Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon

Tangled #1

by Leila Howland

Rapunzel is not your typical princess. For one thing, she has returned to her kingdom after eighteen years spent trapped in a tower and she's still getting to know her parents. For another, she has to get used to royal customs, like the proper ways to sit and curtsy, when she'd really rather climb a tree and paint. Plus, she hates wearing shoes.

Cassandra is not your typical lady-in-waiting. As the daughter of the captain of the guard, she has grown up fascinated by security and weaponry. It has been her life's goal to become a soldier in the guard, and princess-sitting doesn't really fit into her plan-especially when that princess's aggravating boyfriend is always hanging around.

But when Rapunzel and Cassandra stumble upon a secret lagoon said to hold the key to the kingdom's greatest power, it will be up to them to solve the mystery before someone more sinister does.

Follow this tale of adventure and intrigue, love and destiny, and, most important, friendship.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Retellings, Fiction, Adventure, Fairy Tales

284 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2017

About the author

Leila Howland grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. A graduate of Georgetown University, Leila spent five years acting in New York where she was a company member of the award-winning Flea Theater in Tribeca. She is the author of the YA novels Nantucket Blue, for which she was named a Publisher’s Weekly Flying Start author, Nantucket Red, and Hello, Sunshine, as well as the Silver Sisters middle grade series and the upcoming Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon. Leila now lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Patricia Bejarano Martín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si sois amantes de Tangled the series, tenéis que leer este libro.
Aquí vemos cosas que ocurren antes del corto Before Ever After, contándote entre medias dicho corto y luego algo que no vemos durante la primera temporada.
Es algo que me ha gustado, conocer como se conocieron Cass y Raps y como entablaron su preciosa amistad y que no vemos en la serie, aunque se mencionen momentos puntuales.
Yo recomiendo su lectura después de haber visto la primera temporada de la serie para evitar cualquier tipo de spoiler ^^

[angel ೃ༄ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love accidentally sapphic literature

[hale]

rapunzel and the lost lagoon walked so the spanish dub of plus est en vous could run

anyway thank u miss leila howland for being one of the first to say cassunzel canon 🙏

[Book Him Danno · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter whom is 8 years old read this book and will be writing the review for the book.
Oh my gosh the story is right after the movie. I mean seriously like right after the movie ends. I love Rapunzel she is like me and has a hard time trying to figure out where she fits in the world. Than there is Cass I think that's her name and she is so fun and like me too because she doesn't like all the girlie stuff that sister likes. She wants to be a guard and that is awesome.
I loved the friendship in the book and how you can be anything you want to be even if your a girl. I can't wait to read the next book.
Thank you to who ever gave my mom this book it was the best and I can't wait to read more.
Likes: Girls can be any one they want to be if they work hard. Girls can be princesses and be strong and fight for what is right.
Dislikes: NOTHING!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a Advance Copy.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish goodreads had half stars! Like this is a 3.5 star for me, but I don't know if I want to round up or down.....

This book took me two whole months to read. I just don't think I was in the mood for it when I started it, but I love Rapunzel so I didn't want to dnf it. I ended up enjoying it overall. It had the same vibe as the movies, but still added a lot. I really just want to binge watch the tv show now. It was a super quick read once I got into it and I really do love the dynamic between Cass and Raps. They really complement each other. There was absolutely no Maximus and very little of Pascal and Eugene, but I think this book was supposed to spotlight the friendship between Cassandra and Rapunzel that the show is going to be more focused on, but I'm not mad about it. (Although I do love Eugene). I kind of wish this could be put into the movies/tv show canonically although I know it probably won't be. A good read if you love Rapunzel and are in to the new tv show.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rapunzel and Eugene are the best Disney couple I'm sorry I don't make the rules

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting. I love it!!!

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a lovely niece that was telling me her favorite book and movie are "Tangled." That sounded kind of fun to me so I signed up for it and it's on hold. So, started looking around and saw this book which I had not heard of, but saw that it was included in "Tangled #1." So got interested in this and ordered it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I can see why my niece enjoyed it so.

This cute story follows Rapunzel and her best friend Eugene as she is recently out of the castle tower where she has been for 18 years. She has 70 some feet of hair and at one point cuts it, and in this book it grows back. I haven't seen the movie, but apparently this book picks up one week after the end of the movie.

