Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Tangled movie or television series. I only own my original characters and any concepts I add to the story.
Anyway, onward we go.
Out in town, a young boy posted a flyer announcing the upcoming coronation celebration before picking up another. A black rat with red eyes squeaked before ducking around his sack of flyers, snatching one of the rolled-up ones when the boy's back was turned. It ran into a sewer grate nearby, taking care not to get the flyer wet.
The rat ran through a tunnel and approached a room full of treasure, a large desk with a comfortable chair and a mirror behind it. A large, stolen painting of King Frederic hung against the wall. The only light in the chamber was from a single five-piece candelabra.
A man was standing in the shadows with another person sitting in the chair, facing away from him. He looked over as the rat ran over and climbed onto the desk before stopping next to the seated person, squeaking. A feminine arm with a skull-and-roses tattoo on the upper arm reached out to the rat, releasing the flyer into her open palm with a rat-like bow.
"Lady Caine," The man approached her as she unrolled the scroll. "What is it?"
"Time to pay our respects to our beloved royals…." She picked up a lit candle and set the poster on fire, burning it away.
(Back at the Castle)
Derek sighs as he stares out his window. He can already see a few carriages coming across the bridge.
It would soon be time for him to greet the coming guests. He's been doing this since he was eleven, so he's pretty experienced. But Rapunzel? He'll have to be there for her to stop her from making little mistakes.
A knock on the door broke him out of his thoughts. "Come in."
Corbin came in, bowing to the Prince. "It's time for you to be at the courtyard."
Derek nods. No sense in delaying it any longer.
After getting changed, Derek took his place downstairs at the entrance with the rest of his family.
The courtyard was full of nobles, young and old. Derek stood between Rapunzel and their father while Sarah was on the other side of their sister. Corbin stood behind King Frederic while Cassandra and Faith were behind Queen Arianna.
Rapunzel had been put in her best pink and white dress with a pretty necklace around her neck, pink earrings on her ears, and her hair neatly brushed. Pascal was sitting on her shoulder on his best behavior.
Sarah wore a similar dress to her sister; only hers was red and creamy-white and had a simpler design. Her hair ribbon had been replaced with a red one, and her hair was done in an elaborate twist bun. She wore a smaller version of Rapunzel's tiara, only silver and with rubies and pearls instead of diamonds. The outfit came with a matching silver and ruby necklace and flat black shoes.
Derek also wore his crown and was dressed in a fine imperial purple tailcoat outfit with golden-yellow suns on the shoulders, a black vest over a white shirt, cobalt blue pants, and black dress boots. His hair was brushed back, tied in a ponytail, and held in place with gel.
They watched as carriages came through the castle gates.
"We're good at making people feel welcome. This is completely doable… ish." Rapunzel tells herself, looking around at her parents nervously.
Sarah leans in towards her ear. "Remember what we taught you, sister. We do this every single time. Do it once, and the rest will come naturally."
"Just follow our lead, sis," Derek whispered. "You'll be fine."
Rapunzel nods, smiling at the reassurance. She looked over and saw Eugene and Katniss standing in the crowd of nobility. The siblings waved enthusiastically to her, and Rapunzel started to wave back when Derek took her hand and subtly shook his head.
"Oh. Right," She whispered. "Thanks."
"Sure," He let go of her hand, giving the Fitzherbert's a quick smile before correcting their positions. "Also, Pascal might want to disappear when the guests start walking up. I know some of the noblewomen will scream if they see him. That's why Roxie and the girls are still in our rooms."
Pascal saluted the Prince and climbed behind Rapunzel's shoulder, ready to turn invisible at a moment's notice.
Trumpets played as more carriages arrived at the castle, and the teens took deep breaths. The first carriage pulled up in front of them as the presiding footman announced the occupant.
"Your Highness, I present Dame Elizabeth Van Hoskins of Rochester."
"Curtsy." Derek and Sarah reminded her quietly as the noblewoman approached them.
Rapunzel gave a polite curtsy along with Sarah while Derek bowed.
"Welcome to Corona, Dame Elizabeth Van Hoskins!" The Crown Princess greeted politely.
The woman smiled politely and did her curtsy before walking on. Derek gave Rapunzel a quick thumbs-up before the next carriage rolled up.
"I present Lieutenant Commander General James Rutherford-Carver III."
Rapunzel curtsied and smiled. "Welcome to Corona!"
The man looked the teen royals up and down, then gave a bow at the waist before walking on.
"You're doing great," Derek whispered to her.
Rapunzel beamed, even blushing a little at the praise. All she ever got from Gothel was jabs and insults that she called joking.
