Destinies Entwined
Author's Note: Oh my goodness! Can it be true? Yes, it's another chapter ;P I'm so sorry it took so long to upload this one. I caught up in so much and I feel so guilty. I want you all to know that I'm sticking with this story to the end. Promise! Honestly, this chapter does not merit any recognition. Again, it's more filler than anything, trying to set the stage.
Thank you again for the amazing response I got from the last chapter! You are all so amazing and you keep me going with your words of encouragement. Thank you especially to everyone at ISL (you're all so incredibly sweet to read my story and comment. It means a lot to me). And thanks to Nikky Pickles, The139Blossom, xbecbebex, Aftershockxx and mommypenguinhd
RadiosianStar: Thanks for your suggestions dear. I actually do plan to have the Stabbington Bros show up later on. As for the time jump: I really can't because of the story plot and the fact that, as you'll soon see, everything has to happen within a week or two of Eugene's revival. But thank you again :)
CatherineLestrange - Congrats. You named the movie linked to the quotation. For those of you who missed it, it was "One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness" which was said by Commodore Norrington in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. If you could PM me hun, since you signed anonymously, I'll send you the info I need so I can create your character :)
AtlantisGirl12 and SergeantScarlett: Both of you also got it right, so if you're intersted, I could create a character for you too :) Just leave a comment telling me if you're interested or not :D And thank you for your lovely compliments too.
Okay, so now to chapter three, yet another epic fail :P
Chapter Three:
There were three things of which Eugene Fitzherbert was absolutely certain
1: He would readily give up being Flynn Rider for Rapunzel.
2: He was falling head over heels in love with her.
3: He would die again for her in a heartbeat if it meant keeping her safe.
There was a fourth thing he knew for sure, but at that moment, it seemed remarkably unnecessary to mention. And yet it was the most provocative of all his absolutes. But he held it back as he stood, arms dangling by his side, attempting to prove to the king and queen that he was no longer the thief he had once been; that he was ready to change and redeem himself for the sake of their daughter.
Half an hour ago, he had been forced to wait in silent anxiety while Rapunzel remained alone with her parents talking about matters he could only speculate on. He was, however, almost one percent sure that his own name had come up at least once. Rapunzel's face when she had emerged had not been entirely comforting, what with red-rimmed eyes and rosy cheeks. He had pulled her close, disturbed to see evidence of freshly fallen tears still staining her pale skin. But their embrace had been a brief one as he was called into the throne room to face the monarchs…alone.
It was the king who spoke first. He and his wife sat side by side on adorned seats of a burgundy colouring, their postures emanating all their magnanimous regalness. They only flaw either seemed to carry at the moment were the same red-rimmed eyes and cherry red cheeks marring their daughter's face.
Eugene's knees almost buckled as the king's words fled his lips in a booming and commanding voice. Stay calm, he reassured himself. They won't kill you. They'll realize what you've done as a step towards redemption. Just listen and be the polite, charming fellow you know you are. But a larger part of him could not shake the feeling that these people would not be so easily wooed by his devilishly good looks.
"Flynn Rider." The name shot through Eugene with a discomfort that he had not felt before with respect to his alias. "You have placed us in quite a position."
"Your majesty?" Eugene hung his head, trying to show humility, but fearing it only made him look the part of coward, lifted it again, hoping to exude confidence instead, "You cannot possibly understand how much I regret my past decisions and…"
The king's furrowed expression did not waver as he stared straight in Eugene's eyes. "…and, if I may, I cannot possibly comprehend the extents to which you will go to make up for your past transgressions and to prove that you can reform yourself."
Eugene swallowed hard as he recognized the doubt and distrust in the king's voice. "If your majesty would just permit me…"
"…to explain yourself?" the king questioned. He leaned forward in his throne, as if on the verge of standing. The queen placed a restraining hand on his arm as he did, pulling him back.
"Phillip," she whispered gently, "Let the boy talk. From what our daughter told us, he has earned at least the right to plead his case."
The king sank back in his seat, defeated by his wife's kindred spirit, a fact for which Eugene was extremely grateful. He looked to her, hoping to meet her eyes, to convey his gratitude. When he did succeed, the queen bestowed him with her own tender smile. Oh he liked her very much. Like her daughter, she seemed open to trust and second chances. It was good to know that it would be the ol' good cop/bad cop routine.
