"Belle, wait up!"
Rapunzel picked up her skirts to catch up to Belle, who was tying a scarf over her head.
"What's up, Rapunzel?" Belle asked.
"Do you know about the lantern festival?" Rapunzel asked, getting straight to the point.
"Yeah!" Belle said. "That's always a fun day, if you can go."
"Have you been?"
"When I'm off work, yeah. I haven't been in a few years, though."
"What do you know about it?" Rapunzel pressed.
Belle shrugged, not understanding the urgency with which Rapunzel pursued this question. "It's an annual festival. People will write their loved ones' name on a lantern. Any loved one – significant other, family, friends. Multiple if you so choose. You don't have to, like, pick a favorite kid or whatever. Then all at once, we let them go up into the air and they look really beautiful being sent up like that."
"Oh," Rapunzel sighed dreamily. "Is there any good place to watch it from the castle?"
Belle shook her head. "No, not really. You may spot a few stray lanterns but you're not going to get the full show. I've tried to watch it from the palace before, and so have a few other servants, but it never really works out that way."
Rapunzel deflated, like her light had been blown out.
…
Belle almost didn't want to admit it, but she was excited to go to the bookstore today. She wasn't sure when she started feeling this way, but she didn't really mind it. She liked going through the novels with Adam, and discussing their favorite books and stories, and why they liked them. She felt a bit ashamed now for having thought that he was such a beast.
She pushed open the door excitedly, letting the bell ring in order to announce her arrival. She looked around the shop - where was Adam?
"Adam?" she called out, stepping in and pulling the scarf off her hair and shaking it out.
There was no response.
"Hello?"
Again, there was nothing.
Curious, Belle went further into the store, looking behind the counter. He wasn't crouching there but, then again, she really wasn't expecting him to be. She poked her way around the shop, behind the shelves, and around the reading nook. He wasn't in the shop.
She moved to the back of the store, to the door she was told not to go into. She knocked, just once. "Adam?" she asked.
There was no response. Maybe there was something wrong with him! Wasn't this where he lived? Hadn't something happened to his house? Concerned but curious, she pushed open the door.
There was a little cot bed, all made up, and an endtable beside it. There was a shelf of books up above his headboard, and a candlestick besides them. He had a desk with papers all over it, and Belle looked down at them. She expected them to be invoices and forms for the shop, but that wasn't what it was.
She stifled a gasp, giggling a little. It was poetry! She never would've guessed that Adam was the kind of man to write poetry, of all things, but here it was! Swirling language about roses and love and pining and-
"What are you doing?"
Belle spun around, clutching the poem. Adam stood in front of her, holding a basket of groceries.
Belle had to fight another giggle. "Nothing, sorry-"
"I told you never to go in here!"
Belle balked back. Only now, when he was yelling, did she realize how much larger he was than her, and how much stronger. "I-"
"That was my only instruction! I'm not here and you barge into my office, my personal space!" Adam threw the groceries onto the ground. "What is wrong with you?" he roared.
"I'm sorry, I was just looking for you!"
Adam zeroed in on the paper she was holding. "What are you doing? What are you holding?"
"Nothing, I-"
Adam swiped the paper out of her hand,confirming his thoughts. "You're rifing through my things too? Does privacy mean nothing to you?" he balled up the paper and threw it.
"I didn't mean any harm!"
"Go!" Adam yelled. "Get out!"
Belle slipped out of the room, but stopped only a few feet of him. "Adam, listen to me!" she said, summoning all the bravery she had.
"Get out!"
"I'm sorry, okay! I didn't mean to invade your office, or poke around!"
"That's exactly what you did!"
"But I didn't mean any harm by it! I thought you were maybe still sleeping, or working, and I just wanted to find you! I didn't want to hurt anything!"
"That room wasn't for you to see!"
"I know you're upset, but you need to control your temper!" Belle insisted. "I'm sorry, I mean it! I know what I did wasn't right, but I don't deserve to be yelled at like that!"
Only then, did Adam notice the tears in her eyes. His shoulders slumped forward a bit, and he looked around him. "Okay. Okay." he said slowly. I won't yell at you again."
