AN: I'm so glad that so many people read my first chapter! I did have someone ask a few questions in a review, so I'd like to clear them up now. Rapunzel and Eugene having separate rooms is sort of a headcannon of mine, I guess? Well, I just imagine the King as being very protective of his daughter and distrustful of Eugene, even though they're married, because he's a dad and that's what dads do. I also imagine that the Queen thinks he's being ridiculous, but also thinks his worry for their daughter is cute. And actually, most royals had their own bedrooms, historically, I believe as a show of wealth. I talked to my friend about it, and she's a lot more knowledgeable about it than I am. As for Eugene's title, I did some research but couldn't really find anything for this specific scenario. I've seen him called the "Prince Consort" in other fics, but couldn't find any information about that online. Keep in mind that he doesn't have a noble background and therefore doesn't have a title. Sir seems good enough for now. Anyways, thanks for the feedback and I can't wait to hear more! Enjoy chapter 2!
Coronation Day:
We awoke to a loud knock on the door, and one of the guards saying, "Princess, breakfast is served." She thanked the guard sleepily and rolled over to face me.
She gave me a small, sleepy smile with her eyes half open and said, almost in awe, "You didn't leave." But she didn't sound as if she minded too much.
"I was too weakened from my sickness to leave, my Princess," I said, feigning shame. "I should be punished for my crimes against your honor."
She giggled and closed her eyes, burying her face in my chest. "Lucky for you I am not in a punishing mood," she replied coyly, her voice slightly muffled.
"Well," I added, sliding down so that our eyes were level, "in that case maybe I deserve a reward for delivering you safely to your bed." I ran my hands along her waist, feeling the warmth of her skin through her much thinner nightgown. She shivered, but not from the cold, and moved her face closer to mine. Our noses touched and we shared the few breaths before she closed the gap and gave me the reward I desired, a slow, deep kiss.
I was kissing her back, hard, when she groaned and pulled away. "If we don't get dressed soon, breakfast will get cold." If I didn't know that we probably wouldn't get to eat again until the coronation dinner, I would have tried to convince her to skip breakfast. Reluctantly, we emerged from under the blankets and I headed for the door while Rapunzel picked out an outfit. I checked to make sure the guards were gone before opening the door and sliding through it. Before closing it silently behind me, however, I stole a glance through the crack just as she was beginning to pull her nightgown over her head, her long legs exposed. I closed the door then, because I knew that if I continued watching, neither of us would want to get dressed.
Back in my room, I changed out of last night's clothes and into the purple and blue shirt and pants that Rapunzel had packed for me. There was a lot of importance placed on what you wore in high society, most of which I didn't understand. For a man, you were to wear something that stated your status and title, which was very important. Being the princess's husband, I had a certain amount of status, but I did not have a title, so I didn't have to worry about high collars or tassels. Rapunzel had designed this outfit and had it made for me to wear on special occasions, but graciously based it off of my usual style. Still, as an ambassador of sorts for Corona, I had to wear their royal colors of purple and blue, and wear their golden sun symbol on my chest. The outfit, however, was not as bad as the shoes. They were like the tall boots I was used to wearing, but with much stiffer leather. And they pinched my toes horribly. I kept the necklace Rapunzel had given me around my neck.
Once I was ready and presentable, I left my room and waited outside of Rapunzel's door. Her mother had offered to have a maid sent with us to help Rapunzel dress in the morning, but she had declined, saying that she would rather dress herself. Judging from the frustrated grunts coming from inside, it seemed as if maybe that was not the case. Lightly, I knocked on the door and asked, "Need some help?"
"Please," she said, sounding defeated.
I entered the room to find her struggling with the laces of her corset. Unlike her usual clothing, this one laced in the back, and it was nearly impossible for her to tighten it properly. "So you want me to unlace this, right Goldie?" I joked, teasing her by lightly running my finger across the exposed skin at the base of her neck.
She giggled cutely, but sighed and said my name in that lightly scolding manner that drove me nuts. I acted like the gentleman I was supposed to and tightened the laces of the corset, asking her several times if it was too tight. When it was properly adjusted, I tied the laces at the small of her back. She turned around and thanked me with a kiss.
