Tangled After The Series - There's No Such Thing As 'The End'

Chapter 30: Just another happily ever after

     In the hour that they'd been waiting, Cassandra had not stopped pacing back and forth across the fireplace. Varian sat in one of the armchairs, occasionally flicking his eyes up to Cassandra. Edmund was staring out of the window and Fredrick and Arianna stood behind one of the sofas.

     Arianna chewed on a fingernail nervously. She prayed to all the gods she knew of, she prayed to the Sundrop and Moonstone, she prayed to Lord Demanitus that nothing would befall her daughter or her children even remotely to what had happened to herself.

     Varian stood up and put his hands on Cassandra shoulders, she clasped his hand and leaned against it.

     The door clicked open. Everyone turned to it, still as statues.

     It was Faith in the doorway, flanked by Ethel and Jane. Faith wore an unusually giddy expression on her face, the two maids behind her talking in excited whispers. "They're here!" she cleared her throat and curtsied, "They're ready for you all Your Majesties."

     A heartbeat of stillness. Everyone beamed in delight and hurried out of the room, Arianna thanking Faith as they went. If they were moving any faster they would've been running. Arianna paused them all outside the door before she knocked. There was a moment of silence before Eugene's voice sounded: "Come in!"

     The Queen gently pushed the door open, the rest of the family following behind. The Princess and the Captain were on their bed. Both were holding small, cream blanket wrapped bundles in their arms with little faces poking out. Everyone gasped and the new parents looked around the room.

     "There's some people we'd like you to meet," Rapunzel said. The baby in Rapunzel's arms stretched out their arms from the blanket and latched their tiny fist around Rapunzel's finger. "Yeah, this is your family," the new mother said in a quiet, high-pitched voice. A shared smile went around the room.

     Eugene walked over to Edmund. The baby he carried had dark brown hair and when they blinked their eyes open revealed radiant green eyes. Eugene said, "This is our little boy, Adrian Edmund Fitzherbert,"

     "And this," Rapunzel said, her parents walking over to stand beside her, "Is our little girl, Heather Arianna Fitzherbert." The little girl had a lighter shade of brown hair than her brother and the curious eyes that peered around were dark brown.

     Edmund held Adrian and Arianna held Heather, the parents hovering nearby. "He looks just like you," Edmund said to Eugene,

     "Save for his Mother's eyes," Eugene said, smiling fondly at Rapunzel. He shrugged, "Which is only fair since our daughter has my eyes then our son should have hers." Rapunzel giggled.

     Fredrick hugged his daughter as Arianna rocked his granddaughter. "She's beautiful darling."

     Rapunzel took Heather out of Arianna's arms and her mother kissed her on the cheek before she walked away to the sofa where Cassandra and Varian had sat. "Say hi to Aunt Cass," Rapunzel said and knelt beside the sofa, holding out the baby to Cassandra.

     "Oh, umm," Cassandra stuttered as Rapunzel placed Heather in her arms and guided her hands around the baby. Heather stretched out her arms and waved her tiny fists in Cassandra's hair. "Hey there you," she whispered and stroked the back of a finger across Heather's cheek.

     "Rapunzel, she's so cute," Varian said,

     "Cute? She's absolutely adorable," Cassandra laughed. Heather crinkled her face in what might've been a smile.

     "I thought cute wasn't your thing Cass?" Rapunzel teased,

     "Then you know I mean it."