"I don't know what Rapunzel told you, but you have to know that I found her by accident and while our adventures only took place because of her…umm…expert blackmail skills, I never tried to take advantage of her even when we realized that she was the lost princess. I didn't bring her back here, hoping for reward. I know what I escaped from and I know what coming back means, but I had to get her here safe," Eugene explained, wishing that they would hear the heartfelt sincerity in his voice. "For the past seven years I've lived off the streets, stealing to survive and then stealing for the mere sake of it, but I truly am prepared to leave that life behind."
The king's careful scrutiny caused Eugene to squirm uncomfortably. It had been a long time since he had last been forced to face an inquisition of this sort and to know that his life hung in the balance only pushed him that much harder to pull out all the stops. At this point he was ready to do or say anything, to leave his entire soul naked and exposed on the cold, marble stone. He needed to prove to them that Eugene Fitzherbert could be a far better man than Flynn Rider.
"I would like to believe you, but I have no proof that you possess the ability to change."
"What about Rapunzel?"
Even the queen flinched this time, both still sensitive to the sound of their daughter's name. "Our daughter is apparently enamoured with you. But she is naïve and from what she's told us, it seems as if you were the second human being to ever come into contact with her. Forgive me, if I do not take her affection for you as solid evidence of your goodness."
Eugene faltered to find a reply to this. He had never considered that Rapunzel's instant affection to him was somehow related to being, quite literally, the first man in his life. Was it possible that her interest in him was only one of novelty and not true passion? His voice caught in his throat as the though pounded mercilessly in his mind.
"But we cannot ignore you deed. You saved her and returned her to us. It does prove something."
"Adelaide, dear…"
"You know it to be true, Phillip," the queen insisted. She seemed troubled by Eugene's stumble and pity flashed in her eyes. "We do have to thank him for that."
Eugene watched the two in mild amusement. He would have found it to be a whole level funnier had it not been for his present predicament. For the following few seconds, he watched as the king and queen talked in stubborn tones, seeming to forget about his presence in the process.
"We already discussed this; one act of kindness does not permit easy pardon for a man's crimes."
"But he brought us our daughter. What greater act is there? We must respect the fact that we are in debt to him."
"Removing the death penalty seems good enough, doesn't it…"
Something clicked in Eugene's mind as those last few words casually fled the king's lips. He had been trying to hold his tongue as they had talked about him, but he couldn't any longer. "I'm not going to die?" he asked, almost breathlessly, hope rising in his chest.
In unison, the king and queen turned to face the man who had returned their daughter to them. "As my wide continues to point out, you have…uncharacteristically, done much for our daughter. She told us you died for her."
Eugene nodded solemnly. "Yes." And I would do it again.
Tears glinted in the queen's eyes. "And you question why we do not want to kill you now?"
"I just thought…I wasn't sure…I'm not using her to escape my crimes," Eugene finally managed as he stumbled to find a decent reply, "My past hasn't been an easy one nor a moral one, and I have to answer to that, I know."
"There is much damage you have caused my kingdom and the reparations to be made are at times, impossible. And yet you have mended the largest of the rifts afflicting it by returning Rapunzel to us. Death no longer befits your punishment. But perhaps a few years in prison…"
"Phillip!"
"I cannot erase the past, I know that," Eugene spoke up quickly. While jail was a far kinder sentence than death, he could not imagine being torn away from Rapunzel just like that, "But if I promise, if I resolve to be a better person, to make amends…" he hung his head, swallowing hard as he searched for the courage to spill his heart, "I care deeply for your daughter. She's shown me kindness I've never believed possible. I know it's clichéd, but she's made me want to be better for her. I…I…" But the words he needed to be heard failed at that moment, "I need her."
The tears were slipping down the queen's cheek as she was moved by his confession. "Phillip," she whispered hoarsely, turning to her husband with round, questioning eyes.
Sighing heavily, the king took her hand. Addressing Eugene, his voice was thick with emotion. "Leave us a moment, please."
As Eugene left the room, escorted by a guard, he felt raw and sore. He had bared his soul for them, for her, and it hurt. Coming into the hall, he saw a flash of chestnut hair before arms took him and held him with a desperation that echoed in his own movement as he threw his arms around her small frame. In silence, they stood, Eugene's face buried in her hair while her own face burrowed into his white shirt.