When I finally released her, she looked me up and down. "I knew that would look good on you!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands happily. "You look positively dashing," she said, taking on the tone of a socialite.
I bent over in a low, exaggerate bow. "Why thank you, your highness. And may I say that you look absolutely radiant?" And wow, she really did. Of course, I though she looked lovely in anything she wore, but this dress flowed over her body so elegantly that it could not be worn by anyone but her. I offered my elbow to her, "Shall I escort you to breakfast, Princess?" She giggled and linked her arm through mine, and we walked side by side as we made our way to the dining room.
After eating a quick breakfast, Rapunzel dragged me off the boat and onto solid ground. Though the guards were wary of me, it seemed that they trusted me enough to look after her in town and didn't follow. She'd only seen a small part of Arendelle the previous day, since she had been too lonely to explore all of it without me. The King and Queen had been right; there was a slight chill in the summer air that we usually only experienced in late fall. I was grateful for the long sleeves of my shirt, but was worried Rapunzel might be cold. No matter how many times I asked, however, and despite the light goose bumps on her arms, she swore that she was fine in her short sleeved dress.
Amazingly, Rapunzel had already made friends in the town. She chatted with the woman who had sold her the medicine, and she introduced me to the glass blower and urged me to show him my necklace. I guess it shouldn't have been shocking to me how easily she spoke to strangers, or how trusting she was, but it did worry me. I knew better than anyone that not all people in the world would be so nice to a vulnerable princess. Even though she was feisty and could hold her own, she was small and naïve. The guards irritated me, but I was glad that she'd had an escort the previous day.
The town of Arendelle was about the size of Corona, and was bustling with energy. It had been years since their King and Queen had died in a horrible accident, and so the town was excited for Elsa's rule to begin. Everywhere, people were hanging decorations and travelers from other cities were arriving on horseback and by boat.
She pulled me all over the town, jumping excitedly and urging me to hurry up. I kept up as best as I could, and really, I would be content to follow her for the rest of my life if she would have me. I don't think that my former self could have imagined a life like this. An orphan in a cold, dirty orphanage does not know love, and I had begun to think that it didn't exist when they dumped me on the streets the day I turned sixteen. I was forced to steal, and I was chased and cursed at by the townspeople until my skin grew so thick that their words couldn't hurt me. I did not believe in trust or love until I met Rapunzel.
From the moment I first saw her, tied up in her hair and with narrow ambitions, I had been enamored by her large eyes and soft features, her quirky habits and her easy manner of speaking. I didn't believe in love until I was falling for her beside a campfire, until I was showing her around the city of Corona, unaware that she was the lost princess. I didn't believe in love until I was in it, and I was stuck for good. Rapunzel, in her amazing way, had changed me into someone I was proud of. She had known I was a thief, yet looked at me without judgment and accepted me completely. And then she showed me a whole side of life that I didn't know was possible – love and family and happiness.
I stopped walking and she jerked to a halt as well, her hand in mine. "What –" she began, but was cut off when I pulled her to me and wrapped her tightly in my arms. She didn't protest and wrapped her small arms around my torso, confused but still open. I pressed my face into her hair, inhaling the smell of her and trying to memorize it.
After a few moments passed, she pulled away slightly though our arms were still securely around one another. She looked straight into my eyes, a small smile on her lips as if to calm me. "What's wrong?" She asked me seriously, removing a hand from my waist to place it on my cheek.
"Nothing," I breathed, "is wrong. Nothing is wrong at all. Everything is right and I just…I just had to take a minute to remind myself how lucky I am to have you."
She smiled shyly at my words, her cheeks flushing a slight pink. "And what about me?" She asked. "I would be still trapped in that tower without you."
"Rapunzel, I love you," I whispered, bending my face down towards hers.
"I love you more," she replied with a bright smile, stretching up on her toes towards me. I doubted she knew the full extent of my feelings but accepted it anyways, closing the gap between us and kissing her firmly.
