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This wasn’t her destiny.
This was the destiny of her esteemed, arrogant princeling, yet the little blue enchantress who bestowed him his gift decided that the entire castle should enjoy her generosity. This wasn’t her destiny, but that didn’t change the fact that right now she was a sentient suit of armour instead of a young woman. She had been patrolling in her Captain’s Guard regalia when the curse had struck, and the enchantress had thought it ironic to transform her into the suit that she wore. Certainly there were worse things to be stuck as- which Friedborg the feather duster could attest to- but all the same, she was robbed of her future in favour of the destiny of someone else.
Typical.
*
One day, as all the fairy tales go, a woman arrived. Or, not so much arrived as crashed onto the castle grounds on her noble steed (she had learned his name was Maximus) and landed herself in one of the many guest bedrooms while the staff attended to her wounds as best they could. And as one of the only staff members transfigured into a form with opposable thumbs, Cassandra had been stuck on nurse duty.
She was beautiful, with the longest hair of the brightest gold Cassandra had ever seen. If she had to guess, the woman was around twenty? Perhaps erring on the younger side, but either way she was definitely too old for their princeling Varian, a boy of only sixteen years. She’d already resigned herself to at least another two years of the curse- she had to doubt anyone could discover ‘true love’ at the age of sixteen, but Varian was adamant that they keep the mystery woman trapped here until he could be sure she wasn't his true love.
There were times Cassandra was glad she wore a polished silver helmet instead of her heart on her sleeve, because if she had a face to scowl with Varian would have seen the true depths of her loathing. A young boy he might have been, but she’d spent the last two years as a piece of decorative furniture so she wasn't in the mood to be particularly forgiving towards his selfish and entitled tendencies. She was stirred from her crucible of resentment by a weak moan, and immediately Cassandra took stock of her patient.
A delicate hand reached up to feel the fresh bandages wrapping around her forehead, and bleary green eyes glanced up at her as she came to.
“What… where am I?” She asked, the dreamy but befuddled look never leaving her.
“You’re in the Dark Kingdom’s castle. You had an accident while you were riding on the grounds, and we brought you here to restore your health,” Cassandra replied, her voice hollow as it echoed throughout her plating. She might’ve said we, but she had done all the heavy lifting. Varian’s beastly form was lithe and wiry, not particularly good for carrying wayward travellers.
“The Dark Kingdom…? I think- I remember having to take a detour back from the marketplace because of the snow, but I’ve never heard of this place,” the stranger said.
“This place has been a bit lost to time,” Cassandra replied, in lieu of a proper explanation.
“Uh, right. Anyway, I have to thank you for saving me back there, then. What’s your name?”
“Cassandra.”
“Well, Cassandra, I’m Rapunzel. And my horse is named Maximus… Where’s Maximus?” she cried. Cassandra placed her hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder and gently pushed her back onto the bed, even as she struggled weakly to get out of bed.
“He’s fine, he’s fine. He’s in the stables- he got a little bruised but he’s up and about giving our other steeds a hard time for their poor form,” she assured her, a phantom smile slipping into her voice as she thought about the stalwart white stallion that kept nipping all the other horses- save for Fidella, of course. Rapunzel visibly sagged with relief upon hearing that.
“Yeah, that’s Max alright.”
Cassandra nodded and leaned over and adjusted Rapunzel’s pillows.
“You should stay in bed for another day or two, luckily you’re not concussed but better safe than sorry."
“Oh, I don’t know- I think I should get going. People are probably already wondering where I am-” Rapunzel rambled. Cassandra fought back the urge to flinch. Well, this was Varian’s problem; if he wanted to keep her trapped here, he had to do the dirty deed of breaking it to her himself.
“Prince Varian is probably going to want to talk to you first. He’s not very happy with the number you did on his rose garden,” she said, skirting the real issue.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry. I hope he’s not too mad,” Rapunzel worried her bottom lip between her teeth.
“I don’t think he’ll be able stay mad at you for too long,” Cassandra nudged her, even though she knew full well that wouldn’t soften the blow. A gentle hand rested on her cold metal one and she glanced down at it, unfamiliar with the sensation after so long.
“Can I- Can I see your face?” Rapunzel spoke in a near whisper. Cassandra quickly withdrew her hand.
“I think I’d better not. Get some rest Rapunzel,” she said quickly, and then stiffly got up and left the room before she could see the look of disappointment on her face. Rapunzel would find out soon enough.
*
“Ugh! He’s the worst !” Rapunzel cried, flinging herself onto her bed. “I mean, I know he’s your prince- but he is the worst!”
