AN: This chapter's song on youtube at .com/watch?v=nIk0PdXsU9c
Also, I'll suggest listening to the score for the final scene of this chapter. The score for the scene starts at 6:20 of the following video, on youtube at .com/watch?v=Aq89Q3j32g0.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tangled or any of it's songs or characters or plots, which were propety of Disney. I also do not own Anastasia or any of it's songs, which is property of Fox.
The morning brought both happiness and dread to the heroic four. Still terribly exhausted, they decided to sleep the morning away and tackle the monumental challenge ahead of them in the afternoon. They fell asleep in the clearing easily; all too tired to even dream.
When Eugene cracked his eyes open, he saw Rapunzel already awake, sitting on a stone a short distance in front of him. She appeared to be whispering to something in her palm, talking quite avidly. Groggy and curious, Eugene stood up and looked over Rapunzel's brown locks and shoulder to see her talking to a green Pascal, who was sitting in her hands. He approached, listening in on their attention consuming converse.
"Really? Wow Pascal! I can't believe you did that! Thank you so much." She lifted the smug chameleon upwards to kiss him on the top of his head. Pascal ate up the affection, but his body still blushed pink at the feel of her lips on his scaly skin. Pascal smiled up at her afterward, trying to puff out his chest and look macho, causing Rapunzel to giggle.
"What did he do exactly?" Eugene asked, standing right behind Rapunzel. Startled, Rapunzel let out an "Eek!" and jumped upwards, causing her head to hit his chin painfully. This sent Eugene sprawling across the ground, and Rapunzel to slam back down onto her stone, rubbing a new bulge on her head. Realizing what had occurred, Rapunzel apologized to Eugene and fussed over him, causing one unhappy and envious chameleon to climb up to her shoulder.
The event knocking both awake, they ate the last of the food they had packed with them while coming up with a strategy to getting them to the King and Queen. Afterwards, they prepared to set off to the kingdom. Before they did so, however, Eugene decided to take a short stroll to clear his head and think- something the former him would scoff and laugh at.
As he leisurely traversed through the beautiful and now bright trees and foliage, he thought about what happened since they left of his tower a second time. His past had really ruined the journey, but it gave him a chance to realize how much he really had changed since meeting the girl with the magic hair..or tears, as was the case now. It made him wonder exactly who he was, or what he should be. He had been Flynn Rider for so long...was that who he was? Or was he really Eugene Fitzherbert? Or something completely different? He was having trouble identifying himself after last night. It made him feel so lost.
He did know a few things- Rapunzel was there waiting for him, and Rapunzel loved Eugene, not Flynn. Flynn Rider was also a wanted man that would never be allowed to escort a princess. With the shadow gang hopefully taken care of, perhaps it was time to finally bury his old self and actions behind. Start a new life in the truest sense.
Yet, he knew that could not truly happen. The man that was Flynn Rider had become part of him. He could not really let go of it completely. He was saddened by the thought that he would never be rid of the person. He'd always be a wanted man, a marked man. As he reflected on the dashing thief, he realized that Flynn Rider was not all bad. Sure, he was selfish, nonchalant, and a jerk, but he also had wit, charm, humor, and could be a nice guy. But could Eugene Fitzherbert and Flynn Rider really live in harmony? Could he find some sort of peace and balance in who he was?
"Come on Eugene! We've got to get going." shouted Rapunzel some distance behind him back towards the clearing. He turned around to see her already on Maximus, packed and ready to go. Pascal glared at him angrily from her shoulder. Maximus neighed in a rather distinct way, as if to say "Rider" as he shook his head.
Eugene Rider...Eugene smiled as he ran towards them. It had a rather nice ring to it, he did admit. "Eugene Rider is on his way!" he shouted to them jovially. It certainly sounded good, and judging by the smile on Rapunzel's' face, she liked it as well. Perhaps their was hope for the two halves to become one after all.
He hopped up atop Maximus, allowing Rapunzel frontal position on the horse without complaining as last time. He figured she should get to do as she wished on what may be her last afternoon of true freedom. He forced down the idea it may be his last afternoon of anything by going over the plan in his head repeatedly.
Rapunzel found herself standing at the start of the bridge to the rest of her life.