"I present the Duchess of Quintonia."
The Duchess was a make-up-covered woman dressed in a fancy pink dress with white hair piled high on her head. In her hand, she carried a fan and fanned herself with a judgemental expression.
Derek blinked twice at her, resisting the urge to furrow his brows. He doesn't recognize the name of her homeland at all. He's studied all the kingdoms around Corona and never recalled any land called Quintonia. There was also the matter that she didn't give her name. This woman simply called herself 'The Duchess.' Everyone else had given their full name and title so far.
Stealing a glance at Sarah, Derek could tell she was thinking the same things he was.
"Welcome to Corona, Duchess!" Rapunzel curtsied, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. "May I just say I love your hair! I used to have really long, too–"
"This is a hand-woven coiffure, weft from the finest silk and Vacuna fabrics. It designates high social status." The 'Duchess' interrupted her, snapping her fan shut impatiently to point at her. "You'd think you'd know that."
Derek's eyes widened before narrowing at the woman as she snapped her fan open again. Seriously, what did nobles expect from her?! She had only been back six months; that's not enough time to learn everything, much less what tacky fashions are going around the upper class.
"Uh… still, nice to meet you," Rapunzel said awkwardly, giggling sheepishly.
The Duchess glanced at her before directing her attention to Rapunzel's bare feet.
"Sadly, not nice enough to wear shoes, I'm afraid." She said condescendingly, giggling with a bit of a smirk. "Really, you'd think your own brother would have taught you better by now. I suppose you're simply a lost cause."
Derek was ready to give this woman a piece of his mind, maybe even tell the guards to turn her away, but Sarah beat him to it.
"Excuse me, Your Grace?" The younger princess spoke up with a glare and a disapproving frown. "All of us would assume by now that those with high social status would leave behind a well-liked kingdom. It seems that you are not one of them. Also, do not presume to know what we do and do not know, because lest we forget, princesses and princes are certainly higher in status… and more refined."
The woman gasped in shock before huffing indignantly, looking slightly rigid as she walked away, even as she tried to maintain some poise.
Derek watched her like a hawk as she left. Oh, he was looking into this.
Pascal glares angrily after the woman and then looks up at Rapunzel. She looked toward the ground sadly, feeling self-conscious about what she still didn't know.
Queen Arianna placed a gentle hand on her shoulder while Sarah took her hand. Rapunzel manages to smile slightly before looking at her father and brother.
"Sorry," She whispered, frowning.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Sis," Derek responded kindly. "Don't let what she said bother you."
She smiled at him and brightened up, ready for the next carriage.
(Later that Day)
The greetings after that went by pretty quickly, though those close enough could see Rapunzel lost a bit of her spark after dealing with the Duchess.
The sun was going down by the time the last guest was announced. Knowing that Rapunzel wanted some space after that, Derek took his leave and retired to his bedroom. Corbin and Katniss went with him, while Sarah went to her own room with Faith.
"Well, that went well," Kat said casually, dropping onto the bed with Roxie sitting beside her. "I mean, aside from Duchess Big Hair."
"Did either of you catch her name?" Derek asked, pacing the room while Corbin stood at attention.
"No. Why, was it funny?"
"He means she didn't have one," Corbin explained. "Which is a little strange now that I think about it. Everyone gave their full name and titles. She's just 'The Duchess.'"
"Plus, I've never heard of Quintonia, and part of my studies is knowing the names of the kingdoms Corona works with," Derek adds. "This woman has to be a fake. I don't know what her intentions are, but they can't be anything good."
"I agree. No one takes an alias to sneak into a princess's coronation just to see it."
"So, what's the plan?" Kat asked. "Poke around until this woman's story falls apart?"
"Basically, yes," Derek answered. "We can check the royal library. The maps are always up to date, so if Quintonia does exist, we'll know for sure."
"You won't have much time," Corbin reminded him. "Remember? Tomorrow morning?"
Derek thought for a minute before groaning. "Oh, right. Rapunzel wanted to take us to the festival in town."
It's not that he didn't want to spend time with his sisters, but if this mysterious duchess was a threat, they needed to get in front of it.
"You go have fun with the girls, Der," Kat said, slipping off her heels. "And I know Cor's got chores to do before the banquet, so I'll do the poking."
"You can read a map?" Corbin smirked at her.
"… Now that just plain hurt." She deadpanned.
"She does have the most free time out of all of us," Derek pointed out before turning to the ex-thief. "Just be sure to put back anything you use, okay? I don't want to raise any alarms until we have proof."
"Want me to search her room?"