“Trust me, you don’t have to tell me twice,” Cassandra replied, fighting back a chuckle. Raps couldn’t have been more cute, pouting on the bed and curling around her pillow, but her emotions and the context behind them were not. Varian and Rapunzel had the whole ‘you’re trapped in this castle’ conversation a week ago, which had gone down about as well as a party in Vardaros. Cassandra had since been put on guard duty, which for the most part just meant steering Raps away from the outside world by keeping her busy inside. Which was difficult, by the way, because Rapunzel had an endless amount of energy and interest in exploring the caste. With the exception of the West Wing, naturally.
“I can’t imagine what it must be like for you. Having to share his curse even though you had nothing to do with it,” Rapunzel sighed in a rare somber moment.
“It’s alright. I’m the Tin-Man- er, Tin-Woman. I don’t have a heart, you know,” Cassandra said, shrugging it off. Of course the curse was her nightmare manifest, but she didn’t need to unload all that on Raps.
“Oh? Oh! You’ve read The Wizard of Oz too!” Rapunzel jumped up and down on the bed, clapping her hands, immediately discarding her previous sour mood.
“Well, yeah. There’s not a lot to do to pass the time around here, but the library is huge- it’ll take much longer than my lifetime to read through everything,” she replied. The moment she said the word ‘library’, wonder shone in Rapunzel’s eyes and she beamed a smile that could light up the sky.
“There’s a library? ” she asked with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas. Cassandra was glad for perhaps the first time ever that she didn’t have a heart to thump loudly inside her chest and cheeks to be coloured in red.
“I’ll show you,” she said instead, and held out a metal arm which was immediately taken by a warm, soft hand. Cassandra swallowed a dry gulp and led the way, purposefully ignoring the curious looks sent her way by the clocks and the candelabras. The library itself was a vast room of three floors, each wall lined with tens of shelves and every shelf was packed with books. There were sections for biographies, autobiographies, encyclopaedias, textbooks, and dictionaries, and there were sections for fairy tales, romance novels, dramas, murder mysteries, children’s books and horror novels; everything the mind could conjure, it was written here. The chandeliers cast a warm yellow glow over the room, giving the rustic furnishings a cosy feel despite the grandeur of the room.
Rapunzel was delighted, and Cassandra found a small flame of pride was burning in her chest at having been the one to make her feel that way.
“Oh, Cass! This is incredible! It’s just like the library back in- well, nevermind. Which way is the fiction section?” She asked. Cassandra tilted her head to the north wall and watched mirthfully as Rapunzel just about scaled the wall to get to a lavender coloured book. And yet at the same time she felt cold- not just in the steel of her skin, but in her absent heart, with the knowledge that however gilded her cage Rapunzel deserved to be free instead of living here amongst them. For so long as she was her jailor, the joy Raps brought her would always be bittersweet.
*
Cassandra caught sight of Rapunzel right after dinner as she was doing her usual rounds. She looked absolutely stunning in the elaborate pink gown she wore, the silk gazar hugging her every curve like a lover. But no beauty could compare to the brilliant smile on her face, which brought heat to Cass’ cold cheeks. She had long accepted her infatuation by now, but Raps didn’t need to know about that. In fact, she couldn’t know about that, because the last thing Rapunzel needed was more strings keeping her tied to this castle and its curse.
As soon as Raps noticed her, she bounded over- still refusing to wear the heels which might hinder her movement. Her dress and long golden hair trailed behind her like ribbons, glimmering in the candlelight.
“Hi Cass! Do you mind if I join you?” she asked, interrupting Cass’ thoughts.
“Not at all,” she replied, hastily recovering from her awe. Rapunzel giggled and hooked her arm around hers as they strolled together.
“You’re in a good mood tonight,” Cass commented, leading them out into the gardens. The sun had already sunk below the horizon and although the last vestiges of purple light coloured the sky, the grounds were dimming by the minute. Cassandra guided Rapunzel along the pathways, mindful to keep her feet on the grass and away from the harsh gravel, and stopped to allow her to smell the roses.
“Things are… they're getting better. Varian, well, today he made a real effort to be nice- he took Max and I out for a ride around the grounds and had dinner with me and everything, but…”
“But he’s a bratty little brother learning from his mistakes, who’ll never be anything other than a little brother to you,” Cassandra finished, recognising Raps’ tone.
“Yeah. I think he knows that too, by now, but he’s scared. If he lets me go it’s like giving up.”