We were jarred apart when a sudden, loud ringing began in the town square. People hurried out from every building, shouting excitedly, "It's time!" Rapunzel brightened and kissed me on the cheek before grabbing my hand and pulling me back through town. We approached the castle of Arendelle, enclosed in a mob of hundreds of people. The massive doors of the palace slowly opened, pulled by their palace guards clad in silver armor.
Rapunzel was babbling excitedly beside me, talking so quickly that I almost missed most of it. She was excited to meet her cousins, that much was clear. Her family in Corona was supportive and loving, but the idea of expanding it to include the two princesses of Arendelle thrilled her. She was excited, but also nervous. Would they like her? Was her dress appropriate? Would they be nice to her? Would there be delicious food at the party?
I chuckled and bent down close to her so she could hear me clearly above the crowd. "Calm down, Blondie, everything will be fine." I knew the nickname didn't really fit her now that her hair had turned brown, but old habits die hard. Years after that fateful day, I was still calling her that, and she didn't seem to mind.
"I knowwwww," she groaned emphatically. She stopped bouncing up and down, but her excitement was still palpable. Mixed with the infectious electric excitement of the town and the visiting nobles, her energy seemed almost normal. Almost.
As soon as the huge doors were finally opened, a girl came rushing out. She ran out into the crowd, utterly oblivious to the stares and strangers. She had auburn hair with a white streak in it, pulled back into a braided bun, and she wore a traditional style dress that was green and black with painted trim.
"Is that her?" Rapunzel wondered, much like the others around us. It seemed from the conversations around me that very few had met the mysterious sisters of Arendelle. Even before the death of their parents, the castle had remained closed off and today, the doors were being opened for the first time in forever.
The girl approached us and Rapunzel raised a hand to wave hello, but she didn't seem to notice and instead kept moving. Rapunzel seemed a little hurt by it, so I placed my arm around her shoulders to comfort her. She turned her head to smile at me before we followed the crowd in through the palace gates. Palace guardsmen led the guests with invitations into a chapel where the coronation was going to take place, and the two of us took a seat in the middle where we could have a good view. Up front, people were busy setting things up and the guests were chatting excitedly.
A man with red hair and rather unfortunate mutton chop sideburns sat down beside us. Mainly, he sat beside Rapunzel, after giving her a head to toe look I did not appreciate. He was wearing a white jacket that was much too clean and pristine for him to be anything but a high ranking noble, and the curt look he gave me suggested he had his own opinions about me. Rapunzel didn't seem to notice and instead engaged him in conversation.
"Isn't this exciting?" She asked, bright and bubbly as usual.
"Oh yes," he responded politely, thought it seemed to me that he was putting on an act. "I'm very…interested to meet the new queen."
"Me too!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "She and her sister are actually my cousins, but I haven't met them yet!"
"Is that so?" The man replied, taking interest – too much, if you ask me. "Then am I correct to presume that you are the lost princess of Corona?"
"Yes! My name is Rapunzel, and this is my husband Eugene," she chirped, gesturing to me. At the word "husband," the man's expression seemed to change, though he was much too confusing to read completely. I waved and gave him a look that I hoped said, That's right, jerk. Now keep your eyes off her. From his reaction, I assumed it had been successful.
"A pleasure, Princess Rapunzel. I am Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Regretfully, the news of your return reached me before the news of your marriage. Congratulations." He seemed polite enough, but the deeper undertone in his voice revealed that it was all pleasantries that society expected of him, and that he did not actually care.
"Nice to meet you as well, and thank you," she responded politely, but seemed to know that the conversation was over. I placed my arm around her shoulders and she settled closer to me just as the ceremony began.
A hush fell over the crowd as a woman emerged from behind a curtain. She was tall and slender, with hair white as snow and icy blue eyes. Frankly, I thought she looked kind of scary, but Rapunzel gasped in awe when she saw her.
"She's gorgeous!" Rapunzel whispered to me.
I nodded slightly, and then replied in her ear, "She looks terrified." Rapunzel nodded.
