed away from them as they weren't worth his graceful appearance, until his eyes were fixated upon the black bird that clumsily flew around them. The hunt was on.
Previously, the night was much easier to try and catch the black bird as Tuomas had set up a domino of items to push over so that the guards could investigate the noises. Once they left their posts, he began to quickly pick at the door lock, entering swiftly to search for the clumsy black bird. Carefully and quietly moving across the floor before making his way up the stairs of the room to keep searching for the black bird, but Tuomas' hunt was cut short as the dawn came. Far sooner than anticipated and no doubt precious time was wasted on creating the mess outside. A noise was heard from behind one of the doors that Tuomas was in front of and he crouched backwards, slipping from the balcony where he landed onto the couch, and bounced onto the floor. In a quick scramble, Tuomas was quick to leave the room, forgetting to lock the door, as he was hasty to make his escape. No luck. And the guards were still gone, most likely to call for a servant and swap their duties with another pair who would come to protect the door again. But Tuomas' plan wasn't a total waste as one of those pesky 'creepers' had gotten his attention.
Nasty, ugly things. Annoying disgusting beasties that would tug and poke at Tuomas' out of curiosity, but he grew to dislike them quickly. Swiftly, he began to follow them into another room, so close to finally catching one of these elusive beasts and he would've gotten it too if it weren't for that meddling 'critter'. Another beast which he both despised and feared and was far too proud to admit that it startled him greatly once it pounced onto the prey that Tuomas was trying to catch. With no luck, Tuomas was able to run out through the castle halls and return to the safety of his 'mama Sinclair' after such a fright and regain some energy with a quick nap. Not knowing that his actions had left a door open for someone else to walk through.
Now, with the strangers out of the castle, Tuomas was back on the hunt and this time he carried a little brown bag to stash his prey in. The things that contributed to his quick escapes all over were the hidden passageways throughout the castle that the inhabitants have seemed to forget as they did not take notice to how Tuomas disappeared in the walls, some broken enough for a beast of his size to slip through and move around with great ease. Of course, this was a special secret that Tuomas found out on his own and only a fool would dare reveal them to anyone else when it could be put to better use such as catching little snacks. But things were not according to plan which frustrated him greatly. The guards wouldn't fall for his domino trick again which meant Tuomas had to get his hands dirty to push some broken wood around to find an entrance to the strangers' room. For all his effort, there was no luck of finding the black bird. No doubt gone with its companions and in a huff, Tuomas plopped onto the ground in a pout on his side, ears flat with a growl as his tail twitched in irritation. Well, perhaps all would not be lost as he rolled over and explored the rooms.
As the saying goes, 'finders keepers', so that meant whatever he found interesting and valuable would belong to him and most importantly 'sharing was caring' so these strangers were obligated to share with him. Those were the rules. From one room to the next, Tuomas strutted in and rummaged through any interesting bags and chests in search of something that one of the strangers would be so graciously honored to 'share' with him.
Looking through the rooms, Tuomas had found two extra sets of goggles. One bigger than the other, no doubt for the other striped beast that followed the stranger with the black hair, but Tuomas needed these more to keep the sand out of his eyes. The next was a comb, a very simple looking one, but it did the job nicely in grooming his hair and the fur on his tail. And finally, a book with a symbol of the sun on the cover. Yes. This would do nicely. Perhaps Sinclair would read it to him before bedtime. All of these were very wonderful gifts for Tuomas and he would treasure them greatly as he stuffed them into his little bag. Peeking under the door for any of the guards, Tuomas had to leap back to his secret passageway as there were more footsteps patrolling the halls and judging by the sunlight, the guards and servants would be more active to even take notice of Tuomas. Creeping along the passageways and smaller tunnels that were created by vermin, adding the labyrinth within the walls.
Once done and the coast was clear, Tuomas made a dash towards the sanctuary of the royal chambers, where none would dare to follow him, and he was careful in making sure to close the door behind him.