"I promise not to go into your office again." Belle said slowly. "Can we...can we just start today over."
Adam nodded slowly, stooping to pick up the groceries and place them back into the basket. Belle got down and helped, and the two worked in silence, until Adam held out a slightly-crushed pastry.
"I had gotten this for you." he said, softly.
…
Philip knew that Aurora would be out in the garden. Whenever she wasn't in the castle - that's where she was. Especially when the sun was setting. And when she was in the castle she'd either be in her study, working with her tutor, with her parents, resting in the pink parlor, or in her bedroom. Her days were busy, but always formulaic.
He had returned from town with a little surprise, and knew it was a little time-sensitive.
"Aurora!" he called out, seeing blonde curls. She spun around a smiled a little, giving him a wave.
He moved up the hill quickly, still holding his surprise behind his back.
"What is that?" Aurora asked, trying to peer behind him.
"Hey, hey. Stop checking me out." Philip teased, taking a step back.
Aurora flushed a little, but continued. "Well, you're hiding something."
"I am!" Philip said. "I've been trying to learn more about your country and everything, and I heard of a festival tonight, so…" he pulled out a smallish lantern from behind his back and smiled as he handed it over.
"Oh, Philip. That's so sweet of you!" Aurora smiled, examining it. "Where'd you get it?"
"I made it."
Aurora felt her heart swell and she didn't know why. "I don't think anyone's ever made me something!" she laughed a little. "Well," she rolled her eyes. "Rapunzel painted a lot of murals all over my walls, but I didn't really want to look at them. It was a lot of lizards, and I don't really understand them. They seem shifty."
"Lizards?"
"And salamanders." Aurora nodded. "Too slippery." she shook her head. "But that's not the point. Thank you so much!" she used her free arm to hug him and he wrapped both arms around her waist. She politely kissed his cheek as she pulled away from him. "I haven't been to the festival in forever."
"Well, I'd like to see as much of the town as I can!" Philip said excitedly. "Once you come see Eric's land, I'll be sure to show you around. I'm sure you'll spend the summer there, or something. The people will want to meet you."
Aurora looked down at the ground, willing herself to keep it together. To not cry, not here, not now.
"Are you okay? Did I say something?" Philip asked, trying to catch her eye.
"It's fine. I'm being a ninny." Aurora sniffled and looked back up at him.
"No, I'm sure you aren't. Tell me what's wrong, please." Philip said.
"It's just a lot of change, very quickly." Aurora said. She couldn't possibly tell him the whole truth, or the extent of her fears.
"I'm sure. I can't imagine the position you're in."
Aurora laughed a little. No, he really couldn't. "But I'll be fine. It'll be fine. So soon I'll be free of my curse, and have my kingdom strengthened. What more could a princess want?"
Philip paused a beat. "Well, if you think of something, let me know."
...
"You've never read it, don't even try-"
"Belle, I've read almost every book here."
"Well, you didn't understand it, then." Belle said, snatching the fairy tale book back.
"I understood it perfectly. They're not real."
"Of course they're not real-real." Belle rolled her eyes. "That doesn't mean they aren't important. That they don't mean something. If you understand enough fairy tales, you understand life. They have all the answers, I promise."
Adam looked up through the window at the lowering sun, and down at Belle, who was leaned up against him and surrounded by books. "What are you doing tonight?" he asked her.
"Huh?" she looked up at him.
He smiled a little. "Did you have plans for this evening?"
"I don't think so." Belle said, her answer trailing off.
"The lantern festival is tonight. Would you want to go?"
Belle smiled a little. "I think I'd like that a lot."
...
Rapunzel had never felt so moony, sulking about the castle. She wondered if she would be missed if she left, just for an hour. She wondered if it'd be possible for her to find her way into town by herself. Sighing, she leaned her head out the window, and looked into the gardens, where -
Wait a minute.
Rapunzel squinted her eyes and leaned a bit more - the sun was starting to dip low in the sky, was this a trick?
"Hey!" she yell-hissed. "Hey!"
The man whipped around, proving himself to be exactly who Rapunzel thought he was - the thief from the ball!