The plan was rather simple- Eugene would wear a a small hood he had found and brought along with him, while keeping his head down. Maximus too would try to keep his head low to the ground as they traversed forward, as the guards likely now knew that he was traveling with Flynn Rider. Rapunzel and Pascal, who they hoped no one would recognize yet, would stand directly in front of Maximus. Eugene would walk alongside Maximus. They would proceed through the towns and try to get up towards the castle, located at the top of the island Kingdom of Corona. Rapunzel would proceed to the front gates, reveal her identity, and hope that her looks would get her in for a meeting with the King and Queen. (from what Eugene recalled of them, Rapunzel actually looked very similar to them with her new brown hair) Maximus and Eugene would hide away somewhere nearby the castle until Rapunzel could convince them of her identity. They figured that the lost princess' return was a big enough shock- they probably should not add that she was brought back by the most wanted thief in the kingdom, not at the same time at least.
As Rapunzel gazed ahead however, the plan slipped from her mind. She became focused on the meeting that would hopefully occur. This was it. The return to the kingdom. The return to her home. What would she find there? Was she really who she thought she was? Would the royals...would her parents accept her? Would she finally learn more about her real past? Learn who she really was?
She found herself taking slow steps forward, Eugene and Maximus right behind her. She took in a breath, sighing, before letting her emotion out through song:
Heart don't fail me now
Courage don't desert me
Can't turn back now that we're here
Yes I know it's time,
I have made my choices
I must overcome my fear
Oh, how the world can seem so vast
on this journey to the past
At her last word, she suddenly burst forward, sprinting towards the kingdom, releasing her trepidation into entering the island. Eugene and Maximus, awed by her voice, were caught off guard. After a moment, they ran to catch up, Maximus quickly bursting ahead of Eugene. Eugene grabbed onto Maximus, preventing him from getting too far ahead. They argued and got further behind the singing princess.
Rapunzel, in her own world, ignored all this, walking into Corona. It was as bustling and bright and alive as she remembered it. Things still seemed different to her however. Now she lacked her golden hair, and now she walked in knowing she was the princess of these people. She gazed upwards to the castle towering in the distance, and then walked forward on the road ahead of her, continuing her song.
Somewhere down this road
I hope someones waiting
Will our hopes and dreams be wrong?
Will arms open wide, she spread her arms like wings to emphasis,
Hope I will be wanted before wrapping them around herself in a hug.
Finally home where I belong
Well starting now, things moving fast
On this journey to the past
More than a few pair of eyes watched her as she tramped down the street, people becoming entranced by her voice. Eugene and Maximus did their best to keep a low profile behind her- she was really starting to attract too much attention. As much as Eugene and Maximus wanted to, they could not stop her without attracing the unwanted attention onto themselves, which was too risky.
Rapunzel was running at a comfortable space, dancing. They reached an enormous circular clearing with buildings in all directions. It was filled with people, all moving around large statue of two people in the center. Rapunzel stopped to take in the sights and the sounds of the busy place, before seeing a small girl hugging her mother. She watched the mother intake her daughter into her arms, the mother smiling warmly. Stopping in place, Rapunzel continued:
Home, love, family
I long for the time
Where I will find it true
Home, love, family
I will never be complete until I find you
Rapunzel stepped forward, voice building and rising as virtually everyone in the square turned their eyes to the beautiful woman pouring her heart out to the world. She moved just as Maximus and Eugene made it to the circle, but they did not at first enter it. It was surrounded by civillians, and to their horror, quite a few guards that had their eyes trained on Rapunzel. This is NOT good Eugene thought.
Rapunzel remained blissfully ignorant of the people around her as she trotted over to the large statue in the center. Constructed of gray stone, it was of the King and Queen standing right next to each other, pressed together, warm smiles on their faces. Rapunzel looked up at her parents with wide eyes, finishing her song while walking around it and to the other side of the circle towards the castle.
One step at a time
One hope then another
Who knows where this road may go
Back to who I was
On to find my future
Things my heart still needs to know
Yes, let this be a sign
Let this road be mine
Let it lead me to my past
And bring me home
At Last
She reached the other end of the circle and stopped, turning around to gaze at the statue again, lifting her arms to the sky to sing her last note. As she finished and panted, she heard a roar of cheers and the sound of clapping as she was snapped from her own world to see hundreds of faces upon her, smiling, applauding her wonderful song. She gasped, not realizing anybody but Eugene and...where was Eugene?
