SHINING STAR

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 12: The Wedding.

My feet hurt from running. I had charged through the forest as fast as I could, ignoring the trail and simply trusting that my instincts would lead me back to Rapunzel. I knew the general direction of Corona, so I headed that way, and was therefore relieved when I almost bypassed a familiar location. The Snugly Duckling had long since gone out of business, its windows were boarded and the sign hanging above its door had vanished. After the pug thugs had helped me to escape from the Castle prison they had become outlaws, well, even more so then they already were. That was, until Rapunzel had pleaded for them to be released from all their alleged crimes. Personally, I believed her naive nature shouldn't have held up in a legal setting, the man had admitted in song, "violence wise my hands are not the cleanest." But of course, Rapunzel got them pardoned with her sheer belief in the good in everyone.

It was refreshing to think that she did not care at all about a person's past actions, and that redemption could be found if they so chose it. I hadn't chosen to move past my bad deeds, instead choosing to leave. Where was the redemption in that? Rapunzel's acceptance was all I needed, and I had pushed it aside like she couldn't change anything. The pub thugs were proof that she changed lives. They were pianists, happily married, florists, interior designers, and Vladimir had the largest collection of ceramic unicorns the Kingdom had ever seen. And they were able to accomplish all of these things because Rapunzel believed in them. Kind of like how she used to believe in me.

Ignoring the pains in my feet, I pushed on faster, silently wishing Maximus was with me, so that I could get to Corona faster. I had been running day and night for the past few days, driven by desperation to make it before it was too late. I don't think I had ever pushed myself so hard at anything I had ever done in my entire life. But some things were worth fighting for.

It was nearing dusk when I stopped to catch my breath. Underestimating how tired I was, I fell to my knees heavily. I just wanted to lie there, but I had not forgotten what had made me exert myself to my absolute limit. Thinking of Rapunzel and a wedding I had to stop, I tried to pull myself to my feet, but failed. My legs felt numb, like dead weight beneath me. Letting out a cry of frustration, I threw my head back with closed eyes.

Of all the times for my body to fail me, now was the most inconvenient. It was like the universe itself didn't want me to make it to the wedding. Opening my eyes, I had to blink in surprise. I was at the start of the bridge. The Kingdom of Corona was right in front of me, the Palace glinting up ahead in the setting sun.

"Thank you, universe."

Somehow in my surprise and shock, I managed to get on my feet without even noticing it. Looking down at my legs that felt tired and weak, but definitely stable, I took a step forward, then another, then broke into a run toward the castle. The furious beating of my heart in my chest seemed to thrum an ominous warning.

What would I do if I was too late?

...

"Father!" I blinked back tears as my father, the King of Corona walked towards me, his face beaming in a smile of relief, his arms opened wide at the sight of his only daughter in a wedding dress. I glanced to the side, I was right next to the main door, my freedom was just outside. But I hadn't made it.

My father embraced me in a hug that made it clear he didn't notice my attempted escape, and looked down at me with a face shining with pride.

"I hope your walk cleared your head of all your doubts. I was worried you'd miss your own wedding so I came looking for you, I hope you don't mind?" He looked so paternal, and as I often did around him, I could think of no words to say. He was my father, and he had loved me since birth, but he wasn't my dad. I only met him when I was eighteen, practically already an adult, and there was so much he didn't know about me. Like, how to tell when I was lying.

"I'm feeling great, dad. Thank you."

Inside my heart was plummeting to the bottom of my chest as my father shepherded me towards the church with one hand on the small of my back. My feet reluctantly carried me in the direction of a fate I never wanted. Each step drew me closer to Mason, and I felt it in each step that I took, I slowly gave up fighting and gave in to the inevitable.

I was about to be married.

Looking into my father's face, so overwhelmed with emotion on his daughter's wedding day, I couldn't bear to break his heart. I had opened my mouth to beg him to not make me go through with this, but he looked so overjoyed. I couldn't take this away from him, no matter how much I was terrified of what would happen when we entered that room.

We stopped outside the church doors, and my father released his hand from my back, turning to look at me with tears building in his eyes. He drew me in for a tight hug, his large hands clutching me with all the strength of a devoted father.

"My little girl, all grown!" He croaked into my neck, his warm tears feeling like a burden on my shoulder.

"You have become an astounding young women, and you didn't even need me there to help you"

I thought about all of my insecurities, wondering whether I would be a good Queen, trying to overcome a broken heart, and learning to deal with being a wife. I shook my head sadly.

