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For the second time in eighteen years, Rapunzel stands outside and feels the gentle prick of snowflakes on her cheeks. She leans over the railing of her bedroom balcony, shutting her eyes and sucking in a huge breath. Cold air burns the back of her throat but it isn’t unpleasant - it reminds her of the little pinches she gives herself every so often when she needs to remember that this is all real.
She’s outside. In the snow.
She’s a princess.
She opens her eyes and stares down at the unwieldy city below her (her unwieldy city, she thinks proudly) and smiles. It all… still takes some getting used to.
The weeks since the supernatural blizzard have been clear-skied and warm, a merciful course-correction from Zhan Tiri’s brief but terrifying winter. And thankfully, with his awful servant decidedly vanquished - though memory of her former ‘art teacher’ still gave her shivers - fears of the ancient demon actually escaping have been firmly put to bed.
Besides, the snow coating Corona’s narrow streets is beautiful and she won’t allow one bad storm to ruin her appreciation for it. She breathes out contentedly, smiling at the small cloud she creates. It’s the little things.
“Raps!”
Patience worn thin nips beneath the affectionate nick-name. Rapunzel grins.
“Sorry Cass, but look! It’s snowing again!”
Her handmaiden sighs from the doorway. “Yeah. It’ll snow all winter, but the festival starts tomorrow.”
“I know, I know. Just-“ She turns and stares at Cassandra, with an expression she’s noticed always manages to get her best friend to give in. Chin down, eyebrows fluttering, the hint of a pout on her lips. “-just come out here with me for five minutes?”
She watches Cass’ willpower break in real time and cheers inwardly as she rolls her eyes and steps out onto the balcony, a small smile creasing her cheeks.
“Alright, five minutes. But your dad is going to kill me if you don’t have your lines memorized for the Memoriam.”
They stand together in silence for a minute or two. Rapunzel can’t resist sneaking glances at her friend as she watches the landscape of their home slowly sink underneath a downy white blanket. Cass’ gaze is soft but her strong features cut across the gray backdrop of the sky - high cheekbones and a powerful protruding nose cast in, what seems to Rapunzel, the perfect arrangement for a face to rest.
She smiles. Her best friend is so beautiful. And kind. And strong. What did she ever do right to deserve so much-
Cass’ eyes flicker back to hers and the princess whips forward. She hears Cass’ low snicker and a blush burns through her face faster than wildfire.
“Still gotta work on those rules of polite society, huh Raps?” Cass’ voice is easy and forgiving. “Come on, l- l- lets get back inside, it’s- Stars, how are you not freezing right now?”
Cass takes her arm and begins leading her back to her bedroom. Her Lady-in-Waiting’s hands are shaking from the cold, already a little blue, and Rapunzel huddles up to her friend instinctively. She isn’t exactly dressed for the wintery outdoors, her blue uniform slapping wildly in the wind, the veil tugging at the pins that hold it in place. Cass returns the gesture, the two women clutching one another close as they reach the veranda and step inside.
Of course, Rapunzel is also only wearing a flimsy dress. But somehow she always manages to stay warm - the sundrop’s doing, probably. The sad thought occurs to her that now that her hair has returned - unbreakable no less - maybe she’ll never know what it feels like to shiver on a cold winter’s night, desperately intertwining her limbs into someone else’s for any warmth they could muster.
Eugene sits waiting in the cozy safety of her bedroom, reclining on an armchair like a tomcat, a worn copy of Flynnigan Rider and the Midwinter Mystery pinned open against his knee. He stre-tches into a sigh and smiles at them.
“Keeping the ice-queen warm out there, blondie?”
Rapunzel laughs even as Cass tenses and pulls away. “For an ice-queen, she gets the shivers pretty quickly!”
“For the sundrop, you don’t seem to mind the cold.” Cass intones dryly as she begins to gather the various notes and scripts detailing the coming three straight days of midwinter rituals. Rapunzel sticks out her tongue at the handmaiden but she doesn’t notice.
“I have to say,” Eugene lifts himself just far enough out of the chair to grab Rapunzel and pull her into his lap, “that seeing you all cozied up next to someone else makes me very jealous.”
His hands find her waist and squeeze a giggle out of her. She pulls away long enough to give him a not-very-convincing warning glare. “Well, I guess you’ll have to get used to being jealous because I don’t feel like letting go of Cass anytime soon.”
Eugene opens his mouth as if to protest, but Rapunzel raises her eyebrows imperiously and he gives in. “Alright! Not that I’ll ever understand it, mind you.”
A thick stack of paper and historical tomes smack onto the table in front of them, causing the couple to jump apart. Cass smirks.
“Come on, Raps, let’s start at the top.”
Eugene whistles. “What is all this stuff for?”
“The Festival of the Doomed Knight.
“The what now?”
Rapunzel shoots up, excited to be the one explaining something for once. “The Festival of the Doomed Knight! It’s an ancient Coronan tradition, and it’s performed every winter solstice.”
Eugene shakes his head, sporting a bemused smile. “You Coronans and your weird made-up holidays.”
“It’s not weird,” Cass snaps, “they’re some of our most important rituals and made doubly-so because this is Rapunzel’s first time. And it’s my job to make sure she’s ready.”
They both stare at her, and Rapunzel frowns. Cass has prepared for her a lot of ceremonies, but the way she talks about this one feels… different. Like it really matters.
Eugene mutters. “Touchy.”
Giving her boyfriend a pleading look, she says, “It’s actually fascinating, Eugene! It’s based on this folk story about an evil monster and this knight-“
“The doomed one, I presume?”
“Exactly,” Rapunzel catches Cass’ eye, “Oh- Cass you did it so well the first time, why don’t you tell it?”
She sighs, but her dark green eyes glint. “Okay, okay. But then we have to keep practicing.”
Rapunzel nods solemnly and pulls Eugene back into the chair with her.
“Once, long ago, an evil monster named Malachi invaded Ancient Corona on the winter solstice. His skin was as hard as iron, his teeth as tall as a house, and his tail as long as Eugene’s criminal record,”she says with a saccharine smile. Eugene slumps back into the cushion.
“Oh great, a fairy tale.”
“Folk tale,” Rapunzel shushes him.
“Malachi sat upon the Great Bridge and demanded the Sundrop flower be found and fed to him.
‘The sundrop's power is too great for any man to wield ,’ he bellowed. ‘It is wasted in your kingdom. Bring it to me and I will leave Corona in peace.’”
Rapunzel giggles. Cass’ monster voice is quite convincing
“Now, even back then, the sundrop was a myth. No one knew if it even existed, forget where to find it. The ancient King Russe Der Sonne tried to explain this but Malachi didn’t believe him. He threatened to eat ten children each day he was forced to wait and warned the King his eldest son would be first in line.
Well, everyone panicked, of course. They tried to flee the island but when they reached the bridge, Malachi would swallow them whole. The King sent his soldiers to fight the monster but his powerful hide and limitless strength proved too great. It seemed hopeless.
But then the Doomed Knight stepped up.”
As Cass says his name, her demeanor shifts, a childlike excitement and pride swelling up from within her. Rapunzel bites her lip. There’s nothing in the world like seeing Cass happy.
“Well, they call him a knight, but really he was just a young man in the city’s defense force - basically just another guard! He asked the King if he could try and defeat the monster, but the King refused to let any more of his men fall prey to this beast. The young man insisted, saying that while he couldn’t defeat him with a sword, he was sure he could outsmart him. So the king, completely out of options, allowed him to try.
The Doomed Knight walked up to Malachi and told him they had found the sundrop flower but couldn’t bring it to him, because it grew too far away. However, he could show him its location. The monster agreed, and the Doomed Knight looked out across the sea, towards the setting sun. Pointing to the sun’s reflection in the water, he said,
‘Do you see that shining spot on the water’s surface? That’s the sundrop flower. The sun knew it would be discovered if she planted it on land so she buried it in the sea.’
The monster’s eyes gleamed with want, but he remained suspicious.
‘I will swim out to the sundrop and retrieve it. But I have one condition: YOU must come with me. If we arrive and I discover you have deceived me, I will eat you whole and then return to destroy Corona.’
