Stars Above - A Cassunzel Fanfic

Chapter 6: The Start of a New Beginning

Warning: Talks about abuse in this chapter. So if it triggers you, please don't continue.

Cassandra chuckled as she watched Rapunzel stop and exclaim at every little thing they saw. It had been hours since they departed from Corona, having be forced to get away as soon as possible, and the over-excited princess hadn't let a single thing pass by her mind.

Although it was quite annoying to stop every ten seconds, Cassandra couldn't help but not care. Seeing the princess so happy and running freely brought a smile to her face and made her heart warm. Cassandra could already see Rapunzel planting everything in her mind so she could draw it in the journal Cass gave her later.

Cassandra and Rapunzel went on a different path than the one they took years ago. Hopefully, to throw off the guards. But also to start off with a way Rapunzel had never been before so she could see new things. Cassandra kept her guard up, as always, to make sure they weren't be followed and there weren't any threats near as the princess galloped through the valley.

"Oooh, Cass, look at this!" She heard for what was like the 100th time in the last couple hours. She looked over to where Rapunzel was pointing and noticed the slowly blooming follows. Rapunzel nearly jumping out of skin.

Cassandra chuckled and walked up to stand beside the over-enthusiastic princess. "That's great, Raps, but we should really get moving if we want to find a place to stay before sundown."

Rapunzel nodded eagerly. "Right!" It only lasted a total of 5 seconds before Rapunzel got distracted with another meaningless flower. Cassandra rolled her eyes. Leave it to Rapunzel to make the most boring things seem beautiful.

She gently stroked Fidella's mane as she watched the princess run from place to place. "Pascal, look!" She exclaimed to her little lizard friend as she pointed at a colorful butterfly. Pascal made a little squeak of amazement. Wow, these two really needed to get out more. She knew the princess was excited, but it wasn't like the girl never went outside. She was acting like the time Cassandra accidentally erase her memory; like it was the first time leaving her tower. Which confused Cassandra. And sorta pissed her off. How locked up and isolated did they keep her in Corona?

It was then that she realized that the only time she ever really saw Rapunzel outside was last night at the lagoon and when she let Rapunzel draw her. But even then, she stayed close, too close, to the castle. The only time she did stray away from the castle, she seemed to had been forced to sneak away like she was doing something wrong. Should she ask her why? She didn't want to ruin her mood but she just had to know.

"Hey, Raps?" She called out to her best friend. Rapunzel turned to her and gave her a brilliant, blinding smile.

"Yeah, Cass?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course!"

Cassandra thought for a second about what she wanted to say before continuing. "Why were you so condemned to stay near the castle?"

Rapunzel's face fell for a second, and Cassandra regretted asking her, but Rapunzel continued nonetheless. "You noticed that, huh?"

Cassandra nodded. Rapunzel sighed as walked over to stand next to her. "After everything that went down with.. uh, what happened, my father decided that since every time I left I ended up finding danger so I had to stay near the castle at all times. Close to a guard. If I didn't, I wasn't allowed to go, well, anywhere outside the castle." Cassandra looked surprised but looked down at realizing SHE was the reason Rapunzel was forced to be trapped. Realizing Cassandra's downward expression, she quickly added: "N-Not just because of the moonstone! But also what happened with Varian, and the Saporians, annnnd that snowstorm made by Zhan Tiri. The time I got nearly brainwashed.. And basically everything else."