"What did they say?" she asked, speaking into his chest, muffling the sound.
"I'm not going to die."
"Eugene!" Still clinging to him, Rapunzel lifted her head and, standing on tippy-toes, planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'm so happy."
He could not bring himself to tell her that his punishment had still not been decided. One disaster had been averted, but one still remained out in the open. She had every right to know but staring into her huge, emerald eyes he found himself captivated by their alluring twinkle. He had only seen them that bright once before, that night under the lanterns. Unravelling one arm from her back, he ran a hand through her hair and gently touched his lips to hers.
Rapunzel responded eagerly to his touch. Freeing her own hand from his back, she placed it tenderly on his cheek, letting her fingers slip down his face, tracing a line down his jaw, onto his neck and finally landing on his chest. She paused there, amazed by the hair there. How had she not noticed that before?
Eugene was taken aback by Rapunzel's self-led explorations of his upper body. It felt so good to feel her soft skin on his and, as longing set in, he instinctually pushed her in closer, his kiss deepening in passion…
"Ahem."
Rapunzel and Eugene drew apart as they were awakened to the fact that they were not alone. Two guards stood nearby, looking extremely discomforted and ever so slightly peeved. It was a wonder they had let them even go this far, Eugene realized as he grinned sheepishly at the two men, ashamed of having been caught. What had he been thinking? Nothing…apparently. He could only imagine how the king would react if he knew. It definitely would not be comforting to see his daughters wrapped up in the arms of a common thief – it hadn't been for the other fathers.
And yet, Rapunzel showed no shame as she beamed broadly, too naïve and innocent to realize how dreadfully wrong it had been. She was perfectly content with what had just come to transpire. God help him, she looked so beautiful, standing there in all her innocence. He wanted to hold her again, to taste her on his lips again. The urge was too powerful as he gazed at her, but conceding to it would just not do. He needed a distraction…now.
"So…umm…what did you and your parents talk about?"
Rapunzel's smile faltered slightly, as she realized that a repeat performance was not to take place. "Oh…um, quite a bit," she replied quietly before launching into a full description.
A Little Shy of Forty-Five Minutes Earlier
Rapunzel stood quietly before her parents, hands knotted together as anxiety and excitement ran simultaneously through her body. She was terribly happy to be where she was at that moment, and yet, in the deepest contours of her heart there was the tiniest feeling of misgiving. Her parents had not been incredibly pleased to discover that the man who had rescued her was a wanted criminal, and she worried for his sake. They had requested to speak to her alone, leaving Eugene to wait outside the Throne Room. No doubt, they wanted to question her about him. As much as she had wanted to ignore it, she could not have mistaken the look of distrust in their eyes when they had realized that Flynn was responsible for her return.
Awkward silence lingered on as the three stood in a malformed triangle, none really sure how to start this conversation. Rapunzel was fairly certain that she should introduce herself by name, but every possible framing of the sentence that passed through her mind seemed so trivial. Hi, I'm Rapunzel. You don't know this, but my name is Rapunzel. It might be of interest for you to know that my name is Rapunzel. She grimaced inwardly. What could she possibly say to people she didn't even know? True, they were her parents, but she did not know what they were like, though she was fairly certain that they were kind-hearted people. She had sensed as much when they had held her between them, cushioning her with tender love and joy.
That love, that instinctual feeling of recognition, that bond they had shared in their moment of reunion was still here, but there was a barrier between them, a fear of saying the wrong thing, of their first shared words being as a family being horribly plain and simple. And then, Rapunzel suddenly burst into tears.
There was a thirty second pause between the instant when the salty droplets of water began to run continuously down her pristine cheek and the king and queen finally hurried into action.
It was the queen who reacted first, her motherly intuition kicking in, as she rushed forward and drew the girl into her arms. "Shh," she whispered consolingly, running a hand through Rapunzel's short hair, fingering the strands with delicate care. "It's okay. You're safe now."
Rapunzel continued to weep, despite her mother's soothing voice and comforting words. Truthfully, she could not quite pinpoint the essence of her sorrow. However, she was partly certain that it had a good deal to do with her fear for Eugene and her uncertainty of the future.
"Don't cry my darling. Everything will be fine," the queen continued to offer her trite condolences, hoping that one would work. "Tell us what's bothering you."
