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When Cassandra first arrived in the castle, she hadn't been expecting a warm welcome. She had openly threatened the people of Corona, ruined Eugene's birthday party and attempted to kill Rapunzel and her friends multiple times. She wasn't actually going to murder them but there had been violence nonetheless.
Now - after months of rethinking her actions and place in life - she'd come to realise that the road she was taking hadn't been the most fun. Often Cassandra had felt lost and afraid. The warmth she'd had here with her friends had never left her heart and she had soon missed her home to the point that it hurt just thinking about it.
Walking up to everyone and apologizing hadn't been easy but Rapunzel had welcomed her with a smile and open arms. Eugene had been sceptical at first, and Cassandra hadn't even found the will in her to argue with him, but eventually he too turned around and began to crack jokes about her previous look to break some of the tension. She had never been more grateful to have him around the castle.
Cassandra had been willing to work again - it was the least she could do - but her father had wanted her to relax for a couple of weeks first, something about getting used to her old life. She was pretty sure that the man was being overprotective again and wanted her to feel good not only physically but mentally too. She couldn't blame him. Cassandra had been very emotional when she’d had the moonstone. Now - with everything behind her - she felt a bit drained and tired no matter how much she slept.
So Rapunzel had ordered her to take a small vacation inside the castle for a few months. Cassandra had obliged after a bit of protesting but deep down she felt like this was the right decision. There was still so much to think about and ponder over. What was she going to do now? What were her next moves going to be? Who was she? Who did she want to be?
Most of the time, she found herself in her old room all by herself because the staff in the castle gave her weird looks when she walked around. She'd hoped that people would move on after the first week but things got worse. When she'd ordered something to eat, one of the chef's had put a sock between her pasta and the cleaning staff had dropped a red handkerchief in between her white laundry, making everything a light pink.
It weren't the most pleasant circumstances but deep down, Cassandra felt like she deserved it. So, instead of fighting back like she would have done months ago, the raven let everything people did to her slide. Maybe if she didn't say anything, people would get tired eventually and forget about her altogether.
Maybe.
"Isn't there anything i can do? I'm going crazy if i stay in my room all day."
Rapunzel looked up from her sowing with a puzzled look. "You don't leave your room? You're allowed to go anywhere you like, Cassandra. I told the guards to give you free entree throughout the whole castle."
"I know," she sighed as she continued to pace the room back and forth. "But people are still getting used to my presence. It's... Not the most fun to have everyone staring at you just for passing by."
"Are they still doing that? I told everyone to lay off. Maybe i should talk to them again after work-"
"NO!" She yelled. Rapunzel would only make the situation worse if she intervened. She always did. "I mean it's fine, Raps. They'll get over themselves soon enough. These things take time."
Rapunzel seemed to think for a moment before a smile appeared on her face. "You're probably right. Anyway, if things don't get better, you tell me, okay?"
She smiled back. "Okay."
Things hadn't gotten better. People had been treating her worse every day and in all honesty, Cassandra felt like their reaction was justified. Guilt was still eating at her so the only thing that could make her feel better was some sort of punishment. As long as they were mean to her, she was allowed to stay.
It was somewhere around midday when Cassandra made her way back to her room. She was walking through the long hallways of the castle when someone stepped in front of her. A broad woman with a blonde bun and a blue apron stood in front of her, hands on her hips and a frown set on her face. She was taller than Cassandra and her arms were three times the size of her own.
The raven took a step back but the blonde didn't let her. Without breaking a sweat, the woman suddenly lifted her up into the air and pinned her against the wall by her throat. "I've been meaning to talk to you for a few days now, kitty cat. It's not okay to just walk back in here without a problem after what you've done."
Cassandra had trouble to breath properly. Her feet weren't touching the floor and she felt like she could break any moment. In a desperate attempt to stay alive, she clawed at the strong hand holding her throat and spoke through gritted teeth, "w-what do you want?"
The blonde scoffed. "You're going to help me finish my maiden duties, kitty cat. That's what you're meant to be doing anyway. So, what do you say?"
If Cassandra had found herself in this situation months ago, she would have kicked this person in the stomach and bitten her nose off. Now on the other hand, she felt like she had to do this or else she would never find some sense of peace in herself. As much as she hated people who loved to bully someone who was clearly smaller than them, Cassandra had no energy left to even argue.
