Cassandra had never been this far from Corona before. But then, every day she was a little farther from Corona than she had been the day before and she didn't know when that might change.
She wondered if she might ever return some day to see her friends, to see Rapunzel. The only allowance she'd given herself had been to sneak back in to see Raps get married. It had set her back a few days but it had felt like the right thing for her to do. But seeing Rapunzel, so beautiful, so shining and happy had been a knife to the heart, only reinforcing the fact that Cass needed to leave for her own good.
She'd left a note where she was sure Rapunzel would find it but still give her a few days to put distance between them before Raps found it. Cass would be long gone by then, too far for Rapunzel to think about trying to find her.
Somehow, Cass thought that Rapunzel had enough respect and understanding to not try but her big heart could sometimes override that understanding. So when or if Cass returned to Corona, it would be her choice and her choice alone.
Her hand ached. Grimacing, she shook it out, then tugged her glove off. The scarred skin filled her vision, a memento from the power that had hurt her and nearly destroyed her relationship with Rapunzel. When Rapunzel had brought her back, her healing magic hadn't quite repaired the damage from the decay spell, though it was better than it had been before. Some of the color had returned, but it remained scarred in places almost like she'd been struck by lightning.
It ached again and she rubbed a finger into the scarred palm. At least she had feeling again, except for one finger and part of her wrist, both of which were frequently numb.
Fidella snorted, shifting underneath her, and she pulled her glove back on and returned her attention to what lay before her. "Yeah. It's beautiful, isn't it?"
It felt good to say that, to feel that. Even though it had been almost a year since she'd left, since she'd nearly destroyed everything she'd loved, she still felt a little emotionally distant. Muted. The only thing she'd felt with the moonstone and Zhan Tiri's manipulation had been anger and guilt, so being able to once again see a sight and know it was beautiful warmed Cassandra's heart. And that warmth in turn spread through her until she was actually smiling.
Arendelle had a particular beauty to it that she hadn't seen anywhere else. It was spring, but the mountains rising above the fjord were still capped with snow, reflected in the sea. The water was pristine and beautiful, and the town and castle had a unique charm that she immediately found endearing.
Like coming out of a fog, she was starting to remember what it was like to enjoy being alive.
That was a new thing for her. Not that she'd never found beauty in what she'd seen, but she could appreciate a little charm now and again; even if she was much more at home roughing it. After so many years in the castle, living adjacent to but still a part of a life of luxury, Cass had to admit she'd almost prefer a cabin in the woods somewhere, should she ever decide to settle down.
She knew how to fend for herself off the land, and if she positioned it well enough it could even act as a waystation or trading post. "Might be nice to be in charge of my own life and still be useful."
The horse snorted again, and she laughed, "How does it sound to find some nice place in Germany or France, just for the two of us, once all is said and done, huh? Just not any time soon. There's so much to see."
Fidella took the winding road into the kingdom. Like the people of Corona, the people here were friendly and welcoming, waving at her greeting as she passed. Perhaps inspired a bit by old friends, Cass even lifted her own hand in response on more than a few occasions.
Nobody here was batting an eye at a stranger riding into town and from the stories she'd heard about their previous Queen, she could understand. There were much stranger things in the world than Cassandra.
Take Eugene for example. Please.
She found a stable, dismounting and taking the time to brush Fidella down before going in search of food and a place to stay for the night. That had become a sort of ritual for her in every town she stayed in. Brush Fidella, ruminate over the road traveled and then prepare for the night and the day after.
She fiddled with something in her pocket as she stepped out of the stables. Rapunzel had given her a card she could use, a royal seal that could get her into the castle itself if she wanted, but she preferred not to use it. Cassandra needed to find her own way, but was pragmatic enough that she'd kept the thing just in case. She'd only needed to pull it out just once and had considered a few other occasions besides.
"Hoohoo!"
A man's voice distracted her from her thoughts.
"You are new to Arendelle yes?" He was a very tall man, very broad and looked like he could snap Eugene in half, but his face was kind and eager.
Cassandra dismissed him as a threat so long as he wasn't provoked. "Yeah, I'm staying for a few days before moving on."
"Very good, very good!" He gestured politely at a sign, "I am Oaken and this is my bed and breakfast and spa! We have a special discount for travelers!"
