A/N: Strap in! This one's a long one.
Chapter 11
"You sure you know where you're going?" Cassandra calls out from the front of Max's saddle.
Rapunzel is seated on the horse behind her, arms wrapped around her waist. Flynn saunters a distance ahead, guiding them through the forest and brushing the occasional tree branch from his path.
"Who, me? You kidding?" He briefly peers back at them as he walks, stating with confidence, "I know this trail like the back of my hand."
Cassandra only shoots a puzzled look at his backside, her eyes narrowing.
They continue to walk for a few more minutes in silence.
Eventually, Cass angles her head toward Rapunzel just over her shoulder, "You haven't seen your bird friend lately, have you?" Her voice is low enough that Flynn doesn't hear.
"Not since last week," Rapunzel exhales, sounding disappointed.
A few more days have passed since Flynn started traveling with them, and even more so since Rapunzel had encountered the mysterious glowing bird. Cass just thinks if her suspicions are accurate and Flynn is misleading them, they could really use that bird right about now.
"I wonder why it stopped showing itself all of a sudden," she thinks out loud.
"Maybe because Flynn is leading us in the right direction?" wonders Rapunzel. "So, it doesn't need to guide us anymore."
"I don't know," responds Cass, still staring quizzically at Flynn walking ahead of them. "Something about him feels… off." Though, she isn't sure what exactly. She's still trying to figure that part out. All she knows is that she's had way too much time on her hands to think about it.
"Cass. I know you have a hard time trusting new people. But I think you're worrying yourself too much," says Rapunzel. "We've been travelling with him for days and he's done nothing but help us. All I'm saying is… Maybe you should give him a chance. For me?"
Cassandra doesn't look over her shoulder, but she can feel Rapunzel's wide pleading eyes just peering at her from behind.
She thinks hard about that, wondering if Rapunzel is right. Maybe she is too paranoid for her own good.
"All right, fine. I'll try," Cass ultimately decides, as much as it pains her to say it. Though, she's sure to release a defeated sigh before doing so.
The next town they stop in is a quaint and lively one just off the road, across the field from a forest of pine trees.
The sun has begun to set for the day. After so many days of travelling and camping out in the woods, they arrive at the first tavern they see just near the entrance of the village.
It's a large two-storey stone building with steep pointed rooftops and a series of small balconies on the second floor. A plume of smoke soars from the chimney. Chatter and laughter can be heard through the open shutters, casting firelight onto the darkening cobblestone roads outside.
They hitch Maximus to a post along the front, within a row of other idling horses, donkeys and wagons.
Flynn practically shoves open the front doors to the tavern. He stops in the doorway, sighing dramatically. "Ahhh… Nothing like the sweet smell of ale and sweaty tavern-goers lacking personal hygiene." He plants his hands on his hips, grinning contentedly while observing the interior.
Before him is a vast dimly lit room, with stone floors and walls made of panelled wood. Dozens of people are seated among various tables, enjoying a drink and meal alongside each other. Waitresses weave through them all, balancing trays of tankards on their palms. A barman pours drinks from enormous kegs behind the bar. There's a crackling hearth beneath mounted antlers, alongside various weapons on display that line the walls. The smell of smoke, ale, and cooked meat is beyond inviting.
Cassandra and Rapunzel appear in the doorway next to Flynn, also observing it all.
"I don't know about you guys, but with all the walking we've been doing lately… I could use a drink," Flynn announces to them.
Cass brushes directly past him, much less impressed. "I'll go get us a room." She stops herself, then shoots a glare at Flynn, realizing she should probably clarify, "Our own room."
He opens his mouth to argue that, before shutting it with a shrug. "Yeah, fair enough."
So, Cassandra speaks to the innkeeper to rent out a space upstairs for her and Rapunzel while Flynn pays for his own. The settle in with their things, before returning downstairs to each order a well-deserved meal and drink.
The sky has darkened completely. A fiddle and the soft beat of a drum has begun to play from somewhere else within the tavern.
