Epilogue
2 weeks later
Cassandra wakes to the feeling of a soft mattress beneath her, along with Rapunzel's hair tickling her cheek.
The bright rays of sunlight beaming through the window of the room cause her to squint tiredly as she flickers open her eyes. She inhales deeply through her nose, laying on her back. As she lolls her head to the side, she notices Rapunzel curled up directly next to her - her arms tucked to her chest, burrowing her face in the crook of Cassandra's shoulder.
She's fast asleep, breathing softly against Cassandra's neck. Careful not to wake her, Cassandra shifts slightly to make herself more comfortable. She lifts her arm to wrap it around Rapunzel's shoulders, then she lets her eyes fall closed again, drifting back into sleep.
They stay that way for a few minutes, comfortable within the silence and the warmth of each other, until Rapunzel eventually stirs beneath Cassandra's arm.
The princess slowly rolls away, turning onto her back. She rubs her eyes and stretches her legs as she gradually succumbs to consciousness again. She lifts her chin, noticing Cassandra laying next to her. "Good morning," she yawns.
"Good morning, princess," Cassandra murmurs a lot less tiredly, having already been awake before her.
"I'm surprised. You're usually up before me."
"I guess I was just having such an amazing sleep." Cass briefly stretches out her arms, her shoulder being a little sore from Rapunzel laying on it all night.
Rapunzel smiles, noticing an unusual shift in her voice, "Oh, really? And why is that?"
Cassandra rolls toward her, propping herself up to hover over Rapunzel laying on her back. Her face inches closer as she smirks mischievously, "I think I have an idea."
Rapunzel giggles, reaching up to cup Cassandra's jaw in her hands. Cassandra leans further down, their lips drawing closer.
Then the door to their bedroom bursts open with a startling bang.
"Rise and shiiiiiiine!" Rapunzel's Aunt Willow suddenly appears beneath the doorway, announcing her entrance in a bubbly sing-song voice.
They jump apart in a panic, having the absolute life scared out of them - with Cassandra clumsily scrambling back to her respective side of the bed while Rapunzel cowers beneath the blanket.
Completely unaware of what they'd just been doing, Willow saunters fully into the room, "Oh good, you're already awake! I just came to drop off some fresh towels," she places a pile of them on the dresser, "And to let you girls know that breakfast is almost ready and to come down soon before it gets cold." She reaches for the door handle again, "Okay. That's all. I think. Yes. Sorry. Love you! Bye!" With that, she waves her hand and shuts the door behind herself, leaving Rapunzel and Cassandra alone once more.
They sit there frozen afterwards, the room suddenly falling into completely silence again. All they do anymore is stare dumbfounded after the closed door with pounding hearts, wondering what the hell just happened.
Of course, Rapunzel's aunt doesn't have a clue about her niece's newfound… relationship with Cassandra. Or whatever it is they want to call it. They're not entirely sure what it is themselves. It's still so new to both of them. It isn't a relationship exactly, but they aren't just friends either. They're still best friends, and Cassandra is still Rapunzel's knight, so there's a professional level to it as well, but they're also more than friends, if that makes sense.
Maybe the reason they haven't yet mentioned it to Willow is the fact that whatever is going on between Rapunzel and Cassandra right now is so damn complicated. How would they even explain it? There also never seems to be a good time to talk about it, and so, neither of them have happened to bring it up. Which is why it would've been really difficult to explain to Willow what she almost walked in to just now.
When Cassandra is sure that Willow is gone, she lets herself fall backward on the bed, plopping heavily onto her back. She groans in annoyance, "Uggghh. I forgot how enthusiastic your aunt is about everything." She tiredly runs her palms down her face, speaking to the ceiling above her, "I mean… hasn't she ever heard of knocking?"
"She's just excited that we're here," points out Rapunzel, clearly less bothered by it, though there's a smile lingering on her lips at the ridiculousness of it all. She lifts the blanket off herself, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress. "Come on. We should probably get up."
Cassandra just watches her for a moment, laying there still. Though a huge part of her wants nothing more than to just lounge around in bed with Rapunzel all day, she realizes she should probably listen to her before Willow comes barging in here again.
Sighing, she forces herself to crawl out of bed.
