AN: Hello, my favorite readers! Taylor Swift's new album, evermore, is absolutely beautiful, and it's bringing a lot of inspiration for me with this story. I know Taylor Swift isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay, but it's inspiring me so much! Her song 'gold rush' is today's featured song, because it feels like ballrooms and chandeliers, and Eugene telling Rapunzel about his childhood, and her hanging on to his every word for dear life. It reminds me of the way she would call him out at dinner parties for his sass, and the way the town would never see a love as pure as theirs. The song makes me think of how Rapunzel would feel about Eugene, and how many girls would probably fawn over him, as well as how she feels about Stalyan, especially in these particular lines:
I don't like a gold rush
I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush
I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch
Everybody wants you, everybody wonders what it would be like to love you
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter! It hit me right in the feelings to write this one. Additionally, there is a trigger warning: I want to warn everyone that there are mentions of past trauma, as well as mentions of mental and emotional abuse in this chapter. We also have an M rating today, because there are some subtle (but not really so subtle), sexual references. Sorry for the long intro!
Chapter 15: Champagne Problems – Pt. 1
Champagne problem: 'A problem or dilemma that, when compared to issues of poverty, national disasters, and war, are not all that big of a deal, but nonetheless provide individuals with issues that must be dealt with.'
"Oh, come on, Dad! Have a little faith in me!"
"I do, sweetheart, plenty of it. I just… I feel some… anticipation in leaving you alone like this. And can you really blame me? What with what happened when you were just a –"
"Dad. The one thing in this world that was a true threat to me, isn't here anymore. I'm perfectly safe! And besides, I'm not alone. I have Cass!" Rapunzel motions back to the castle, and gives her father a pointed look, shaking her head with a smile. "Not to mention, guards at every possible point of entry."
King Frederic sighs, defeated, knowing full-well that his spirited daughter isn't going to take 'No' for an answer. It had been the princess's idea, after all, to give her parents several, well-earned days away from their duties as king and queen of Corona. It would be their first real vacation in nearly two decades. And with it being their anniversary tomorrow, Rapunzel had successfully convinced her parents to leave this afternoon to make the trip into the countryside, where they would enjoy a few days of peaceful quiet together. It had taken a few weeks of continuous persuasion that she was capable of holding down the fort for a couple of days, but the princess had finally gotten her parents to agree – of course, not without being faced with their concerned reluctance, still grasping onto the trauma of losing her as a baby.
Arianna steps forward, brushing past her worried husband to take Rapunzel's face into her hands, kissing her daughter gently on the forehead.
"We do have faith in you, my love, I promise. But please, for the sake of mine and your father's sanity… don't leave the palace grounds while we're gone, okay? Not even with Cass or the guards. There's plenty of time to explore the kingdom while we're here."
"I promise, Mom. I'll stay right here! Besides, I have everything that I could ever want in the palace." Rapunzel looks back to her looming home with a soft smile.
Eugene. Eugene is in there. Which means they shouldn't be worried about me leaving, because I'm not going to, as long as he's still here.
Rapunzel can't help but giggle as she gauges her parent's equally worried expressions, though they're trying their very best to hide them, trying not to come across as though they don't believe in her. She pushes the king and queen toward the open door of their awaiting carriage, squeezing her mother's hand reassuringly.
"Now go, enjoy yourselves! You deserve this!" Rapunzel shuts the carriage door behind them after they reluctantly climb inside, leaning in through the window to allow both of her parents to place a kiss on either of her cheeks. "I've got this completely under control. Besides, what can go wrong in three days?"
Well, that was a bit of a rhetorical question. A lot could go wrong in just a few days. Take Rapunzel and Eugene's first few days together. But, considering this, a lot can also go right in just a few days, too.
Waving goodbye to their beloved daughter, shouting resounding 'I love you's' as the horse-drawn carriage pulls away from the castle, the king and queen prepare themselves to be separated from her for the first time since her return just over a year ago. Rapunzel realizes that this is hard for them, to leave her like this, even if their trip is only a few days long. She understands their apprehension, what with her kidnapping, and especially due to the strained nature of her relationship with her parents as of late. She's been keeping herself at arm's length from just about everyone recently, and she feels especially guilty for doing it to her parents. Rapunzel knows that they've been trying to do everything they can to remain close to her, in attempts to keep their special bond intact. Her parents are desperately holding on to the bond that the three of them had spent an entire year creating, making up for those lost eighteen years – a bond that had been threatened the moment Charles stepped into their home. And when Rapunzel realized that her parents were partly to blame for his arrival.
But, regardless of her marriage to Charles and the role that the king and queen had unwillingly played, Rapunzel knows that her parents love her, more than they've ever loved anything before, and that she loves them just as much. Not only that, but they've entrusted her to be the acting monarch for three whole days. And the last thing Rapunzel wants to do, is let her parents down, or make them think that she's not fully capable of fulfilling the role she'll be expected to fill every day, for three measly ones.
Rapunzel drops her arm from a longwinded wave as her parent's carriage disappears into the distance. She turns her back to the fading carriage, mounting the palace steps, returning to the grand foyer where Cassandra is waiting for her. The two young women start making their way down the hall, chatting cheerfully as they go.
"Well, the court is closed for the day, which means you're off the hook until tomorrow. What're you going to do this afternoon, Queen Rapunzel?" Cass prods at the princess's side jokingly with an elbow, making Rapunzel chuckle. Cassandra's face falls suddenly, her eyes growing serious, speaking in hushed whispers now. "Please tell me that you're not going to disappear off to find Eugene, like you always do, and become the first Queen of Corona to be involved in an extramarital affair."
"Oh, come on, Cass." Rapunzel laughs at the notion, a mischievous look in her eye. "I'm sure I'm not the only one."
"You think so, Raps?" The lady-in-waiting raises an inquisitive eyebrow, trying her very best not to be judgmental of her best friend's recent life choices, though it's a bit difficult not to be.
This judgement only comes about because Cassandra loves Rapunzel – loves her like the younger sister she'd never had, and she simply wants what's best for the princess. Because Rapunzel has already been dragged through the mud enough in her young life, and she doesn't need Charles dragging her through the mud, too. And, taken from her limited interactions with him, Cassandra has gathered that Charles would do exactly that, if he were to find out about the affair the princess is having with her beloved Fitzidiot.
