"Where is that boy?" King Hubert said impatiently. "Phillip!"

Queen Eleanor smiled as she watched her husband opening all the doors he could find. She turned to one of the footmen. "Please find Prince Phillip and bring him here." She walked over to her husband and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Hubert, we still have time."

"Time?" Hubert exclaimed. "The girl was born six months ago!"

"Harold wanted to make sure that Genevieve was recovered fully from the delivery," Eleanor pointed out. "She had been very ill. They couldn't have the christening earlier."

"What's the girl's name again?" Hubert asked as he grabbed an apple from a nearby fruit bowl. He took a firm bite out of it and continued speaking with his mouth full. "Rumpelstiltskin, or something?"

Eleanor checked her appearance in a nearby mirror and fastened the necklace around her neck. "Rapunzel."

"Gesundheit," Hubert said with a hiccup.

Eleanor giggled, hiding her laugh behind her hand. "That's the girl's name."

"It's a strange name."

"A Rapunzel is a lovely little flower. I'm sure she'll be just as lovely."

They looked up as a five year-old boy with brown hair suddenly came running out of one of the upstairs rooms, laughing and screaming as he was chased by three servants. "I win!" he cheered as he jumped on one of the banisters, sliding to the ground floor. "I'm the fastest!" he yelled as he landed.

"That's my boy!" Hubert said proudly as he patted his son on his head. "The fastest prince there is!"

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. "A prince shouldn't slide down banisters," she said. She knelt down next to the boy and readjusted his collar.

"It's fun!" Phillip laughed.

"Look at you! Your boots are all muddy!" Eleanor shook her head as she gestured at one of the still-panting servants to clean the boots. "What have you been doing?"

"I was riding Samson and we jumped over a huge river!" Phillip grinned, holding his hands as far apart as he could. "It must have been fifty feet wide!"

Eleanor looked at the servant who was cleaning the boots. "Fifty feet?"

The man looked up to her and shook his head. "Three feet, your majesty."

"Spoilsport," Phillip muttered. "It was much more!"

Eleanor studied her son and turned to her husband. "I think we can leave now. Genevieve wrote that we have to be there before sunset."

"Sunset? Why before sunset?" Hubert frowned. "We have a curfew?"

"First of all, it's not safe to travel after dark," Eleanor began, counting on her hand.

"I'll protect you, mother!" Phillip said bravely. He pulled a wooden sword out of his belt and started to fight. "I'll fight monsters, dragons and tutors!"

Eleanor smiled and ran her hand through her son´s hair. "And secondly, Harold and Genevieve have planned a special lantern ceremony. They are going to light a thousand lanterns and launch them into the sky."

They walked outside, where the carriage and part of courtiers were waiting for them.

"You'll like that, right, son?" Hubert said as they stepped into the carriage. "A thousand lanterns!"

"Sure, father! Can I light them too?" Phillip asked.

"No, you can´t," Eleanor said before her husband could open her mouth. "You are too young to play with fire."

"Come on, Eleanor, what can happen while we are there?" Hubert grinned. "Phillip is a big boy now!"

"I am!" Phillip nodded eagerly.

"Because we are there to introduce Phillip to Rapunzel," Eleanor answered. "Not to light lanterns."

"I don't want to meet her. Girls are stupid," Phillip stated as he leaned back into the cushions and crossed his arms. If he couldn't ride or light those lanterns, this was going to be a boring trip! This was not his idea of fun!

"She's going to be very beautiful. She has blonde hair and green eyes," Eleanor continued as if she didn't see what Phillip was thinking. "Do you remember what you have to say to King Harold and Queen Genevieve when you meet them?"

Phillip sighed, "Oh mother, do I have to do that?"

"Yes, you do," Eleanor said. "Well?"

"King Harold and Queen Genevieve, I'm very pleased to meet you. I'm so happy to be here."

"Very good."

Phillip hung out of the window of the carriage. He was already totally bored and they had only been on their journey for ten minutes. "Why can't I ride too? I want to ride on Samson!"