They arrive downstairs a few minutes later, dressed in clean clothes that Willow had generously left in their room, with their hair freshly brushed. Immediately, they are welcomed by the comforting smell of something sizzling on the stovetop as Cassandra follows Rapunzel through the archway of the kitchen.
The room is small and cozy, with beamed ceilings and hardwood floors. Cluttered countertops, cupboards, and shelves line the stone walls, full of dishes, trinkets on display, and small potted plants. There's an open-fire stone oven, along with various pots and pans hanging on the walls. In the centre of the kitchen is a square wooden table surrounded by chairs, with a vase of flowers on its surface.
Rays of light beam through the large square window above the sink, full of dirty dishes. Through the frosted glass is a breathtaking view of the mountains, peaking over the village of Fairview. The rooftops of the houses below are white with a blanket of snow. Various villagers stroll down the streets, having already begun their day. Icicles hang frozen from the awning outside. Thick snowflakes float softly to the ground, the morning sun shining brightly over it all.
Willow is standing at the kitchen counter with her back turned, currently busying herself with grabbing two plates from the cupboard above her, the sound of her shuffling filling the room.
She wears various pieces of colorful jewelry around her neck and her wrists, with a stained apron tied around her waist. Her long brown hair is loosely braided down her back, with strands that fall on either side of her face, her entire appearance greatly resembling both Rapunzel and Rapunzel's mother.
The princess approaches her from behind as she enters the kitchen, kissing her aunt on the cheek, "Good morning."
Willow briefly angles her head over her shoulder toward Rapunzel, her hands busy with what she's doing, "Good morning, sweetheart."
Cassandra and Rapunzel seat themselves on the same side of the table, directly next to each other. Their chairs briefly scrape along the hardwood as they adjust themselves, before Willow places two full steaming plates of bacon and eggs in front of them.
"All right, eat up! You two need some meat on those bones."
They both glance her way, murmuring a 'thank you' as Willow hastily disappears to the other side of the kitchen again. They hear her clamouring somewhere behind them, pans clanging together, footsteps shuffling.
Cassandra begins to raise her fork to her mouth, before Willow appears behind them both, forcefully hooking her arms around their shoulders, "Ohhh, isn't this just the best?" She squeezes them both into a tight embrace, groaning exaggeratedly, "I'm so happy my two favourite nieces are living with me now!"
Rapunzel chuckles softly, finding herself in a near chokehold, "Aunt Willow… We're your only nieces."
"Which only gives me more reason to spoil you rotten," she chirps, finally releasing them.
Of course, Willow's enthusiasm for pretty much everything doesn't come as a surprise to either of them. Though it's been a few years since they've all seen each other, Cassandra knows Willow almost as well as Rapunzel does, having been a part of every family gathering that occurred at the castle growing up. And as much as Cassandra hates the excessive hugging, it's something she unfortunately hasn't been able to escape since she was a kid. Having to experience it from Willow on a daily basis now is a bit of an adjustment for her. Rapunzel, on the other hand, doesn't mind it one bit.
"Thanks for breakfast, Aunt Willow," says Cassandra.
"Oh, don't be silly. You think I would let you two starve under my roof?" Willow takes a seat across from them, though the table is bare in front of her, having already eaten hours earlier. "Especially after everything you went through to get here. I can only imagine how difficult it was out there, living on the road for so many months."
Cassandra and Rapunzel glance to each other uneasily, suddenly reminded of it all.
Cassandra finds herself looking over at Rapunzel as she says, "It was, but… we managed." Her lips tug into a weak smile, comforted by the reminder that despite everything, they'd gone through it all together.
Rapunzel smiles at her too. Then Cassandra looks away again, returning her gaze to her plate.
They haven't told Willow all the details of what exactly happened out there. They'd merely informed her of that night in Corona, and the fact that they'd survived most of the winter in a cabin in the woods before ultimately arriving here in Fairview.
The harder parts of it were left unsaid – like the killing, and the fact that Rapunzel had been kidnapped by Cassandra's biological mother. Also, that Cassandra was essentially resurrected by Rapunzel's apparent healing abilities.
