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

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Cassandra and Rapunzel were sitting in the royal hallway listening to Mother Gothel and King Frederic arguing, not knowing exactly what the problem was, but knowing enough to know who they sided with.

"You are not taking my daughter away during the one time we get to see her!"

"Are you talking back to me?" Gothel roared. "I'm the one with experience in child development, and Rapunzel will be eating with me!"

"She is my daughter, and I am your king!"

"Calm down, dear. Can't we just talk about this?" Queen Arianna tried to calm her husband down, but he was too caught up in his anger to hear her.

"I'm the only person who's been taking any kind of care of Rapunzel for the past five years!" Gothel screamed at the king. "If anyone should get to spend quality time with her, it should be me!"

"We hired you to be her nanny, not her captor!"

At this point, Cassandra decided to take Rapunzel away from the yelling to do something a little less heated.

The two sat down to play with blocks, and while Rapunzel was having a blast trying to build the biggest tower she possibly could, Cassandra was off in her own little world, thinking about what she had heard a few moments before.
Cassandra didn't understand. Queen Arianna was just trying to put the fire out, but the other two adults were fueling the flames, and only they were being heard.

Did calmness and civility get you nowhere in life?

–

"Ahh. Do you hear that?" Rapunzel asked Eugene and Pascal while they sat in a circle as the wind swayed the flowers and blew out the dandelions, setting the calming mood. "That is the sound of peaceful tranquility," she whispered as she was in her meditating pose.

"Rapunzel!" Cassandra yelled, snapping the younger princess out of her restful state with Owl sitting on her shoulder.

"This was supposed to be a quick bathroom break, not a meditation," Cassandra lectured her sister, who now began to stand up.

"Sorry, Cass, but look at that view!" Rapunzel gestured to the beautiful scenery ahead, which consisted of a sparkling river, majestic mountains, strong, steadfast trees, and a perfect path carved out for them. "Doesn't that just inspire you?"

"You know what I find inspiring?" Cassandra asked rhetorically. "Progress. Getting from Point A to Point B without stopping to marvel at every meadow, valley, pond, and knoll along the way". At this point, Cassandra had made her way back to the caravan, getting ready to keep going, and Owl had left her shoulder to go about his merry way.

"Look, Cass, I know we have to get to... wherever these clues are leading us," Rapunzel agreed while also making her way toward the caravan. "...but aren't you afraid that if you focus too much on the road ahead, that you might miss the fun at your feet?"

"Don't worry about me, Raps," Cassandra chuckled. If I want fun, I know where to find it," she reassured her sister as she tightened Fidella's buckle.

"Oh yeah?" Eugene retorted. "And where would that be? Funeral home?" Eugene laughed while walking away jovially.

Cassandra glared at Eugene for a moment before pulling a little green bean out of her pocket and placing it in his hand.

"Hey! What's this for?" Eugene chortled confusedly.

Cassandra then whistled for Owl, who swiftly swooped in to collect the bean from Eugene's hand, leaving Eugene desperately shooing it away in annoyance.