Rapunzel sniffed as she raised her head from the queen's shoulder, the thin fabric stained with her freshly fallen tears. Rubbing a hand across her blurry eyes, she tried to hold back her sobs, "I don't really know what's wrong," she admitted softly, "I guess…I don't know…I think I'm…frightened…."
"Of what?"
"Of what's going to happen to Eugene."
The king and queen shared a quick glance. If someone had questioned them yesterday on the chance of them ever finding their daughter, they would have answered them most negatively. Their hope had slowly dwindled away overtime, and to have her so near now seemed so surreal. They hardly knew what to say or what to do. And it did not make it any easier to know that she had been brought to them through the gallant efforts of the kingdom's most wanted.
"You mean, Flynn Rider," the king coaxed carefully. He was having a much more difficult time grasping Rider's hand in all this than his wife, and as grateful as he was to have his daughter back, his instincts were pushing him to deal with the thief first before he could slip through their grasp once more.
Rapunzel shook her head furiously. "No. His name is Eugene Fitzherbert and you can't kill him." Her voice cracked at the end, the tears pushing to come pouring down once more, but after a few deep breaths she succeeded in holding them back. "You just can't."
Another paused followed as the two monarchs tried to telepathically communicate their thoughts and feelings. After twenty-three years together one would surmise that this bond would be more acute than others, but in this one moment, the king and queen found themselves at odds, unable to fully understand the others' expression.
"Why don't you tell us the story of how you met him? Maybe it could help," the queen suggested.
And so, for the second time, in the past hour, Rapunzel launched herself into the tale of her eighteenth-birthday endeavour.
"It all started the day before my birthday," she said calmly, "I had wanted the lights since I was a little girl. I could see from the tower when they rose in the night sky, so much like stars and yet not stars at all. And I was prepared to convince M…Gothel to take me to see them."
"Gothel?" the queen repeated, "She was..." But she couldn't finish her sentence. Her husband grabbed her hand and squeezed tight his own eyes flaring with anger.
Rapunzel nodded silently, not needing to finish it for her. "She came home, like she always did, early in the morning to check on me. I had very long, golden hair then and I would use it as a rope to pull her up. Every time she got to the bottom of the tower she would lift her head and shout: Rapunzel, let down your ha-ir." She couldn't help but add the mimicry of Gothel's loud, high-pitched voice.
The king and queen both seemed to lose their breath. "Rapunzel?"
"Yes?" Rapunzel's brow furrowed in confusion for a split second before comprehension dawned, "Oh, Right. She called me Rapunzel. That was my name, with her. But it's not my real name." The news sunk in hard. She hadn't even thought about the disparity that she might incur at this stage. Rapunzel had always been her name; she couldn't quite imagine it ever having been something else.
"It's a beautiful name," the queen whispered, sensing the girl's trepidation. "Rapunzel," she repeated the word, as if trying it out, to see how every syllable, every consonant, every vowel felt as they left her lips. The 'ra' came out like a breath, soft and gentle, while the 'pun' felt harsh as her lips smacked together. Finally the 'zel' came with her tongue lightly slipping across her upper pallet. "Rapunzel."
"What was my name before?"
"It doesn't matter…"
"Yes, it does," Rapunzel insisted a little more forcefully than she meant, taking her parents by surprise, "I'm sorry. I just don't want you to keep my name because of me. If everyone else knows me by a different name, I can change it." It struck her how similar she was to Eugene. He too had taken an alias, forgetting who he was, leaving behind Eugene to become Flynn. Her own transformation hadn't been a choice, but Rapunzel had become her alias, while her true name remained concealed.
The queen shook her head firmly. "No, you don't. The truth is darling, you didn't have a name when you were taken from us. Your Father and I, we hadn't had a chance to decide on one before."
"Oh." This news disturbed her slightly more than the alternative. She had been nameless before Gothel. And yet it was also a relief to know that she would not have to take another name, so used she was to being Rapunzel. "That's okay." Well, maybe it wasn't, but she wanted to leave the conversation in the dust and move on to something far more pertinent: Eugene's fate.
