Chapter Four

My dreams are filled with Mother and Father. They are smiling as they gaze at me, their green eyes glowing with love. I smile back, tearfully, and reach out for them. Mother reaches her hand out to me, and I can hear her voice in my ear as she called me, 'Princess'.

Her fingertips touch mine, and I relax when our fingers lock. I've missed her so much. It could have only been months since I've lost them both, but it feels like years.

"Mother, Father," I say and then I pull away from Mother. I curtsey. "My king, and my queen. . ." My voice is low. I'm trying not to cry.

Father bows, his green eyes full of affection. "Your Highness."

I gape when Mother curtseys as well. "Your Highness," her head is low but then she looks up at me and her green eyes twinkle.

"Your Highnesses," I curtsey a second time. They both smile warm grins that make my heart swell and my eyes begin to water.

I hear Pascal mew and I turn. "We're missing our prince." I say, and then I look over my shoulder at my smiling parents. "I'll fetch him."

I look ahead of me again, ready to bend down and scoop up Pascal, when my eyes open.

I sit up, bewildered. My cheeks feel wet and I try not to sob as I realize that I am awake. I see Pascal sitting next to me and he licks my wrist, mewing in what sounds like an apology. I sigh and it comes out as a sob. I bite my bottom lip and swallow hard.

When I enter the kitchen, I'm swamped into tears when I see Eugene digging through the cupboards. He's not wearing his hat and his dark brown hair is ruffled. Eugene turns to glance at me, flops of hair getting into his eyes. He sees the tears and abandons the cupboards, rushing over to me.

"I'm sorry," he says and somehow I'm surrounded by the intense warmth radiating from his skin and his cologne. "About what happened. I'm sorry."

I want to pull away, but I don't. I make my arms wrap, attempt to, around Eugene's large torso. For a second, I wonder if this was how Mother hugged Father. If her arms had stretched to try and hold as much as Father as she could. I wonder if she tried to smell Father's cologne and relax into his chest like I am doing right now. . .

Smell his cologne-

I realize that the hug has lasted much longer than it should have and I pull away. Eugene smiles and his cheeks look pink. Has he been out in the snow or is he blushing? I can feel the heat in my face.

"I. . ." Eugene seems to stutter for a moment. "I haven't found much I'm afraid."

"Its fine, thanks for looking." I mumble and go to the cupboards. I sigh when I see how empty they are. Eugene busies himself with tending the fire in the fireplace, and I try to keep my hopes up as I search the cupboards for anything Eugene might have missed.

I knew Eugene had sharp eyes and having gone through them last night, I should have known better. I stop examining the empty cupboards and sit at the table, my face in my hands, as I try to figure out what we would eat.

We.

That makes me look up sharply. Eugene, who had been watching me for who knows how long from one of the kitchen walls, asks, "What?"

I look at him and shake my head, wondering. Why was Eugene still here?

"Where's Pascal?" I ask.

"Outside." Eugene says and I shoot up from my seat. I'm five feet away from the front door when I'm suddenly pinned to the wall. I'm overwhelmed with cologne and though Eugene has made sure to keep my head from colliding into the wall, I'm dizzy when he gazes at me.

"You can't go outside." Eugene says, his voice low. His light brown eyes gaze intently at me, and then they move up to my head.

"Why?" I ask quietly, trying to be subtle about pushing Eugene away. He's pushing against me, and I can feel heat flooding my cheeks again. I've never been so close to a man before, nor have I felt every inch of him. Nor have I-

"For one, your head is bleeding again." Eugene says and backs away an inch. "Another thing, it started snowing."

"And another thing. . ." Eugene says, and then his eyes darken. He seems reluctant to tell me something. "You just can't go out yet."

"Why?" I ask, louder. I'm a little more comfortable, but something in me wants Eugene pressed against me again. "And how many excuses do you have?"

"I could think of a thousand." Eugene says shyly, but then on a serious note he says, "You don't want to go outside now."

I scowl at him and try to regain my bearings. I clear my throat and Eugene, realizing that he is still forcing me into the wall, takes a few steps back. I go to my room and dress into something other than one of my more modest nightgowns, and put a scarf over my cotton blouse.

"Eugene, could you find some firewood?" I call from my room. I can see Eugene fussing with the cupboards again, but he can't see me. "It's in my parents' room."

"Okay!" He calls and I smile when he ducks from sight.

I creep to the front door and quietly let myself out. If he finds me, my excuse is that I need to get Pascal, I tell myself. It was wonderful to have someone care about me again.

I sneeze when a snowflake lands on my nose. I hear a mew beside me and turn. I grin when I see Pascal hiding under a thorn bush.

"Now, Pascal," I chide him playfully, "that is hardly the warmest place to be."