"You! Come here!"
The thief looked at an escape route, then plodded over to her. "What?" he said, with a more annoyed tone than anyone had ever dared to speak to her in.
"You're back!"
"Yeah?"
"Why?" Rapunzel pressed.
"I'm sorry, is this an immigration stop? Why the 4th degree?"
"5th degree."
"I said what I said."
"I wouldn't get to salty with me, Mr. Flynn."
"It's just Flynn." he said flatly.
"You know I'm a princess, right?"
"That's so wild, I'm an earl."
"I mean it!" she insisted, but noticed him laughing.
"Yes, princess, I know who you are. Believe me." Flynn said.
"And this is my house, did you know that?"
"Just you? That's a lot of space for one person."
"My point IS that I know you're not allowed to be here."
"So?"
"So, I have the power to tell the king and queen that you were here, and they'd put up posters for your arrest."
"You're gonna narc on me?"
"I don't want to." Rapunzel said honestly, trying to play her cards as best as she could.
"What are you trying to do here?" Flynn asked.
"I need someone to take me into town."
"Don't you have, like, a million servants?"
"Who can get me out secretly and back before anyone notices I'm gone."
"Are you not allowed to leave?"
"Yes and no. But you're not in a position to be asking me questions." Rapunzel said. "I want to see the floating lanterns."
"The festival?" Flynn confirmed.
"Yes!" Rapunzel said, smiling brightly. "If you can get me there and back safely, then I won't tell anyone you were here."
Flynn knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that would afford him everything he wanted, if he could only find the strength to bring her into harm's way. He stuck out his hand. "Deal!"
"Wonderful!" Rapunzel smiled naively.
"The sun is going to set in less than an hour - we should head in now. Flynn said, reaching up to help her climb out the window.
…
"You've gotta see this!" Ariel said, her smile shining as she pushed open Eric's bedroom door.
Eric looked up from his journal. "What?" he said, putting his quill down.
"Come outside, come outside!" Ariel said, bouncing lightly.
"What?!" Eric said, but he stood up and slipped into his boots and followed Ariel as she scuttled out of the room and down the hall. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see! I found these months ago, I completely forgot about them until people were talking about the lanterns-"
"Lanterns?"
"Yes! We can only go at night, but it's better to make your way down there with some daylight so hurry, hurry, hurry!" Ariel said excitedly.
"What lanterns?"
"This is better than lanterns!" Ariel promised. "But there's this festival in town, we usually don't go, it's more of a peasant thing, but they light up all of these lanterns and send them into the sky."
"Okay, then where are we going?" Eric asked.
"Awfully strange for you to keep questioning me, the princess."
"I'm a prince!"
"Okay, I didn't ask?" Ariel said, running outside.
Eric smiled and followed her out, as they went down to the beach and out along the shore.
"Do I get a hint?" Eric asked.
"No. Okay, yes. They're not lanterns, but they glow."
"Are we going into these caves?" Eric asked as they approached.
"Yes, and they're full of water and mud, so I'd take off your jacket." Ariel said, fiddling with the buttons on the front of her dress.
"What?" Eric said, looking at her as she slipped her dress off her shoulders and stepped out of it.
"Your jacket. Whatever we wear in there is probably going to be ruined. The cave isn't exactly clean, but it's worth it."
"Okay." Eric looked down at the ground as he took off his jacket. He had to be polite. He shouldn't gawk at her like a child looking in the window of a shop. He tried to not think about how smooth her skin looked, or think about what it must be like to touch her. He took a deep breath in and tried to make his mind go blank, and pulled his shirt up over his head.
He looked up at her again, and she was staring right at him, her mouth parted, only slightly. She gave him a small smile, and pulled up her foot, fiddling with the laces on her shoes and wobbling a bit.
"Here," Eric said, looking for any excuse to get close to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her and she leaned into him, undoing one shoe, and then the other.
