~Chapter 22~
Eugene
Tight pressure clung to my chest like burning tar. What happened? My mind reeling as if I was on the precipice between awake and asleep. I heard voices nearby, but the sound was muttled and I couldn't understand a word. Finally, my eyes fluttered open as I saw a pair of hands reaching back and forth pulling the fallen rubble off of me. Queen Arianna locked eyes with me promising to get me out as she and a soldier kept pulling away the stone on top of me. My left arm had been pinned, but I couldn't feel any pain so that must have been a good sign. Fading in and out of consciousness, I saw the rock over my left arm get lifted and again I didn't feel a thing. Though the coloring of my arm was a bit concerning. Various shades of red and purple bruising that went up the length of my arm almost to my shoulder. Within a few moments, I did get a sensation of pins and needles in my arm, which that must of been a good sign. I waited several minutes before the pressure finally ebbed. The soldier grabbed my good arm and slowly pulled me out from the rubble. Dust and grime covered me even stinging my eyes a bit, but worth it to protect the queen. I couldn't stop coughing once I was free and the queen knelt next to me.
"Thank you, Eugene. You shouldn't have done that."
"Yes, I should. If it's your life or mine to save your majesty, it will always be yours." I said.
"I found her in here digging through the rubble," The soldier said, "My job was to get her to safety, but she insisted on getting you out."
"Thank you both," I nodded gratefully.
"Frankly, I'm lucky I'm here at all," The soldier added, "a woman with long hair came out of nowhere where I fell during the initial onslaught of Ravadyn soldiers and healed me."
My eyes widened upon hearing this news and I grabbed his shoulder with my good arm.
"Where?" I muttered.
"I left her in the courtyard," The soldier replied.
It wasn't much, but it was a start. My body was still playing catch up as I felt more strange sensations through my limbs and muscles. Surely only adrenaline had gotten me this far. As I took a step forward, I saw something small and green move across the floor toward me. I blinked my eyes a couple times thinking I was imagining it. Pascal was running toward me with all haste. How he found me, I'll never know.
"What is that?" Queen Arianna asked.
"His name is Pascal and he is a friend," I turned nodding to her. I slowly bent down to the floor extending my good arm out to him. Maybe we weren't friends as he ignored my hand and turned pointing his tail toward the broken stairwell.
"Do you know where she is?" I asked him.
He nodded. I turned toward the soldier and the queen.
"Get the queen somewhere safe," I told the soldier.
"Eugene, you're in no condition to go anywhere." She pleaded.
"Her majesty is right, you need a doctor." The soldier agreed.
"No, what I need is a weapon." I replied looking at the queen, "I'm going to bring your daughter back." I said emphasizing every world. Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded gratefully. The soldier handed me his sword and I took it with my right hand. This would prove to be trickier than I anticipated as my left arm was my wielding arm. The odds weren't in my favor, but Rapunzel needed my help and I would do whatever I could. I turned to follow Pascal limping as I did so. It's like my brain was sending signals to my body and instead my body didn't know how to react. Once Pascal brought me to the stairs, I had to stop to catch my breath for just a moment. What was this stamina? It was pathetic! The palace wasn't in shambles, but there were blocked passages from the debris that had fallen from the cannons. Once downstairs on the main floor, I spotted Conwyn from a nearby window and ducked to hide my presence. He was just outside in the courtyard approaching the palace doors.
"Frederic, your kingdom is mine!" He yelled.
As I slowly rose my head to look again, I saw Rapunzel just behind Conwyn bound by a rope line that Conwyn held. She was being treated no better than an animal with a leash. With my lifeless left arm limply hanging at my side, I couldn't match Conwyn's strength. He also was imbued with the power of Luna Callima. What he did to Lachlan, his own brother, I couldn't unsee. A stealthy approach was my best option. Rapunzel kept yanking and pulling at her restraints maintaining her fighting spirit. As quietly as possible, I opened the nearest window facing the farthest corner leading outside. I didn't want attention drawn to me as I climbed out. Shrubbery and rose bushes lined the garden beds outside the windows on the outside, so I had some camouflage. Pascal followed me out the window.
"Think you can distract those two guards?" I asked Pascal.
He nodded and crawled out ahead of me. Using his tongue, he stuck it out randomly hitting them on their uniforms. Conwyn looked infuriated turning toward them grabbing both their necks calling forth the power of the moon looking at them in their eyes. Just like Lachlan, the two soldiers, his own men fell down dead. Pascal camouflaged himself against the stone on the ground, so he could remain hidden. Rapunzel appeared terrified and as Conwyn casually ignored the two bodies he just murdered, he turned to barge his way into the palace. I quickly came out of hiding crouched low with my sword in my right hand. In seconds, I severed the rope between Conwyn and Rapunzel quickly cutting the rope around her wrists. She looked at me blankly and indifferent. She still didn't know who I was.
