The Moon Calls

19

The weather was getting colder. Their warmer-weather clothes were traded in for warm sweaters and jackets and long, fluffy coats. Rapunzel had to begrudgingly wear boots for the first time in her life, and she whined a bit as Cassandra tied them onto her feet, Varian patting her shoulder sympathetically.

"I have to wear thick stockings and boots, my feet feel so trapped!" She despaired.

"Hey, how do you think I feel in this stuffy overcoat?" Varian gestured to it. "And they keep pinning back my hair!"

"Yes, yes, we're terrible and you both feel like your freedoms are ripped away from you." Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Come on, up you get." She stood up and offered Rapunzel a hand up. "Just like the shoes, only a bit heavier."

Rapunzel gingerly took a step forward after standing up and sighed. "I'll...manage."

Varian got up and sighed. "You think you'll be okay? King Frederic and Queen Arianna are going to be gone for two days, after all."

"Well..." She smiled. "I have you, don't I?"

He smiled and took her hand. "We got this."

Cassandra walked over and opened the door to let them out. They headed out, Pascal on her shoulder and Ruddiger following behind Varian, both of them wearing scarfs around their necks.

--

They watched King Frederic assign the shoemaker the job of making boots for all the Royal Guard to make up for the fact that he'd been running low on business due to a repaved road, and then saw the King and Queen off with hugs and smiles.

"Are you sure you two will manage?" King Frederic asked with concern.

"If we work together, we can handle anything." Rapunzel said, taking her brother's hand with a smile.

Arianna smiled and kissed their foreheads before she went to get into the carriage that would be pulled by Maximus.

"If you need any advice, you can talk to Nigel-Varian, I know that you and he don't get along, but please try." King Frederic said, seeing the expression the boy made at the man's name.

"She doesn't need his advice." Varian said firmly. "He's too set in his ways and doesn't adjust to hers. We tried that before."

"Well..." King Frederic sighed. "Still, he will be here."

He smiled and hugged them both before he went to the carriage, looking back at them waving one more time before he got in and they set off.

"Right..." Rapunzel said as they left across the bridge. "Time to work."

They walked into the throne room and Rapunzel put her crown on her head to make it look official before she took a seat in the throne. Varian helped her straighten the crown and then stood by the throne as Nigel approached them.

"Are you ready?" He asked her. "There are many people that need your attention."

"It's okay." Rapunzel nodded. "I got this."

The old advisor looked doubtful but went to let in the people. "Princess Rapunzel! May I present, your most humble subjects!"

The first two to come in were two shepherds. "Your Highness," one of them started, "he won't let my sheep graze next to his without a fight!"

"Isn't the pasture public land?" She looked at Varian, who nodded. "What do you suggest? I'm thinking they should share, but..."

"Put up a fence to keep them separate." Varian suggested. "A high one."