The Doomed Knight, steadfast, agreed; so the monster allowed him to climb onto his back and they took off towards the setting sun. The monster swam and swam as fast as he could but every time he neared the sun’s reflection, the Doomed Knight would tug at his horns and slow him down. They chased the sun clear around the world, and then around again, and again, the shining spot eternally out of reach. They say that the monster still chases it to this day, with the Doomed Knight perched on top, keeping Corona safe from his terrible power.”
As she finishes the story, the far off look in her eyes remains. Rapunzel leans into Eugene’s arm, sighing. She did an even better job telling the story the second time. Feeling their eyes, Cass shrinks up, embarrassed. She points to the papers in front of them.
“Uhm, so. Every year we reenact it. To- remember his… sacrifice. And my dad chooses one of the guards to play the Doomed Knight.”
Her boyfriend scoffs.
“That’s dumb. If you can’t use the bridge, just take a boat.”
“It’s not- That’s not the point, Fitzherbert.”
“And you’re telling me this monster or whatever never caught on-“
Silencing him with a groan, Cass indicates the pages on the table. “Look, it’s a big deal here okay? They might not have had the Festival of the Doomed Knight in Vardaros-“
“They don’t. It’s a very sensible, very normal solstice celebration.”
“But, we do here. And Rapunzel is a big part of it! She’s got to lead the Day of Service tomorrow, memorize her lines for the Memoriam ceremony, and dance with the Doomed Knight after the re-enactment-“
“What?” Rapunzel leaps out of Eugene’s embrace and grabs Cass’ arm. Excitement clatters around her stomach and she nearly shouts. “You didn’t tell me about any dancing!?”
Cass goes ghostly white. She stammers. “O- oh, I didn’t?”
Eugene roars into sudden focus, barely containing his glee. “O-ho- ho ! What, Ms. This-Is-A-Big-Deal-Rapunzel-Has-To-Be-Ready-No-Fun-Allowed for got something?”
“I didn’t forget!” she snaps back. “I just- look, Raps, it’s- it’s one dance. Whoever my dad chooses to play the Doomed Knight gets a huge party thrown in their honor and… you’ll dance with them. I mean, him. You’ll dance with him.”
As she stutters, Cass sinks into the chair opposite them and buries her face in the notes. Rapunzel looks at Eugene, who shrugs. Silently, she indicates the door to her bedroom, and he stands with a dramatic sigh.
“Well. It sounds like you two have a lot of really boring work to do. And I have a training session with the ol’ Cap-i-tain and some new recruits at noon. So… I’ll let you get to it!”
As he passes through her door frame, he turns back and smirks.
“Who knows, all this hard work I’ve been doing for your Dad these past few months… maybe I’ll be playing the Cursed Knight this year!”
“Doomed Knight!” Rapunzel calls after him. A muffled yeah yeah echoes from the hall and she returns her focus to her handmaiden.
Cass’ lips are drawn in a tight line and her left leg bounces steadily underneath her dress. Her eyes move across the page of instructions Nigel drew up but Rapunzel can tell she’s not actually reading anything. She frowns.
Something is wrong and Cass is upset. Except most of the time, Cass doesn’t want to talk about whatever she’s upset about. She has to go about this… subtly.
“So… your dad chooses the Doomed Knight?”
“Yup. They announce it tomorrow night, after the Day of Service…”
“And… it’s a big deal?”
Cass nods gravely. “It’s a high honor.”
“And even though you know basically everything there is to know about this holiday and we’ve been prepping for two weeks, you just happen to forget to tell me about this dancing thing?”
Cass freezes, caught. Rapunzel smiles.
Subtle.
Lowering the notes from her face, Cass sighs. “Look Rapunzel. I know you love Eugene. And I’ll admit… he’s been less-irritating recently. But… this really matters to me - to all of Corona! I thought if you heard about the dancing, and it being an honor for someone who’s done something… big that year … that you would ask if it could be Fitzherbert.”
“O- oh, I mean, if it’s up to the Captain, then I don’t think he would-“
“I know, my dad might not have given him the fairest shot last fall, but he still let him try out and gave him another way in through this thief-training thing, which is way more than he’s ever given me and I just-“
Her knuckles go white around the paper and it crinkles in her grip.
“It’s just supposed to be someone from the guard. And Eugene… isn’t.”
Rapunzel sits beside her, quiet.
She knows Cass cares about her job, and wants the festival to go well, but would it really be so bad if Eugene got to play the part? I mean, if the alternative is just some random-
It smacks her in the face all at once.
Oh, Cass.
Cass, who isn’t even allowed to try out for the guard. Cass, who gets missions floated above her head for good behavior and dashed away as punishment. Cass, who doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life as a handmaiden.
“Of course, Cass. I understand,” she says and Cass’ face breaks into relief. “It’s for the guards. Some traditions are meant to stay… traditional.”
“Right!” she says enthusiastically, “and you can handle one dance with someone who’s not Eugene, right?”
“Oh I’m sure I’ll manage,” Rapunzel’s heart is already close to beating out of her chest as a new plan clicks into place. Cass releases a quick satisfied breath.
“Thanks for- erhm- understanding,” she smiles at Rapunzel and for a second her whole heart is filled to the brim. Then her lady-in-waiting grabs a heap of lines and thrusts them into her lap. She groans as Cass orders, “Alright now, from the top, for real this time…”
-
Cass digs her hands deeper into her pockets and grimaces into the oncoming wind. It’s tradition to gather in the town square at the end of the Day of Service but by sundown at midwinter, the sea has whipped the air into a freezing fury and Cassandra’s winter uniform is not heavy enough to keep its sting at bay.
“And Mr. Feldspar, who so nobly donated fifty of his finest soles to the King’s Orphanage on Herschel street…”
Cass peaks into the sea of shining red faces from her spot behind Rapunzel (she’s in the back, per usual). One might think the citizens’ attendance would be dampened by the bitter cold but the assembled crowd is as boisterous and full as she can remember.
It is Rapunzel’s first midwinter, she reminds herself, they’ll never get tired of celebrating her.
Ordinarily, she’d be among them, cheering as Nigel reads off his list of the charitable acts performed by the people of Corona - and eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Doomed Knight.
The Day of Service isn’t the flashiest of the three that make up the midwinter festival but Cassandra loves every second of it anyways. Her mind wanders back to last year when, after making a friendly wager with Faith and Ethel, she scoured every inch of the island for lost coins and donated them all to the Children’s Guard-Training Program her dad had been trying to get off the ground for years.
On this Day of Service however, she spent every second stuck close to Rapunzel’s side. Not that she minds, keeping an eye on the princess as she coos and blusters her way around everyone’s good deeds is as good a distraction as any from the impending doom.
“And finally Mr. Xavier Besim, for his annual presentation of ‘Forge-side Legends’.”
Whoops and hollers erupt from the crowd and Xavier, in a ridiculous sky-blue costume that only shows up once a year, raises his hand in appreciation.
“I’m sure we’ll all extend that appreciation into tomorrow evening when Mr. Besim leads the re-enactment. Speaking of-“
Nigel glances towards King Frederic, a mountain in his winter furs, who nods. Her father steps forward, uniform jangling, a slip of paper clutched in his glove.
Something catches in her throat. His lip twitches and he smooths over his frozen mustache. A bad sign.
No, dad, you didn’t.
“Captain Morgenstern will now announce the players in tomorrow’s celebration of the Doomed Knight. Captain?”
She knows Rapunzel said she wouldn’t interfere on behalf of Eugene, but she’s broken promises before! Especially when it came to her boyfriend, the Princess has a rather large promise-keeping blind spot. It’s very possible that the princess didn’t take her request seriously - after all, how important could another silly holiday be?
But this… this was hers. It was her city, and her festival, and her story.
Midwinter is the first memory she can summon from her early years in Corona. Her new home, so big and overwhelming it’d pushed everything from before the adoption out of her mind. She’d gripped her new father’s neck tight as she sat on his shoulders, more enraptured by the strange costumes and enormous men wearing them than by anything they were actually saying. But as she got older…
Come on, dad, even Pete would be better than Eugene. Tell me you didn’t.
Her dad clears his throat.