"It takes half a day to get the castle and you are much too young to ride that long."

"I'm five and a half!" Phillip pouted.

Eleanor sighed, looking for some sort of compromise. "If you behave, you might sit with one of the guards."

"Can I sit on the box?"

"Sure you can!" Hubert nodded. Which was enough encouragement for Phillip to immediately climb out of the window.

"Phillip!" Eleanor said loudly. "Wait till the carriage has stopped!"

"Let the boy have some fun, Eleanor," Hubert laughed as they heard Phillip walk over the roof of the carriage and jumping down next to the coachman.

"I want everything to go right," Eleanor said more serious. "What if Harold and Genevieve have objections against Phillip's behavior?"

Hubert shrugged and looked out of the window. "Nonsense, they will get along quite nicely. Our Phillip will grow up into a strong ruler. The girl will grow up into a beautiful girl, you said so yourself. They will make a good couple and within 16 years, we'll join our lands. It's good parenting and politics."

"But Phillip isn't looking forward to meeting Rapunzel!"

"Of course not!" Hubert patted his wife's hands as he looked into her eyes. "He's a boy and she's still a baby who can't play games yet."

"Of course you are right; they will get along later in life." Eleanor smiled. "After all, we're going to visit them or they are going to visit us every summer."

"And otherwise, Queen Leah, King Stefan's wife, is also with child," Hubert said.

Eleanor nodded, "yes, she wrote to me that she hopes it will be a girl."

After several long hours they arrived at the kingdom of King Harold and Queen Genevieve. They rode over the bridge into the capital city. Through narrow streets, they rode up to the top of the hill where the castle was built.

"Look, there they are!" Hubert pointed at the people in the distance, standing on the stairs leading to the main entrance.

"Hubert, Eleanor, how wonderful to see you again!" Genevieve welcomed them as the carriage stopped.

Harold helped Eleanor get out and winked at Hubert. "And who might this strapping young man be? Young prince Phillip, no doubt!"

Eleanor gave her son a little push. "Go on."

"Mother!" Phillip hissed.

"Phillip!" Eleanor said warningly.

Reluctantly, Phillip stepped forward and bowed, rolling his eyes. "Greetings, King Harold and Queen Genevieve. I'm very pleased to meet you." He kicked a pebble. "I'm so happy to be here," he muttered softly.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance, Prince Phillip," Genevieve smiled. She beckoned a woman who was standing in the back, holding a baby, to come closer. She took the baby out of her arms and held her lower to Phillip's height. "And this is Rapunzel."

"She's perfect!" Eleanor said as she winked at Phillip.

Phillip rolled his eyes, but did take Rapunzel's little hand and kissed it. Rapunzel let out a soft giggle and then yawned. Was this it? Was this the big meeting?

"Can I go now?" he begged. He was getting tired of this formal stuff. "The coachmen are going to take care of the horses!"

Hubert nodded and Phillip ran off to the carriage and started helping the stable boys undo the bridles.

"Woohoo!" The four parents smiled as they looked at Phillip who was now sitting on top of one of the horses as the stable boy led it to the stables, both his hands in the air. "Look, no hands!"

"He is one fine boy, Hubert," Harold said, pleased.

"And so adorable," Genevieve added to Eleanor. She gave Rapunzel back to the governess. "Put the little princess to bed for an hour. The ceremony will start at sunset."

The royals walked into the castle. The first thing they saw was a gigantic mosaic of Harold, Genevieve and Rapunzel. Eleanor walked closer to the wall, running her fingers over the little tiles which formed Rapunzel´s nose and cheeks. "She looks just like you."

"Besides the blonde hair," Genevieve laughed. "She got that from the flower medication they gave me when I was expecting."

Harold and Hubert were walking a few steps behind, "Phillip and Rapunzel, now that sounds like a steady royal couple," Hubert said enthusiastically, slapping Harold on his shoulders.

Harold agreed: "Those two are going to live happily ever after!"