“I'm glad he has you to teach him how to be better, so that when his true love does come along he won't be such an ass, but that isn't your job. It should’ve been mine, really- but I have trouble, with…”
Rapunzel smiled at her with that kind, understanding smile of hers.
“I know. But I’m happy to stick around and help, because I don't think I could live with myself if I left you like this,” she admitted.
“Raps… You shouldn’t be sticking around here for me. I know I’m supposed to be the one guarding you but… I think Varian would let you go if you asked him. He’s come so far, thanks to you- but you have a home, a life to get back to,” Cass said, stopping in her tracks to look Rapunzel in the eye. Unfortunately her lack of facial features made her impossible to read, and Rapunzel bit down on her lip with her two front teeth in trepidation. Eventually she shied away from her gaze and tucked a stray golden wisp of hair behind her ear.
“I know I do, but maybe I’d rather be here with you.”
*
Rapunzel had apparently neglected to mention the fact that she was not an ordinary woman. She was a Princess. Cassandra couldn’t blame her for keeping that tidbit of information to herself; if Varian had known he’d had a princess in his castle, he’d have doubled down on the ‘true love’s kiss’ thing tenfold. Needless to say, however, the Princess’ family (and kingdom) was looking for her- and now they had found her. They were armed with torches and pitchforks- nothing Cassandra couldn’t handle- but she knew that she didn’t want to fight them. They only wanted to rescue a woman that should have been released from capture months ago, and she wouldn’t stand in their way.
All it took was a slash- a woman with half of her face painted red unleashed a crude black sword and swung, tearing into the metal of Cassandra’s breastplate as if it were paper. She collapsed back onto the balcony and sat there, clinging onto the vestiges of sentience the enchantress had graced her with, looking up into the starry sky. This wasn’t how she thought she’d die, but then again, it beat being turn into a rusted pile of metal when Varian failed to break his curse.
The view of the heavens was beautiful, but then it was blocked by an even prettier sight.
“Raps? What are you doing here?” she wheezed, the sound echoing in the hollow of her chest. Rapunzel cradled her helmet as if it were made of glass, and tears spilled from her eyes onto the metal. She tried to speak, but she could only choke out a sob as she hugged Cassandra against her body. A weak hand reached around to rest on her back, rubbing soothing circles, but that only made Rapunzel shudder and weep heavier.
As a suit of armour, Cassandra had no face- no eyes to gaze into, no nose to brush against, no lips to kiss.
And yet, when Rapunzel pressed her lips against the cool steel of Cassandra’s helmet, she felt warm. Everywhere.
Too warm, in fact. Cassandra gasped and lifted the helmet off her head, relishing the first breath of fresh air she had taken in years. Where there was once steel there was now smooth, pale skin, and her dark hair bounced back into place above her shoulders as she released it. She could feel her heart beating against her ribs- she could feel her bones again, and they ached. With a short burst of adrenaline (how unfamiliar) she reached for her torso, and was relieved to find that it wasn’t cleaved in two.
“How- how is this possible?” she asked in wonder, twisting her hands in front of her. Rapunzel was beaming at her, drinking in the sight of her human face with amazement. Cassandra boasted the most beautiful pair of olive eyes she had ever seen, a sharp jawline and a pair of red lips with a perfect cupid’s bow.
“Maybe… Well, the spell did affect everyone in the castle… maybe it could have been undone by anyone in the castle?” she suggested, rubbing tears from her red eyes with the back of her palm. Cassandra thought about it for a moment.
“Huh. Fair loophole,” she said eventually, with a shrug more casual than it had any right to be. Rapunzel giggled at that, and Cass found that her cheeks were already starting to hurt as she smiled back, weary from their misuse. Still, she couldn’t find it within herself to care.
Because lips were pressing against her own now, and she could feel them- she could feel everything- and if this was her destiny, then that was pretty okay.
*
As it happened, Rapunzel’s timing was pretty good. Just as the angry mob arrived in Varian’s quarters, they had watched as before their eyes, the wretched Beast that had captured their Princess transformed into a young little princeling, and so too were their memories restored of the Dark Kingdom and its curse. Varian had agreed to surrender their Princess back to them, and the King and Queen of Corona abstained from further punishment, considering the curse its own lesson.
Rapunzel was glad to join them and return home, happy with the knowledge that the Dark Kingdom was restored and she had her Knight in Shining Armour to bring along with her. And there was nothing she enjoyed more than the sight of Cassandra taking her helmet off to reveal that gorgeous, very human face of hers, and being able to rush across the room to kiss it.
Fairy tale stories got their happy endings, after all.