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

Chapter 15: Something feels strange

*~*~* Three days later, 9:00am *~*~*

     Rapunzel groaned at the headache forming above her brow. She hadn't been able to get up all morning - every time her head was unsupported by the pillows behind her, the room swam in front of her eyes. Pascal sat just out of her eyesight, above her head and occasionally stroked her head with his cheek or his foot.

     Eugene hadn't wanted to leave her but with the current situation, he was always needed by Maximus and the other guards. Xavier and the other Corona citizens had been true to their word and had stood with the guards on duty. Before he left, Eugene had pulled the curtains shut to stop any sunlight falling into her eyes and promised to send up whoever he could find.

     One minute later someone knocked softly on the door. "Come in!" she called, she tried to push herself up but abruptly fell back,

     "Oh no, we have strict orders not to let you get out of the bed Raps," Cassandra said as she walked over to Rapunzel's bed,

     "I don't think Eugene was far off using his 'Captain's voice' when he said that," Varian, laughed, coming in behind Cassandra.

     "Come here Pascal," Cassandra offered her hand to the chameleon and when he had run onto it, placed him on her shoulder. Cassandra wrapped an arm underneath Rapunzel's and pulled her up slightly then with the other, propped another pillow behind her back so that Rapunzel was almost sitting up.

     "Thanks Cass, thanks both of you," Rapunzel said.

     "How you doing?" Cassandra sat on the empty side of the bed, one arm resting on pillows supporting Rapunzel,

     "Well, to top it all off my head just started pounding," she said, flinching,

     Cassandra half-smiled, "Now you know what's it like to be on the receiving end of a whack from your frying pan," she said, thinking back to the day on the road where she had accidentally erased Rapunzel's memory and Rapunzel had tied her to a chair with her hair,

     Rapunzel seemed to remember too because she tried to smile. "Did you do it Varian?" the day before, Varian thought he found some sort of break-through with the amber. He had spent half of the night working in his lab in Old Corona trying to create a compound that should dissolve the amber.

     "Hopefully Princess," he answered, "I left it at home to carry on working on it this afternoon but don't fret about it, that's my job," he smiled at her. Cassandra had pulled out the sodden rag she had grabbed from the bathroom next door and laid it across Rapunzel's forehead.

     She groaned again as a wave of nausea rolled over her. Cassandra lightly placed her hand on Rapunzel's belly, "You two need to stop tormenting your Mom," she chided jokingly, "Save that for your Dad," the three of them laughed.

     "Have you started shopping for the Winter Holiday yet Cass?" Rapunzel asked,

     "Raps that's three weeks away!" Cassandra laughed,

     Rapunzel shrugged, "Never too soon in my book. What about you Varian?"

     "Nope. Not had too much time to think about it," he said,

     "Well next week we're all going together, Eugene, Lance and the girls included," Rapunzel stated, "Nice to get a sense of normality back," Cassandra squeezed her hand, "We all deserve the break." Rapunzel gripped the side of her bed with her free hand when a particularly bad dizzy spell came over her.

     "We're here," Cassandra soothed, "Focus on us. We're right here."

*~*~*

     Eugene stopped in the middle of the courtyard at the end of his patrol. Every possible opening to the front doors of the Castle were covered, every guard held a halberd and had a sword sheathed in a scabbard attached to their belts. Adira had her sword and Hector had his sword and creatures. Everyone else had some form of weapon in hand: Lance, Kiera, Catalina, the Old Captain, Xavier, Big Nose, Ulf, Vladimir, Maximus, Fidella, Shadow and Nigel had swords; Attila and Monty had pans and rolling pins; Feldspar had an array of hammers and Old Lady Crowley and the other servants had been told to always have some manner of defence close to their purpose.

     Eugene let his eyes stray to his Father for a moment. Not much longer Dad, he thought. He raised his gaze to the window at the top of one of the towers which he knew was Rapunzel's room. Seeing his wife so sickly this morning, it had been gut-wrenching when he had been called away from her, but he had passed Cassandra and Varian on the way down and told them to keep an eye on her.

     The Captain couldn't shake this uneasy feeling, like something wasn't right today. Every movement in the shadows made him tense even more. He motioned three guards over, Pete, Stan, and Henry – the guard that had been on prison watch the day that the group had escaped. Thankfully, his injuries had only been minor, so he was back on duty but more the biggest injury had been to his pride. He had expected punishment off Eugene - almost begged for it, said that he deserved it – but Eugene was fair-minded and knew that the poor man had been overwhelmed and then attacked, it wasn't his fault, it wasn't anybody's.

     "Yes Captain?" Henry asked and saluted,

     "Henry, send word to the Ladies and Gents that they need to find any means of a weapon and come here immediately," Henry was dismissed and he sped off, "Pete, Stan, go help the Princess out of the tower. Give her my apologies but I want her somewhere in the Castle that is secure and has an easier escape route. I also want you two to guard her at all times, never leave her side. Get Cassandra and Varian down here too."

     "You can count on us sir." Then they too disappeared.

     Eugene surveyed the courtyard; he drew his sword and went to stand beside Maximus. He neighed and nudged Eugene in the arm with his side. Eugene patted his neck, "Be ready Max."

*~*~*

     Pete and Stan ran up to the Princess' room at the top of the highest tower in the Castle. They caught their breath at the door then Stan respectfully knocked. "Hello?" they heard the Princess call and stepped in.

     "Princess Rapunzel," Pete said and both of them bowed,

     Stan continued, "Captain Eugene sends his apologies but we need to take you somewhere else in the Castle."

     "What's happening?" Rapunzel demanded, trying again to push herself up further but grimaced and Cassandra settled her back down.

     Pete and Stan gave each other a look. At the moment, the Princess didn't seem in a fit state to move past the door. Pete carried on, "The Captain is more on edge today, he seems to feel that something's out of place. He's preparing the troops and getting the maids and menservants to the courtyard - which reminds me, he also wants you two down there," he pointed at Cassandra and Varian.

     Cassandra put on her 'game face'. "I loathe to think this, but Eugene's gut instinct has never been wrong." Varian nodded and stood up, casting a worried glance at Rapunzel. Cassandra grabbed his hand which sent electricity shooting up and down Varian's arm. "We're going to my room; we'll raid my stash of weaponry first." Cassandra glared fiercely at Pete and Stan, "Don't let her out of your sight,"

     Stan nodded, "Don't worry, we already have that order." Cassandra glared once more at them, nodded at Rapunzel, and dragged Varian away. Pete and Stan each lifted one of the Princess' arms over their shoulders. Pascal hopped up onto Rapunzel's shoulder and hid himself in her hair. "Again, Princess, we're very sorry," Stan said,

     The room swayed, and Rapunzel closed her eyes, "It's all fine. Let's just go."

[~Author's notes~]

Hey, so shorter chapter today and not very much happening but...a necessary set up. That's al I'll say so see you in the next chapter!