“Well, as we all know, it’s been an… unusual year here in Corona. We have been truly blessed by the sun in welcoming home our Lost Princess, Rapunzel-“
Raucous cheers cut through frozen air and he has to pause and wait for the moment to die down. Rapunzel sneaks a look to her, blushing. Cass attempts to return her smile and ignore the dread itching on her skin.
“-and because it’s an unusual year, it seems only fitting that we also have an unusual festival. Ordinarily, as you all know, the role of the Doomed Knight is played by one of our city’s guardsmen, to honor the memory of that brave guard who gave his life to keep Corona safe. But, we’ll be doing things somewhat differently this year.”
Cassandra’s heart springs a leak and sinks into her stomach. There it is. Eugene would play the Doomed Knight before she even got the chance to try out for the guard. And while her dad doesn’t seem thrilled about it, he isn’t about to disappoint the princess either. She tries to keep her breath steady and eyes forward, but notices Rapunzel is continuing to sneak excited glances at her.
She frowns. What is she-
“Because the story of the Doomed Knight isn’t just about our guards. It also reminds us all that no matter who we are, or where we come from; with strength, intelligence, and bravery, all of us can make a difference to this city, and to the world.”
Her father takes one final labored breath, deliberating.
“And so, it is with great… happiness that I announce that the role of the Doomed Knight will be given to… Cassandra Morgenstern!”
…what?
The next few minutes play out in a bright haze. She’s standing completely still, her mouth open, and then Rapunzel grabs her arm and pulls her out in front, her dad claps a hand onto her shoulder, and the Queen winks at her with a barely contained grin spreading across her face. The crowd is cheering and her hands suddenly don’t feel so cold anymore.
“Cassandra?”
Her dad looks at her expectantly. She’s standing in front of a crowd of hundreds and the air seems impossibly thin.
“S- sorry, what did you say?” she manages to get out. Laughter hits her ears from all angles. Rapunzel’s hand squeezes into hers and she catches Eugene in the crowd, giving her a thumbs up.
“I said, will you accept the role, Miss Morgenstern?” her dad says, patiently.
“I- uhm, yes. Yes, I will,” and she dips into a deep bow to the King, “I am- I am honored by your trust, your majesty.”
“Rise, Miss Morgenstern, rise,” the King’s voice contains hints of amusement. “After your bravery in suppressing the Saporian separatists’ theft of Herz der Sonne’s journal, and all you’ve done to keep our dear Princess Rapunzel safe, I was more than happy when your father suggested we shake things up this year.”
Cass steals a look at her dad, whose nerves seem to have been quieted by the pride swelling in his chest. She nods and rises, stepping to the side with Rapunzel as the King reasserts control over the rambunctious crowd.
“With our festivities concluded, I bid you all goodnight,” his calm bass still manages to soar over the crowd, “May the Sun watch over us and, in her absence on the shortest day of the year, may the Knight protect us all.”
“May the Knight protect us all,” the crowd echoes and Rapunzel grips her arm tightly. Her limbs are so numb from the shock, she’s surprised she can even register the feeling,
Me?
The small battalion that accompanied the royal family down into the center of the city has mostly turned around now, and her dad approaches and clears his throat.
“I, erhm- have to return to the castle with King Frederic,” he says, hesitating, then lightly touches her arm, “I trust you know your lines?”
“Come on, dad, I’ve had them memorized since I was six,” she shakes him off, stupefied as the reality sets in. This is really happening.
Tomorrow night, it’ll be her.
“Good,” he nods, “You’ll still have to carry out your Lady-in-Waiting duties tomorrow, but… mid-afternoon, you should join us in the guard’s quarters to prepare.”
“Roger that, captain,” her breath catches and she adds, “…and thanks, Dad.”
His standard on-the-job expression breaks a little. “You earned it Cassandra. I’m… very proud of you.”
He looks as if he might say more but with a final nod, he turns and follows his men down the street, his armor reflecting the dim glow of street lamps and candles in the window of every store.
“So! Still worried about someone who isn’t a guard getting the part?”
She turns. Rapunzel rocks back and forth on her toes, the very picture of innocence. Cass snorts.
“Very funny, princess. Come on, let’s get you home.”
“Sure! Can’t stay out too late, we both have big days tomorrow, after all,” as she jostles into Cass and links their arms, unable to contain the wide smile breaking over her face. Normally, Cass would pull away from a gesture like that in the middle of town, but the warm hum in her chest finds her leaning into the contact instead.
“I guess we do.”
“Well, if it isn’t the star of the show!” A gloved hand claps onto her back and she raises an eyebrow. Eugene looks unusually pleased about it all for something that doesn’t feature him at the center.
“Jealous Fitzherbert? I thought this was just another ‘weird made up holiday’?”
“Oh stars, you can play dress up all you want, Cass. I won’t stand in your way,” he says as he swoops into Rapunzel’s other arm, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, “but, I will be a little jealous when you two share that first dance…”
Cass chokes on her frozen spit.
Right. The dance.
She slowly turns to lock eyes with Rapunzel. Her eyes are wide and her cheeks are the color of a ripe tomato. Somehow, Cass doubts it’s from the cold.
-
Despite what the Captain told them, preparations for playing the Doomed Knight do take priority over shepherding her around - and so it is Faith who greets Rapunzel the next morning and prepares her for the big day. Cass is too busy, the quiet young woman informs her, and she tries her best not to look disappointed.
Sadly, whatever Cass is doing, it keeps her busy all throughout the day. The ritual doesn’t start until an hour before sundown, but the other hours are full to the brim with activities: specially prepared meals made with bizarre ingredients she has trouble pronouncing , let alone consuming; superstitious ceremonies involving too much incense and endless old coronan hymns; and finally, half an hour of being shoved into an enormous ancient dress that hangs loose everywhere but around her ribcage, where it leaves her wheezing for air. By the time they descend into the courtyard, Rapunzel is exhausted.
When Cass was talking about how much fun the solstice is, I guess she meant for everyone else, she thinks, staring mournfully out at the many stands and tents set up throughout the city. Children, pinched into winter coats, scramble about like marbles, chased by weary parents from game to game. Vendors ladling out piping hot cups of something warm and sweet smelling. Bubbly laughter carried to her ears on the whip of the wind.
The promise of this evening’s feast carries her through the day, when she’d be out of this dress and into one of her choosing, surrounded by her friends, and dancing with-
Right. Dancing with Cassandra.
Who exactly she would be sharing that first dance with escaped her in all the excitement of making her request… but now that little detail has found its way to the front of her mind and sits there.
It’s not a big deal, right? She’s danced in public before…
So why then, does her heart start beating wildly at the mental image of them chest to chest and cheek to cheek?
Will she bow at the start like Eugene does? Will she lead? Is it… different dancing with a girl?
She’ll have to ask Eugene. Maybe it’s the pressure of all those eyes? Her coronation involved plenty of dancing but nothing where everyone in the Kingdom stood around and watched her do it.
Yes, that must be it. And Cass will help her through that, always so cool and composed. Her mind wanders back to whatever kind of preparation her best friend is up to… does she too wish they could be spending her first midwinter together?
When Rapunzel finally lays eyes upon her handmaiden, minutes before the ritual’s start, she doesn’t recognize her.
She’s scanning the crowd from within a richly-furnished tent that sprung up in the courtyard overnight - meant to shield the royal family during the ceremony. The rest of the citizenry gather in huddled masses around the clearing. The sun is barely holding on to its low position in the sky and Rapunzel can tell from her friends’ red noses that the temperature is already dropping.
Eugene shuffles into the seat beside her, shoving a mug of that steaming hot drink she spotted earlier into her grip, “Hiya blondie! Listen, you have got to try this, it’s- good lord, is that Cassa nd ra?
Rapunzel whips her head around, nearly frantic. “Where!?”
His mouth still open, he gestures to the enormous stairs that lead to the palace doors. She lets out a soft gasp.
She’s seen Cass in armor before, but it’s always the ill-fitting guards-wear, designed for men of entirely different builds and hastily tried on by candlelight, after a few too many drinks convinces them that sneaking into her father’s supply room after dark is a great idea. This- this is something entirely different.