Having not seen or read the first book or movie, I don't know what's going on. However I really enjoyed it. I've learned that it can answer questions you may have had after the start. It's a great book for both the younger and some older audiences. Without too many details. It's really quite fun. Recommend. Written by Leila Howland, narrated by Erin Bennett.

[Elo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a bit sad to only give 2 stars because I love (Disney’s) Rapunzel.
I guess the book is aimed at younger readers but I enjoy children’s books generally so this argument doesn’t convince me that much.
It was nice to see Rapunzel (Rapps?!), Eugene and Pascal (no Maximus, the doggish horse) and Cassandra, as the Captain of the Guards’s daughter could have been a nice addition to the team but I just could get Cassandra at all. Her problems, while not useless or unimportant in themselves, are just dealt in the most annoying way.
She’s just really annoying and expect so much (wines a lot) and expect lots from Rapunzel and guilt-trips her while coming off as, unfriendly, condescending and a buzz kill most of the time, while judging everyone and wining about how “unfair” her life is...
Like I said, her desire of following her dreams is a good motivation but I just didn’t like her.
I don’t get why Rapunzel loves her that much.

Especially since most of their friendship bonding happened during what the book presents as an “interlude” consisting of a bunch of paragraphs for both Rapunzel and Cassandra where they do stuff. Like, what?

I guess it is to not have a big book but I’m really not convinced about that writing. It’s weird, uneffective and brings nothing to the story except for a useless shortcut and reads a bit like laziness.

It might work to describe and develop an episode of the tv series but it just doesn’t work in the novel.

As for Rapunzel, she’s definitely her extra cheery self. We don’t see much of Eugene in the book and that’s ok. The marriage proposal was brushed off, also fine (I do need to watch it on tv though) but I thought Rapunzel definitely got a bit « walked » over by Cassandra.
Maybe that’s my feeling but there is one big thing that Rapunzel « does » and that’s blowned out of proportion by Cassandra and end up being the plot (?) of the novel?
And because of that, Rapunzel comes off as going with the plot instead of driving it, and just listening to Cassandra’s whims way too much for my liking.

My, my! I guess I really didn’t like Cassandra that much. I just felt she wasn’t really keen at all on even « trying » her friendship with Rapunzel, and it felt a lot one-side (from Rapunzel’s side).

It is a sweet adventure story about our lovely naïve and growing Rapunzel and giving her a female friend is great. I just wished I liked her more that I did.
I also wished we had a bit more insight into’s Rapunzel’s big change of life from her tower to her life to the Palace.
She talks about it a bit, especially at the beginning, but do not go into much insight you could expect from a novelization. I get in episodes of a cartoon, you can’t expect much and this novel was the best place to do it and I do not feel as we did.

At the end, we get a supposedly inappropriate barefoot Rapunzel who wants to see the world. And who has to learn about proper etiquette to be a princess (and one day queen) and...she does it.

I mean, that’s Rapunzel for you. She does know how to follow orders and be a good sport about it. And you know what? I don’t mind that much, she’s a very sweet girl and I love her for it.
She still has some adventures and seems to be able to balance both so, you go girl!
It’s just in contrast we have Cassandra that complains way to much when she’s basically doing the same as Rapunzel. It’s not as bad as she makes it up to be.

And yet at the end, while sermoning Rapunzel about who she should talk to or not- she’s the one that ended up having troubles. For her want to become a guard (you know, protecting people while they live, not guarding them from everyone so they don’t live or talk to anyone) she was doing a lot of judging and not much thinking on her part.

So yeah, there is that. I feel bad to have a negative review because they tend to be bigger than my « I LOVE IT AND DUNNO WHY » reviews, which is never fun.
It’s still a fun adventure with Rapunzel that probably should please less expecting readers. Cassandra just irked me a bit too much for me to fully enjoy the story but that may be only me.
Now I just feel like rewatching the movie and find the episodes of the series to watch. Cause I love me some Rapunzel!

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #6 for Believathon, November 2020: Read a book set in another world

Rapunzel is one of my favourite Disney movies, so when I saw a discount for this book, I happily bought it, even though it feels a bit like a guilty pleasure read. However, I was genuinely surprised that the story was very well developed! Rapunzel and other characters were true to their movie personalities, so it was fun to read a new story about them. Ultimately, it's a cosy and enjoyable story and I will recommend it for younger readers, or anyone who likes Disney's Rapunzel :)

P.S. The scene in the library was absolutely golden! :D

[Kara (bookishskippy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Enjoyed this book and was shooked at so many things the fact that rapunzel was a bookworm and artist just blew my mind.

