Rapunzel
I stare deep into the girls eyes, trying to read her.
I want to believe her, but I just can't seem to fully trust her. My head is telling me not to listen, but there's something else inside me that's contradicting it.
"What was your name again?"
"Cassandra." She response bluntly.
"Well, Cass,"
"Don't call me that."
"I'm gonna have to step away and speak with my friend there. Just to get a second opinion."
"your friend? Seriously?" I watch her eyebrow raise in confusion as I gesture over to Pascal.
I ignore her question and turn around, approaching Pascal, lifting him up, and whispering down to him. As I talk, I can feel her judgemental glare on the back of my neck, but I act as if I don't.
Maybe this girl is telling the truth, but I can't exactly let her go. I need to see those lights, and she has to take me.
I mean, she owes me after scaring me and invading my home. Right?
"Ok. Cass-"
"Cassandra." She corrects, I roll my eyes and drag her chair so it's facing my painting.
"Whatever." Then, using a free strand of hair, I open the window, letting in more light, and pull on the red curtains hiding the paint. "Well, I think it's safe to trust your not hear to steal my hair. But you invaded my space nonetheless, and for that I believe you owe me."
"I'm pretty I owe you nothing besides to 'leave you in peace' but sure, carry on." Her sarcastic tone starts to get on my nerves but I choose to fight it.
"Do you know what these are?"
"What? The lanterns the kingdom send into the sky on-"
"Lanterns... I knew they were stars!" I say in a quiet yet assertive voice, completely ignoring the rest of her sentence as I gaze up at the painting, feeling something snap into place. But, quickly, I clear my throat and go back to my original point.
"Well tomorrow evening, the sky will be lit with these lanterns-"
"Yeah I know I-"
"-and to earn back your dagger, you will act as my guide, take me to see them, then return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return what is rightfully yours and let you leave unharmed." I gesture with my hands as I talk, pointing at her than at myself. I expect her to sigh and reluctantly agree to my proposal, but her face doesn't read the expression I was hoping for.
"Yeah, there's no way I'm doing that. I have things to do tomorrow, people to get back too. I can't just-"
"Listen here!" Without missing a beat I tug on my hair harshly, causing her to fly forward, in my direction, and just before she falls, face first, I slam my hand on the back of the chair, right beside her face, and stare directly into her eyes.
Cassandra
"Listen here!" I'm cut off by her sudden assertive voice, and by the way she pulls me towards her. Now our eyes are locked on each other's, our faces only inches apart, while she continues her speech.
I can feel the fire in her eyes burning my cheeks.
"I don't know, nor care what brought you here, but your here now, and you shouldn't be. I'm letting you go easy so long as you do this one simple thing for me in return. And I don't care if your little smart ass can find that dagger, I don't see you being able to get it currently. So I can easily rehide the thing again and again until you agree." I don't want to say I'm intimidated, but I will say I wasn't expecting her demeanor to change so fast. I swallow hard and try my best to compose myself.
"Alright. So, if I take you to see the lanterns, and then return you home afterwards, I get my dagger back?" I clarify, noticing her faint freckles that are positioned across the bridge of her nose. She leans in closer and I hear our heavy breaths mixing.
"I promise. And when I make a promise, I never break it."
I look into her eyes, almost getting distracted by the swirl of green pigments that dance around her pupils, but I managed to stop myself from falling into them.
These lanterns are what my parents send into the sky each year as a celebration of some anniversary they share. If I'm being honest, I don't know much more than that, considering it was always a subject I avoided bringing up around them. I tried asking about it when I was 8, and I was told a story about some anniversary and was quickly dragged out the room.
Since then, I've just labeled it as another coronan tradition. They celebrate loads of shit, I've never questioned any of the other's before.
But maybe that's because they all come with stories and facts... And with those I'm never shut up in the castle while they celebrate.
Sure, has it always confused me? Yes. But I've always helped with the preparation. Well, the ones I was allowed to anyway.
But now I'm not gonna be able to help because this girl has me all tied in a knot.
"Fine. I'll take you."
My parents won't mind, surely. They won't miss me for 24 hours. I'm sure they can excuse that.
"Really!?" She jumps up in excitement, pulling her hand away from the chair in the process. As a result, I continue to fall the rest of the way to the floor. "Oops-"
"That was unnecessary." I mumble against the floor, the pain that was once only in my head now is spreading throughout my entire face.
Remind me again why I'm helping this bitch?
YOU ARE READING
crossing the line AU
Fanfiction"I'm starting to question if we met... On purpose. Through Fate... Or whatever." Crossing the line - A story about two girls who were almost swapped at birth, you could say... Cassandra grew up in a castle, money and power galore. She was raised by...
