Where's Eugene been during all of this? Read on to find out.

1. Little bit of vulgar language in this chapter.

2. As always, apologies for any spelling/grammar mistakes if there are any.

Chapter 25 - The Chains of Her Sorrows: Part 1 of 4

Subtitle: It isn't love

Type: Four-shot

Description: Eugene awakes one day after fainting due to exhaustion, and has a heart to heart conversation with Arianna. He learns the truth about Rapunzel, and decides once and for all that he is done waiting.

Eugene dreamed about Rapunzel again. This time, they had just fought off a gang of zombie-like creatures looking to take them prisoner. These creatures had hopes of fulfilling their sick and evil Lord's wishes by capturing the two rogue heroes, which were him and Rapunzel, of course.

That's all he remembers.

Eugene's eyes slowly opened and he elicited a small groan of pain. His head feels like it's about to explode, and his body feels frozen in place. He batted his eyelids a few times as he slowly came to the realization of where he now lays.

He coughed, but soon felt a sharp pain in his chest. He found himself having a slightly hard time breathing, and quickly began to to fear the worst, that he he's coming down with a cold. Now's hardly the time for him to catch a cold. He can't miss much work - scratch that, he can't miss any work because one missed day means an extra couple of days he has to wait until the countdown officially begins before he can finally make Rapunzel his and make himself hers for the rest of their lives.

It was a battle, but eventually Eugene was able to lift himself up and even managed to lay against the back headboard of his bed. He looked over to the grandfather clock that sits in the farthest corner away from where he now lays, and through the fuzziness of his still sleepy eyes, he could read it ever so barely. It took a few seconds, but he saw that it read.. nine..

Nine o'clock? But it's.. it's dark out. How can that be? Unless he only got a few hours of sleep; though, in his condition, he surely wouldn't have woken up only after a few meager hours.

Eugene's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his attention diverted by the sound of a toilet flushing. He jerked his head to the side and looked at his bathroom door. A sharp wind of fear took him over as he realized that someone was in there, and he could barely move, so he's completely subject to whatever torture or horror they may want to lay upon him.

For three more minutes, Eugene stared at the dark, wooden door in concentration. When it finally opened, he bit his lip and gulped as he clenched his eyes shut.. expecting the worst..

Arianna walked out, brushing the side of her dress with the palm of her hand. She lifted her head and jumped, letting out a faint gasp at the sight of Eugene now wide-awake on his bed.

Eugene's eyes jerked open at the sound and he croaked, his voice raspy and low, "Your.. highness?"

Arianna brought a hand to her face, "oh, thank goodness you're awake."

Eugene tilted his head to the side in confusion as the Queen briskly walked over to the side of his bed and took a seat next to his legs. She turned to him, and for whatever reason, she looked sad. As if something was bothering her, nagging her, picking at her insides.

"Di-did...did something happen?" he asked her, his voice low and still slightly raspy.

Arianna bit her lip and turned away, sighing. "Yes."

Silence took up the room for a few moments more, with the only sound coming from the calm crackling of the fire over to Eugene's right side. It was the only thing emitting light in the small bedroom chamber.

"Your majesty," Eugene swallowed and quietly cleared his throat, "what's wrong?"

"Ari."

Eugene's eyebrows narrowed in confusion.

"Call me Ari, Eugene." She turned to him and wore an expressionless face. "I don't like it when people call me majesty, or my lady, or any of those formal titles. It's just not who I am."

He had questions as to why she was being so sincere and honest with him. Between her and the King, he's bonded far much faster and greater with the old man, but even then he still enjoys the Queen's presence whenever he's blessed by her company. They've never had a one on one talk before (if you don't count getting woken up in the middle of the night because her daughter was having a nightmare), so he found himself a bit worried that something bad had happened while he was asleep, something bad enough for her to be here with him as he woke up from this apparently extended nap.

He nodded slowly, clenching his lips together before letting out a breath. If she wants to be called by her first name, then that's what he's going to do. "As you wish, Ari."

