Tangled Up in You—The REWRITE!
A/N: In this chapter, Rupert discovers something wonderful; William and Catherine begin their twin epiphanies…
Chapter Ten: The First Encounter: Part One
While William and Catherine began their slow, leisurely trek into the city, Lieutenant Rupert, after his short conversation with the Royal Couple, had gone back to finish inspecting his troops, his supremely dedicated and talented troops. He sincerely and earnestly complimented them on their readiness as well as their appearance and professionalism. Each of these three traits was highly expected as he had personally recruited, enlisted and trained most of them. He then read out their assignments, as well as the amended orders concerning the stolen tiara and dispatched them to the various posts both within and without the dockage, stockage and warehouse areas of Corona's privately owned waterfront facilities.
He had just turned away from the waterfront and was about to return to the Guard House to catch up with his paperwork when he suddenly felt the quite strange and very powerful disturbance in the flow of the universe that easily and quite rapidly overcame the mysteriously random swirls and vortices that he felt earlier; the incredibly close disturbance that exactly corresponded to a disturbance in the water, off to his left, that caught his well-trained eye.
He turned towards it and was absolutely shocked at what he saw and, at first, he couldn't believe it for this sight was too incredible to even begin to imagine. It was a very small boat. A boat containing two young people, one male and one female; one well known due to his notoriety, and the other not, yet so seemingly and hauntingly familiar.
Rupert, his mouth open almost to the point that his chin had literally hit the ground, was presented with the completely unbelievable sight of a green eyed, blond-haired young woman; clothed in a simple, yet elegantly adorned pastel gown, with beautifully braided long golden hair, her feet bare; accompanied by, of all the possible escorts in these several local kingdoms, Flynn Rider. The notoriously infamous and dastardly Flynn Rider who had totally humiliated the entire Royal Guard with his daring theft of the Lost Princess' tiara just the day before. The very delicate and intricately designed tiara that currently graced this young woman's head; the elegant tiara of a Lost Princess; stolen just a day previous from in front of the entire Royal Guard and Solaris. The very tiara, a perfect fit upon this woman's head, as if customed fabricated just for her Rupert too noted with a shock.
Obviously Rupert at first thought, Flynn did not realize the price on his head, or was so arrogant as not to care; though, in this case, the truth WAS stranger than fiction. For Flynn Rider did know in his heart the danger to his life and livelihood that he was exposing himself to – as Rupert was to immediately realize as he sensed the real him, not Flynn but something completely different and as yet unknown – but also that the risk of potential instant death to be endured was worth the accomplishment of his newly self-proclaimed duty of returning Rapunzel, the Lost Princess, to her grieving parents; she, his new dream. The old dream of solitude on a deserted island; surrounded by money, completely forgotten.
"RIDER! Stop where you are! You are under ar-…?" Lieutenant Rupert somewhat questioningly exclaimed, sensing something completely unfamiliar, thus hesitantly beginning to draw his sword; ever ready to capture the thief – and ensure his safety as required of his amended orders – who was politely and quite unhurriedly helping the young woman from the boat onto the stone pier. Yet, his movement stopping quite abruptly, sword not even one quarter drawn, as the young woman shyly and tentatively turned to face him, her clasped hands held in front of her, and the blurry vision in his head quite unexpectedly and rapidly clearing into a picture as clear as the sight before him. The very vision, he realized with a start, he had just mentioned to King William. Rupert took several deep breaths and quickly calmed himself as the once rapidly and confusedly swirling tempest of vortices one surrounding the village quite suddenly and completely dissipated and separated into their normal ebbs and flows. If the sudden clearing of his vision was not enough to give him pause in his urge to capture Rider, surely the shock of his belated realization that the massively bright emerald green aura exuding from the young woman almost completely matched that of another; her mother, the queen; would, could and did.