Pascal sneezes to prove my point and climbs from under the bush. Someone taps my shoulder and I whirl around.

It is one of Piers' friends. His name is Benjamin and his eyes are bloodshot. Exhaustion is etched on Benjamin's face and I feel my heart rip at the grief that makes his shoulders slump.

"I'm here to bury your dead," Benjamin's voice is in a dull monotone. I don't understand until I look past him and I see many men marching the streets pulling wagons and wheelbarrows. Their heads are hung low and, like Benjamin, they are exhausted. The wheelbarrows and wagons are carrying bodies and I nearly retch when I see lumps on their decaying flesh.

"Won't you get sick?" I ask Benjamin, almost stammering.

He shakes his head. "Been doin' it for a week. Nothing yet." He says dully and then he asks. "Where're your folks?"

"Dead." I rasp. "Dead and buried."

"Good." Benjamin says, and his dark green eyes are very tired. He stands there in place and hangs his head. "I'm sorry for your loss, Rapunzel."

"I-It's fine," I say and my heart aches for Benjamin. I hold my arms out to hug him and he shies away.

"If I get anything, I don't want you to catch it." Benjamin says, caution animating him. He sighs and I pity him. "The bodies are being burned. The kingdom wants it that way. Everyone who wanted their loved ones buried did it before we arrived."

"Thank you for stopping by," I try to be polite. Benjamin nods and turns away. It's at that moment that I smell Ben. I really smell him. His clothes are stained with the stench of rotting flesh.

I rush past Pascal and vomit in the bushes. I feel suddenly feverishly sick and I cry when I think of the large number of bodies the men are pulling around. My stomach cramps as I retch and I'm in tears when Eugene finds me.

He says nothing, only waits for me to get my breath back, and then he helps me to my feet. His light brown eyes aren't angry, only concerned when he sees the lack of color in my face.

Somehow I'm back in my room again, except Eugene's there, rolling up my sleeves and taking off my scarf. He redresses my wound and begins to speak but I can't hear anything he's saying.

"Rapunzel," Eugene shakes me. "Rapunzel, can you hear me?"

"You were. . . talking about. . . the king," I mumble and when Eugene shakes his head, I realize I'm wrong.

Eugene looks anxious and on edge. His eyes are very vigilant and never leave my face. "Your head wound is infected. I've got to find someone to help us. It's bad."

"Oh," I slur and I suddenly understand why I was sweating the entire night. "Maybe Ellie."

"Ellie Sparrow?" Eugene is listening very carefully.

I nod slowly and wince when pain makes my head ache. "She knows Matilda. Matilda helps the king."

"Where are they now?"

The Sparrows? "At home, maybe." I then smile when I say, "Ellie's with-child with Piers' baby. She'll be around Matilda a lot."

Eugene nods and though he doesn't smile, his eyes light up when I mention Ellie's pregnancy. He looks around the house, debating something. He turns to me and helps me sit up.

"I can't leave you alone." Eugene says and his words start fading in and out. "I have to carry you."

"Why?" I mumble, and I don't hear his response.

Eugene helps me onto his back and I try to concentrate on keeping my arms around his neck. Eugene whistles to Maximus and Pascal, and then we're walking in the snow.

Benjamin and his body-searching crew are gone. The afternoon is quiet, not as sunny. The entire kingdom seems to be asleep, or holding its breath.

I blink, and awake in a dream.

Mother is crying. "Flower, wake up." She cries. "Wake up, Flower."

Father is shaking me hard. "Rapunzel, wake up. Open your eyes."

I push them away, feeling queasy. "I want to sleep." I turn my head away from them.

Father is persistent.

"Wake up, Rapunzel!"

I sit up with a start and retch in a waiting bowl. I grab the bowl and moan.

Alyson had been shaking me awake and Ellie takes the bowl, holding her breath. Something is wiping at my face.

"Easy there," Alyson coos when I double over, my stomach cramping. "Don't move so much."

Piers and Eugene are leaning against the wall next to the door, looking ill at ease.

"Where's Mattie?" Ellie asks Piers.

Piers gives her a soft look. "I found her. She's on her way." He looks at me. "You okay?" His calm voice contradicts the worry in his bright blue eyes.

I nod wearily and lay back down again. I don't know whose bed I'm in. The room is aglow with bright candlelight.

When I'm being shaken again, I'm so tired I almost don't notice Matilda standing over me. Her sweet brown eyes are dark with worry, like Eugene's and Piers'. Her hand goes to my forehead.

She says to me. "Take it easy for a few days."

How? I want to scream at her. The looters took everything we have.

I stay quiet and only nod, and then I lose myself in my dreams where worry can't burden me.