Ariel put both feet back on the ground and looked up at him. He wished he could tell what she was thinking, or if she knew what he was. His arm was still around her waist and, so gently, she placed her hand on his side. He could barely feel her, but her skin was cool like a breeze. Her skin was so pink - in her cheeks, on her shoulders, her lips. She was pressed up against him in only her slip and corset - he had never been this close to any girl before.
"Are you ready?" she asked, too quiet to be intentional. They were completely alone.
"For what?" Eric asked, feeling very stupid as she giggled.
"For the caves, silly." she said, pulling away and grabbing his hand to tug him along.
Eric groaned but smiled back at her. He had forgotten all about the caves, instead fighting the urge to crash her up against him, to feel her as close as she could be, to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her like he meant it.
"Yes, let's go." he said.
...
Rapunzel didn't know why she trusted Flynn so much. She hardly knew him. But then again, she hardly knew anyone but her family. Maybe she was just looking for someone to trust. He certainly seemed like someone who was supposed to be in her life - he showed up enough. And he had had plenty of opportunities to hurt her, but he didn't.
Not to mention, she was the safest sister of all. She always had her healing hair - Aurora and Ariel had to just hope she was around. If Rapunzel were to prick or cut herself, it would be only a song until she was as good as new. She was terrifyingly aware of this.
But as her time with Flynn went on, during their circuitous walk to town, she became less and less aware of this. She thought not of her curse, her sisters, or the castle. Tonight was a night for her - a chance to see the lanterns.
"So, Flynn, tell me about yourself."
Flynn seemed to have no issue with this question. "Well to be honest, princess, I was surprised you hadn't heard of me before. I'm a notorious adventureror. I've been through valleys, up mountains. Did you hear of the time I-"
Rapunzel wasn't stupid - she knew he was lying.
"-so that's when I looked that baboon in the eyes. And I said "baboon, it's just you and me-"
But he was still funny, and fun to listen to.
"-of course I hadn't accounted for the Chief, and his many, many spears-"
Rapunzel giggled as he made the story more and more outrageous - she wasn't sure if he was doing it to make her laugh, or if he genuinely thought she was eating this all up. Regardless, it was clear he didn't have a lot of people to talk to.
"-it had 600 eyes, which is 598 more than I was used to seeing, so you could imagine the kind of stress I was under-"
Rapunzel looked up as the town began to present itself, in increasingly frequent homes and fenced-in areas. She had so seldom been into town, and it was usually for formal events where she and her sisters would be driven there, presented, and driven back.
"-so I said, porter? I don't even know her! This, of course, got me hit-"
This would be her first time going into town as a real person, and it was time to soak up as much as she could, while she could. She knew that it wasn't safe for her to leave the castle, and that this was a heck of a risk to take. Still, she knew in her heart that she couldn't spend every day of her life in that palace, waiting for emergencies that so seldom came.
"But that's just me. Anyway - what's your story, Blondie?"
Rapunzel smiled a little. "Blondie?"
"Too casual?"
"No, it's fine. I've just never gotten that before." she said. "I don't really have a story." she shrugged.
"Everyone has a story."
"Not me!" Rapunzel insisted. "My life is just normal, as normal as it can be, anyway."
"For a princess with 60 feet of hair, that seems hard to do."
"Keep your voice down!" Rapunzel insisted. "I'm hoping to not be recognized."
"Not gonna happen like this-" Flynn said, grabbing her as someone stepped on her hair, yanking her back. "We've gotta take care of this." He scanned around and located four schoolgirls braiding each other's hair. Flynn whistled and they looked up, gasping when they saw her hair.
"Could you help me out?" Rapunzel asked.
The girls nodded eagerly and ran over, braiding up Rapunzel's hair with enthusiasm until it rested just above the ground.
"Thank you so much!" Rapunzel said, spinning around. "It looks fantastic!"
"Here, what do you want to see? We've got some time before we have to get all situated for the festival."
Rapunzel gasped, never before having such possibility before her before. She dragged Flynn all around - into shops and gardens. She helped with a big chalk drawing, and joined in on dancing. A woman showed her how to play a quick few notes on a fiddle, and Rapunzel stopped by a flower cart and was given a handful of flowers, which Flynn carefully tucked into her hair.