"I'm sure there have been other monarchs who fell in love with a commoner." Rapunzel sighs dreamily, Eugene's handsome face overflowing her mind. "Besides, I was technically a commoner, too, for most of my life. And I, for one, think it's romantic."
"You would." Cass mumbles under her breath, clearing her throat before continuing. "Well, I think it's stupid. And irresponsible." She turns to Rapunzel with a pointed look, hoping the princess will catch the hint. "Not to mention, bound to get you into big trouble? Which, by association, is bound to get me into trouble, in some way or another."
"That's only if I get caught." Rapunzel teases, leaning over to poke Cassandra in the ribs.
"And I think that you're no fun."
"And I think you're blushing!"
Rapunzel's fingers fly instinctively to her cheeks, and they do feel rather warm. But she only laughs, not embarrassed to reveal her true feelings with her dearest friend. Cassandra is well-versed in the princess's natural reaction to talking about Eugene. She's only seen that same, deep blush creeping up Rapunzel's neck, oh, a million times, if only because Eugene is the princess's favorite topic of discussion.
Rapunzel brightens quickly, as though a lightbulb has burst above her head.
"Hey, I'll race ya to the kitchens!" The easily-excited princess tumbles headfirst into a sing-songy tone of voice, in an obvious attempt to change the subject. "I heard that they're making those apple fritters you like today!"
Cassandra, despite the ever-present chip on her shoulder, despite the sick feeling in her stomach when she thinks about what would happen if Rapunzel gets caught for this affair of hers, perks up a little at this. Despite the guilt that Cassandra can't help but feel for standing by and letting her friend sink deeper into such a messy situation, she's never been one to turn down an apple fritter. Not to mention, she and Rapunzel haven't been able to spend much lighthearted time together lately – not like they once had – so, Cassandra reasons, she should take advantage of Rapunzel's bubbly mood while she can.
"The ones with that sweet glaze on top?"
Rapunzel smiles coyly, an undeniable twinkle of mischief gracing her eyes – a look that Cassandra has missed seeing from the princess lately.
"The ones with the glaze on top."
Later that evening, after convincing the head baker to let her fall into a deep, sugar-induced coma with Cass, Rapunzel has wandered her way into the palace gardens. Alone, the princess strolls idly through the hedge maze that she'd once disappeared in, although with Eugene, far too many times to count. The sun is just beginning to set on the kingdom's horizon, turning the sky a deep, orange color, and the princess considers how she should've brought her paints with her. Though, what with it being the winter solstice, the sun sets far too early now, and far too quickly, to get much painting done in the evening. Usually, Rapunzel wouldn't be out by herself this late, and she had promised her parents that she wouldn't leave the palace in their absence. But she's technically still on palace grounds, as her mother had requested, and a little fresh air might do her good.
Rapunzel hasn't yet wandered very far into the maze, but she has been away from the castle for at least an hour now, and she wonders if anyone has even noticed that she's gone missing. Sometimes, she feels like she gets lost in the busyness of it all, swallowed up whole by the expectations of court life, like she never was meant to belong there. Sometimes, she feels so unsettlingly seen, by everyone – yet, so seen through, at the very same time. It often feels as though everyone is always looking at her, but doesn't really understand her, or even care to try.
The princess knows that there's a lot to unpack when it comes to her personality, her ticks, her habits – a lot about her that most people simply could never understand, even if they wanted to. To do so, they would have to understand the full dynamic of her childhood. And even she is still trying to fully wrap her head around that, to come to terms with the fact that what she'd endured for eighteen years, was emotional and mental abuse. Rapunzel knows that she's a little strange because of that abuse, especially for royal standards.
'Beautifully eccentric,' her mother had lovingly called it, the first time Rapunzel had put up a fight about wearing shoes to a public event. This felt a little bit like code for, 'Yeah, you're pretty weird. But because I'm your parent, I will love you unconditionally, despite your many quirks and flaws.' But, Rapunzel reasons with herself, Eugene isn't her parent. He doesn't have to love her. Really, he has no moral obligation to her. Sure, he'd died for her, saved her from her captor. But, that could have been the act of a desperate moment of passion, and not the desire to put a ring on her finger and spend the rest of his life with her. Eugene easily could have cashed out on the reward that her parents had offered for returning her to them safely, and hit the road a long time ago.
But he hadn't left, because he loves her, with a love that is genuine and true. He loves her enough to have brought her back to her parents, even though he easily could have been arrested, and hung for high treason on site. He loves her enough to stand by and watch her get married to another man, when he had wanted to marry her someday, and had expressed this desire many times over. He loves her for her quirks, not in spite of them: for the way that she never wears shoes, for the way she has a pet chameleon, which frequently hitches a ride on her shoulder (and sometimes on his, too), for the way that she gets so excited about the smallest of things – like spotting a ladybug crawling on the balcony spindle, or the trustworthiness of the sun, and how it always rises each and every day, without fail.
Who else can say that they love her like that?
Strolling slowly through the maze, absently kicking rocks under her feet, Rapunzel wonders if Charles would someday love her in such a rare, irreplaceable way as Eugene does. She doubts it, doubts that any man could ever love her like Eugene does. In all honesty, she doesn't want Charles to ever love her, doesn't want their relationship to shift to something of mutual affection, or even friendship. He seems like the type that would see her as more of an arm piece than a partner, as Eugene sees her. Perhaps, Rapunzel would be willing to be more open to Charles, if she didn't already have Eugene to love her. But she does, and receiving the love of another man, just seems wrong, even if it's only in the distant future. She dreads the possibility of losing Eugene someday, of getting caught, of Eugene being forced out of the palace. A life without him sounds completely unbearable, though she knows it's probably inevitable, eventually.
Really, Rapunzel realizes, she has no idea how her own husband feels about her. In four months, their relationship has made approximately zero progress on all fronts, it seems – not that she's seeking progress or anything. But when it comes to Charles, the princess feels completely in the dark. And this feeling, what with her past trauma, makes Rapunzel feel incredibly anxious around him. The prince of Maddoline is a very hard man to read, making it difficult to decipher what he feels when regarding her. Distaste, perhaps? Confusion, toward her bountiful quirks and strange habits? Is it irritation that he feels, because she clearly doesn't have any interest in embarking on a romantic relationship with him, or even an interest in trying to? All three, maybe?