She looked around frantically for her three companions. She felt Pascal still sitting on her shoulder, so he was covered. But where were Eugene and Maximus? Were they not right behind her? She ran back into the circle, ignoring the many people who tried to strike up a conversation or compliment her, moving her way through trying to find the pair. She reached the statue again and looked ahead, and to her horror, saw Eugene and Maximus fighting off a number of guards.
Usually, I like it when she sings, but could she not have waited for a big musical number until AFTER we got to the castle? Eugene asked himself as he knocked out another guard with the frying pan. They had attempted to cross the circle to get to Rapunzel, hoping that the guards attention was diverted enough that they would be safe on this unplanned route. Unfortunately, a big white horse just does not blend into a crowd well, even with his head down, and soon guards were swarming upon them while everyone else watched Rapunzel.
Rapunzel ran to them, shouting "Stop! Leave my guy and horse alone!" As more people started to notice the arrest happening, more of the crowd moved towards it to get a better look, causing the crowd to transform from flowing water to ice. Rapunzel had to struggle to push her way through as more guards began flooding the square, word getting out of Flynn Rider on the scene.
Eugene and Maximus soon found themselves overwhelmed by the number of guards attacking them. Maximus was faring better than Eugene was, a menacing sword locked between his teeth, which he had stolen from a guard. He parried the various slashes and stabs of three guards at once, knocking the swords out of their hands before sending them retreating with a menacing "get out of here before I trample you" glare. The fight around him letting up, Maximus turned around to see Eugene pressed down to the ground by three guards, with a few abandoning that fight to advance towards Maximus.
Maximus neighed angrily before surprising the guards by charging through, smashing the guards in his way and off Eugene. More guards approached, but Maximus stood protectively over Eugene, glaring at the oncoming guards and stopping them in their tracks. No one was supposed to have the pleasure of beating up or arresting Rider but him.
Eugene got up, muttering a "thanks", which caused Maximus to snort in response. They both prepared to face the next wave guards. Maximus stood at the ready...until a sharp whistle blow punctured the glowing tension in the circle. Many of the common folk covered their ears and shrieked at the high pitched noise. Maximus eyes widened, as his body was subconsciously put to an attention position. He went rigid, and he stood to easily allow his rider to get on.
Eugene flashed a puzzled look at Maximus before being swarmed by the guards, Maximus doing nothing to help him. Maximus was soon overcome by guards as well, which forced him to lay down. They covered him with chains, making sure to not underestimate the horse despite his current docile state.
The guard captain walked forward, the crowd parting out of the way of him and the other royal guards he brought. He was smirking, holding a small silver object in his hand. Maximus may have betrayed them, but he still heeled to the mighty call of the whistle.
"Been waiting a long time for this day Rider. The day you finally fall to me." The guard captain emphasized his point by dramatically stepping a foot down onto the restrained thief's' back. "Get this criminal and the traitor to the cells, where they belong." the Captain spoke, stepping off and preparing to oversee the arrest.
"Let them go! Let them go!" a feminine voice cried. The guards looked towards the crowd watching on to see Rapunzel finally puncture through the mass of bodies, gasping. She had rage and frightening passion in her wide green eyes, as she continued her desperate cries. "I demand you let them go right now!"
"And who are you exactly? What makes you think you have any authority to ask such a thing?" the guard captain asked, a confused look on his face. He had never seen the girl before him in his life. He thought that she looked kind of similar to that strange woman with the long golden hair accompanying Rider before, but he was unsure since he had not gotten a good look during that chase. He thought that he knew that face from somewhere else. He just could not pinpoint where.
"I am Rapunzel! Now-let-them-go!" she paused between each word for emphasis, trying to convey that she was not in a mood to be toyed with right now. She was not just going to let Eugene and Maximus get captured and thrown into prison and then who knows what!
Why is that name familiar? The Capain pushed that thought down, his pride at stake. "Listen, girl. I don't know who you think you are or what makes you think you have the authority to try and order around the royal guards of Corona, but-"
Cutting off the nasty and pompous mans' speech, Rapunzel blurted out "I am the lost princess!" in her aggrivation. She was just trying to shout out anything to get them to stop. To her satisfaction it wiped the smirk off the captains' face and replaced it with a wide-eyed and somewhat fearful expression, but then she heard a gasp from the crowd of people behind her. She covered her mouth, realizing what she had revealed at a perhaps inappropriate time.