Not only does the amount of people in here seem to increase as the evening goes on, but so does their alcohol intake, thus their general rowdiness – which Cassandra isn't particularly fond of.
After Flynn wanders off to get a drink, he comes back to their table a few minutes later to find that Cass and Rapunzel are already rising from their seats, having finished their meals long ago.
"Don't tell me you're already done for the night," he says as he saunters back toward them. "The party's just getting started!"
Rapunzel perks up with intrigue. "Party?"
He shrugs, "Yeah, you know… Music, dancing, alcohol…"
"Oooh, that sounds like fun!" She turns to Cassandra excitedly. "Can we stay, Cass? Please?"
The thought of it physically makes Cassandra sick. Especially if he's here.
"I really don't think that's a good idea," she shakes her head.
"Please? It's been so long since I've danced and…" Rapunzel takes her by the hands, holding them between their bodies, "I want you to stay with me." Her voice lowers in a way that is irresistible to Cassandra. "I think we deserve it, right? Just for a little bit?"
If Cass is honest, she wants nothing more than to retire upstairs to their room, with Rapunzel, and be alone with her at least until tomorrow. They've been travelling with Flynn for so long that she'd almost forgotten how quiet it used to be before he showed up. But she knows that once Rapunzel gets excited about something, there's no talking her out of it.
She could go upstairs on her own, and let Rapunzel stay to do whatever she wants, but the thought of leaving her here with Flynn is far worse than staying herself. She doesn't trust the guy to be alone with the princess at all, especially when there's alcohol involved. Not to mention all the other strangers here tonight that make Cassandra nervous.
At the same time, Rapunzel's voice in her head is just begging her to give Flynn a chance, for her.
With Rapunzel's pleading eyes just staring innocently back at her, and the feeling of her soft hands within her own, Cassandra practically forces herself to spit out the words, "Yeah. Sure."
Rapunzel squeals with joy. She scoops the other girl up into a suffocating hug that is barely returned. Though, she's unfazed by Cass' lack of enthusiasm.
"All right!" Flynn cheers. "First round is on me!"
To Cassandra's expectation, she follows Rapunzel around for the first little while, who reminds her of a lost puppy easily distracted by treats or anything shiny.
It doesn't take long for Rapunzel to become completely fascinated with the various instruments the band are currently playing. Some of them aren't quite like the ones she is used to seeing at royal balls. So, she saunters up to the group proudly, asking them her own series of questions, of which they happily entertain.
That is the point that she completely loses Cassandra, who wanders off to the bar and chooses to instead watch Rapunzel from a distance, solely as an attempt to feel less awkward and not have to listen to that mindlessly boring conversation.
She's leaning with her back against the counter, elbows resting on the edge of it behind herself.
Chattering voices are loud in her ears. People are breezing past her vision that she stares right through. Her eyes are so focused on Rapunzel on the other side of the tavern that she almost doesn't notice Flynn's figure stepping into her peripheral vision.
"Here." He appears next to her at the bar, holding out a tankard of ale to her. Another one is clutched in his opposite hand.
Cassandra glances down at the frothing liquid, looking unimpressed.
"Think of it as a peace offering." He shoots her an uneven grin, one that even appears genuine.
She looks blankly forward again. "No, thanks."
"Come on," he teases, half expecting that answer. Whether she's declining the drink or the peace offering, he doesn't know. Probably both. "I think you and I both know you could use a little fun right now."
Cassandra scoffs without looking over at him. "You sound like Rapunzel." She can't recall how many times the princess has told her she needs to learn how to lighten up and enjoy herself.
He raises a challenging eyebrow. "Is she right?"
She peers over at him then, silenced. As she glances down at the drink once more, she realizes his statement isn't wrong. It does seem quite tempting. Maybe drinking right now is the answer to making this entire night end faster.
So, hoping for the best, Cassandra takes the tankard from his hand, raises it to her lips, and inhales a gulp.
Flynn only watches her as she does so. An impressed smirk forms on his face at the fact that she doesn't even wince afterwards.