"No way!" Corbin shot down. "My dad still doesn't like you, don't give him a reason to lock you up!"
Derek thought for a minute before getting an idea. "Ask Faith to do it."
"Faith?" His friends looked at him like he had lost his mind.
"Part of her chores is cleaning the guest rooms, so if she's assigned to the duchess's room, she can look around without being suspicious."
"I don't know…." Corbin had his doubts.
"Well, it can't hurt to ask," Kat shrugged. "All she'd have to do is make a note of anything she thinks doesn't belong."
"Which is what?"
"She'll know it when she sees it."
"Either way, we better get ready for bed," Derek said, looking out the window at the setting sun. "No point facing tomorrow tired."
"Agreed." Corbin nodded, getting up to help the Prince.
"Then, I'm off," Kat declared, leaving the room with her boots in hand. "Night, boys."
"Good night, Kat," Derek said as she left.
(Meanwhile)
After a long day as a princess, Rapunzel was happy to get outside to unwind away from people. She was currently sitting alone in a boat by the docks.
She stared glumly at her reflection in the dark water when it was joined by Eugene's face, who had come up behind her.
"Well, that wasn't so bad," He paraphrased his sister. "I mean, aside from Duchess Big Hair."
He laughs, but she only gives a light chuckle in reply. Eugene hops into the boat, landing next to her. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, great." She smiled, but it looked forced. "Why wouldn't I be?"
In truth, she wasn't okay. She couldn't help but feel like this wasn't what she wanted when she followed her birthday lanterns. It almost felt like she was back with… her. At least back then, she didn't have to worry about how people saw her.
Eugene notices her hesitance and gives her a concerned look. Something was obviously bothering her, and it wasn't about what had happened earlier.
She sighs deeply. "It's just… Eugene, is all this everything you dreamed it would be?"
He smiles, reaching out to take her hand.
"Rapunzel, you are my dream. So, as long as you're with me, that answer's always going to be 'yes,'" He assured her before frowning slightly. "Why? Don't you feel the same way?"
"No," She looked away before realizing what he might think, stammering, "Ye-Yes! I mean, of course, I do! I love you with all my heart, Eugene!"
She held his hand close to her, leaning in as she placed it on her cheek before she let out a depressed sigh.
"Look, I know this has gotta be weird. No one's expecting you to take it all in overnight."
She glanced away. Her father expected better of her; she knew that for sure.
"But believe me," Eugene said softly before gesturing with his hands. "I've been all around the world, and it doesn't get any better than this. This-This castle, our friends, your family, my sister, each other."
He takes her hands in his, smiling. "What else could you possibly want?"
She sighed and smiled, deciding not to ruin his good mood with the truth.
"… Nothing." She said, shaking her head.
The couple leaned in closer to share a kiss. Closing their eyes, they were inches away from each other–
"Time to go!" Cassandra leaned in suddenly.
Eugene was so alarmed that he fell into the water. Cass straightened up as he swam back up, coughing and clinging to the gondola.
"How's that water feeling, Fitzherbert?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest with a smug look.
Eugene coughed and gasped heavily. "Dark… and icy… Just like you."
Cassandra chuckles before looking at the Princess. "Come on, Rapunzel, it's time to head in. You don't want to be exhausted for tomorrow. Corbin and Faith are already getting your siblings ready for bed."
"Right! My morning off with Derek and Sarah!" Rapunzel remembered as she helped Eugene into the boat. She giggled and brushed his hair out of his face before kissing his forehead. "Sorry."
His shoulders slumped as Rapunzel climbed out of the boat. Cassandra watched him wring out his hair, smirking smugly before following her.
"Man, she scares me," Eugene muttered, glancing over to ensure she didn't hear him.
(Back at the castle)
The young prince was alone with his raccoon once Corbin was finished helping him change. He was dressed in a set of dark violet pajamas. His hair was loose from its usual ponytail and still damp from bathing.
He was sitting at his vanity, combing his hair with a wet comb to ensure his hair was thoroughly clean. Roxie sat on the table to keep her human company.
"I swear, I still feel some of the gel they used…."
His grumblings were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in."
Rapunzel opens the door as he glances over his shoulder, Sarah alongside her.
Rapunzel must have just gotten back since she was still in her day dress. Sarah was dressed for bed in a light orange short-sleeve nightgown with darker orange trim and a white transparent overskirt. Her hair was loose, reaching down her back, and slightly wavy from being tied up all day.
"Rapunzel, Sarah, what's going on?"
"I… wanted to talk to you. Both of you." The oldest princess said.
"She came to see me first, so I decided we should find you before we talked," Sarah explained.
