Rapunzel woke up with a start. Her nightgown was drenched in sweat.
"Is everything all right?" Eugene asked. He'd probably forgotten that exactly one year had passed. One year since mother Gothel had tried to kill him. One year since she'd lost her healing powers. On year since she'd started a new chapter of her life. It hadn't seemed such a long time, and she'd almost managed to lock up her past in a remote place of her brain to never think about it again. Almost. She still had nightmares, every once in a while. But that night's nightmare had been the worst of them all, she was sure of it.
"Rapunzel?" Eugene noticed she'd gotten lost in her thoughts and brought her back to reality.
"What? Oh, everything's fine, don't worry." She lied.
"You already know you're a really bad liar, so why bother trying?" he smiled, and Rapunzel smiled back "Did you have a nightmare?"
Rapunzel nodded, and Eugene enveloped her in a warm hug, one of those that made her feel safe, no matter what was going on.
"You want to tell me about it?" he asked again. Rapunzel took a big breath and, with her face still buried in Eugene's chest, she started talking "We were sleeping, and then I woke up to find Gothel stabbing you in the same spot she stabbed you the last time, but I couldn't heal you. I wanted to scream, but she said it would be useless, since no one would come to my aid because all the palace guards were dead. I screamed anyway, and when no one came she laughed. She'd come here for revenge, not for my power. She knew I'd used the last bit of it to save you. She just wanted to kill us."
Her husband smoothed down her short hair and pressed her closer to his chest "She's dead, she can't hurt anyone anymore. Alright? She's just a ghost from your past, one you've tried to cage but keeps breaking free. Nothing more." He reassured her.
"It's been an year" she just said, hoping he'd understand. Eugene remained silent for a moment, then understood what the Princess was talking about " I know." He didn't know what else to say, so he thought this might be the right time to tell her what he'd held back, thinking it might just make her worry even more "You know, I sometimes have nightmares too." He whispered "I think it's normal. We'll get rid of them, sooner or later". Then he kissed Rapunzel's forehead and they both laid back down, her head on his chest and his arm around her waist.
"Sorry if I woke you up"
"You can wake me up any time you want, Blondie" Eugene grinned, and Rapunzel felt better.
No one will take him away from me, ever she told herself. She didn't know that she might be wrong. Outside the window, in fact, a dark figure was watching them. She was surprised by how much the Princess and the thief were in love. And, for a fraction of a second, she thought her mission was wrong. But then she got back to business, and ran away quickly to go report to her boss.
...
"Good morning, my Prince" Rapunzel said as she opened her eyes. Eugene was stirring beside her as daylight started filling the room.
"Good morning" he replied, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. None of them brought up what had happened the night before, and they both thought it was better that way.
"What's on our schedule for today?" Eugene asked.
"I have no idea. But maybe we'll find out if we go downstairs to have breakfast" Rapunzel replied.
"Very well, then"
A few minutes later they entered the dining room of the palace.
"Rapunzel, how many times have I told you to put on your shoes?" the Queen asked, suppressing a smile.
"I'm sorry mom, I just forget them every time" she excused herself. She'd done her best to fit in at the palace, but she just kept forgetting to wear her shoes. That probably happened because she'd never needed them. She'd lived the first eighteen years of her life barefoot, and she knew she could've gone on like that forever, but that wasn't very Princess-like.
Her father smiled, and she smiled back as she took the seat next to him.
"So, what is my schedule today?" the Princess asked.
"You don't have one" the King replied.
"It's been an year since you came back, so today you can do whatever you like" the Queen explained.
"Really? That's great! But what about my lessons?"
"You don't have any today. Just make sure you've done your homework for tomorrow." the Queen winked at her. Rapunzel thanked them and, once she'd finished breakfast, she went to the gardens with Eugene.
"Do you feel it, too?" He asked.
"What?" the Princess looked confused.
"It's like if someone's watching us." He said. He knew he'd probably make her worry, but after the night before he'd decided not to hide anything form his wife. Rapunzel's eyes widened, and she shook her head.
"Never mind, it must be my thief instincts. I still haven't managed to get rid of those. Although they might come in handy someday." He grinned, and Rapunzel poked him.