A Handmaiden's return

Chapter 1

Princess Eden kicked her bedroom's door with such force that it almost broke. She was enraged, she was forced to attend a meeting with the council, her mom and Kreston. The topic was of course about her. Kreston wanted her to stop her sword fighting lessons, which he claimed them to be a not-princess-thing to do. Eden was, of course, furious, the two started to argue but stopped when her mother got in the way, Eden thought that her mother would actually take her side but no this time she agreed with Kreston… The same guy who killed her father and her grandparents.

Once she heard her mother agreeing with Kreston, Eden left the meeting with anger, her mother of course had followed her.

"That was very immature of you young-lady!" Rapunzel scolded her daughter, who rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"This is NOT how a princess should act" Rapunzel continued

"Look who's talking! Weren't you the one who disliked to wear shoes or hugged all the guests like they were your best friend during your own coronation?!" Eden argued back

"That was different! I didn't know how a princess acts! You on the other hand know!" Rapunzel defended herself. Eden ignored her mother's defense, she focused on playing with her favorite sword it was a gift from her father.

"What if I don't want to be a princess?! Have you ever considered that?!" Eden snapped.

"It's not like you have a choice!" Rapunzel shouted.

"Weren't you the one who always encouraged the others to follow their dreams?! Why CAN'T you do the same with ME?" Eden countered

"Yes, I believed that once! AND LOOK WHERE THAT GOT ME…" Rapunzel was about to break into tears, she hated forcing her daughter do things she didn't want to, under different circumstances she would gladly let her follow her dreams but now If Eden didn't obey Kreston would kill her and Rapunzel couldn't lose another family member especially her daughter.

"I wish dad was here… he would be on my side" Eden murmured, she was now sitting on her bed staring at her favorite sword. Rapunzel noticed this and she was enraged.

"And stop playing with that sword! Princesses shouldn't have weapons!" Rapunzel yelled.

"And what should they have?! Frying pans?!" Eden shouted back. Rapunzel was furious, she grabbed the sword from Eden's hand who didn't have the time to react and threw it in the fireplace which had a fire on.
"No!" Eden covered her mouth with her hands, she was trying not to cry, this was the only thing she had left from her father and now it was gone. Eden stared at her mother with anger and hatred.

"You know what MOTHER?! Maybe this is why Aunt Cass left! And you know what…. I HATE YOU!" Eden yelled at Rapunzel who was shocked when she realized what she had done. She was now devastated, her daughter hated her….

Eden stormed off the room without even looking back, she was going to leave the castle and not come back until she had found her aunt and take back the Kingdom.

When Eden left, Rapunzel saw the sword that was on fire, she knew how much this sword meant to Eden yet she still threw it away.
"What have I done…" she sobbed as she put out the fire but it was too late, the sword was already destroyed.

"Eden…Eugene…I'm so sorry"

Meanwhile, Eden had run off to the stables, she wouldn't take her horse because Kreston would notice that she was gone. Max was her second option. Due to his old age, no one gave him attention anymore, except of course from Eden and Ian. Besides, Max was the only horse who could help her with her mission. Find Aunt Cass.

"Hey Max, buddy!" Eden called the old horse who was happy to see the young princess, Max rested his head in Eden's hand and allowed her to scratch him.

"Let's go for a ride"

Eden rode Max and escaped the castle, no one ever noticed her, even though he was old, Max was still one of the fastest horses of the kingdom, her horse Loki was the fastest but didn't choose him for obvious reasons.

It didn't take her long to get out of Corona's walls, Eden was wearing a hood just to be safe. It was night and it was dangerous outside of the Kingdom. Max had a bad feeling about this, Eden, on the other hand, was determined.

"Don't worry Max, we will be fine" Eden reassured the old horse but a few minutes later as they were walking into the woods, she heard a growling Eden froze in place, she turned around and saw a pair of yellow eyes staring at her. Eden tried to grab her sword but realized it was missing, thanks to her mom…

"Max… You need to run, now!" Eden ordered Max as the wolf started to chase them, Max ran with all his might but they were outnumbered, this wasn't one wolf, it was the whole pack. Eden looked behind her and saw that they were approaching her with full speed, Max wasn't that fast anymore.

One wolf jumped and managed to bite one of Max's legs forcing him to throw Eden of the saddle. Eden fell off and landed with her left arm breaking it. Eden gasped in pain as tears started to come from her eyes. One of the wolves was about to attack her and she couldn't defend herself. Eden closed her eyes, petrified from fear she stood there waiting for her end but it never came.

Eden confused opened her eyes and was shocked by what she saw. The wolf that was about to kill her was dead. He was shot by an arrow, she turned her gaze and saw a woman with shoulder-length black hair and was wearing a green tunic and a black cape. She was wielding a sword and was fighting off the wolves with her bare hands not even using a shield and the wolves couldn't even scratch her.