"Please wait, this is very important, I need to see their highnesses; immediately!" Eugene cried, briefly and understandably panicked and completely unaware of the connection to the universe that Rupert shared with him; not realizing that Rupert was well aware of what was about to happen and was prepared to intercede on his behalf. Rapunzel, once very scared for her beloved Eugene, saw the look of recognition upon the face of the Royal Guard officer, a shy smile gracing his features; his brown eyes conveying a message of hope. She at once knew, as her emerald green eyes locked with Rupert's brown eyes, that something remarkable was about to happen, though she was not one hundred percent sure.
The now calm and serene Rupert slowly finished lowering his partially drawn sword back into its ornately decorated sheath and removing his hand from the hilt, patiently waiting, suddenly relaxed. Yet, at the same time, quite excited and all knowing; knowing what was about to come, the mention of a name known but to four individuals, himself included. The Sergeant Major, fully briefed on the amended orders concerning Flynn Rider, though unaware of the true status of the Lost Princess, yet seeing his lieutenant unexpectedly sheathing his sword and worried for his safety at the hands of the criminal of the century, quickly began to draw his sword to arrest Flynn before quite suddenly stopping as Rupert waved his hand before him; mimicking the action of one sheathing their sword.
"It is quite alright, Sergeant Major. We are perfectly safe and everything is quite fine, for this is indeed not the man we think he is. He means us no harm. Indeed, he brings the light back to our kingdom. You will not need your weapon." Rupert simply stated with a never before heard and unusual inflection in his voice, nodding to the Sergeant Major's weapon, his soothing words serving to calm the tense Sergeant Major.
"We are perfectly safe and everything is fine. This is indeed not the man we think he is. He means us no harm. Indeed, he brings the light back to our kingdom. I will not need my weapon. The light? What light; And…?" Samuel involuntarily mimicked as he assuredly removed his hand from his sheathed sword, before beginning to ask the obvious question, completely confused; his confusion picked up almost immediately by both Rupert and Eugene.
"We are in the presence of that which we seek; for her aura indeed matches that of her mother." He went on, with the same unusual inflection, to cryptically say, as Samuel looked first to Eugene and back to his commander; words serving to both finish calming and begin confusing the poor Senior NCO who could not yet understand his leader's words; not briefed on the full situation he was.
"We are in the presence of that which we seek... Her aura is that of her mother… What is an aura?" Samuel helplessly asked, becoming more confused by the second.
"Simply put, Samuel, all living things have an aura of energy that surrounds and envelopes them. This energy connects each and every living thing, whether plant or animal to every other living thing. For the most part, these auras in animals and humans tend to match that of either of their parent's; usually the mother; though, sometimes, the father as well, and still others a combination of the two. This woman's aura matches that of her mother. I know you have not been fully briefed on this, but wait and you shall know as I do, for we are about to hear the quite truthful replying answer to your other, yet unasked question."
"I must see them because of Rapunzel, the once, yet now assuredly found, Lost Princess." Eugene anxiously stated, while gesturing to his companion, somehow completely oblivious to all, his unblinking eyes locked on the two undrawn swords, and somehow not even hearing the conversation between Rupert and Samuel, though initially an active participant. The crown princess, Rapunzel, though, noting the happy look of recognition on the Royal Guard lieutenant's face and his calming words to Samuel; instantly realized that Eugene was most definitely quite correct in his feeling that all would be well; though perplexed she was by how he could have known.
"…Rapunzel, the Lost Princess… The light has been returned!" Lieutenant Rupert absent mindedly, yet excitedly, repeated Eugene's words before almost shouting out the last phrase, the vision in his head remaining as clear as the two individuals standing before him. The massive and brightly glowing green aura emanating from this young woman an almost perfect match for that of her mother, the queen; the only dissimilarity being the strength of Rapunzel's when compared to that of her saddened mother. Yes. Rupert, the loyal servant of Corona, was in the presence of the very person he had sought out for over seven years. Seven years marked by few highs, yet many lows.