She gave him a soft smile and counted her breaths. She knows what she wants to say to the young man, but needs to form her words in a way that wouldn't worry or faze him.

Would that even be possible, though?

After a minute of silence, she believed she had found the right way. "Something is wrong with my daughter," she whispered, staring ahead into the fire.

Eugene's body tightened up at those words, his breath hitching into his throat. His eyes widened almost instantly.

Like any motherly figure would, she immediately knew what he was thinking. "She's alright.. physically, she's alright. But I fear that there is something far worse going on inside her head."

"..What do you mean?"

She tilted her head back and faced him. "It happened earlier this morning, but my original suspicions started when she went to bed last night at a time that was far earlier than when she normally goes in."

She paused and hesitated for a second, "I started feeling then that something was off."

Arianna lifted her hand to her mouth, visibly in pain as she recalled the events of earlier that day. "Where was I during all this?" Eugene asked, confused.

Her lip pouted, she responded. "You fainted last night due to exhaustion, so my husband brought you back here and put you to rest.. you've been asleep ever since."

In his mind, faint memories of standing at the door, Rapunzel being there, his arm slumped over the King's shoulders.. that was around 7 P.M. It had to have been, because the kids only come out at dusk to go trick or treating. "I've been asleep for over a day?" He groaned, scrunching his eyes shut as he moved his arms and legs to stretch.

"Yes, and we didn't want to wake you because you had been through a lot and desperately needed the rest."

"Your maj-" Eugene's words hitched in his throat when he met her saddened gaze. "Ari, you shouldn't have let me sleep for so long. I-" he stammered over his words, "I could've been there for her!"

He now felt horrible knowing he slept so long while Rapunzel apparently was dealing with some inner demons. He should've been there for her when she needed him the most! Why would they keep him away!?

"Eugene," Arianna sighed, "after what happened this morning, Frederic and I both agreed to let you regain your strength before you eventually went to go comfort her like we knew you would." She gave him a gentle smile but Eugene wasn't having it, not now after he's learned that she was in so much pain, not now after learning that no one thought to even come wake him. Does no one in this stupid castle understand that she is literally his sun, the love and light in his life!? If anything were to ever happen to her.. he would not be able to live in such a world that lacks the beautiful, perfect girl that is Rapunzel.

He doesn't care if his leg has been amputated, or if he's starving or dehydrated on the brink of death. If there's something bothering the Princess, he wants to know.

No. He needs to know.

Eugene pulled a hand up and ran it through his long, messy hair. It feels so oily, so dirty. He desperately wants to take a long hot shower but that would have to wait until after he finds out the truth about what happened to his love.

"I don't know how to explain the events that took place this morning," Arianna bit her lip and turned her head away to try to hide the sadness that was ever so visible now on her face. She doesn't want him to worry, or to freak, or god forbid lash out at her, for she's slowly starting to realize that there never were such chances of him acting rationally in response to the news that she now has to, somehow, explain to him.

Eugene looked at her intently and watched as Arianna leaned forward, hands on her legs. "Rapunzel had a meltdown. Frederic and I went to go talk to her because we both had our suspicions that something was bothering her based on the events that took place last night."

"And what happened last night?"

"..She blamed herself when you fainted. She was busy throughout the day building her costume, you know that.. and when you fainted, she blamed herself almost instantly. Frederic and I think she's mad at herself for focusing on her art all day instead of realizing what you were dealing with. Before he and I had time to comfort her, she asked to go to bed and we decided to leave her be."

Why would she blame herself? I fainted because of my own actions, because of my own doings. It's not like she told me to stay up.. all.. night..

"Did she know?" Arianna lifted her head but kept her gaze locked into the fire. "Did she know I didn't get any sleep that night prior?"

"She might've, but we don't know for sure."

"Oh, oh Rapunzel.." he groaned and dropped his head into the palms of his hands, speaking into them, "This is all my fault." He never should have stayed up that late. He felt his body failing him from the very start after she woke. He should've called the whole thing off there and then instead of running this risk..

