"So where will we sleep Lucille?"
The woman saw straight through the sugary grin stressed upon her and chuckled. "Princess, you couldn't possibly think I'd be told to room you together, hm?" Lucille watched as the grin turned sour. "Oh darling, it was your father's wishes; don't get hostile with me."
Rapunzel reached to stroke her hair, fingering through air a few times before noticing it was still gone and she was still awake and had never, EVER been dreaming any of this. "Oh... right..."
Eugene, who'd been pretty silent since arriving that morning cut in then. "Our rooms can't be more than a few feet away anyway, ya know? If you need anything I'll be-" Lucille put a stern finger to his lips (after standing on her toes to reach them), and he glanced down at the short, old woman, intending to glare but not finding the heart to.
"Princess, your room is here." She referred to a large, ornate door with carvings of flowers, birds, and other such images one would associate with a Princess' tastes.
"Eugene will be staying..." She pointed a plump finger toward a dark hallway leading to a place of the Palace the two had yet to be introduced to. "...Pretty far from your room, darling."
Rapunzel visibly shrank at the realization and wanted nothing more than to run back outside and live where there were no rules, room conflicts, etiquette classes, and over-protective fathers. She'd survived eighteen years with a woman who'd no doubt have killed her if it wouldn't have ruined the magic she possessed, but a man who died for her was unable to stay in a room near her own?
The argument going on inside her tired little head must have been played out all over her face because she found her hand snug in Eugene's. He looked down at her with soft eyes, and it relaxed her.
Of course then she remembered she'd have to go to bed by herself in the dark of this new place, and she grew increasingly uncomfortable. The night hours were approaching, and the sky had already turned a frightening shade of violet that had never bothered her before. "I-I... can I go with you to see his room, Lucille? Please?" Pascal squeaked his agreement, finding he was good at helping her get her way.
"Why of course! Feel free! You are now, afterall." Lucille winked, a secret glinting in her eyes, but Rapunzel took it only as torment.
"I can't say that I am completely free. This tower is just bigger." She rolled her eyes and nodded to Pascal who laughed at her sarcasm. Squeezing her hand in a way to tell her to behave herself, Eugene urged them forward, complaining about exhaustion or something along that.
Rapunzel mapped out directions in her head so meticulously she could get to his room with her eyes closed. The other two were oblivious, stuck in a conversation on something the princess cared nothing about at the moment. After dropping him off, she was planning on saying goodbye, but Lucille left them no room to shake hands, let alone hug or anything else.
"Okay Pascal!" She breathed when back in her own room and in her nightgown. "We can do this! It's just a little dark right?" The chameleon nodded eagerly in encouragement, snuggling up next to her head on the pillow after he blew the single candle out.
There was just silence for all of thirty seconds before she heard the floors creak and screamed into her blankets, grasping her best friend and shuffling out of the room. Scaling the walls and looking around her as if the monsters in her head were right on her tail, she nearly became one with the stone as she followed it down the passage to Eugene's room.
Her heart was pounding, and she believed the rush it caused in her ears was certainly the breath of some beast coming to kill everyone and keep her hostage forever. She'd reverted back to her paranoid and brainwashed self in no time at all, almost afraid to get Eugene in fear that he'd grown pointy teeth and would harm her. But despite this, she clawed desperately at his locked door, still frantically looking behind her and causing poor Pascal a severe case of whip-lash.
"FLYNN!" She finally screamed when clawing didn't wake him. Hearing the familiar nickname did, however, and he sat up to rub the sleep out of his eyes.
"Huh?"
"Flynn open the door please, they're in the dark!" He could hear her small fists pounding against the door, her nails scratching, and her voice cracking with the strain of tears he'd rather prevent from falling.
Sensing some familiarity would calm her, he answered in the same way he would before all of the change sent them into a new world of poise, order, and proper names. "I'm comin' Blondie, hold your horses!"
"FUH-LYYYYYYYYYN!" She groaned, sliding down the door and dragging her nails down with her. He opened the door to find her that way and quickly gathered her up into his arms.
"What's the ma-"
"It's the dark! The monsters are in the dark a-and the plague! And they'll take me back to Mother I know it!" Her eyes went wide and feral. "I don't want to go back to Mother." It came out grave and hoarse, and he needed to calm her before she lost it completely.
"Rapunzel." He whispered to her, pressing his nose into her neck.
She moaned and gripped her hair, tugging roughly enough to send a small lock floating to the floor.
"Rapunzel!"
"My hair, Eugene! It's gone!" In desperation, he dug his nails into her back and held her until she stilled enough for him to reason with her, her panting and coughing making his heart clench with anger at the King for not letting her stay in a room with him. The drastic change in surroundings was enough to have him mentally drained, but on Rapunzel, it was apparently even more damaging.
"Rapunzel do you know where you are right now?" He asked after she'd regained composure.
"I-In your room?" He nodded. "At the castle... right?" He nodded again, and Pascal urged her on. "And Mother is gone, and my hair is gone, and I'm the lost Princess. Only... I'm found."
"Exactly," he murmured and carried her over to his bed. "You're staying here tonight, okay? We'll explain in the morning if it comes to that, but... I don't trust you by yourself until you're adjusted." He asserted himself because he knew she'd never speak up if he didn't. It shocked him enough that she'd went to his room after dark against her father's wishes, but he was well aware she needed him to do everything else. And so, as he always made sure to do, he took care of her.
Lucille was the first to wake in the morning, bustling around to have the cooks make something nice for Rapunzel when she awoke. Upon going to the Princess' room to wake her for breakfast, she knew at once that Rapunzel would not be found in her own room; the door was wide open, the curtains a bit disheveled from her frightened tugging, and the carpet flopped over from her feet, eager to get to safety.
She found the two of them looking quite content and warm in Eugene's bed, wrapped up together in ways she hadn't seen people wrapped despite the size. (That is since she and her husband used to share a bed, rest his soul.) Lucille couldn't bear waking them, continuing along with her chores and making a little white lie to excuse both Rapunzel and Eugene from breakfast.
She did wake them for a late lunch, though, and while the Princess washed up, Lucille sat down at the table next to Eugene. A puzzled look danced across his features as she dropped an old and worn key into his palm. "It's my copy of the key to the Princess' room." She whispered with a smile that just seemed all-knowing. "Her room is much more cozy and... well the bed is larger too. I couldn't help but notice you had trouble fitting on yours."
He flushed. "Thank you Lucille... but I don't want you to get in any trouble if His Majesty finds out." He'd almost given her the key back when she slapped at his hand.
"I won't tell if you won't. Flynn Rider." Lucille winked wickedly, and he couldn't help smirking back at her.
"It's a deal."
"Oh what's a deal? Hopefully soup 'cause I'm reeeally hungry!" Rapunzel hugged his neck from behind and startled them both.
"Of course Princess, anything you're craving!" The old woman offered cheerfully and poked Eugene in the stomach as she waltzed her way to the pantry.
"Huh. I wonder what that was all about..."
Eugene rolled the key in his hands, the Flynn left inside him congratulating him on a heist well-played.