I didn't think I would get another chapter posted today, but here we are.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Tangled; I only own this story idea.

"What happened?!" Cass cried once she snapped out of her shock.

Varian picked up some of Rapunzel's tresses, looking completely bemused. "It just… grew back."

"I have no idea how this happened, but we'll have to deal with it later!" Rapunzel responded, looking past Cassandra fearfully when a familiar sound began to echo towards them. "Let's go!" She grabbed their hands and pulled them towards the bridge, the black rocks appearing behind them out of the woods.

They started running across the bridge as fast as possible to reach the two horses on the other side. Maximus could tell something was wrong when he saw them coming. He stepped forward, trying to see what was happening, but a piece of the bridge cracked and broke away under his weight. He stepped back quickly as a sizable gap formed.

As if setting off a chain reaction, another piece broke off, causing the bridge to lurch to the side. The sudden motion sent the two women and Varian tumbling to the ground. Cassandra swiped a piece of golden hair from her face before they all scrambled to their feet. They kept running until Rapunzel was suddenly yanked back with a startled yelp.

"Cassandra! Varian!" She cried, causing them to turn around to see her pulling on her locks. "My hair!" Her hair had gotten caught in a crack in the bridge. To make matters worse, the rocks caught up with them, knocking over trees as they approached the bridge.

Cass and Varian ran back to Rapunzel, pulling as hard as they could to free her hair, but they could do nothing as the rocks smashed into the bridge. The force caused the bridge to break from the earth, sending it flying into the air. The trio stared, frozen in shock, thinking it would fall on them before the slab fell back down, knocking them off their feet again.

The three looked at each other before getting up and staring at the bridge. The overpass was now broken into four parts and slowly crumbling beneath them.

Rapunzel gritted her teeth as she was pulled forward again, her hair still caught on the stones on the other side. Cass ran forward, planning to cut her hair free as she drew her weapon. However, when she saw her broken sword, she threw it away. Varian followed Cass as they jumped over the gaps, running toward the caught piece of hair. They were forced to stop when the section holding Rapunzel's hair lowered more. Rapunzel struggled to keep her footing as she slid on the stones. Seeing her in trouble, Cass and Varian ran back to help her.

The Princess was almost yanked off the platform when the vigilante and lady-in-waiting grabbed her cloak, struggling against the bridge. "Whoa!" She shouted as they all started to slide forward again.

Suddenly, Maximus came to the rescue with a loud whinny. Jumping over the gap, the horse ran to the end of Rapunzel's hair, trying not to focus on the bridge falling apart beneath him. It was a race between him and the black rocks to see who could get there first. Just as the rocks appeared along the cliff face, Max stomped on the stone holding Rapunzel's hair, knocking her hair loose. The trio snapped backward, being thrown to the ground as the Princess was freed.

However, now they had another problem. The trio was stuck on the bridge section they were standing on because either side had fallen away. They got to their feet and stood back to back in a dangerous balancing act to keep from falling.

Meanwhile, Max was cornered on the other side as the rocks continued to burst out of the earth. Not seeing any other choice, the guard horse jumped off the crumbling section, running as fast as possible to reach the trio.

The girls and Varian cringed as their piece of bridge swayed, falling to their knees as they looked at the unforgiving abyss below. Just as they started to fall over, Max jumped across the gap, prompting them to leap to safety. Rapunzel and Varian managed to land on his saddle, but Cass fell short, grabbing Rapunzel's hair in a desperate bid to save herself. Max made it with the teenagers, and the handmaiden screamed as she grabbed the ledge.

Before she could pull herself up, Cass started to lose her grip. "Cassandra!" Rapunzel yelped as Varian and Max gasped in fear.

Just as Cass fell, her scream was cut off as Fidella caught her by the back of her tunic. As the horse pulled the handmaiden back onto solid ground, the bridge gave out entirely with an enormous thud. Dust and debris bellowed around them from the chasm.

