Varian knew that Rapunzel needed a new lady-in-waiting now that Cassandra was gone, he knew that much was true. Mainly because that was what everyone in the castle kept saying. And since the sundrop was acting queen, having a lady-in-waiting was more crucial than ever. But the problem was, the handmaidens that were available couldn't keep up the princess's free-spirited nature or her adventurous escapades.
Today, the latest handmaiden Faith (who was just about Varian's age) was being a trial run as Rapunzel's potential new lady-in-waiting. Varian was accompanying them and let's just say, Faith was being run through the wringer.
The sundrop wanted to show the two teenagers something so she led them to a closet in the maids' quarters. Varian had trepidations because of his fear of being locked alone in closets, instilled in him thanks to Andrew. But Rapunzel assured him that she wouldn't let him go in alone.
"Just on the other side. Almost there. Just a little farther." the princess as she, Varian, and Faith went into the cluttered, moth infested room. Then, Rapunzel pulled back the tapestry to reveal a hidden tunnel in the wall. "Da, da, da, da! Secret passage!"
The tunnel was dark, damp, and riddled with cobwebs and quite possibly rats. But, Varian was a sucker for secret passages like this.
"Wow!" the kid was awestruck, but Faith didn't share the same sense of wonder.
"Uh, what does this have to do with being a lady-in-waiting?" the younger girl asked apprehensively.
"Well, you never know when you might need to sneak out of the castle, right?" Rapunzel answered as the trio ducked into the tunnel. "Plus, it's so much fun down here."
"How many times have you snuck out?" Varian wondered aloud.
"Eh, I lost count a long time ago." the sundrop shrugged.
"Oh my!" Faith gasped when she saw a bug skittering around in the skeletal remains of a deceased animal. "Is that a millipede?"
The princess went over to investigate, but kept Varian away so that he didn't have to see the bones. She knew that the boy was just as squeamish at the sight of corpses and bones as he was of blood.
"Oh! It's a centipede, actually." Rapunzel clarified.
"Don't worry, you were only off by 900 feet." Varian said, waving his hand dismissively.
Clearly, Faith did not want to stick around and she decided to make herself scarce, leaving the tunnel the way she came.
"Faith, wait up!" the alchemist cried, running after the handmaiden with Rapunzel not far behind. And Pascal quickly snagged the centipede for a snack.
After exiting the tunnel, Faith unexpectedly bumped into Eugene who had just walked into the maids' quarters.
"Oh! Whoa! Whoa." the dark prince said, slightly startled.
"Are you okay?" Varian asked, having caught up as the girl smoothed out her dress. And then, Rapunzel closing the door behind her.
"Oh, Sunshine, there you are." he greeted his girlfriend. "Hey guys, I'm trying a new hair product today. Tell me honestly. Too stiff or just bouncy enough?"
"I'm not sure I'm really seeing the difference." Varian answered vaguely.
"Oh, hey!" Rapunzel turned her attention to Faith. "Get a load of this. Eugene's preening again. Huh? Huh? Do you wanna, uh, zing him with some sort of witty one-liner?"
"Uh... I should go hem something." the younger girl said awkwardly, backing away.
"Oh. Okay. Well, thank you for all your help today." the princess sighed, trying to sound gracious as she gave a curtsy and left.
YOU ARE READING
Escape the Dark, Hold the Light
Fanfiction(aka "Alone?") I adopted this fanfic from @CartoonsAreAmazing. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel. Varian has been groomed and abused by Saporian Andrew since their jailbreak. After Princess Rapunzel and company return from their journe...
