They trailed the other couple at a distance, Varian having to gently shush Rapunzel when she giggled with adorable excitement over learning who Cassandra's mysterious date was. They followed them to the hidden dock and Varian tugged Rapunzel behind the crates he'd hidden behind before, watching them.
Observe, then act. They wouldn't want to interrupt an intimate moment, after all.
--
"We shouldn't be away too long, my father will notice my absence sooner or later. I know Rapunzel will." Cassandra giggled a bit.
"Well, thank you for indulging my dislike of crowds." Her date pulled a rose from his vest and slipped it into her hair. "There, one more rose to accent your beauty."
She smiled shyly. "Are all guys in Vardaros as charming as you are?"
"Hah, no. I'm a rare type." He wrapped his arm around her waist. "Are all girls in Corona as lovely as you?"
"Mm, 'lovely' isn't normally a word said about me." She admitted.
"Well, then whoever said that must be blind, or is making excuses, because you are beauty and grace." He gently cupped her cheek.
They heard a sound and looked to the side to see Rapunzel and Varian standing by the crates. "Oh, sorry!" Rapunzel said sheepishly. "I, uh, we didn't know--"
"Oh, no, it's my bad! I forgot that you like to take your dates here!" Cassandra said, looking flustered. "We can go somewhere else!"
"No, no, it's okay! You were here first! We'll go somewhere else!" Rapunzel insisted.
"Well, while we're all here anyway," Varian chuckled, motioning to the man. "Who is this, Cassandra?"
"Oh! Well," Cassandra looked at her date, "this is Andrew, he's from Vardaros. Andrew, this is Varian and Princess Rapunzel."
"A pleasure to meet you both." He gave a sweeping bow of respect. "Your Highness."
"Oh," she giggled, "call me Rapunzel. I don't really feel too comfortable about the titles thing."
"Mm, I'm sure they got old." He nodded with understanding.
"Well, uhm, we should let you two be. I mean, unless you want us to stay, maybe we could...get to know each other?" Rapunzel said, looking a bit hopeful.
"How about some other time?" Cassandra said patiently.
"So she says." Varian chuckled, slipping his arm around Rapunzel's waist. "It was nice meeting you, Andrew."
"A pleasure meeting you as well, Varian." Andrew nodded, smiling as he took Cassandra's hand.
"You two kids behave!" Rapunzel said teasingly as they walked away.
"Speak for yourself!" Cassandra laughed.
--
"You didn't seem at all surprised that she had a date." Rapunzel said to Varian as they headed back to the party, passing by children running around throwing paper hearts. "Did you know?"
"She told me that she wanted the day off so she could meet someone at the festival, but I didn't know anything beyond that." He smiled. "I was the one that talked your father into letting her have the day off."
"Well, I'm sure she appreciates it." She kissed the corner of his lips again and he blushed pink. "You are so cute." She giggled.
He smiled shyly. "You break down my defenses, my Sundrop."
"Mm, with how well you defend my heart, it's only right that I can reach yours so easily." She took his hands in hers and pulled him into another dance, the two of them waltzing through the streets together as the bards played love songs. Then they walked over and sat on the fountain together and she held his hand in hers, smiling down at their reflections in the water. "You make me so happy, Varian."
He smiled and kissed her cheek. "But, not quite enough to decide yet?" He guessed.
She blushed and nodded. "Yeah. Are you upset?"
"Of course not." He assured her, gently cupping her cheek in his hand. "I told you before, no matter what you choose, I will respect it."
"But, Destiny has a way of getting what it wants." Rapunzel said softly.
He gently laced their fingers together with his other hand. "Honestly, it's best that you take the time until you know absolutely sure who you'll choose before you make any decisions." He tilted her chin up. "May I...kiss you?"
She smiled and pulled him close, kissing him. He was startled by the force, but closed his eyes and held her closer.
Rapunzel wasn't your average princess of grace and poise. She did bear-hugs and rough kisses and walked around completely barefoot. But, that was fine, that was his Sundrop, and he wouldn't have her any other way.
Though, this might've been a miscalculation, he thought as they fell back into the fountain. They got back up, soaking wet, and then bust up laughing from the sheer silliness of what just happened.
"We should go get some dry clothes." He suggested as they stood up.
"Nah, we can dance the wet away!" She said, standing to dance around giggling. He smiled and took her hand and they danced around in a circle, laughing giddily like two children hopelessly in love, before they collapsed on the ground together, Varian under Rapunzel as she pinned him with her body. She smiled and brushed his long bangs, which had come loose, out of his face and kissed him again.
"We better get up before people come." He suggested, his cheeks pink after she broke the kiss.