Turning to his Sergeant of Arms, Sergeant Major Samuel, who quickly realized his deputy commander was having an epiphany; and finally understanding the impact of Flynn Rider's words yet not ready to unilaterally act upon them; accounting for his inaction in apprehending Flynn, waited patiently for his commander to issue his next order. He was not to be disappointed as Rupert excitedly ordered; "Samuel, find their Royal Highnesses as quickly as you can and ask them to please meet me here, at once! Inform them that my vision has cleared and I know now of the momentous event I previously spoke of; an event almost one score years in the making; the return of the light!"
Eugene and Rapunzel, lightly holding the other's hand, completely unaware of the power Rupert shared with Eugene and Amanda, looked at each other and then to Rupert, questioningly; yet, hopeful for their future. A future they prayed they would share together.
"Yes Sir!" Sergeant Major Samuel replied as he snapped off a crisp salute and hurried off, knowing that of all Royal Guard Officers, First Lieutenant Rupert MacIntyre was without a doubt the most dedicated and capable, and that his hesitation at arresting the unresisting Flynn Rider must be for a very, very good reason; one that in this case, Samuel quickly realized, it was not his place to question.
Rapunzel, her happy emerald green aura glowing even brighter in both Rupert's and Eugene's eyes, shyly started to speak when she was stopped by Rupert's hand motion and kind words. "It will be alright, Your Highness. Please, relax; for your quest is, at long last, finally at an end. Welcome home, for you are now truly home."
"My quest? Finally at an end? I am home? What do you mean by the light? You mean I AM the…" Rapunzel softly and confusedly asked herself, looking to a serene Eugene who simply nodded his assent to Rupert's truth as he gently pulled her into a tender embrace that ended with her resting her head against his upper arm. Rupert, ever the romantic, smiled a toothy grin at the pair as he looked on, amazed at the wonder of true love; it obvious to him that it indeed was not Flynn Rider that graced his presence.
The Sergeant Major, the bravest and surest of all the Royal Guard Non-Commissioned Officers, quickly, after a brief search, found his monarchs, still walking hand in hand not far from the pier sharing small talk with those citizens still out and about.
"Your highnesses! Please wait!" Samuel excitedly called out as he got closer, breathless from his rush to find them; his military bearing somewhat lacking.
William and Catherine, startled by the commotion behind them and turning at the sound, were very worried that something terrible might have happened. They looked past his left shoulder initially and were shocked to see the empty boat slowly floating away from the pier.
"Yes, Sergeant Major? Is there a problem of some sort? What happened to the occupants of that boat?" The king asked with a sharp edge on his voice.
"No, Sire! There is no problem at all! The occupants are quite well and under the watchful eye of Lieutenant Rupert. Please indulge me and accompany me back to the pier, as he stated that his vision has cleared and he must speak with you most urgently. It seems to concern the very occupants of the boat of which you speak; a man who looks remarkably like Flynn Rider, yet whom Rupert says is not who we think he is, and an emerald green eyed and golden haired young woman. He also mentioned something about her aura being a match for that of her mother, and the return of some sort of light. Please hurry!" The Sergeant Major excitedly replied, forgetting to mention the young woman's name, as he impatiently gestured to the Royal Couple.
"Flynn Rider; or someone who is not? A young woman? Blond hair? Emerald green eyes? Her aura? What about her aura being that of her mother? What is an aura? Who is her mother? Return of the light? The light?" Catherine blurted out, rapid fire, the confusion written on her face as she locked eyes first with Samuel and then her husband.
"Your highness, please forgive me for I know not. Lieutenant Rupert, besides saying something about auras being energy fields that connect living things together and how they closely match those of the parents, also mentioned something about finding that for which we have long sought; sought for almost one score years."
William and Catherine looked at each other, quite perplexed; yet, also hopeful; Rupert's words echoing in both of their minds.
"Finding what we have sought? Sought for almost one score years? The return of the light? Could it be?" Their eyes reluctantly, yet excitedly, asked each other, ever impatient to know.
"You may lead the way, Sergeant Major." The quickly calming King William softly said.
"Of course sire; please follow me."
The Royal Couple, the Sergeant Major leading the way, quickly made their way back to the pier and Rupert. The sight that greeted them was one to behold.