This book was written from the 2 main characters pov. So i was a bit hard for me to be align to whats happening.
Enjoyed the adventures and mystery.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story takes place after the movie Tangled. Rapunzel is now a princess and having the grueling task of learning how to be one. Cassandra, daughter of the head guard, wants to be a guard, but is appointed as Rapunzel's lady in waiting. However, like Tangled, this is a book about girl power, so the two become fast friends and are soon embroiled in a mystery of a lost lagoon and what may be imminent danger. I think my first introduction to girl-princess-as-hero in a book for children was in The Paper Bag Princess when my sister gave one of my daughters a copy of that for Christmas one year, but this is for girls older than those still wanting picture books. It isn't really a fairy tale retelling, although I shelved it that, because I wasn't sure what else to call it. Fan fiction hundreds of years later?

[Kateryna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story of Rapunzel after she escaped from the tower and reunited with her family. I like Rapunzel fairy tail and the Tangled movie, but I was disappointed with this book. The writing was poor. There was no suspense and the whole mystery of the lagoon was unconvincing. But my biggest issue was that Rapunzel, according to the original story, was 18 years old but in this book she behaved like 10 years old. And I would let it go but then Rapunzel got a marriage proposal.. It’s a big plot hole and it just doesn’t sit right with me. Obviously this is a middle grade read, and I’m not the intended audience, but I really was not a fan.

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, friendship, trust, adventure, love, loyalty.
Sharing in each other's interests like art, reading, sports, adventure,...
What happened to the engagement?

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and exciting. Amazing leading characters, best side characters and a fun plot to read.

[Anaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was great book,full of mystery,adventure and friendship,I kinda got bored of it but I was really just bored of reading,and it was actually soooooooo good I will recommend this to friends.

[Lisa Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon by Leila Howland bridges the gap between the Tangled movie and the Tangled: Before Ever After special from the television series. The book was a pleasure to read because it was written in a way that anyone could enjoy, as long as they are at least at a middle school reading level. It is written in first person and switches between the perspectives of Rapunzel and Cassandra. I read the ebook version and found it very informative and enjoyable. I highly recommend it if you want to know more of the backstory behind the series.

Rapunzel and the Last Logoon reveals all of the juicy details that were missing from the Tangled series about how Cassandra became Rapunzel's lady-in-waiting. Since half of the book is written from Cassandra's perspective, it answers a lot of questions we might have, such as why she seems to hate Eugene, why she trusts Rapunzel so much, and how she feels about her royal duties. As the daughter of the captain of the guard, Cassandra is a fierce warrior who is always trying to prove herself to the rest of the kingdom. Though not implicitly stated in the book, it seems that Cassandra feels she needs to work twice as hard as a woman to prove that she is just as capable of being captain as her father or any other man. She is obsessed with what people think about her to the point where it gets out of hand later. That is why she is reluctant to open up to anyone for fear of being judged. She thinks that she needs to be perfect all the time because there are no other women in the royal guard.

Unfortunately, I didn't learn too much more about Rapunzel than I already knew because she is pretty much an open book. We already know her life story from Tangled. Since she trusts everyone, she readily speaks her mind no matter what the situation. Her thoughts and actions are usually pretty obvious. Just like in the series, she feels trapped in the castle and wants to go on adventures and see the world now that she's finally out of her tower. Rapunzel takes an instant liking to Cassandra, which influences her mother's decision in making Cassandra her lady-in-waiting. It takes quite a while for Rapunzel to break through Cassandra's heavily guarded exterior, but as usual, she sees the good in everyone, and they eventually become friends. Cassandra sees Rapunzel's overly trusting nature as a flaw, but Rapunzel never ends up trusting any of the wrong people. To be honest, it would have been more interesting if Rapunzel had trusted the wrong person and learned a lesson at the end, but that would have overshadowed Cassandra's need to learn how to trust.

