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, glancing past Cassandra with fear when a familiar sound began to echo toward them. "Let's go!" She grabbed their hands and pulled them toward the bridge, the black rocks emerging behind them from the woods. They started running across the bridge as fast as they could to reach the two horses on the other side. Maximus sensed something was wrong when he spotted them approaching. He stepped forward, trying to see what was happening, but a piece of the bridge cracked and broke away under his weight. He quickly stepped back as a sizable gap formed. As if triggering a chain reaction, another piece broke off, causing the bridge to lurch to the side. The sudden movement sent the two women and Varian tumbling to the ground.
Cassandra brushed a strand 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 and see her tugging on her locks. "My hair!" Her hair had gotten caught in a crack in the bridge. To make matters worse, the rocks were catching up with them, knocking over trees as they approached the bridge.
Cass and Varian rushed back to Rapunzel, pulling as hard as they could to free her hair, but they could do nothing as the rocks crashed into the bridge. The force caused the bridge to break free from the earth, soaring into the air. The trio stared, frozen in shock, fearing it would fall on them before the slab came crashing back down, knocking them off their feet again.
The three exchanged glances before getting up and staring at the bridge. The overpass had now fractured into four sections and slowly crumbled beneath them. Rapunzel gritted her teeth as she was pulled forward again, her hair still ensnared in the stones on the other side. Cass dashed forward, intending to cut her hair free as she drew her weapon. However, upon seeing her broken sword, she discarded it. Varian followed Cass as they leaped over the gaps, racing toward the entangled hair. They were forced to stop when the section holding Rapunzel's hair sank further. Rapunzel struggled to maintain her footing as she slipped on the stones. Noticing her in distress, Cass and Varian rushed back to assist 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 slid forward. Suddenly, Maximus came to the rescue with a loud whinny. Jumping over the gap, the horse rushed to the end of Rapunzel's hair, trying not to focus on the bridge crumbling beneath him. It was a race between him and the black rocks to see who could reach there first. Just as the rocks appeared along the cliff face, Max stomped on the stone holding Rapunzel's hair, knocking it loose. The trio snapped backward, thrown to the ground as the princess was freed. However, they now faced another problem. The trio was stuck on the section of the bridge they were standing on since either side had collapsed. They got to their feet and stood back to back in a dangerous balancing act to avoid falling.
Meanwhile, Max found himself cornered on the other side as rocks erupted from the earth. With no other options, the guard horse leaped off the crumbling section, sprinting as fast as he could to reach the trio. The girls and Varian winced as their portion of the bridge swayed, dropping to their knees as they gazed into the unforgiving abyss below. Just as they began to tip over, Max leaped across the gap, urging them to jump to safety. Rapunzel and Varian managed to land on his saddle, but Cass fell short, grabbing Rapunzel's hair desperately to save herself. Max made it safely with the teenagers, and the handmaiden screamed as she clung to 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 abruptly cut off when Fidella caught her by the back of her tunic. As the horse pulled the handmaiden back onto solid ground, the bridge collapsed entirely with a tremendous thud. Dust and debris billowed 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 gazed 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're 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 started moving again.
(A short time later)
The sun began to rise as the trio rode back to the castle, Rapunzel's hair billowing behind them. Upon entering the city, the group was forced to stop because more guards were walking around than during 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, nodding toward the princess.
"Right, it could be seen by a guard," Varian agreed.
"And there's no other way in?" Rapunzel asked anxiously.
"Sure, if you wanna walk through the door in broad daylight," Cass replied sarcastically. Rapunzel clutched her hair as she looked around until her gaze landed on one of the castle towers.
"Hmm, maybe we don't need the front door…" she said thoughtfully, having an idea.
"What do you need?" Varian asked, understanding her cue.
"A distraction."
"On it." Adjusting his clothes and hair to appear 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, covering his mouth with his hand. "Reading in the library. I'm going to need the energy."