"Thank you!" she said excitedly after he finished, spinning around.
Flynn gave a laugh with a half-smile. She spun again and one flower flew from her hair, seemed to glow for but a second, and settled on the ground. Flynn picked it up, and put it in his pocket.
"Punzie, have you been having a good time?" Flynn asked, feeling quite tender all of the sudden. He knew she didn't have much time left before he had to turn her over, and he at least wanted her to enjoy this.
"You have the oddest nicknames for me." Rapunzel said, grabbing his forearm and tugging him towards a cart full of apples. "But yes! I haven't had this much fun in ages."
"Are you sure you want to stay?" Flynn said, all of the sudden. She could go home, by herself, he could say she escaped.
Rapunzel furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"
"To the boats!" A voice called out.
"Oh!" Rapunzel said excitedly, grabbing his hand and tugging them both towards her fate.
...
"Where are we going to go watch the lights?" Belle asked.
Adam growled. "It's such a shame - the view from my house used to be so good. Unbeatable."
"Did you have to go up on the roof?"
"No, anywhere in the house would do. It was placed a bit up on a hill, in a perfect place."
"Is it far?" Belle asked.
"No, not really. Maybe a ten minute walk?"
"Could we go there anyway, then?"
Adam smiled at her for reasons she couldn't quite articulate. He didn't know how to feel at all right now. He loved spending time with Belle, he knew that. But people usually didn't spend much time around him in general, so it wasn't used to this at all! He didn't know what he was supposed to do, or say, or feel. Was this all normal, anyway?
And now he was bringing her to his house! He had never brought anyone there before - it was dilapidated and in poor shape, and he had left it for a reason. What if she felt sorry for him? Nothing could be worse than that, he didn't think.
The walk was quick, and mostly quiet, with Belle dreamily looking around the well-shaded path at the different trees and flowers.
"Here we are." Adam said quietly, showing her the dusty and dirty old house.
"Well, yes, that roof definitely needs to be fixed." Belle smiled up at him. "But the house has a beautiful soul. It's worth fixing."
Adam felt his heart swell and warm. "We can still be inside some parts, safely. Do you - do you want to see?" It felt strange to invite anyone into his life, but he didn't think Belle would run scared. She was tougher than that.
"Yes!" she said excitedly.
They went into the house through a side doorway, to a room that must've once been a fine library.
"I pack as many books as I can into the shop, of course." Adam said. "But I'm hoping to sell them in order to get more out of here. I'm terrified of a roof leak."
"I could keep some in the castle, if you want." Belle offered. "I know some hiding places - no one would take them."
"Do you mean it?" Adam said excitedly.
"Of course! I know how important books are, believe me." Belle said warmly, sitting down on a small couch.
Adam pulled out a few books. "You can have whichever you want, if any, of course." he said.
Belle gasped. "Any of them?"
"They're all yours. Even the ones in the shop. Whatever you want, Belle." he wanted to thank her, but he wasn't sure for what.
Belle jumped up excitedly, and threw her arms around him. When she pulled a bit away from him, Adam took the chance he didn't even know he was waiting for, and kissed her. Belle didn't even seem surprised, but pressed herself back up against him, kissing him back.
…
"Philip?" Aurora said, appearing in his doorway.
"Princess!" he exclaimed, sitting up quickly.
"Are you doing anything, right now?"
"Whatever you want to do."
Aurora smiled a little and looked down. "I was wondering if you wanted to come send the lantern up with me."
"That'd be wonderful!" Philip pulled his boots on quickly. "Where is it in town?"
Aurora shifted nervously a bit. "I don't know if going into town is such a good idea."
"Isn't that where the festival is?" Philip asked, genuinely confused.
"Well, yes. But you see, I am the princess. And everyone recognized me by this point."
"Ah."
"And to be out in town would draw attention, especially since," Aurora shifted her weight to a different foot. "You are not my intended."
"Oh…" Philip crossed his arms. He looked up her. "Do you want to go to town, though?"
"Well, yes, I want to, but-"
"What if you weren't Aurora - just for one evening?"
"What do you mean?" Aurora asked, stepping further into the room.