Before either of her parents could try to say more on the matter, Rapunzel leapt back into her story. Neither interrupted her, both also wanting to leave behind the discomfort. And so they listened intently as she spoke of her deep longing to see the lanterns and Gothel's firm refusal and explained the magic qualities of her hair. Without any interruption, Rapunzel took them from the moment when she first slammed the frying pan across Eugene's head to her ultimate discovery. When she reached the part, however, where Gothel chained her up, the queen released a small cry. Rapunzel faltered in her narration as she stared in concern at her mother.
"I'm sorry, darling. Please continue."
But as Rapunzel again returned to her retelling, she found herself fearing the part that was to come, the point where Eugene…when Eugene…She stumbled as she struggled for the right words. "And then I…heard his voice from below. He called for me to let down my hair, like Gothel did, but not like Gothel did. There was urgency in his voice, like he knew I was in danger, and I don't know how he did. And she…she threw my hair over the ledge and he must have believed it was me because seconds later he…he came through the window…and I tried to warn him, but it was…it was…it was too late…"
A pained expression took hold of the queen's features as her daughter fumbled, her eyes on the verge of tears once more. Simultaneously, the king and queen seemed to realize the events that had transpired in the tower went further than what they'd begun to believe when their daughter had told them: Eugene saved me.
"What happened?" the queen whispered, her own heart beating anxiously in her ribcage. The emotions Rapunzel exuded were too powerful to ignore as she found herself invested to the story and the tale of these two unlikely friends.
The king, on the other hand, while disturbed by the hardship and maltreatment his daughter had face those eighteen years, could not bring himself to understand the deep affection she felt for the man she called Eugene, the man he knew as Rider.
"Gothel stabbed him," Rapunzel finally managed to choke. The scene was playing in her mind, vivid as it still was: the blade slipping so easily through his flesh, staining his shirt garnet as he collapsed to the floor. For a brief instant, she had forgotten the magical, healing properties of her hair and when she finally remembered, her struggle had become one for Eugene and not herself.
The king's eyes flashed as she explained how she had reasoned with Gothel over Eugene, finally exchanging her freedom so he could live. This notion of sacrifice, he could not comprehend it, but his wife did and she sympathized, knowing she would have done the same in Rapunzel's place. And in their minds, they formulated a scenario wherein Rapunzel healed the wounded thief before being led away with Flynn somehow managing to somehow save her from bondage. How, they could not be certain, though they were fairly certain it had something to do with that fact that her long golden hair was now a short, clumsily-cut brown.
"And so I went to heal him. But he fought me every second. He didn't want me to give up my freedom for him, but I couldn't even bear the idea of letting him die. And he was so weak, I was certain I had won. And then he called my name and I thought he was going to kiss me. And I wanted him to, I needed him to…but he didn't. It had been a trick and with a shard of glass he cut off my hair."
She paused again as shock reverberated in her parents' eyes. They had not been expecting that at all. Why did everyone seem to be so taken aback by the fact that Eugene was capable of caring for others beside himself? "With my hair gone, Gothel aged rapidly, turning to dust, and Eugene…" Once again, she faltered. Why is this so difficult to tell? She had not burst into tears while telling the captain but, then again, she had not gone into the details she was going in now, and she did feel more pressure now to convince her parents of Eugene's goodness. And yet, she still held back, not wanting to divulge their final exchange. His words still rang clearly in her mind. You were my new dream. And you were mine.
"…he died," she finished finally, closing it simply, unable to put the swell of emotions into words. She was afraid too that speaking how she felt would only add strength to the tears she was forcefully trying to hold back. The cold sense of dread that had swept through her as she accepted the truth of Eugene's passing rose through her now. She could still remember the loneliness twisting cruelly at her heart, the destructive sense of loss pulsating through her veins. But then again, she could also remember the hope and joy that exploded through her as he returned to her, revived by her fallen tears. "But when I cried over him, this light shone and it healed him. It was a miracle…it is a miracle."
The king and queen remained silent as Rapunzel completed her story, each pondering over it. She was far more emotionally compromised than he was. Her vision was blurring with the sudden swell of tears. Love was such a beautiful feeling and she could a spark of it shining ever brightly in her daughter's emerald eyes. It was apparent that Rapunzel adored Flynn Rider…this Eugene Fitzherbert and had long ago accepted that his past crimes were exactly that, crimes of the past. But while the queen could not help but feel gratitude towards the boy, she could not ignore the great pains he had caused Corona.