She sets the tankard down onto the bar, eyeing him in a way that almost looks like a warning. Her voice is low and somehow solemn as she says, "You don't know me."
He beams at her for a few moments, far from intimidated. "Maybe one day I will."
He casually takes a swig of his own drink, before turning and disappearing into the crowd.
6 years ago
Cassandra lurches as she vomits into the bathroom tub.
She's kneeling hunched over on the floor. She coughs a few times, then groans. She chokes back air, panting.
A wave of fatigue drowns her. Her head is throbbing and the pain in her left forearm is beginning to numb. Eyes tired. A bitter taste in her mouth.
After a few minutes, her quivering hands reach upward and claw for the water basin next to her.
She clutches onto the rim of it, her fingertips leaving smudges of blood everywhere they go. The weakness of her limbs makes hauling herself to her feet much more difficult than if she were sober.
She manages to stand eventually, leaning all of her weight against the sink in order to do so, and holding onto it for balance.
When she steadies herself enough, her chin remains lowered to her chest. A forced exhale blows through her lips.
Through blurry vision, she sees the basin below her filling with blood – oozing out of the large cut in her forearm, glistening crimson wrapping around her fingers and dripping to the floor.
She doesn't entirely remember how any of it got there. Or when exactly it stopped hurting.
There's a faint hum in her ears that almost prevents her from hearing the knock on the bathroom door behind her.
She doesn't pay attention to the muffled voice on the other side that follows. All she's focused on is fighting the urge to pass out.
After a few moments, the door slowly opens. The room falls silent. A footstep shuffles against the tiles.
Cassandra doesn't stop to think about who it might be before she mumbles hoarsely, "Get out." Though, her raw voice hardly makes a sound.
In the mirror, in her peripheral vision, she notices the fragment of a person standing behind her - wearing a lavender coloured dress, with a head of long brown hair. The name 'Rapunzel' both warms and angers her at once.
Despite who she thinks it is, Queen Arianna's voice unexpectedly fills the room instead.
"Cassandra, honey… Are you all right?" the woman gasps.
She stares with concern after Cassandra's backside, who hasn't yet turned around. Her expression melts into something horrified once she notices the state of the room, and the blood-stained knife clutched limply within Cass' hand, resting on the edge of the basin.
Nothing.
She steps warily into the room, then touches her fingertips to Cass' shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" Cassandra sputters as she whips around. Something that sounds both like a whimper and a shriek of fear escapes her throat at the same time.
She tries to raise the knife in a pathetic attempt to fight, or defend herself, or whatever it was she had meant to do, only to stumble forward from physical weakness.
Her knees give in, and she folds completely, collapsing.
Arianna catches her in her arms, momentarily staggering backward herself. She fights to hold the girl upright, managing to keep her mostly on her feet.
"Sweetheart… Sweetheart," she repeats, in a desperate attempt to get her to stop.
The knife slips out of Cassandra's blood-soaked fingertips, clattering to the ground.
"It's okay…" Arianna coos softly.
The woman's voice is soothing next to Cassandra's ear.
Instantly, it reminds her of when she was a child. It comforts her yet shames her all at once - that at seventeen years old she would still need her mother to hold her like the little girl she once was.
It causes Cassandra to break completely.
Her eyes squeeze shut, and her shoulders shake as she begins to sob silently, uncontrollably. Like she's never cried so hard in her entire life. Never been so weak or helpless. Because in that moment, she releases herself entirely.
She lets herself lean all of her weight against Arianna all the while weakly clutching onto her as much as her body will find the strength to. She lets her walls collapse and her lungs shatter after what feels like a lifetime of holding her breath. The relief is overwhelming.
At some point, Arianna pieces it all together - the knife, the blood, the cut on Cassandra's forearm that is too large to have been done by accident. The vomit in her hair. The overwhelming scent of alcohol on her.
Over the queen's shoulder, a wailing sob breaks through Cassandra's lips. A desperate gasp of air, like she's suffocating. The sound of it is horrid, almost unnatural - enough to break any mother's heart.