The guard captain thought his eyes might burst from his sockets when the girl said she was the lost princess. Normally he would shrug it off and shut the girl up- he had ran into more than a few little girls claiming to be the princess- but with the revelation came a realization. This girl looked exactly like the Queen! Almost a complete copy of her, and though she lacked the trademark blonde hair that the lost princess had as a baby, the girl looked exactly like one would expect the Queen's daughter to look like. She even had the exact shade of green eyes to match!
But this lady...she could not possibly be the lost princess! The Captain marched up to her, and the now bashful Rapunzel was a bit taken aback by his sudden advancement. He got into her face and looked her up and down, looking for any trace of make-up or some sort of masking or anything that would show that she was not as she appeared to be. His trained eyes saw nothing- just natural beauty and royal resemblance. He backed away a few steps. "What did you say your name was, girl?" the captain asked.
"It's Rapunzel." she said, gruffly.
The Captain's eyes widened again, as he remembered a day eighteen years ago, when he had just joined the ranks of the royal guards...
"Attention!" barked Captain Cornelius, the guard captain of the time, walking into the large castle courtyard.. A large line of guards snapped to a stiff, upright position from their more leisurely stances. Among them was a private who would one day rise to be Captain of the guard, a young man named Humphrey.
"Men! What I am about to tell you does not leave this courtyard, do you understand?" Cornelius shouted to his subordinates.
"Yes sir!" the line of guards responded.
"Good! Now then, you will have the honor of being some of the first people to know about this. The princess has been kidnapped." Some of the less stern men let out gasps. This led to a short rant in their faces about keeping discipline even in the harshest of situations, responded to by awkward and fumbling assurances to never do it again.
Afterward, Cornelius went on. "Now, naturally, it falls on the royal guards to find the kidnapper, find the princess, and bring her safely back home! The King and Queen have decided to not make this public yet, to avoid panic and potential phony princesses from popping up. As such, you will not reveal this information. Do you understand why this information must not leave this courtyard now?"
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Good! We depart at nightfall, quietly, to begin the search for the princess. I will now give you the girls' description. Though many of you have glanced at her, many have not, and we want you reminded. In absence of a drawing which has not yet been made, I will give the descriptions of the girl herself straight from the King and Queen!" Cornelius pulled out a small parchment from his pocket and unfurled it, before reading it aloud to his men. "She has long golden hair, longer and more shining than any hair ever seen on a baby. She has wide, green eyes and a plump face and body. She was wearing a small green nightgown when she was taken away. Her name is Rapunzel." Cornelius finished the section of the letter, and glanced up at the stoic faces of his men.
"Again, this information is classified! Only when the King and Queen choose to reveal it may you speak of her descriptions. And you are all forbidden from ever naming your children, or anything, Rapunzel! Understand?"
"Yes sir!" shouted most.
A more foolish and younger guard asked "Why can we not use the name sir?"
Silence echoed across the courtyard as Cornelius stomped to stand in front of the man who asked the question, getting in his face. "They do not want any other girl, boy, or thing in this kingdom to take the name of their precious lost daughter! Do you understand, you filthy little maggot?"
The guard squeaked out a "Yes sir!".
"Will you ever speak out of turn again, maggot?"
The guard spoke with more confidence, "No, sir!"
"Good!"
"But then why tell us the name at all, sir?"
Cornelius sent the vocal cadet a blood freezing glare. "The King and Queen are preparing for all circumstances. They hope their daughter might somehow be able to remember the name they gave her. If we fail- which we won't!- but if we fail, then they hope that her name could help us guards find her down the road. For if a girl knows the name, she may be the princess. Do you understand now, you dumb faced, no-good, idiotic maggot!
"Yes sir!"
"Good!" Cornelius went back to pacing along the line. "Now, for the description of the kidnapper..."
Humphrey rescued his mind from the flashback and recalled what would become of the name. The King and Queen would eventually release the details of the girl after repeated failed searches by the guards, but not the actual name of the princess. They had seen many girls try to imitate their daughter in their walks throughout the kingdom. The pain of seeing that and being reminded was bad enough to them; they did not need the pain of the beautiful name being used in such a fashion as well. They also wished to keep the name unique; for to announce it would see hundreds of Rapunzels spring up throughout the kingdom, regardless of whatever they said to prevent it.