He was suffering through less of an internal struggle than she. He felt for his daughter, truly he did, but as much as he recognized the debt he owed Rider, he could not bring himself to like the lad. They had lost much because of him, forcing them to try to compensate those who had suffered at his hands. Compensation had not been enough.
It was terribly how Rider had escaped death only to die. But had he escaped a second death only to come full cycle and face death again at the hand of a professional executioner? No. As distrusting as the king was of the relationship between his daughter and the rogue, he could not ignore that Rider had done everything humanly possible to save his daughter.
As the silence went on, Rapunzel could not simply hold her tongue and so burst out, fearing their lack of response was somehow related to negative feelings towards Eugene. "I know Flynn's done bad things, but Eugene Fitzherbert is not Flynn Rider. He's changing…he wants to do better; you have to give him a chance."
"Darling…"
"No! Please. Listen to me," Rapunzel insisted, so used to pet names placed at the beginning of a sentence naturally meaning it will be one of dissent and argumentation, "You can't kill him! You can't!" And finally, she could hold back her tears no longer. For the second time in half an hour, she allowed herself to bitterly weep without restraint, her sobs wracking the air.
Both the king and queen felt their hearts break as they watched their lost daughter submit to her running emotions. Tears piqued the queen's eyes and slowly dripped down her own pristine face. Even the king could feel the watering in his hazel orbs. They were in quite a predicament here. On one hand, they were faced with deciding the punishment of a man who had wreaked havoc these past seven years. And on the other hand, they had their daughter, a girl they had only just come to meet after eighteen years of searching, and they were so close to breaking her heart.
Embracing her, the three allowed their tears to mingle. Rapunzel wondered if this was symbolic of their acceptance of her belief in Eugene or a resignation to the fate they had chosen for him long ago. Either way, she could not ignore the feeling that Eugene's future with her was up against great odds.
Just as Rapunzel finished telling her story to Eugene, the doors to the Throne Room opened once again. Judgement Time was here again. Turning to Rapunzel, he tried to smile despite the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. "See you on the other side." Drawing away from her, he moved back to leave, but the guard stopped him. "The king has requested both of you come."
Rapunzel's hand fell into his. She had stepped up to his side, pleased that he was not to face the decision alone. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she squeezed him reassuringly. "Let's go," she whispered anxiously and pulled him forward as she hurried after the guard.
It was a long walk from the entrance to the raised platform on which the king and queen sat still in their regal postures. Every step he took seemed more lade than the last, his heart sinking consistently. And when they finally did come to a halt before the monarchs, he could not bring himself to meet their eyes.
"Flynn Rider." Eugene lifted his gaze as his 'name' was called out. The queen, he noticed, was wearing a thin frown while the king's eyes were narrow and harsh. Rapunzel gripped his hand ever tighter as he began to quiver. "For the past seven years, you have wandered in and out of the shadows, manipulating people, stealing from the rich and the poor without a thought on the repercussions of your deed, avoiding your responsibilities. It is for these innumerable crimes that you were first sentenced to death." Eugene cringed. Wait. Didn't he say that death wasn't the answer? What's going on here? "But by returning our daughter," the king continued, breaking through his thoughts, "You have proven to be a man of some honour. Your noble sacrifice is most greatly appreciate and it is because of these actions that we have finally come to the decision that you deserve a chance to show yourself capable of changing for the better."
And relief came flooding in. It filled Eugene instantaneously, lightening his heart, relieving his lungs. He could hardly dare to believe it, but there it was. Rapunzel released a shriek of joy beside him and flung her arms suddenly around his torso, pecking him quickly on the lips.
Okay. Not so good. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the queen smirking and the king staring at them with wide eyes. At least no one was yelling at him and this sign of affection had been far more chaste than last, so really there was nothing for the king to complain about. At least this gave him reason to hope that they would not be so bothered or concerned with Rapunzel's gesture of happiness.
"Thank you," Eugene spoke up, wishing to dispel the settling awkwardness before it became aggravated tension. "I promise you that I will do better and prove you right."
"I hope you do," the king sighed, glancing quickly at Rapunzel. It struck Eugene that this sudden trust was all because of her. He would have to thank her later. "But it will not be easy. You have not been pardoned of your crimes. You must work for redemption now by making amends with those you have caused injury to. We have lists of your crimes, but I fear that not all have been properly accounted for. You will have to search long and hard if you hope to be fully acquitted of your sins."
