Chapter Four

The Princess

Day Twenty-Six

"Cass? Cass, are you down here?"

Under the guise of a mustached guard, thanks to the shape shifting cloak of Retudnus, Rapunzel crept through the silent and grimy dungeon. Her mother—of all people— had given her the disguising cloak.

Only a few minutes before, with a hasty knock on her bedroom door, her mother had rushed in before Rapunzel could even finish granting permission. Her mother shut the door and locked it before beelining over to where Rapunzel had been painting her model, Pascal, atop a mini gondola. She set down her brush and asked, "Is everything okay?"

Looking over her shoulder like a pack of starving hyenas were after her, Arianna stuffed the cloak into Rapunzel's hands, saying, "Don't ask me how this came into my possession, just use it to take the form of a guard and go down to the dungeons. I haven't been able to find out from your father what's been happening to Cassandra, but I've known something was wrong. The person who gave me this confirmed it."

Rapunzel had a million questions. But as this was her first bit of news about Cass—since being informed after the festival that she'd been arrested— and an opportunity to see her, she wasn't going to waste another second on waiting.

Rapunzel had hidden the cloak in her bag and had left the room along side her mother at a leisurely and decidedly not suspicious pace. But once around the corner, she'd slipped the cloak on and ran.

If her mother's urgency had been anything to go by, time was not on her side. She supposed that was nothing new. If it hadn't taken her hours to regain consciousness from the battle earlier this month, Cass would never have been arrested. If almost a year hadn't passed since her parent's memories had been spelled away, Cass still wouldn't have been arrested because Rapunzel would've still been acting Queen. And if that had been the case, no one would've touched Cass.

She knew that Cassandra was under the impression that as the Crown Princess, Rapunzel had total authority over the operations of the kingdom. But that impression was false. Her parents still held the authority in the land. Rapunzel was just as voiceless and powerless in matters where her parents had already taken a stand as she had been when telling Gothel she was ready to go out into the world.

As she tip-toed through the rows of vacant cells under the cloak now, she supposed that would not change for some time. But that didn't mean she wouldn't try her hardest to make a difference. Especially where Cass was concerned. If going behind people's backs was what it took to take care of those she loved, then so be it. She would tip-toe for the rest of her days.

Ever faithfully on her side, Pascal tip-toed along with her up and down the rows. But even their sneaking steps sounded like canon-blasts to her ears down here. She'd been down here many times over the last few years, but she could never recall it being this… dead. Even the occasional rat she used to spot down here was strangely scarce.

Rapunzel checked every cell of the first two levels and found no one but the sleeping Saporians and the now-cured Baron. Then she checked the empty third level. And the fourth. There was no sign of Cass in any.

When Pascal returned from double checking the previous levels with a shake of his head, her stomach turned to lead. Rapunzel could hardly get a breath down and she finally gave up on trying to maintain the calm demeanor of a guard. She sped down the last flight of stairs. What had they done with her best friend?

Rapunzel froze as she reached the fifth floor's iron door. She recalled what the royal records said about the levels of the dungeons and their purposes: The first was for prisoners of minimum threat or temporary holding. The second for those awaiting transport. The third and fourth for unruly and violent prisoners. And the fifth… This was the level for prisoners sentenced to death. Rapunzel braced herself against the cold stone wall and gasped, "No!"

But maybe Cass wasn't down here either. She couldn't be. They—they hadn't even had a trial yet. She couldn't be down here. They must've missed her on the first four levels. They must've.

But just so she didn't leave any stone unturned, Rapunzel opened the door to the lowest level.

The faint sound of agonized screams pierced her heart.

Rapunzel couldn't breathe. "Cassandra?"

Following the muffled voice of her best friend, Rapunzel sprinted to the guarded and heavily locked door at the end.

Rapunzel slammed to a stop and ignored the guards protesting her presence beside her. She ignored the putrid smells of undisposed body waste, salty sweat, and smoke that had her eyes watering and her stomach pleading with her to run. She ignored everything but the sight on the other side of the tiny barred window that was worse than her nightmares could ever conjure.

Rapunzel ripped off her disguise. "What are you doing?"

