Ranger's Apprentice One-Shots

Chapter 5- The Perfect Uncle

(A/N: This one-shot goes back in time when Maddie was only just a four year old.)

Princess Cassandra is a very delicate matter. She has the pampered life as a princess, and may she ever will. Her personality is indecisive between the female worrier and the diplomatic woman she was supposed to become. She somehow was able to be a mix between the both. Lately, however, she took up the part as ruler as Araulen, for her father had grown iIl.

Looking upon her daughter, Madelyn, she never imagined that raising a daughter not much different from herself could be so exhausting.

"Madelyn! Madelyn?!" Cassandra screamed through the castle walls.

"Madelyn, you will come with me this instant, or so help me-"

"Evanlyn," Horace cut into his wife's bantering. "calm down."

"I am COMPLETELY calm!"

"Okay...whatever you say." Horace knew well enough not to step in when Evanlyn went on her rampages...that were mostly caused by the stress of running the country in her fathers stead.

She paced the hallways a few times more before she finally slumped herself into a chair.

"You." She stated.

"Me?" He answered.

"Yes, you."

"What is it, dearest?"

"You try to find her."

Horace shrugged, deciding that the moment was not the time to reprimand Evanlyn. As his wife fumed, he looked out into the corridor.

"Maddie, c'mon. Don't you want to go and visit Aunt Alyss and Uncle Will?"

He sat down placidly, waiting for Madelyn to come out. "The holidays only happen once a year, you know."

With that, he heard a little shuffling coming from the woodrobe in the next room.

"It's the holidays already, daddy?"

Maddie whispered, still unseen.

"Yes, love," Horace answered.

Maddie, deciding that it was of the upmost illogic to stay hidden, walked out of the room, walking over to Horace.

"When do we go?" She asked.

"As soon as you let your mother dress you," he answered.

With a soft little moan of agreement, Maddie shuffled over to her stressed mother to finally get dressed.

---------------------------------------------------

Horace, Evanlyn, and Madie rode on the roads to Redmont. A small party of guards accompanied them to make sure nobody attacked. They were very valuable royalty, after all. They were very important people to the country.

"Mommy, I'm tired," Yawned the young Madelyn from the front of her mothers saddle.

"Just hang on a little bit longer," she replied. "Just a few more kilos..."

They rode on and on restlessly, waiting for castle Redmont to pop up on the horizon. Finally, as the sun began to set, they could see the red stones of the castle. They could barely keep in their excitement as they came closer, closer, and closer.

As they rode up to the castle, they were welcomed by numerous people: Pauline, Alyss, Halt, and Will, their most beloved friends. Happiness was so clear to see on their faces, and for the first time in a long time, Evanlyn felt stress free.