I found that constantly switching between Rapunzel and Cassandra's perspective in each character was a bit distracting. Since the chapters were so short that I found myself forgetting whose perspective I was reading. I think the book would have worked better if it had been written in the third person or switched perspectives halfway through instead of every other chapter. Though the two are very different in personality, the writing style doesn't change in each switch so it can be a little jarring if you're trying to read quickly. It doesn't help that Rapunzel and Cassandra are usually in the same place doing the same thing in each chapter.

One thing I found interesting about this book is that Eugene played a very small role in the story. Tangled was one of the last romantic princess movies of this era, and Disney has been trying to focus more on sisterly love than romantic love as of late. If Eugene served any purpose, it was to stand as a wedge between Rapunzel and Cassandra's friendship. Even in the series shorts, Rapunzel makes it clear that she cares about Eugene and Cassandra equally and wishes they could get along instead of constantly competing for her trust. That was the main focus of this novel. Rapunzel nearly loses Cassandra's trust because of her relationship with Eugene, so she must put her romantic relationship on the backburner in order to earn Cassandra's friendship. The book shows us that the love we have for our friends is just as important as the love we have for our significant other.

Overall, Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon was a pleasure to read. It answered most of the questions people might have after watching the series and shed new light on Cassandra's personality. It also showed that Disney is placing less focus on romance in modern times, even for characters who are already partnered up. The book was long enough to be enjoyable for an older audience, but not too advanced for a younger audience. The only thing that was a little distracting was the switching perspectives.

[Jaime Dear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for if you're a fan of Tangled the Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, ESPECIALLY if you're a Cassandra fan since there is CASS POV CHAPTERS!!! I kept getting emotional...just what I needed to get more of the silly yet serious-about-character vibes of the show :)

[joanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh boy. That was bad all around. The characterization, setting, world building, and plot are all horrible. This felt like a rushed fanfiction, which I guess is all it was.

[Elevetha · Rating 2 out of 5]

*a copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review*

I might have enjoyed this more if I had been the target audience (aka younger) but as it was, I was pretty indifferent to it. The writing isn't bad and seems to fit the voice of the characters pretty well, which I appreciated. More than anything, what was hard to get behind was the story, especially since even at the end, I'm still not sure what the heck was magical about the lagoon in such a way that was so goshdarn important they keep it hidden and a secret.

I didn't much care for Cass all that much, she was very distrustful and generally pouty. She was making a much bigger deal out of never telling anyone anything and her fear of banishment and obcession with discovering the secret of the lost lagoon and 'protecting the kingdom' than necessary. I wonder if she's better in the t.v. show?

Strongly disliked Deliah - she was super annoying and honestly more suspicious than the actual bad guy.

What the heck was up with the owls drying Rapunzel's hair? Kinda bizarre addition there but okay.

The whole 'Winged Beast' thing was dumb. The way that maneuver was described and then finally executed just didn't seem like it would really work quite so well. All I could think of, however different the two, was the Iron Lotus from Blades of Glory.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a cute middle grade novel! I don’t read much middle grade, but when I saw a book series about Tangled, I had to check it out.

I thought the author did a great job with the characters. The dialogue felt authentic, to the point that I could almost hear the voices of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi whenever Rapunzel or Eugene spoke.

I’m not the biggest fan of Cass in the series, and I didn’t like her as well as the other two characters here either. Still, I enjoyed watching the friendship between the two of them grow and I liked that they each learned about each other.

Overall really cute.

[AnneDrawsArt · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was beautiful, the way the book is layed out, the cover and the story its self, reminded me of all my favourite tangled characters. adding it to my re read list.
if you love tangled or Disney even, this book is for you.
a gentle read I would highly recommend it for readers that are just starting to read on a higher level. the story carries you through and would help young readers from getting distracted.

[Cassandra Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute middle-grade book that captured the voices of the characters from Tangled well. My one complaint which lowered the rating is that the drama for Rapunzel and Cass seemed overdrawn and at times over dramatic, but I guess younger people do have a tendency toward histrionics. I look forward to the next book, which purportedly has more Eugene. :)

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in this one. Rapunzel is my favorite, and I get this is supposed to be about her finding a true friendship she's never been able to have before, but it just dragged quite a bit. I missed Eugene and Maximus. It was a little difficult to like Cassandra. She was harsh and overreacted about a lot of things. I'm hoping the second book will be better.