The elegant festive-wear fits her perfectly, midnight-black sheets of metal hugging her frame in all the right places, emphasizing her broad shoulders and powerful frame. Gold trimmed and gleaming in the dying sunlight, she bears the armor so naturally, the thought of her stomping around in a dress seems ridiculous in hindsight.
She looks magnificent.
She looks… nervous.
Cass shifts from foot to foot and studies the crowd, Rapunzel thinks she can make out numbers on her lips as she counts the ever increasing audience. She’s surrounded by actual guardsmen, chosen to play the monster, preparing to enter the cavernous costume hanging along the steps. Ordinarily, she’d be dwarfed by the men around her but with the armor on her side…
Their eyes meet and Cass gives her a small wave and smile.
You’ve got this, Rapunzel mouths, leaning forward.
Her eyebrows jump up in response, and she mouths back, Your drink!
My what?
“Your highness, your dress!”
Faith’s voice startles her and she looks down.
The mug filled with sweet-smelling cream Eugene handed her and she promptly forgot about is spilled all down the hem of the ancient priceless dress. Color drains from her face and she jumps up with a squeak.
By the time the mess is contained, Cass is busy listening to her father’s instructions and Rapunzel is bright red and sticky.
A trumpet call pierces the night and drags her attention back to the center clearing. Her parents have risen beside her and Faith pokes a finger into the small of her back, indicating that she should probably join them. Her father, all gussied up in his own silly outfit, says a few words thanking the crowd for gathering on such a freezing night and reminds them all to join the royal family in the palace banquet hall afterwards for the feast.
As Nigel takes over and begins thanking a long list of those involved, Rapunzel’s eyes wander back to Cass, exchanging excited pleasantries and a firm handshake with Xavier. Her big moment is minutes away now, the nerves and the cold seem to have transferred into a jittery ‘dance’ as the knight-for-a-day awaits her cue. What Rapunzel wouldn’t give to be over there with her right now, calming her down like her handmaiden had done for her so many times before important royal events.
Another poke in her back snaps her forward and Eugene whispers, “Erhm… blondie?”
Turning back, she realizes that 1. Nigel’s speech has rammed to a halt and 2. Every eye in the courtyard is currently fixed on her.
Uh oh.
In all the excitement for Cassandra, she might’ve forgotten her own involvement in the ceremony. She wracks her brain for her first line.
“…uhm, yes, thank you Nigel- and thank you all for being here and celebrating with us, I can’t say what it means to me- I mean, to all of us here in the palace….
Her parents seize up beside her and she sees the crowd start to shuffle in place. Her mind’s eye finally seizes upon the page of notes from her bedroom.
“Oh! and- and on my first midwinter safely home,” she takes a deep breath and speaks as calmly as she can, “I beg the setting sun for her grace… oh! and- for providence… as we too follow her through the arriving frost to greet her glorious return in spring.”
The crowd cheers and Eugene squeezes her hand. From across the yard, Cass lets out a relieved sigh.
Thank goodness for last minute memorization.
Xavier mercifully retakes the focus with a loud call that settles into a familiar “ According to legend…” Rapunzel nestles into her chair, her heart thumping wildly.
Here we go.
It’s less of a play and more of a military drill. The ‘monster’ arrives first, four guardsmen in a costume that looks even older than her ruined dress performing a series of admittedly impressive marches, as Xavier speaks in stilted language about the awesome might of the threat against Corona.
Her father plays Russe der Sonne with all his most dignified charm, even as he makes no attempt at acting. Probably for the best, Rapunzel thinks, and she sniffles a giggle as he calmly drones through the ‘ great fear’ the ancient king carried for the people of Corona.
His speech is followed by more marching, this time representing the other attempts to quell the monster and help the citizens escape to the mainland. Xavier’s echoing voice sets their peculiar movement into funny, little beats that echo Cass’ retelling from earlier. Rapunzel grins, wondering how many times little Cass had elbowed her way to the front for glimpses of the ceremony?
And then, the Doomed Knight walks out.
Cass’ gait is careful and deliberate. The rambunctious crowd quiets as she approaches their tent and kneels before the King. The sun is setting fast now, and its fading light endows the armor with a mystical glow.
“Sun-king, though all before me have failed, I will rid Corona of the monster, Malachi,” she speaks slowly, clearly enunciating every syllable.
“You are but a few years beyond my own son’s age,” The King responds, “I will not see any more of our men lost, nor brave young boys like you.”
“Many have been killed, it’s true. Though you have sent your bravest and your strongest, none have vanquished the monster. However, I assure you, my king, I will be the last one lost. I will trick the monster into fleeing our kingdom. Though I will not return, neither will he.”
Cass’ acting is fascinating . Rapunzel’s never seen a play before, although her mother has promised to take her on a week's voyage to Eldora to see the Queen’s Promenade for her next birthday. But Cass is still her , still her best friend - not transforming herself into some hundreds-of-years-old young man as she always imagined acting involves. Every word she says, as old-fashioned as they sound, she can imagine Cass promising now, sacrificing herself to save Corona - or just to save her.
She can’t explain the warm, bubbly sensation that causes in her stomach but she doesn’t want it to go away anytime soon.
Her father stands, his voice heavy. “Go then, Doomed Knight. And if you succeed, we will honor you in Corona for one-thousand years.”
As she turns to face the monster, Cass catches her eye and for a second, that same confident smirk Rapunzel knows from watching her train flashes her way. In the moment, she knows what’s about to happen.
Cass carries herself like a soldier but the movement is more like dance. Formal and precise, she glides across the snowy stone, calling out as she approaches the men-in-costume.
“Malachi! I’ve found the sundrop!”
As the play continues, the rustling and shuffling from the audience quiets and the wind provides the only accompaniment to Cass’ words. Rapunzel knows how it ends of course, but something about being here, watching it all unfold again… she finds herself hoping desperately that the Doomed Knight’s plan will work.
When Cass points out to the setting sun and strikes the fatal deal, Rapunzel leans forward, trying to get a better view of her face. Her expression is fierce, determined - one Rapunzel is already quite familiar with on her best friend. It suits her - far more than the false smile worn by the other handmaidens around the palace.
Cass takes a deep breath and bounds towards the monster, jumping into the air and landing on its back with a triumphant crack. The audience breaks their concentration to whoop and holler for her. In that moment, it occurs to her that Cass might’ve been a little generous to Eugene in thinking he could learn this all in one day.
As if on cue, her boyfriend leans over to whisper, “Guess she wasn’t kidding about knowing her lines, huh?”
She nods in awed agreement as Xavier winds the story to its end and Cass nods to the crowd, running with the other men back towards the palace steps as warm applause echoes through the courtyard.
All Rapunzel wants in the world in that moment is to see her in that armor one more time. For her beautiful best friend to reappear and rake in the applause she deserves, despite it being tradition, as Cassandra explained to her, for the players to exit without a bow.
-
As soon as the final lines are spoken, Cass is rushing back to the guard’s quarters, a warm churning in her gut. For once the prospect of facing her father after an ‘assignment’ doesn’t carry a mountain of dread along with it.
Okay, so she’d been a little nervous. In those seconds just before the ceremony started, it was like she was ten years old again. And after being fine - perfectly fine - throughout the whole day of practice and positioning, and hours spent in the forge with Xavier as he crafted her armor, the fear of another Challenge of the Brave, science exposition-like failure hit her all at once. Her dad didn’t really do second chances.
But now that it was all over, she can enjoy the rest of festivities knowing that no one in their right mind, least of all him, could possibly see her as just a lady-in-waiting ever again.
So why does her heart feel on the verge of beating out of her chest?
Her duties aren’t quite finished, she reminds herself as she speeds through the narrow corridors. A dance with Rapunzel, but that’s no big deal. She was the one who taught the princess her formal dances after all and as long as she can steer her away from any improvising…
She makes it to the strong-smelling room in record time, and is already starting to strip the vambraces from her forearms as she walks through the door and lays eyes upon her midwinter gift from her father.
Any plans for a pleasant banquet bottom out along with her stomach.
The… dress looks like it belongs in the farthest, most-uninhabitable reaches of Rapunzel’s closet. Bright pink and gaudy with horribly stitched (and she knows stitching) forget-me-nots covering the bodice, it’s thin and tight and looks like it cost far, far too much.
