Tangled After The Series - There's No Such Thing As 'The End'

Chapter 4: The past still hurts

Warnings: implied PTSD at the end and also mentions of death in dreams

Cassandra had walked the familiar steps of Corona Castle to her old bedroom. Everything was the same as she remembered. "Rapunzel did a good job fixing up this place," Cassandra said with a nervous laugh, "It looks exactly the same as the days before we crossed the Corona wall,"

"She was out there every day you know," Varian said, "Helping the people rebuild the city. She assisted with most of the castle as well, particularly her room and yours."

Cassandra smiled. That sounded about right. Everything felt perfect, it was comforting to know after so many years that the things that were most important in her life hadn't changed.

She pushed open the door to her old room. She gasped. It was like nothing had happened.

"Of course, Rapunzel was happy for you, but she always hoped that one day she would see you again, that one day you would come back and visit. She worked hard to make sure every detail would be perfect for you."

Everything was repaired, the bed had new pillows and sheets, the doors of the wardrobe had been left open to reveal all of the 'items' she had collected from her father and the Corona guard over the years, her sparing dummy had been sewn up and a new picture taped to the front. Still of Eugene which Cassandra grinned about. Rapunzel had placed a new navy-blue rug at the foot of the bed and matching curtains but what really caught her eye was the fireplace. The small picture of her and Raps with Eugene ripped off was still there, where she had left it, and there was a new one beside it. There was Rapunzel wearing her crown and Cassandra wearing the outfit she was wearing now, the same one as the day she left. The girls were holding hands and smiling at each other. Cassandra stroked the frame lovingly. She raised her attention to the bare stone wall above the fireplace – well, it wasn't bare anymore. It was covered in a mural depicting the sun and moon, the stars, and clouds around them had glitter mixed in with the paint so that they caught the afternoon sunlight and would catch the firelight. In swirly lettering across the bottom was written: "Plus Est En Vous" the same words the Queen had written in Rapunzel's journal when she gifted it to her daughter.

"Where should I leave this?" Varian's voice made Cassandra jump. This wasn't usual for her, but she felt choked up by Rapunzel's touching words.

"Oh...umm," it took her a second to collect herself again, "Just by the bed will be fine, I'll unpack them from there,

"Ok, I'll see you later, and I think this is yours," Varian was holding out a letter to her. Cassandra took it with trembling fingers, then Varian left.

Cassandra dropped the large saddle bag she was carrying next to the one Varian had been carrying and sat down on her bed. The letter was for her and she already knew who it was from. In the same handwriting that had filled the pages she had received on the road, was her name

Cassandra

She ripped open the envelope, pulled out the neatly folded piece of paper inside and began to read:

Dear Cassandra,

                             If you are reading this it means you have returned to Corona. I wanted you to know that you will always have a place here no matter how far away you venture. As I have been doing with the rest of the Castle and Kingdom, I tried to restore this place to how it was previously, I hope it is how you wanted. You would have noticed that some things new were added but I believe the art at the fireplace is the most important. Inspired by that old painting of us – which I'm glad wasn't destroyed – I drew a new one, one that showed who we are today. Now, we can be reminded of who we used to be but also acknowledge how far we have come since then. I was in two minds about the mural, I got the idea from our past, but it also made me think that the sun and moon accurately represent us, two hugely different things but one does not exist without the other. This shows how important you are to me Cass no matter what struggles we have faced in the past and what more struggles we will undoubtedly face in the future. Years ago, before my official princess coronation, you knew how uncertain I was, but my Mother told me something that she didn't know how much I needed to hear. I told you the same thing during the Battle of Zhan Tiri. This saying is always there in my journal whenever I need to be reminded that no one else can define me, I decide who I am and how I lead my life. I don't have to be who they expect me to be, I can be more because there is always more in me than what they think. Therefore, I painted it: "Plus Est En Vous" if you ever needed to be reminded of these things too. If I can prove it, you can prove it too.