[August (Dean's Version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

they're so sapphic.

the writing was pretty bland and some things were REALLY out of character, but otherwise it was enjoyable!! will be reading the sequel soon.

convinced the author is a cassunzel truther. no woman looks at another woman's hands for so long that she can recognize that they're a familial trait.

[MantaRaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[lizeindisney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars is because I wasn’t absolutely hooked on it. But it was a really fun read, dual narrative which I love, and a good storyline.

Paperback

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, fun adventure that ties in well with the show. I really enjoyed it.

[Bailey Kost · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was so cute and fun to follow what rapunzel and flynn are up to after the movie - need to watch the show now!

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

:) AFun story of Raps and Cass. How they met and grew closer.

Summery for my memory

Our story begins one week after the events of Tangled. Rapunzel is trying to get into the swing of this royal life. She has guards on her tail almost at all times, and she does not yet have a handmaiden of her own. Freidborg), who is Queen Arianna’s lady-in-waiting, is filling in, in the meantime, and teaching Rapunzel how to properly sit, how to close a door without turning her back on the room, how to properly sip her tea.Rapunzel is in the garden, climbing a tree, with a small gaggle of guards preparing to catch her should she fall. All she wants is some time to herself to paint, so after Eugene brings her her paper and she convinces the guards to take a break, she sets to work for the perfect view, but instead, sees Cassandra training in the field next to the garden wall.Cassandra throws a shot (for shot-put), accidentally over the wall and at Rapunzel. We discover that Cassandra is not excited about the Lost Princess’ return. She feels that security around the kingdom has gone lax, since Rapunzel always has to have a regiment tailing her. Cassandra has no interest in even meeting her.Rapunzel asks Arianna about the heavy iron ball, and Arainna identifies Cassandra as the likely thrower. Arianna suggests that Rapunzel invite Cassandra to join them at the upcoming Feast for Elodie the Great. We find that the Captain really wants Cassandra to make a good impression, so that she’ll be chosen as Rapunzel’s lady-in-waiting, but Cassandra has no interest in that, either. Her goal is to make the most comprehensive maps of the kingdom, so find any hidden caverns connected to Hertz Der Sonne’s underground tunnels. She’s hoping that by doing so, she will prove herself worthy of being a guard. Also, she wants to learn a special move - the Winged Beast - which is a two-man move, and so it’s been impossible for her to practice it.While she’s going over her maps, Rapunzel arrives, Eugene in tow, to return the shot and introduce herself and invite her to the Feast. Cassandra is about to make up an excuse, but Rapunzel informs her that she’s already asked the Captain if Cassandra is free, and says they’re both invited, so Cassandra is stuck attending, whether she wants to or not. (She does not.)Meanwhile, Eugene shows Rapunzel the royal library, which she’s never seen before. She’s gobsmacked - after all, she had three books her whole life and now she has more than she can read in a lifetime, and she’s allowed to take them back to her room! Eugene falls asleep reading The Tales of Flynnigan Rider Volume 1, and as the sun sets, Rapunzel decides to get a book on sports for Cassandra, since she’s so sporty! While looking, she finds this little book bound in green leather titled The Lost Lagoon. It turns out to be a book that written in Coronian and some other language later identified as Saporian.Later that night, Arianna tells Rapunzel that she’s decided to appoint Cassandra as her lady-in-waiting, and Rapunzel is all for that idea. She’s very curious about this fighting woman of few words.At the Feast, Rapunzel formally requests that Cassandra be her lady-in-waiting, and not unlike when Rapunzel was proposed to, Cassandra makes a run for it to get some fresh air and let it sink in that she’s going to be forced to do this thing that she really doesn’t want to do.At their very first meeting as Princess and Lady-In-Waiting, Rapunzel reveals The Lost Lagoon to Cassandra, who takes an immediate interest. After all, this poem sounds like directions to the Lagoon, and mentions an ancient power that’s hidden there.  