Eden had never seen someone fight like this, that woman was truly a master at sword fighting. After some successful strikes the wolves finally gave up and ran away, the woman smiled victoriously. She then turned her gaze on Eden who was still on the ground shocked and injured. The woman stared at her with worry as she gave her hand to help her up.

"Are you okay?" The woman asked. Eden was too shocked to answer, she just nodded. The woman helped her up.

"So, what a young girl like you does out here in the wilderness at night?" The woman questioned her.

"I-I am on a mission" Eden managed to say, she didn't know if she could trust the woman but she saved her life so what reason did she had not to?

"What's your name girl?" She asked.

"I am Eden… Princess Eden of Corona" Eden introduced herself to the stranger but was surprised when she saw how shocked the woman was when she revealed her identity.

"Princess of Corona?"

"Yes, my mother is Queen Rapunzel and my father was Eugene Fitzherbert," The woman noticed that she said her mother's name with some anger while she almost choked her father's name.

"Was?"

"My father died five years ago… He died in the war against the Histruck Empire. Their leader Kreston killed him alongside my grandparents in front of my mother who is now his wife" Eden explained what happened to Corona, she was trying hard not to cry remembering her father. She noticed that the woman was close to tears as well….

"Raps…" The woman murmured, Eden was confused she had heard that nickname before but couldn't place where.

"A-A-And why are you here?" The woman stammered

"I am looking for my mother's best friend, she had left Corona fifteen years ago and now she is the only one who can help us. My mother didn't send me but I made it my mission to find her." Eden explained, the woman stared at her and smiled. Eden was confused.

"I guess you found her"

"What? Who are you?" Eden questioned, what did this woman mean

"My name is Cassandra…" The woman, Cassandra introduced herself, Eden's eyes widened, she was saved by the person she was looking for. No wonder why she was a master at sword fighting.

"Y-Y-You're….her?" Eden stammered she couldn't believe it… She was actually meeting her mom's best friend and sister. Eden wanted to say so many things to her, she was her idol and she definitely wanted to learn those cool moves she pulled off while fighting those wolves.

"Is it true?" Cassandra asked her snapping Eden out of her thoughts.

"Is Corona really taken over by the Histruck Empire" Cassandra questioned not wanting to believe that her best friend was suffering right now…

"Yes… But I have joined the rebellion" Eden told her proudly. Cassandra looked at her confused.

"You need to come with me, Aunt Cass… You're the only one who can get through my mother's head, you're the only one who can get her to fight" Eden explained. Cassandra was frozen on spot, she didn't know what to say… wait did Eden just called her Aunt?

Cass didn't even have time to react as Eden practically drag her with her good hand. The two went to Max since Cass didn't have a horse with her right now but both stopped when they saw the injury Max had in his back-legs. Cassandra stared at him with sympathy. Max recognized her and tried to get up but failed.

"Hey buddy," Cass told him as Max allowed her to stroke him. Eden took a better look at his injury, he was bleeding and it was probably infected.

"I don't think he can make it…" Eden said with sorrow in her voice. It was true, Max had already lost too much blood. Cassandra saw his injury too, the bite was too deep and he already had lost too much blood. Cass and Eden teared up, they would have to let Max go.

"Don't worry Max, we will stay by your side till the end" Eden softly spoke to the dying horse. Cass looked at the young princess and nodded in agreement, the two kneeled down next to Max who was now laying in the ground. Cass was holding Eden's good hand tightly.

Cass was stroking Max as he slowly closed his eyes letting his last breath. Eden couldn't take it anymore, she broke down in tears Cass hugged her and allowed the young princess to bury her head in her shoulder. Cassandra was trying hard not to break into tears too.

She knew Max her whole life, he was her father's horse and after everything she had been through with him, it was hard to watch him die like this.

"T-T-This is all my f-fault" Eden sobbed.

"Hey, no, it's not"

"Yes, it is! If I didn't leave the Castle…. Max would still be alive" Eden cried, Cassandra was trying to comfort her but she had no idea how. She didn't know what was going on in the Castle, she didn't know Eden only from Rapunzel's letters.

"Hey, I don't know what made you leave the Castle but what happened to Max, is not your fault, you couldn't have known" Cassandra comforted the young girl.

"I think we should bury him, it's the only thing we can do right now," Cass told her, Eden agreed she still felt guilty for Max, but he was a great horse and he should be buried.

The two buried Max in a small hill near the place he died, Cass had to carry him there since Eden was injured but she didn't mind. Once they buried him Eden looked at her Aunt.

"You need to come with me,"

Cass followed the young princess all the way to Old Corona, Eden entered inside an abandoned house, she pulled a lever and revealed a secret passageway. Cassandra followed her.

Cass stopped in her tracks when she heard a very familiar voice calling her.

"Hello, Cassie… It's been a while"
"Varian?"

AND BOOM chap one is done! I cried in the part were Max died and it looks like we have a reunion heheheh. Btw I was inspired from Brave for Raps and Eden's argument so yeh I hope you enjoyed it.