Chapter Seventeen

When you see her in the street

Walking by herself

Talking to herself

Have pity

She is going through the unimaginable...

Madeline suddenly realized what she was doing and threw herself onto the rock, sobbing inconsolably as it glowed a pale, sad blue. Clutching it with her arms, she cried and cried, for the one person she had left was gone.

“Madeline?” a voice asked. She pulled her head up and was astonished by who she saw. It was Rapunzel!

“P-princess?” she stammered.

The girl pulled Madeline into a hug. “Can I guess why you’re crying? Is it… Varian?” she asked, the way a patient might ask “Cancer?”

She nodded, sobbing. Hesitantly, Cassandra stepped towards them and wrapped her arms around them both as everyone but Cass cried. Of course she didn’t cry… what did you expect? Internally, though, I’m sure she was a mess. Probably. Maybe.

Finally, Rapunzel pulled her up. “Come to the palace,” she urged. “You’ll be fine there.”

Madeline wiped away her tears, swiping her palms against her cheeks. She tried to smile but failed. No words could describe the pain she was feeling, no smile could penetrate the hurt, but she nodded and said, “I’d like that.”

***

“Alright, something’s up,” Eugene announced, leaning against the doorway.

Madeline dropped the bow she was holding, startled. “What do you mean?’

“You have that look in my eye Cass sometimes gets,” he said, “when she’s really mad at me and is taking it out on her wall using weapons. Actually,” he said, eyeing the seven arrows that were puncturing the wallpaper, “it looks like you’re doing exactly that.”

She clenched a fist, leaning to pick up her bow. “I’m so angry! How could Varian abandon me like that?”

“Actually, you’re the one who ab-” He stopped as he saw Madeline shooting daggers at her, clenching a handful of arrows in one hand so hard they might break. “But clearly, it's all his fault. Seriously, Madeline, you’ve gotta let the anger go. Focus.”

“Focus. Right,” she muttered, loosening her grip on the weapons. But as soon as Eugene closed the door, he heard a very loud thunk in the wall, louder than ever before.