The three guards kneeling inside the cell spun toward her horror-drenched voice. After dumping a bucket's worth of water on Cass' now steaming foot, two of the men had the decency to set down their items—the bucket and a canister of oil— and scoot them behind their backs. But the third with the flaming torch in his hand, scowled and snatched the canister of oil from behind his co-worker and turned to set Cassandra's un-melted foot aflame.

"What are you doing!" Rapunzel shoved away the arm latch blockading the door and threw all of her weight into pushing and pulling and shaking the blood-crusted door handle. "Stop!"

"Your highness—" The guards on either side of her dared to lay their hands on her, gentle as they were. The men and their hands were coaxing, soothing, as though she was some spooked horse in need of reassurance before they corralled her.

Rapunzel jerked out of their grips and pointed a rage-shaking finger, commanding, "You will unlock this door—" Then growling to the guards protected by the iron and locks between them, "—and you three will come out of there immediately!"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Came the gruff and extremely un-sorry sounding response from the torch-holding guard inside as he kept a firm hold on Cassandra's shackled ankle, "But we have other orders."

"And who ordered you to cause harm to my friend?"

The lanky guard said over Cass' unending groans, "Your father."

The world was spinning, crumbling in on itself, and flying by in fragments as Rapunzel flew through the halls and only returned itself to a fragile state of semi-stability once she arrived at the crowded throne room.

The farming citizen who'd been speaking his troubles to the pharisaical ears cut himself off and she vaguely noted Nigel descending a step and calling her name in concern. But Rapunzel only had eyes for the jeweled man on the dais that wouldn't meet her stare.

Her entire being trembling in rage, Rapunzel's voice rolled through the room as she asked her father, "What kind of a monster are you?"

Half the room gasped, and the other half held their breath, all eyes on the man accused.

"Sir Wayne," King Frederic said to the kneeling wide-eyed farmer worrying his hat. "Would you be so kind as to return later this afternoon? It seems I need a moment alone with my daughter."

The man bowed and mumbled out a humble acceptance before being ushered out by Nigel along with the rest of the crowd.

Once it was just the two of them, her father asked, "To what do I owe the kind words in front of my public, Rapunzel?"

"Cassandra."

Her father stared her down, thoughtfully.

She ascended a step. "You've had her tortured."

Frederic blew out a long-suffering sigh. "So, you found her."

"Why have you done this! How could—?"

"Rapunzel, I know this may seem cruel to you, but I am only taking the necessary action to protect our kingdom."

Rapunzel gaped at her father. "How is torturing Cassandra or anyone "necessary"? How could you possibly justify this as anything but pure cruelty?"

Her father's gaze was gentle upon her but tinged with an almost puzzlement. He stroked his evenly trimmed beard and said, "I understand how upsetting this discovery is for you as I know of your friendship with Cassandra. But personal feelings must not get in the way of duty."

"Isn't that what you're letting happen?" Rapunzel said, flinging an arm out to gesture to the dungeons she'd just left. "You have a duty to protect Cassandra! She is one of your citizens—"

"Cassandra is a traitor."

"Others have committed treason before and this was not done to them!"

"Rapunzel—"

"No, this—this is wrong!" Mashing her temples and the headache pounding away behind them, Rapunzel descended back to level ground. She wanted to be nowhere near this man and his flawed and blind reasoning. "This has to stop. You haven't even given her a trial."

"Cassandra is still in possession of the Moonstone and though I did give her a chance to comply, she did not agree to hand it over peaceably."

"That still doesn't give you the right—!"

"Rapunzel, I am King!" Her father boomed, standing to his feet. "I have every right and every responsibility to see to the safety of my people."

"Not like this." Rapunzel shook her head, feeling nothing but disgust for the man bearing the crown. "This is wrong."

"Cassandra holds the power to destroy our lives and this entire kingdom. She already tried and nearly succeeded before we were able to contain her. As long as that power still remains in her possession along with the will to continue wreaking havoc, the will to continue pursuing you, then I will stand by my methods this month."

"This month? She's been…You've…" Three weeks. That was how long it'd been since the festival. While Rapunzel had been painting and having diplomatic teas and luncheons, Cassandra had been enduring brutal torment… for three weeks. How could they have kept this from her… How could Eugene and her own father keep her in the dark for so long?

Pushing back the floodwaters threatening to sweep her away, Rapunzel asked her father evenly, "Are you going to kill her then?" When her father didn't make a comment or show inclination either way, she pressed on, "You've confined her to the death level when she hasn't even had a chance to stand trial—which is something we've offered to everyone regardless of the severity of their crimes."

