Summary: Everyone seemed to have forgotten to tell her something.
Author's Note: ..I know this is not my best writing, but I didn't really want to rewrite the entire scene here. I mainly just tried to focus on the emotion of it, as you'll see when you read. To be honest, I only wrote this because NO ONE said something to Rapunzel. And you'll see what that is, too, when you read. ;3 Hope you enjoy. Please review!
It was that special day, that one which she had been looking forward to for so long. More than anything, she wanted to see those magical lights in the sky that night, and nothing else seemed to matter. The day passed with wondrous activities of exploring the kingdom's marketplace, and she never would deny that she had the most fun that day than she could remember. Well, as far as she knew, she had never been given the opportunity to have so much fun as she did.
Time flew, and before long, it was evening. It was nearly time for the lanterns to start appearing in the darkened sky.
Eugene was rowing the small boat out into the water, quite a ways from the kingdom where they had a wonderful view. It took her breath away to see something so beautiful. She just couldn't wait until the lights were floating through the air, only able to imagine how that would make the scenery even more beautiful.
Even as she thought this, she realized how she was feeling so many emotions all at once, each one warring with the others; she held the hope and excitement that her dream would finally come true before the night was over, yet she had a sense of nervousness that it wouldn't be anything like she had expected it to be, the way she wished that it would be.
Not to mention she was still nervous about the satchel beneath her feet, and the crown it held between the folds of fabric – or perhaps, she was more terrified of the contents moreso than she was nervous. She was still pondering over the words that her mother had spoken to her the night before . . . The thought of her mother just brought the feelings of guilt and worry to mix with everything else.
And, of course, the mere thought of the man sitting beside her in the small boat was enough to set her heart racing. It was the romance that she had read in the storybooks from her childhood – it almost seemed too good to be true, yet it was right there with her.
After a while, when the sky had darkened, when the lanterns were released, so beautiful and bright, most of those emotions disappeared, all being replaced with the excitement of the moment. That moment held all of her dreams together, spreading them across the night sky, giving her the proof that anything was possible.
She could never have asked for more.
Yet, Eugene gave her more, producing two lit lanterns from who-knows-where. If she hadn't known it before, she knew right then that she had fallen completely in love with this man, and his gesture made it more than obvious that he cared for her as well. She showed him the satchel, feeling relieved that he didn't seem to give the item a second glance, his gaze far too entranced with her own.
Moments later, the emotions of romantic passion were reignited inside of her as they both leaned closer to one another, their lips nearly connecting in a kiss . . .
But the moment ended too soon, something having happened behind her that Eugene's attention was distracted.
He rowed across the water toward the shoreline, stepping out of the boat, taking the satchel and crown with him. He told her that had something to take care of. He told her that he would be right back.
The emotion of nervousness was starting to rear its ugly head within her again, but she tried her best to restrain it. She knew that he wouldn't leave her, even as she watched him begin to walk away. He couldn't possibly . . .
"Oh," he said suddenly as if he had just remembered something so important that it couldn't possibly wait until he had finished his business with the crown. "Rapunzel?" He turned around to face her again, and he could see the brightness in her eyes, the happiness.
"Yes?" she asked softly, expectantly, wanting to keep him there with her for as long as she could.
What he had to say was something that was important, indeed. He wanted to tell her so many things, all of which would possibly alert her to the feelings she happened to make him feel whenever she was around – which just so happened to be the entirety of the past two days. Out of all those numerous things to be said, he chose the ones that no one had said to her. The ones that were most important at this very moment.
"Happy birthday."