Hi everyone! I watched this crazy film TWO months ago and I can't still get it out of my head. So, even though I have only 3 reviews from 2 readers (Thanks An Unknown Foreign Beauty and Soccermustang), I'm doing this as a therapy so I can move on with my life and start seeing other stuff!

Chapter 4

"Do I have to go outside?" Rapunzel asked her pet chameleon. Pascal stared at her with its beady eyes and gave a short chirping sound. The noise of congregating subjects was something that could not be ignored.

"It's not the same without him."

Another chirp came from Pascal.

"He's SO into parties ... celebration ... dancing!"

Pascal shook his head. Rapunzel grimaced.

"You can't just forget about the 'alone-on-an-island' part, can you?"

Pascal shook his head again.

"Al right. But I want him here nevertheless. Today. I'm here because he brought me."

"Rapunzel. The people are waiting. This celebration is for you," Queen Annalise said, standing at the door.

"Yes, mother."

"I know how you feel," the Queen said, touching Rapunzel's cheek.

"The things that the two of you had gone through are beyond my understanding, but the both of you are meant to be together."

"How do you know, mother? Because nothing is certain."

"I know, dear. Trust me."

The look in the Queen's eyes told Rapunzel that she didn't just say that to make her feel better. It was as if the Queen was reminiscing about a place and time far away but just as real as now.

"No matter how long, or how far. No matter what it takes. I believe that your destiny belongs to each other."

"Oh, mother," Rapunzel said and put her face on the Queen's shoulder. The queen hugged her in return.

"But for today, the people need to see their princess. They just want to know that their wait is finally over."

"Yes, mother."

So the celebration began. Rapunzel made her appearance on the balcony of the throne room. The mass of her subjects were already waiting down below. There was cheering and laughter. Streamers and balloons were released and trumpets blared. For a moment, Rapunzel got caught up in the sounds and sights of the whole spectacle. She had never seen such explosion of joy during the time of daylight and it was even more significant that it all happened because of her. But when she got down to the terrace and mingled with her subjects, all lovely folks of the kingdom, men, women and children, pets and people, her heart was tugged at its strings. Every time that she saw a face, she was hoping that it was Eugene's. Every time she saw a glimpse of broad shoulders and tall forms, she thought it was Eugene in the crowd. And there are people selling cupcakes and the kingdom's flags and flowers, all rekindling her memories of the day in the kingdom when she was with Eugene. Now, she could only imagine what he is doing at the moment. Where did he sleep? Who are people he meets? What are his plans? What will he do to make himself worthy of love and belonging?

The merry-making had been for a few hours and suddenly Rapunzel noticed a sudden change in the mood. There was a gasp from the people and the gasp turned into deadly silence. Then the crowd seemed to open to spot right in front of where she stood. At the end of the suddenly parted sea of people, Rapunzel yelled in joy.

"Vladamir! I thought you'll never -"

But when Rapunzel saw that Vladamir was not there to party, she instantly became quiet. There was no mistaking who was the limp form in Vladamir's large arms.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel gave a little despairing scream as she rushed toward Vladamir, but the giant of a man just held Eugene's seemingly sleeping form more firmly.

"He must see the doctor fast!"

"Of course, of course!" Rapunzel stammered, suddenly the reality of her not having her magical blond tresses hitting her hard.

"Mother!"

The Queen and the King, who got separated from their daughter in the kingdom dance, ran to the scene.

"Bring this man to the royal doctor!" The King barked. The celebration that had come to a standstill started again when an accordion was played. Some of the kingdom's folks rejuvenated their steps into a dance. Rapunzel was left in the debris of the Snuggly Duckling's thugs zooming through. She thought she just had a nightmare and horrifically realised that the nightmare was real. Queen Annalise saw the horror in her daughter's eyes and held her hand.

"My Lord, please helm the celebration for us," she said to her husband as she led her daughter by the hand to the royal sick bay.