Charles doesn't seem to do backstory, even less than Eugene had, if possible, and this makes Charles somewhat of an enigma to Rapunzel. Does she have to nearly drown in a cave with him in order to know what he's truly like, to know if he's trustworthy? This mysteriousness about Charles makes it hard to trust him, or to know how to act in his usually regal, stiff presence. It's clear to Rapunzel that Charles had grown up and participated in the court his entire life – that, unlike her, he isn't playing a part, he isn't still in the midst of learning how to be a royal – he truly was meant to be a royal. For him, the role clearly comes naturally. This makes Rapunzel feel a bit insecure around him, a bit insufficient in her role as princess – like she's just an imposter, and like he's judging her for it, like he can see right through her.
Logically, does it really matter how Charles feels about her, if she doesn't feel anything toward him? Probably not, the princess reasons. It shouldn't matter how her husband views her, as long as she has Eugene, who treats her with pure love, and respect, and endless adoration. But a small part of Rapunzel, that part of her which seeks validation from others, due to Gothel's many years of tumultuous mind games, does care what Charles thinks of her.
Part of Rapunzel, a part of herself that she hates, cares about how the prince views her, even though she doesn't want to. This part of herself which Rapunzel despises, especially right now, wanders lazily off into 'What If Land': 'What if Eugene gets tired of this situation and leaves, or has to leave someday, and Charles is all I have? It'll matter what he thinks of me then. What if he hates me, and thinks that I'm too weak, or too young, or too inexperienced to be an effective queen someday, an effective wife? What if I actively have to be his wife someday? What if, someday, I'll really have to say goodbye to Eugene? I can't do that, I can't survive that! I can't love another man, can't make love to another man. But they would expect me to, will expect me to, eventually. I would honestly rather die than ever have to –'
"Princess."
Whirring, surprised by the sudden voice behind her, Rapunzel sees Charles standing there in the middle of the maze's path.
"Charles." Brushing a stray hair behind her ear, Rapunzel hugs her arms around her middle, always unsure of what to do or say in his presence. It's completely ironic that they go to sleep in the same room every night, considering the consistently awkward nature of their interactions. "Hello."
"Hi." The prince chuckles a little, because her nervousness is endearing, and because she looks really pretty right now, in the golden glow of the sinking sun, surrounded on all sides by the tall hedges.
"How… how are you?" She steps forward, tentative. "Are you taking a walk, too?"
"I'm very good, Princess, thank you." Charles stands formally, waiting for her to step closer to him. "Actually, your presence is requested in the palace, so I thought that I would fetch you, escort you back." He shoots a nervous hand into the air, quickly adding, "Only if that's alright with you, of course."
"Oh. Well… I suppose that would be okay." Rapunzel slowly takes the arm that Charles offers to her, allowing their elbows to be hooked snuggly together.
The action makes her think of Eugene, and how he'd had to learn how to properly escort her to balls, dinner parties, and the like. At their lessons, he would always find a way to make her laugh, and this would typically end in the both of them getting a pointed glare from the instructor, but they never cared enough to stop having fun whenever they were together. Eugene always made sure that, despite her new life, Rapunzel never fell into the trap of getting a little too uptight – in the trap of losing who she really was – as many royals often do. She loved him for that.
Charles had fallen into that trap – or so, it seems like he had. Rapunzel doesn't really know him well enough to be sure. But he is pretty stiff, ninety-nine percent of the time.
Upon approaching the castle, Rapunzel notices an abundance of people and carriages at the castle entrance, her eyebrows pushing together in confusion at the sight. Charles simply ushers her inside, through one of the side doors from the gardens, watching her reaction closely with a small smile.
"Wha... what are all these people doing here?"
Taking her hands suddenly into his, Charles stops their journey in the hallway, beaming down at her, as though he's incredibly proud of himself about something. Rapunzel has never seen him act this way before, so… happy, and Rapunzel feels thoroughly confused now. It's not that Charles is an unhappy person, per say, but he seems significantly less stiff than usual.
"I wanted to do something nice, to show my appreciation for you." Charles sighs, his tone growing serious for a moment. "I know that it's been a strange few months, for both of us. I know that you don't really know me yet, but I wish you did. And we're in the New Year now, and I just thought it would be nice, you know, to celebrate. To celebrate a fresh start. To celebrate… you, Princess."
"Your appre... by throwing me a… party?" Rapunzel asks, still thoroughly puzzled by the prince's intentions.
Though she sleeps next to Charles every night (well, when she's not sneaking off to Eugene's bed), they really barely even know one another. Considering this, why would he suddenly want to 'show his appreciation for her' now? Can you really show your appreciation for someone that you don't know very well at all?
"While my parents are gone? I don't think they would be very happy about —" The princess looks around to the guests milling about outside of the grand ballroom, forcing a smile at the people she makes eye contact with, so that they won't get the wrong impression about her attitude toward this sudden… party. This party, in which she's apparently intended to be the guest of honor.
"Nonsense, Princess." Charles waves a dismissive hand, taking her by the shoulders. "These are our people, and this is our palace, just as much as it is your parent's. The night is young, and so are we! Come. Let's say hello to your guests."
"Alright... but I mean, I'm not properly dressed, I'm not prepared —" Rapunzel motions down to her lightweight day dress, not really suited for a grand party.
"I think you look beautiful, just the way you are." Charles grins in response, and now, Rapunzel feels really confused. "Come on."
Before the princess can take so much as a breath of protest, Charles has grabbed her by the hand, pulling Rapunzel into the grand ballroom, which is already overly-crowded with guests – some have familiar faces, some do not. When the 'happily married' couple enters the vast, extravagantly decorated room, their eyes fixate on one person, at the very same moment.
"Eugene." Rapunzel breathes softly, not really meaning to say his name out loud.
Maybe the night wouldn't be so bad, after all. Without fail, everything is always a lot more bearable when Eugene is around.
Now, Eugene is making his way, alone, down the grand staircase. He's dressed in one of his newer vests, a deep, midnight blue one, made of expensive leather. He's wearing a white shirt under the vest, tucked into a pair of tight dress pants. Rapunzel notices that he's wearing his favorite pair of boots — the sturdy, leather ones that he only wears for special occasions. Eugene had been given the boots for her coronation, which feels like ages ago now, and he'd been so excited to get a new pair. Just like she'd been so excited to become princess, and to finally be in the place where she was meant to be all along. To be here, in the castle, with her parents, and best of all, with him. That's where she's really meant to be, Rapunzel has always known – wherever Eugene is.