"Every girl needs their dad."

He stiffened, and just held me closer.

"I am so... sorry, sorry I was never there for you growing up. Nothing will pull you from my side ever again. I will love you every day for the rest of your life, and I hope you know that Rapunzel, I hope you know that I love you."

I felt anger built up in my chest, I was so frustrated with people talking about love as though it was such a permanent thing. I knew from experience that it wasn't. Eugene didn't love me enough to stay with me, and he didn't think I loved him enough to want him to stay. Mason didn't love me at all and I didn't love him. My parents loved each other because they had to. I'd like to see how solid the bond of love truly is.

"If you love me, you won't make me do this. I don't want to get married today." I was surprised at how small my voice sounded, and before my eyes, my father changed.

He sighed in agony, pinching his nose. I could see the confliction and hurt in his eyes, he had always done everything for the best interest of his people, but he knew as much about being a father as I knew of being a mother.

"Daddy please... don't make me do this." My voice cracked and I could see my father visibly flinch away from me.

"I'm sorry Rapunzel." His voice was low and soft, he sounded genuinely sorry, but all I picked up on was his refusal to change his mind. He was adamant the wedding would take place.

"Prince Mason is waiting for you, so are the rest of your people."

He pushed open the door and I saw a crowd of people all turn to look at me with awe in their eyes. A hush settled over the room, and everyone was watching me with adoration, the lost princess returned, and getting married. I was sure I was simply a piece of gossip to them all, an empty title, a face without a personality. Did any of them care about me for who I was? If I wasn't the lost princess, would they even look twice?

I felt my father pushing me forward again, as we made the slow and deliberate walk down the aisle, the music disappearing as everything seemed to slow down. I caught glimpse of my mother's smiling tear streaked face as she blew her nose delicately and shot me a look that seemed to tell me to be strong. Mason's mother was smiling smugly, her ice blue eyes locked on me as I walked, as though I was a prize that she was collecting. Lastly, I glimpsed at Mason, the only other person in this room who looked as miserable as I felt. I remembered his words,

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't want to marry you either."

Was that really just a few hours ago? Mason and I had a moment. I had heard something in his voice then that made me question everything I knew about him. I was seeing it again in his face now.

This wedding was a sham. We were lying to everyone when we were both so unhappy about it. Our Kingdoms may be in need of harmony, but this marriage was more likely to promote discord then unity.

I caught Mason's eye and smiled shyly, a smile he returned with reluctance. His eyes skimmed over my white dress with the ridiculous veil train, to the bouquet in my hands, his eyes resting on the ring on my finger. Biting his lip he forced his eyes to look out at the crowd, his posture noticeably more rigid. He looked devastated, absolutely depressed about being with me. Well, that makes two of us.

And then, the world stopped spinning.

I heard the grand doors open behind me, the noise seeming louder and more significant than any of the other idle wedding noises I was purposefully trying to drown out. I heard my name called, barely whispered, but the sound reverberated inside my head like a familiar song I had long ago forgotten the words too, but were coming back to me crystal clear. I slowly turned around, seeing the looks of surprise, shock, and occasionally disgust on the crowd's faces. I was trying desperately to remember how to breathe, and I could hear my heart pounding too loudly in my chest, like it wanted to leap out of my body and rejoin the person who had once held it fully and completely. He spoke my name again, the sound wrapping around me like a caress, filled with the tenderness and love I remembered, that touched a place inside of me I had forgotten about. I could feel how wide my eyes were, and how white my skin felt. It had to be a cruel dream, but everyone saw him. He was definitely here.

After all this time he had come back.

After all this time he had come home.

"Eugene..." I whispered softly, his name falling off my lips naturally, as though I had been saying it my entire life.

His lips curled into a smile, and I could see the relief that burned in his hazel eyes. He limped forward as though each step pained him, but the air around him was so light and good it was blinding. His presence made my heart feel more whole then it had in months. As we stood, with our faces so close they were almost touching, I forgot the wedding that was happening around us, my wedding. The only thing that existed in my world was his face, and I greedily tried to absorb all of his features.

The moment was something I hadn't dared hope for, and it was almost perfect, until I looked down and saw that I was dressed in white. Eugene might be here, close enough for me to touch, but as the crowd shifted restlessly it dawned on me that this didn't change anything.

I still had to get married today.

And the confused looks of the crowd melted away when I noticed Mason staring at me, with nothing short of envy on his fine features.