Don't You Fret, My Dear

The Party (1/2)

I had been in Corona for a few weeks and things were quiet. Quieter than I thought they'd be. Especially after those nightmares me and Rapunzel were having. We'd all agreed after that to keep a close eye on Rapunzel and to keep ourselves prepared. But then things got quiet and we had let our guards down. 

"Are you sure your parents should be having a big party? They'd have requested me back home by now if things were in the clear. This isn't very careful." I ask Rapunzel during a meeting with the head chef. 

"I know you're worried, Katt, but I trust my parents on this; plus, we always do the lantern ceremony on my birthday." She assures me, while tasting a bite of cake. The kitchen staff has prepared a small sampling of what will be served for her birthday dinner. 

"Here, try this," she says, as she holds a fork with some chocolate cake up to my mouth. I taste it, it's delicious. I end up looking into her eyes, we stay like that for a minute. Eventually, I look away, but I can feel my cheeks getting hot.

"...you idiot. You're blushing, why are you blushing??" 

What felt like an eternity of silence was only a minute, and then she broke the silence.

"Did you like it?" she asks. 

"It was incredible..." I manage to get out. It really was. 

"I was hoping you'd like it. It's my absolute favorite. Mother always has he chef make it for my birthday." She grins. I notice her freckles, the glint in her eyes. my stomach feels weird again. I try to ignore it

"Sounds like it's gonna be a great party. What all do you guys have planned?" 

"It's going to be so fun! We have this festival in the town square. There's music, dancing, people draw with chalk in the streets. Then that night we release the lanterns, it's such a beautiful thing to see. It's also where Eugene and I first realized we were falling in love, it's a really special night." 

She looks so happy, talking about it. I can't help but feel excited myself. I loosen up a little. 

"It sounds...magical. I can't wait to see it for myself!" I tell her. She grins, I smile back.

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Later that night, I'm walking to my room after a meeting with the queen, and I feel like I'm floating. I know I should be more careful lest I forget about the seriousness of the situation, but the party tomorrow sounds amazing and honestly I can't wait to see it for real. 

I'm grinning as I open the door and as as I'm crawling under the covers. 

I think about Rapunzel, and her freckles, and then I shut my eyes and go to sleep. 

I don't remember dreaming about anything...