They've avoided mentioning the details, mostly because neither of them are in the best state of mind to relive any of it right now. Besides, if Willow is anything like her sister, she'll lose her mind with worry. Maybe it's best she doesn't know.
"Are you sure you girls don't want your own rooms?" Willow asks. "I know this house isn't the biggest, but I can always convert my painting room into a third bedroom."
Rapunzel and Cassandra awkwardly share glances again.
After so many months of spending every night next to each other, they're honestly not sure they can ever go back to sleeping in separate rooms. Not after everything they went through. Not with the nightmares. The thought of having to sleep alone again after all of that is terrifying to Rapunzel.
"We're okay," she politely declines. "Thank you though."
Willow shrugs casually, "All right, then. I just figured you'd want your own space is all."
As Willow speaks, Cassandra raises her drink to her lips.
"Oh, but… I'm sure one day marriage will change all that."
Cassandra suddenly sputters water into her cup at Willow's mention of the word 'marriage'. Then she ends up inhaling a heap of it into her throat while also snorting it up her nose, and she starts coughing repeatedly.
Willow's eyes widen with concern, both her and Rapunzel watching the girl choke from across the table for a few stunned moments.
"Cassandra? Are you all right?" Willow asks.
"Yep. Yeah. I'm—yeah," Cass coughs once more, forcefully clearing her throat.
"Uh… Marriage?" Rapunzel laughs nervously, sharing the exact same thoughts as Cassandra.
"Well, Rapunzel, I just assumed you're at that age where one day you'll want to settle down and find a husband," Willow explains, as if the answer is obvious.
Cassandra tenses uncomfortably.
"But look at me getting ahead of myself. I guess it's too soon to think about that, what with everything you have on your plate already," the woman continues in a pleasant tone.
Rapunzel doesn't look over as she reaches for Cassandra's hand beneath the table. Cassandra tangles her fingers in Rapunzel's own, squeezing her hand in her lap.
"It's just been so long since I last saw either of you," says Willow, "And… you've both grown into such beautiful young women. Your parents would be so proud of you."
A direness settles between them at the comment of Rapunzel's parents, not to mention the whole 'marriage' conversation that just happened. Willow notices their silence, and the fact that both of them seem to be avoiding eye contact with her now.
It isn't unusual for them, considering the past two weeks that they've been here. Though it's been a few years, Rapunzel is… different than Willow remembers. She's quieter now, less bubbly than she used to be when she was a teenager. No doubt it has to do with everything that happened – back in Corona.
"Listen, I know this time of year can be… difficult. For all of us," Willow begins, her soft voice shifting into one more serious. "You know, spending Christmas without your parents for the first time and all that."
Rapunzel and Cassandra both visibly deflate at that.
"Things were starting to get a little lonely for me out here too, but even though Christmas might be different this year, I just want you to know how grateful I am that I now have both of you to share it with." Willow smiles lovingly at them.
The news of Arianna's death has taken just as much of a toll on Willow. It's been an adjustment for all of them. She'd been so worried the day she'd unexpectedly found Rapunzel and Cassandra on her doorstep, knowing that something had to have gone wrong for them to show up in Fairview on their own, so far away from the kingdom. Having to hear it all be explained to her crushed Willow in an indescribable way.
She doesn't believe her sister's death will ever stop hurting her, but the three of them are still a family. They're all the family that they have left, and though the king and queen will forever be in their hearts, the last thing Willow wants is for any of them to be sad on Christmas tomorrow.
"Thanks, Aunt Willow," Rapunzel smiles, "We're grateful too."
"Yeah," agrees Cassandra. "We appreciate everything you do."
Despite the woman's excessive excitement at times, they both know that all Willow is trying to do is lighten the mood, and hopefully take everyone's minds off of what happened. They appreciate it more than words can say.
Tears prickle at the corners of Willow's eyes as she grins proudly at them from across the table. Then she takes a deep breath, returning to her upbeat self, "All right. Enough of that, then." She pushes her chair out, rising to a stand. "I'm off to the marketplace to get some ingredients for dinner tonight. Gotta beat the holiday rush!"
She walks around the table to plant a kiss on both of their heads with an exaggerated "mwah".