As Rapunzel reads, Cassandra is able to line up the descriptions with places she’s mapped out in the past. Cassandra borrows the book from Rapunzel and takes it back to her chamber to compare the poem to the maps. She decides to go searching for the Lagoon that night.But she doesn’t realize that Rapunzel is following her. That is, not until she freezes in a panic, thinking that she’s going to drown, and Rapunzel comes out of nowhere and helps her out of it. Together, the make their way the rest of the way to the lagoon, and Rapunzel offers to teach Cassandra how to swim, since a childhood trauma has stopped Cassandra from ever learning and giving her a strong phobia of the water.Cassandra is surprised that Rapunzel doesn’t laugh at her for her fear. Rapunzel uses a very successful method, where she has Cassandra talk her through the process of polishing armor, step by step, and after every verbal step, Cassandra takes a physical on deeper in the water. She’s so busy focusing on the instruction that she’s not afraid by the time she gets deep enough to tread. Cassandra is even more surprised when Rapunzel calls her brave for facing her fear.As the sun rises higher and the light hits the Lagoon, they notice these blue gem-like things blazing at the bottom of the pool, so Rapunzel dives down and retrieves a few, but when they are taken from the water, there’s nothing particularly special about them. They decide to head back to the castle and Cassandra makes Rapunzel promise to keep the Lost Lagoon a secret between them. Rapunzel has misgivings, but agrees in the end. Cassandra lets it slip that she wants to be a guard, and Rapunzel tells her that she’ll help her live her dream. Later that night, Rapunzel turns the two blue rocks the retrieved from the bottom of the Lagoon into matching friendship bracelets for herself and Cassandra. single-paragraph journal entries, alternating back and forth between Rapunzel and Cassandra. They talk about how they go to the Lagoon frequently and Cassandra becomes a good swimmer, but they can’t find the ancient power spoken of in the poem. It gets cold and stormy and they forego going to the Lagoon for the time being, deciding to pick up the search again when the weather is nicer. But, in the meantime, they have to prepare for Rapunzel’s coronation. Eugene proposed! That was a shock. Rapunzel’s hair grew back! Also a shock! (But, you know, no mention whatsoever of Lady Caine.) It goes over how Cassandra makes Rapunzel promise not to tell how her hair grew back, and about how she eventually told Eugene anyway. (No mention of Varian.)Rapunzel and Cassandra finally find the time to go back to the Lagoon, but not much time, because the Hervarian dignitaries are arriving for their long stay before the Hidden Moon Festival, which is usually called the Flower Moon Festival and takes place on the first full moon in April (this detail will be important later, I promise), which is when the flowers start blooming. But this year, it’s the Hidden Moon Festival, because it takes place during a lunar eclipse!The Flower/Hidden Moon Festival is a big deal in Corona, and it’s a time when they basically do a kingdom-wide talent show. People show of their wares and skills. They do demonstrations and teach brief classes. But they’re also selected specially to perform, so it’s not like just anybody can do just any old thing they want. Rapunzel and Cassandra are going to be very busy over the next few weeks, which will mean little to no time for going to the Lagoon.When they get to the Lagoon, they see that the something had cut off the waterfall feed to the pool, and behind where it once was is a semicircle of smooth, flat rocks, which formed a table or altar or something. They decide to take this information to a historian and find out what it could be.So, Cassandra takes Rapunzel to meet Xavier. On the way, Rapunzel convinces Cassandra to buy them some pastries while she goes and chats with a local artist name Dahlia. Cassandra explains to Rapunzel that Dahlia can’t do an art demonstration at the festival, because the castle’s royal portrait painter does that.At Xavier’s shop, they find out that the semicircle of stones was an ancient Saporian ceremony circle. When they show him the copy of The Lost Lagoon, he’s very impressed, because usually that tale is handed down by oral tradition. To have a physical copy, it must be hundreds of years old, because Saporian is a dead language.He goes on to tell them that it’s just a legend, that the Lagoon doesn’t actually exist , but that it’s also a romance. And he tells Rapunzel and Cassandra about Hertz Der Sonne and Shampanier. Their marriage unified Old Corona and Saporia into Corona as we know it.just then, Marco, Xavier’s apprentice comes out from the back room. Marco believes the tale is about more than love, but he doesn’t believe that it’s real. They leave then, because Rapunzel has a dance lesson she must get ready for.Monsieur LeFleur is the dance instructor, and he approaches his art with great passions, and expects that same kind of passion from everyone else. When Rapunzel is stumbling over her dance lesson, he summons Eugene because he assumes that Rapunzel being in love with him is whats distracting her from the dance. It wasn’t what was on her mind, but Eugene’s presence as her dance partner does wonders to improve her routine. She confesses to Eugene that she’s glad she told him about