"He must have slipped out during the changing of the guards." The guard glanced 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 performance. Man, he was good.
"Captain Maximus, welcome back from your patrol, sir!" the first guard said. Varian glanced back as Maximus entered behind him, then looked up at Rapunzel on the roof, using her hair to get on top of the wall. He turned his attention back to the front but kept track of their location.
They soon arrived at his and his father's room, with 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 his dad was missing. Although he felt confused, he saw this as an opportunity to check on the girls. He waited a few minutes to make sure no one else was coming and then peeked into the hallway. Seeing that the coast was clear, Varian started toward the princess's room, recalling the route from yesterday. He kept an eye out for his dad and the guards from earlier, hoping to avoid running into them.
At one point, he passed the Duchess of Quintonia, glancing at her suspiciously as she walked by. Something about her felt off. In fact, something seemed 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 heard a noise coming from inside—specifically, 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!" Cassandra exclaimed as 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 noticed a giant ax embedded in a broken table with Rapunzel's hair underneath 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! Do you have any ideas?"
"Hmm, well…" He looked around at the hair thoughtfully, noticing the broken pieces of weapons scattered on the floor. "If we can't cut it, maybe we can hide it."
"How?" the girls asked.
"I passed by that Duchess of Quintonia in the hall on the way here. What if we say 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'd better get started if we're going to have it ready by breakfast."
"Right." Cassandra nodded. They heard another knock on the door, and all of them froze.
"Hey, Sunshine, are you in there?" Eugene asked from outside, leaning toward the door with Pascal on his shoulder.
Rapunzel began to open the door when Cass grabbed her arm. "You can't let Eugene see you!"
"What? Why?" she asked, confused.
"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, tucking a lock of hair 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 out.
"Don't worry," Varian whispered. "We'll just tell him the wig story." After considering it for a moment, Rapunzel nodded in agreement, earning a grateful smile from Cass. The handmaiden and Varian began gathering Rapunzel's hair, with the latter gesturing for Rapunzel to sit at her vanity.
"Hey, are you okay in there? I can hear you, you know!" Rapunzel moved to get into position but forgot her hair was still caught under the ax. She was yanked to the ground with a yelp, immediately alerting Eugene and Pascal. "Rapunzel!" He gasped, joined by the chameleon.
Varian continued working as Cassandra lifted the ax from Rapunzel's hair. "Rapunzel!"
Cass hid the weapon behind the partition while Max similarly concealed the table. "Rapunzel!" The princess sat at her vanity, trying to collect herself, as Varian crouched behind the changing screen.
"Stand back!" The former thief kicked the door open before she could signal Eugene and rushed inside. "Are you okay—holy hair!"
When he saw the room, he skidded to a stop, and Cass, Max, and Rapunzel froze, staring at him. Eugene was shocked, while Pascal seemed happy, their eyes following the length of her hair. They turned to the princess, who chuckled sheepishly.
"Surprise…"
After ensuring 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 briefly switched tracks 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 catching the hint, which made Varian facepalm.
"Oh, come on, really?! I thought we trusted each other, Rapunzel?!" Eugene exclaimed, causing Rapunzel to cringe.
"We do!" she replied. "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 urged 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 get in, and Pascal pressed his back against it. Max's tail fell onto the lizard's head as he came over to assist him.
"You can't! I'm…" She glanced at Varian, who silently 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 really 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 in approval at her performance.
"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 after 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 began before sighing. "Your father has something very important to share with you. He's… he's been waiting all night."
Feeling guilty, Rapunzel pushed some of her hair aside as she replied, "Yeah, sure, um… I will be there as soon as I can?" Arianna felt uncertain, sensing something was off, but she trusted her daughter's word and left for breakfast. Rapunzel sighed heavily. "Okay, we need to do something about this hair."
"Then we'd better get started," Varian replied.
(At the terrace)
"Rapunzel… what is this?" King Frederic asked as she joined her parents on the terrace, her golden locks braided like on her first day in the city.