The blonde woman smirked when Cassandra nodded pathetically against the wall. "Wise decision," she replied before dropping the raven back to the floor. "You can start by mopping the floor. I will see you again here at six in the morning for your next chore. Make sure you're on time or else you'll end up with more than a bruised throat."
Cassandra was wheezing on the floor as she tried to get air back into her lunges. The tall maiden dropped her cleaning utensils at her feet before storming off with a laugh.
Cassandra stared for a moment at the tools in front of her. Was this what she had come back for? She was even worse off than before she'd taken the moonstone, nothing but a fragment of who she once had been. At least back in the day, she had a purpose and a goal to where she was going. Now, though, all of that seemed completely gone. She couldn't see her future anymore. She couldn't see herself ever being happy again. She couldn't see anything.
She couldn't even look at herself in the mirror when she woke up.
She sighed but grabbed the bucket from the floor anyway and went to fill it with water. There would always be time to ponder over her life. Right now she had a job to do.
_______________________________________
Cassandra soon learned that the strong maiden was named Hannah and that she had told the other hand maidens about their little deal. Everyone was stopping by at her door with chores they didn't want to finish and Cassandra only nodded before she went to work on said tasks.
It wasn't an ideal situation but at least now she had something to take her mind off of herself. She could handle it. She had been dealing with worse things in the past.
She was currently picking up laundry from each room, all the while checking her list with rooms to go to. She was pushing a massive cart forth with a pile of smelly clothes on top when she saw who's room she had to enter next.
"No way," she mumbled to herself. The king. She had to enter the king's room and risk him seeing her or worse: talk to her! Cassandra hadn't spoken to the king once since arriving here. Rapunzel had said that the man was a bit confused about the situation but allowed her to live with them as long as Rapunzel kept an eye on her. Rapunzel wasn't here though. She would have to go in all by herself and see what he had to say. This was going to be a disaster.
"Maybe he's not here," she told herself. "Maybe he's taking care of something else and they'll never know."
He is going to be so mad.
She could hear a woman snicker behind the corner but she ignored them. Cassandra might be afraid but she wasn't going to allow them to make a complete fool out of herself. She was a grown up woman! She could face the most powerful man in Corona whom she had threatened and hurt his daughter multiple times in a row. No big deal. Right?
Right.
Cassandra lifted a hand in front of the door and knocked two times. The seconds that she stood outside waiting for an answer, were one of the longest in her life.
At last, she could hear someone call from the inside to enter which she did. Her heart was hammering against her chest when she walked into the room. "Er... I'm here for the laundry, your majesty," she mumbled with her eyes trained on the floor.
"Cassandra?" She heard him say. "What are you doing?"
"E-excuse me?"
Her body stiffened as she heard someone walk closer. "Rapunzel told me to keep you away from any work."
"I wanted to help, sir. It's the least i could do."
The king hummed low in his throat but never said anything more. He allowed her to collect the laundry and let her leave without any bad comments. When she was out of the room, she felt like she could breathe again. That hadn't been too bad and any confrontation that might have happened in the future, was gone now that she had seen him.
Maybe she wasn't doing so bad after all.
"Did he send you away?"
Cassandra looked up to see a young woman with chocolate curls in a blue apron. She was leaning against the wall with one eyebrow raised, something sinister in her eyes. She must have been the one who gave her the evil task. "What's your problem?"
She scoffed. "Did you find your voice again? Remember your place."
She bit her tongue, refraining herself from speaking bad words. Instead, Cassandra pushed her cart further down the hallway until she couldn't hear the handmaid's laugh anymore.
She stopped dead in her tracks when two familiar voices echoed through the halls of the castle. "-m not sure what to do. She's even more closed off than before."
"Give her some time," Eugene answered. "You said it yourself that Cassandra just needs to adjust again to her old life."
Cassandra hit behind her cart when the voices grew louder. She could hear them halt suddenly when Rapunzel drew out a sigh. "You're probably right. I just want her to be happy, you know? I wish she would smile again like she used to."
"Maybe you could do something to make her feel at home like going for a ride on your horses."
Her eyes widened at the idea. She wouldn't want to do anything more than going for a ride with Rapunzel, away from everyone else. Just the two of them like they used to. The thought made her smile instantly without her realising.
"That's a great idea! I'll ask my dad for permission as soon as possible. Thanks Eugene."