She picks up the note resting on top, begging whichever gods might listen for the monstrosity to be here on accident; lost, misplaced, or stolen.
No such luck.
Cassandra,
Congratulations on what was no doubt a wonderful rendition of our favorite story.
I know in years past you’ve worn your tunic to the midwinter festivities, but as this is a very special year, and many eyes will be on you, I thought you would enjoy updating your look.
I hope it fits you well.
Your father,
Peter Morgenstern
The note crumples in her grip as the wind howls outside the window. Cass pinches the bridge of her nose and plops onto the empty wooden bench.
I am… not wearing that.
But her dad was right about one thing. She can’t show up in her regular tunic to dance with Rapunzel. Forget a citizen’s feast, she wasn’t about to sour all her work with a dirty outfit.
So… what then? Her handmaiden’s dress? The thought makes her lip twitch but it’s the most presentable thing she owns and at the very least she’s…. used to it. If she hurries she can make it back to her room and change with plenty of time to-
“I’ll be right back, Pete!”
The door crashes open and Stan jumps at the sight of her.
“Cass! Sorry, didn’t know anyone was back here,” he yanks off his helmet and throws her a grin. “Hey, great work out there, kid. Might’ve been the best Doomed Knight I’ve seen since I joined up and lemme tell you, I’ve been doing this for too long…”
His voice trails off as he takes in her despairing state.
“Everything okay?”
Cass gestures vaguely to the dress and the note. He studies them both for a second and frowns.
“Hm. Not quite your style, is it?”
She shakes her head. “But I don’t have anything else to wear. I’ve been so busy getting everything ready with Rapunzel and now this and-“
“Hey, hey, it’s alright. Why don’t you just wear the armor? Fits ya well enough!”
The thought briefly raises some hope but the stiff weight on her back dashes it away. “Maybe if I could stand in the back all night, but I’ve got to dance with the princess in front of everyone.”
Stan takes a step back and sighs, running his fingers along his mustache.
“Well, call me crazy but I’ve got another idea.”
And that’s how Cassandra Morgenstern arrives to the party wearing a handsome, borrowed outfit from one Stan Wilkins. A stiff white shirt and blue cummerbund, wrapped up in a smart suit coat - loose in spots for sure but Cass feels miles better than she’s ever felt in a dress.
“Haven’t worn it since I was a few years younger than you,” Stan told her as they raced to get her changed, a wild grin on his face, “so it just might fit.”
She sneaks in to little fanfare, the festivities well underway. Her father isn’t in his obvious spot next to the king, but it’s only a matter of time before he finds out just how much she enjoyed his gift. She’ll have to be careful maneuvering through that little apology.
“Cass?”
Rapunzel’s voice pierces the bustling room. Cass scans the mess of people until she finds her standing with Eugene by the refreshments - jaw dropped and on verge of shouting again. Cass places a finger to her lips and hurries over.
“So, the dragon lady cleans up nice?” Eugene’s breath already smells like liquor.
“Cass! You look amazing!” Rapunzel is wrapped up in a sparkling jewel of a blue dress, shimmering snowflakes folded into her braid. “Your dad let you wear this? I thought you weren’t allowed-“
“If anyone asks, the dress he bought me got ruined,” Cass says quickly, “I’m just hoping he doesn’t stop us in the middle of the dance.”
“Ah, yes- the dance,” Eugene snorts, refiling his glass. “And when exactly will you be stealing my girlfriend from me?”
“Come on, Fitzherbert, it’s not that big a deal. All those years Rapunzel was gone, it was Queen Arianna who danced for the festival and you didn’t see the King turning green,” Cass presses her hand into the small of Rapunzel’s back, pulling her a touch closer for emphasis.
Rapunzel shoots straight up at the contact, but then leans into it, nestling her way into Cass’ arm. “Yeah, Eugene, not a big deal,” she beams, looking up at Cass, “Just two best friends dancing.”
Shrugging, Eugene spots Lance on the other side of the room. He grins and downs his drink.
“Well, regardless, it means this guy has gotta find a new dance partner for the night. And something tells me Lance didn’t take advantage of his plus-one.”
As he sweeps through the already bustling dance floor, Cass turns to find the princess already staring at her. She raises her eyebrows. “Well, did you like it?”
“Like what?” she asks absent-mindedly, not breaking eye contact.
“Uhm… the thing? The doomed knight thing?”
“Oh! Oh, it was wonderful,” the princess bursts to life, shaken from whatever stupor she’s gotten into. “Cass, you look wonderful, I mean- were! You were wonderful.”
“Er… thanks Raps,” Cass says, as heat pricks the back of her neck, “…what are you having there?”
“Monty’s punch! I had to sneak Eugene over to get me some? Wanna try?”
Maybe Eugene’s snuck in more than just punch, Cass thinks, annoyed. Rapunzel doesn’t normally drink except at his encouragement and especially with such an important event going on…
“Your highness! Miss Morgenstern!” The hiss of Nigel’s clipped accent catches them both off guard and they turn to find the advisor tapping his foot at them. “Are you both quite ready? We’ve had to delay the first dance for almost half-an-hour!”
Rapunzel gulps and Cass hurriedly takes the opportunity to finish Rapunzel’s glass. It really is just punch. She frowns.
“You ready, Princess?”
Rapunzel turns to her, cheeks flushed underneath all those freckles.
If she isn’t tipsy, what is it?
“You lead?” she asks, seriously.
“…are you sure? We could just do the ladies minuet we did at the Contest of the-“
“The Doomed Knight isn’t a lady, Cass. Besides, they’re all set for a waltz,” she bites her lip and raises her hand, “You’ll lead?”
Cass balks. “O- of course, Raps.”
Nigel clears the floor for them and nods to Frederic, sitting above the riff-raff with Arianna. As the King brings the room to order and introduces the dance with a brief speech on the history of the citizen’s feast, Cass checks the perimeter. Still no sign of her dad.
She leans in towards Rapunzel and squeezes her wrist. “Hey,” she whispers, “don’t be nervous. Remember when we practiced for your coronation dances? This’ll be just like that.”
Rapunzel nods and grips Cass’ hand right back.
“…and after all these years I can only be grateful that my wife is back at my side, and my daughter has taken her place on the floor,” he finishes wryly, “let the evening’s festivities commence.”
The music starts up right away. It is indeed a spirited waltz, churning with keening strings and the low punctuation of a euphonium. She steps away from the princess and bows, and Rapunzel follows suit, delving into a stiff curtsy.
“Breath,” Cass says softly, as they come together at the waist and join hands, “just follow me.”
The clip across the floor, slowly at first, as Cass tries her very best to avoid stepping on Rapunzel’s bare feet. She’d forgotten how old-fashioned and stuffy these steps are. While she’d memorized every aspect of playing the Doomed Knight, the dance afterwards never captured her imagination in the same way. Dancing was fine - but it was nothing like the thrill of facing that monster.
Rapunzel’s breath is hot on her neck and her hand grips her shoulder tight. Something stirs in Cass’ stomach and tells her she might have to reconsider that notion.
They start to move faster. The body pressed up against hers is warm and intoxicating and as they swing themselves deeper into the rhythm, the crowd murmurs in appreciation. Finding each other’s eyes again, Rapunzel grins and spins herself out of Cass’ grip.
Cass pulls her back in with a smile, “Hey, who’s supposed to be leading here?”
“I don’t know, doomed knight” she whispers back, “you tell me!”
The faces around them start to blur together in the heat of the room and the swell of the music.
She wants me to lead? Okay, I can lead.
Cass joins her other hand on her partner’s waist and lifts her into the air.
Rapunzel lets out a squeak as she soars and lands with a start, eyes wide.
“S- sorry,” Cass murmurs as the music stops. Rapunzel stares for a second, then laughs, and throws herself back into Cass’ embrace. There’s a smattering of bemused applause and the musicians rouse themselves into a jig as Nigel invites the rest of the guests onto the floor.
The two friends part and stare at one another, faces flushed. Their fellow guests have been eager to get moving and they’re quickly surrounded by couples in various states of intoxication. A moment or two passes as they breathe in the hot air.