"It's a wig that Cassandra commissioned for me," Rapunzel replied, playing with a strand near 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 appeared relieved. "It's… good. Very realistic."
"Thank you."
"It's definitely better quality than the Duchess of Quintonia's," Arianna smiled before shifting the topic. "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 stood up and walked to the edge of the pavilion. "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, wearing 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 her hands in his and bent down on one knee in front of her. "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 continued, something was happening in town. A shopkeeper at the market was polishing a vase from his cart. As he examined it, he noticed the reflection of a criminal behind him. When he turned around, the other man suddenly seized him.
"And the barrier keeping us safe from that is sometimes more fragile than it appears."
Another thug showed up and tipped over the glass cart. The duo was quickly surrounded by guards and surrendered a bit too easily.
"When that evil rears its ugly head, it is my job to protect Corona from it."
Several people dashed out of the bank in terror, looking back as more criminals appeared with bags full of loot.
"And one day, that will be your responsibility."
Two guards arrived shortly and escorted them away.
"And I must teach you how to carry it."
Once again, the thieves surrendered quickly, which was rather strange…
"But that is many, many years away."
A rock was thrown through a jewelry shop window before a known criminal named Pocket stole a massive 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 dropped the diamond and raised his hands when Maximus arrived to stop him. He continued to smirk as he and the other criminals were led away. Varian gazed out one of the castle windows while the prison cart rolled 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 slightly.
"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, 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 returned to his room. His father fixed his hair and practically ordered Varian to stay 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 approached, Varian began to feel restless. Ever since he saw the royal guard bring in a cart of thieves, he'd had a bad feeling that only worsened 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 to Rapunzel's chambers. However, he didn't get far before nearly colliding with his father in the hallway. "Varian! I was just about to come find you," he said. "Where are you off to?"
"I was just going to see if the Princess needed 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, concealing his disappointment. Hopefully, the older man was right, and everything would turn out alright.
(At the same time)
The time for the coronation of the Princess of Corona had finally arrived. All the guests were in the throne room, with the king and queen standing by their thrones and the sun priest positioned between them. He placed Rapunzel's crown on a cushioned pedestal in front of him, ready to present it to the new heir.
By the side entrance outside the throne room, Cassandra added some final touches to Rapunzel's appearance before the big event. Rapunzel's hair remained in the same braid as before, adorned with white beaded hairbands that complemented her coronation dress. "That would've gone a lot faster with the other girls helping," Cass said, checking her hair to make sure 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 as Cass adjusted the high collar of her dress.
"Positive." She nodded. "Are you sure you can pull this off?"
Rapunzel hesitated before approaching the door. She opened it slightly and peered into the throne room, where her parents and the officiant stood in their designated spots. Taking one last look at her father, she closed the door and turned 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 said, pointing down. Cassandra lifted the skirt to see her struggling in the pink shoes that matched the outfit. "How do people walk in these things? Whoa!"
"Just relax," Cass replied, standing up and giving the princess's shoulders an encouraging pat. "This is going to be fine."
Rapunzel smiled slightly, 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. As the doors opened, Varian turned around with everyone else to see Rapunzel. She embodied grace and finesse, light reflecting off her pink and white dress.
As she glanced around at everyone, Rapunzel raised her head with dignity and began to walk down the aisle. However, she soon struggled to maintain her balance a few steps in. She cringed slightly as she paused to avoid stumbling. No doubt, she was wearing those ridiculous shoes Varian had noticed 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 and those shoes. It would have been even worse if they had concealed her hair with an actual coiffure. She looked less like herself and more like a dress-up doll.
As if she were trying to be someone else… someone people expected her to be.
Varian understood what that felt like. He had always struggled to be himself when everyone else wanted him to conform, content with being a farmer or the mayor's son. Even his dad sometimes hoped he would put aside alchemy and act like the other boys in the village. This made him view his powers as a gift. They provided 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 slipped away from the crowd, unnoticed by everyone except Varian. The teen glanced in the direction she had gone before returning his focus 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 reciprocated, and Varian offered her a discreet smile as Cass walked down the aisle after her.