She cringed a little at the wet sound when they shared a kiss but they were already leaving before she could gag. Going outside seemed like a gift from heaven and she couldn't wait to leave this place, even for a day.
Cassandra turned back around with a smile but fell back down on the floor when she bumped into someone. Hannah was standing above her - tall and mean looking - with four other handmaidens. They were eyeing her with sinister smirks and Cassandra knew that nothing good could be happening now.
"A ride with the princess, huh? Seems like your luck never runs out," Hannah spat.
"Why do you always get away with everything while we have to work our asses off! The princess never takes us out for a ride," another woman snarled at her.
Hannah silences her with a hand in the air. "She won't be going anywhere because Cassandra has too much work to do."
"What do you mean?" She asked in a small voice.
Hannah dropped a piece of paper in her lap, a list with more chores than she had already been doing. "You still have to finish these."
"Everything?! But these are all your chores combined! Don't you have jobs to do still?"
Another woman rolled her eyes at her. "We deserve a vacation too, punk. Finish these by the end of the week, or Hannah is going to leave you with something worse than our work."
She cringed at the memory of Hannah's strong hands around her throat. The woman could bench press her with her pink if she wanted so she wasn't about to argue anymore.
She had really wanted to go for a ride though...
"Fine," she spat at last. "I'll do it."
"That's a good kitty cat," Hannah answered. "Have fun cleaning the floor."
Cassandra grit her teeth as they walked away, their giggles echoing in her head. Why couldn't they just leave her alone already? She had suffered willingly but didn't she also deserve a break?
The raven finished her current job before she went to her room for a short lunch break. There wasn't much to eat since she hated to ask for food nowadays so she just kept a bag of bread and jam for most of the time.
She had just finished her meal when someone knocked on the door. "Rapunzel?" She said when the blonde appeared in the door frame.
"Hey Cass! I have amazing news! What do you think of us going for a ride in the woods? You can pick out a sword to go with it!"
Cassandra could feel her heart warm up again. Her features morphed into a smile and she was about to say yes when she remembered all of her chores. "I can't."
Rapunzel's green eyes widened in confusion. "Really? I thought we agreed on giving you a break."
"No, no! Raps, it's... I'm not in the mood to go outside right now."
"Oh. Well, we could paint together in my room if you want or practise some classic sword fighting. I have been practising for you!"
Cassandra could feel her heart clench in regret. "I'm just not feeling like doing anything. I'm sorry."
Rapunzel looked at her for a couple of long seconds, almost analyzing her. She wished that the princess would cut it out already. "I understand. Come on, Pascal. Let's give Cass some space. I'm here if you need anything."
She nodded. "Thank you."
Cassandra felt even more miserable when the door shut closed in her face.
_______________________________________
This was getting ridiculous. Cassandra had been working her ass off for the other handmaidens every day since last week without catching a break! She didn't even have to work this much when she had still been a lady in waiting herself.
She was sweeping the floor like a mad woman when Friedborg walked up to her. Cassandra blinked at the woman as she stood still in front of her, no words coming out of her mouth. She had that same blank expression on her face since forever and no malice was visible on her features. At least there was still someone around who didn't judge her.
She dumped her mop into the bucket of soap water lazily. "Hey Friedborg. How are you doing today?"
The woman blinked in response, causing Cassandra to cringe inwardly. Why was it that Friedborg was the only person who seemed to act normal around her and when did she end up on Friedborg's level? She could be even lower than that. Wasn’t that pathetic?
She sighed. "I can't believe i'm actually doing this. Did you want to throw in a chore of your own? Because i'm doing them all anyway! Cassandra doesn't have time for fun anymore. Nope! I became the lady in waiting's personal Cinderella."
When Friedborg still didn't show any signs of understanding, Cassandra continued. "Yeah, you're right. I should just walk up to them and tell them that i'm quitting. So i did something wrong. Haven't we all?"
She paused in her thoughts. "Of course no one here has actually tried to pin people to the floor but i was confused and aren't we all a bit confused from time to time?" Friedborg blinked. "It won't happen again. I learned my lesson. Why don't i get a chance to prove that?" When the other woman didn't answer for the third time, Cassandra smiled and snapped her fingers. "You're totally right! I should get that chance. I'm not a bad person and i'll prove it to everyone starting now. I'll tell them that i'll stop doing their chores. The old Cassandra is back!"