When the smoke cleared, the group stood in silence for a moment. Varian, Rapunzel, and Max were panting from the chase while Cass and Fidella stared into the empty canyon before them. "See?" Cass dusted herself off like it was no big deal. "Told you I'd get you in and out without anyone knowing. Piece of cake."

"'Piece of cake?'" Rapunzel questioned, sounding almost offended. "Uh, did you see the seventy feet of 'my father is going to kill me' growing from my head?"

"Plus, we are still out. We're not back in yet," Varian added, not in the mood for jokes after that.

"… One problem at a time, please," Cass replied as they got moving again.

(A short time later)

The sun started rising as the trio rode back to the castle, Rapunzel's hair flying behind them. When they entered the city, the group was forced to stop since many guards were walking around, more than the nightly patrols. "We've got a problem," Cassandra peeked around the corner of a building as troops marched by. "Because of the coronation, they've doubled security at the gates today."

"Can't we go back through the tunnel?" Varian whispered.

"We could try, but it'll be risky," Cassandra said, looking at him. "especially with…." She trailed off before nodding toward the Princess.

"Right, it could be seen by a guard." Varian nodded.

"And there's no other way in?" Rapunzel asked anxiously.

"Sure, if you wanna walk through the door in broad daylight," Cass said sarcastically.

Rapunzel clutched at her hair as she looked around before her eyes landed on one of the castle towers. "Hm, maybe we don't need the front door…." she said thoughtfully, getting an idea.

"What do you need?" Varian asked, catching on.

"A distraction."

"On it." Adjusting his clothes and hair to look less disheveled, Varian stepped out of hiding and walked toward the entrance.

"Young Master Varian, what are you doing out here?!" A guard asked in disbelief.

"I was just getting a snack from Monty's. I was up all night…" He yawned, moving a hand in front of his mouth. "Reading in the library. I'm going to need the energy."

"He must've slipped out during the changing of the guards." The guard looked at another.

"Well, let's take him to his room," the other guard said, reaching out to coax Varian into following him. "You still have a few hours, so why don't you get some sleep before the coronation?"

"Good idea," Varian nodded tiredly, mentally applauding his acting. Man, he was good.

"Captain Maximus, welcome back from your patrol, sir!" The first guard said. Varian glanced back as Maximus came in behind him before he looked up at Rapunzel on a roof, using her hair to get on top of the wall. He turned his attention back to the front but kept track of where they were.

They soon arrived at his and his father's room, the guard opening the door for him. "Be sure to get some rest, Young Master," He reminded Varian as he walked in.

"I will, thank you."

After the guard left, Varian noticed that his dad wasn't there. While confused, he saw this as an opportunity to check on the girls.

He waited a few minutes to ensure no one else was coming and then peeked into the hallway. Seeing that the coast was clear, Varian started heading to the Princess's room, remembering the way from yesterday. He kept his eyes open for his dad and the guards from earlier, not wanting to run into them.

At one point, he passed the Duchess of Quintonia, glancing at her suspiciously as she walked by. Something about her wasn't right. Actually, something felt familiar about her. But Varian had other things to worry about.

Soon, he found Rapunzel's room and was relieved to see the guards were gone. He could hear noise coming from inside, namely the sound of things breaking, which stopped after he knocked on the door. "Your Highness? Miss Cassandra?" He called through the door. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, thank goodness!" He heard Cassandra say before she opened the door. "Great timing. We have a problem."

"What's wrong?" Varian asked as she led him inside. His eyes widened when he saw a giant ax on a broken table with Rapunzel's hair under it.

"We've been trying to cut her hair since we got back!" Cass explained, closing the door behind them. "It's just like those stupid rocks! It's unbreakable! Got any ideas?"

"Hmm, well…" He looked around at the hair thoughtfully, taking note of the broken pieces of weapons on the floor. "If we can't cut it, maybe we can hide it."