"Rapunzel, get out of here!" I ordered.
She didn't argue and headed toward the broken down wall. As I turned to face Conwyn, I was met with a swift punch to the face that sent me to my back knocking the wind out of me. Conwyn sneered hovering over me looking confident that he was victorious.
"You have been a thorn in my side for too long, Rider. I should have killed you the day you showed up at Briarwell."
I prepared for death and I was content in that knowing Rapunzel was free, though not necessarily safe. He would just go after her as long as he lived to use her for her power.
"Corona is strong. If you know what's good for you, you'll retreat. You have no right to claim this or any crown."
Conwyn's eyes narrowed as his silver hair shone bright. I knew what was coming. In a last ditch effort, I took the sword in my right hand and pierced as deep as the sword would go in his gut. He sucked in a breath, but I heard those foreign words hit my ears, but his eyes didn't gaze into mine because a circlet of blonde hair was tossed around Conwyn's eyes and pulled tight. Rapunzel ran toward us continuing to pull her hair tight, so he couldn't use the moonflower's gaze.
"You're done using the moon to kill innocents!" She yelled.
I slowly rose to my feet as Rapunzel nodded to me. Though Conwyn blindly swung around and managed to grab Rapunzel by the arm. She screamed at his touch as I saw a red mark that came upon her skin from him.
"If I go down, you're coming with me. Clearly, our powers are toxic for eachother." Conwyn laughed.
"Over my dead body!" I growled.
I yanked out my sword and tried to stab him again, but he rolled away taking Rapunzel with him as her screaming continued. Her hair loosened freeing his eyes as he pinned her down at her shoulders. Rapunzel was the only one screaming, but Conwyn didn't look too good in the face himself. Suddenly the beast from Odonrora ran at full speed into the courtyard ignoring both Rapunzel and me taking a leap onto Conwyn's back and sinking its teeth into his neck. Conwyn howled rolling off of Rapunzel and began wrestling with the creature. In his distraction, I hobbled over to her pulling her onto her feet.
"You okay?"
"Could be better," She answered.
I could tell she was searching my eyes for some sort of recognition. There was no glimmer of such and that hurt more than the pain encompassing my body now.
"Your arm," She pointed out looking concerned.
"It's just a scratch," I smiled weakly.
Suddenly the creature howled in pain as Conwyn pulled a smaller dagger from his belt piercing the beast several times in the side. It ran crawling away from the courtyard leaving a trail of blood behind. Conwyn turned toward us pale and with wounds of his own but barely conscious, made strides to Rapunzel.
"You will heal me," He muttered.
I stepped in front of her and thrust my sword through his gut. His silver hair faded to his normal color as he stared at me in disbelief.
"H-How?" He choked out.
"You were arrogant, your greed became your downfall," I said.
"And your love became yours," He said.
He pushed me aside roughly as I toppled over easily given my injuries. He tackled Rapunzel as she screamed from his touch yet again. Though as they both went down, she hit her head on the stone and was knocked unconscious. As quickly as I could manage, I crawled toward her pushing Conwyn off her. The impact to the ground finished him off. I took a bit of Rapunzel's hair wrapping it around her head.
"Flower gleam and glow…" I began.
Her hair began to glow reacting to my words.
Though I stopped when I heard the thunderous sound of armor clad foot steps approaching. Looking up toward the broken wall, a small group of Corona soldiers came into the courtyard many appeared wounded and bleeding. A man at the front of the group took off his helmet and it was none other than King Frederic. My vision started blurring as my own weakness consumed my body. Adrenaline got me to this point, but it didn't take long for me to topple over. The king and his men ran toward me.
"S-Save her," I muttered as my world faded to black.
The next time my eyes opened I was in a small cot in an infirmary of some sort. My bad arm was splinted and resting on a small table beside the cot. The coloring on my skin still appeared awfully bruised and red. Either that or I was delirious and seeing things. I looked around for Rapunzel, but didn't see her anywhere.
"Rapunzel!" I cried out.
A man with glasses came into the room and looked me over.
"Stay still, son. You're okay."
"Who are you?"
"I'm the doctor here in Corona. You're being well looked after."
I tried to sit up, but found I lacked any strength and the doctor held me down with one arm and stuck a needle in my arm with the other.
"What's that?"
"Something to help you relax. The next part won't be easy, but I promise you're in good hands."
