There was a rustling coming from the dresser. A slight movement, faint, like something trying not be heard. A rat, she thought at first. But that couldn't be right. Palace bedrooms did not have rats.
A thief, her not-mother's voice whispered in her ear. Someone has come to hurt you, to take you, just like I always said they would.
Rapunzel shook her head. She was an adult now. And the world had never been so terrifying as her not-mother implied. Not really. Not when she'd been living the real nightmare all along.
Besides, she thought as she picked up her frying pan and moved toward the dresser, she knew how to handle threats now.
Raising the frying pan high above her head with one hand, she threw open the door of the dresser and swung the pan.
"Ow! Ow! Stop! Rapunzel! Stop! It's me! Stop!"
"Eugene?! What—what are you doing in the dresser?!"
Eugene came out of the dresser, hands spread out in the air. "I was just—I—look, can you just put that thing down?"
Slowly, Rapunzel lowered the frying pan. She stared up at Eugene, bewildered.
"What were you doing in there?"
"I was just…" his shoulders sagged. "It was supposed to be a surprise."
"What was?"
"I…I just thought…I had a plan and everything and…" Groaning, he ran his fingers through his hair. "You know what? Forget it."
He dropped down to one knee. "Rapunzel. Will you marry me?"
She stared at him with wide eyes. There was no smile, no happy noise of surprise, nothing. Just as he started to give up hope—started desperately to try and think of a joke or something, anything to make this moment seem less horrible—and moved to stand up, she gasped out yes and yanked him up to kiss him before he was even halfway finished standing.
As they kissed, the frying pan dropped from her hand and crashed onto the floor. Neither of them noticed.