The guards that heard it that day were all fine men who swore many pledges and oaths in their coronation to the guards- these are not men who would betray the secrets of the royals. So then how could this girl possibly know the name that only about thirty or forty people on this Earth were supposed to know? Is it some sort of bizarre coincidence? Had one of those men spoke the secret name aloud? If not, how had the girl come to learn of the name? Could it possibly be that the lost princess was able to keep that name in her memory?
But she was not the lost princess, she just...his eyes raked over her form. She looked so much like the Queen. Though regular searches of the princess had been abandoned, that had not meant the royal guards were not to keep a sharp look out for girls that could be the lost princess. Could he really just ignore the person before him? A person who resembled the King and Queen more than anyone he had ever seen?
The crowd was muttering at Rapunzel's' revelation and the captain's pause. Deciding to go with his gut, the appearance, and the name, Humphrey made his decision. "We take the girl with us to the castle. Take her." Humphrey ordered. Before Rapunzel could react, two guards had grabbed her arms and were dragging her to their other two prisoners. Unable to break free from their hold, Rapunzel unwillingly went along with them. They forced Eugene to stand up whilst cuffing him, and nuzzled and chained Maximus, ensuring he could not run away by having six guards hold onto his chains. They confiscated all their belongings and began to march them along. Rapunzel was allowed to walk freely, but was informed she would be caught if she tried to escape.
The murmuring and staring crowd parted as the procession of royal guards made their way through. Both Rapunzel and Eugene felt uncomfortable at their questioning and hateful stares. It was going to be a long walk to the top of the island.
Rapunzel had read many a fairy tale about grand castles, and had certainly been entranced by the sight of the structure in the distance. But her view of Castle Corona from the gates beneath the awesomeness put all those previous glimpses to shame. The castle was an overpowering and dominating presence; many stories above anything around them, seeming to go on forever in all directions in front of them. The white and gray marble and stone construction, the towering towers, the beautiful architecture and blue and brown roofing; it all had Rapunzel rather intimidated.
"Get Rider and the traitor to the cells. The girl comes with me and team A into the castle." Humphrey ordered, his many subordinates nodding.
"No!" yelped Rapunzel at the notion of splitting up with Eugene and Maximus. She was not going to let them suffer in jail somewhere! "I refuse to go another step unless they come with me." she said angrily, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting to emphasize her determination on this matter.
The guards gave her an odd look. Humphrey spoke up- "Listen, I don't know whether you are the lost princess or not, but these are prisoners, enemies of the Kingdom of Corona, and-"
Rapunzel channeled all her anger and unhappiness at the thought of parting with the two to cut him off. She spoke in an angry and regal tone, similar to the tone to tell Eugene about the deal that had started it all: "Now you listen. These two rescued me from my kidnapper, saved my life, and have become two of my closest companions. You are not sure if I am the lost princess. However, I assure you the second I get the chance as a princess that if you do not let them come with me right now, I will get them out of their cells. Then I will come down on whoever put them in there. I promise. And when I make a promise, I never, ever, break it. Ever. Do you understand me? Are you ready to take that risk?"
The guards and her companions were left speechless and open mouthed. Eugene and Maximus flashed a knowing and somewhat fearful glance at one another, thinking the same thing. She is scary when she wants to be. Pascal, who had changed color and hidden on her shoulder, glared outwards at the guards, smirking. No one messed with him and his Rapunzel.
Captain Humphrey blinked, contemplating. If what she said was true, Rider and the traitorous horse would likely be honored by the King and Queen. That assumed she was the actual princess, something he was not sure about. Did he really want to chance it? The last thing he wanted to do was have the lost princess angry at him. She would have the authority to have him killed. Or worse, fired.
Humphrey, seeing he was beaten, sighed. "Let Rider go with Team A and I. Take Maximus to the stables and make him..comfortable..but keep eyes on him!"
Rapunzel raised her voice to object. "But-!"
"The castle is filled with many narrow hallways, staircases, and is a clean building. Hardly a place suited for a horse." Maximus huffed angrily at his former master. "He will be safe and fine in the stable while we get...this sorted out."
Rapunzel looked into the mans' eyes, looking for any lies within them. "You will take him to the stables and not some prison?"
"You have my word, until it is determined what you are exactly. And I am the Captain of the Guard- our word is our honor." the man promised. Somewhat content with the response, Rapunzel nodded, but continued to bargain.