"I don't make this judgement easily."

Rapunzel couldn't believe she shared blood with him. Her previous comparisons to Gothel returned to mind and she decided she would handle this just the same way. She would fight him. She would fight this sentence with everything in her and everyone at her disposal. She would fight.

"If you're so set on execution, then the formality of a trial shouldn't threaten you," She said, "Treason Cass may be guilty of, but she's still a human with basic rights. Or have you stripped her of those now too?"

Her father got lost in thought staring out the closest thick purple curtain framed window and Rapunzel worried maybe she'd pushed too far until he said, "Very well, I shall grant her a trial."

Pointing in the direction of the dungeons once more, Rapunzel said, "Then you need to stop this or she won't live to see it."

Facing the side doors, her father called to the guards posted outside. One stepped in and bowed and her father commanded, "Send for the Captain."

Neither Rapunzel or her father said a word as they waited. She wasn't sure where Eugene was coming from as his office had been empty when she'd passed by earlier. But thankfully it wasn't long before the door opened and she assumed he walked in. Assumed, because she was looking the opposite way and would be until he left.

His footfalls were quiet as ever but if she hadn't known any better, she would've called the hesitancy in them almost apologetic. But she did know better.

She heard the rustle of his uniform as Eugene presumably bowed and then greeted her father, "Your Majesty?"

"Has there been any change in the prisoner's stance on the Moonstone?"

"No, Your Majesty," Eugene answered.

"Has she shown any signs of relenting?"

"No, Your Majesty. There's no change."

Frederic sighed and Rapunzel took the chance of accidentally seeing him to look up at her father expectantly—hopefully.

Her father said, "You may end the interrogations now, Captain."

Rapunzel would've collapsed to the floor at the rush of relief if her anger hadn't been steeling her spine.

Her father continued his questioning of the Captain, "Is she well enough to withstand trial?"

"Not in the least," Eugene answered, clipped.

"I see. Bring the Royal Medic down with you upon your return to the dungeons," Her father said to the both of them with an air of dismissal, "Cassandra shall be allowed to heal and then face trial in ten days' time."

In unison, Rapunzel and Eugene said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Rapunzel rose from her curtsey and almost knocked Eugene down as she took off for the door. He was hot on her heels and calling after her as she burst through the doors into the empty hall but she paid him no mind. Cassandra needed her. She was still being hurt as the guards didn't know the king had given the order to stop yet. She couldn't waste another minute.

Rapunzel used each corner to help propel her faster and dodged yelping maids and questioning guards along the way. She had to get the medic. She had to get to Cassandra. She may be the only living being in the building that cared for her friend's well being and she wouldn't fail her now.

"Rapunzel, wait." Now at her side, Eugene took her arm and pulled her to a stop. His dark shadowed eyes and stubbled face were a surprise to Rapunzel but she shut out the concern that reared its head. His haggard appearance was no match for Cassandra's broken one.

Rapunzel fought his grasp but Eugene clung tightly, desperately, and stumbled out, "You have to know I—I didn't—"

The tears she'd been fighting all morning finally welled in her eyes and she paused long enough to meet his blood-shot gaze and whispered, "How could you do this?"

Then she was yanking her arm from his grasp and running again. She couldn't spare another second. Not for him. But if she'd have stayed a second longer, she would've heard Eugene whisper, "I didn't want to."

Rapunzel flew back into the dungeons with the Royal Medic and his assistant in tow. The two guards flanking Cass' cell were still at their posts and their faces turned into sympathetic grimaces as they prepared to deny her entry once more.

Like they would stop her now.

If Eugene hadn't also been right on their tail and ordered for the guards to stand down and unlock the cell, she would've just barreled straight through them and then through that cursed door using their unsightly heads.

The three vultures inside were still surrounding and inflicting pain on Cassandra when Rapunzel rushed in but soon scattered like flies.

Now, for the first time, her view of her best friend was uninhibited.

Rapunzel fell to her knees, landing in a puddle of she-didn't-care-what. The Medic and his assistant didn't pay attention to the surrounding mess either as they dropped to Cassandra's other side. Their hurried stream of medical dialogue was alien chatter to her ears and far away. Cass' unfocused gaze told her the words were just as distant to her too.

