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

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Good morning, Cassandra," Gothel greeted her daughter much more formally than usual.

"Good morning, Ma'am," Cassandra curtsied back.

"May I please have a spot of tea?"

After Cassandra had accidentally spilled six bags of groceries all over the floor, Gothel decided it best to begin teaching Cassandra the art of manners. It wasn't like she wasn't learning these skills before. But after the incident, Cassandra's studies in arithmetic, literature, history, and science were put on hold until she learned to be graceful and proper.

"Would you like one scoop of sugar, or two?" Cassandra asked while she poured her mother's tea in her porcelain tea cup, careful not to spill on her mother's golden-laced napkins or pearly white dress.

"Three scoops of sugar would be perfect," Gothel responded.

Cassandra usually would do whatever her mother told her to do without putting up a fight. However, she had filled her cup to the brim with tea, and was worried that, if she put three scoops of sugar, the tea would overflow.

"I don't think-"

"Stop protesting!" Gothel hissed quietly. "It's very rude. The guest is always right, remember?" Gothel placed her pruny hands onto her lap innocently.

"Okay," Cassandra agreed. She put one scoop of sugar, and then another, into Gothel's cup, but when it came time to pour the third scoop, the milky black tea spilled all over Gothel's table and leaked onto her dress.

"Cassandra!" Gothel screeched. "How could you have been so careless?"

"Is everything okay in here?" Rapunzel asked as she wandered into the party room. She had been sick all week and had just woken up from a nap.

"Hello, my precious flower!" Gothel greeted the little princess with a wrinkly-eyed smile. Since Rapunzel had been sick, Gothel hadn't been able to use her magical hair as often as she needed to stay young and beautiful. She concealed her face once again while covering the tea stain with her golden-laced napkin. "Would you like to sit down for some tea?"

"Okay!"

Rapunzel sat down giddily and accidentally knocked the entire pot of tea over with her elbow. Who knew she was so strong?

Gothel paused for a moment, looking like she was going to explode, but instead, keeping her composure and calmly replying.

"That's okay, child. I'll have Cassandra clean it up".

So Cassandra got right to work, slaving away for her over-aggressive mother, who was actually very nurturing and kind when she wanted to be, but never wanted to be for her. It was almost like Cassandra was never wanted in the first place.

Or maybe, Gothel just wanted Cassandra for what she could do for her, and not who she was as a person.

–

Cassandra, Rapunzel, and Eugene were wandering through the forest, which was covered with a mystifying mist, looking for any clue as to where the next clue could be.

Eugene found a rock wall that was covered in green hanging vines, that looked eerily similar to one he went through to find a 70-foot tower he once climbed (but nothing was in said tower), and decided to venture through it.

"I wonder what's behind here, oh!" It wasn't the same wall. It was a giant hole, and Eugene had fallen in.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel anxiously called out to her friend as she planned on going in after him, until she and Cassandra heard two people talking in the distance.