When the princess turned around, Varian's expression transformed into an unspoken glare, not aimed 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 were true, then the king had failed.
Miserably.
As the Moonlight Phantom, Varian had witnessed just how bad things were in Corona beneath the surface. Frederic fixated on the wrong "problems," arresting hungry orphans, Saporians, and suspected "witches" while real criminals lurked in the shadows. Even so, Varian swallowed his emotions and thoughts. He'd become skilled at that over the years.
As the man kept talking, Varian's earlier bad feeling intensified. Glancing around, he observed that the guard at the front doors had been replaced by a suspicious-looking person in a guard uniform. The individual then used a halberd to secure the door, preventing it from being opened from the outside.
"And there are many."
Gazing at the side entrance, he noticed another thug in a guard uniform walk in. "This mandate is not to be taken lightly."
Varian turned to his father, noticing that he also acknowledged the change in guards. When Cassandra reached the front, the alchemist saw her directing Eugene's attention to the fake guard with a look, his mouth dropping open in alarm at the sight of 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, capturing everyone's attention.
"Lady Caine?" Eugene gasped in realization.
Varian's eyes widened. He recognized that voice… "What's she doing here?" Varian was familiar with Lady Caine. He had encountered her a few times as the Moonlight Phantom. He wasn't sure about arch-enemies, but she was undoubtedly one of his recurring foes.
Just then, the thugs Varian had seen brought in that morning stormed into the throne room. At the front of the crowd stood a red-haired woman dressed in ruffian-like clothes, wearing a skull necklace and displaying tattoos along her left arm. Drawing her sword menacingly, the nobles scattered in fear as the pirates pursued them. "Come on, Varian." Quirin pulled his son to the side while Eugene and Cassandra found their own safe spots to avoid being trampled by the crowd. The guests ran for the exits, with Pocket blocking those who rushed toward the front doors. The suspicious "guards" then began herding them back into the room, where the pirates took several of them hostage. They led the captives 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 by himself, but too many people were in the room. Glancing at one of the planters, he realized 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, receiving glares from Cass, Eugene, and Varian. "But try to follow along." She leaned in close to her ear, her tone growing darker. "This… is all your fault!"
"What?!" Rapunzel exclaimed, surprised.
"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 sympathy for the villain. He had witnessed firsthand the injustices the king had enforced and the lives he had destroyed in his vain attempts to find his daughter.
Caine's voice trembled as she walked away from Rapunzel, who 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 letting out a deep sigh. "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 adorned with banners for apple pie was wheeled in. The thug at the reins applied the brake, causing the signs to fall away, revealing that it was a stolen prison cart. "Load 'em up, boys!" Lady Caine commanded, gesturing fiercely with her blade.
With no way to fight back, the nobles were forced to walk into the prison cart one by one. Varian watched with increasing distress as his father was forced to walk into the prison cart alongside the other nobles at knifepoint. He knew he could easily break them out. He wanted to charge in, unleash a blast of moonlight, and exact some retribution for trying to take his father. Yet, he didn't. He couldn't let anyone know about his powers. He stayed calm to avoid glowing as he waited for his chance.
"Your turn, Your Majesty," Lady Caine called out playfully. Rapunzel cringed as her father moved his hands protectively in front of her while her mother stepped closer. "Oh, come now," she rolled her eyes, smirking mischievously 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 the thugs grabbed her father and took him away. "Dad?" Rapunzel reached out 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."
Without wasting another moment, Varian ducked out of sight behind the plants. Shutting his eyes, he took a deep breath and pulled out his hair clip, letting his bangs fall free as his hair stripe began to glow. When he opened his eyes, they sparkled with determination and magic.
No more waiting.
It's 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!