If only their past selves could've seen what would happen in only about a year's time.
In real time, the eyes of countless females in the room turn their attention to the staircase, watching Eugene like he's a steaming meal that's been set before them, noting his easy swagger and relaxed movements. As far as they know, he's a single man now, and Rapunzel can see it on their faces – the lust, the desire, the yearning thoughts to be bedded by a man who looks like… that.
It's nothing new. Since their arrival in the kingdom, the princess has had to become accustomed to the whispers about Eugene from the other girls, at every party just like this one. Sometimes, she would get jealous of the endless whispers and stares. She would wonder if Eugene would rather be with one of them, given the option – with one of the girls with long hair, bigger breasts, more experience. And he would only chuckle, and kiss her passionately, and tell her to never worry about that, because 'Everything I could ever want, is right here in front of me.' And usually, she would listen to him, save for right now. Because now, everyone thinks they aren't together anymore, and Rapunzel can pick out at least fifteen women who would love to get Eugene to take them to a spare bedroom.
'No, don't look at him like that, with your big, fawning eyes. He's mine, he's still mine!'
Maybe she's trying to convince herself, more than she's trying to convince them.
Thankfully for Rapunzel's insecure thoughts, he pays no attention to any of the lustful eyes following him. Eugene makes his way down the staircase and into the grand ballroom, stopping first at the refreshment tables. A few familiar faces nod to him, but he doesn't stop to chitchat with anyone. It's as though the room has been brought to a sudden lull, everything moving in slow motion. As this is a party clearly thrown by Charles, Rapunzel hadn't expected Eugene to be here at all, though she's relieved that he is. Even if Eugene doesn't get to stand by her side for most of the night, or dance with her, like he'd once been able to, his sheer presence immediately calms Rapunzel's nerves. She should be used to these big, royal parties by now, but part of her still isn't, and she's not sure if she ever truly will be.
Apparently, Charles hadn't expected Eugene to be here, either, because his nerves appear to suddenly be wound up rather tight, his strangely happy mood thrown to the wind.
"Eugene." Charles grinds the name between his own teeth, his eyes narrowing, his grip tightening on Rapunzel's arm.
The prince drags Rapunzel along to the refreshment table where Eugene is now standing, pouring himself a drink. Charles taps on the former thief's shoulder, a painfully obvious, irritated look crossing his face. Eugene turns around, and Rapunzel's heart drops to the pit of her stomach, because God, he just looks so... good. All the time.
She can smell the aftershave on him, like he's just freshly shaven. And suddenly, the prince on Rapunzel's arm doesn't even exist – because he's blonde, and doesn't have any facial hair, and he's dressed far too stiffly, and he never makes her stomach clench.
But mostly, because he's not Eugene.
"Oh. Hey, Blondie." Eugene greets her easily, and Rapunzel's knees go weak, the way they always do when he calls her 'Blondie.' Or when those eyes meet hers. Or when he does anything, really.
Eugene's gaze shifts to Charles, looking the prince up and down, only once. His facial expression remains the same, as though he were utterly unimpressed.
"Charles."
Neither man offers a hand to shake, only looking at one another with hard, bottomless stares.
Charles huffs a little, hugging Rapunzel tighter to his side. She wants to pull away, mostly because she's itching to be in Eugene's arms instead, but she knows that she can't. Because it would be rude, and people are watching, and she's the princess, which means that she has a certain level of decorum to maintain. And, most importantly of all, she's supposed to be happily married. Even if Charles touching her in the way that he is, so protectively – no, so possessively – makes Rapunzel's skin crawl.
"Why are you here, Fitzherbert?"
Eugene shrugs, looking rather unphased by the annoyance dripping from Charles's tongue.
"Because I heard there was gonna be a party tonight. And I heard there would be free alcohol. So, I came to said party." Eugene's voice is rather dull, as though he were bored, though Rapunzel catches the fire burning in his eyes when he glances at her – especially when he notices the way Charles's hand is resting tightly on her hip. She can tell that Eugene is trying not to look at her for too long, trying not to give his anger away.
Because Charles has his arm around me, pulling me into him. He doesn't like that Charles is touching me, just like I didn't like it when Stalyan was touching him. Just like I don't like the way all of these girls are staring at him, like he's a piece of meat, like he's a prize to be won.
"But you weren't invited —"
Rapunzel, though she struggles to remain present, finds herself drifting away, staring at Eugene's face as Charles speaks with clear irritation on his lips. She can't help it – the rest of the room sort of just fades away when Eugene looks at her. With Charles, Rapunzel always feels a stiffness in her chest. Around him, she feels a little awkward, almost unsure of herself. When she looks at him, she wants to see a nice young man, someone that could maybe even be her friend, if she felt so inclined to give him the chance to be. In another world, in which she'd never known Eugene, maybe that could've happened.
After all, Rapunzel would've been forced to marry Charles regardless, Eugene, or no Eugene – even if she had never been kidnapped, thanks to the marriage arrangement that her parents had signed with Maddoline when she was only a baby, Rapunzel always would have been expected to marry Charles. But all Rapunzel can see when she looks at the prince, is the person that ruined her life. Because she did meet Eugene. She was kidnapped, and she did go on this grand adventure with a man that she would fall so in love with. This was the man who saved her, and she in turn, saved him. When she looks at Eugene, Rapunzel sees her best friend, her lover, her greatest confidant, her most trusted companion. When she looks at Eugene, she sees over a year of precious memories, intricate moments locked away in her mind's eye forever. All she sees when she looks at Charles, is someone who isn't Eugene, in every way. It's even easier to compare them, when they're standing face-to-face like this, looking like they want to throw a punch at any moment.
And Rapunzel feels horrible for that, for the way that she unfairly compares Charles to Eugene – because it's really not Charles's fault, the marriage. He's clearly trying – trying to get to know her, what with this party that he'd thrown in her honor. He was dragged into the marriage, just as much as she was. The difference is, Charles is actually trying to make the most of it, unlike her. But she can't help it. Rapunzel can't help desperately wanting to keep the prince at arm's length, because she's a little too busy being in Eugene's arms most of the time not to.
Rapunzel considers the way that she feels around Eugene, a heavy contrast from the awkwardness she feels when she's around Charles. When she's with Eugene, there's an air of safe familiarity which surrounds them, an air of mutual trust — an air that wordlessly says: 'I can see right through you. I know how you feel, I know what you think, and I know what you want from me, because I feel and want it, too.'