“I think I’m ready for that punch now,” Cass says quietly.
Rapunzel giggles and loops their arms together. “Maybe we can persuade Eugene to part with some of his secret ingredient…”
“The way you were acting before I figured you already had!”
She scoffs. “C’mon Cass, I would never. A princess can’t be nervous?”
“To dance in front of all these people? Not like you haven’t done it before…”
That stops the princess as they reach the edge of the room, catching the corner of a window and getting relief from the stuffy interior.
“I don’t know…” Rapunzel says, “this is your big day. I didn’t want to ruin it.”
Cass snorts and gently pushes into her. “Having some Challenge of the Brave flashbacks?”
“Po-ssibly!” she laughs nervously and winds her braid out from behind her back, fiddling with the paper decorations strewn throughout it.
“You shouldn’t be. It all went- great, honestly…” Cass leans into the cool air seeping underneath the window pane. “It might not be an actual job offer but it’s… closer to one than I’ve ever gotten.”
Rapunzel goes quiet, tracing her finger on the frosty glass, drawing a quick but instantly recognizable Pascal. She looks radiant in the moonlight, her freckled shoulders bare, her neckline low and carrying a simple silver necklace. An impossible warmth radiates from the princess, like she carries a roaring fire underneath her skin. And as her hair’s unlikely return proves, she sort of does.
“What’s up, Raps? You know I don’t do mope.”
She drops her hands to her side and sighs, “It’s just… I’d miss you, you know? If you went off and joined the guard.”
Cass frowns. “O- of course, but we could still see each other.”
“I know, I know, it’s silly,” she says, shuffling a step closer and casting her big green eyes into Cassandra’s. “I just- lately I’ve been feeling so- argh,“ she buries her head in her hands, “ I don’t know what I’m trying to say-”
“It’s okay, Raps,” Cass says, laughing, “I like being your friend too.”
“Bloo-ndie!”
The spell is broken in an instant. They both whip forward to find a now visibly intoxicated Eugene stumbling towards them, followed by Lance wearing a spectacular grin.
Oh brother.
“Blondie, I- woof that was far, Lance wasn’t that far? Blondie, listen, I-“ but whatever else he tries to say, it’s smothered as he collapses into Rapunzel’s shoulder.
“Eugene!”
The princess laughs but quickly buckles, and Cass dives in, pushing the drunk idiot back towards Lance, “I thought you two were dancing?”
Lance starts to speak but Eugene, throwing his head back, guffaws. “We- were gonna dance but th- then we did shots for every time Nigel said ‘cherished’ and-“
“Eugene Fitzherbert can’t hold his liquor quite as well as Flynn Rider could,” Lance says, flashing a half empty bottle of dark brown liquid at them. “Tried to keep up with me like in the old days and…”
“Oh no,” Rapunzel elbows Cass, halting her snickers. “And now you don’t have a dance partner…” her face lights up, “Lance! You should come celebrate with us!”
“No offense but fancy palace dances aren’t really for me,” he says with a cheeky grin, “I’ll get this lump to bed but then I’m heading out to celebrate the solstice Vardaros style.”
He shuffles the bottle back into his coat pocket and lifts Eugene, who’s murmuring something about cookies and roasted ham, onto his shoulder. With a wink, he turns around and makes for the door.
“Cass?”
The princess stares at her with a sneaky smile, and makes a gesture Cass is positive she picked up from Fitzherbert.
Oh, I am going to regret this.
She calls out after him. “Hey Lance! Uhm, mind if we borrow that bottle?”
-
Rapunzel can’t remember the last time she had so much fun.
Or… the last time she had so much to drink. One of the two.
Honestly, she can’t remember much of anything at the moment, but that doesn’t matter. She’s with her best friend, her beautiful best friend. What could be better?
She and Cass ended up spending the better part of the night away from the dance floor; sneaking around the palace, trading sips from Lance’s mystery liquor, and avoiding Mrs. Crowley. After not too long (the sundrop’s mystical protection apparently did not help her stay sober) they stumbled back to Rapunzel’s bedroom, where Cass is currently posing on her wingback chair surrounded by candles after Rapunzel had the incredible idea to paint while under the influence.
“Cass! Cass, that’s perfect. Hold it- hold it right there…”
Cass is wobbling with one leg on the cushion and her coat and cummerbund discarded, thrusting an imaginary sword high into the air. Her shirt is untucked and her sleeves rolled up and when she pitches the sword higher, a slip of her stomach flashes out from underneath the billowing white.
It makes Rapunzel a little weak in the knees. The alcohol moving through her is nothing compared to the nervous flowers that bloom in her stomach whenever Cassandra gets close. Something so… strange is happening to her. She noticed it just before the dance, this powerful desire to fold herself into Cass’ embrace and… what? What then? She wants to take her brain out of her head and shake it.
It makes no sense. She knows she loves Cass, she’s her best friend for goodness sake! Why does the thought feel so- funny on her tongue?
“This is good practice, Raps! You’ll have to paint a lot more of me in action once I join the guard,” Cass stumbles through her words. She’s all cocky and charming now, a wide grin plastered on her face as she poses. Success looks great on her, Rapunzel thinks, twirling the quill in her hand as she gets lost in staring for the fourth time so far.
“I mean, is there any excuse dad can possibly give me now?”
Rapunzel gives a little salute with her quill. “No way! Guard Cassandra today, Captain Cassandra tomorrow!”
“Exactly,” Cass drops her hands to her side with a sleepy smile. “How’s the masterpiece coming out, anyway?”
Looking down at the scribbles in her journal, she finds only a meticulously shaded bare tummy. Flashing red, Rapunzel snaps the book shut. “Oh… I’m getting it all- wrong , my quills keep going loopy,” she hops up and traipses over to the armchair, “you were perfect though.”
Cass snorts. “Prob’bly not.”
“You were. I love drawing you, Cass. You’re- you’re so beautiful.”
“Me?” Cass gives her a funny look, “that’s a- umph,” she lets out a grunt as she plops into the seat, “that’s a big compliment coming from you, Raps.”
There’s an open spot of cushion remaining and if she sat in it, she’d be right up against- No. Stay standing. For some reason, it feels… safer. She chooses her next words as carefully as her tipsy mind will allow.
“Oh. Oh yeah? Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why- well, why is that a big compliment coming from me?”
Now it’s Cass who turns red on the tops of her ears and clams up. Rapunzel’s heart jumps into her throat. It feels like… like a victory! The churning in her gut agrees, so she must be doing something right.
She leans in closer. “Is it because you think I’m beautiful too?”
Cass’ eyes fall to the floor and she’s fiddling furiously with the buttons on her shirt. Her breath catches, and she’s suddenly terrified. Oh no, what if Cass doesn’t feel the same way?
“Do you think I’m beautiful?” she asks.
“O- of course, I do, Raps,” Cass finally stammers, returning her glance. “You’re the most- uhm, beautiful girl I’ve ever met.”
Relief. “Thanks, Cass,” Rapunzel says and nestles into the seat next to her. Well, that makes it all make sense. If Cass also thinks she’s beautiful, then it must just be what friends think of one another. Nothing to be worried about. She can look at Cass all day and there’s nothing unusual about it.
She leans her head onto Cass’ shoulder and inhales deep. She smells like sweat and soap and… Stan, for some reason? Odd.
“Well, you’ll have to model for me again. So I can capture all that beauty,” she smiles and raises her hand to Cass’ face, trailing her fingers along the strong cheekbones. Wow.
Cass lurches up and out of the seat, stumbling as she reaches the bed post. The sudden lack of warmth is brutal and Rapunzel whines.
“Where are you goooooing?”
Cass grunts, tucking in her shirt and putting her jacket back on. “’s cold.”
“Me too! So come back… We can- heh, we can warm each other up…” A brilliant idea descends into her mind and Rapunzel squeaks, jumping to her feet. “Cass! You should stay- oh my gosh, you should stay here tonight! Sleepover!”
It doesn’t receive the elated response she’s hoping for. Cass just keeps bustling around the room, collecting her things- hurriedly if not very effectively. “It’s- it’s late, Raps, you- we still have stuff to do tomorrow. Besides, you don’t get cold, remember?”