"Okay…"
Rapunzel rubbed her arm before walking over to her brother. She gently took the comb and started using it on Derek's hair.
"Why is it wet?" She asked.
"I hate using hair gel."
"Oh."
They were quiet for a few minutes afterward as Sarah went and sat on the window seat. Roxie got down and moved to the bed to give the siblings semi-privacy.
"Um… Derek, Sarah, do you get…" Rapunzel sighed, feeling drained. "Do you two get tired of teaching me this stuff…?"
"No, Sis," Derek answered, glancing behind him.
"Of course not," Sarah replied.
Sarah might have seemed annoyed earlier with the shoe thing, and Derek may have had doubts, but they had to remember that Rapunzel is still getting used to things. She had been through a lot over the past two decades and spent the last six months trying to assimilate into a new normal.
All three of them have been doing that, honestly. The circumstances were just different…
"You just need time to adjust, that's all. Derek and I are nothing if not patient," Sarah assured her. "It's only been six months; you'll get the hang of things. It's just gonna take more time."
"I tried to tell Dad it was too soon for a coronation, but apparently, the advisors wanted you to be crowned as soon as possible," Derek said, sounding slightly annoyed about it.
"So, you're not mad at me?" The Crown Princess asked, hopefully.
"No!" Derek gasps, spinning around to look at her, gently taking the comb out of her hand. "Sis, we could never be angry with you."
Rapunzel smiled softly and hugged him, surprising the boy. "I missed you, Der, Sadie…."
Despite only knowing her siblings for a little while, it felt great to have them to talk about these kinds of things with. They may not feel that close yet, but they were still family.
The young prince hesitated before hugging her back. Sarah got off the window seat and joined the hug.
"… We missed you, too." He whispered, smiling.
(With Kat)
After finding Faith and giving her Derek's marching orders, Kat returned to her room to prepare for bed.
Kat's room was similar to Eugene's, with a window overlooking the ocean. It had the same furniture and layout, a bed, a fireplace, an armoire, a chest, etc. She had her own guitar against the wall, a pair of ice skates hung on a hook near the door, and a few books she took from the library left on the table. One corner of the room seemed to be dedicated to sewing or dressmaking since there was a dressmaker's dummy, several rolls of fabric, a sewing machine, and various accessories meant to be added for extra flash.
Kat had changed out of her dress and into her nightwear. It was a long-sleeve white turtleneck and purplish-blue pants with blue hemlines.
She was hanging out in bed, writing in her journal with her cat, Ash, curled up next to her.
Ash was a Korat, a silver-tipped blue-gray, short-haired breed of domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of body fat. Among his breed's distinguishing characteristics are his heart-shaped head, large eyes, front paws that are shorter than the back paws, and semi-cobby. However, while Korats are known for peridot green eyes, only Ash's right eye is green. The left eye was a muddy amber color that Korats have when they're kittens. Ash also has striking white diamond blazes on his forehead and chest. He wears a light blue collar with dark purple rhinestones and a silver tag.
Kat smiled at the feline as he stretched out before a knock on the door caught their attention. "Come in!"
"Hey, little sister!" Eugene walked in with a flourish.
"… What happened to you?" Kat and Ash blinked when they noticed he was wet.
"The Dragon Lady happened." The older man groaned as he dropped down on the end of her bed.
"Oh, Cass." Kat rolled her eyes, knowing who he was talking about. "She didn't push you, did she?"
"She might as well have. She looked that proud of it."
Katniss sighed tiredly, but she was sympathetic to her brother. It was no surprise to her that Cass didn't like Eugene at all. She constantly interrupted him and Rapunzel when they wanted alone time, and she was always making witty remarks or insults. As a result, Eugene didn't like her either.
"Give it time, Bro," Kat advised, setting her journal on the side table. "Cass didn't like me either when I first moved in."
"She push you out of a boat, too?"
"No, she was more… forward. She would follow me when I was exploring the castle, question me about every little thing I did, and she kept calling me Stella or Rider for about two months."
"Suddenly, I don't feel so bad." Eugene perked up a bit since Cass called him by name on day one.
"Sorry, bro, but the only reason she's getting your name right is because you're dating the Princess she works for," Kat added, knowing what he was thinking.
Her brother groaned, falling back on the bed and nearly hitting his head on the wall. He glances over when Ash pads over to him for a better look at him.
"Hello, who's this?" Eugene asked, sitting up.
"Oh, yeah, that's Ash." Kat smiled, petting the feline. "I can't believe you've been here six months, and I haven't introduced you."
"Where'd you get him?" The older man asked, smiling a little. He's always liked cats.
