He couldn't get the red haired girl out of his mind. Eugene tried to push her away but she just stuck there. Her love was getting married to someone else.
Marriage.
A wedding.
Hopefully when he found Rapunzel he could share that with her. But he had to find her first.
Max's hooves echoed on cobblestones and they stopped. Eugene looked around. They were in a small village. A bright, sparkling white castle with high towers rose above the houses. They rode for it as bells rang throughout the village. Reaching the castle, Eugene spotted a woman standing beneath the castle at the stairs. A carriage sat impatiently in front of her. A man stood by her asking her questions. They both wore beautiful, expensive clothing. She wore a sparkling white gown and had her blond hair up in a bun. The man wore clothes similar to hers except that his looked for a prince. She shook her head at him, clutching something in her gloved hands. She looked around and saw Eugene as they rode past.
"Stop!" she called to him. "Please stop!" She ran after him in glass shoes. Max turned to look at her. "Are you Eugene?" Eugene looked in her eyes and the deep sadness that was there.
"Yes," he answered. She raised her hands to him and opened them. Sitting on her palms was a long balled up string of brown hair. He reached for it and took it gently.
"She was here. The lady with her met my stepmother. I remember her coming into the house crying." Eugene balled his fist around the hair. "She is my friend."
"Is she still here?" he asked.
"No. On the night of the ball, I got back and she was gone," she explained. "The woman with her and my stepmother are cruel people. Even through the chores and hardships my sisters laid upon us, I was glad to have someone."
"Do you know where they went?"
"I'm sorry, I don't. I tried to ask my stepmother but got nothing. She told me about you and gave me this," she gestured to the hair," to tell you she was here."
"Thank you." Max nudged her. She stroked his neck.
"Eugene, please save her." He nodded.
"I will." She smiled and walked back to the carriage. The man watched her. He helped her into the carriage and sat beside her. "Let's go, Max." As they took off, Eugene smiled. "Rapunzel, you smart, smart girl. You're doing your part. I promise to you, I will find you and bring you back to the place you belong."
The woman sat beside the man in the carriage watching Eugene ride away.
"Cinderella!"
"Yes?"
"Someone is at the door!"
"Yes, stepmother." She walked to the front door with the broom still in her hand. She opened it and saw a woman standing there with frizzy black hair and a girl with the longest hair she'd ever seen.
"Oh, yes! I was expecting you!" Cinderella's stepmother said walking up behind her. "Come in. Leave her with Cinderella. She can help with cleaning."
"Wonderful idea," the woman said walking into the house. She pulled the girl in after her, who had been staring sadly at the ground.
"I'm Cinderella. What's your name?" The girl sat by the door. Cinderella sat by her.
"I'm Rapunzel," she said wiping her eyes attempting to smile. Soon Cinderella knew the entire story. "Here." Rapunzel took a strand of hair in her hand and tore it in the middle. Cinderella watched it turn brown. "If he comes here and we aren't here anymore, I need you to give this to him."
"Do you really think he'll come?"
"Absolutely."