"Very well. But release Euge- Rider from his handcuffs or any other restraints." Rapunzel said in the same commanding tone as previous. She changed the name mid-sentence, realizing that Eugene's real name was not reconizable to most yet.
"But-!"
"Come now, surely a number of men like yourselves will be able to catch him if he tries to escape? He is a hero- he deserves to be treated like one. And he won't steal anything or try to get away, isn't that right Eugene?" she pretend to glare angrily at the former thief, but as she locked eyes with him, he could see the humor in her green irises.
"Why of course! I know not to try and slip anything under you, Blondie."
"Rapunzel." she said, not in the mood for her nicknames.
"'Nuance." they bantered, unable to hold back smiles at the memories. The guards looked at them with confused, eyebrow-raising glances. Humphrey huffed, conceding, ordering Eugene out of the cuffs. Before releasing them however, he walked up to Eugene.
"No funny business Rider. I don't know what connection you have to the potential princess, but without her, it's the noose. And that may even occur with her around if you don't watch your step- or hands, in your case. Understand?" Humphrey threatened. Eugene nodded, a gulp going down his throat as his hands were freed and he rubbed them tenderly.
Eugene turned to see Rapunzel hugging Maximus' neck as he put his head over her shoulder. He heard her speak "Thanks for everything Maximus. You just twell me if those mwean mwen do anything bwad to you, OK?"
Maximus made a sad grunt to indicate "Yes." Over her shoulder, he sent Eugene a cocky grin and two raised eyebrows, as if to say "That's right, I am scoring with your girl."
Eugene just stared agitatedly at him as they broke away. Eugene moved to stand next to Rapunzel, taking her hand and squeezing it possessively. They both looked up as the massive iron gates with the crest of Corona imprinted on each one (a large sun as seen at the festival) opened up to let them inside. Up ahead they saw a beautiful stone walkway to two large brown doors that led to the interior of the castle. Around the walkway were large meadows going right again the large walls of the castle. They traversed up the path, Maximus being carried away by most of the guards into the meadows to journey to the stable. Captain Humphrey, Rapunzel, Eugene, Pascal, and ten of the stronger and older looking guards continued along the path.
As they came to the massive wooden doors, which also had the crest emblazoned on them, they swung open to let the large group in. They entered a massive hallway of massive stone pillars lining each side, a red carpet rolling in front of them, leading to yet another large doorway.
Yet the room was not all that greeted them; a short, middle-aged, portly fellow came dashing down them from a ways down the hallway. He had a few scrolls of parchment tucked under his arms and wore a powdered wig to mask some apparent baldness and lack of hair. He did not have a very happy look on his face.
"Captain! Captain! What is the meaning of this? I'm here minding my own business and then you send a man over to tell me some nonsense about a princess candidate and Rider getting caught? What in blazes has gone wrong with-" as his angry blue eyes crossed over the procession, they met the body and face of Rapunzel, and he stopped mid-rant.
"I..well..what in the..how..?"
"What were you saying, Sir Oswyn?" Humphrey spoke up, smirking. The two butted heads frequently- it always made him happy to see the chatterbox get flustered and silenced.
Oswyn just squinted his eyes at Rapunzel, taking a few more steps closer. "Well..what an..interesting development. I see what you- what the hell is that damned thief doing here!" The man apparently named Oswyn looked shocked and disgusted at the sight of Eugene. He backed a few steps in fright, but kept an angry look at the procession.
"Apparently, the girl-"
"It's Rapunzel!" she rose her voice in genuine fury. She had been letting it slide for a while, but that was the straw that broke the camels back. She was sick and tired of being called "the girl". It's like people have never seen a girl before!
Oswyn quirked an eyebrow up at her name, being one of the few people entrusted with it. "She...did you tell her? And again, what is the wretched criminal doing inside a noble and royal establishment such as this one?"
"No, I did not, and was surprised as you are that she knows it. Apparently, Rider rescued her from her captor and she refused to go into the castle without him."
"Interesting..and why do you now take orders from young women?" Oswyn said, snidely.
Humphrey huffed angrily. "Do you want to make a gir...Rapunzel, who might be the lost princess, angry?"
"I suppose not, but his presence is highly..unorthodox and agitating. Just keep him well under wraps and away from my room. Now then, what to do what to do...?" Oswyn asked himself, tapping his foot and scratching his chin.