“But you do…” Rapunzel trots over and catches her easily by the armoire. Something’s wrong again, but she’s sure she can fix it, just like before! Putting on her best ‘convince-Cass’ face, she interlocks their fingers, “stay with me? Please?”
Cass flinches but doesn’t pull her trembling hand away. “I- that might not be a good idea…”
She looks so… nervous, her cheeks flushed and all Rapunzel wants is to make it better. She pulls in closer, hardly noticing as she presses Cass into the the doors of her wooden wardrobe.
“Why not?” she asks.
Cass swallows and says nothing. Their faces are close now, and Rapunzel studies the mouth resting at her eye line. Her lips are full and soft, like little drops of paint strewn on a canvas. For the first time, it occurs to Rapunzel how easy and good it would feel if she just leaned up on her toes and pressed her mouth-
Her lips crash into Cass’ and her friend lets a muffled squeak. Rapunzel knows she should pull away but her lips are as delicious as they look and she can’t help but tug at them greedily, seizing her lapels and pulling her down a few inches until she’s at the perfect height. This- yes, this finally makes the churning in her gut happy… It feels like she’s being smothered in a wave of warm water, like she’s rolling in a field of flowers.
“Rapunzel,” Cass murmurs, trying to turn away but Rapunzel wraps her arms around the wrinkled coat and holds tight. This feels so- good, so right why would they ever want to-
“Rapunzel!” Cass shouts, pushing her off. Rapunzel takes a few stumbling steps back and stops short. Her friend looks as pale as a ghost, any blush vanished from her cheeks, and the trembling has only gotten worse.
They stare at one another as a layer of drunken haze lifts off of her mind and guilt like a knife pierces her stomach to replace it.
Oh no.
“Cass,” she whispers, but her voice cracks and Cass turns sharply. “Cass, wait!”
She’s through the door so fast, it’s left swinging and creaking on its hinges, ruining the early morning quiet.
Rapunzel stands completely still for a minute, her shallow breaths threatening her with collapse as the evening catches up with her. She moans and stumbles to her bed, flopping down and curling into a tight ball. Pascal stirs and chirps from his post beside her. The tears finally break through and she’s sniffling through the pounding in her head.
Oh stars, what did I just do?
-
Cass rubs her eyes and sighs, slowing her walk to a crawl as she approaches Rapunzel’s door. It’s just after dawn and her head feels like one of Xavier’s anvils after a long day at the forge.
Despite her weary nausea, she counts herself lucky. Owl’s incessant hammering on her window pane woke her only minutes before she was supposed to be waking the princess. She could have gone from former knight to former handmaiden in a heartbeat. She stops outside the door and her stomach lurches.
Of course, that’s not the only reason she might end up very, very fired today.
Why Rapunzel? Why would you do that?
All those little moments, catching those green eyes staring, finding herself in the middle of yet another personal space disaster…
She grimaces, hesitating with her hand raised to knock.
No. Rapunzel has a boyfriend, she likes boys. That’s what Cass has been telling herself ever since she was assigned last summer - whenever the loving touches culminated and the burning desire in her chest grew too great. She was alone in a tower for eighteen years! She’s only so comfortable with her because she can’t imagine anyone ever feeling differently.
But then…
She was drunk.
Cass had to settle on something last night, when only an explanation would allow her to sleep. And the princess had been drinking. A lot.
She was drunk and you were there and Eugene wasn’t. A body’s a body, at least to a princess.
Steeling herself, she knocks and offers a flat, “Good morning, your highness.”
No response. Cass cracks the door.
“Rapunzel?”
She opens it the rest of the way. The room is a disaster, albeit, unchanged from how she left it last night. A little lump pokes out from beneath ruffled sheets. Cass sighs and walks over. Inspecting the lump for any signs of consciousness, she pokes it.
“Rapunzel?”
A muffled moan rumbles out. The lump slowly unfurls until Rapunzel’s head pops out from under the sheets.
“C- Cass?” she mumbles, “what time is it?”
“Late.” Cass says, dry.
Maybe she won’t even remember.
But that hope is dashed away as soon Rapunzel’s eyes are fully open. When they lock onto Cass, her face contorts in a mess of guilt and whimpers.
“Cass… about- about last night, I’m-“
“It’s fine,” Cass says, too loud, taking a step back. “Really. I shouldn’t have let you get that drunk. It was an accident. Just- just promise me - and for real this time - promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
Rapunzel blanches at that. “But- but Cass-“
“I know, you tell Eugene everything, but trust me, he’ll be better off not knowing.” Cass breaks their staring contest and starts assembling her royal outfit of the day. “Sometimes, you gotta lie to take care of the people around you, okay?”
The princess is silent, and Cass can feel her pleading stare on the back on her neck.
She’s gonna wanna talk about it, she’ll want to unpack the whole thing…
“It’s fine. I promise, Raps,” Cass murmurs as she holds up the dress. “Come on. We- we have to get moving.”
After a tortured minute, she nods.
They comb their way through Corona’s streets in silence, a sharp wind greeting them as they arrive at the snow covered-shoreline. The relief she was counting on hasn’t arrived, even with Rapunzel agreeing not to tell. It’ll take time, she reasons numbly. Awkward for a couple of days sure, but they would bounce back. And with any luck, she’ll be joining the guard soon. A touch of much needed space for both of them - to clear their heads. Everything will be fine.
The Day of Memoriam always has the sparsest attendance of the three. Most everyone in the kingdom stays hidden away in their homes, nursing devilish hangovers. Besides, who wants to trek all the way down to the beach for what amounts to a funeral?
The attendees are older, deeply concerned with the correct recreation of the exact language they remember from their childhoods. Cass gulps, wishing she’d spent her morning focusing less over Rapunzel and more on the smattering of lines she has to recite.
Nigel steps out with the opening address. Rapunzel stands next to her, looking a little wobbly on the uneven ground and Cass just hopes no one notices. Eugene is notably absent from the assembled crowd but given how much he had to drink, it would be a miracle if he was even conscious.
It’s a simple ceremony and though Cass would be pressed to admit it, she does think it’s beautiful, in a sad sort of way. Her final few lines come to her quick and even Rapunzel shakes off the morning woes to deliver her speech near perfectly. They’d spent so long in her bedroom together working it just a few days earlier, Cass thinks, shaking her head. Things had finally calmed down in the palace after the blizzard and now she feels like she’s been through a month in three days.
As the ceremony ends, she mumbles some excuse about her dad requesting a check in and leaves Rapunzel silently stewing with her parents.
The captain is overseeing the general egress and barely reacts when she strolls up beside him.
“Good morning,” she says, throwing in a salute for good measure. “I didn’t see you at the banquet last night.”
“No, but I certainly saw you,” he says, attempting to redirect an old woman completely wrapped up in scarves, “ This way, Mrs. Cobbly- I’m guessing my present didn’t fit, hm?”
Her mouth twists into a coy smile. “Not quite. Maybe next year, I should come with you to pick it out.”
“Yes, maybe you should,” he says, finally turning to her with a knowing glance, “So who’s clothes were you wearing? I think I would remember buying you anything like that.”
“I can buy my own clothes, dad,” she says. He raises an eyebrow. “Okay, okay. They were Stan’s.”
“Ah. Ever corruptible.”
“It was his idea, honest!”
They laugh, and an easy quiet settles over the morning. Standing in the frigid sand with dad nagging her about what she wears. Not her… favorite activity but at least this feels normal . At least, she feels like she can breath again. Swallowing, she watches him assist the final few stragglers off of the beach. Here comes the hard part.
“So. How’d I do?” she asks upon his return.
He pauses. Running his fingers along his mustache, he looks her up and down.
“There’s been some talk of ‘best Doomed Knight ceremony anyone can remember’.”
“Oh yeah?” she says, as her heart leaps into her throat, “and what’s your take on that?”
He looks her straight in the eyes and smiles. “I think you did a damn fine job. But it couldn’t hold a candle to your stirring reinterpretation of the material at eight years old.”
“Daaad…”
“You made your own Malachi out of linens and candelabras! Best show I’ve ever seen.”
She laughs, nodding. “Guess I should shut up and take the compliment, huh?”
“That’s what I would advise.”