"Found him when he was stealing fish from the castle kitchen. I hid him from the cooks, and he kept coming back until he decided to stick around. Derek said he's called a Korat. They're popular in Bayangor for good luck; people give them to newlyweds as presents."
"Fancy," Eugene praised. "You'd think people would keep a better eye on their lucky cats."
"Yeah, well," Kat continued, becoming more solemn as she talked. "They have to be sold gray, or they're considered un-giveable. Since Ash has those white markings, Derek thinks he was dumped… At some point, he hitched a ride on a cart from Bayangor and ended up in Corona."
Eugene looked at his sister, seeing the sadness in her eyes. Topics like that were a sore spot for both of them. Being orphans, they knew what it was like to be tossed aside and forgotten.
"Well, now he has a new family," He smiled gently, taking her hand. "One that doesn't care about looks or what was."
"Okay, you and I both know that the first one's not true, Mr. Smolder," Katniss smirked, recovering her spunk.
"That's different," Eugene argued, but both he and his sister laughed.
Once they recovered from their giggle fit, the siblings enjoyed a peaceful moment of silence before Kat spoke again. "Okay, as much as I love spending time with you, bro, I'm tired, and there's another big day tomorrow."
"I get it; I'm going," The ex-thief stood up, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead like he did when they were younger. "Good night, Kitty."
"Night, Gene." The teen smiled as her brother left the room, Ash mewling farewell.
(With Corbin)
After leaving Derek, Corbin returned to his room in the servants' area.
Like the others, Corbin's room is like Cassandra's, having the same layout and furniture. His wardrobe has his own armory; there are a few different swords, several shorter blades, a bow with a quiver full of arrows, and a sparring dummy. He has a couple instruments, a fiddle on the shelf, a guitar and banjo in the corner, and some carpentry tools on his desk.
He was changing into his sleepwear, consisting of a light tan short-sleeve night shirt and blue pants when there was a knock on his door.
"Come."
His sister opens the door, still dressed in her lady-in-waiting dress, but she has removed her veil. "You just sign out, too?"
"I swear it takes a half-hour to get out of that uniform," Corbin grumbles, turning to Cassandra. "What's up?"
"You have your assignments for tomorrow?"
"Yes, I have my chore list." The teenager nodded. "I'll get started on them after I help the Prince get ready for the day."
"Dad's already got a detail picked out for them when they head out."
"Oh no," Corbin let out an annoyed groan. "Which means there's going to be a battalion going with them on their outing."
"Orders from the King," Cass shrugged. "He wants to make sure the girls and Derek are safe while in town."
"Don't be surprised when he and Derek get into a hissing match during the banquet." Her brother quipped, crossing his arms.
"Corbin, we serve the castle, not criticize the King's parenting methods." Cassandra lectured sternly.
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to handle the fallout." Corbin argued, moving to lie down on the bed.
He knows his sister's right, deep down. As an Equerry, Corbin should focus on his duties and care for the Prince. Keep any opinions to himself. However, part of that is looking out for Derek's well-being, which includes his emotional and mental health. Ever since Corbin became Derek's Equerry, not to mention having grown up with the younger man, he's seen first-hand how bad things are between him and his father and the toll it's taken on the Prince mentally.
Cassandra sighed, entering the room to sit on her brother's bed. Despite not being close to Derek like her brother, she wasn't blind to the problems that were going on. While the woman knew her place in the matter, she couldn't deny the King's methods were… extreme.
"Look, I know you're worried about Derek," She said, trying her best to be understanding. "And I know it's hard to look away from the problem when you want to do something about it."
Corbin glanced over at her.
"But this is how things are. We can't speak out against the King."
"Sis, you really need to work on your pep talks. See if Raps can give you some lessons."
"Funny," Cass griped before hitting Corbin with a pillow from the floor, making them both laugh. "Seriously, though, even though there's not a lot we can do, I know Derek's lucky to have you as his Equerry and friend. He knows you have his back when it counts, and you'll be there when he needs you."
Corbin gave a crooked smile, sitting up a bit. "Not quite what I was looking for, but thanks, Cass."
"Happy to try," Cassandra said before standing up. "Now, we better get to bed. We've got a lot to do tomorrow before the banquet."
"Yeah."
Just as his sister was about to leave, Corbin called to her. "Cass?"
She turned to him. He hesitated a minute before saying, "I love you…."
Smiling softly, Cass nodded. "I love you, too, Little Brother. See you in the morning."
"You, too."
Corbin lays back down as his sister closes the door behind her.
Finally, this chapter is done. Next, I'll post the new chapter I've written.