Rapunzel wanted to hold her. Cool her obviously burning forehead with her hand, calm the violent tremors running through her frail frame, brush her filth soaked clumped hair back from her face, soothe her, clean her, protect her. But she was unable to find a single spot on her best friend safe enough to touch. And there were too many hands on her already.

At another set of Cass' jarring flinches and muffled whimpers in response to the assessing hands, Rapunzel found herself swiping the assistant aside and crying to the pair, "Stop, please, you're hurting her!"

The aged medic was undisturbed by the outburst and was gentle and calm as he sat her back on her heels, saying, "Your Highness, we have to touch her to help her—"

"But you don't need to be so rough!"

"I assure you; we're being as careful as possible. She is in a septic state and we need to act quickly."

"Septic?" The term had Rapunzel backing down and fighting her rising panic as she took in Cassandra's fever-ridden state again. While a wide-variety of angry red swollen cuts covered her body—her nearly naked body if not for the uneven pieces of her onyx armor that barely covered her breasts and covered her lower region like a pair of small shorts— in the dim lighting it was hard to make out just which ones were infected and which were only on their way. But as the medics had Cassandra turned on her side, Rapunzel couldn't see the condition of her back where they were most focused. If the raised and shining purple and red borders along her side and shoulders were anything to go by, it wasn't a good sign.

They were also quick to examine and tend to the burned leathery soles of her feet, and Rapunzel was quick to comfort Cass as the hands drew more moaning cries.

Stroking her barely-blue dirty hair back, Rapunzel tried to catch the attention of those glazed blue-eyes. "You're okay. I'm here, it's over," Rapunzel assured, hoping to assuage Cass' tears while trying to hold back her own. "I won't let anyone hurt you anymore, I promise."

It was so quick that she couldn't be sure it wasn't a trick of the light, but Rapunzel could've sworn Cass' eyes latched onto hers for a second. Just one second to show the hatred burning beneath her pain.

When another muffled sound too intentional to be another cry was made, Rapunzel snapped her attention to the most atrocious thing on this side of her friend: The black muzzle covering a good half of her best friend's bruised face. It'd been one of the first things she'd noticed when she saw Cass through the door earlier, but hadn't wasted time on ordering them to take it off. Now, there was nothing stopping her.

Rapunzel reached behind Cass' head for the clasp but found only a keyhole. She was surprised fire didn't erupt from her mouth as she snapped to the captain standing in the doorway, "Take this off of her."

Though looking abashed, Eugene had the nerve to say, "The king ordered us to keep it on."

"Do not try me, Captain. He just gave you the order to stop all of this. Take it off."

Eugene relented and as he undid it, she asked, "Why was this even on her in the first place?"

"Your father said because she wasn't willing to answer any of our questions, then she didn't need to talk at all." Eugene said before continuing with a glance at the guards standing by the door, "She also took a chunk out of the Lieutenant's hand."

Despite the fury coursing through her and yearning to rail into Eugene and her father, all that left her as she smiled down at her best friend was, "Good."

Though the gag was now removed, Cass never repeated what she'd tried to say minutes before. But now free of it, her cries—terribly hoarse and raw as they were—did greater damage to Rapunzel's heart as they tumbled out with the medic's every touch.

It was all Rapunzel could do not to banish everyone from the room when they started to set Cassandra's dislocated leg.

She eventually allowed Eugene to usher her out of the cell as she couldn't bear to watch another second of their administrations. Having Cass out of her line of sight while hearing it all continue was just as unbearable but somehow, she managed for the next few hours. Once things grew quieter, she dropped her chewed thumbnail from her mouth and pushed her sore body off the unforgiving stone floor to pop back into the cell.

Cassandra was half mummy in all the bandages and splints they'd so far managed to wrap her in. Rapunzel noticed with great relief that they must've dosed her with some sleeping drought or she'd passed out from the pain as Cass lay still on her stomach, eyes shut, with much steadier—though still shallow—breaths.

Spotting her in the doorway, the medic offered her a small smile before returning to his work stitching one of Cass' numerous gashes. He said quietly so as not to disturb his patient, "I could use your help now, Your Highness, if you feel able."