"No, Eugene, it's her fault." He looked up from his sorrows and met Ari's eyes, narrowing his own in confusion. "The witch you told me about, she manipulated my baby girl and still has her thinking she's nothing but a failure! She still thinks that.. that no one wants anything to do with her!"

Eugene's breath hitched again as he felt the tears welling up, anger starting to boil. "Ari, what did she say?" he asked, fists clenched at his side.

Just the thought, the mere memory of this very morning, brought her on the verge of tears again. She didn't think she could even cry anymore; after all, that's all she's done for the majority of this day up until the moment she decided to stay with Eugene until he woke.

"She told us she's fine, and that she doesn't want us worrying about her." Arianna's voice cracked and she gave up on holding back her tears. "But she did it by yelling and screaming, and she kept referencing that witch.." She curled her fists and clenched her teeth, "my sweet Rapunzel is hurting, Eugene. She's trying to create this persona, this mask that she's fine; but there's something dark and painful that's troubling her, and that bitch brainwashed her for all those years to the point where she now thinks no one cares!" Arianna let out a choked scream and dropped her head into her palms, sobbing softly above the crackle of the fire.

Eugene could only watch Rapunzel's mother sob for a few minutes because he needed the time to let this new information sink in. Firstly, Rapunzel's been great, if not fantastic in the time since both of their lives changed that fateful day 4 months ago almost to the date. The only exception of course was when she spilled the beans to him one day and told him she had thoughts of running away. But, that's only been when I've seen her…

"Is.. is this the first time you or Frederic have heard of this..?"

Arianna lifted her head, turned to Eugene and nodded silently before dropping it back down into her lap. Eugene bit his lip and looked down into the palm of his hands.

How could he be so blind!? How could he be so stupid!? She could've been hurting for months, she could've been dealing with this pain in her heart since the very beginning!

In his mind, he began to put the pieces together as if this were some cruel, sadistic jigsaw puzzle.

This girl had been locked up inside a tower, only ever talking to one human piece of trash that's done nothing but abuse her emotionally and, I'm willing to bet physically, for the entirety of her livelihood. Of course she doesn't think anyone wants to listen to her, of course she thinks she's in this thing alone. The witch probably convinced her that no one else besides her in the world cares! She probably thinks her parents, or me God forbid, will abandon her and lock her back up in that tower as soon as she confides in any of us!

Arianna barely felt the murmurs of his covers being pushed to the side, but she did hear the sudden thump his feet made when Eugene jumped off the bed. She turned her wet and teary-eyed face, asking, "W-what are you doing?"

Eugene, not caring apparently for the many 'Rules of Proper Etiquette' that the snob for a teacher had been shoving down his throat since day 1, pulled off his shirt. "I'm making this right."

Arianna gasped when she saw the many bumps and bruises painted across his chest and abdomen. A little taken aback by the cruelty and the abuse she imagined him to be taking at the docks, she watched as he walked over to his dresser and grabbed a new pair of clothes.

She shook her head when he leaned over, "What do you think you're doing?"

Without turning to her, he murmured, "I'm making this right, like I said." He held his new clothes in his hand and threw the shirt over his shoulder. "If what you told me is true, then I can't waste a minute more." He stood tall and stared at the Queen with intent.

"Yo-you cant.."

"And why can't I?" He walked over to the bathroom and held the door's knob.

"She's…" Her head fell back down to face her lap, "she's barricaded herself inside her room."

Eugene walked right in his bathroom and shut the door, beginning to strip down. If he's going to see his girl and really make things right, then he can't go there in the state that he's in.

A proper and fine lady like Rapunzel…wait, hold on. Does she have a last name? If so, what even is it? And why don't I know it?

"Quick question! What's your last name?"

"..Helmsworth. Why?"

Eugene's brow furrowed. What kind of a name is Helmsw-

Anyhow, like I was saying, a proper and fine lady like Rapunzel Helmsworth...wow, that feels weird to say.

Ok, back on topic.