"Shhh… Shhh…" Arianna hushes as they both slowly sink to the floor.
They end up kneeled in front of each other, with Arianna tightly wrapping an arm around Cassandra's shoulders, and cradling her head with the other.
She doesn't mind the streaks of blood that have transferred onto her dress. All she does is stroke Cassandra's hair, and rock her back and forth. She's clutching onto her with so much love that she almost begins to cry herself.
After Cassandra's father passed away, she'd lost herself in more ways than one. One of those being the drinking problem that Arianna has previously known her to have from a younger age than this, yet never spoke of out loud.
It's not something they ever discussed. Arianna's not certain she even wanted to acknowledge it, nor the fact that Cass has been known to be destructive when she drinks. Whether that's emotionally or physically. Toward others or herself. But Arianna isn't certain it's ever reached a point this bad before.
The thought of what more the girl would've done to herself if Arianna had arrived a minute later terrifies her to no end.
But it isn't just her father. It's everything at once, eating away at her until she can't take it any longer.
Eventually, Cassandra's weeping begins to die into mere sniffles and occasional whimpers, her mind and her body numbing slowly.
Neither of them know how long they stay that way for, before Arianna gently breaks away.
"Let's get you cleaned up," she says just above a whisper.
Cass' exhaustion and lack of strength to even form words right now prevents her from trying to fight this time. She doesn't say or do anything more as Arianna gingerly pulls her to her feet, only lets her.
So, the queen wipes Cassandra's tears and helps her get into the tub, after rinsing it of her own vomit. She washes her hair and scrubs the dried blood from her hands that still quiver long after they'd started. She helps her get into fresh clothes, then cleans the wound on her arm and bandages it with care.
All of it is reminiscent of many years ago, when Cassandra had been so dependent on Arianna for these very things, only the reason for it being that she'd simply been too young at the time to do any of it herself.
When they're done some time later, Arianna guides Cassandra to lay down into bed. Not wanting to leave her alone just yet, she crawls in after her.
They settle next to each other on the mattress in Cassandra's bedroom, unspeaking. Cass is half sitting, half laying down, her body angled and leaning slightly onto Arianna, who sits upright with both arms wrapped around the girl's shoulders.
After the blur is over, Cass doesn't entirely remember how she'd gotten here. How long Arianna has been here too. How much she saw.
Instead of trying to figure out any of it, her tired eyes begin to fade into sleep.
Everything is just… numb.
"Arianna?" Cassandra croaks.
The woman doesn't respond. Only listens.
Tears that don't quite fall suddenly well in Cassandra's eyes. Like many other things that happened tonight, she doesn't know why. Shame. Embarrassment – for getting herself into a pitiful mess she needed help to get out of.
Gratefulness. Love.
All of it stirs in her mind at once. Despite it, what she finds herself whispering instead is, "Please don't tell Rapunzel about this."
She's grateful that Rapunzel hadn't been the one to find her. That it had been Arianna instead, because Cass doesn't want the princess to see this side of her. The broken, weak side. The mess that she is.
Caused by Rapunzel herself.
"I won't," Arianna tells her, wearing a faint grin despite herself, "Your secret's safe with me." She cups a hand to Cass' cheek, and plants a tearful kiss on top of her head. With that, she continues to stroke the girl's hair, and blinks back her own painful tears. "Close your eyes... Rest now."
Cassandra eventually does, falling into a dream.
A shiver crawls up Cassandra's spine as she splashes a handful of cold water onto her face.
Shuddering, she opens her eyes again, and straightens herself from leaning over the tavern's bathroom sink.
Through hazy vision, she stares blankly at her reflection in the mirror hanging over the basin in front of her.
It's quiet in here, but the muffled noises of music and laughter can be heard just on the other side of the door. Only a single torchlight illuminates the shadows within the tiny bathroom.
Her mind is fuzzy. Her fingertips and mouth have reached the point of numbness. There's a bitter taste of ale between her lips. Her stomach is warm and faintly churning. A drowning fatigue has begun to wash over her.