"I uh, don't think I need the spa." Cassandra's stomach grumbled, "but I'll take you up on the bed and breakfast part."
"Wonderful!" Oaken rushed around, making sure she had a key and could stow her things in her room. She found herself almost liking the odd man.
With Fidella settled and her lodging now taken care of, Cassandra continued to explore the town. There were a number of food stalls and she browsed them until she saw something that looked … well, she wasn't sure how to describe how it looked. It was a hot greasy mess with some kind of sausage. As she watched, the stall proprietor covered the sausage in flour, then dipped it into the vat until it had fried.
"... you only live once." Cass muttered, and bought one. It was actually pretty good and she made a note to suggest it in one of the letter she hadn't actually gotten around to writing as she leaned against a wall to watch people pass by..
Arendelle wouldn't be a bad place to settle, she realized, as long as you didn't mind the winters. But that was the key word, wasn't it? Settle. Cassandra had settled her whole life and now that she was free she didn't intend to settle on any thing or any place, at least not without a lot of time spent exploring.
Somewhere in the vast wide world she was going to find who she was really supposed to be. The destiny of Cassandra. Not the handmaiden. Not the moonstone. Not the daughter of a guard. Just.
Just Cassandra.
But like she'd told Fidella, there was something appealing about making a place for herself. A part of a nice mental list she could check off.
Find destiny. Check.
Carve a place for herself. Check.
Be alone. Check.
She heard conversation as someone approached, and turned her head as a group came around the corner.
"The clouds that gather round the setting sun do take a sober colouring from an eye," A snowman said while he rode upon the back of a reindeer. Cassandra looked at the remains of her sausage-on-a-stick as if that could somehow explain what she was seeing. Maybe it was beer-battered? Either way, she tossed it into a nearby trash can.
"That hath kept watch o'er man's mortality; Another race hath been, and other palms are won." The snowman continued, "Thanks to the human heart by which we live, thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears, to me the meanest flower that blows can give thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears."
"William Wordsworth?" Cassandra asked, blinking in shock. The snowman was quoting poetry from William Wordsworth.
"You know of him?" He asked, sliding off of the reindeer and approaching her, adjusting his coal buttons like he was fixing his coat. "Anna gave me a collection of his works. I'm quite the philosopher, you know."
"I..." Okay, this wasn't actually the weirdest thing Cassandra had ever seen. There was a list as long as that poem, "I've never met a philosopher snowman before. Or any snowman for that matter."
Leafmen, yes. Snowmen, no.
"I've never met you before either," he said, and held out a twiggy hand, "I'm Olaf, and this is Sven."
She shook his hand and then nodded at the reindeer, "I'm Cass."
Sven snorted, nodding his head in return.
"Would you like to hear more? I'm doing a poetry reading at Oaken's tonight."
"Considering I'm staying there, I guess I'll be in attendance." Whether she wanted to be or not. But maybe she could find an excuse to be elsewhere. Poetry jams weren't exactly her cup of tea after all. She didn't mind the odd poem, but it had to be something special.
"Perfect, I'm quite a big deal, you know. Elsa is even coming to it."
"I'm glad your friend is able to make it." Rapunzel would have gotten a kick out of this and Eugene would have flipped his lid, both things that would have made Cass smile.
"Olaf?" A woman came around the corner. She had fiery red hair done up in a braid that circled her head like a crown witha smattering of freckles across her pretty face. "There you are!" Noticing Cass, she smiled, "Oh, you're new. Hi! I'm Anna." She stuck out her hand.
"Cass," Cass said. She shook Anna's hand, feeling almost reluctant to touch another person. "Your snow buddy here was telling me about his poetry reading."
It was probably really was too late to escape the poetry reading, wasn't it?
"Oh, yeah!" Anna laughed, "I never expected that, but it makes him happy and he's not half bad at it. It'll be fun!"
"Loads of fun, I'm sure." Yeah, she needed to figure a way to get herself out of this, except Olaf looked ecstatic and Cass was pretty sure breaking a snowman's heart was a crime in these parts. She was trying to avoid that whole criminality thing.
"Your Majesty," Someone said, nodding to Anna as he passed her.
Anna beamed at him, "Good morning, Helge!"
Cass squinted.