A fine lady like her deserves only the finest treatment her most handsomest boyfriend can offer. I have to look and play the part, of course! And if everything goes to plan, she'll be feeling like a new-born baby after their first bath! Clean as ever, bright and cheery as the sun on a warm summer day!

Just the way I love her.

Wait - no. There's no shape or form I specifically love her in, and there's certainly not just one thing I love about her.

I love everything that is to do with this awesome, beautiful girl.

Eugene yelled through the door, "Okay! Well, I find it quite hilarious that you think a former thief like yours truly doesn't know a trick or two about sneaking into rooms that people don't want him in!"

"Eugene," she sighed and brought her hand to her head, shaking it and whispering, "please don't say the window.."

"Ah-ha! The old fashioned window trick! Your majesty, you know me so well!"

Arianna inwardly groaned and walked up to his door so he could hear her better. "Young man, I am not letting you scale our castle's walls like that!"

Eugene was standing there butt-naked, the bottom half of his face already snow-white from the shaving cream he had applied. He dropped his razor into the sink, grabbed a towel, wrapped it around his waist and opened his door. He leaned against the frame, crossing his arms and Arianna's eyes widened with a tint of red puffed on her cheeks. "I wasn't asking you for permission."

She scoffed, placing her hands on her hips, "Eugene Fitzherbert!"

"Sing it loud and proud, baby!" He pumped his fist in the air. "Engrave it into your soul and let the music take full control!"

He kept his door ajar and strolled on back over to his sink, where he began to pick at the remnants of his soon to be destroyed beard. Arianna stood there wide-eyed and completely confused. "What? Did you just call me 'baby'?" She shook her head at that word.

"Sure did." He smirked through the shaving cream, not taking his attention off his face as he stared at himself intently through the mirror.

Her mouth gaped open, taken back by his sudden nerve to talk to her like that. "Eugene! You look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Eugene groaned very loudly and turned, completely disinterested and quite annoyed. "What?"

She lifted her hand and motioned it to his whole body. "What is this? What are you doing?"

"Oh whatever do you mean, your royal highness?" He gave her a cocky smile and wiggled his eyebrows before winking.

"Arianna! Ari, I told you to call me by my name!" She dropped her head to the side and held her fingers to the temple of her forehead, whispering to herself, "What in the world was I thinking.."

"You were thinking logically, of course. Because after today, your most royal highness, I'm going to be part of the family. For real, this time." He then proceeded to stroll back over to the sink again.

Arianna furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth, but her words got caught in her throat. She gaped at him as he began to make more cuts into his already smaller beard. He began to humm something, something lovingly to himself.

And then it dawned on her what he meant. She rose a finger and growled, "Eugene, you wouldn't dare-"

"Oh yes I would!" He threw his arms in the air and turned his head to smile widely at her.

"You are not proposing to my daughter without a ring."

"Who said I don't have a ring?"

Arianna's eyes widened in fear and shock. "Actually, no. You're right. I don't have one, but there's no way in hell I'm letting that stop me." He cut through another lengthy piece of hair.

She shook her head violently, "No… no, no, no, I am not going to let you propose to my sweet little girl without a ring! Can you imagine how that'll look!? Corona will look like a laughing stock!" Her arms went into the air for extra emphasis.

Eugene snorted and turned to her for a split moment, "You really think a former thief cares about the way he looks? Honey, you've read me all wrong. How long have we known each other again?"

Where has this attitude of his come from? Has the way he's acted up to this point, being so formal, charming, and polite; has that all been an act, a guise?

"I'm speaking about my daughter. I couldn't care less about how you'd look after seeing this.. side of your act. For goodness sake, Eugene, she's a Princess! Princesses deserve to be treated with the highest amount of respect and dignity!"

"I agree, your highness. Princesses, especially this one in particular, deserve anything and everything the world has to offer. But, let's not doze off from the topic of hand, sire. Your daughter's not just a Princess. She's an artist. And a writer. And she is absolutely, without a doubt, the smartest and most beautiful person I know." His razor got stuck on a piece of hair and he pulled at it, wincing in pain before rubbing the tender spot.

