Disclaimer: All I really own at this point are the names that I gave to the king and queen, and this plot. Even then, I will admit that I am stealing plot ideas from other fairy tales, which also do not belong to me.

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Chapter One

Princess Eleanor was not always the sad young woman that she found herself to be at this time. There had once been a time when she laughed and jested with her ladies-in-waiting quite freely, but such a time was in the past. Ever since the death of her mother, only two years ago, Princess Eleanor could not be made to laugh, or even to smile. All the ladies of the court tried to make their beautiful young Princess smile, but none could succeed.

Her poor father, the king, was at a loss about what to do for his daughter, despite trying everything he could to once more make his daughter laugh as she once had. He longed for the days when Princess Eleanor would dance and sing like any other young girl her age, and it broke his heart to see her so melancholy. Still, the Princess Eleanor seemed determined to remain in such a glum state, despite the best efforts of those surrounding her.

She had been remarkably close to her mother, so it was no surprise to anyone that she took the death of the queen the hardest. What did surprise those who surrounded the Princess was how long it took her to recover from the shock of losing her beloved mother. Even two years after, there was no hiding the fact that the young Princess still suffered from the loss of the queen. Perhaps what was needed was to arrange a marriage for the beautiful Princess, many whispered when they thought she could not hear them. After all, to have someone in her life for whom she could be the focus of their entire world…that could only do a world of good for the young girl. But not even the prospect of marriage could pull the Princess out of her deep apathy, and soon the entire court began to fear that nothing would ever be able to make their beloved Princess happy again.

In a moment of total despair, the king made a proclamation that any man who could earn a smile or laugh from his adored daughter would have her hand in marriage. Naturally, this offer was one that was met with great eagerness from all the various lords and princes from the surrounding kingdoms. Particularly by one young Prince in the kingdom of Corona.

Prince William of Corona had heard much of the beauty and grace of the Princess Eleanor, and was determined that one day he and the Princess should meet. Even though there were kingdoms far wealthier and more powerful than that of the Princess Eleanor, Prince William did not seek an alliance with any of these other kingdoms. After all, many of the noble lords of his court were already connected to these kingdoms in some way or another. It would not be an insult to any of these rulers for him to marry the Princess Eleanor. It was with this in mind that young Prince William approached his mother, the aging Queen Mercia, with his plan to meet the Princess Eleanor.

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Queen Mercia was used to the habits of her son, who was primarily a scholar and one who would much rather bury himself in the library than speak with those of the court. So, when her son came to speak to her when he would usually be studying with his tutors, she was more than a little surprised. Looking up from the book that she had been reading to herself, the queen smiled welcomingly at her son and beckoned him towards her.

Many who saw the queen and her son together would assume that she was his grandmother rather than his mother, as she was so very old. In fact, no one in the kingdom could remember a time when their beloved queen had not appeared old to them. Even when she first married her husband, King Roland, she had been well into her thirties, and it had been a surprise to find that she was capable of bearing a child at all, let alone doing so safely. Of course, the entire kingdom rejoiced when the young Prince was born healthy and strong, and no one ever dared to whisper that the queen might be barren again, as she had successfully produced an heir.

There was little physical resemblance between Queen Mercia and Prince William. He took more after his father than his mother, though the Prince had inherited his mother's blue eyes. Beyond that, the resemblance ended, with Queen Mercia being short and rather plump while her son was tall and well-built, his features very sharp and yet handsome in their own way. But there could be no doubt of the love that existed between mother and son.

"Come here, my child," the queen said as her son drew nearer. "What is troubling you?"

Taking his mother's hand in his, the young Prince bowed low and kissed his mother's hand respectfully, smiling fondly at her. "I am not troubled, mother," he assured her. "Merely…thoughtful."

"I see," the queen replied, not at all convinced with this answer. "Then why are you here and not at your studies, as you usually are at this hour?"

A sheepish smile crossed her son's face as he chuckled a little. Sitting down in the armchair across from her, the Prince sighed heavily and stared at his hands for a moment before speaking. "Mother, I have decided that it is time I find a bride."

Queen Mercia tried to not show it, but she was relieved to hear her son say such a thing. She had been hoping that he would be married some time ago, but such had not been the case, and she was beginning to worry. After all, she would not be alive forever, and her son would need a wife and eventually an heir. The kingdom needed a strong ruling family, after all. Smiling softly at her son, Queen Mercia took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm pleased to hear it," she said honestly. "Though…" a thought occurred to her as she arched an eyebrow at her son. "Am I to understand that you have chosen a prospective bride for yourself?"

For a moment or two, William was silent as he continued to stare at his hands, not bothering to meet his mother's gaze. He nodded silently and cleared his throat before he answered. "I think that I might have." Looking up at his mother, William sighed. "The Princess Eleanor."

Queen Mercia arched an eyebrow at this as she considered this for a moment. Finally, she sighed heavily and stood up, moving to place a hand on his shoulder with a smile. "If you think that this is what you want, my dear, then I will not stop you. Though…" she paused and gave her son's shoulder a squeeze. "I hope that you know what you are doing, my dear. But I will not hold you back, if this is what you truly want. Now…you go and find your bride."

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Author's Note: Well…so I lied a little bit. I won't be doing my huge AU for a little bit. Instead, I will be writing this! A little fluff piece for the king and queen of Tangled! This is how they became a couple, and I just could not resist giving them their own fairy tale. Anywho…for those who are probably wondering, this piece is not necessarily a prequel to the Flower Glow, Let Your Power Shine, and The Tales of Eugene Fitzherbert stories I've already written. It has the same names for the King and Queen, yes, but it can stand on its own. I will not be addressing how Granny and Gothel know each other in this story, for the record. That will come up in Let Your Power Shine.

Well, there's all I have to say! So you enjoy this little fluff-fest! And don't forget to review!