"How?" The girls questioned.

"I passed by that Duchess of Quintonia woman in the hall on the way here. What if we said it's a wig meant to mimic your old hair?"

"You think it'll work?" Rapunzel asked, climbing over the table.

"Worth a shot. It can at least buy us some time to figure out how to cut it. We better get started if we're going to have it ready by breakfast."

"Right." Cassandra nodded. They heard another knock at the door, and all of them froze.

"Hey, Sunshine, are you in there?" Eugene asked from outside, leaning towards the door with Pascal on his shoulder.

Rapunzel moved to open the door when Cass grabbed her arm. "You can't let Eugene see you!"

"What? Why?" She asked in confusion.

"He can't know anything about last night! I told you, Rapunzel!" She explained desperately. "If it gets out that I took you both outside Corona, I'm done for!"

"But I trust Eugene," Rapunzel said, placing a lock behind her ear.

"Well, I don't! My dad will have me taken off princess detail. We'll never see each other again." Cass said pleadingly.

"Oh, come on, we've been looking for you all night!" Eugene called.

"Don't worry," Varian whispered. "We'll just tell him the wig story."

After thinking it over a moment, Rapunzel nodded in agreement, getting a grateful smile from Cass. The handmaiden and Varian started gathering Rapunzel's, the latter motioning for Rapunzel to sit at her vanity.

"Hey, are you okay in there?" Eugene called. "I can hear you, you know!" Rapunzel moved to get into position but forgot her hair was still stuck under the ax. She was pulled to the ground with a yelp, immediately alerting Eugene and Pascal.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene gasped along with the chameleon.

Varian kept working while Cassandra lifted the ax off Rapunzel's hair.

"Rapunzel!"

Cass hid the weapon behind the partition while Max did the same with the table.

"Rapunzel!"

The Princess sat at her vanity, trying to compose herself, while Varian ducked behind the changing screen.

"Stand back!" The former thief kicked the door open before she could give Eugene the okay and ran inside. "Are you okay– holy hair!" He skidded to a stop at the state of the room while Cass, Max, and Rapunzel froze, looking at him.

Eugene was shocked, while Pascal seemed happy, eyes following the length of her hair. They turned to the Princess, who chuckled sheepishly. "Surprise…"

After making sure Eugene wasn't about to faint, Rapunzel guided him to sit in one of the armchairs. "Hoo! Whoo, mama! Ha! Okay, okay… This is new. I mean, no, not new, right? Because we've seen this. Obviously, that whole magic thing is involved again. It was magic, right? Actually, you know what? You don't need to tell me. I'm just gonna say your hair magically grew back, and what are you doing here, kid?" He switched tracks briefly when he saw Varian peeking out from behind the partition before ranting again. "I'm not gonna ask how. Obviously, you don't wanna tell me, or else you wouldn't have tried to hide it from me. So, I won't ask how it grew back, but please tell me, how did they come back? Don't answer that. The important thing is that you're both okay. You're both okay, right? Because as long as you're both okay, I don't care what happened. I mean, I care! Obviously, I care, but I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation– Where is the war?!" Eugene cut off mid-rant when he saw Cassandra's outfit before turning back to Rapunzel with a forced smile. "That you'll share it when you're ready."

"Thank you for understanding," Rapunzel smiled softly, not getting the hint and causing Varian to facepalm.

"Oh, come on, really?! I thought we trusted each other, Rapunzel?!" Eugene burst out, causing Rapunzel to cringe.

"We do!" She exclaimed. "I do, it's just…."

"Fine, fine, fine! You know what? I can't make you tell me what happened, but obviously, you're keeping something from me! But whatever it is," He placed his hands on Rapunzel's shoulders. "I–I just want you to know you should never feel like you have to hide anything from me."

Rapunzel smiled softly at him. Varian and the animals looked on fondly while Cass rolled her eyes.

