Abducted

An Unknown Foreign Beauty

Chapter 21- Masters of the game

Rapunzel wanted to forget this moment. The dazzling candlelight reflecting over the white pearls of her mother's old wedding dress, or the long transparent veil covering her seventy feet long golden hair, never let her to forget this. She gazed at the councilors sitting in the front row, then to the Corona guards at the door; at last she was doing this. Queen Gothel stayed in the castle in order to look after the sick king. She wished she was here. Outside there were white carriages waiting for the newly wedded couple to drive them to their new home, and the excited Corona people with the lanterns; everything seemed so perfect. Rapunzel took a deep breath, and then gazed at the groom beside her. Prince Edward really looked radiant in the white full sleeve suit and the black royal pants, and when he looked at her, Rapunzel saw a nasty grin plastered on his face.

"Wait a minute princess." He lowered his face near her ears and whispered, "Then you will be my wife." His nasty breath trickled her skin, she wanted to run away from here, but her mind was so hazy, that she hadn't much in her reserve to think. She didn't say a word, but followed Edward to the altar, her knees were trembling beneath her skirt, her eyes were too blurry to concentrate on what the archbishop was saying.

As the archbishop began reading the holy verses, a long strings of colorful memories ran across her mind when she married Eugene in some God-forsaken pub, the way he looked in that dirty blue vest. Her eyes moved to Edward standing beside her, tears began rolling from her eyes. But now she had no choice left, except standing here with Edward's arms around her waist in a painful way….she just wished for a miracle now.

She shut her eyes tightly, but soon they were opened, as she heard the slam of a door behind her, and then, nothing but pure clamoring. Confused as to what all the commotion was, she jerked up, listening intently. Sure enough, she could hear voices—tons of them—at the church gate, yelling, screaming, and causing an unintelligible ruckus. What on earth…? She glanced uncertainly at Edward, who seemed to be concentrating on the archbishop, who was intoning: "If there be any man present who knows any reason why this man, and this woman, should not be joined in matrimony, let him speak now or forever hold his peace…"

"I protest...I protest..." Suddenly the door banged opened, followed by a huge bunch of guards rushing inside. Rapunzel immediately turned her concentration to the chaos, wondering the aching familiarity of the voice she just heard. Stomach churning, she peered into the crowd, and was surprised to spot the huge cluster of guards shoving some man to his knees. But wait…That man…Was that…?

An agitated babble of voices broke loose and swept through the church like a tidal wave. At the altar, Edward looked clearly irritated, and the councilors looked really confused. A hope bubbled inside Rapunzel, may be…may be…

"Father, there is no reason…" Edward was clearly annoyed.

"No, there is one reason…" The prisoner was still struggling hard against the guards.

This time there was no denying the reality of that achingly familiar deep voice, and shock waves roared up and down Rapunzel's spine, buffeting her entire body. Joy exploded in her heart, obliterating all memory of her surroundings. Slowly she turned, afraid to look for fear this was some cruel trick of fate, and then she raised her gaze

to his. It was Eugene! He was alive. The sight of his handsome, ruggedly chiseled face almost sent her to her knees. Her entire being aglow, she forgot that she was in a church, among so many guests, she lifted up her skirt and climbed down from the altar, her lips moved to form only one name, "Eugene!"

Eugene instantly recognized the voice, the voice he longed to hear for months, or to see for many days, dreamt for many nights. He turned to her direction, and his smile warmed as he heard her voice.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel squealed, her eyes widening as soon as she recognized the young man amongst the guards. Overjoyed at the sight of him, she nearly fell down the stairs as she climbed down the altar. Once downstairs, she bolted towards him faster than she had ever run before, her heart soaring. He was finally home! Rapunzel reached out to touch his beloved face and assure herself he was real. Eugene felt the soft contour of her arms, he traced his fingers along the lines of her palm..Oh, how much he wanted to see her again? How much he wanted to lose himself in the fathomless pools of her green eyes?

"Rapunzel!" Eugene's fingers moved up to her face, tracing her jaw line, her cheeks.

"Oh, Eugene!" Before anyone could react, Rapunzel threw her arms around him and planted a passionate kiss on his lips, cradling his face in her hands, two tears welled up from her eyes, rolled down along her cheeks, and landed on the dark hollow of his blind eyes.

"I missed you, Eugene." She whispered, as she broke away. Her tears felt cold on his skin, and he blinked. There was a light. At first it was so foggy, and then he blinked again, and a pair of beautiful green eyes came to his view.

'Rapunzel!" he gasped, blinking over and over again. Her tears healed his eyes. For the first time he shifted his gaze to her face; she looked so thin, so pale, and her eyes were so teary. Still she looked so radiant in that beautiful wedding gown. The dark moments in his life suddenly vanished in a second, leaving a light delightful sensation inside.