Rapunzel watched helplessly as the Snuggly Duckling thug named Killer exchanged notes with Sir Asclepius about making a splint for a broken leg. Sir Asclepius learnt a trick on how to restore breath in a man's lungs. Meanwhile, Big Nose tried the hand-to-heart technique of restoring a man's heartbeat. All these were witnessed by Rapunzel in both trepidation and sickening dizziness as she was deathly worried about Eugene and the thought of close he had been to death for many times were driving her into madness. And the worst possible thing to happen to her was to lose her miraculous tresses when she was going to need them again and again. She used to be able to bring back the dead, and now all she could do was watch helplessly as these men fumble around with the most fragile and precious thing she ever had. She wished that Mother Gothel had taught her something useful instead of her doing stuff that were merely making her pass her time. Real healing skills.

"I'm going to be a doctor," Rapunzel said to the Queen.

"Sir Asclepius is doing his best, and so are Mr. Fitzherbert's ga-, er, friends,"

"What if one day all these will come upon me, alone? What if I'm the only one he had at that most crucial moment?"

Queen Annalise saw an opportunity in a moment of weakness. She was glad that Rapunzel was not going to have a relapse into depression. It was unbelievable how strong her daughter had turned out to be. Instead of pining for Mr. Fitzherbert, she was able to let him go even though it saddened her very much. Instead of weeping and whimpering in sadness in the wake of her beloved's coma she was able to form an ambition. Queen Annalise realised that her daughter is a true princess.

"It seems that Sir Asclepius is definitely going to be busy taking care of Mr. Fitzherbert and so is his wife the midwife Lady Morgena, who is now scouring the fields and forests for medicinal herbs. So I'll be your first tutor."

"You know how to heal people, without magic?"

"Healing in itself it always magic, my princess. Remember that the body always exists with the mind. While some people pay great care to the repairs of the human body, the same has to be done to the human mind."

"Does that mean that I have to ease the mind of the sick?"

"You're a quick learner. From the letter, I can gather bits and pieces of Mr. Fitzherbert. He is a sad person. He is brave, strong and constant, even though he had made mistakes, but always there for people he cares about. I can assume that in his past that he was there for everyone, but no one was there for him. And that broke his spirit turned him into a thief and made him lived so recklessly. You have to find that boy in him who is open to love and belonging, and convince him that there are people who love him, despite his weaknesses and imperfections."

"How can I do that? Can he hear me when he is in his deep sleep?"

"You will never know how the mind receives stimulations from the outside world. But it seems that we can lose nothing by trying."

"I don't know him that much to talk to him. He doesn't do back story, it seems."

"There must be something he told you, bits and pieces,"

"There's this book he used to read as a child."

"Maybe that book is the window to his soul."

"I'm going off to the library, mother!"

"I'll help you choose."

Again, Rapunzel sat in front of the huge shelf housing the collection of Wilhelmina Marlowe-Shakespeare's finest works. Rapunzel flipped through them. There were too many, as if the woman wrote one volume for every month of her life.

"There are so many to choose from. How do I know which one is that Eugene needs?" Rapunzel asked in a tone of being overwhelmed with choices. Having only read THREE books in eighteen years, she found Wilhemina's three hundred strong volumes an ominous threat during this desperate hour.

"Try this one – The Tales of Flynn Rider: Flynn Rider and The Glass Prince."

The Queen thrusted into Rapunzel's hand a volume with thickness of her thumb. Rapunzel had to trust her mother's choice. Mother knows best, she was led to believe by Gothel. This time, it might just be true.

"Thank you, mother."

"In the meantime, I will seek to bring Miss Wilhelmina to the castle. She might just be happy to meet her number one fan, who happened to rescue the kingdom's lost princess."

"Oh mother! I know Eugene will be thrilled to meet Miss Wilhelmina!"

"I'm sure he will. I'm sure," the Queen said enthusiastically, while her heart was harbouring sadness as thick as a thunderstorm cloud. Sir Asclepius had whispered to her that Eugene might not live through the night!