The ceremony began with a priest reading a passage from a large, gold plated book. The Queen-to-be stood there staring at nothing, so nervous it seemed like she wasn't paying attention. She jerked in surprise when the ceremonial scepter and globus cruciger were given to her. After a few more words, the ceremony was complete, and the crowd applauded. By the time we were done, however, she had handed the ceremonial objects back and run out through the back.
Not too long after, Rapunzel and I ended up in the palace for the party. In my opinion, it was some party, rivaled only by the celebration after Rapunzel's return. There had to be hundreds of people packed into the large ballroom, so many that Rapunzel seemed overwhelmed by it all. We partook in some of the delicious food at a table with some nice nobles from other cities. They all seemed completely charmed by Rapunzel, but who could blame them? They all chatted about the coronation ceremony and the new Queen, who was standing awkwardly at the far end of the room beside her red haired sister. The conversation was interesting, but I was becoming a little bored of it as I sipped my second champagne.
When there was a convenient lull in the conversation, I stood up and turned to my wife. "My lady, may I have this dance?" I asked in a faked accent with a low, theatrical bow, offering my hand to her.
Rapunzel took my hand and giggled, "But of course, good sir!" She stood and I led her to the dance floor. I wasn't particularly fond of dancing, but I was eager for an opportunity to have her to myself.
We danced for a while and I tried hard not to trip over my two left feet. I was a horrendous dancer, but Rapunzel didn't seem to mind. I just wanted to enjoy the feeling of her hand in mine and my other hand on her waist, spinning in circles and being the only person in a crowd of people that she had eyes for. More than I wanted her to be mine, I delighted in being hers. She could have her pick of any prince in the world, but she chose me. Granted, all the princes I had met so far were snobs, but they sure did have money and looks. I could joke and pretend to have an ego all I wanted, but I couldn't deny that I never felt deserving of her attention.
"Something wrong?" She asked, and it was then that I realized I had been frowning. I offered her a light smile instead.
"Nothing at all," I said, and it was true. So maybe I didn't feel like I deserved her. Maybe there were a thousand men more suitable for her than me. I couldn't let myself care. She wanted me beside her, and that was all I needed.
We took a break from dancing to have some punch and stand away from the dance floor. We were closer to the front of the room, where Queen Elsa and her sister stood and greeted guests. I could tell Rapunzel wanted to talk to them, but was too nervous to approach.
"You okay?" I questioned, placing a hand on her waist.
She paused for a while before answering, wringing her hands together. She looked up at me with wide eyes and replied, "What if they don't like me?"
I sighed and kissed her on the top of her head. "Of course they'll like you, Goldie. Everyone likes you."
She smiled a little, but the anxiety stayed with her. I took her small hand in mine to comfort her, and we slowly made our way towards the two princesses.
"Hello!" The younger sister said lightly when we reached them.
"Hello," Rapunzel responded, "Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. I'm Rapunzel of Corona."
The sisters exchanged a look. The new Queen smiled a tight, reserved smile, while her sister leapt forward excitedly and took Rapunzel's hands in hers. "Cousin, it's so good to finally meet you! I was so excited when I received word that you were coming. And of course we were very happy at the news of your return to Corona!"
Just like that, Rapunzel's anxiety left her and she smiled at the excitable princess. The relation between the two was obvious, much more so than the relation to her own sister, who had yet to say a word.
"It's nice to meet you too! Your kingdom is so lovely; thank you for inviting us!" The princess released Rapunzel from her grasp and she turned to the Queen.
"Elsa," the princess stage whispered, "won't you greet our cousin?"
Elsa jolted at the sound of her name, but quickly regained her composure. "Yes, forgive me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Rapunzel. Thank you for coming to Arendelle to see us." Rapunzel extended her hand to Elsa for a handshake, but the Queen took a step backwards and clenched her hands together.
Rapunzel recovered from the rejection quickly and turned to me. "Cousins, I would like you to meet my husband, Eugene." She took my hand as I stood beside her.
I bowed politely to the Queen and Princess. "Pleasure to meet you, ladies."
"I had no idea you were married," Anna squealed excitedly. "You two are so cute!"