Sometimes (like right now), when she looks at Eugene, Rapunzel starts to feel a little warm and achy between her legs, and it becomes really hard to focus on anything but that deep, clenching sensation in the pit of her stomach. Sometimes, she can't get a steady grasp on how he looks the way that he does — Eugene is by far the most beautiful man she's ever laid eyes on – and Rapunzel has met a lot of men since leaving her tower. Many men of noble, highly-ranked status – men with well-rehearsed pickup lines, and lots of money, and regal sounding names. And none of them had ever succeeded in capturing her attention, in igniting so much as a spark between them, in inducing even the smallest reminisce of lust within her. Only Eugene can do that – only he can evoke that deep, desperate need from her, a need that comforts itself in the form of weepy moans, and pleas for release, and the occasional bad word – words that Rapunzel knows she shouldn't say as a princess, words that are just her and Eugene's little secret.
Not that it was for a lack of trying on the part of the many other men that Rapunzel has come into contact with since her arrival in the kingdom. Plenty of young (and even some of the older) noblemen, had taken her hand at a ball, looked her up and down at a dinner party, not even trying to hide their yearning expressions. Plenty of men had asked her for a dance, flirted shamelessly, offered her a drink. Eugene had hated it. After the parties were over (or sometimes, in the middle of the party, if they were feeling courageous enough to sneak away for a while without her parents noticing), and after he'd had a few drinks in him, Eugene would complain loudly about how, 'No one respects the boundaries of happy relationships anymore, and no one respects how clearly in love we are.'
So, when no one was looking, Rapunzel would drag him to her bedroom, where they would shamelessly fool around for a half hour, sometimes more. She would show him just how 'clearly in love' they really were, with her tongue in his mouth, and her thighs squeezing around his hips, and little moans falling from her lips. Eugene would subsequently forget about whatever guy had tried to woo the princess this time, because he was the only one who could really touch her, in such intimate ways, the only one who got her to whimper his name in pleasure, and the only one that she was whispering 'I love you' to every night before bed. After a while, Eugene came to terms with the fact that potential suitors were just something that he would have to deal with, at least until it was the right time to get down on one knee. These potential suitors were a lot easier to deal with after returning Rapunzel to said party, with her cheeks flushed, and her lips swollen, with that undeniably giddy expression on her face.
After a year of practice, they'd become really good at slipping away from parties unnoticed, sometimes for twenty minutes, sometimes for an hour, sometimes two.
But sometimes, they couldn't find a moment to sneak away to her bedroom or to the nearest broom closet. In this case, Eugene, in all of his natural swagger that he'd built up after all those years of playing Flynn Rider, would make his way over to the princess, when someone who clearly wished to court her would be glued to Rapunzel's side. He would gently tug at her hip, so that their hips would touch, so that she would be pressed into his own side. Eugene did this, as if to simply say, 'She's mine, so back off.' And she was.
The gesture was never overly possessive, and Rapunzel never felt like she was Eugene's property. Eugene was never rude or obvious about his jealousy to the other men of the court in which he was expected to mingle with. He was always polite, and despite his past, they were polite back. He never blatantly interrupted any of the conversations that Rapunzel was expected to engage in with her fellow royal people. He would only come by periodically to check on her for a little while, to reinstate the fact that she was already taken. The gesture was always subtle, and controlled, sending the quietest of messages. But the other men always caught on, regardless. 'She's mine.'
And that's all Rapunzel can think about right now, standing here in the crowded ballroom with Charles's possessive hand at her hip, as she looks into Eugene's provoked eyes: 'I'm his. I've always been his. I'll always belong to him, and God, I want him so badly right now. I want to sneak off, just like we have so many times before, get out of this party, rip his clothes off, and —'
"There wasn't a guest list at the door. I checked." Eugene smiles, a tad bit smug, and Rapunzel senses that Flynn Rider might come out to play tonight.
She's not entirely sure if that's a good, sexy thing, or a completely disastrous, horrible thing. It's honestly a little hard for Rapunzel to dissect how she truly feels about Flynn Rider, because Eugene doesn't act in nearly the same way that he had when he'd first met her. That's why, in the big fight that they'd had over Stalyan, she'd called him out for acting like Flynn, and hadn't exactly meant it as a compliment; mostly because Rapunzel's feelings regarding Eugene's alter ego are still unsorted, to a degree.
She understands the backstory as to why, but Flynn Rider was selfish, and unpredictable – a wild card, always playing his cards close to his vest, always arrogant, and cocky, and untrustworthy. It was the almost-overwhelmingly loving, compassionate Eugene who Rapunzel had fallen in love with. And sometimes, it feels like they're two completely different people, separated by two completely different lifetimes, fueled by completely different intentions, and responsibilities, and levels of vulnerability.
It doesn't happen very often, that Flynn Rider makes an appearance. Usually, Rapunzel has noticed, the snarky thief persona only seems to come out around Charles. Maybe it's a coping mechanism, maybe it's a deflection of Eugene's true feelings, a way to protect himself from the arrogant prince – a way to protect her, from Charles finding out about the affair. A way to deflect Charles's attention off of her. She's not too sure, because really, Rapunzel has a lot more experience with all sides of Eugene, than with an irritated Flynn Rider. It seems silly to say, because technically, they're the same person – but in a much more real sense, they're very much so not the same person.
And between the alcohol, and the smug expression, and the provoking comments, Eugene seems to be falling headfirst into Flynn Rider mode, and Rapunzel's not sure how to feel about it.
"Besides, I live here." Eugene finishes, taking a long drink from the glass in his hand, raising his eyebrows at Charles, as if to say: 'What? Are you going to kick me out? Because I'd like to see you try.'
Charles would, if he could. He would kick Eugene right out of the palace, plop him down in the orphanage where he'd come from, if that were an option. The prince so desperately wants this man away from his wife, as soon as possible. Mostly because she disappears far too often for comfort, and because Eugene strikes Charles as the type of guy who would find essentially no guilt in bedding a claimed woman (don't even ask Charles to find the irony in the fact that he'd been the one to take an already-claimed woman from Eugene, and not the other way around). But unfortunately, getting rid of the ex-thief so directly isn't an option, and the king and queen seem to like him enough to let him stick around. Not to mention, Charles doesn't have that kind of leeway in the palace, to force someone to leave.