"Eugene how…"

'Rapunzel, I…Agh!" He reached for her again, Rapunzel gasped, as Eugene was cut off by one of the guards who yanked him backwards.

"How dare you to crush my wedding?" Soon Rapunzel caught off-guard by a voice coming from behind. She whirled around, and then her expression froze, as she caught the sight of Prince Edward standing right behind her. She felt his hand on her shoulder, tightening his grip on her flesh.

"Why shouldn't I do that?" Eugene threw a cold look at Edward, clearly irritated with the interruption of his cousin at this long cherished moment of reunion.

"On what grounds do you protest this marriage?" the archbishop finally barked to the prisoner.

"On the grounds that the bride is already married to me….Agh!" Rapunzel gasped as Eugene was cut off by one of the guards.

'Why should I believe in your words?" Edward was practically grinning, looking at the councilors in the front row, waiting for the answer.

"And might I ask why not?" Suddenly a voice questioned, and the audience gasped as an elegant woman in a dusty dress stepped forward, raising an eyebrow. "Mother!" Rapunzel gasped, as the queen walked in front of the crowd. She was alive too. So Edward lied all along. The council gasped as she threw a questioning look at Edward. "Explain."

"Your highness!" Rapunzel watched, eyes wide, as Edward bowed respectfully, striding forward smugly with both hands behind his back.

"Maybe this," he said as he brought one of his hands forward, "will answer your question."

Rapunzel gasped as she spotted what the prince was holding in his hand. The wanted poster!

"He is the Flynn Rider who abducted our princess." He finally declared.

On both sides of them, guests were beginning to recognize the famous Flynn Rider, and loud whispers were already racing through the crowd, bursting out like a brushfire. Suddenly her heart filled with fear as Eugene's identity suddenly revealed to the council, then again she shook her head. No, it was obvious. If they considered her marriage with him, then she would sure get rid of that pathetic prince. A smile spread across Rapunzel's face as she realized she could easily clear up this misunderstanding, and Eugene would be set free. And then…Then they could finally be together again!

"Oh, that was a misunderstanding." Rapunzel shook her head with a big smile, absolutely ignoring Edward's burning glare, "But as soon as he realized his mistake, he let me go…we're married accidentally, but we fell in love…"

"And then he arranged a marriage stunt. " Edward interrupted her, "So that he can make you to fall for him."

Rapunzel's smile disappeared. "What do you mean? I'm telling the truth!"

"Oh, we don't doubt you princess." This time Lord Gregory spoke up, "But still we doubt about his intensions."

This time Queen Anne's frown grew deeper, she had just returned to her home, but she hadn't expected to deal with so many problems. She turned her gaze from Eugene, to Edward, and then to the council sitting in the front row. She just couldn't understand what was actually happening, why Rapunzel was just forced to marry Edward, or the council becoming so dependent on him. So she rose from her seat, and then looked at the chief councilor, "I don't understand this. That Flynn Rider saved my life. Why do you still doubt about his intensions?"

"Because, Flynn Rider always worked against Corona.." It was Edward who began.

"His name is Eugene." Rapunzel corrected angrily, "Not Flynn Rider."

"Well, Eugene." Edward practically spat the name in Eugene's face, "As far as I know about him, he is my own cousin, he is so good with ladies, that I can guarantee that the whole love thing he played with you, was a lie."

"Don't believe it, Rapunzel." Before Eugene could even protest, the guards swarmed around him, grasping his arms, their nails digging inside his flesh, yanked him back again.

"This is ridiculous." Rapunzel screamed, it was so loud, that the queen had to lay her hand over her shoulder, and hush her gently. But she couldn't clam down now… it was ridiculous, totally ridiculous. "He can't do that." She hissed "He loves me."

"Then where was he when you're grieving to death, and your father is so sick?" Edward smirked purposefully, eying Eugene, "Where was he?"

Rapunzel looked helplessly at Eugene, waiting for an answer, Eugene murmured something, but it seemed like no one could hear him as the guard's hands clapped over his mouth. A sense of betrayal overwhelmed her heart, and then stared at Eugene. How on earth could he have played with her heart? She thought he had changed…

"He was with me." The queen finally spoke up seeing her daughter's pained expression, "He was blind."

Blind? Rapunzel's heart flooded with affection as she finally registered the change in Eugene's appearance; he looked so thin and scarred, fire had licked a side of his left arm, and his eyes…she just couldn't imagine him as blind.

"But how his eyes were healed?" This time Lord Randall spoke up, "As far as we can see that Mr. Rider is perfectly healthy."