Beside me, Rapunzel blushed red and thanked her cousin. I could tell that Queen Elsa was feeling anxious from all the attention, and so I politely excused us.
As soon as we were out of earshot from her cousins, Rapunzel pulled me aside asked, "Do you think they liked me?" She seemed happier now after meeting them, but still doubtful.
"Yes, I'm sure they did. Did you see the way Anna acted? Now stop worrying and let's have some fun," I soothed her, bending down for a kiss.
She looked down at her hands, still unsure. "But what about Elsa? She was so…cold."
I felt bad that Rapunzel had been rejected, but there was little I could do to change it, unfortunately. "She was probably just nervous. She's been acting like that all night, you know? And she did become queen today – just think of the pressure she must be under."
That seemed to make her feel better. "You're right. I'll probably feel the same when I'm in her shoes."
We turned back to the dance floor just in time to see Anna being led out by that creep from the coronation, Prince Hans. Maybe it had been the way he looked at Rapunzel, maybe it was something else, but I just didn't trust the guy. I hoped that I was wrong and that Rapunzel's cousin would be safe.
We danced, ate, and met more people for a few more hours before Rapunzel began yawning and I started to feel a little tipsy. I put my arm around her as we headed for the doors, but we were stopped by a palace butler.
"Princess Rapunzel?" He asked. She nodded sleepily. "Queen Elsa would like to invite you and your escort to stay in one of the castle guestrooms, if you so wish." I snorted at the word "escort." It made me sound like some kind of accessory. Rapunzel gave me a look, so I didn't say anything.
"That sounds lovely," she said gratefully. It would be nice to spend a night off of that wretched ship, give the guards some time off, and have some time off from them. Mostly, I was attracted to the idea of my bed not moving every time the water did.
"Right this way, your highness," the butler said, before bowing and leading us out of the ballroom. Just as we had left the room, there came the sound of shouting, and then screaming. Elsa emerged from the ballroom, terrified, and rushed past us, her sister close behind.
"Elsa, wait!" Anna shouted, chasing helplessly after her. Moments after they passed us, a large mob of people emerged from the ballroom, shouting all sorts of atrocities after the Queen. We had missed whatever had happened, but from the angry and frightened shouts of "Monster!" I could tell it was nothing good. I exchanged a look with Rapunzel, who was now alert and awake.
Desperately, Rapunzel reached out and grabbed the arm of a woman just ahead of us. "Please," she begged, "what happened?"
The woman turned to us, looking terrified. "The princess and queen were arguing, when suddenly the queen threw ice at her!"
I felt my eyebrows knit in confusion. "She threw ice?" That hardly seemed worthy of chasing a young girl away from her home.
Another woman chimed in, explaining, "The ice, it came from her hands! It was witchcraft!"
A surge of people pushed through the ballroom doors, causing Rapunzel to be swept away from me. I shoved people aside to catch up to her, finally grabbing her wrist and pulling her aside once I was close enough.
"We have to go after them," she shouted, panicked. "Something's wrong, I just know it!"
I placed both hands on her shoulders and spoke calmly to her. "There's no point. Everyone is chasing after her and it will only cause her to run faster. Leave it to the princess to talk to her."
"But I want to help!" She protested, her hands falling helplessly to her sides.
"It's not our place," I countered. She hung her head sadly. I removed a hand from one of her shoulders and placed it under her chin, tipping her face up towards mine. "Hey," I said quietly, trying to get her to look me in the eye. "It's gonna be alright. Maybe we can do something to help, but from here."
"Can we at least go outside to see what's happening?"
I obliged, following her out through the castle doors and into frigid air. Judging by the shock of the people scattered around the atrium, this was not a normal temperature drop. As soon as we stepped out into the air, Rapunzel became rigid with cold and shivered back against me. I closed my arms around her, trying to provide some warmth.
There were dozens of people in the open space, but many were hurrying back inside the castle for protection from the cold. There was ice everywhere, leaving a trail from the doors to the castle gates and out into the town. A large water fountain was completely frozen, ice jutting out in all angles like sharp daggers. Rapunzel spotted Anna a small distance away, talking hurriedly with Prince Hans and a few palace guards. Rapunzel tugged me forward, urging us over towards her cousin.