"I'll be back in a few hours." She unties her apron from around her waist, hanging it on a hook on the wall. Then Willow gathers her things, and disappears through the front door.
While Willow is out of the house, Rapunzel spends the day helping tend to her aunt's farms outside, like she usually does. She feeds the chickens and collects their eggs, cleans the coop and the house itself, while also tending to Maximus in his stable. She helps Willow in whatever way that she can, figuring it's the least she can do in exchange for all that Willow has done for her and Cassandra.
Though they've only been in Fairview for two weeks, they've already begun to develop their own little routine, finding whatever they can to stay busy and productive around the village. No longer having to worry about their survival while also constantly fighting for their lives is an odd adjustment for both of them, though well rewarded.
Cassandra makes the most out of her spare time by spending the majority of her days training – upkeeping her stamina and her sword fighting skills, doing target practice, going out riding with Maximus. Though she's been a knight for years now, she strives to continue improving her skills just like she always has.
After an intense session of sword practice, Cassandra comes back to the house in the early afternoon, discovering the entire place to be quiet and empty. Willow and Rapunzel must still be out. She walks into the kitchen, grabbing a cup of water and wiping the sweat from her face with a towel.
A minute later, a cold breeze greets her as the front door swings open at the opposite side of the house. Rapunzel steps inside, wearing a dress, boots, and a thick winter cloak around her shoulders. She's carrying a heavy bucket of water in both her hands, kicking the door closed behind herself.
"Oh, hey!" Rapunzel chirps as she sets the bucket down by the door, noticing Cassandra unexpectedly standing there. Her boots leave a pile of melting snow on the doormat.
"Hey," Cass has her back leaned against the kitchen counter as she sips on her water, her hands gripping the edge of it behind herself.
"You done training for today?" Rapunzel removes her woolen gloves, placing them on a nearby dresser. She sniffles. Her cheeks and her nose are pink from the cold.
"I'm just taking a break," says Cass, setting her drink down on the counter behind her.
"Oh." A mischievous grin appears on Rapunzel's face, the tone of her voice suddenly shifting, "Well then… you're in luck because so am I." She saunters into the kitchen toward Cassandra.
Realizing what she's doing, Cass can't resist the amused smirk appearing on her lips as Rapunzel approaches her. "Oh yeah?"
"Mhmm." Slowly, she snakes her arms around Cassandra's neck, peering up at her with half-lidded eyes. "And it just so happens that we have the entire house to ourselves."
"So… what do you wanna do?" murmurs Cassandra. Rapunzel flirting with her is still entirely new to her, and it leaves a bubbly sensation fluttering in her chest.
The princess smiles, inching closer. "I don't know," she mumbles, before pulling her into an ardent kiss.
Letting her eyelids fall closed, Cassandra kisses her back, slowly and timidly. However, the gesture only lasts for a few moments of peace before the front door unexpectedly swings open again.
They jump apart.
Willow practically stumbles through the doorway, with a full basket of groceries in her hand and a burlap bag cradled in her other arm.
Rapunzel immediately turns away, clasping her hands behind her back. Cassandra quickly paces across the kitchen, creating a safe distance between her and Rapunzel all while nervously running a hand through her hair.
"Aunt Willow! You're back!" Rapunzel beams with a forced arm gesture, maybe more enthusiastically than she'd meant to.
However, Willow is so focused on not dropping any of the groceries as she steps inside that she doesn't even notice how awkward Rapunzel and Cassandra look right now. Not like she would notice it otherwise. In a way, her general obliviousness and inability to read the room is a good thing.
"Barely! you wouldn't believe how busy the market was today," Willow exclaims, kicking the door closed with her boot. She sighs loudly, shivering from the cold. "Serves me right for leaving my shopping until Christmas Eve. Could've saved myself the trouble. Oh, well. Lesson learned!"
Despite living together and sharing a bedroom, it's surprisingly difficult to share a moment of privacy in this house. Cassandra is obviously more bothered by it, whereas Rapunzel just thinks her reaction is funny.
Cassandra rushes over to Willow, taking the heavy groceries from her arms. "Here. I got it."
"Thank you, dear," Willow says, before beginning to remove her scarf and her gloves.