Eugene hung his head once more. To dig back into the deepest memories of all that he had done would not be easy, mentally, physically or emotionally, but if that's what it took. "I intend to do all I can."
"Good. Now, there is one last matter to discuss. It is clear from Rapunzel's story that she has certain…feelings for you…"
"I love him," Rapunzel piped up, her statement clear and confident, completely unabashed by the weight of her words as they rung through the rich hall.
Eugene flushed red. Those words were not ones that people threw around as casually as that and to hear her say it, brought rise to a number of feelings. For one, he felt certain bliss to hear her feelings, once implied, now concrete words that he could almost touch. But, for another, he felt a sense of doubt, prodded by the knowledge that her innocence was probably tricking her into believing that she had such powerful feelings. No one could fall in love in the span of a day. Romeo and Juliet had believed they could and look how well that worked out for them. And yet, he had been ready to die for her, because he loved her?
The king did not know how to respond to Rapunzel's statement and so ignored it. "In any case, I understand that there is a strong bond between the two of you and so I will allow you to take up residence in one of the palace rooms. But remember Mr. Rider, you are on probation and any wrong move on your part might and will prove to be disastrous."
"I understand." There was a certain weight of solemnity in Eugene's voice as he realized the chance he was being given and the responsibility that came hand in hand with it. This was his opportunity to seize the day – carpe diem – and god damn it if he didn't every second ameliorating himself.
"Good," the king's voice softened as he focused now on Rapunzel, "It's been a long day for you, dear. Your room has already been prepared."
Rapunzel nodded, her eyes fluttering slightly she too realized her weariness. But there was still a spark in her eyes that could not be extinguished. Without warning, she bounded up the steps leading to the elevated platform and flung her arms around the king, holding him tight. "Thank you so much, Daddy." She would not admit it to anyone, but while Eugene had been talking to her parents, she had been trying to figure out the most appropriate names to call them. Mother and Father had been the first to go. For eighteen years, Mother had been Gothel and she did not want to force that onto the queen, did not want to link her in any way to that villainous woman. "Mommy." Unraveling her arms, she turned to the queen, throwing her arms around her as well. "I'm glad to be home."
"And we're glad to have you home." Eugene could not help but stare at the queen as a small tear dripped down her cheek. "Now come, and I will show you your room."
"What about Eugene?"
"I need to talk to him about one more thing," the king replied gently, touched by his daughter's name of affection.
Rapunzel's face dropped. "Oh, okay." Hurrying over to Eugene, she embraced him as well, placing the tiniest of kisses on his cheek, the delicacy of her touch sending shivers up and down his spine. "Goodnight, Eugene."
"Goodnight, Rapunzel."
With a final wave at the door, the two women left the room, leaving only the king and Eugene to face off. Eugene didn't know how, but he was almost a hundred percent certain he knew the conversation he was bound to endure.
"You do know that she's the only reason you've escaped punishment."
"I do."
"And you do know that I love her and will protect her at any cost from people who wish to use or harm her."
"Yes."
"And," the king paused, trying to quell the anger in his chest before it could be unleashed, "You do know that if you take advantage of her in any way, I will not hesitate to have you killed."
"I do." Eugene tried to maintain a stance of confident resolve, but failed under the king's hawk-like scrutiny.
After a moment of silence wherein the king kept Eugene frozen in his gaze, his eyes never relenting until finally, his entire features softened. "Mr. Fitzherbert, as I said before, I want to trust you. You saved my daughter at the cost of your own life and I am indebted to you for that. But forgive me if I'm wary of you. The mere notion of her willingness and want to sacrifice her own freedom for you worries me. If this turns out to be more than love of a novelty, I need you to prove that you deserve her."
"I know," Eugene agreed. He sighed heavily, "I appreciate the chance you're giving me. And you have to believe that I would never hurt her. Ever." It was a promise, one that Eugene was hoping he could keep, one that he feared he never would.
Eugene could not sleep. An hour or so he lay in a bed covered in down covers and the silkiest of fabrics he's ever seen. With his head lying prone on a pillow brimming with even more goose feathers, he tried to force his body into slumber, but it was all futile. Truthfully, there were a number of reasons for why he could not escape into the world of dreams.