Redhead named Anna. Olaf had mentioned 'Elsa' too. She'd thought it might have just been a coincidence, but she did do her reading on all Coronan allies so she knew the name of the Queens. And then there'd been those stories of eternal winters and magic and she was looking at a snowman. Cass had wondered how much of Eugene and Raps' story had been exaggerated and how much was the truth, but her experiences had taught her that anything was possible. "You're Queen Anna."
"Uh. Yep." Anna waved her hands, "Please don't bow or anything, we've already met, it's too late." She pointed at her, "No taksiebacksies."
Getting bowed at all day could be exhausting, Cass supposed. "Whatever makes you comfortable."
"Great! I mean there is a certain degree of formality but that's neither here nor there, we're in the middle of the market talking about Olaf's poetry jam and that is so not the place for bowing." Anna folded her arms and darted her eyes, then smiled, "Anyway. So where are you from, Cass?"
"Uh. Corona, originally. I've been traveling for nearly a year now."
"Corona! Oh, I've always wanted to visit Corona," Anna said, wistfully. "I hear it's beautiful and they have all kinds of adventures there. But we have a lot of our own adventures so I guess that makes up for it."
"I wish I could say adventure was few and far between in Corona," Cass replied. "But Raps- I mean the Princess got into all sorts of trouble."
"Are you going to stay long?" Though Anna stepped close, she still left some personal space which Cass appreciated; she got the impression the Queen was the touchy feely type which was fairly familiar to her. "Let me buy you lunch, you can tell me all about it. Or, whatever you're comfortable with sharing."
Cass stared at Anna, feeling like the Queen was Rapunzel amped up to eleven. "I'll be here a few days, then I was going to head north. I heard something about an enchanted forest? It wouldn't be the first magical place I've ever been but I was hoping it might give me some insight into something I'm looking for."
"I promise I won't monopolize you." Anna waved her hands again then clapped them together excitedly, "Oh! The Enchanted Forest! We were there last year after my sister heard the call of Ahtohallan and became the Fifth Spirit and one half of the bridge between the human and spirit worlds. Long story, there were Earth Giants and a dam, but she could totally show you around."
Then she perked up, looking at something behind Cass, "Oh! Speak of the devil. Elsa!"
Maybe not so much Rapunzel amped to eleven as Rapunzel without any filters at all. But thanks to that experience Cass could keep up with Anna's stream of consciousness.
She heard the sound of hooves, strangely muffled, and turned towards the direction that Anna had pointed in..
There was a woman riding through the street on a horse that seemed to be made of snow and glittering ice. Golden hair sparkled in the sunlight as it streamed behind her and while it had nothing on Rapunzel's old length it was still entrancingly beautiful and exceptionally soft looking. She was dressed in white, with blue sparkling gem patterns all over it that seemed to compliment and reflect her eyes and she shimmered. She shimmered like diamonds.
Cass quite simply forgot how to breathe. There were few times in her life where she'd been so frozen in place but this woman was some kind of exceptional and Cass wanted to be ensorceled by her. Cass had sworn to never lose control of herself again but a part of her wanted to be ensorceled.
There was the most vague of realizations that she might just have a type.
"Elsa!" Anna waved both of her arms, and Elsa slipped off the water horse, a smile on ruby lips as she rushed past Cass and into her sister's arms.
Cass tried not to stare at the woman too obviously. Her back and shoulders were completely bare, which would be scandalous in most countries Cass had visited, but on Elsa it looked elegant.
Anna squeezed Elsa tightly, then let go of her and took her hand to pull her over to Cass. "I want you to meet someone! Elsa, this is Cassandra, she's visiting from Corona for a few days and she's interested in seeing the Enchanted Forest."
Elsa tucked some hair behind her ear, color appearing on her cheeks. Her voice was melodic, "Hello, Cassandra."
The way she said her name made Cassandra feel things. A whole bunch of things that were better left ignored. And so she did, even if she couldn't tear her eyes away.
Unsure on how to address her, Cass chose to follow the example from Anna earlier, "Elsa, was it?"
And quite against her own expectations she held out her hand. Elsa's touch was cool, even through the glove, soothing the ache like ice on a burn.
Everyone had a purpose, Cassandra firmly believed in that. And she'd spent too much time around a rabid romantic to not have some of that romance rub off on her. Cass couldn't say exactly what the future held in store for her, but she now knew it lay in the north, with Elsa in the Enchanted Forest.