Here's the full chapter!
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Rapunzel felt like she's inside a castle made of ice when she entered Cassandra's room. She gulped when she saw her best friend sitting the edge of the bed, her head lowered. She's holding a tray of food that Adira instructed her to give to the "princess". She gently placed the tray on the nearby table and stared at her friend who didn't utter a word nor reacted at her presence.
"C-cass?"
Cassandra slowly lifted her head up, a cold look on her face and her lips formed into a thin line. Rapunzel gulped. This is not good.
"D-do you want to eat?"
Cassandra shook her head and turned to the window with a glare. Rapunzel furrowed her eyebrows and turned to window. She saw the prince — who she happens to meet earlier this afternoon — and a blonde girl. They seemed to have having fun sitting under a tree in a garden.
Rapunzel placed her hand on her waist. She had enough of this. She needs to find the reason why her best friend is acting like this.
"What's with the cold demeanor? Aren't you happy to see me? You've been gone this whole morning," she called out.
"It's nothing, Raps," a shiver ran down Rapunzel's spine when she heard her friend's cold voice.
"That doesn't seemed nothing to me," said Rapunzel with a brow raised.
Cassandra sighed. "You're not gonna leave me alone until I tell you what happened, aren't you?"
"Yes. I won't leave."
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Fine. It happened when that girl arrived."
--
"Varian, honey, are you here?"
"J-JAMIE?" Varian shouted.
A blonde girl entered the stable with a huge smile on her face. She have that kind demeanor but something tells Cassandra that she couldn't be trusted.
"Oh, do you have a meeting?" She asked.
Sebastian shook his head. "No, Ami," said Sebastian, calling his old friend by her nickname.
She took a series of steps towards them, her eyes landed on Cassandra. "And who might you be?"
Cassandra mentally rolled her eyes before she introduced herself with her fake title. "Princess Cassandra of Corona."
Jamie took a step back and examined her from head to toe before turned her head to the side with a grimace. "You sure don't look like a Princess. Look at your dress, filled with hay! You don't deserve my honey, Varian."
Cassandra stopped herself from giving the girl a punch in the face. She tried to calm herself by mentally counting one to ten. She can't loose her composure. Not now, not ever. She closed her eyes. She's bringing the name of Corona as long as she pretends to be the princess.
Cassandra opened her eyes slowly before giving the lady a fake smile. "I appreciate your critique, Lady Jamie. But if I may, I don't think that you should be the one to talk about whoever is fitting for 'your honey'."
Jamie scoffed. "I know that but he's my best friend — I should have a say on what kind of girl he should marry."
Cassandra crossed her arms and raised a brow. "What are you now? The King? As far as I know, the king is the only one who have a say on who he should —"
Varian quickly spoke up. "The both of you, stop!"
Jamie turned to Varian and gave him a sweet look. "Of course, honey."
Cassandra rolled her eyes and nudged Sebastian to the side. "Is she always like this?"
Sebastian nodded. "Yup. Ever since they were kids. Varian tried to stop her before but she won't listen."
"Who is she? What's her rank?" She asked.
"She's Princess Jamie Galvez of Neserdnia," Sebastian explained.
Cassandra gulped. She's a real princess, she can't fight with that. She sighed, she needs to lay low.
"What are you doing in here, Ami?" Varian asked. "I thought that you'll arrive next week?"
Jamie frowned and crossed her arms. "I told you last week that I'll arrive next week. How could you forgot?"
Sebastian bursted laughing and Cassandra can't help but hold out her laughter. "Give him a break, Ami. He's been stressed this past few days."
Jamie's face became worried. "Really?" She turned to Varian. "Are you okay, Honey? Would you like to rest?" She turned to Cassandra with a glare. "Is this girl bothering you?"
Varian shook his head and frowned. "I'm fine, Ami." He then turned to the two. "Would you guys mind leaving the both of us in a minute?"
Cassandra frowned and was about to say something when Sebastian nudge her in the shoulder. "Yes, Var. Let's go, Princess."
They left the stable and walked towards a nearby tree in the wide garden. Cassandra huffed, she feel so annoyed by that girl. The heat of the sun just increased her temper.
She shook her dress with her hands — now that she realized it, that woman is right. She look ridiculous. She realized that her hair is messy from her peripheral view and her dress still have some hay in them.
"Hey, you oka-" She cuts Sebastian off.
"I'll be back on my room," she snapped and proceed to go back to the castle.
---
Rapunzel was silently listening on her story about what happened earlier this morning.
"That Jamie girl doesn't seem nice," Rapunzel commented.
Cassandra groaned and lied on the bed. "Tell me about it."
"But look on the bright side!" Rapunzel cheered.
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "There is no bright side, Raps."
"There is! You met a new person today!" Rapunzel cheered. "I'm sure that you'll make a lot of friends."
Cassandra sat up. "You know that I'm not fond of making friends. I'm fine with having you and Eugene — don't tell him that — as my friend."
Rapunzel pouted. "But Cass, friendship is a good thing! I thought you and the prince are friends?"
Cassandra huffed. "Us? Friends? Maybe I can call him my acquaintance but friends? I don't think so." She laid on the bed again. "Although, he's been so kind to me and he showed me his secret lab-" she frozed, her cheeks turning red.
"What were you saying? I didn't quite catch the last sentence you-" Cassandra cuts Rapunzel off.
"It was nothing!"
"Ooh." Rapunzel wiggled her eyebrows up and down. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"
"Am not!"
"Am too!"
Cassandra sat up. "Stop it, Raps."
Rapunzel shook her head. "Come on, tell me. What are you hiding? Is it something to do with the prince?"
"What? No!" She lied.
"You like him, don't you?" She teased.
"What kind of question is that, Rapunzel! I don't like him! That's preposterous. I've only known him for two days!" She shouted.
"But-" Rapunzel stopped when they heard a knock on the door.
"I'll go get it," said Cassandra and stood up.
Her eyes widened when she opened the door. Blue eyes met brown, his serious gaze looking onto her. It's the Prince.
"Cass, we need to talk."
--
So, at first, I thought that this book will only contain ten chapters or less, but as the chapter progressed, the storyline gets more wider and ideas popped in my mind. I guess this means that this book will have 10+ chapters. I'll try my best to make every chapter have atleast a minimum of 1000 words.
Anyway, what do you think of this chapter? Share your thoughts!
I'm also working on some illustration for this book.