Rapunzel darted over to the group but was soon turning back to the exit as the Medic explained, "She can't stay in here, could you see that there's a sterile bed roll prepared for another cell we can move her to?"

"The prisoner must remain in maximum-security." A gruff voice in the corner spoke up and startled Rapunzel as she'd half-forgotten the guards were still in the room. "She's not leaving this cell."

"I won't hear it," The medic objected before Rapunzel could. "She needs fresh air and a clean environment if all of this work is to mean anything. She's not going to pose a threat for some time; I'm moving her."

Rapunzel could kiss the man, but she contented herself with giving the shot down Lieutenant a smug smile and continued out the door to see to Cassandra's bettered conditions.

"Mom, you should've seen her," Rapunzel wept in her mother's steadying arms an hour after leaving the dungeons, "What they've done, what they've put on her, how—where they've kept her… For weeks!"

Sinking back against the wall and cushions of Rapunzel's bedroom sunset showered window seat, Arianna held her closer and said amongst her shushing, "Cassandra's going to be okay now."

Rapunzel buried further into her mother's warmth. Her grief and sobs strangling and shaking her to her core. "But she won't! Dad's—dad's going to— to kill her!"

"No, he isn't—"

Rapunzel coughed through another sob, "Yes he is!"

"No, Rapunzel, look at me," Her mother pulled her back by her shoulders and the determination in her gaze had her unable to look away. "Your father agreed to a trial. Cassandra's fate is not sealed. And I know you're going to do everything you can to advocate for your friend."

"What if he doesn't listen?"

"He will if you present a strong argument."

Rapunzel un-balled her mother's handkerchief and wiped at her running nose. She knew what she would be arguing against at the trial—the death penalty or imprisonment— but she wasn't sure how to argue against it.

She sniffled. "What do I say?"

"Well, what is your plea going to be?"

"I want Cass to be let go."

Her mother gave a flicker of a smile. "I don't think your father will go for that."

Rapunzel knew that but it was still devastating to hear. She slumped back into her mother's arms and her eyes burned with the next wave of oncoming tears. Was she merely fighting a losing battle?

"You know your father by now; While not deaf to emotional reasoning, he primarily deals in facts. So, what are the facts?"

Rapunzel couldn't begin to zero in on all the foundations of this webbed mess at the moment. All she could see was her best friend's broken, fever-ravaged body chained to that filthy cell floor.

Her mother leaned her cheek atop her head and continued in an even softer tone, "Let's start with the basics: Do you know the primary thing she's being accused of?"

"Treason," Rapunzel muttered into her mother's chest.

"Is there any evidence she's guilty of that?"

Sun, what evidence wasn't there. Almost everyone in the kingdom could give eye-witness statements of Cassandra's attacking actions and destruction at the festival—as if the remaining presence of the stolen Moonstone in Cass' very being and their black-rock punctuated castle wasn't condemning enough. Her mother's hand came up to rub gentle circles in her back as she sobbed, "Yes."

"Is there any evidence to the contrary?"

That manipulative sorceress in a little girl's skin popped in her head. Zhan Tiri had confessed to her in no uncertain terms that she was using Cass for her own purposes and without Cassandra's knowledge. Certainly, the demon's influence along with the fact that they had attacked Cassandra first at the festival had to be worth something. She lifted her tear-stained face to her mother. "Yes."

"Good. Is it enough to outweigh the evidence of guilt?"

"In my opinion, yes."

Her mother's body shaking chuckle and caressing thumb below her pouting lip wasn't encouraging.

"Try to stick to the facts and not feelings, sweetheart. Though I wouldn't discard your convictions as they can make for a compelling argument at the right time," Her mother said, "But my father taught me to tally court arguments by looking at it like a balancing scale. Say that each piece of tangible evidence was equal to a one-pound weight, which side would weigh more in this case: The one with guilt or without?"

Zhan Tiri had only revealed her motives to Rapunzel, so while she would hold to that piece to argue, she couldn't stake Cassandra's life on it as no one else could verify its truthfulness. Rapunzel forced out around the lump in her throat, "The guilty side."

"So, she's guilty. That's okay. That doesn't mean you've lost. Now we just know what we're arguing."

Rapunzel didn't feel the least bit consoled by that information. "But how? If Cass is guilty, doesn't that mean—?"

"It means now you have to decide what compromise you're going to propose."