It's a state she hasn't succumbed to in years – one that feels just as blissful yet torturous as she remembers. Just as she's always wanted.
Cassandra almost loses herself within it, before she remembers that Rapunzel's voice is somewhere within those noises just outside. Her, and that insufferable goatee with a person attached to it.
She breathes steadily at her reflection in the mirror. Cold water drips down her neck that she doesn't bother wiping away.
She just hopes it will sober her up somewhat.
With a sudden determination, she swings open the door with more aggression than she'd meant to, and ducks outside.
Loud voices and the sound of a lively fiddle instantly drown her ears as she returns to the main room of the tavern. That, and an immediate aroma of alcohol. The air is so warm with the amount of people here that it's almost unbearable. All she wants to do is get out of it.
A few hours have passed since they'd first arrived. It's creeping closer to midnight, and the state of the place has roused into celebration. Half of the crowd has broken into song and dance, while the rest observe and clap in time with the rhythm.
Despite Cassandra's discomfort, she walks past it all, hidden behind the wall of people. Thankfully, no one pays her any mind. All she's focused on is scanning the crowded room for Rapunzel's head brown of hair.
Eventually, she spots the princess – as one of many within the circle of onlookers, dancing across the floor.
She's holding her skirt within her fists, prancing and twirling joyously. The waves of her hair are bouncing along with her movement. Others surround her, moving and smiling in a similar way. Though beneath the firelight of the chandelier, Rapunzel is the most radiant of all.
Cassandra freezes upon noticing her. She watches from a distance, only for her to stomach to drop once she realizes who the princess is dancing with.
Flynn is close in front of her, twirling her under his arm. Holding her by the hands.
They're laughing. Smiling at each other. The look of pure joy on Rapunzel's face captivates Cassandra in a way she would otherwise adore, if it weren't for who it is specifically aimed at.
She can't remember the last time she had seen Rapunzel look so happy, or even seen her dance in a style quite like this. It reminds her of the royal balls at the castle, and how Cass would watch Rapunzel sway across the floor in a similar way. Only she'd been waltzing in an elegant ballgown at the time.
Even after so many years, the sight of it still gives Cassandra butterflies.
Rapunzel and Flynn's dancing slows to a stop, though everyone around them continues.
They're clearly out of breath. He raises a tankard to his lips, gulping from it. He hands it to Rapunzel, who takes it from him without hesitation.
She drinks from it, winces, then throws her head back with laughter. She stumbles forward, almost falling into him.
Watching it is torturous.
Because all Cassandra sees anymore is everyone that ever abandoned her. Died. Left her. The faces in her nightmares that once loved her, now nothing but ghosts. She'd hoped Rapunzel would never become one of them.
It isn't until now that Cass tries to look at Flynn in the way that Rapunzel must be. She supposes he's attractive. He's an adventurer. Free-spirited, humorous, care-free – just like Rapunzel. Everything that Cassandra is not.
She thinks of what he told her that first night together around the campfire – about the darker side of her.
She thinks about how Rapunzel could never want someone like that. Someone who's killed. Someone who hurts herself in order to feel something, only to feel nothing at all. Someone that ties a person down in more ways than one. Why would she, when she has somebody like him?
As Cassandra continues to observe them from afar, her thoughts spiral into madness until she abruptly realizes it can't go on any longer.
Without announcing herself, she turns back into the crowd, and disappears upstairs.
Sluggishly, Cassandra kicks the door closed behind her once stepping into the room she'd rented for the night.
Immediately, the clamour downstairs is shut out. The sound of silence instantly soothes her.
Her head is pounding – thoughts suddenly empty now rather than jumbling. She's still drunk, despite her efforts to reverse that. She'll probably regret it in the morning. For now, all she wants to do is sleep.
So, she plops down onto the bed, landing heavily on her back.
She stares up at the ceiling blankly for a while, ears ringing slightly from the noise she'd just endured. With a long, heavy sigh, she tiredly runs her palms down her cheeks. She arches her back, stretching it out briefly.
