Chapter Text
Corona’s throne room had never felt so vast, nor so suffocating. The usual banners of golden suns seemed to glare down in judgment. Every polished surface reflected the scene, making it impossible to bow one’s head and look away. The air hummed with the murmured tension of hundreds of citizens, nobles, and guards, all crammed together to witness the unthinkable.
On a simple wooden chair placed squarely in the centre of the room sat Cassandra.
She was not in chains. That had been Rapunzel’s first and most vehement condition. She wore a simple, grey tunic and trousers, her dark hair—finally free of the Moonstone’s blue glow—was pulled back in a loose, practical ponytail. She looked smaller without her armour, without the power. But her posture was straight, her chin held high, her eyes fixed on some distant point above the heads of the crowd. She was the picture of a Captain’s daughter. But Rapunzel, sitting on the dais between her parents, could see the minute tremble in her clasped hands, the way her lips remained just barely parted so she could force herself to breathe. Rapunzel could tell her friend was holding it together by a thread.
This was not a trial of evidence; the facts were indisputable. The black rocks still speared through the countryside. The damaged wing of the castle stood as a stark, boarded-up testament to her rage. This was about deciding the consequences.
King Frederic presided, he did his best to keep his expression neutral, regal. But this matter was very personal to him. Captain was one of his closest friends. Arianna had often volunteered to babysit. Cassandra was Rapunzel’s best friend.
The prosecution was led by a stern, impeccably dressed nobleman. He laid out the case with cold, brutal efficiency. He spoke of treason, of attempted regicide, of destruction of property, of terrorising the citizens. He painted a picture of a ruthless, power-mad villain who had willingly embraced a dark force to lay waste to her own home.
With every specific example of a farm destroyed, or a family forced to flee, Cassandra’s mask of indifference cracked a little more.
Then, it was the defence’s turn. The Captain of the Guard stood. He moved like a man twice his age, each step slow and heavy, his eyes not leaving his daughter’s until the final moment. He stood before his king, his queen, his princess, his people, those he had sworn to protect, and those he had protected, even from the threat of his own daughter. But the battle was over now, and he had to beg for mercy. He did not make excuses, though. He told the truth.
He spoke of a talented, driven young woman, desperate for recognition. He spoke of his own failings as a father, of being so devoted to his duty that he had blinded himself to the loneliness growing in his own child. He spoke of the shadow of Gothel. A shadow he himself had cast on her. He’d tried to shape Cassandra into a perfect role model for what a Lady should be, something so refined she could not be compared to her birth mother. He’d wanted to deny where she came from so badly he’d neglected to even tell her. He’d done her no favours trying to shape her into something she was not.
Unable to force herself into the mould he’d made for her any longer, she’d shattered, and Zhan Tiri had jumped on the chance to put those pieces back together into something Cassandra was not: a monster.
“She made a catastrophic mistake,” his voice echoed in the silent hall. “She caused immense harm. But the power she wielded… the Moonstone… it preys on doubt, on pain. It magnifies it. It does not excuse her actions,” he said, his gaze finally turning to Cassandra, who was hanging onto every word he said. “But it explains the terrible scale of them. My daughter also did not act alone. But the other person involved cannot stand trial here today. That does not mean my daughter should pay the price on her behalf. I hope that is accounted for in your judgement.”
A ripple of sympathy went through the crowd. The Captain was a beloved figure in Corona, as was his daughter up until recently.
Then, Rapunzel stood.
The room quieted. She walked down from the dais and stood before Cassandra. She turned to face the crowd.
“Cassandra saved my life,” Rapunzel began. “More times than I can count, if I’m honest. But most recently she saved my life by taking the Moonstone, keeping me from uniting it with the Sundrop at a greater cost than this kingdom deserved to pay. On our path there, she protected me, challenged me, and made me a better person and a better princess. She is one of the bravest, most loyal people I have ever known.” She paused, letting the words hang in the air, a stark contrast to the list of crimes. She turned to the prosecution. “The person you described is not the Cassandra I know, or the Cassandra who sits here today. Which isn’t to say those things didn’t happen… it’s just that...”
She frowned, she turned to look at Cassandra, her eyes glistening. “She was hurt. Deeply. By things she had every right to be hurt by. And instead of being given the chance to heal, she was given a weapon that fed on that hurt. I am not asking you to forget what she did. I am asking you to remember who she is. I am asking you to seek out justice but not vengeance. Because that won’t fix anything. And I can’t bear to see my friend hurt anymore.”
She returned to her seat.
Recess was called.
King Frederic spoke to the crowd. To his daughter. To the Captain. And to the nobleman who demanded retribution. He did not speak to Cassandra, he glanced at her before the trial resumed.
“Cassandra,” he began.
All eyes turned to her. Her mask was gone. She was pale, trembling visibly now. She looked at the surrounding faces: the angry, the fearful, the sympathetic, the betrayed.
“You have heard the charges. You have heard the testimony on your behalf. Before I pass judgment, do you have anything to say?”
She slowly, shakily, got to her feet.
Her voice, when it came, was hoarse and quiet, but in the silence, it carried to every corner of the room.
“I… don’t expect forgiveness,” she started, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I don’t deserve it.” She took a ragged breath. “Everything they said… it’s true. I did those things. I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to tear everything down because I thought… I thought it would make the pain stop.”
She finally looked up, and her eyes were filled with shame. “I was wrong. It only caused more pain. To people who never did anything to me. To people I… I cared about.” Her voice broke on the words. She looked directly at Rapunzel, then at her father. “I am so sorry.”
She sank back into the chair, her shoulders slumping, the fight completely gone out of her. Whatever the king decided should be her fate, she’d already accepted she deserved it all and worse.
King Frederic watched her for a long moment. The room waited.
“The crimes committed cannot be erased,” the King said, his voice heavy but firm. “Justice requires consequences. Cassandra, you are hereby stripped of your title and your position in the Royal Guard.”
Cassandra flinched. She’d forgotten she even had such a place, that she’d been sent beyond Corona’s borders as Rapunzel’s main security. All that had been such a long time ago.
“Furthermore, you will undergo a period of confinement. Not within the dungeons, but within the castle walls. Your movements will be restricted. For the people’s peace of mind and for your own safety.”
He leaned forward. “Justice also requires restoration. Therefore, your sentence will be one of labour. You will devote yourself to the rebuilding of what you destroyed. You will work with the construction teams to repair the damaged homes and land. You will personally help those you harmed. You will sweat, and you will ache, and you will see every day the cost of your actions.”
He looked out over the assembled court. “This is our judgment. This case is now officially closed.”
The crowd erupted into a babble of voices—some angry, some approving, many simply shocked. Guards moved to escort Cassandra away.
But before they could, Rapunzel was there. She didn’t embrace her. She didn’t say a word. She simply held out her hand.
Cassandra stared at the hand, it trembled ever so slightly. Was Rapunzel scared she wouldn’t take it or that she would? When Cassandra’s eyes rose, she saw Rapunzel was smiling, her bright green eyes glistening with unshed tears.
The trial had gone well.
After a heartbeat, Cassandra reached out and took it.
Rapunzel’s smile widened as she pulled Cassandra into a tight hug. Before personally walking her out of the throne room. Not letting any of the guards near her. There was still a long road of atonement ahead of Cassandra, but for now, she’d faced the people and received her judgement— a reasonable judgement— perhaps too light, the type she’d of rolled her eyes at had she been on the opposite side.
“Thank you,” Cassandra’s voice was quiet in the hallway. “I don’t know if I could have done that without you there, Raps.”
Rapunzel smiled. “I’d never let you face them alone.”