her hair, and he agrees.Later, Eugene approaches Cassandra, hoping to extend an olive branch of peace, but her paranoia about his motives and her ability to read suspects makes her jump to the conclusion that Rapunzel told Eugene about her hair, and Eugene’s sudden nervousness only proves it. He admits that they talked about it, but insists Cassandra can trust him with the information. Furious with Rapunzel and scared for her job, Cassandra immediately begins packing to leave, intending to slip out in the night. She still has to dress Rapunzel for the dinner with the Hervanian royalty that night, and then she can leave when everyone’s asleep.As Rapunzel is returning to her room after her dance lesson, she run into Eugene, who tries to tell her that Cassandra knows that he knows, but he doesn’t manage to get it out before Rapunzel gets back to her room and faces down a still-furious Cassandra. Cassandra informs her that she’ll be leaving, finding another kingdom to be a guard in, since she clearly wouldn’t be able to do it in Corona. Rapunzel is running late for dinner - for which she’s gently reprimanded by Arianna - and so hurries to leave, and Monsieur LaFleur is there, waiting to escort her to dinner. He tells her that he heard she has an original manuscript of The Lost Lagoon and expresses his interest in it, saying he heard someone in the library asking about it. Rapunzel can’t get Cassandra to promise to stay, but she does get her to agree to hide the book before she leaves.Cass hides the book withing her own satchel, in her own room, under the bed, then begins to prep for her imminent departure. But she can’t get the idea that someone is looking for the book, possibly LaFleur himself. And on top of that, a storm rolls in. And so, Cassandra is stuck in Corona for one more night.At dinner, Rapunzel is trying to figure out a way to get Cassandra to stay, while also dodging questions Monsieur LaFleur has about the book. The daughter of the Hervanian family, Marie, is into high fashion and sports. The plan is for the two families to play flying disc the following day. After dinner, Rapunzel and Eugene show the Hervanians the dance they’d learned, and Rapunzel talks to him about Cassandra leaving as they dance. He points out that life on the road is hard, an that Casandra probably isn’t fully prepared for it at this point. All her lady-in-waiting duties have stripped her of her time for guard practice, so she’s gone six months without really training. This gives Rapunzel the idea that Cassandra still wants to learn the special move that is sure to get her into the guard, and maybe she can convince her to stay long enough to learn it.
The next day, the two families (plus Cass) are out in the yard, preparing to play flying disc. Cass has brought the book in her satchel and intends to pass it off to Rapunzel after the game, so she can leave afterwards. Rapunzel reminds her that she needs to train if she wanted to be prepared for a life on the road and offers to help her. Just before they start to play, Marie goes to get her lucky arm band from the sidelines. Rapunzel suggests Cassandra learn the Winged Beast before she leaves, and that interests her enough to convince her to stay. But, when Cassandra goes to get the disc for game play, she discovers that the book is missing.As the game is cleaned up, Rapunzel and Cassandra discuss who could have possibly taken the book. Their biggest suspect is Monsieur LaFleur, but they also suspect Marie of Hervan. She was the last person they saw near Cassandra’s satchel, after all. They seek out Monsieur LaFleur, who is rehearsing the dance he’s going to have performed at the Festival, and they ask him if he took the book, to which he of course answers no. He explains that he wants to see the book so he can write a ballet about it, and Cassandra isn’t seeing any indication of lying.Rapunzel and Cassandra head back to the Lagoon to look for more clues to the mystery of the ancient power, or to find evidence that someone else had been there. Cassandra finds some Saporian writing etched into the stone, and Rapunzel writes it down so they can take it back for translation.A few days later, we find ourselves in the interior of one Miss Tasha’s divination room, set up in one of the castle parlors. She is a matchmaker by profession, and since the Flower Moon Festival is known for sparking romance, her presence is requested to help ensure that the couples who get together are actually right for each other. She does this by reading their auras. Rapunzel and Cassandra are testing Miss Tasha’s expertise, to make sure she’s the right person for the job at the Festival. Miss Tasha is accompanied by her lute player, who sits in the shadows as to not be distracting and plays a low and mellow tune to keep the mood right. Rapunzel and Cassandra continue trying to discuss the translation while Miss Tasha attempts to work. She gets them to quiet down so she can to her best work, then calls in a citizen of the castle to see if there is any sort of