"Oh, is she now?"
The raven stopped dead in her tracks. Somehow, Hannah's voice was still making her hair stand upright and shivers run down her spine. She was going to fight this time though, but that didn't mean that the woman had suddenly stopped being scary.
"I won't do your chores anymore. It's over."
Hannah clicked her tongue. "That's a pity. You were doing such a great job."
"I won't be bullied by you anymore."
"Bullied?" The woman stepped closer to her prey. "No. We were simply putting you in your place. You see, when criminals do bad things, they're getting a punishment. I guess yours will come now, kitty cat."
Cassandra noticed Friedborg running off in her peripheral vision but she was too focused with Hannah to really care. "Stop calling me that," she grit out before lunging forward.
Hannah might have been wearing a dress, but she could still move swiftly. The woman was stronger than Cassandra, but she herself was a better fighter so she used that skill to her advantage.
Cassandra kicked and punched as best as she could, and for a moment, she was actually winning until Hannah grabbed her by the front of her shirt and slammed her against the wall. Cassandra was reminded of the first day she met Hannah but this time she was going to fight even if everything what she did seemed hopeless.
"A feisty little one are you," Hannah commented before whispering in her ear, "i like it."
Cassandra's eyes widened and dread filled her heart when she felt the handmaid feel her up with one hand. "S-stop! Cut it out!"
"Don't move, love. I've been meaning to teach you a lesson and so that's what i’m gonna do. You've been a little tease since i first saw you in the castle."
She could feel a hand pull her turtleneck to the side before Hannah's warm lips touched her neck. The feeling was awful. Cassandra felt so used, so dirty. She was even angrier than she had been five minutes ago.
The raven did everything in her power to break free but she was still so tired and Hannah had pushed her whole body against hers. Everything was too warm, too close, too much! She tried to scream but a hand slipped over her mouth while the other one fondled her breasts tenderly.
Cassandra thought this would be the end of her dignity when a voice echoed through the hallway. "Guards! Seize that woman!"
Immediately, Hannah was pulled off of her and Cassandra felt like she could breathe again. She watched how two guards took the woman away while she slid down the wall. Her heart was still racing and her hands shook. She hadn't even noticed she was crying until Rapunzel's face popped up in front of her. "Cass! Oh, i am so sorry! I had no idea! Are you okay?"
She looked up into the emerald eyes of her best friend and opened her mouth to answer that she was fine but... She found herself unable to. Cassandra was done lying, especially to her best friend.
So she shook her head and cried harder. The princess pulled her into a hug on the floor and let her be for a wonderful moment. This was good close. This was good warm. This was what it meant to be home.
Somehow, Cassandra felt like things would be better now for the first time in months as long as she stayed with the good warmth.
_______________________________________
"You have to tell me these things sooner. I was so worried and when i saw you earlier in the hallway, i was scared. Scared of something or someone hurting you and me not being able to help." Rapunzel sighed. "Look, i know you're capable of helping yourself but you can tell me when people are bullying you. It's a good thing Friedborg got to me in time. I can't imagine what could have happened if..."
Cassandra hugged her pillow closer to her chest. "I know and i'm sorry. I haven't been feeling great lately. I have always needed to fight in life but i had myself the whole time. Now i feel like i've lost even that and it scares me. What if i'll always be like this? What if the old Cassandra doesn't come back and i'll always be this empty shell of what i once was?"
Rapunzel scooter closer to her on her bed, her blue nightgown draped around her elegantly. "Then we will welcome this new Cass just the same."
There were tears forming in her eyes for the millionth time that evening, a present that the new Cassandra had brought with her. She hated feeling like this but maybe everything wasn't so bad after all. At least Rapunzel didn't seem to think so. What had she done to deserve such a good friend?
"Thanks Raps. That means a lot to me."
Rapunzel placed a piece of midnight hair behind her ear with a smile. "You will always be my best friend. Don't worry about it and tomorrow, you get to work with the royal guards! How about that?"
Her eyes widened. "Wait what? You're not joking, are you?"
But Rapunzel shook her head with a hint of pride hidden on her face. "I had a conversation with your dad and he is officially making you a full time guard! You can thank me later."
Cassandra screamed. She was so happy that she tackled her friend to the bed with a shout of joy, and Rapunzel screamed with her.
They would be alright as long as they had each other.