So, like they do on most days, the three of them gather in the kitchen that evening to prepare dinner together as the sky becomes dark, and snowflakes float softly to the ground on the other side of the kitchen window. Cassandra and Rapunzel help Willow wash and chop vegetables, put everything together and set the table all while making pleasant conversation amongst themselves.
Christmas had always been a big celebration at the castle. Most of Rapunzel's family would travel to Corona to attend the holiday ball that her parents hosted every year, inviting every royal member of each neighbouring kingdom. In the evening, it became a smaller family gathering – with just Rapunzel, her parents and Cassandra, and sometimes Willow would visit too though she'd missed the last couple years with all the travelling that she does.
Though this year is not nearly as extravagant, the simplicity of it is somehow just as comforting, more intimate, despite the unspoken sadness behind it all. The fact that they're far away from home now, and their family has become smaller and broken – it all lingers in the back of their minds, knowing what they have lost. But they still find themselves sharing moments of laughter throughout the evening, as if nothing had ever been missing in the first place. And for a while, they forget all the sadness.
To think how far they've come, from the day they had left Corona… Just a couple months ago, they'd been barely surviving, with nothing but the weight of the uncertainty behind that. They'd thought they'd lost it all, that they could never go back to what they once had – a place to call home, a family, happiness. It all feels so surreal to them still, having never imagined they would wind up here.
But even if things hadn't worked out they way they did, Rapunzel and Cassandra still have each other, and that's all that they could ever ask for.
The next night, just before they're about to go to bed, Rapunzel tells Cassandra to put on her coat and follow her outside.
"Raps, for the last time, what are we doing out here?" Cassandra watches Rapunzel in confusion as they stand in the narrow alleyway behind Willow's house.
Without even looking at her, Rapunzel begins to haul herself up a ladder on the side of the wall, leading up to the roof.
But Cassandra can't imagine why Rapunzel could possibly be climbing up there right now, or why she had dragged Cassandra outside in the cold at midnight for this.
"Will you just shut up and follow me?" Rapunzel briefly peers down at her, already half-way up the ladder.
Cassandra only stands there at the bottom for a few moments, staring up at her, questioning their entire friendship. Then she groans in annoyance, finding no choice but to play along and follow her. So, she begins to climb, wondering at what point she's going to figure out what is going on.
Rapunzel makes it to the top, crawling up onto the roof of Willow's house effortlessly. Cassandra is just about to do the same, before Rapunzel stops her.
"Wait, wait… Okay," Rapunzel is kneeling on the roof directly in front of the ladder, preventing Cassandra from climbing the rest of the way up. The princess peers over her shoulder at something behind her, biting her lip in an attempt to hide her excited smile. Though, from this angle, Cassandra has no idea what she's looking at. Rapunzel faces her again, "Close your eyes."
"What?"
"Just close them!"
"On the roof?" Cassandra exclaims, in case Rapunzel had forgotten she is currently hanging off the side of the house right now.
"Yes! Just… take my hand." Rapunzel holds out her arm.
Cassandra peers down at it suspiciously. After a moment of contemplation, she does what she's told, closing her eyes and taking Rapunzel's hand, though she's sure to resist an eyeroll before doing so. "Why do I always listen to you?" Cassandra mutters under her breath.
Ignoring that comment, Rapunzel pulls her the rest of the way up. Carefully, they both rise to their feet. With the slant of the roof beneath her, Cassandra takes a moment to stabilize her footing, her eyes remaining closed.
Then Rapunzel begins to guide her by the hand. "No peeking," she says.
"I'm not peeking!" Cassandra insists, like they're suddenly two bickering children again. She feels Rapunzel's hands hovering around her, preventing her from falling over as they walk, though she still feels slightly off balance. "I swear, if I fall and die, I'm going to kill you."
"I'm not gonna let you fall," assures Rapunzel. "You're being dramatic."
A few moments later, Cassandra feels Rapunzel stop suddenly.
"Okay… Now sit down. Right here," she instructs.
As they lower down onto the roof together, Cassandra doesn't realize how much she is squeezing Rapunzel's hand. They settle next to each other, both with their knees pulled to their chests. The angle of the roof is a bit awkward to sit on, but the surface has enough grip that they don't slip.