"You don't hide things from the people you love… ever." Eugene smiled at her.

"Rapunzel, honey?" They heard Queen Arianna call from outside.

"Hide your hair, woman! You gotta hide your hair!" Eugene told her without a second thought.

"Rapunzel?" The Queen was about to open the door when Pascal quickly slammed it shut. "May I come in, sweetheart?"

She jiggled the doorknob while trying to enter, and Pascal pressed his back against it. Max's tail fell on the lizard's head as he came over to help them.

"You can't! I'm…" She looked at Varian, who mouthed the word 'wig.' "I'm putting my new wig together."

"Oh, I see, but I can still come in, can't I?"

Varian walked over and whispered in Rapunzel's ear what to say. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I kind of want to surprise you and Dad with my new coiffure," the Princess repeated, sounding apologetic. She gave Varian a thumbs-up, which he returned. Eugene and Cass also nodded approvingly at her acting.

"Well, alright, dear," Arianna responded, wanting to respect her daughter's wishes. "Will you be able to finish in time for breakfast? Dad and I would like you to join us on the terrace."

"Um… I'm not sure. Even once I get my wig done, I still have a lot of other stuff to do to get ready," Rapunzel winced, holding some of her hair.

"Rapunzel, well…" The Queen started before sighing. "Your father has something very important to share with you. He's… he's been waiting all night."

Feeling guilty, Rapunzel brushed some of her hair aside as she responded, "Yeah, sure, um… I will be there as soon as I can?"

Arianna felt unsure, sensing something was up, but she respected her daughter's word and left for breakfast.

Rapunzel sighed heavily. "Okay, we need to do something about this hair."

"Then, we better get started," Varian said.

(At the terrace)

"Rapunzel… what is this?" King Frederic asked as she joined her parents on the terrace. Her golden locks were braided like on her first day in the city.

"It's a wig that Cassandra had commissioned for me," Rapunzel said, playing with a strand by her ear. "I… thought people didn't recognize me properly with short, brown hair. Plus, my old hair was a big part of my story…."

"Oh… it's a wig." Frederic looked relieved. "It's… good. Very realistic."

"Thank you."

"It's certainly better quality than the Duchess of Quintonia's," Arianna smiled before changing the subject. "So, Rapunzel, ready for the big day?"

"You bet! Already into the princess spirit!" she smiled cheerfully. "So, Dad, Mom said you wanted to talk?"

"Yes, um," Frederic glanced at his wife as she sipped her tea. "Rapunzel, last night, your mother and I had a discussion…" He sighed heavily as he got up, walking to the pavilion's edge. "I know I'm not always able to separate the man from the king, and separating the father from the king has proven even more difficult." He looked at his daughter, sighing again when he saw her playing with her food with a sad expression. "Sweetheart, I know this new life is hard to get used to…, and I'm sure that you sometimes wish I would just get out of your hair–"

Rapunzel choked on her food. "Sorry. It's a little, um, dry out here. Anyone else dry?"

"Rapunzel…" Frederic took Rapunzel's hands in his, bending down on one knee in front of them. "You're going to be queen someday—a great queen with a magnificent kingdom," he said before frowning thoughtfully. "But you know better than anyone else what a dangerous and evil place the world can be…"

While this conversation was going on, something was happening in town. A shopkeeper in the market was polishing off a vase from his cart. As he inspected it, he saw the reflection of a criminal behind him. When he turned around, he was suddenly grabbed by the other man.

"And the barrier keeping us safe from that is sometimes more fragile than it appears."

Another thug appeared, tipping the cart of glass over. The duo was quickly surrounded by guards and surrendered a little too easily.

"When that evil rears its ugly head, it is my job to protect Corona from it."

Several people ran out of the bank in terror, turning around as more criminals exited with sacks full of loot.

"And, one day, that will be your responsibility."

