The Moon Calls

7

Cassandra was hiding something, apparently, and Rapunzel couldn't leave her alone about it.

"Oh, come on! You can tell me!" Rapunzel insisted.

"No, I can't, and I don't want to."

"But we're friends, and friends tell secrets!" Rapunzel insisted.

Varian looked up at them from the book he was reading, which was explaining what the upcoming Day of Hearts was about. 'Really, it's like all Corona does is party.' He thought. 'Well, and apparently go to war, but that's old news.' He looked back at the book.

[Centuries ago, Corona was engaged in a years-long war with its rival Kingdom, Saporia.]

'Saporia...' He frowned a bit, thinking of what he'd been told about the saboteur.

[Corona's then-king, Herz Der Sonne, created a complex system of tunnels to move his knights and supplies wherever he needed. He then made a detailed map of these tunnels and their secrets in a secure journal. At the height of the war, Der Sonne's sworn enemy, General Shampanier, launched a full-scale invasion on Corona. Shampanier fought her way through the castle to face King Herz Der Sonne himself. Their battle waged for hours with neither side relenting. That is, until Shampanier discovered that the book's final pages contained Herz's profession of love for her. It was then she realized she held similar feelings for him as well.]

He made a face at the sheer cheesiness of it and decided to turn his attention instead to the drawing he'd made of the emblem for the Separatists of Saporia. 'If such a map really exists, then they will probably have another agent sneak in to steal it.' He reasoned.

"Hey, little brother." Rapunzel leaned over his shoulder. "What'cha doing?"

"Plotting." He said casually, then looked over his shoulder. "Where'd Cassie go?"

"Oh, I think she said she was going to the Day of Hearts celebration. Come on." She smiled and took his hand, leading him away from the book.

"Rapunzel, I'm trying to plot!" He said as she led him out of the room, leaving behind the book and drawing.

--

The celebration was full of joy and love and the King and Queen started it off by writing their names in the journal he read about and kissing. Then Queen Arianna threw paper hearts round for people to catch and give to people they liked.

One of the bar thugs caught one and offered it to Cassandra and she made a face before walking away from him. Varian caught one and walked after her. "Hey, Cass!"

"Hm?" She looked over at him.

He smiled and held out the heart with a little grin. She looked amused and accepted it. "I see you're wearing the element I made for you."

"Well, it looks nice. Besides, you went through all the trouble to make it, why not show it off? Make people jealous, I guess." She nudged him with a playful smirk.

Varian laughed. "Is it working?"

"Oh yeah, everyone keeps asking me where I got this beautiful crystal from and how much was it. You know what I told them?" She leaned in a bit.

"What'd you tell them?" He asked.

"About the price of a fifty-pound bag of sand." She laughed and playfully shoved him. "I told them it was one of a kind and priceless. Just like you." She brushed his cheek with her hand. "You should get back to your sister, I bet she's worried."

"Uhm...yeah." Varian nodded, his cheeks going a bit pink. "See you later."

Cassandra waved and walked off, pocketing the heart he gave her. He smiled and then turned to go back to Rapunzel.