Siblings of Corona B2:Life In the Castle

Chapter 22

Friend: Did you actually get both chapters written?

Me: Yes, I did :)

Friend: Oh, so you remembered to actually post it yesterday.

Me: Well duh!... Wait... let me double check that one... Oh, shoot!  I didn't!

Friend: ...Wow...

Sorry, guys, I thought I posted it yesterday lol. 😅

The next chapter is the final chapter of this book!  Then we're off to the third book!

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"I'm pretty sure this is the one that enters Quirin's house," Fredric muttered as he quietly pushed the trap door open.  "They're probable holding him in the cellar."

The father and daughter snuck quietly through the house.  Suddenly, Rapunzel stopped.  "Dad, wait.  I hear something in this room," she whispered.

"It could be one of theives," Fredric pointed out.

"I hear chains," she added.

Fredric frowned.  He slowly opened the room.  It was dark and had little to no light.  There was a small thunk that made them look towards Varian.  He was being held back by a large man.  His mouth was covered by the Man's hand, but Varian managed to bite man's hand hard enough to free his mouth.  "It's a trap!"  He screamed.

Rapunzel turned around in time to reflect Caine's sword with her frying pan.  She hissed and glared at her former lady in waiting.  "Caine!"

"Hello, princess," Caine taunted.

Varian was able to somehow break one arm free of the man's grip.  He grabbed the broom that had idly been sitting there untouched for years.  He slammed in into the man's stomach until he was completely free of his captor's grip.

"Get back here you little-"

Varian slammed the broom handle on his captor's head.  The boy blinked with surprise as the man slumped onto the ground unconscious.  "Where have you been all this time?" He said to the broom in his hand.

Fredric deflected a blow from another villain with his sword.  Suddenly, the man he was fighting fell unconscious, revealing Varian standing behind the man with the broom up.  "Varian?"

The boy frowned, giving the king a glare, but said nothing.  He merely turned to take on new enemies.  Fredric felt a twang of guilt.  "Varian wait!  We came to save you not for you to-"

Varian picked up a case and threw it.  Fredric ducked and it hit a thief that had been creeping up on the king.

"Save you?" Varian finished.

"...It appears so," the king admitted.

"How many are there?" Rapunzel asked as she knocked out her opponent.

"At least fifteen, but I don't know if I've seen all of them," Varian admitted.

A loud crashing noise came from outside and there started to be shouts and screams.  Rapunzel glanced out the window and gasped.  The whole front line of soliders were laying on the ground.  "What happened!"

"Don't worry, it was just a knock out bomb," Caine said.

"How-" Varian started.

"There's this whole box of them in the basement, labeled and everything.  Someone who lived here liked to mess with the same things you do, kid," she explained as she tossed alchemy ball up and down and catching it with one hand.

"If you throw that in here, won't you get knocked out too?" Rapunzel asked.

Caine shrugged.  "This isn't the same thing, but it has similar effects.  I've been hiding in this place for a long time.  I've learned a thing or two from Varian about how important experiments are.  I know what it does and how to use it."

They took a step back, but readied their weapons.

Caine smirked.  "Make this easier on all of us, will you?"  She tossed Fredic a pair of handcuffs.  "Handcuff the princess for me."

The trio looked at each other for a moment, unsure what they should do.  Varian bit his lip as he very subtle reached for something on the table, hoping that it would be solid enough to knock Caine out if he threw it.  It felt like a book.  He knew that those worked pretty well.

Before Varian had the chance to even make the decision to throw the book, he felt something slam into his head.  He yelped and landed on the floor, but failed to lose consciousness.  He realized that there had been a door to his right and hadn't noticed someone else come in.  The man must have noticed his plan.

"Varian!"  Rapunzel gasped.

"Do as I say," Caine took a step closer.

Varian groaned.  Rapunzel and Fredric looked at each other before the former slowly nodded.

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"They should have been out by now..." Cassandra muttered.

"Should we go in?"  Eugene asked.

"We don't know the tunnels," Lance pointed out.

"But I do," Ariana said.

"We can't all go, someone has to lead these men with the Captain down," Eugene pointed out.

"We should let Cassandra take control," Lance said.  "She is the best we know."

"But I know nothing about strategic planning with real people!"  Cassandra argued.

"Then you and someone who knows a thing or two about how to plan an army," Eugene replied.

"Who?"

"If I may," Pete interrupted.  "Andrew is pretty good."

"Of course!" Cassandra's eyes brightened up.

"Where is he?" Ariana asked.

"I'll get him," Pete offered.  The guard returned after a few minutes with Andrew.

"Your majesty?"

"You and Cassandra need to lead this distraction, me and a small team are going inside.  Can you handle this?"

"I will do my best," the man answered somewhat unsurely.

"You'll he with Cass," Lance added.

"Lance!"  Eugene scolded. "This is inappropriate timing!"

"What?"  Lance held his hands up.

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"Does it hurt still?"  Rapunzel asked

"Just a headache," Varian mumbled.  "No concussion..."

"Are you sure?" Rapunzel pressed.

"Ninty-nine point seven percent sure that it's not," Varian stated.

"And the other other percent?"

"Is out there incase I'm wrong and I do have a concussion but I'm not one hundred percent wrong," Varian replied.

"I'm glad you're ok," Rapunzel said with relief.  If her wrists weren't tied behind her, she would hug her brother to protect him.  Right now, she knew he was making light chatter, hoping to ease the situation they were in.