Winter Moon (Jelsa)

Chapter 10: Rapunzel

"I know who you are."

Rapunzel tipped her chin up, glaring at Moana. "I am an Elite if that's what you're saying."

Moana laughed. "No not that. I mean your true self."

To anyone else, this would probably sound ridiculous, but Rapunzel felt her blood run cold. There was no way Moana could know. Rapunzel had never met her before, and she wasn't in contact with the Elites, was she?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rapunzel croaked, squirming in her seat. She had been chained to a metal chair in a damp stone room. A singular light in the corner illuminated Moana's features, but Rapunzel couldn't see much else.

"Don't pretend, you murderer," Moana spat.

Rapunzel goggled at the other girl. Murderer? What the hell was going on?

"Moana," Rapunzel said slowly, trying not to aggravate the girl further, "what are you talking about?"

"They told me you would do this," Moana seethed. "They said you would pretend."

"Who? Who said I would pretend?"

"My family. The Father. We are here to serve justice."

"Are you... have I ever done something to you?"

"Your kingdom has. You don't even remember do you? All the villages you slaughtered — do they mean nothing to you?"

"My kingdom... not the First Kingdom?"

"Corona. You are the Nameless Princess. The Lost Royal, and we have come to bring justice."

Rapunzel took a deep breath through her nose, regretting it as a faintly rancid scent built in her nose. So Moana knew. 

Rapunzel was the princess of Corona, or at least, she had been. The Elites had taken her, faked her death, and raised her as one of them. When Rapunzel was twelve, she found out about it, but of course she couldn't do anything. Not if she wanted to keep her head.

"Are you... part of an organization?" Rapunzel wanted to say 'cult' but figured it wasn't the smartest choice of words.

"I am the child of one of the villages Corona burned to the ground. I survived, and I will exact justice. My family is now the Broken Light. We oppose the Kingdom of the Sun."

"So a cult then," Rapunzel muttered under her breath. How did a sixteen-year-old kid get mixed up in this?

"So your village was slaughtered by people under the banner of Corona."

"I am from the Second Continent. One of the nameless island villages your people devastated. The Father has tasked me with the mission of capturing you. I have brought justice to my people."

Surprisingly, Rapunzel felt a wave of pity. Moana had probably been influenced by this "Father" for most of her life. She was only doing what she thought was right. As for the devastated villages, everyone had learned about the Burning of the South in history class. But we had been taught that the western kingdom Northuldra was behind it. The Elites had intervened and sealed off the Northuldrens as punishment. But had it been Corona? Or was Moana being manipulated?

"When do I get to meet the Father?" Rapunzel pressed.

"Soon. Fate smiles upon the Broken Light."

Rapunzel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had to find some way to escape. Her best chance might be to convince Moana that the Broken Light was manipulating her. Using her. But... what was the Broken Light? Were they working for Pitch like the Dark Moon? She doubted they were directly answering to Pitch, but indirectly, perhaps.

Testing her bonds, Rapunzel deemed them inescapable. She would have to make the best of her situation. 

Avoid being killed or sold for ransom to a different kingdom. Find out where she was. Figure out who the Father is and what the Broken Light is all about. Convince Moana to help her escape.

"He is here," Moana announced solemnly as the door at the far wall creaked open.

Steeling herself, Rapunzel watched as a middle-aged man entered the room, his dark beard peppered with white. His eyes gleamed with a fanatic light.

"Hello Rapunzel," the Father said.

A/N:

Hello readers! So sorry that this was a really short chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it. I will post the next one in a few days. Thank you for sticking with me. See you next chapter!