Yet.
So, Charles will just have to use some other, more… secretive tactics. Little does he know, that Eugene and Rapunzel have some dirty secrets of their own.
A waiter steps up to Charles and Rapunzel, offering them each a tall, sparkling glass of champagne on a silver platter. Rapunzel politely refuses, assuming that it would be best to remain sober-minded tonight, not knowing where the conversation between the two men in her life is going to lead (keeping in mind that, at a party just like this one, a conversation between them had once ended in a heated fistfight). But Charles snatches one of the glasses up hastily, quickly downing its bubbling contents in just a few gulps, making hard eye contact with Eugene all the while. The angry prince reaches for the other glass, knowing Rapunzel isn't going to take it, but doesn't drink it right away. If Eugene is going to be at this party, making lustful eyes at his wife all night, Charles muses with irritation, he's going to need some liquid courage to get him through – especially if Eugene decides to throw a punch at him. Again.
The waiter steps away with a slight bow, and Charles wipes his mouth on the back of his hand. He simply glares at Eugene, who leans forward, clinking the glass in his own hand to Charles's.
"Drink up, Charles. It's gonna be a long night."
Before Eugene walks away, he looks to Rapunzel and gives her a wink. Not a subtle, hidden one, but an obvious, intentional one, one that's ultimately fueled by jealousy and annoyance. A Flynn Rider wink. A wink that sends a shiver down Rapunzel's spine, and a slight pool of warmth between her legs.
She chuckles softly in reaction, trying her very best to hide her real reaction – to hide the blush creeping up her neck, the lust in her eyes. She knows that she shouldn't laugh aloud, but she can't help it, and it's better than Charles detecting what she's really feeling. Regardless, this gentle giggle causes Charles's skin to burn, his eyes narrowing into furious slits.
It was a bold move — one that wordlessly suggests, 'I'm fucking your wife, and there's nothing you can do about it' – one that Eugene probably shouldn't have blatantly made in front of Charles, and he knows that. It's a move that could get the both of them into big trouble, if Charles were to read too far into it. But a large part of Eugene doesn't really care. Because he's incredibly tired of pretending, exhausted by it. He's tired of watching this asshole, this excuse of a regal, stuffy prince, touch the woman he loves. If Eugene has to look at Charles's fingers gripping into Rapunzel's hip for any longer, he's going to lose his mind, and Charles is going to end up on the floor with another bloody nose.
And maybe it just has something to do with the three drinks that Eugene already had before their arrival. But he's not going to read too far into that.
But when he walks away, Eugene doesn't get too far across the ballroom before he feels a hand on his shoulder, tugging him gently back. It's Charles, with an angry expression plastered across his face. Eugene looks over the prince's shoulder to Rapunzel, who's looking on with her own concerned expression, not taking her eyes from Eugene, wringing her hands together nervously. Eugene forces himself to pull his gaze from her sweet face, turning back to an enraged Charles, wearing a complacent smile that only Flynn Rider would dare to give in a moment of such high tension.
"What? Did you want a wink, too?"
Charles huffs like a child who has been told 'No' for the very first time, shaking his head in clear disbelief at Eugene's sudden ballsy-ness. Again, probably the alcohol at steady work.
"You know, Eugene…" Charles states, sneering the name. "Someday, you're going to wake up, and you're going to realize that you should've been paying a lot more attention."
Now, it's Eugene's turn to narrow his eyes, furious deep brown meeting equally furious, ocean blue.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Your ignorance, your ego, your… your stupidity. Your inability to let go of her. It's all your downfall. You let your jealousy over her blind you to what's really happening here. And when you finally come to terms with what's going on…" Charles leans in, slapping Eugene's shoulder in a way that's anything but friendly. "It'll be. Too. Late."
Eugene shoves the prince's hand away, sure they're about to cause a scene, similar to the one that they'd caused at the engagement ball, not even two months ago.
"You know, Charles… I've decked you once, at a party that looked an awful lot like this one." Eugene leans in himself, teeth gritted, their faces only inches apart. "And I'm not afraid to do it again."
"Oh, come now. That's not necessary. Besides, what would Rapunzel think of you then?"
"I think she'd understand."
Charles laughs, throaty and arrogant, his turn to be smug.
"I think what she needs to understand, is that I am her husband, and that you are not. And that you have no right to be here anymore. She is married to me. You are no longer in fairytale land, where a thief can be with a princess. It would be in your best interest, and in hers, to leave her alone." Charles leans forward, his tone hushed. "Because I can promise you this, Fitzherbert: you still being here, is only going to make things worse for her."
Eugene will never dare to show the prince how much his words shake him, deep in his core – Charles doesn't deserve the satisfaction. So, he lets Flynn, with his limited emotional range, take this one.
"Maybe you are married to her. But marriage is just another piece of paper, buddy." Eugene smiles that same complacent, Flynn Rider-esque smile, slapping Charles's shoulder in kind. The prince flinches away, a look of disgust on his face. "And it doesn't mean anything, unless she wants it to."
And with that, Eugene stalks away, the smile immediately dropping from his face when his back is finally turned. He can't look back at Rapunzel, because if he does, he's going to do something bad – something that would embarrass her in front of all these people, or scare her, or get all three of them into deep trouble with the king and queen when they return. If he could, Eugene would swoop the princess up in his arms, and get her out of this entrapping place, for good. But he can't do that, because there's too many beady, noble eyes around – too many eyes that won't side with him, a lowly commoner, if a fight breaks loose.
So, for now, Eugene will bide his time, and pray that Charles's haunting words don't hold any real weight.
After about an hour of worrying about Eugene and mingling with her guests – well, more accurately, with Charles's guests – Rapunzel can feel her social meter beginning to tick lower and lower, and fast. As the princess, you're far too often expected to be ready to interact with people all the time. For most, this is no big deal, but this constant socialness has been a difficult adjustment for Rapunzel, after spending eighteen years primarily in her own company. Even after over a year of doing so, it still doesn't feel completely normal to be at these overly-crowded events. Typically, these parties and balls take a lot out of her, and Rapunzel feels her energy beginning to inevitably drain, as it's starting to get late in the night, and the party is showing no signs up letting up any time soon.
There was a time when she'd been able to find Eugene at these parties, lean against him for a moment until the wave of anxiousness washed away, but the princess can't even openly do that anymore. It feels like there's a lot she can't do – or, more accurately, isn't supposed to do, but that she still does anyway.