Reason #1: He had never before slept on anything even remotely as extravagant as this and while it should have allowed for his most comfortable sleep ever, it took him so far out of his true comfort zone that it left him feeling rather distressed instead.
Reason #2: He could not stop thinking about Rapunzel and his luck at having been, at least partially, forgiven. He felt like the past few hours had been a blur and wished desperately to see her again.
Reason #3: He was afraid that if he fell asleep, he would wake up to find it had all been a dream.
Reason #4: Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the glint of the dagger as it embedded itself in his flesh.
Ten minutes later, he could take it no longer. He needed to clear his head. The room was far too stuffy for his liking; it was stifling him as a hand wrapped around his neck, strangling the life out of him. the navy colouring of the room wasn't doing anything for him either as it gave the horrid impression of drowning in the deep, dark, merciless sea.
Throwing back his covers, he slunk out of bed clothed only in a pair of pants. His shirt and vest remained discarded beside the vanity in the corner of the room. Blood-stained, they were no longer of any use to him and yet, somehow, he could not bring himself to imagine parting with them. Earlier, while removing them, Eugene had not been able to hide his morbid fascination with the sight of his own garnet blood, dark against the white. It reminded him that he was lucky to be alive, a fact he could still hardly believe.
There was a balcony connected to his room, separated by a thick chestnut curtain and a glass door. Drawing aside the draperies and pulling open the door, he sighed in relief at the feel of the cool night air on his bare skin. Walking to the edge, Eugene leaned against the rail, staring out at the village. He was amazed by the serenely peaceful calm that had settled over it. Last night, the streets had been flooded with people carrying lanterns, but tonight, the streets were devoid of human life with the exception of a lone guard patrolling the dark alleys.
Only two days ago, he had stood on the precipice of the castle, staring out at the vast landscape and wishing he could own a palace with as gorgeous a view. And now look where he was: a guest in the palace, albeit not the most welcomed. And it was all because he'd willingly died for their princess.
He delicately fingered his side with his index, still amazed that there was no scar there. Death was usually so final. He had been lucky, and he hadn't even counted on it, which was strange, in retrospect, because he had always considered himself to be extremely lucky. Luck had saved him from death a few times: narrow escapes from flying arrows, leaps across buildings too far apart, swords fights with skilled professionals. And now luck had saved him from an actual death. But that was not the greatest thing Lady Luck had brought him. She was.
Rapunzel. He longed to hold her in that moment, to caress her and shower in kisses of gratitude. He might have saved her from Gothel, but she had ultimately saved him from himself, from becoming so entrenched in Flynn Rider, from drowning in the sea of thievery. For a good four years, Flynn Rider had kept him alive, and he had clung to it like a security blanket, allowing it to propel through the days. But in the past three years, something had changed. He had forgotten about Eugene Fitzherbert and the poor, little orphan he had been. His dream of riches had taken root and he had turned from stealing to live, to stealing for fun. It hadn't mattered if he was stealing from those of no fortune, or those of many. All that had mattered was his own personal, selfish needs.
But as much as he wanted to change, to embrace the person he had been before Flynn Rider, he couldn't ignore the fact that Flynn was a second skin. He would not be able to wash that part of him away overnight. He was a part of him and Eugene knew that no matter how hard he tried to be better, that part of him would always remain, always capable of dragging him back to the Rider years. And it terrified him. Any slip up and he could easily find himself with a noose around the neck.
It was do or die, but failing meant more than dying. It meant losing her. And he couldn't bear the thought of it.
He was selfish for wanting her so badly, for needing her as he did. She had made him see the light, had reminded him of dreams that truly meant to be chased. He had to have her near, to be that constant reminder, no matter what. Without her, he knew he would slip back into the darkness.
And that was the fourth thing he knew for sure: he was and never would be good enough to love her.
Author's Note: Yes, I know! Lame excuse for a chapter! *hides behind her laptop in shame* But I promise it will get better. I know I keep saying it, but it's true. I'm just trying to link everything up nicely before leaping in. But, if everything goes well, the next chapter ultimately will see the beginning of some real action. As always, I love reviews (be they suggestions, praise, constructive criticism, or random comments) because they help me write and give me inspiration and insight into what you would like to see. As I say, writing should be a collaboration between minds and I need all the help I can get :D
Thank you all for your support. Love you lots
Faith 3