"I believe I said that we should prepare some kind of audience with the King and Queen?" said Humphrey.
"Yes, I bloody well know what you said, thank you! But the King and Queen have better things to do than deal with...impostors! I need to test her for myself."
"We don't have all day here Oswyn, so if you can just go and inform the King and Queen-"
"Need I remind you of who has higher authority, Captain." Oswyn said with contempt and malice, silencing the captain. Oswyn approached the procession, which slowly stepped back like the tide as Rapunzel was left to stand alone. Eugene was yanked back by Humphrey, to his displeasure.
Rapunzel felt growing confusion and a draining of confidence as the conflict unfolded. Would she get to see her parents? Did they even want to see her? Were they really the people she thought they were? Her insecurities about the meeting and about her being a princess were coming much more to the forefront not that they were actually inside the castle, which was a miracle in itself. And now this weird man wanted to...test her?
Oswyn approached her, and began pacing around her. "Do you have any idea who I am, woman who calls herself Rapunzel?"
Not seeing anything aggravating in his tone or words, Rapunzel spoke honestly. "Nope."
Oswyn looked rather displeased by that information. From the distance, Humphrey rolled his eyes at what was to come. "I was one of the finest knights of the kingdom before my retirement. Now I am the King and Queens' personal attendance taker and schedule maker."
"What does that mean?" Rapunzel asked genuinely.
Oswyn looked absolutely appalled that Rapunzel would ask such a thing, causing her to blush a bit. She was still having trouble adjusting to the world- she was tired and embarrassed to know so little compared to everyone else.
"It means that I decide who gets in to see the two and I help decide what they do from day to day, with their input of course. As such, I am very close to them- personal friends of mine. And as they are personal friends of mine, I do not tolerate rif-raff coming in, pretending to be their lost daughter, reminding them of that pain! And as such, I must ensure that any promising candidates for the lost princess are thoroughly inspected and tested before-" he was stopped mid-sentence when a frying pan clanged painfully against his head, causing Oswyn to fall to the floor, knocked out cold.
The rooms' eyes turned towards Eugene Rider, arm still extended in a throwing motion. He had grabbed the pan from one of the guards carrying their belongings and thrown it at Oswyn. Eugene glanced up to see all the people glancing towards him and said "What? I can't seriously have been the only one wanting to do that."
Rapunzel gave him a reproachful look, but Humphrey just smirked and spoke "For once, Rider, I agree with you. Let's get moving- we'll find somebody to get the King and Queen and set up a more suitable meeting place. They are the only two people in this kingdom who will really know whether or not you are the lost princess." The procession began to move ahead, but Rapunzel was hesitant.
"What about Sir Oswyn?" Rapunzel asked. She slowly walked through and looked down at Oswyn concernedly. It's not like he was a bad person...was he?
Humphrey humphed. "He'll be fine. Take more than that to really hurt that thick head of his. We'll get someone to look after him- the medical staff here are very good."
They reached the doors at the end of the massive hallway and Rapunzel and Eugene proceeded through with the guards to meet their future.
Eugene and Rapunzel found themselves on a magnificent, large balcony overlooking the Kingdom of Corona. It was bathed in beautiful orange light from the falling sun, and other lights started to flicker on. There was a kind of happy glow in the air; the shine of a jubilant kingdom.
Rapunzel sighed, leaning on the balcony railing with Eugene standing beside her. Silence passed between them as they waited for the King and Queen, who would apparently be brought to them shortly for a private meeting. This was it. The culmination of a whirlwind adventure that would see a new beginning- for both of them, hopefully.
They were, of course, fearful of what was about to occur. They could be split apart, or be twisted into a new world they would not enjoy, or rejected, or in Eugenes' case, killed. This could be some of their last moments of life together.
Rapunzel was suddenly feeling rather self-conscious now that she was here, identified as the possible lost princess. She was so sure of what she was before, but now all of her theories and support for it seemed to have millions of holes. If she was completely wrong about herself- about being the lost princess, then what was she? And if she was wrong then she had put them all in danger for nothing, and then they would never rescue the pub thugs and then Maximus and Eugene would get killed and-
Eugene, seeing her growing distress, put his hand over hers in a comforting gesture. Rapunzel took a deep breath, calming. "I don't want this to end, Eugene." Rapunzel said softly.
