Lousy Little Pest! | Sequel to Gothel's Greatest Gift

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Happy fifth birthday, Cassandra!" Queen Arianna wished the new five-year-old.

"You've gotten so big!" King Frederic happily added.

Cassandra was beaming from ear to ear. It was her first birthday in the castle! She almost felt like a real princess. She knew she'd never be a princess, though. Her mother made sure she knew.

"Are you ready to see your birthday cake?" Arianna asked Cassandra, getting down to her level.

Cassandra looked around, hoping to see her mother in the nonexistent sea of people, but she wasn't there.
"Where's mama?" She asked the queen.

Arianna looked into the child's eyes, hoping to sympathize with her.

"Your mommy had to run a quick errand, but she'll be right back, and then we can start the party!"

As if right on cue, Mother Gothel made her grand entrance into the party room, holding baby Rapunzel in one arm and a birthday cake in the other.

"Happy birthday, Cassandra!" she practically announced to the royals.

"Thank you, mama! Is that my cake?" Cassandra was so excited! Sure, it wasn't a golden, three-tier cake like the one Rapunzel got for her three-month birthday, but it was a cake, and Cassandra loved it.

"Actually, child, I noticed that you didn't finish your chores that I assigned to you earlier, and I don't think you'll be able to have any cake until those are finished".

Cassandra's face fell to the floor. How had she forgotten to do her chores?

"I'm sorry, mama, I'll go do them really fast!"

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Cassandra, but run along and do them anyway!"

"It's okay, Gothel, we can have one of the servants do Cassandra's chores!" Arianna tried to interject, hoping to save the little girl's birthday.

"Yeah, let the girl have her cake!" King Frederic added.

But Gothel wouldn't let up. "Between you and me, I told Cassandra to do those chores over a week ago, and she wouldn't stop protesting! We made a deal that if she didn't have them done in time for her birthday, then we'd have to wait to have her party until they were finished. Maybe another day we can throw a do-over party for her, but for now, would Rapunzel like to blow out Cassandra's candles?"

The royals looked at each other, slightly wary of letting their daughter blow out another little girl's birthday candles, but since she'd have another party another day, they thought it was fine. Besides, Rapunzel still hadn't had her half-birthday party!

-

♫ Happy birthday to you ♫

♫ Happy birthday to you ♫

♫ Happy birthday, dear Rapunzel ♫

♫ Happy birthday to you! ♫

The entire kingdom cheered for the half-birthday girl, and poor Cassandra was still in her room, doing her chores that her mom had not, in fact, told her to do until after making her grand entrance. Still, Cassandra figured she should be grateful. At least she had a real bedroom now.

–

Rapunzel, Eugene, Vex, and Cassandra spent the entire afternoon trying to train Captain Quaid in the art of captain-ing to no avail. They practiced sword fighting, fruit cutting, and lasso tricks, but the former sheriff just couldn't get it right.