A fellow Cassarian shipper hosted a Cassarian Month in August 2023, and I decided to turn my entries for it into a month of different AUs! So here they are, along with short stories to go with the art!
AU: Varian and Cassandra never redeemed themselves and are both imprisoned.
Varian is still fuming. He has been in prison for a couple of years, now. He has seen other prisoners come and go; some redeem themselves and change their bad ways, while others are sent off on a prison barge overseas. But he still remains here, rotting away. Where is that help that King Frederic promised Rapunzel he'd get for him?! No one even so much as visits him down here. And his father is still at home, trapped in amber...
With each passing day, Varian only grows more and more furious. Especially once he hears the guards talking about how the princess has returned from her long journey. He figured that at least she would come and see him.
After what feels like an eternity, the guards bring down another prisoner —as they often do. But Varian is more than a little surprised to discover who this prisoner is.
"Cassandra?" He says in shock once the guards have locked her cell and left.
"What're you still doing here?" She sneers. "I figured the Sunshine Princess would've found a reason to release you months ago."
"You would think..." Varian huffs. But he still doesn't understand why Cassandra is here, or why she is talking about Rapunzel like that. The last time he saw her, she was willing to risk her life to keep Rapunzel safe. "What brings you to this lovely facility?"
"Oh, you know. Stole the Moon Stone and used it against the glory-hogging princess to keep her from achieving her destiny, so that I could achieve mine," Cassandra replies matter-of-factly.
Stole? Moon Stone? Destiny? This is a lot for Varian to take in. He definitely needs more information. "I never thought you had it in you, Cass. What caused you to—"
"—To cross the line?" Cassandra finishes. "Some light was shed on my past. I'm the daughter of Gothel."
"Gothel?! The woman who kidnapped Rapunzel and trapped her in a tower for eighteen years?"
"The very same," Cassandra replies. "My mother chose Rapunzel over me. She abandoned me, all because of her!" She grits her teeth, barely able to control her rage. "I tried so hard to take what I deserve, but Rapunzel... She still found a way to defeat me. So, here I am."
"Well... At least now, maybe I won't be as lonely," Varian says. "You have an ally in me. I still hate Rapunzel more than ever. She never fulfilled her promise to me!"
"She's gone back on more promises than you could ever know, kid," Cassandra says.
The two of them continue back and forth, discussing all the ways Rapunzel has wronged them. For the time being, it's nice to have someone who will listen. Someone who understand their point of view.
But still, all they want to do is exact revenge on the Princess of Corona. And they vow to do it, someday... together.
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