Her hands drop to rest on her stomach. She closes her eyes for less than a minute before she hears the door to the bedroom softly clicking open.
Cassandra opens one eye, peering toward it. The brightness of the room physically makes her head ache, despite there only being one lantern on the bedside table.
Rapunzel is poking her head inside. She steps fully into the room once she realizes Cass is awake.
"Hey. There you are," she greets in a soft voice, closing the door behind her back. "I was looking everywhere for you. Everything okay?"
Cassandra watches her as she approaches the bed. "Yeah," she responds, trying to sound more positive than she feels.
The princess sits on the edge of the mattress, with her hands folded in her lap. She peers over at Cass laying next to hear. A guilty expression forms on her face. "I'm sorry. I know you're not really a fan of parties."
That isn't even what Cass had hoped she'd be sorry about.
At the same time, Rapunzel is the one who'd asked her to stay, then proceeded to basically ignore her the entire time. Why would she say she wanted Cass to be there, if she was going to be giving all her attention to Flynn anyway?
Maybe it's due to the amount of alcohol in her system, but Cassandra doesn't think twice before she remarks bitterly, "No, it's fine. I just didn't wanna get in the way of your fun." It's a response she probably wouldn't have said at all if she were sober, yet somehow, she doesn't entirely regret it.
For a moment, Rapunzel just stares at her blankly, wondering what would cause her to say that. Then one side of her mouth curves into a smirk with slow realization. She scoffs, "You're jealous, aren't you?" She doesn't sound upset about it, just amused.
Cassandra doesn't answer. Only averts her gaze, wearing an angry pout.
The sight of it only entertains Rapunzel more.
"Aww…" The princess leans toward Cassandra with a teasing smile. "You know he's just being friendly, right?" Slowly, she crawls into the other girl's lap.
Cass' expression softens slightly, mostly from the sight of Rapunzel now straddling her hips. Still, she doesn't respond to that, only stares up the princess' face now leaning over her.
Rapunzel's hands are propped on either side of Cass' head, her hair tickling the other girl's neck. "Okay?" she asks again, expectantly.
Now with their faces so close, Cass can clearly see the haze in Rapunzel's eyes. Hears the slight slur in her words. Smells the alcohol on her breath.
She knows for a fact that Rapunzel has never been intoxicated in her life, apparently until now. Another thing that makes them so opposite. The realization that Flynn is essentially responsible for it only bothers Cassandra more.
She wants to make another bitter comment about it simply for satisfaction, but arguing with Rapunzel is the last thing she wants to do. Especially right now. Instead, she holds her tongue.
Cass nods her head, mumbling faintly in response. "Mhm."
Rapunzel seems to accept that answer, because the corners of her lips tug into a faint grin. Then she leans the rest of the way down and softly presses her lips against Cassandra's own.
Reluctantly, Cass lets her eyelids fall closed and kisses her back.
Her mind regarding Flynn has hardly eased, but the fact that Rapunzel is up here with her, kissing her and not him right now, is at least satisfying in some way. She wishes she could enjoy it more, if there weren't so many other thoughts distracting her right now. Not to mention how tired and drunk she currently is.
She tries to shove it all away, instead forcing herself to focus on the moment. She can't remember the last time they'd share one quite like this.
Then a sudden, pinching pain behind her lips startles Cassandra to attention, like the inside of her mouth is beginning to burn.
She abruptly pulls away.
The feeling vanishes.
What was that?
Rapunzel's eyes widen with concern, wondering why she stopped. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
Cass only blinks in confusion, wondering the exact same thing.
"Nothing," she sputters, convincing herself she'd imagined it. Maybe she's even more drunk than she thought. "Sorry. I—I don't know why I did that."
Rapunzel doesn't look convinced. But before she can say anything more, Cass cups her face and pulls her down into another kiss.
Her fingers comb through Rapunzel's hair. Warm breath and the taste of alcohol. Her knee shifts between the princess' legs as they both start to melt back into what they had been doing before.