"What if we disguised you, to look like any ordinary girl? Put you in a maid's outfit and covered your hair." Philip walked over to her and pushed her hair off her shoulders, twisting it up. "Everyone will be too focused on themselves anyway, with just a bit of deception you can get away with it."
"Do you really think it would work?" Aurora asked, excited.
"I think it's certainly worth a try." Philip smiled down at her.
"Well, let's try it then!" Aurora said excitedly, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room.
…
"So," Eric said, making conversation to think about something, anything else besides how much he wanted to kiss this girl. "What's the deal with these caves?"
"Be careful, here, hold onto me." Ariel said, leaning forward and starting to scoot up a steep incline.
Eric reached for her hand.
"No, hold my waist." she said. "I need both hands - on to climb, one to make sure there's nothing weird in the way. It's hard to see here."
Eric groaned. She wasn't going to make this easy, was she? They moved onward and upwards together, until Ariel sat down suddenly, on a plateau.
"Here, scoot up!" Ariel said, tugging him up.
"Is there room?" Eric asked, already aware the answer was no.
"Okay, we'll figure this out." Ariel said, pulling him up and then sliding onto his lap. She put one hand on his shoulder, up by his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her, almost instinctually.
"Okay, now what?" Eric asked, feeling nervous but excited all at the same time.
"Lean back." she said, pushing her body up against him.
They fell back together, over the ledge. There was another jutting-out that met and supported Eric's head and shoulders, but the space between that and his hips was empty. Ariel shrieked excitedly and clung to him, wrapping one leg around his waist and using her free arm to grab his side. Eric clutched her to him, wondering if she had a death wish to fall down.
"Look up, look up!" she said excitedly, letting go of his side to point up at the very bright blue glow of…?
"What is it?" Eric asked.
"Glow Worms!" Ariel said excitedly. "They glow like lanterns, and burrow like prairie dogs. They're worms!"
Eric burst out laughing. "Worms?"
"Aren't they beautiful?" Ariel sighed.
Eric looked down at her, thrilled to pieces over these glowing worms. He squeezed her. "Yeah, they sure are."
…
Aurora laughed in a girlish way she had never been indulged to have. Philip tied her hair up in a bun and draped a scarf over her head and around her shoulders. She had changed into a maid's simple dress, discarding the rest of the uniform in order to not look too strange. Philip pulled the scarf forward to cover her bangs.
"Perfect." he said, smiling at her. "Now all you need is a common name."
"Something dramatic."
"Glenda Von Barnaby!"
"No, that's too fancy."
"Fancy is dramatic."
"Briar Rose." she said, spinning a bit. "What about that?"
"Well, Miss Briar Rose, commoner, may I escort you into town?" Philip offered his arm.
Aurora had a twinge of guilt for only a second. Shouldn't Eric be doing this? Where was he anyway? But she pushed that out of her head quickly. She was going into town with Philip, not walking down the aisle. And he was the one who brought her a lantern, not Eric. It would've been the proper thing to do.
"Please do." she smiled, taking his arm and exiting the castle.
...
Flynn rowed Rapunzel out to the middle of the harbor and leaned back, dropping the oars.
"I've never been in a gondola before." Rapunzel said excitedly.
"For a princess, you haven't done much."
"It's the hair." Rapunzel said, in a mood to open up tonight.
"What? We braided it up, it doesn't really stop you that much."
Rapunzel shook her head. "Not the length. I'm the only one who can heal my sisters if they get hurt."
"What?"
"I have healing capabilities. They work on everyone, but it's the only thing that works for my sisters."
"Okay…"
"You don't have to believe me."
But he did. How insane is that? He, Flynn, the man who lied for sport and profit, was being given a story more ridiculous than anything he himself had even come up with, but since it was coming from her, he believed it.
"I do." he promised. "So why does that make you not leave the castle?"
"Because what if something were to happen? They literally cannot heal without me - their bodies don't heal themselves, and doctors don't help. A paper cut could turn disastrous if I was gone for a day because they would just keep bleeding. A tumble down the stairs could kill them. I'm the only one who can help."