Two guards soon appeared and took them away, too. Once again, the thieves gave up quickly, which was a little strange…

"And I must teach you how to carry it… But that is many, many years away."

A rock was thrown through a jewelry shop window before a known criminal named Pocket stole a giant diamond on display.

"Until that burden is placed on you, I'm asking that you trust that I know how to keep dangers as far away from you and this kingdom as humanly possible."

Pocket simply dropped the diamond before putting up his hands when Maximus showed up to stop him. He was still smirking as he and the other criminals were taken away.

Varian looked out one of the castle windows as the prison cart passed through the gates, frowning suspiciously. Something wasn't right…

"Do you understand?" the King glanced to the side. "It wasn't until last night that I realized that my methods have at times seemed strict or unfair or…."

"Does this mean I can have more time to myself without having half the Royal Guard over my shoulder?" Rapunzel interrupted, frowning a little.

"Well, this means I'm willing to reconsider those methods." He clarified. "But, I make no promises."

"I can work with that." Rapunzel smiled softly. She leaned in to kiss his cheek before getting up to leave. "Well, I should go. I still have some princess-ing up to do!"

Frederic stared after her before murmuring. "… You were right, Arianna. Teenagers are a whole new frontier." Queen Arianna simply watched their daughter leave, unsure what to tell him.

(Later)

After Rapunzel went to breakfast, Varian went back to his room. His father redid his hair and all but ordered Varian to wait in their room until the ceremony. During that time, Varian took a quick power nap (no pun intended) and did some drawing.

However, as the ceremony drew closer, Varian started to feel restless. Ever since he saw the Royal Guard bring a cart of thieves back, he'd had a bad feeling that only got worse as the clock counted down.

Something was going to happen.

He was sure of it.

Deciding to check on the Princess one last time, Varian left a note for his dad and headed for Rapunzel's chambers. However, he didn't get very far when he nearly collided with his father in the hallway.

"Varian! I was just about to come get you," he said. "Where are you going?"

"I was just going to see if the Princess needed any help with anything," Varian explained. "She was really struggling with her new coiffure earlier."

"I'm sure she's going to be fine. It's her lady-in-waiting's job to worry about those things," His dad said, placing a hand on Varian's shoulder. "Besides, the ceremony's about to start. It's time for us to head to the throne room."

"Uh, right… Okay." The teen nodded as Quirin led him along, hiding his disappointment. Hopefully, the older man was right, and things would be okay.

(At the same time)

The time for the Coronation of the Princess of Corona had finally arrived. Commoners gathered outside to wait for it to finish. All the guests were in the throne room, and the King and Queen stood by their thrones, with the sun priest between them. He set Rapunzel's crown on a cushioned pedestal before him, ready to give it to the new heir.

By the side entrance outside the throne room, Cassandra was putting some final touches on Rapunzel's appearance before the big event. Rapunzel's hair was still in the same braid as before but with white beaded hairbands complementing her coronation dress.

"That would've gone a lot faster with the other girls helping," Cass said, checking her hair to ensure the bands held. "But they're such gossips half the Kingdom would know about your hair by now. I couldn't take the risk of them finding out."

"Are you sure they'll believe it's a wig?" Rapunzel asked nervously before Cass adjusted the high collar on her dress.

"Positive." She nodded. "Are you sure you can pull this off?"

Rapunzel became hesitant before moving to the door. Opening it slightly, she peeked into the throne room and saw her parents and the officiant in their spots. She looked at her father one last time before closing the door and turning to her friend. "I have to, Cassandra."

"Just be careful you don't trip on this," Cassandra said as she knelt to adjust the end of Rapunzel's dress.

"It's not the dress I'm worried about," Rapunzel pointed down. Cassandra pulled up the skirt to see her struggling in the pink shoes that went with the ensemble. "How do people walk in these things? Whoa!"

"Just relax," Cass said, standing up and encouragingly patting the Princess's shoulders. "This is going to be fine."