Rapunzel excuses herself from the group of young, noble people that she's been chatting pleasantly with, walking to the refreshment table, in hopes of finding a quick moment alone. Before she has the chance to pour herself a drink, though, she feels something being pressed into the palm of her hand. She looks up to see Eugene nonchalantly walking away from her, steadily making his way to the opposite side of the ballroom and toward the grand staircase, which leads out of the room and onto the second level of the palace. Confused, Rapunzel looks into her palm, finding a neatly folded piece of paper there. Turning her back to the ballroom, she faces the wall, opening the small piece of paper in her hand. On the paper is what she immediately recognizes as Eugene's quickly scrawled handwriting, and a short message:
'Meet me in the gardens. I'll be in the maze. Ten minutes.'
Tucking the note deep into her dress pocket, Rapunzel tries her best to stifle a smile, tries her best to keep a poker face. Walking up to Charles, she announces that she's going to make her way to the powder room to freshen herself up. He asks if she would like an escort, and she politely declines, making her way from the ballroom and into the hallway. Rapunzel can barely manage to keep herself from bursting into a full-out run, but she contains herself, making the journey across the palace grounds to the north gardens, where the hedge maze is located.
The sun has long since set, enveloping the gardens in a blanket of darkness. Rapunzel creeps into the black night, periodically looking over her shoulder as she goes, to ensure that no one has followed her outside. Entering the maze, she notes the atypical size of the moon tonight, which provides an iridescent glow, bright enough to guide her way down the maze's entrance path.
"Eugene?" Rapunzel whispers quietly, just in case someone else is around, though the gardens appear to be completely dead, as its well past midnight now.
There's no answer, no ruffling of the bushes. There's only the stillness of the night, so still that Rapunzel can hear her heart beating in her chest in anticipation, her body not completely forgetting the lust that she'd felt when she'd first seen Eugene in the ballroom – despite the tension of the conversation between him and Charles. The princess can still faintly hear the live music and muffled commotion of the party echoing from inside the castle. But she pushes forward, stepping deeper and deeper into the maze, assuming that no one will miss her, if no one realizes that she's gone.
"Eugene!"
Nothing. Rapunzel stops, spinning in a quick circle – though the motion is counterintuitive, as she's now surrounded on all sides by tall hedges.
"Eu –"
"Ah, hah! Gotcha!"
Out of nowhere, two hands pull the princess at the waist from behind. A scream rises in her throat, but a rough hand quickly covers her mouth before so much as a gasp can come to fruition. The hands drag Rapunzel deeper into the maze, around the corner where it's ensured that they won't be seen, the dark of the night swallowing them whole.
In most cases, Rapunzel would be startled to the point of utter fear at the sudden hands around her middle, catching her completely by surprise. That is, if she couldn't smell the aftershave, and if she wouldn't be able to recognize the feel of those hands anywhere, the sound of that voice, even in the darkness.
"Hey, you." Eugene turns her around in his arms with a smile, placing a gentle kiss on her nose.
"Hi." Rapunzel responds softly, and the gentle familiarity of her voice sends a jolt of wanting through Eugene.
The former thief looks around for a long moment, recalling when they'd snuck off to the gardens on Christmas Eve night, just last year. Rapunzel seems to know exactly what he's thinking, the current scene far too familiar, vividly remembering that special night, as well. The princess places a hand to the side of his face, running a thumb soothingly up and down Eugene's cheek. He gratefully leans into her touch, covering her hand with one of his own, and Rapunzel wonders if Eugene wants to talk about what had happened between him and Charles in the ballroom earlier.
"You okay?" She asks quietly, a concerned look pushing her eyebrows together in clear worry.
Damn it, I worried her. That's the last thing I ever wanted to do.
Eugene smiles softly, loving Rapunzel for how much she always cares, for how quick she always is to offer a caress, a loving word of reassurance.
"I just… I miss this." He finishes with a heavy sigh, closing his eyes against her hand.
Meaning, 'I miss being able to sneak around with you like this for the sheer thrill of it, not because we have no other choice than to sneak around.'
Eugene wraps both arms around her waist, pulling his princess close. He drags a hand up her back, making her shiver, reaching to her face to brush away the stray hair there, and tucking it behind her ear as he so often does. He's studying her face closely, she realizes, his pupils moving back and forth rapidly.
"I missed you." Eugene finishes endearingly, an undeniably sad look in his eye.
"You saw me, just earlier!" Rapunzel giggles quietly.
"I saw you with Charles." Eugene corrects, his voice softening to a raspy, emotion-filled whisper. "And it's fucking killing me, Blondie." He sighs heavily, running a hand through her hair absently, his eyes glued to her face, trying his best to memorize every intricate feature. "I'm sorry for dragging you out here in the cold. But I had to feel you, had to talk to you alone for a few minutes. I had to tell you that you look… so beautiful right now, and that you're still…" He struggles to finish, the words getting caught like a lump in his throat. "You're still –"
Rapunzel steps onto the tips of her toes to capture Eugene's lips with a knowing smile, cutting him off. He eagerly leans into the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth, groaning quietly, because he's wanted her all night, too. When she pulls away far too soon, she finishes for him, knowing exactly what Eugene had intended to say to her, because he's said it a hundred more times since the first one.
"I'm still your dream." Rapunzel places a hand at the back of his neck, as they hold one another's hard gaze. "And you will always be mine, Eugene, no matter what. I promise."
They take a long minute to mutually recall the heavy weight of those words, 'You were my new dream.' Sometimes, recalling the traumatic moment that he'd said them to her, still hurts for the both of them. Sometimes, Eugene still feels a dull pang in his side, like a phantom wound, even though he knows that he's completely healed. And sometimes, Rapunzel still has nightmares about the moment his eyes had closed – nightmares that they never reopen, that their story began and ended, right there in that tower.
Eugene looks away for a moment. He absently sways Rapunzel in his arms to the sound of the very distant music that's wafting into the gardens from the palace, as though he's trying incredibly hard to compose himself before he speaks again. In the moonlight, Rapunzel can just barely make out the tears that are pricking at the corners of his eyes, tears which he's clearly fighting hard not to show.