Whatever he gave me worked quick as my eyes felt heavy
"What do y-"
In no time at all, I was out again. The next time my eyes opened, it felt as if I had been unconscious for days. I blinked a few times staring at the ceiling before a new sensation took over my senses. I felt a deep pain in my left arm that felt as if I was on fire. As I looked over at the table my arm was resting on, I saw a white linen bandage that was wrapped tightly starting from my shoulder. I tried to move my left arm and there was a stump of an appendage left in its place. Just below my bicep, my arm was gone. Surely I was seeing things. Though with my other arm, I reached out to touch the bandage. It was real. Reaching below where my arm should be there was nothing but air. I tried to sit up, but there were bandages wrapped around my torso that kept me still. My mind reeling as I began breathing heavily trying to stay calm.
"Rapunzel, where are you?" I shouted, through gritted teeth.
The door to the room opened as the doctor returned turning his head back toward where he came.
"Your majesty, he's awake."
Queen Arianna came in behind as I stared at her as she stood beside the doctor.
"My arm?" I questioned.
The doctor exhaled.
"I'm sorry, son. The damage was too severe to save it. Your bones were crushed and beyond repair. There was a build-up of blood that got trapped in your arm, if I hadn't removed it, you might not have survived."
"I see." I muttered continuing to stare at the ceiling trying to come to terms with my new normal. I glanced at the queen.
"Is she okay?" I asked, searching her eyes.
Queen Arianna nodded with a warm smile.
"She's alive thanks to you. Though she hasn't woken up and it's been hours."
"Your daughter is strong, I know she'll wake up." I nodded.
My pain spiked suddenly as the doctor gave me something to help. It did the trick, but living life without the use of one of my arms was going to be a huge adjustment, especially with weapon wielding or even writing. I would have to relearn many things.
The aftermath of the siege was a messy one for a few days. The remaining Ravadyn soldiers were rallied up and King Frederic offered a pardon to anyone who would cease fighting and lay their weapons down. Every Ravadyn fighter did just that and they were put on ships to be sent home. Nobody wanted to fight, but they were fearful of Conwyn. I didn't leave the infirmary for a week after my surgery. Once the doctor gave me the all-clear, the first thing I did was see Rapunzel. She had been unconscious since the confrontation with Conwyn and hadn't woken since. Pascal waited with her, so it was nice knowing she wasn't alone even with all the servants around. King Frederic had her brought to her own bedroom and everyone waited for her to wake. I wanted to talk with her again, but I would be gone before then. Reunited with her real family after eighteen years, I had no place here. So I would remove myself and make it easier. Rapunzel, a princess of Corona and I was a wanted thief, though the king had pardoned me. I wanted to stay, but I knew I couldn't. Nothing could come of us.
For services rendered to the kingdom, King Frederic bestowed me a spot of land that was a short boat ride away from Corona. A town on the Hartsmouth Isles would be my new home. The king told me it was quiet and peaceful. I was gifted a sum of money that was more than enough. It was far too much. I ventured to the throne room to say my goodbyes to their majesties before my ship was to leave for Hartsmouth.
"You don't have to leave," Queen Arianna said,
"Yes, I must. It's time for me to live a new life and be at peace. I appreciate everything you have done for me." I said.
King Frederic stood up from his throne and stepped toward me grabbing my shoulders.
"You saved my wife's life during the siege and my daughter's as well. You have the favor of a king, Eugene."
"I was in the right place at the right time, your majesty. Be well and stay safe." I bowed respectfully before I turned to leave walking down the carpet of the throne room before turning back around. "Oh, please don't tell Rapunzel about me. I'd rather she not remember me or the ordeal of her past if at all possible."
They both looked at me sympathetically.
"Surely, you don't want that." Queen Arianna said.
I had brought great harm into Rapunzel's life since we met. It was better off this way. She would be better off.
"I am sure." I nodded.
I thanked them again and with carrying a satchel of my money and a few provisions on my back, I was ready to depart for the ship. Though before heading out, I had to see her one last time. I went upstairs to her room and opened the door. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully even though I know she was more seriously unconscious. Though she was alive and breathing. Pascal was curled in a ball by her right arm asleep as well. Her blonde hair was sprawled out across her covers and the rest of the room. I brought my only hand down to her cheek leaning down pressing my lips to her forehead gently.
"I don't belong here or anywhere in your world. Live long and find happiness." I whispered. I squeezed my eyes closed harshly as I pulled away from her. I turned to leave and looked back toward her sleeping form. Then I quietly slipped out of her room closing the door behind me. It was better this way and that's what I kept repeating to myself as I headed to the ship. Leaving her behind was the hardest choice I had ever made.