"I don't either. But it's going to."
"What will happen to us?" she asked, sounding like the little girl trapped inside a woman's body once more.
Eugene tried to reassure her. "It will work out, somehow."
Rapunzel asked, innocence shining through her voice. "You met them. What are they like?"
Eugene chuckled. "That was a long time ago, and I don't remember much."
"Mmm." Rapunzel merely voiced. Upon looking at her sad face, Eugene continued going off what he could recall.
"They were..they are wonderful, kind, understanding people. They are going to love you Rapunzel."
Rapunzel did not reply, still looking outwards, but she smiled. She turned around to face him as their eyes met. "Thank you Eugene. For everything. For getting me here."
Eugene smiled back at her. "Hey, no need thank me- you were the one who got us up here in the end. And you saved me, more times than I could count. I should be thanking you for everything."
"Eugene..I.." the large doors behind swung open. Both turned to see two figures come slowly towards them.
For a brief moment, Rapunzel thought she might be looking into a mirror. The thought fled from her mind as she looked into her mother's face and body and saw the differences, but..it was scary how much she looked like the woman. Rapunzel gazed into her eyes, taking a few cautious step towards the woman. It was her own eyes she was staring at.
She saw her father too, standing a little behind the Queen. Old, tall, powerful, like a weathered oak tree. He looked intimidating, but the emotion on his face hid that all the way, as he looked on a man starting at the stars for the first time.
Rapunzel and her mother continued to advance towards one another tentatively. Both felt rising waters in their eyes, but could not fully understand why they were coming forward. Rapunzel was especially confused- why did she suddenly feel like crying in happiness at looking at this woman? Why did she feel so drawn to her? Why did she long to be held by her so suddenly? Was this..was this what having a mother was like? Was her home in her arms? What was happening to her?
Love seemed to whisper from the very air as the hearts of the royals became drawn together. Somehow, someway, they just knew- knew they had both found their homes at last. It was something they would look back on in bewilderment, and that Rapunzel would call "magic" when she told her story to her children. She would not realize exactly how right she could be in saying that.
Forgoing any formalities, the mother and daughter embraced each other desperately. Both women felt something odd and wonderful in their bodies then. The Queen had well been aware of the missing piece of her heart since her daughter was taken from her. The piece now slid comfortably back into place, shining. Rapunzel , however, sobbed as the same sense of fufillment ran through her. She had not even realized how shattered her heart had been, but in her mother's arms, her real mother's arms, she felt the sting and horror of every single one of the pieces of her heart crying. But they reformed, becoming new and stronger than ever before, making her love sing to the skies.
Rapunzel looked up to see her father, and gazed into his eyes. She felt an emptiness she had been aware of suddenly fill with light. The King laughed, before taking two of the most important women in the world to him into a big embrace. In happiness, in joy, in love, they collapsed, the power of the situation to much to bear standing. They stayed there, basking in the warmth of reunited family.
It would be the Queen who would open her eyes from the embrace and see the man who had apparently brought her back- the famed thief Flynn Rider. She saw a longing in his eyes- the same longing she had seen on a cold afternoon twelve years ago. Something else was there too- something different somehow. Something that told her he was not the man he once was. Something that told her he would not be content with leaving their daughter anytime soon.
The Queen, as she had before, extended a caring and generous hand to the thief. Eugene, expecting a handshake, accepted it. He was instead pulled into the embrace. Eugene felt odd, foreign, out of place as the the pairs of arms wrapped around him and brought him in. Then he felt a heat unlike any other, a sense of belonging, a sense of family that he had never felt before. It struck him so hard and powerfully that he wept with three royals, jubilation seeping uncontrollably from him as he felt the wondrous glow. All four in the embrace had their fears, their concerns, and their sadness disappear as a brightness seemed to course through their veins, wiping all unhappiness away. For that one moment, everything was perfect.
"Mommy? Daddy? Who are you hugging?" said a soft voice from behind them.
AN: Quick shoutout to meneses2401 who suggested a perfect song for this chapter- I would not have found it and used it without the suggestion. It is not Disney, but it is from a Disney knock-off with a great quality of music that fit too well not to use. Both tracks used for this chaper can also be found on my profile, named.
Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak! (Chameleon-speak for: Please review and help me improve my writing! =) ) Would like continuing feedback on how I'm portraying our two leads.