"I probably shouldn't have come tonight. I'm sorry. I'm sure I royally pissed Charles off with what I said, and probably made him suspicious, if he wasn't already. I wasn't thinking. I was just so caught up in the way that he was…" Eugene sighs deeply and his shoulders sag, as though he were carrying a heavy guilt around with him. "I don't want him to take it out on you, his hate for me. I would hate myself if something were to ever happen to you –"
"Eugene… look," Rapunzel takes his hands into hers, running them up and down her sides, pressing his palms into her ribcage. It's a non-sensual movement, as if to say, 'I'm real, and so are you.'
"I'm fine, and everything is gonna be alright." She steps onto her toes again, leaning up to nuzzle his nose with hers when she notices that Eugene's worried expression isn't yet relieved. "Look, look right at me. I'm right here, with you. You are the only man that I love. I'm in your arms, not his. You make me feel things… that he never will."
Eugene smirks a little at that, looking away playfully, and she can't help but smile slightly, too – because she knows, that he knows, exactly what she means by that. Rapunzel may as well have bluntly said, 'I ache for you between my legs, because I love you, and Charles just can't make me feel that.'
"And I'm always going to be fine. As long as you're here with me."
Rapunzel feels a twinge of guilt when she finishes – guilt for asking Eugene to stay here, when his heart is clearly breaking, shattering into little pieces – when he could return to a life of adventure, rather than feel obligated to stay here, forced to watch her be married to another man. He's clearly in agony, if tonight was any clear reminder of their sorrowful situation.
"I know, Blondie… thank you for that."
Namely, 'Thank you for stroking my ego and for comforting my worries, because I really needed it tonight.'
"I just…" Eugene reaches to her dress, fingering the sleeve of the delicate, pale pink fabrics made of expensive satin and lace. "I can't…"
Eugene appears to be suddenly frustrated again, his eyebrows furrowing, like he can't find the right words.
"I can't stop wondering…" He looks down at her, hesitant to finish, recalling Charles's firm warning. "How long we can really keep going on like this."
Rapunzel pulls back a little, her eyebrows instantly knitting together as well – this time, in defense.
"Do you not… want to go on like this?"
"Of course not. That's not what I'm saying, Blondie. I'm just…" Eugene runs a hand over his face, willing himself not to word his concerns in the wrong way, in a way that will make Rapunzel question his deep love for her, his willingness to stay. "I'm worried for you. Worried that you're going to get hurt, for sneaking around with me. I mean, don't you think Charles is going to put the pieces together at some point? Notice that you always seem to go missing around him, and eventually figure out why that is?" Eugene pauses, a look on his face that almost resembles… shame. "That I'm the reason why that is?"
Rapunzel shrugs indifferently, considering Eugene's undeniable concern.
Of course she's thought about it, plenty enough to feel guilty for the way that she neglects Charles, the way that she so often pushes him to the side, not making much of an effort to get to know her husband, even on the level of simple friendship. After all, she's already ditched the party that he'd thrown for her, unable to keep her hands from Eugene. She's reasoned that Charles is probably a good person, and that he deserves someone to love him as much as anyone else, but that it's not her fault that she can't be that someone. Rapunzel does feel guilty, for the way that Charles was drug into an imminently loveless marriage with her.
Just not guilty enough to keep herself away from Eugene. Because Rapunzel just isn't strong enough to do that, and probably never will be. Not if he keeps looking at her in the way that he always does, making her want him in that bottomless, un-ignorable way that he so often makes her feel.
"Maybe. Maybe he already has figured it out. And maybe, if we're really lucky, he never will." Rapunzel's voice grows hard, and Eugene worries that he's offended her deeply, without really meaning to. "But that's a risk that I'm willing to take, for you." She looks up to him hesitantly, sudden worry flooding her expression, desperate for reassurance herself. "Aren't you?"
Eugene, his emotions tangled in his throat, simply rests his head against Rapunzel's, placing a gentle hand on either side of her face.
"Of course. I'm willing to take every single risk in the world for you." Eugene breathes, his eyes fluttering shut, breathing in her scent, his forehead pressed intimately to hers. "I love you."
Quite literally, every risk in the world. Hence the whole dying for you thing.
"I just don't want you to get hurt. You've already been hurt too much for one lifetime, my sweet girl…"
Eugene looks so broken when he says this, and Rapunzel can swear she hears her heart cracking in her chest. What did Charles say to Eugene earlier, before he walked away in the ballroom? She hadn't been able to make out the prince's words, but she had seen the irritated shift in Eugene's face when he'd said them, shift to something else, like… like anxiety. Whatever it was, it's obviously really bothering Eugene, causing visible distress.
"Hey… hey. I love you, too, so much, Eugene." Smiling sadly, Rapunzel wraps her fingers around his wrists, his hands still planted firmly on either side of her face. She tries to peer at his own downcast face, but it's as though Eugene can't bear to look at her right now. "Which means that I'm okay with getting hurt for you. I knew the possible consequences going into this, and I was okay with them. Because I knew that losing you… would always hurt worse, no matter the outcome."
'But I don't want you to get hurt at all. Not even for me.' Eugene thinks to himself silently. 'I don't want anything bad to happen to you, not ever again. I already haven't done a good job at protecting you from this world as much as you deserve. Not like I once did, when I died for you. What have I done to protect you, now that we've been outside of your tower?'
Eugene opens his mouth, shuts it again, clears his throat from the thick tears that threaten to spill over and onto his face. Rapunzel looks up to him inquisitively, nodding as if to say, 'Go on, I'm listening. I'm always listening.'
"Rapunzel?"
"Yeah?"
She peers up at him with those green eyes that he dares to get so lost in every time he looks into them, even though he knows that he probably shouldn't. And then, in a strangled voice, Eugene says something he probably shouldn't.
"Run away with me."
AN: This chapter was a little nod to the series, pulling inspiration from the episode 'Queen for a Day.' I hope you liked it! I always have so much fun with writing scenes and chapters about court/palace life, with balls and fancy parties, chandeliers, and ball gowns, and the like. I'd like to think, in a past life, I would've lived in such a world.
Also, who else was swooning when Eugene's sassy side came out in front of Charles? And when he winked at Rapunzel? And when he was walking down the grand staircase, looking all handsome and stuff? Yeah, I love that man. If he asked me to run away with him, there would be *no hesitation whatsoever.* Even if I was a princess and had a million responsibilities. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I know that we ended on a heavy note here, but I hope to see you again soon for Chapter 16!