"Okay. Open."
Cassandra opens her eyes.
When she does, she sees a starry sky above them, as deep a blue as the ocean, with bright rays of green, pink, and aquamarine light dancing across it in curtained spirals. They stretch across the entire sky, seeming to light up the world in an array of vibrant colours, all blending into one another. In the distance is a captivating view of the mountains, the snow that covers them glowing a bright green colour from the lights above. Beneath it all is the village of Fairview, the neighbouring houses below lit up within the night.
Cassandra isn't sure what she'd expected to see, but it definitely hadn't been this.
"It's the northern lights!" Rapunzel announces excitedly next to her. "Aren't they pretty?"
All Cassandra does is stare dumbfounded up at the sky, her jaw hanging open slightly. "They're… beautiful," she admits in awe.
"I know right! Aunt Willow said they appear all the time here, and that everyone was predicting they were gonna happen tonight. So, I thought the timing worked out perfectly! I mean, what are the odds we would get to see the northern lights on Christmas Day? I thought there's no way Cass would wanna miss this," Rapunzel gushes, looking extremely proud of herself.
Cassandra looks over at her. When she does, Rapunzel is gazing up at the sky too, hugging her knees to her chest. The lights reflect sparkles into her eyes as she smiles up at it all with wonder.
"You… did all this for me?" Cassandra realizes.
"Well, yeah," she shrugs, as if it is obvious. "Although I was worried you were gonna see them before we got here and then just completely ruin the surprise."
Cassandra peers up at the sky again, completely awestruck by all of this. She had no idea about any of it. Even though this is not usually something that would excite her, especially compared to Rapunzel, the fact that Rapunzel went through the effort to bring her here, and had been keeping it a secret for who knows how long, all so she could see it – it leaves Cassandra's heart bursting with nothing but love. No one's ever done anything like this for her before.
"I don't know what to say," she says.
Rapunzel looks over at her then. After a moment, her expression becomes somber as her mind drifts toward something she hasn't been able to stop thinking about for a long time. She wonders if she should bring it up at all. Ultimately, the tone of her voice shifts into one more serious as she asks, "Are you happy?"
Cassandra blinks at her, taken aback by that question. "Of course, I'm happy. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because… I know you're still upset about everything that happened. You know, with your mother. Or… whatever you wanna call her."
Cassandra visibly shrinks at the mention of it, her expression also falling.
Rapunzel looks away as she continues, "I know things have been really hard for you. Not just now, but before too."
Despite the truth behind that, Cassandra tells her reassuringly, "I'm fine. Really." Though she's guilty of lying about that before, she actually means it this time.
"I know you don't wanna talk about it, and that's okay. I just hope you know that I'm here to listen whenever you do wanna talk about it. And… that you know how much you mean to me." Rapunzel says, lowering her head shyly. "I just thought maybe this could take your mind off of everything. At least for a little bit."
All Cassandra does is stare at her with admiration, her heart warming immensely despite the cold. She reaches for Rapunzel's hand next to her. Rapunzel looks up at her at the feeling of it, their eyes meeting once again.
"I've never been happier. I promise." Cassandra smiles. "And… thank you." Though it's taken years for her to get to a point where she can genuinely say that, she's never felt so strongly about anything in her life. She really is the happiest she's ever been.
Rapunzel's lips lift into a grin, just from finally being able to hear her say that. She can't even begin to describe how proud it makes her. And as long as they're together, Rapunzel couldn't be happier either.
"Merry Christmas, Cass," says Rapunzel.
"Merry Christmas," she murmurs.
With that, Rapunzel lets her head fall onto Cassandra's shoulder next to her. They stay that way on the roof into the early hours of the morning, gazing out at the lights ahead, beneath a sky full of stars.
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has read, commented, and gave kudos. I'm so sad this story had to come to an end, but I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm already thinking about doing a sequel, but I'm struggling to find ideas. So far, I'm thinking it would mainly focus on Rapunzel (and Cass ofc) going on a journey to learn more about Rapunzel's powers, while also introducing some familiar faces *cough Eugene cough*. Let me know if anyone has ideas or something they would like to see for a sequel! That's all from me for now. 3