Cassandra's Betrayal Rewritten

That Stone is Dangerous

It was morning. Cassandra was still awake, being unable to sleep due to the night's prior events. The sunrise pierced her tired eyes, notifying her that it was time to leave the room and get into action for the day. Her plan was simple; act as if she was so tired she couldn't remember the previous night and just wait for Rapunzel and the group to arrive. It seemed simple enough and would allow her to go unnoticed to Edmund of her true intentions.

"CASSANDRA!" Edmund's voice echoed through the entire palace, filled with rage.

"GET DOWN HERE AT ONCE!"

The tone shocked Cassandra. He had never sounded so angry, even during the argument from the night before. She cautiously proceeded down the grand staircase, following his loud yells.

'What could this possibly be about?' She thought.

Edmund was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hello Cassandra. Care to explain why I found the door to the Moonstone wide open this morning?!"

At the sight of her father's anger, Cassandra's heart raced. She just remembered the other day when she snuck into the room. Had the door not fully closed as she had thought? She hadn't intended for her actions to be discovered so soon. Her mind searched for an explanation, but she wasn't ready to tell him of her destiny and the real truth behind why she has come to the kingdom, making it difficult for her to form coherent words.

"Father, I... I don't know what you're talking about." Cassandra stammered, trying to maintain composure.

"Don't play games with me, Cassandra!" Edmund's voice thundered through the halls. "I know you were in that chamber. You entered the room with the Moonstone!"

Cassandra's heart sank. She had hoped to slip away unnoticed, to confront Rapunzel without further complications from her father, but now her secret had been exposed.

"I-I only went to see it, I swear! I didn't do anything else." Cassandra blurted out, fear clouding her words.

Edmund's expression softened slightly, replaced by a deep concern. "Cassandra, you don't understand the danger of that stone. It's not to be trifled with. I beg of you, promise me you won't pursue it any further."

Cassandra hesitated for a moment, unsure wether she wanted to explode or stay calm. If she got her father out of the way, then she would be able to finally fulfill her destiny and show Rapunzel all she was capable of. The group must have been right outside the door by now, so her time would come in a matter of minutes, as long as all went according to plan.

"That's a promise I can't make." Cassandra admitted, her voice filled with determination.

Edmund's face turned grave. "Cassandra, listen to me. You don't know the consequences of your actions. That stone... it holds immense power, but it corrupts those who seek to control it. Please, for your own safety, for all our safety, leave it be."

"NO! I WON'T WAIT ANY LONGER! THAT STONE BELONGS TO ME AND I WILL HAVE IT, NO MATTER WHO I HAVE TO HURT TO GET IT!"

She turned away from her father, making her choice.

Edmund called out to her one last time, his voice filled with sorrow and desperation. "Cassandra, please reconsider! Don't let the darkness consume you!"

With a heavy heart, she hurried away from his sight, deeper into the palace.

Meanwhile, inside the caravan, Rapunzel sat quietly, staring at her journal. She flipped through the pages, her thoughts filled with memories of Cassandra. Guilt gnawed at her heart, the vivid recollection of their last moments together haunting her.