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It was quiet in the infirmary. Rapunzel might have been able to heal Cassandra and pull her out of a coma after the battle with Zhan Tiri, she was still feeling tired and weak. It was a day later and the doctor had advised her to stay for at least one week. She hadn't been very happy about that news. If there was one thing that Cassandra hated, it was doing nothing but she guessed she didn't have a choice. Not with an overprotective princess by your side who would check up on you every few minutes.
Besides, it wasn't like Cassandra wanted to go outside right now. People were still upset with her for destroying their home and she could totally understand that. She wouldn't want to see herself either if she had been in their shoes.
She was reading a book(or trying to) that she received from Rapunzel about dumb fairy tales when a knock sounded on the other side of the door. Cassandra rolled her eyes up to the ceiling with a smile. "I told you before, Raps, i don't need more books and grape-"
Her sentence cut to a stop when she lay eyes on the person standing in the doorway. "Dad."
The man smiled at her when he walked inside but she couldn't look him in the eyes. Her heart ached when she remembered what she had done to him, how she had fought against him when she still had the moon stone. He must be so angry right now.
She swallowed thickly before she spoke up. "I-i know that i've disappointed you and i'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you but i did and now you quit your job all because of me." Her hands in her lap were becoming blurry from the tears forming in her eyes. "I-i know that you wished i had been a prodigy. I know that i'm just screwing things up everywhere i go b-but i'm trying to stop, dad. I w-want to show you w-what i can do. W-what i'm capable of and i'm sorry for everything i've do-"
It was the second time that she wasn't able to finish her words. Her father wouldn't let her. He stopped right next to the bed before brushing her tears away with his gloved hands. "I'm so proud of you."
She looked up then. Confused, Cassandra searched for any hint of anger in her father's eyes but she found none. There was only so much love to be found on his features.
"I-i don't understand."
He smiled at her. "Oh, honey. I was never disappointed with you. You stood up for yourself and went against your best friend. That takes a lot of courage."
She couldn't speak. Her throat choked up from the wave of emotions she was currently feeling and her eyes couldn't stop crying. Her father held her in his arms while he stroked a hand over her back. "It's okay, Cassandra. You're here now. Everything is okay."
"I-i missed you so much," she mumbled into his shoulder. Her hands were taking fist fulls of his shirt, as if she never wanted him to disappear.
"I missed you too, sweetie. I'm so glad you're home."
Home.
She didn't know what that word meant anymore but it must feel like this - warm and safe in the arms of her father. She had missed him so much while she was gone that being with him was almost painful.
"I love you, kiddo."
She choked on another sob. "I l-love you too. Always."
"Why don't you get some more sleep?" He said after he pulled away. "You look a bit tired."
"Will you be here when i wake up?"
"Of course."
She smiled at him. Her father would be here. He would guard over her and make sure that nothing would happen to her just like when she was little. She was still feeling so guilty about everything she had put him and her friends through but now wasn't the time to rethink such things. She was exhausted from fighting and feeling so emotional all the time. Finally, she allowed someone else to look after her and she couldn't have asked for a better person to do so.