Rapunzel smiled a little, feeling reassured by her words.

(Back with Varian)

The alchemist stood with his father at the front of the room. He looked around and saw the Princess's boyfriend, who was a few feet away, with the Duchess of Quintonia beside him.

Soon, trumpets began to play, announcing the Princess's arrival. Varian turned around along with everyone else as the doors opened, revealing Rapunzel. She was the picture of grace and finesse, with the light shining on her pink and white dress.

Glancing around at everyone, Rapunzel raised her head dignifiedly as she began to walk down the aisle. However, Rapunzel started struggling to keep her balance a few steps in. She cringed a little as she paused to avoid stumbling. No doubt, she was wearing those ridiculous shoes Varian had caught sight of when Cassandra was preparing Rapunzel's outfit.

After spending time with her outside the castle walls, Varian knew she had to be uncomfortable in that outfit with those shoes. It would have been even worse if they had decided to try to hide her hair with an actual coiffure. She looked less like herself and more like a dress-up doll.

Like she was trying to be someone else… someone people expected her to be.

Varian knew what that was like. He had always struggled to be himself when everyone wanted him to be like them, happy with being a farmer or the mayor's son. Even his dad sometimes wanted him to put down the alchemy and be like the other boys in the village.

It made him see his powers as a blessing. They gave him the courage to be himself and make his own life.

"How embarrassing for her." He heard the Duchess stage whisper. "This is going to take forever." She then silently left the crowd, undetected by everyone but Varian. The teen looked over where she went before turning his attention back to Rapunzel.

"The wearer of this crown is a shining example of the promise that is Corona," The priest began as Rapunzel finally reached the front. Frederic and Arianna looked at her with worry before glancing at each other. "An ambassador of goodwill to those visiting from afar, and an inspiration to those fortunate enough to live within her borders." Rapunzel turned around and gave her friends in the audience a thumbs-up. Eugene responded in kind, and Varian gave her a discreet smile while Cass walked down the aisle after her.

When the Princess turned around, Varian's expression turned into an unseen glare, not at Rapunzel but at the coronation rites.

"But, above all, the chief responsibility of the crown is to keep the people of Corona safe from dangers near and far."

If that was true, then the King had failed.

Miserably.

As the Moonlight Phantom, Varian had seen just how bad Corona was beneath the surface. Frederic focused on the wrong "problems," arresting hungry orphans, Saporians, and suspected "witches" while real criminals hid in the shadows.

Even so, Varian swallowed his emotions and thoughts. He'd gotten good at that over the years.

While the man continued talking, Varian's bad feeling from before became more potent. Looking around, he noticed the guard at the front doors was replaced by a suspicious-looking person dressed in a guard uniform. He then used a halberd to secure the door so it couldn't be opened from the outside.

"And there are many." Looking at the side entrance, he saw another thug in a guard uniform walk in. "This mandate is not to be taken lightly."

Varian turned to his father, seeing that he noticed the change in guards, too. When Cassandra reached the front, the alchemist saw her direct Eugene's attention to the fake guard with a look, his mouth dropping open in alarm when he saw him. "There will come a day when the walls that surround Corona are threatened by malfeasance. A day–"

"Attention, please!" A woman's voice called out, drawing everyone's attention.

"Lady Caine?" Eugene breathed in realization.

Varian's eyes widened. He knew that voice… and that name. "What's she doing here?"

Varian knew Lady Caine. He had run into her a few times as the Moonlight Phantom. He wasn't sure about arch-enemies, but she was one of his recurring foes.

Just then, the thugs Varian saw brought in that morning stormed into the throne room. At the front of the crowd was a red-haired woman dressed in ruffian-like clothes with a skull necklace and tattoos along her left arm. Drawing her sword threateningly, the nobles scattered in fear as the pirates chased them.

"Come on, Varian." Quirin pulled his son to the side while Eugene and Cassandra found their own out-of-the-way spots so the crowd wouldn't trample them.