They begin following the sandy path back towards the royal family, the crunch of the snow and the sand underneath their boots providing a steady rhythm to the quiet. Her dad motions the couple of men still down by the shoreline to get moving and lets out a deep sigh.
Now is as good a time as any…
Cass keeps her eyes forward and speaks as casually as possible, “And, I don’t suppose compliments from the Captain transfer into getting a real try-out for the guard…?”
That stops him in his tracks. He turns and furrows his brow at her. “Cassandra… As you are aware, this assignment was purely ceremonial…”
“I know that , dad, but-“
“And therefore, will have no bearing on your ability to try out for the guard. We’ve talked about this. Until… circumstances have changed, your only job is making sure the princess is happy and cared for. Is that clear?”
His words cut cold across her cheeks. She drops her gaze to the ground.
Of course.
She was stupid to think this would change anything. She danced around in a costume and said a few lines. Of course, he always told her that only someone he truly trusted would ever receive the offer but it was probably just another placation, another reason to say no to her - the only thing he really cares about.
“But, with all that said…” a gloved hand touches her shoulder and she looks up to find him with his helmet off, somewhat sheepish, ”the- uhm, Griffin of Pittsford will be arriving in Corona in a few weeks. We’re going to be stretched a little thin handling the security detail for everyone at the dinner. You could… be involved.”
Her heart sinks. Another test.
He stares at her expectantly. She summons up a half smile. “Sure. That sounds great.”
“Excellent. I’ll make a note of it.”
The King calls out for him, and his face folds into a weary stare. She’s not the only one chasing around royalty all day.
“Dad?”
He turns back cautiously, like he expects one of her impassioned speeches about many qualifications for joining up. She folds him into a hug instead.
“Thank you. For trusting me with this.”
He squeezes back, gently. “You earned it,” pulling away, he nods to the royal family, “besides, if there’s anyone you should be thanking, it’s Princess Rapunzel.”
She flinches. “Oh- oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“Well she was the one who came to me all last minute and requested you play the Knight for her first midwinter!” He raises both eyebrows at her shocked expression, “Didn’t she tell you?”
“I-“ She finds Rapunzel next to her parents. Her blond hair is muted against the gray sky and her face is sunken into her winter coat. “No. No, she didn’t.”
He shrugs and shuffles ahead to speak with the king and queen, nodding to the princess as he passes her. Rapunzel’s smile in response doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Cass slams her hands into her pockets and trots up to the princess, now nearly alone on an empty stretch of snow-covered sand.
“Hey Raps.”
A muffled grunt comes out from beneath her hood.
“Are you hiding underneath all that fluff? Because we both know you’re not cold.”
The hood flies off, revealing two tear-streaked cheeks and a very sad looking princess.
“M- m- maybe,” she whimpers, wiping her face with her sleeve.
Oh stars. This is more than mope. This is genuine crisis and Cass is not prepared to deal with that. When she’s upset about some dumb move from Eugene, sure , but this?
“Hey, hey, come on, don’t cry,” she attempts to sound comforting but it comes out more commanding. Shit. She gently inches closer to Rapunzel, touching her arm. “I promise I’m not mad, it was an accident. Look, if you really need to tell Eugene, we would just have to-“
“It wasn’t an accident!” she says, forcefully.
Cass takes a step back, lowering her hand. Rapunzel emits a clutched sob and shoves her face back into the fur-lined interior.
…
What?
Cass tries to pick back up where she left off. “Raps, let’s get back up to the palace, we can-“
“I didn’t kiss you on accident, Cass,” she whimpers from inside her hiding spot. “I did it because I wanted to. I wanted to so badly all night and I didn’t even realize it but then I did. And then I did it and-” but the rest of the sentence is too muffled by the coat for Cass to make out.
Oh.
Cass searches for another way to dismiss it but keeps coming up blank. Rapunzel meant to kiss her. Rapunzel wanted to kiss her.
“You were… pretty intoxicated last night, Raps. Things like this happens when you haven’t built up a tolerance for the stuff.” Cass seizing on something else.
“That’s- what I thought,” Rapunzel moans pitifully, “I felt so awful after you left, I knew I’d ruined our friendship completely and now I’d have to tell Eugene and he’d be so hurt and so I swore I would never touch alcohol ever again but then I woke up this morning and you were there and I… still wanted to kiss you.”
The memory of the kiss burns hot in her mind. It’s… far more raw than she ever thought Rapunzel capable of. She always imagines her as the princess of gentle pecks. Nothing like the women she met last night…
Rapunzel stammers on. “B- but then- when you left like that-“
“I shouldn’t have left,” Cass says quickly. “I was just… surprised. That’s all.” That was the truth. It’s not as if she’d been scared off… “I, erhm- didn’t think you were the type.”
“To what?”
A laugh rumbles up from deep in her gut. This is insane. “To want to kiss girls, Raps.”
She bites her lip, “I guess, I didn’t know either? I didn’t think about wanting to kiss girls, I just- wanted to kiss you.”
“So you did.”
She nods, squinting at Cass like she examines her blank canvases. “And… you are?”
“What?”
“The type?” Rapunzel asks, completely earnest. Flashes of every rude name she ever got called growing up, every time the other maids told her to be more feminine, every strained conversation with her father about marriage.
“Yeah, Raps. I am.”
Rapunzel takes this information in carefully. “And you meant it last night? That I was the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen?”
Cass laughs as her cheeks heat up, “This is starting to sound like entrapment.”
Rapunzel’s hands fly over her face. “Argh- I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m-“ she hesitates, drawing her hands back into her pockets. “I’m nervous.”
Cass nods, finding her throat dry and her head empty. The unanswered question sits heavy on her tongue. “And Eugene?”
That breaks the strange normal they’ve developed and Rapunzel's eyes droop to her feet.
“I really messed up,” she says quietly.
“You just- you should talk to him, Raps.”
“But I thought you said-“
Cass shakes her head. “Whatever’s… happened, we have to be careful. And quiet. You should be honest with him- just keep his big mouth shut .”
That slowly winds her down from the heightened panic, thank goodness. The midwinter wind finally turns painful enough to get them moving towards home, following their parents back into the city.
Cass keeps glancing at Rapunzel. The panic may be gone but the princess still looks… crumpled.
“So… dad told me you made a special last minute request for the festival.”
That cracks the corner of a smile. “M- maybe I did.”
“Uh huh,” Cass says, shaking her head. “I should’ve known. Not like my dad would ever actually give me a chance on his own.”
The princess gasps dramatically and slaps her arm. “No, he was so excited! You’ll be on the guard soon, I know it.”
Cass’ mind returns to the Griffin of Pittsford and her upcoming assignment. “Maybe someday,” she says, trying not to sound too disappointed. She takes Rapunzel’s hand in hers, “Thank you for doing that for me. It meant… a lot.”
She grips back tight. “Of course, Cass. You’re my… you’re my best friend.”
The words hang in the air. Cass swallows and looks away.
Best friends.
Never in her life would she have guessed Rapunzel would ever want anything more than that. Rapunzel the princess. Rapunzel the taken princess. Rapunzel, her boss.
She lets out a shuddering breath and looks back at her friend with a sad smile. Maybe all that could wait just one afternoon.
“Hey, you know what my favorite part of midwinter is?”
Rapunzel blinks at her. “Isn’t it… the doomed knight thing?”
Cass grins. “Nope. It’s the day after, once all the rituals are done, when you all get to go home and lie around all day doing nothing. No chores. No royal responsibilities. Nothing. When I was little the king would always force my dad to take an actual afternoon away from his office and we would spend it together.”
Rapunzel coos. “Aw, Cass. That sounds perfect.”
“So, you wanna spend it with me?”
The princess’ eyes light up. “W- would you want me to?”
“No one else in the world I’d rather,” Cass says and offers her arm, “I know I’m not a knight anymore, but you’re still a princess and that’s got to count for something.”
Rapunzel sniffles and pulls her arm tight into her embrace. “Nope. You’re my knight every day of the year.”
Cass rolls her eyes and hugs her close. She can’t deny- holding the princess in her arms feels… nice. Really nice.
Oh no.
“Come on, princess. I’m freezing.”
-