Arianna pulled at her hair and screamed before pacing herself around his room. What is he thinking!? Has he gone mad!?

Eugene noticed her anger from a mile away and sighed, dropping the razor into the sink again before clenching his figures onto the edge of its shape. He leaned forward and closed his eyes. "Ari, your highness, do you really think Rapunzel is going to care if I propose without a ring? All this time I've been working at the docks, all this time I've spent looking at these big and beautiful rings that are worth more than I am, and neither you or I have yet to sit down for a moment and think about who we're really talking about here." He chuckled and turned to her, taking hold of his razor in his left hand. The entire right side of his face was clean shaven now, but his left was still fully bearded. It looks as funny as it sounds.

Eugene stared neutrally at the Queen, who had stopped in her tracks to look at him. In his most sincere voice yet, he continued. "She's Rapunzel, the girl with the sweetest sounding voice I've ever heard. She's far from the typical and ordinary Princess you'll find, but that's a good thing! She loves to walk barefoot because it makes her feel more connected to the world, to the ground below us. She loves to explore the forest and the many things it holds because it gives her perspective on what the outside world has to offer! She's.." he smiled with extra glee, "she's the love of my life, and it's sickening for me to think back to a time that I once believed she wouldn't accept my proposal if the ring I bought wasn't up to her standards."

The two of them, Eugene and Arianna, stared at one another, each of them waiting for the other to break first. And her highness hated to believe it, she hated to think this way, but a part of her… no, the majority of her self-conscience and the motherly instincts she holds so dearly, see the complete and whole truth in this young man's words.

But, even then, it still couldn't negate the effects such a proposal could hold for the Kingdom and its reputation. "I know you love her, Eugene, but you need to-"

"No, I don't."

"Yes! Yes you do!" She threw her hands up in the air.

"Where does it say you need a ring to propose? What page of the 'Official Book of Marriage Laws and Rules' does it say that a man needs to give his beloved a ring to signify and declare the love he has for her!?"

"There's no book for - UGH!" She growled very loudly and stormed out of his room in a fit.

Suddenly very worried and scared, Eugene ran behind her and peeked out his door to watch her stomp down the hallway. "Uhhhhh, Arianna, where are you going!?"

"Don't call me that!" She turned and pointed to him. "You've lost all privileges to call me by that name. I'm going to get my husband. Maybe he'll knock some sense into you."

Eugene felt that he should be scared, but for some reason he was elated by the idea, perhaps thinking that the King might side with him in this manner. A man can hope, right? "Sounds like a great idea! Just tell him to wait until I'm out of the shower and I'll gladly speak my side!"

"Good! I'm sure he'll adore this idea of yours!"

"I bet he will!" He watched as she neared the far corner before calling out to her one final time. "It isn't love!"

She turned and faced him, and while he couldn't see the exact look of her face, he suspected it was one of confusion. "It isn't love!" he yelled again.

She screamed back to him, "What isn't love!?"

"It isn't love if it doesn't hurt like hell, and by god, your highness, now that I know everything that's going on, now that I know the pain Rapunzel is going through.. I can say without a doubt in my mind that these feelings I'm experiencing right now.." He swallowed before continuing, taking a deep breath as a sly grin rose up on his face.

"I can say that without a doubt, it's definitely love!"

He watched as she stood there for a few moments and stared at him, before eventually returning back to her pace, supposedly going to go fetch her husband. That is, if she still wanted to. He had a slight thought that he might've just changed her mind.

Eugene heard the sound of a cough and immediately jerked his head the other way to notice ten or so maids and butlers standing there on the other side of the hall, in total shock as to what just occurred. He eyed them up and down before whispering to them with a bright grin across his face.

"It's definitely love."

A/N: Eugene has his mission, but will King Frederic be so quick to allow him to go through with it? Find out next chapter on 'Living the Dream'.

As for edits, just have refined some dialogue/the way things are overall worded.

Edit History:

1. 6/12/20