The soft golden light slowly sifts through the open window. A welcome sea breeze brushes through her short brunette hair. She sighs and she looks out the window towards the ships traveling away. She looks away from the quaintly painted room, every inch lovingly decorated with painted scenes. Book are neatly piled into purposeful stacks labeled with cards on each: new, read again, love, questions, and for Eugene. A beautiful hand crafted cradle gilded in gold and filled with silks holds her sleeping chameleon, buzzing quietly as he snores. Paschal sighs and a calm spreads over Rapunzel. She is content. She wonders if she could possibly be too content, maybe that's why she has been feeling unsettled lately.
Eugene walks quietly into their room, not wanting to startle her if she is in the middle of something. He sees his wife and asses the situation. What Eugene Fitzherbert lacks in formal education, he has more than made up with in his knowledge of Rapunzel . He knows that when she is hungry she needs food right away or she gets crazy. He knows that when she begins studying a new subject, he has to find ways to distract her or she will be consumed in her quest for knowledge. He knows that she loves to be cheerful and busy and the past few weeks things have really slowed down. He knew he had to do something about it. Today the opportunity came. While he was attending the weekly addresses before the king, a request came from a far off Kingdom. The request was a simple one, an artifact from the great Kingdom of Corona to help celebrate the birthday of their princess. When Eugene heard the details of the event, he realized that this could be what he was looking for. Getting Rapunzel out of the castle, even better to get her out of the kingdom, might be just what she needed. He barely listened to the rest of addresses and when the time came, he hurried up to break the news. When he saw her there, sitting in the window looking so forlorn, his heart shuddered . The past year had been so extraordinary, finding her true parents, learning the ins and outs of castle life, getting married, and just having a normal life, all these things were good. But he knew she needed a chance to go off and get to be herself a bit. Someplace where they didn't know her story and she could just escape for a bit. This opportunity would be perfect.
"Hey there, Blondie. Are you ready for an adventure?"
"What do you mean, adventure? The last 'adventure' meant sneaking out to the Snuggly Duckling for a dart tournament."
Eugene chuckled "Yeah, like you didn't love that!"
He was the one who really enjoyed that. He couldn't follow the rules all of the time and sneaking out helped scratch that itch. He had no idea what a expert dart player she was. The bar thugs were all enamored with her blindfolded dart playing skills. She kept the trophy and he kept the money. He really liked having his "own" money.
"No, Blondie, this is something completely different. This is with your parents' blessing. Pack your bags princess, we are going on a diplomatic mission. We have a special gift to present in a far off kingdom. How does that sound?"
He knew it had worked. Her eyes lit up with excitement as he described their journey. Before he could finish all the details of their "diplomatic mission" she grabbed him around the waist, knocking the wind out of him, pecked him on the cheek and as soon as he could react she was out the door, mumbling about getting some research books from the library.
Eugene was jostled awake by a shifting jolt from the carriage. His eyes darted about to check the surroundings. He couldn't get over how absolutely dry the air was. A sleeping Rapunzel was snuggled on his shoulder with Pascal in a tight spiral resting on her collarbone. Eugene checked outside the carriage again and kissed Rapunzel awake, "Hey, Sleeping Beauty, wake up. We just passed through the city gates."
Rapunzel slowly opened her eyes and in an instant was bouncing from window to window. From the moment Rapunzel left the tower of her imprisonment, information overload was something Eugene was worried about. He hated to see Rapunzel start to sway when she was overwhelmed with sensation. As time went on, Eugene recognized that given the proper amount of study time and preparation, she completely devoured new experiences. This was her first time to a new kingdom and he felt she was ready to experience it all.
"Oh Eugene! Feel the air! It is so very dry, I've read that it's just a dry heat and not nearly as uncomfortable as a dense humidity, but it's so amazing isn't it? And at night it can get so cold. The native species that we may get to see! Can you imagine the thrill of seeing a real, live, monkey! Maybe we can take an expedition and try to find a tiger in its natural habitat. They are really, super shy! I am convinced that if I remain very still and quiet, I could coax one close enough to sketch it. Can you imagine a sketch of a real live TIGER! I am getting dizzy at the though of it, or maybe I'm getting dehydrated. Quick drink some water, here Pascal." She took a small bowl and placed it carefully on her lap so he could crawl down from her chest and take a drink. He lapped the water up quickly and gave Rapunzel a quick chirp before he crawled to the window to get a peek at their destination.
