#needsomuchlookingafter

@frostfractals​​ “Your Majesty?” Cassandra wasn’t too surprised to find Elsa in the castle library. It was a regular hiding spot of hers. “The Duke of Weselton was hoping to speak with you again before he left…So I told him you’d gone for a ride and wouldn’t be back for hours.” Maybe it was a little unseemly for the new Captain of the Guard to smirk at their monarch. But she’d earned it. “His ship left port twenty minutes ago. Princess Anna did an admirable job of seeing him off in your place. But-” and now she was biting back a downright chuckle. Raps had been a horrible influence. “she was muttering something about terrible vengeance immediately afterwards.” Cass continued, doing what she felt was an excellent job at keeping a straight face, “My sworn duty compels me to divulge all possible threats to your person. So consider yourself warned.” Princess Anna’s ‘terrible vengeance’ was likely to involve a shortsheeted bed or a pail of water across a doorway but ‘all’ meant all. “Is there anything else I can do for you, My Queen?”

“Also you know you’re not allowed to run away to sea unless you take me with you, right?” She was only half-joking. More than once Cass had gotten a glimpse of just how real the temptation to flee all his responsibilities was. And if it ever came to that someone would have to keep Eric safe until he came to his senses. Besides, she’d miss Max. 

“You absolute idiot!” Cass waited to make sure Eric could stand on his own and then socked him just hard enough in the stomach to make her point. “If you ever do something that stupid again I’ll kill you myself.” Then she grabbed his shoulder and hauled his royal keister inside the palace and up to his private washroom. “The water’s hot. Get warm and get changed. I’ll make sure food’s ready when you’re done. Don’t leave your chambers or I’ll sic Grim on you. Or worse, Carlotta.” Then she turned on her heel and walked out. She still needed to hit something.

“You do. Because he controls a third of the kingdom’s farming fields,” Cass responded with her arms crossed as she read the letter over Eric’s shoulder. Fishing and trade were the land’s primary sources of income and sustenance, but farming was still an important part of both. “There has to be some way to mollify him enough he accepts Ariel as your betrothed.” After a beat she added. “Or I could kill him.” She was only half-joking.

“I wouldn’t know much about mothers. I never had one.” Cass’s reply was carefully even. “What I do know is that I am not dealing with Eric’s worried puppy eyes when he finds out you left the palace without telling anyone. Alone. Two days after a reported pirate attack.”

“All right,” Cass allowed. “So where is it you plan on fleeing? We don’t have much time before the Court realizes we’ve escaped their plans for you.”

“’Ric,” Cass tried to comfort, “I know you want to find the girl who saved you. But if she doesn’t want to be found it wasn’t meant to be.” She was sure Grim had told him the same thing. Probably five or six times. Maybe time to try a different tack. “Listen…try and think about it this way. You got a miracle. A for real miracle. You were blown off a ship in the middle of a hurricane and survived to come home. But maybe…” she suggested in an uncharacteristically sympathetic tone, “Maybe you only get the one. And it’s time to let this go.”

If we’re going by Royal Babysitter verse then Cass is 100% Eric’s best woman. Try and stop him. (Depending how close she and Ariel are at this point she may also be pulling double-duty as maid of honor but either way she’s still wearing pants. Grim’s eyebrow twitches a little whenever he makes eye contact with her during the ceremony, but he learns to cope.) She somehow keeps Louie from trying to murder Sebastian. Again. It helps that she’s armed. She also doesn’t drink at the reception. (Listen she saw Game of Thrones how the last wedding went. She’s not taking chances.) But she has fun anyway. And when the evening ends she stays far far away from the Royal Cabin. (Unless it’s one of those verses.)