"But that's not fair to you." Flynn said. She shouldn't have to be cooped up forever just because her sisters were cursed!
Rapunzel shrugged. "But I love them."
This wonderful, selfless, completely beautiful angel sat in front of him, and Flynn wondered how he ever even had the thought of taking her. Of causing her any stress or pain. He was furious with himself, and in that moment any plan he could've possibly carried out was gone.
"Look!" Rapunzel exclaimed, breaking his reverie and jutting forward. "The first lanterns!"
And it was. They came up into the sky as the sun finally set, illuminating the sky. It took only minutes for the sky to be filled. Rapunzel sat back in awe, looking up at the sky and at the reflection out in the water. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and worth the risk.
Flynn stared out at her, amazed at something that was as trivial to him as Christmas or bank holidays. She deserved all this and more. He wanted her to have it.
Rapunzel took his hand and squeezed it. "Isn't this wonderful?"
He tucked a loose hair behind her ear. "Wonderful."
She looked at him intently, almost as if she was waiting.
Flynn took the chance of a lifetime, and acted on something he wouldn't even call an impulse, because he wasn't doing it because of a fancy, or a sudden urge - just the realization of something that had been inside him since he had looked into her bright eyes that night at the ball. Flynn leaned in to kiss her, and happened to look over her shoulder - at three large men, standing at the edge of the shore. Who now understood far more than he could explain away.
"I have to get you home." Flynn said quickly.
"Is something wrong?" Rapunzel balked.
"No, no. I'll come find you soon. But I have to get you home." Flynn picked up the oars and began rowing to the other side. He could get her on a path back to the palace before the Stabbington Brothers caught up to them. And they wanted to hurt him more than they wanted to capture her. He was counting on that.
…
"They're beautiful. So much more beautiful up this close." Aurora breathed, looking up at the many lanterns with her mouth open.
Philip looked over at her. "Here, let yours go, Briar Rose."
"Do it with me." she said holding it towards him.
They both held the lantern and sent it up towards the sky. Aurora watched the lantern, and didn't even notice that Philip was still holding one of her hands. Mesmerized, she leaned up against him, and he released her hand in order to wrap the same arm around her waist.
"Thank you for bringing me out here." she said, tipping her head against his shoulder.
"Like I said, if you can think of anything you want-"
Aurora looked up at him.
"It's yours." Philip sighed, looking down at her.
Aurora dipped her eyes, and Philip could see her turning pink again. It was endearing. He put his hand gently under her chin and stroked a thumb across her jawline, tipping her face up at him.
"I don't mean to go too far-" he said, seized by a bravery he hadn't expected.
"You aren't-" Aurora interrupted, then jerked away suddenly. "I think we're taking too big of a risk staying out, though. We should go back home."
…
"Are you ready to go?" Ariel asked.
No. "Sure, if you are." Eric said.
"Okay, we have to be careful about sitting up." Ariel cautioned as they rose slowly to a sitting position.
"Okay, how do we get down?" Eric asked.
"Well, I'm gonna slide, you follow." Ariel said, hopping off his lap. She pushed herself down the rock, hit a bump and went tumbling down the side. "Ow!"
"Are you okay?" Eric exclaimed, scrambling down.
"Yeah, it just hurts a little." Ariel reached her hand to her leg. "Shit!"
"What is it?"
"Eric, I'm bleeding. You have to get me home, quickly!"
"Is it a lot? Can you stand?"
"I can't risk it." Ariel said quickly. "You don't understand, this is part of our curses. Please pick me up."
Eric scooped her up and carried her out of the cave. Only once he was out in the moonlight could he see how quickly the blood flew from her leg, seeping through her shift and onto his pants.
"Here, let me get my shirt or something to wrap around that-"
"It won't help. Not enough, anyway. Only Rapunzel can heal me, please get me home quickly."
...
Adam ran his fingers through Belle's hair, wondering if she could hear his heart beating in his chest. He was sure the noise had to deafen her. They had made their way outside, and were watching more and more lanterns float up into the sky.
"You're the first person I've ever felt this way about." he said.