"If anyone needs a drink it's you, Blondie!" After everyone was replenished by water, Eugene began to take note of the situation. He was right. She definitely needed this getaway to invigorate her creativity. But he was suddenly aware of all the dangers that were totally out of his control. Wanting to get a better feel for the area, Eugene asked the driver to stop at the Bazaar so he could get some fruit for the princess. After hearing his request, Rapunzel couldn't keep still in her seat, "Oh, I'm dying to get outside. It will be so exciting to meet people from another kingdom! I want to smell all those wonderful smells! Where is my sketch book, I want to take it with me..." She began to rifle through her trunk and was stopped when Eugene gently grabbed her hands. His look froze her, his eyes were wide and his voice hypnotically low.
"Rapunzel, I know you are excited to go and explore, but I really need you to stay in the carriage. I want to get a feel for the city and I can't put you in any danger. Once I know that I can keep you safe, we can wander to you heart's desire. I just need to check a few things before we get to the palace." Rapunzel looked warily at him and he could tell she was about to put up a fight when he added, "Do you trust me?"
His concern for her won over her desire to explore and she relented. Eugene squeezed her hands and gave her a kiss before he headed out the carriage door.
"Ok, what do we have here?" Eugene thought as he began to wander around the Bazaar. There were merchants so close together with no rhyme or reason. The tents seemed so dirty and primitive and the streets were bustling with a frenzied energy. Eugene felt his instincts flip into Flynn Rider mode. "Man, the picking would be EASY here, so many people, you could really get lost in the crowd quickly." Not leaving sight of the carriage, he continued to walk toward a fruit stand. There were so many varieties of fruit he had never seen before. Ripe fruits were displayed in a rainbow of colors that looked beautiful and delicious. It was a stark contrast to the environment around him. Looking around he noticed the faces of the people. Many were jolly sorts going about their business. There were some very friendly ladies waving scarves at him; in his former days Eugene may have gone over to charm them, but they didn't interest him anymore. Then his eyes fell on a young boy. He guessed he was about 12 years old, the age Eugene was when he escaped the orphanage. He was so scrawny and wearing threadbare clothes. "At least in the desert you can get away with wearing only a vest and no shirt" Eugene thought as he pitied the young man. But then they made eye contact. Eugene quickly looked away not wanting to embarrass the boy. He continued to contemplate the fruit before him when he could sense the boy was walking close past him. Too close. To the boy's horror and surprise Eugene grabbed his arm as the boy was about to try and swipe something from Eugene's pocket. Not wanting to draw attention to the situation, Eugene wrapped his arm around the boy and began to walk away from the stand. "Hey man, I get it. A Super awesome looking foreigner shows up in your neck of the woods. He's really handsome, wearing all the finest clothes, and he must be loaded. So you swoop in for the kill, thinking he's an easy mark. But you're messing with the wrong guy. You need a little more finesse in your game. You need to distract your mark. Make sure there is no way they can catch you. I've been in your shoes before, let me leave you with this... Never give up. Awesome things can happen, look at me!" and he jumped into the carriage giving the boy a nod and instructing the carriage to advance. The boy stood with an open jaw as the carraige pulled away. He turned to walk into the bazaar when he noticed a jingle in his pocket. Amazed at what just happened and amazed at the stranger's generosity, he ran to the nearest stand to buy some bread.
Rapunzel was eager to hear every detail about the new world they were entering. Paschal was eager to try the new fruit, he scuttled all over Eugene looking for where the food must be hiding and gave Eugene a wilting look when no food was discovered. "Oh, sorry bud, I totally got distracted. I'm sure there will be food when we reach the palace."
