Rapunzel couldn't stop the tears from falling. She tried, but her body betrayed her and they came anyway.
"My princess, please don't cry," the royal physician begged as he tried to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Please don't," she cried, turning away from him.
"My Lady, I'm sure…" the physician trailed off, well aware that nothing he said could placate her worries. Only the prince's words would help her. With sadness in his eyes he watched as the future Queen ran from his chambers.
Rapunzel made it to the royal garden that Stefan had built for her after their wedding. When she made it to the center she fell to her knees, allowing the tears to overtake her.
"My Lady," her handmaiden cried when she noticed her charge sobbing among the flowers. "My Lady, what is it? Should I fetch the prince?" she asked, taking the Princess into her arms.
"No, don't get him, please don't," her princess cried, burying her face in the handmaiden's neck.
"What is it my Lady? Has someone harmed you?" the scared servant asked her Lady. Her princess was far too lovely to cry and it made the handmaiden hurt to see her future Queen crying. The entire kingdom had fallen in love with the wonderful young woman and surely whoever had made her cry would be punished severely. Prince Stefan was limited by duty but the knights loved her dearly and had much more freedom when it came punishing people. They would make whoever had cause their Princess's tears pay, she was sure of it.
"No, it is my fault, it is all my fault," the Princess cried, pulling away from her handmaiden.
"I'm sure you are mistaken my Lady. You…" she trailed off when her Princess looked up at her.
"Leave me please."
The handmaiden opened her mouth to argue, but quickly did as she was told. Instead of returning to her duties like she probably should have, the handmaiden ran about the castle in search for the prince.
She found him in the throne room, discussing matters with his father and the small council.
"What is the meaning of this?" the King roared at her intrusion, but she paid him not attention, instead running to her future King.
"My Prince," she called, stopping in front of him.
"What is it Catana?" he asked, taking her arms soothingly.
"My Prince, the Princess is in great distress. She is in the gardens and she is crying. I think someone has harmed her but she will not say anything more," she cried, but the Prince was already running from the room.
He feared the worse when he saw her among the winter roses. He had never seen her so sad. He approached her with caution, having learned from his sisters that sometimes the best thing to do was ask permission.
"Rapunzel, what is it?" he asked gently.
"Stefan," she cried, bowing her head when she saw him. "Stefan, I'm sorry."
"Rapunzel, what happened? Are you alright?" he asked, falling to his knees next to her and cupping her face with his hands. "I love you so much."
"You shouldn't," she told him quietly.
"Rapunzel, nothing could ever make me love you any less," he assured her.
"I'm not so sure. I'm a terrible wife," she whispered, tears still streaming down her face.
Stefan felt his heart break at her words. What could she possibly be talking about? She was a wonderful wife to him, and a wonderful mother to his sisters and brother. He never thought Tommy would warm up to anyone, having taken the death of their mother so hard. Rapunzel had spent months worming her way into the small boy's heart.
"You are a wonderful wife; why would you think any differently?" he asked, leaning his forehead against hers.
"I just came back from the physician," she replied, fear in her downcast eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked, fear taking over his features. He couldn't lose her. When his mother died he sank into a deep depression, ignoring his brother and father and instead spending all his time with his youngest sister, Katrina. She was still young, only four years old so she didn't understand that her mother was never coming back. He had spent his days playing with her in the gardens and the nights holding her in his room. He couldn't do it again, couldn't lose someone he loved.
"I can't have children," she stated, her voice just above a whisper.
Stefan felt his heart stop at her words. He had always wanted children, many of them just like his parents. He wanted to yell but looking into his wife's eyes, his pain dulled significantly. This problem she had no control over was tearing her up inside. She thought it meant he wouldn't love her anymore. She had been sheltered for fifteen years of her life. She was sixteen when she married him and they'd been married for only a year. She knew the people were whispering, how she should be pregnant by now, but she didn't know what happened when Queens couldn't have children. She assumed it meant he'd have to marry someone else, to continue his line.
"Then Tommy's children will be my heirs. Our nephew will inherit the Kingdom and we will love them. We can always bring a child into our home, they won't be able to inherit the throne because they won't be blood, but we will love them never the less," he assured her, "I still love you, now and for the rest of time."
A/n I'm babysitting and they decided to watch Barbie: Rapunzel, so of course instead of doing homework like I was supposed to be doing, I started writing. Just a little oneshot. It's kinda funny because I never like cannon couples but I like Stefan/Rapunzel so I wrote this little oneshot. Review please, let me know what you think.