Belle giggled a little. "And you didn't believe in fairy tales. This is straight out of one."
He kissed the top of her head. "Well, maybe you've converted me."
...
"Eric, is that - Ariel!" Queen Leah clamped her hands to her face. "Oh, my God! Put her down!"
Eric put Ariel down on a chaise lounge.
"Please, get Rapunzel!" Queen Leah yelled to a nearby servant, who took off in a full sprint.
"Your highness, towels!" another maid came running in, arms full of linens and bandages.
Eric looked down at Ariel as she grew paler and paler, in soft degrees. The pinkness from her cheeks was gone now, and from her lips. Her red hair, already striking, stood out even more. But not as much as the blood, the blood, the blood. They had wrapped towels and sheets and any fabric around her leg, trying to hold the blood inside her, but she wouldn't clot. Her body couldn't heal itself, so she bled. What would've been a quick sting and a scar for any other girl crept towards a death sentence for her.
"I'm gonna be fine, I promise." Ariel said, her voice surprisingly strong. "I'm sorry, I really should've been more careful, I'm sorry."
"No, no. We'll have Rapunzel back in a moment's time, I'm sure." Queen Leah said, her voice warbling. "You're going to be fine sweetie."
Eric still held her hand, but he was squeezing far more tightly than she was. Than she could, he was sure. He couldn't lose her! Not like this, especially not like this.
Eric felt his heart sink. She had so quickly become the focus of his world here. Since he had met her, he had spent his free time with Ariel. He would think about her when he found a shell on his walks, or when he read something he thought she'd find interesting. He spoke with her most at dinners, and they were usually up the earliest, taking breakfast together.
He needed her to live, yes, more than anything. But he couldn't push the thought out of his mind that even when she did (she had to!), he would still have to marry Aurora and spend the rest of his life with her. He would lose Ariel regardless. But he shook that out of his head. He couldn't think about that, not now. Not until she was okay.
…
Rapunzel swayed her way back home to the palace, full of love and dreams.
"Rapunzel!"
Rapunzel looked up and saw Aurora running towards her. Oh, she had so been hoping not to be noticed. How peculiar - Aurora was in some sort of maid's dress.
"Hello, Auro-"
"Come QUICK!" Aurora said, grabbing Rapunzel's arm and tugging her. "Run, run!"
"What's going on?" Rapunzel asked.
"Ariel got cut!"
Rapunzel took off in a sprint.
The two girls crashed into the room where Ariel was laid, Rapunzel sliding to her sister's side.
"It's her leg." her mother said quickly, with the authority of a person who had been through this scare before, but the fear of a person who had been losing hope this case would turn out as well as the others.
Rapunzel wrapped her hair around Ariel, singing the song "Flower gleam and glow-"
The group looked on as her hair began to glow, from her roots to the ends, and put the power into Ariel's leg. By the end of the song, Ariel's leg had stopped bleeding, leaving behind the pool of blood that seeped through the many bandages, but, thankfully, leaving Ariel well.
Rapunzel was filled with guilt and remorse. She had selfishly put her own needs first, and it had almost killed her sister.
"Thanks, Punzie. I'm so sorry for not being careful." Ariel wrapped her arms around Rapunzel. "I'm so, so sorry."
"It's fine, it's fine!" Rapunzel insisted. "I'm so sorry, Ariel. I'm so sorry."
…
As soon as Ariel was okay, but too soon for Eric's heart, he was yanked away from her by a furious Queen Leah, sure to receive the chewing-out of his life for letting her get into this kind of trouble.
"Do you know which of my daughters you're engaged to?" she asked, as soon as they were out of earshot.
"What?"
"I wasn't sure, either." Queen Leah snapped. "Is it the one sitting out there, in her underwear? Is it the redheaded one? Is it Ariel?"
Eric felt his heart dropped. "No-"
"That's right! No, it's not. I have a daughter with an impending curse, and you came to the agreement that you would marry her, and her only. Not strip down my other daughters and almost get them killed!"
"Queen Leah, I'm sorry, I-"
"Eric, I think it's time for you to propose. Her birthday is in six days. You can be married in five."
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