reaction. Eugene walks in, and Miss Tasha promptly declares him and Rapunzel a perfect match for each other, which convinces Rapunzel right away that Miss Tasha is right for the job. As they turn to go, Marie walks in, but Miss Tasha ushers a disruptive Cassandra out before she can interrogate Marie.While Marie was busy with having her aura read, and the Marquis and his wife are out riding horses, Cassandra went to break into their room to look for the book. She finds nothing except how fastidiously organized Marie is, and the Marquis’ food diary. Unfortunately, Marie arrives before Cass is done searching and she has to make up an excuse for what she’s doing in there, rifling through their belongings. She manages to throw Marie off the scent by offering to have her fence with Rapunzel at the Festival as one of the demonstrations, and Marie jumps at the chance.
After their practice match, Rapunzel and Cassandra head into town to visit Xavier and get a translation. On the way there, Rapunzel convinces Cassandra to stop for pastries, and as soon as Cassandra goes in the bakery, Rapunzel pops across the way to talk to Dahlia. While there, Rapunzel gets the idea that she can paint Cassandra a present that’s meaningful enough to make her stay. Rapunzel talks to Dahlia about getting supplies for her painting and getting her help on it. She invites her up to the castle to give her details on the secret project she has in mind. Cassandra arrives and they head off to Xavier’s.
Xavier translates the phrase Rapunzel wrote down at the Lagoon, but offers to give them books on how to read Saporian, rather than translate everything for them, himself. He offers to loan them some books, which Marco will deliver later. Marco shows them the dagger he’s been designing for the royal guard, and Cassandra tries it out. Impressed with her prowess, Marco assures her that he sees nothing but a future in the guard for her.
After leaving Xavier’s, Rapunzel insists that they go to the Lagoon to practice the Winged Beast. Cassandra is still determined to leave eventually, though, because she will not live in fear of her secret being found out and being thrown out of the castle. She’d rather leave on her own and find with with another guard, elsewhere. They practice the maneuver over and over, but they just can’t get it right. After they’re done practicing for the day, Rapunzel finds an ancient spearhead, which gives them more proof of people being at the Lagoon once, and Cassandra starts to second guess her decision to leave.
The next morning, Rapunzel and Cassandra head to the castle library to find books on ancient weapons, so they can look up the spearhead Rapunzel found. In speaking to Kinnaird, the librarian, they discover that LaFleur has been looking at books on geography, and Maria has been studying Coronan history, both of which raise alerts in their minds.
As they’re discussing what the spearhead could be, Dahlia shows up to help with Rapunzel’s secret project. Cassandra is irritated that Rapunzel has gone against protocol and invited Dahlia to participate without any vetting, saying that Rapunzel can’t just invite anyone to be a part of the demonstrations. Aside, Rapunzel tells Dahlia what her plan for Cassandra’s present is, and suggest she look busy while Rapunzel keep Cassandra occupied. It comes down to a matter of trust. Cassandra doesn’t trust Dahlia because she doesn’t know her, despite Rapunzel’s insistence that she’s fine. Marie arrives for fencing practice, and they confront her about the Coronan history books. Marie explains that she has been embroidering historical Coronan emblems into her fencing outfit, out of respect for the host kingdom.
They do their fencing practice, and Rapunzel and Cassandra retreat back to Rapunzel’s room, where Cassandra gets on her case again about inviting just anybody up to the castle. Marco arrives with the lent books. While he’s handing them over, Cassandra accidentally drops the spearhead they found earlier, and Marco takes an interest in it. Cassandra lies and says he can’t see it because it’s lucky, and Rapunzel fills in that she’s superstitious about it. The books from Xavier imply that they need to go to the Lagoon when the moon is bright, and perhaps that will show them the secret they’ve been missing. They agree to go back to the Lagoon on the following night.The next day, while Cassandra is busy, Rapunzel slips down to the marketplace on her own to meet with Dahlia about the gift for Cassandra. They’re bonding over being artists when Cassandra unexpectedly shows up. She pulls Rapunzel away from the art shop, and Rapunzel invites Dahlia up to her room later to bring the paints she’s purchased. Cassandra chastises Rapunzel for her reckless behavior, going out without Cassandra or a guard, and for inviting someone she doesn’t know well back to her personal room.
That evening, after Rapunzel’s duties are complete but before they head to the Lagoon, she and Cassandra head up to her room, only to find the door unlocked and the place ransacked.