"May be Rider has tricked you too, your highness." Lord Gregory finally declared, "He is so clever."

Suddenly, Eugene spoke up, speaking as quickly as he could in case he was cut off once again. "Rapunzel, please, believe me, you know I would never— It was your tears that…"

"Shut up," the Captain commanded sternly, gripping a handful of Eugene's hair and shoving his head down viciously. Rapunzel let out a gasp and dove forward to grab Eugene, but her mother stepped in front of her, calmly stopping her.

"Captain, at least treat this man as a human being." She said firmly, "Tricking or not, he has saved my life."

All of the guards restraining Eugene looked up at Queen Anne, and then, after a moment of hesitation, reluctantly released their prisoner. As soon as Eugene was freed, Rapunzel threw herself in his arms; her heart soaring to new heights as he tightly returned her embrace. This is what she had been waiting for…

"Rapunzel, believe me…" Eugene tried to apologize, "It was really your tears…"

"Hush.." Rapunzel gently rested her finger upon his lips, cutting him off, then she rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his strong heart, "I believe you, I trust you. And I'm so happy to have to you back…"

"I love you, Blondie." He held her close and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"I love you more, Eugene." Rapunzel's eyes filled with love as she gazed up at him.

"It's ok." Eugene hugged her tightly, kissing her lips gently, "Oh, Blondie, I love you so much."

Rapunzel could hear her mother addressing the Lord Gregory and his men, and she was so grateful to her mother for standing up for Eugene like this. "Tricking or not he saved my life. It's pointless to treat him like this."

'But it doesn't explain his claim about his marriage to the princess." Lord Gregory interrupted. "What is his proof?"

"Yes, what is his proof?" Edward repeated the phase, placing more emphasis on the phase proof, "We all know about his role in the past years of Corona's history."

Rapunzel broke from her embrace, fear slicing through her relief and gripping her once again. "Wha—What do you mean?"

This time Lord Gregory spoke, "We've no real proof in the favor of Rider's claim. But we have enough proof for his past activities against our kingdom, including your abduction."

Rapunzel immediately hugged Eugene tightly as if he was going to be stolen from her in that second. "Proof?" Rapunzel whispered, another shiver ran down through her spine. She turned to Eugene, who smiled reassuringly, "It will be alright, Blondie. May be I can go and fetch the priest who held our wedding."

"That's a good idea." Rapunzel smiled at him. But Queen Anne looked unsure, as she looked at the council, who seemed not so much pleased with the idea. "I guess, we can't let him to do that princess." Lord Gregory smiled grimly at the princess. "We just can let Rider go."

"Well, then someone may go and fetch the priest." Rapunzel suggested hopefully,

"That is possible." Lord Gregory sounded thoughtful, "Until then…"

"Until then?" Rapunzel whispered, looking at her mother's face, it was grim to death. Then she turned to face Edward who looked very amused with this. She hugged Eugene tightly again, as an awkward silence fell across the church room.

With a sigh, she turned to Eugene, whose eyes were full of both love and consolation, but they also had a hint of—and Rapunzel's heart sank when she saw it—fear. There were no guarantees everything was going to turn out ok…

So Rapunzel hugged Eugene like she had never hugged him before.

Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed her ear against his chest to take in his heartbeat. Then, staring up lovingly up at him, she closed her eyes as he leaned in for a kiss, and her lips met his. Cherishing every second…Taking it all in…Savoring this beautiful kiss that she thought she'd never experience again…

"Until then, Mr. Rider will stay in the prison." The chief councilor declared at last "Until then the marriage is postponed."

"No," Rapunzel almost screamed, as the guards walked near Eugene and yanked him back, his hand was in hers, but quickly it slipped as they dragged him backwards. "It will be over soon, Blondie." She saw a faint assuring smile on his lips, she hoped it was true.

As the guards stepped outside with Eugene, Rapunzel felt her mother hand on her shoulder; it was so soothing after so many months. But when she looked at her eyes, suddenly she read the alarm in her eyes. Confused, she lowered her voice and asked her what was wrong.

"Do you know the name of the priest?" But the queen questioned her back, "Or where he lives?"

The questions struck her like a thunderbolt. More and more fear began occupying her heart.

Because, she didn't know anything about the identity of the priest.

Reviews? Faves? Follows? Plz, plz, plz… I love them a lot. It's not necessary to say that this chapter isn't upto my expectation. After struggling with the idea for so many nights, I'm totally disappointed with the outcome.

Actually my life changed a lot in the last few weeks. I've started my internship as a doctor, so I've to work almost 16 hours a day. It's really weird, when my patients just look at me and comment, "Are you a doctor? You're so small. You're hardly out of high school." It's not really funny.