Then the pain happens again - ten times more excruciating than the last. This time, it surges down Cassandra's throat like a bolt of lightning. It creeps into her chest and wraps around her heart as if all the air in her lungs has been sucked out and replaced with a foul poison.
Her body seizes. She makes a noise against Rapunzel's lips, grabbing her by the shoulders and roughly pushing her off.
"What? What is it?" Rapunzel exclaims as she unexpectedly finds herself being shoved upright.
The pain disappears again.
Cass pushes herself to a sitting position, hovering her fingers by her mouth. She slithers her legs out from beneath Rapunzel and swings them over the edge of the mattress, suddenly wanting to get as far away from her as possible.
The hurt in Rapunzel's eyes flicker into a hint of anger once she realizes that Cass hasn't yet responded to her, nor is she looking her in the eyes. "If you're that upset with me—"
"It's not that." Cass shakes her head.
There's a knock on the door. It swings open a moment later.
Flynn is standing beneath the archway, with his hand lingering on the doorknob and his torso leaning into the room. Distant music and laughter can be heard from somewhere behind him.
He notices Cass and Rapunzel both sitting on the bed at the opposite side of the room.
"Oh. Sunshine! I thought I'd find you up here," he beams at Rapunzel. "Don't tell me you're tired of dancing already."
An uncomfortable silence stretches between them all.
Without looking at either of them, Cassandra pushes herself to a stand and crosses the room. She doesn't entirely know where she's going, just wants to get away. She can't deal with this right now.
Flynn watches her for a moment, noticing her awkwardness. His eyes dart between them both, realizing he'd probably just walked into something he shouldn't have. "Everything okay?"
Rapunzel glares over at Cass.
She too pushes herself off the bed, suddenly very upset, "Yeah. Everything's fine." Her voice is monotone. She joins Flynn at the doorway, brushing directly past him. "Let's go."
Flynn looks as if he might question it, before deciding against that. Instead, he closes the door behind him as they leave.
Another hour passes until eventually, the party comes to an end.
The tavern is dead now. Only a few figures linger in soft conversation. The barmen and servers are cleaning up for the night. Most every patron has retired upstairs or returned to their homes until tomorrow.
Flynn returns Rapunzel to her and Cassandra's room, then drags himself into his own just next door.
He closes the door behind himself, running a hand through his hair. He's just about to let himself fall onto the bed with exhaustion when he notices a small piece of parchment placed on the mattress.
He picks it up in his hands, reading the words scribbled across the page in cursive.
Meet me in the woods. -A
The full moon illuminates the pointed rooftops of the village in a pale glow. There's a soft breeze in the air, rustling the trees.
Flynn's boots crunching through dry leaves are all that break the quietness of the night, along with the soft hum of chirping crickets. An owl hoots eerily from somewhere overhead.
He walks further into the forest until the village disappears through the towering wall of trees behind him, eventually encasing him in a maze of darkness.
He freezes when the blade of a sword whips out in front of him, stopping mere centimeters away from his throat.
His hands yield in surprise, body leaning back slightly to avoid it.
He recognizes the swordsmanship of the blade, along with the shadowed figure at the opposite end of it. Immediately, his shoulders loosen with relief.
She's crouched on top of a boulder, her eyeline level with his. Black sword shimmering in the moonlight. Head ducked low like a predator stalking its prey. Her movement hadn't made a sound, instead swift and agile.
"Adira!" Flynn exclaims before chuckling nervously. "Lovely and… startling to see you, as always. You know, you really gotta be careful with where you're pointing that thing."
Slowly, she retracts the sword from his throat. "I see you got my note."
Her long white hair tied on top of her head is practically glowing as the moon. She's dressed in a suit of red and silver armour, with a fur-lined collar and black boots.
She begins to inspect her sword with a raised eyebrow, flipping it over in front of her eyes. "I was afraid we'd lost you for good after our little scuffle in that town last week. I was beginning to doubt you, but it's nice to know where your loyalties still lie."
