Author's Note: So, basically, a song-fic inspired by the song White Horse by Taylor Swift. AU version of Tangled, in which Eugene never escaped and Rapunzel never found out the truth. So, here it is, my first attempt at a song-fic. I hope you like!
White Horse
Rapunzel lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't believe it. Eugene had left her for that stupid crown! She had believed him, trusted him, followed him, and, worst of all, had allowed herself to like him! And to top it all off, for a while, Rapunzel had believed that he had liked her, too.
Say you're sorry; that face of an angel
Comes out just when you need it to
As I pace back and forth all this time
'Cause I honestly believed in you
She stood up and began pacing around in her room. Emotions were whirling around in her head, and Rapunzel was trying to make sense of everything. On the one hand, Eugene could be positively infuriating sometimes. But, whenever he went too far, he would do something really sweet. Like when he bought her that purple flag, or got those girls to braid her hair, or told her his real name… But none of that mattered now. It was all a lie, and she had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
Holding on, the days drag on
Stupid girl, I should've known
I should've known
As the days passed, Rapunzel began looking out the window less and less. She was still desperately clinging to a vain hope that Eugene would come back, that he would tell her that her mother had got it all wrong. After a while, though, Rapunzel stopped looking completely. Even Pascal ceased trying to coax her outside.
Gothel, while silently rejoicing that Rapunzel had given up her desire to go outside, was somewhat concerned about her adopted daughter. The girl had stopped painting, and all she did was robotically go through her chores and spend her days either staring at the small purple flag from the festival or doing different things to her hair, from brushing it to washing it to braiding it, even when it was perfectly straight and smooth.
I was so stupid, Rapunzel thought to herself, over and over. She had allowed herself to fall in love with a man who probably loved himself more than anything.
That I'm not a princess; this ain't a fairy tale
I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet,
Lead her up the stairwell
This ain't Hollywood; this is a small town
I was a dreamer before you went and let me down
Now it's too late for you and your white horse
To come around
Rapunzel eventually started to get better. She tried to forget about the handsome, dashing young thief that had climbed in her tower window. Of course, that was impossible, but she soon found that there were extended periods of time when she didn't think about him. Rapunzel even found ways to be happy again, but she never picked up her paints again.
She used to dream about being away from the tower. She dreamed about the wonderful world that was surely waiting for her, if she would only take a step towards it. But Eugene had dashed all those hopes. No more did she dream about the world, for she knew that her mother was right all along. The world was selfish and cruel, and it had no place for her.
Maybe I was naïve, got lost in your eyes
And never really had a chance
My mistake, I didn't know to be in love
You had to fight to have the upper hand
Three months passed, and Rapunzel still thought about Eugene. How could she have been so naïve? He had come into her life without warning, and he had left it just as quickly. What had possessed her to think that she could trust him? He was a thief! Heck, when she first met him, she didn't even know his real name.
He had been so handsome, so smooth with his words when he wanted to be. Eugene could make her laugh one minute and have her on the verge of tears the next. No, it was best that he was gone. She only had to put up with it for two days, and that was more than enough.
I had so many dreams about you and me
Happy endings; now I know
She remembered that night in the woods with Eugene. That night, she had had at least ten different dreams, all of them happy endings involving Eugene. It ranged from him living with her and her mother, to her living with him, to her mother moving her out of the tower to be near him.
Rapunzel sighed as she sat down on her bed one day. She was so stupid to believe that anything could've happened between her and Eugene; he was a thief who loved only himself and money. She was a girl raised in a tower who knew nothing of the world and its deceptions.
That I'm not a princess; this ain't a fairytale
I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet,
Lead her up the stairwell
This ain't Hollywood; this is a small town
I was a dreamer before you went and let me down
Now it's too late for you and your white horse
To come around
The night before her nineteenth birthday, Rapunzel had a dream about Eugene. He had come back to the tower, and he was apologizing profusely.
And there you are on your knees
Begging for forgiveness, begging for me
Just like I always wanted,
But I'm so sorry
Eugene got down on his knees and took her hands. "Rapunzel, please, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I was headstrong and stupid and I wasn't thinking straight. Please, come with me."
Rapunzel looked down at their interlocked hands. "A year ago, I would've given anything for you to say that." She directed her gaze at his eyes. "But it's too little, too late, Eugene. I'm sorry."
He stood up. "But, Rapunzel, I—"
"Good-bye…Flynn." The hurt in his eyes was indescribable. A year ago, Rapunzel would've done anything to make that hurt go away. Now, she felt only slight sympathy.
'Cause I'm not your princess; this ain't a fairytale
I'm gonna find someone, someday,
Who might actually treat me well
This is a big world; that was a small town,
There in my rearview mirror disappearing now
And it's too late for you and your white horse
To catch me now
Oh, try and catch me now
"Happy birthday, Rapunzel!" Gothel said cheerfully. Rapunzel smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I've got a nice surprise for you, Rapunzel."
"What is it, Mother?" she asked, genuinely curious.
Gothel held a box in front of her. Rapunzel opened it, and she gasped. Inside were her first ever pair of shoes. They matched her dress exactly.
"Oh, Mother, I love them!"
Gothel chuckled as Rapunzel hugged her. "If you like those, then you'll like what they're for."
"What?"
"This tower…it seems to be a bit…small. It's also old and worn out. The stones on the outside are coming loose. So, I found us a nice cottage a fair distance from here. It's nice and secluded, and I even put up a fence around our lawn. You'll love it there."
"We're moving?" Rapunzel exclaimed in delight.
"Yes, dear, so pack your things! We'll be leaving in a few hours."
Rapunzel ran upstairs and began putting her possessions in a large tote bag that her mother had given her. She almost grabbed her box of paints, but she decided against it. Now, she could finally be rid of the memories that plagued her every time she looked at the tower walls.
It's too late to catch me now