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"I'm going to be a knight!"
The boys exchanged glances with each other, grinning, before they burst out laughing.
"You? A knight?" one of them jeered.
"But you're a girl." another one added.
"So?" Cassandra stuck her tongue out defiantly.
"So girls can't be knights!"
"Yeah, they can! I'm going to be a knight and win the hand of the princess," she spoke matter-of-factly as she placed her hands on her hips.
"You're wrong," the tallest one lunged for her, catching a handful of the collar of her shirt.
"Let me go!" she grabbed at his fist with one hand, using the other to land a right hook on his face.
He glared at her, turning to the side and spitting, before tossing her to the ground. "Fag!"
Cass had heard that word before. Her father had told her to ignore it if it was ever hurled her way, but she wasn't exactly in a position to do so.
"You're just a stupid girl."
"Yeah, stupid."
"You like girls? Gross!"
She found herself surrounded, and scooted backwards on the ground, trying to put distance between herself and the bullies. She didn't want to feel afraid, but a part of her was, even if it didn't show on her face.
"Hold her down for me, boys."
Suddenly, Cassandra's arms were immobilized by two of the males, with the main instigator on top of her. She struggled, kicking her legs and attempting to thrash her arms, but three against one wasn't very fair. She looked up defiantly, only to have the glower wiped from her face by a direct hit. One, two, three, in rapid succession, until Cass stopped counting and started praying for it to be over.
Several solid blows later, Cassandra felt the weight lift from her body and her arms freed. She curled into herself, peeking up as tears stung her eyes. They were still there, standing over her, exchanging smirks and back pats like they were oh-so-pleased with themselves. Cass shut her eyes, waiting for them to have their fill of fun and finally leave.
"Go to hell!" one of them tossed out, as a final parting word.
Eyes closed, Cassandra couldn't defend herself against the last blow, a swift kick to her stomach. She gasped, the wind knocked out of her, and curled up even tighter, shielding her face with her arms in preparation for further assault.
But thankfully, they'd gone.
She groaned, sitting up and holding her side where it was starting to bruise. She choked out a sob, quickly wiping away tears before anyone saw. She scrubbed at her face with her hand, smearing dirt and blood across her skin.
She was still mustering the strength to limp away and clean herself up when the princess appeared.
"Cass!" she called, waving from across the training yard. It was only when she got closer that she gasped, noticing the state her friend was in. There was a trickle of still drying blood on her lip, scrapes and bruises on her arms, and the space beneath her eye had already turned a deep purple. Her hair was mussed, and sticking out in more directions than usual. "Are you okay?"
She knelt down in the grass, reaching towards her friend, before thinking better of it. She wanted nothing more than to wipe all the grime off of her, kiss away the hurt, and make her pretty again. She knew Cass liked to play rough and didn't mind the occasional scrape, but this was very different.
"What happened?"
Cassandra could nark on those boys. She could tell Rapunzel all about what they did. As the young princess of Corona, no doubt she could get them in serious trouble. But this wasn't her fight. It was Cass's. And even if she did tell, there was nothing to stop them from coming for her again. There were even more awful and brutal things they could do, things that could permanently keep her from becoming a knight. She couldn't say just what they were capable of. But she had to protect herself. She couldn't tell.
"Nothing."