The warrior woman hops down from the boulder, landing lightly on her feet. She straightens her stance, tall and confident. Her dark eyes are staring Flynn down as she closes the space between them.
He finds himself being forced to back away.
"We agreed on one simple task. Bring the sundrop to the Dark Kingdom and kill anyone who gets in your path. So tell me, why is her short-haired friend still alive?" Casually, Adira points her weapon in Flynn's direction once more.
Smugly, he plants his feet, lifting a finger in the air, "Technically, you didn't specify how or when I was going to do any of that."
"Last I checked, wasting time drinking and making heart eyes wasn't part of the plan."
"You said to do whatever it takes. Well, I'm doing that, aren't I?" Flynn defends. "Forgive me if my methods aren't as cutthroat and straight to the point as yours might be."
"What are you waiting for, Eugene?" She looms her face in front of his, voice lowering with a glint of a teasing tone. "You haven't gone soft, have you?"
"No, I haven't gone soft!" he insists, sounding offended. "Look, Cassandra's already on my back. She's been asking questions. I just need a little more time to get her to trust me."
"Need I remind you, we are running out of time. And you know that if you prove yourself here… then you'll finally be able to call yourself one of us." She raises her fist, revealing the tattoo on the back of her hand – the crest of the Brotherhood, a black circle with three slashes through it.
Flynn's gaze lands on it for a moment, before uneasily darting away.
"Isn't that what he would've wanted for you?" Adira continues.
A frown appears on his face as he finds himself silenced, shoulders dropping insecurely.
"Seven days." She tells him. There's a scraping sound as she sheathes her sword onto her back. "If you don't start taking charge, I won't hesitate to take matters into my own hands. And if your… feelings for the sundrop have any truth to it… Let's just say it won't be pretty for her, or for you."
The woman smoothly turns on her heel. She begins to walk away, then stops herself, angling her chin over her shoulder.
When she speaks again, there's something else in her voice. Something softer. Reflecting distantly in her eyes, but there nonetheless. "Remember who we are doing this for… Eugene."
With that, Adira darts into the trees, accelerating into a run.
She vanishes like a soundless shadow in the night.
Cassandra doesn't know what time it is when she feels Rapunzel crawling into bed next to her. The feeling of it wakes her from a sleep she doesn't remember falling into.
Considering how dark the room is, and how silent the tavern seems to be compared to earlier, she figures it must be the early hours of the morning now.
It isn't until now that Cass realizes how irresponsible it was of her to leave the princess unaccompanied last night, after she'd disappeared downstairs with Flynn. She should've gone after her, made sure she was safe. It seems he at least had the decency to make sure Rapunzel got back to her room all right.
Cassandra is still drunk enough that her tired eyes remain closed, but she lays there awake for what feels like an eternity afterwards.
Rapunzel easily drifts away next to her. Unlike most nights, she keeps her distance from Cassandra. Instead of burrowing her nose into Cass' neck like she usually would, she's on the opposite edge of the mattress, with her back completely turned.
Despite her fatigue, Cass can't find it in her to fall back asleep. Eventually, she climbs out of bed.
Hoping some fresh air will cure her, she quietly steps out onto the bedroom's small balcony, leaving the door ajar behind her.
A cool breeze crashes against her face, along with the comforting scent of pine and drifting smoke.
It's quiet out here, peaceful. She looks out at the dark grassy field beyond the edge of the village. The moon is full and glowing within the dark sky. There isn't a soul in sight. The rest of the world has long since gone to sleep.
Her gaze is so soft that she almost doesn't notice the movement in the distance catching her eye. She blinks, straightening her neck to focus on it.
There's a figure, stepping out of the tree line and emerging from the shadows. At first, she wonders who could possibly be out there at this time of night.
She recognizes him immediately.
Flynn Rider.
He's alone, walking at a leisurely pace. He's peering around himself as if in search of lingering eyes, finding nothing. He sighs tiredly to himself, running a hand through his hair as he makes his way through the field and back toward the tavern.
Cassandra watches him from afar.
What on earth is he up to?