The kingdom was abuzz with the news:
Princess Rapunzel and Prince Consort Eugene were awaiting the birth of their first child.
The months passed happily, and the royal couple basked in the kingdom's congratulations. Then it happened:
Princess Rapunzel lost the baby.
The kingdom was in shock, but no more so than Rapunzel, Eugene, and the King and Queen.
"Where did we go wrong, Eugene?" Rapunzel managed to choke out between sobs, as she leaned into his embrace.
For once, Eugene was at a loss for answers. "I don't know, Punzie," he whispered (using her new nickname), tears rolling down his own face. "I wanted this baby as much as you did."
Mounting Maximus, he rode into the kingdom to clear his head. His mood brightened when he saw the art she'd drawn when they spent the day there. He spotted the fountain where he'd enlisted the four girls to help make Rapunzel's (then) long hair more manageable. And there they were, happily braiding each other's hair as they had before.
When they saw him, they ran up to him. "Prince Eugene!"
They seemed so happy to see him, but when they realized his countenance had fallen, they stopped short. "What—what's wrong?" one asked, as they gathered around. "Is—is the Princess all right?"
He kneeled, gathering them to him. "No," he whispered, as tears rolled from his eyes. "We—we lost the baby."
"Oh!" Their faces fell, and tears welled in their eyes as well. "We—we're so sorry, your Majesty."
Eugene managed a smile for them. "Don't—don't worry about us," he whispered, giving them each a big hug. "We can always try again."
When he finally returned, he found Rapunzel weeping once again. When he approached, she looked up. "Oh, Eugene," she whispered, "you would never believe what came!"
"What is it?" he wondered.
Rapunzel moved out of the way to reveal the most magnificent bouquet anyone had ever laid eyes on—lilies, roses, and other flowers all lovingly selected in the hopes the royal couple could muster the courage to try again!
Picking up the attached card, Eugene's eyes filled with tears, for it read:
"With deepest sympathies to you both,
The people of Corona."
"Eugene," Rapunzel managed to whisper, "when the period of mourning is over, I—I want to try again."
The tears rolled down Eugene's face as he held her close. For the first time, he managed a shaky smile. "Oh, Rapunzel, my love," he whispered, "I know this must have been hard on you, but to see you want to come out of this—everyone will be so happy to hear that."
In the days to come, Rapunzel slowly came out of mourning, first managing a smile for her parents, and then shedding her black apparel. When Rapunzel felt like facing the people, she stepped out on the balcony (ironically the same one where she'd reunited with her parents) and greeted the people.
"My friends," she proclaimed, "We are eternally grateful for your concern in our time of mourning. Your love means more to us than you will ever know. I am pleased to tell you," she added, "that I now have the courage and strength to try once more." This realization made the crowd erupt into cheers and applause, with intermittent cries of "We love you, Princess!"
And they did. One fateful day, Rapunzel once again felt the unmistakable bump of impending new life. Determined not to let lightning strike twice, she took every precaution to preserve this baby's life.
As the months passed, it became apparent that history was not to repeat itself. Even when bed rest became the only option, she smiled, knowing this time would be different.
One fateful day, she cried out as she realized—labor was imminent. As he waited outside, Eugene silently crossed his fingers, knowing even now, something might go wrong. But when he heard the welcome cry of a newborn, his eyes filled with tears.
He was tempted to freak out when the door opened, but instead sighed when he realized it was only the Queen. "Eugene," she whispered, tears welling in her own eyes, "it's a girl."
Eugene sighed with relief. He felt as if a weight had finally—finally—been lifted from their shoulders. As he entered, he could hardly believe their good fortune. Rapunzel was smiling, tears running down her face, as she held a bundle wrapped in softest shades of pink close to her.
"Hey," he whispered, peering over her shoulder, "do I get a glimpse of our little miracle?"
The tears were still in her eyes as she handed over their baby daughter. "This is Princess Cecilia," she whispered.
"It's about time you got here, Cecilia," Eugene whispered, tears—tears of joy this time—running down his face.
Suddenly, a little hand reached up—and touched the tracks of Eugene's tears. That made Eugene smile. "I think she loves me, Punzie."
That proved to be truer than anyone realized at the time. Indeed, Princess Cecilia grew to be not just fair of face, but was also filled with love and compassion for those around her. And when the kingdom gathered once again to release the floating lanterns, Cecilia cooed contentedly, surrounded by a kingdom that celebrated her arrival!