The guests ran for the exits, Pocket blocking the ones who dashed to the front doors. The suspicious "guards" then started herding them back into the room, where the pirates took several of them hostage. They led them back toward the thrones, forcing them to their knees. Quirin had just gotten Varian out of sight of the thugs when a few of them surrounded him.

Varian watched in horror as his father was herded over to the other captured nobles. "Dad…" He whispered, taking a step forward. Quirin glanced at him, shaking his head. He didn't want Varian to be caught with them.

"Release my guests immediately!" King Frederic ordered furiously as a "guard" positioned himself by the thrones.

"What's the matter, Fred?" Lady Caine taunted as she approached them. "Am I ruining your little girl's perfect day?"

Varian knew he could take these thugs alone, but too many people were in the room. Glancing at one of the planters in the room, he could transform in semi-privacy if he ducked down. While everyone was focused on the Royal Family, Varian moved further into the shadows.

"The Duchess?" Rapunzel raised a confused brow.

"Oh, honey." The woman chuckled, smirking right in her face. "I am no duchess."

"I don't understand," The Princess shook her head, still baffled.

"Of course you wouldn't, Rapunzel." Lady Caine stepped closer to her, earning glares from Cass, Eugene, and Varian. "But try to follow along." She leaned in close to her ear as her tone darkened. "This… is all your fault!"

"What?!" Rapunzel cried, taken aback.

"You see, after your untimely disappearance," Lady Caine rolled her eyes at the word. "Your father locked up every criminal in the Kingdom." She walked over to Frederic, flicking his Corona sun medallion before returning to Rapunzel. "including a simple petty thief… my father."

Varian looked down, feeling sympathetic for the villain. He had seen firsthand the injustices the King had issued and the lives he had ruined in his vain attempts to find his daughter.

Caine's voice wavered as she continued, walking away from Rapunzel as she stared after her. "I saw him thrown into a cage and hauled off like some animal, never to be seen again!" She clenched her fist in heartache before sighing. "So…" She turned back to the Royal Family, pointing her sword at them. "I thought I'd come back and return the favor."

They turned to one of the side entrances as a cart with banners for apple pie was wheeled in. The thug at the reins put on the brake, and the signs fell away to reveal it was a stolen prison cart.

"Load 'em up, boys!" Lady Caine commanded, gesturing aggressively with her blade. Not having any way to fight back, the nobles were forced to walk into the prison cart one by one.

Varian watched with growing distress as his father was forced to walk into the prison cart with the other nobles at knifepoint. He knew he could easily break them out. He wanted to charge in there, blast them all with moonlight, and deliver some retribution for trying to take his father.

Yet, he didn't. He couldn't let it be known about his powers. He kept himself calm to keep from glowing as he waited for his chance.

"Your turn, Your Majesty," Lady Caine called out teasingly. Rapunzel cringed as her father moved his hands in front of her protectively, her mother stepping closer. "Oh, come now," she rolled her eyes, smirking slyly as two of her men approached them. "You didn't think we'd leave our prized pig in the pen, did you?"

Varian narrowed his eyes at Rapunzel's distressed expression as her father was grabbed by the thugs and taken from her side. "Dad?" Rapunzel reached for him.

"Rapunzel! Stay back!" King Frederic ordered as he was put with the captured nobles.

"But–"

"No." Her father cut her off. "There is nothing you can do. As your father and your king, I command you to stay put."

Not wasting another minute, Varian ducked down out of sight behind the plants. Shutting his eyes, he took a deep breath and pulled out his hair clip, allowing his bangs to fall free as his hair stripe started to glow. When he opened his eyes, they sparked with determination and magic.

No more waiting.

Time to fight back.

This is definitely the longest chapter of this story to date. I foresee the update after this as the last one in my multi-chapter update. After that, I'll be moving on to something else.

Merry Christmas, everyone!