Rapunzel just blinked at her mother. She'd already said asking for Cass to be let go wasn't going to happen…

"You said your father is considering execution. What would be an alternative you'd be happy with for Cassandra? Is prison time acceptable?"

"No!" Rapunzel cried, fisting her hands in her hair. "No, that's the problem. Either alternative is—is unthinkable!"

Arianna pulled her hands away from inflicting impossible damage to her scalp and squeezed them once. "Stay with me. That's fine. We're just going over alternatives. There are more than one. I said that one because you know it will be one of the first things to come up. Does Cassandra still have the Moonstone?"

"Yes." Rapunzel furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"Because banishment or exile would be the next options but I don't think your father would go for either with that weapon still at her disposal."

Rapunzel shook her head in disbelief and stared across the room to her favorite painting on her nightstand. The painting she'd made of her and Cass only a week after they'd met. That was three years ago but with all that'd happened since… it felt like a different lifetime. How had they ended up here? Did Cassandra's future really only hold the two paths of prison or death? "Cass can't go to prison," She whispered.

"And why is that?"

Rapunzel knew her mother was only trying to help her prepare for the proceedings that would be much less caring of offending her but still the question irked her. "Because it's Cass! She's my best friend and yes, she's made some bad decisions recently, but this isn't who she is. This isn't her. She's… she's hurting and she shouldn't have to keep suffering. She's felt so overlooked for so long… Adding isolation to it will only make things worse. For everyone."

"If she were to stay in prison, you could visit her you know. She'd be right downstairs. Maybe it would even help her."

Rapunzel shot her mother a mild glare and insisted, "She doesn't need prison. And as much as I don't want to admit it, my company isn't exactly comforting to her right now."

"Is there someone else's company that would be?" Her mother asked, "From what you've told me, she's pretty angry with everyone."

"She is but maybe her—" Like the glory of the dawning sun, it hit her: Cass' father. With his history and experience as Corona's Captain of the Guard as well as being her father, he would be her key to a viable alternative. She gasped and took her mother by the shoulders. "House arrest!"

Now it was her mother's turn to blink at her. "House arrest? Whose house?"

"Her father's! This is perfect!" Rapunzel remembered his words to her after their adventure on Taropi Island that he wouldn't give up on his daughter. She would hold him to that. He would be the perfect balm for helping Cass heal while also being reliable and capable enough to keep her secure. She knew that even with his resignation, the opposing side couldn't deny his ability to hold Cass to the rules of home confinement. Rules she would give quite a bit of tweaking… But she would need the expertise and the agreement of the chosen enforcer for that.

Rapunzel leapt off the bench and ran for her bedroom doors. "I have to go talk to him!" She skidded to a halt halfway down the gleaming hallway and sprinted back into her room where she'd abandoned her mother. She smiled sheepishly and rubbed at her arm, asking, "Umm… Do you know where her father lives now?"

Her mother's smile was as radiant and gracious as the sun beaming behind her. "He owns a cottage out by the city's borders." Rapunzel thanked her with one last hug and before she could return to rocketing out the doors, her mother kissed her forehead and said, "Cassandra couldn't be in better hands."

Though it didn't slow Rapunzel's pace as she dashed out of the palace and to the limits of the city, her mother's words weighed on her. Her best friend's very life was in her hands. It was as though Cass was wavering on the crumbling edge of a cliff and Rapunzel's own words would either push or catch her.

She couldn't let her fall. They couldn't let her fall. They wouldn't.

Once she told her best friend's father of what'd happened these past few weeks, what'd been done to his daughter… once she could help him past his own initial rage and grief, she knew his resolve would be as strong as hers. And that determination would not fail or distract them.

Rapunzel knocked on the door of his modest dark red brick cottage, squared her shoulders, and wiped away any remnants of her previous tears. A boatload more of tears would come later but not now. Tears would only stand in her way now. She had to focus.

She had an odds-defying defense to build.

A/N: Three cheers for Rapunzel! Anybody wanna guess at who gave Rapunzel's mother the cloak? Who thinks Cass is gonna like the idea of house arrest? Who thinks the king is going to ignore that idea and kill Cass anyway? *Raises hand but quickly puts it down so as not to spoil things for the readers* :D

Next Chapter is "The Trial"

Until next time~ V