What if Edmond never tried to touch the Moonstone? What if he never gave the order to evacuate the Dark Kingdom? What if Gothel never "had to" kidnap the princess? What if the Corona guards only took the petals of the Sundrop? By allowing the flowe...
(I have read this chapter 119 times while writing it to try to get over writers block... Merry Christmas!)
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Cassandra and Rapunzel were up early the next morning. They were both eager to get out of the castle, but for different reasons. Raps wanted to see the town and experience the local culture, while Cass just wanted to find a way to fix their hot air balloon and get out of the kingdom. It wasn't long before they found their way to the front door.
As they stepped out of the castle and into the courtyard, they realized just how dark it must've been when they first arrived in the kingdom. There was so much they weren't able to see the previous night that now fascinated and amazed them. It felt so similar to Corona, but everything about it was different.
Instead of the clear blue sky and warm spring sun the girls were used to, the sky was gray, and the sun was blocked, but it wasn't dreary, cold, or dark.
Instead of tan, square stones covering the ground, it was smooth, black circles, of every size, overlapping and cut evenly to make level roads and walkways.
The houses and shops in Corona primarily had tan exterior walls and pale yellow, light blue, or bright red curved roofs, while here, they were gray, dark purple, or indigo, with peaked roofs made from the black rocks. Fences, store signs, wind chimes, and even bird houses were also made from the Moonrocks, along with many of the buildings' structures.
The castle was the only building completely made from the black rocks, though, and what a building it was. It looked like a cluster of six buildings, each one a different height, interlocked to make a unique and elegant castle. The biggest black rock in the kingdom stood at an angle in front of it and towered high above the structure. The main entrance was cut through the base of the spike, and, higher up, two towers peeked over the side of it, incorporating this giant Moonrock as part of the castle's structure.
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The girls followed the path through the courtyard. As they left the castle grounds, they were met by a liveliness that reviled Corona's. There were so many people that it made it hard to believe how quiet it was not even twelve hours ago.
While it made Rapunzel more comfortable, the number of people put Cass on guard. Anyone could be spying on them. Anyone could know where they're from, blow their cover, and attack them. Anyone could be a threat to Rapunzel, and Cass was focused on protecting her. So focused, in fact, that she practically jumped when the princess put a hand on her shoulder.
"Why are you so jumpy? Relax Cass," Raps said. "No way, this place is dangerous," the swordswoman countered. "Are you sure?" "Yes. Don't forget we're in enemy territory, Raps," Cass responded as they continued walking.