"Mmhm." She smiled and got up, pulling him up with her. "Feel a little drier?"
He chuckled. "A little."
--
They headed back to the castle and rejoined the party in the courtyard. If anyone noticed they left, they didn't say anything, and they went over to get food and find a place to sit and eat.
"Hey, look who else is back." Varian pointed over towards a table, where Cassandra was sitting with Andrew.
"Think they'd mind us sharing their table?" Rapunzel smiled at him.
"Mmm, wouldn't hurt to ask." Varian shrugged.
They walked over to them and Rapunzel spoke up first. "Hey! Do you mind if we share your table, or would you two like to be alone?"
"If we wanted to be alone, we wouldn't be here." Cassandra smirked. "Go ahead and have a seat."
"Thank you." Varian said as they took their seats and set down their food.
"Are you having a pleasant Day of Hearts?" Rapunzel asked them.
Varian noticed Andrew's smile twitched slightly, but it didn't look like anyone else did. "Well, it's...pink." Andrew gestured to the decor. "We don't have anything like this in Vardaros."
"It's great, right? It's celebrating the love of two people that unified two Kingdoms!" Rapunzel said cheerfully.
"Oh? Who's the other one?" Andrew asked.
"Corona's rival Kingdom, Saporia." Varian said, looking towards the journal on display.
"Hmm...so, if they Unified, why is only Corona celebrating?" Andrew asked, looking over at it as well. "Shouldn't we be seeing the national emblem of the other Kingdom on display, too?"
"I...huh." Rapunzel blinked in surprise. "I'm not sure."
"Well, far be it for me to ruin the day by questioning something I have nothing to do with." Andrew chuckled. "Sorry for this outsider commenting on your traditions."
"No, no, it's fine." Rapunzel assured him. "You know, I heard that if you write your name with your lover's name in Herz Der Sonne's journal, you'll be with each other forever."
"So, why aren't you two writing?" Andrew raised an eyebrow.
"Well, uh..." Rapunzel glanced away, blushing.
"We have a...delicate situation. See, she has two suitors." Varian explained. "Myself and a guy that isn't here right now."
"That sounds complicated. Why not just write both names, then?" Andrew asked, then paused, seeing their confused expressions. "...Riiiight. Corona is monogamous. You have to choose one."
"Is it different in Vardaros?" Rapunzel asked.
"It's different in a lot of places in the world. Some Kingdoms even have entire harems of suitors." Andrew chuckled. "But, since that's not the case here, I wish you good luck with that contest."
"Thank you." Varian smiled.
The bards started to play a song and Rapunzel gasped, pulling Varian to his feet. "I love this song! Cass, you and Andrew need to come and join, too! It's a group dance!"
"Do you want to?" Cassandra looked at Andrew.
"I really would rather sit it out." Andrew admitted. "But, you go and have fun, I'll be here." He assured her.
She got up, kissed his cheek and then went to join the dance with Rapunzel and Varian.
Varian chanced a glance back at Andrew and saw him looking at some kind of golden necklace before he slipped it back under his shirt.
--
The day wound down and the journal was taken back inside by the guards that had stood by it the entire event. The King and Queen headed up to bed as people gradually left and maids cleaned up the food and courtyard.
"That could've been you." Varian said, nudging Cassandra playfully as the four of them stood by a wall, watching the cleanup.
"As pleasant as this has been, I should be going." Andrew said, kissing Cassandra's cheek. "I will come back tomorrow."
"Can I walk you to the dock?" Cassandra asked.
"Well, if you'd like." He walked out with her.
Rapunzel sighed dreamily and followed them. Varian chuckled and walked with her.
To their surprise, they didn't go to the dock. They went across the bridge to where a strange contraption that looked like a basket with a large cloth attached was.
"What is this?" Varian asked as Andrew kissed Cassandra's cheek one more time and then climbed in, turning on a burner that started to heat up the cloth, making it billow out.
"It's a hot-air balloon." Andrew smiled. "Maybe I'll take you for a ride sometime."
"That'd be great." Cassandra smiled, her cheeks pink.
He blew her a kiss and then cut a rope that let go of the now-floating basket. "Until tomorrow, my friends." He waved and then went to some controls to make it head off in another direction.
Rapunzel smiled, then looked at Cassandra. "He's dreamy, isn't he?"
Cassandra gasped, and blushed red. "W-Well, I mean...he's nice." She said, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"Let's head back in. May I escort you two lovely ladies back to the castle?" Varian said with a sweeping bow.
Rapunzel giggled. "You may."
They headed back to the castle, Varian pausing at the gates to look back at the balloon flying off in the distance.
Andrew seemed nice enough...but his gut instinct was getting him to watch out for that guy. And he always trusted his gut.