Rapunzel threaded her fingers into Eugene's and her excitement began to spread to him. "A Palace! Doesn't that just sound so GRAND! I've read all about the Sultan and from everything I've read he seems to be very beloved by his people. Probably not as beloved as my father, but I can't wait to see his gardens. Did you know they have the world's largest fountains within the palace walls? Oh, and the Sultan LOVES animals. He has a large collection of birds throughout the palace. I wish I could have gotten more information on the royal family. All I could find about the princess was from our formal request to bring an artifact for her birthday. Oh Eugene, I'm so nervous. I've never met a princess before. I know she is only turning 13. Her birthday will be so amazing. I really hope she likes the gift we are bringing." She opened and closed her mouth a few times, Eugene squeezed her hand, assuring her with his presence. "Don't worry Blondie. Everyone that meets you loves you... unless she's a totally nut job, I'm sure you guys are going to be great friends."
"Friends?" She furrowed her brows and took a deep breath. "It's one thing to meet a princess, but do you really think we could possibly become friends? It would be the greatest joy to have a friend. A GIRL friend! We could share secrets and write letters and stay up all night, oh Eugene, do you really think she'll want to be my friend?"
The color drained from her face and she sat up straight in her seat.
Eugene laughed and wrapped his arms around her, "Don't worry about it. Just let things happen naturally and everything will be fine. Besides, don't you already have a friend?" He waggled his eyebrows at her, which always got her to giggle. She quickly kissed him on the nose. "Of course you are my friend. But you are also my husband, so you have to be my friend."
"What can I say, I am a man of many talents."
At last they were at the entrance to the palace. Rapunzel shifted into her formal training and entered into the party with all the grace and dignity her training would muster. Her mother would be so proud, Eugene thought as her looked at her. They were announced to the assembly and advanced to the receiving line of the Sultan and the princess. The Sultan was so jolly, Rapunzel wanted to scoop him up and give him a squeeze. But the formality kept things quick and to the point. Then they approached the birthday princess. The Sultan grabbed his daughter's hand and pronounced, "Princess Jasmine, I present Prince Eugene and Princess Rapunzel from the Kingdom of Corona."
Rapunzel bowed gracefully and when her eyes met Princess Jasmine's she just knew she had met a kindred spirit. Rapunzel spoke quietly, "Princess Jasmine, it is with great honor and respect that we come from Corona to celebrate your birthday with you."
Jasmine looked wide-eyed at Rapunzel. She was so relieved that this princess was so warm and inviting. Rapunzel took a quick gasp that startled both Jasmine and Eugene, "Oh, I almost forgot!" she said as she scrambled through Eugene's pockets. "I need to introduce you to Paschal!" Jasmine giggled at the sight of Eugene's complete shock and at the small chameleon cupped in Rapunzel's hands. Jasmine asked, "May I hold him?" Rapunzel placed him in Jasmine's outstretched hands. Paschal was eager to make a good impression. He puffed himself up and stood as high as his little legs would hold him. Jasmine brought him right up to her eye level, snuggling him with her nose. Rapunzel explained, "he's pretty much been my best friend for the longest time."
"He is so sweet! Do you like animals?" Rapunzel nodded eagerly.
I'll have to show you the birthday present father gave me this morning. It's out in the courtyard, would you like to see it?"
Rapunzel's excitement could not be contained. She looked over to Eugene who was eyeing some of the delicacies that were being passed about. "You two head out to the courtyard, I'll gather up some provisions."
Rapunzel grabbed onto Jasmine's hand and they walked out to the courtyard.
"His name is Rajah." Jasmine pushed her forehead to the small ball of orange and white fluff. Rapunzel cooed over the sweet tiger cub, "he is too adorable! I love the mewing sound he makes!" She scratched Rajah under his chin and his mews turned into loud purrs as his eyes shut tight. The girls sat in lantern lit courtyard, on the edge of the fountain and away from the party. Eugene entered from the party with a plate of fresh fruits and cheeses. He grinned at them from ear to ear. This adventure was exceeding his expectations. He knew that getting Rapunzel out of the castle would do her good, but making a friend was just perfect. "Who's this little furball?" He asked as he sat close to Rapunzel. "Oh Eugene, this is Jasmine's birthday present from her father. His name is Rajah. Isn't he just perfect?"
Eugene brushed a stray hair from her face and took a moment to see the stars reflecting in her eyes and said, "just perfect."