"I'm going after her," Princess Anna proclaimed, grabbing the reins of a horse and climbing onto its back. She left the kingdom in the hands of the detestable Prince before riding off on her horse, Rapunzel calling after her to no avail.
Just like that, both of the princesses were gone. Thankfully, my princess was safely tucked in my arms, and I pulled her back inside of the castle. She went willingly, too vulnerable to the cold to argue. Just before we reentered the castle, snow started falling from the sky. Rapunzel gazed upwards, blinking away snowflakes, before darting inside.
The butlers and guards of the castle were in a frenzy, and the guests were running about in panic. I pulled Rapunzel off to the side and tried desperately to calm her shivering, rubbing my hands up and down her arms. Eventually she simply collapsed against me, her arms tucked against my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her. After a while, her violent shivering calmed and stopped, and her previous exhaustion began to return.
Conveniently, the butler from before returned to us with two thick blankets and two large jackets, and bowed apologetically. "I beg your pardon, dear guests, but we are trying to get everyone situated for the night. Due to the, erm, unexpected weather, travel will be impossible. The Queen's previous offer still stands, but because of the excess of guests staying in the castle, we can only offer you one room. I hope that will suffice, and am deeply sorry."
"That's fine," I said, speaking up for Rapunzel who only turned her face away from my chest to give the butler a weak but thankful smile.
"Please follow me this way," he said, before striding off so quickly that we were stumbling to keep up. When we finally reached our room, the butler showed us inside and placed the extra blankets and jackets neatly on the bed. There was a small fireplace tucked against a wall, and the butler started a small fire for us, which soon filled the room with flickering light and warmth. We thanked him as he was leaving, and he simply bowed in response before closing the door silently behind him.
I guided Rapunzel over to the bed where she sat with her hands folded helplessly in her lap. I busied myself with draping the thick jackets over a chair and spreading the mismatched blankets onto the bed. When she didn't move at all in the few minutes that passed, I started to worry and sat beside her, draping an arm around her shoulders.
"It'll be alright," I whispered into her ear, even though I wasn't sure what would happen or if the sisters would return safely from the frigid cold. But I wanted to make her feel better, and it was all I could offer. I massaged her shoulders with both hands and she began to loosen up, leaning heavily against me. "Let's get some sleep, okay Blondie?"
She smiled a small smile and nodded slightly. I helped her remove her corset and elaborate dress, leaving her shivering in just her underclothes. She climbed under the many covers while I removed my boots and shirt, leaving my pants and undershirt on for warmth. I hurried to join her and we curled against each other under the blankets, huddling together until our body heat filled the space beneath them. Rapunzel fell asleep easily, already so exhausted. I lay awake, however, able only to watch her snooze beside me in the dark.
Her worry for her cousins had transferred to me, and I wondered what might happen. I wished we had been able to see what had happened, and I wondered if these "powers" that Elsa seemed to possess were anything like the ones Rapunzel had had before I cut her hair. If that was the case, where had they come from? After doing research, we had discovered that Rapunzel's powers had come from a magic flower that had been used to heal her dying mother. Maybe there was something like that here, too? I fretted long into the night while Rapunzel slept peacefully. The guards and butlers and maids were all scurrying about in the hallway, trying to make sure everyone was settled and accounted for.
At one point, voices outside of our door woke her and she stirred, groaning and rubbing her eyes. I stroked her hair and urged her back to sleep.
"Have you been awake all this time?" She asked in her cute, rough half-asleep voice. She lifted her head from where it had rested on my stomach and blinked up at me in the darkness. I had shifted to prop myself up against the headboard of the bed, but tried my best not to disturb her. She had been so tired that not even the jostling of my movement had awoken her, my sleeping beauty.
"It doesn't matter," I said softly. "Go back to sleep."
"Come with me," she whined, tugging at my shirt until I slid to lay down beside her. She sighed and put her head on my shoulder, then pulled the blankets up to her chin. She fell back into sleep quickly, and her light snoring was so soothing that I soon followed her into slumber.