RAPUNZEL walked purposefully through the passageways of the Keep, her bare feet making no noise on the cold stones beneath her. She marveled at how quickly her life had turned around within the last six months alone. Six months since Eugene had quite literally stumbled into her life. Six months since her birthday, since she had seen the floating lanterns. Six months since Mother had died and—
No! Rapunzel's eyes widened and she forced her mind to grind to a halt, coming to a physical standstill in the process and accidentally nearly barreling over a passing guard as she did. The man barked at her irritably to watch her step but could not otherwise be bothered to take notice of the quiet and sullen recovered princess.
She would not think of Mother Gothel. She could not.
Gothel was not her mother, the Queen of Corona was, Rapunzel chided herself for her ridiculousness and ground her teeth. She had said goodbye to Gothel months ago when she had accidentally fallen to her death out of the top of her tower, she was sure of that. Rapunzel had forced that chapter of her life to come to an end.
Even as she swore to leave Mother in the past, and as practical as she tried to pride herself on being, there were still times when the pain Mother Gothel had left her with would seep its way unbidden to the surface and render her nearly unable to breathe.
Last night, sadly, had been one of those times. She'd slept little, much to Eugene's disappointment and even chagrin. She'd spent the dark hours of the night forcing her chest to rise and fall. Sucking in the cool night air that wafted in through the open window pushed down past the knot in her throat and filled the gaping hole in her heart that had been put there since she'd learned of Mother Gothel's cruelty and betrayal of her feelings.
She tried to will her mind to think of nothing as she had paced the floor, unable to sleep, and clung desperately to the small shards of dignity her adopted mother had left her with. Fighting against the bitter despair that she knew would come for her in the end, Rapunzel furiously battled the tears that stung her eyes.
She had bloody well cried enough.
Finally, sleep had claimed the lost princess, though Rapunzel's precious rest had not lasted long at all. She'd woken before the sun rose high in the sky, gasping and pleading for Gothel to return.
As horrible as her adopted mother had been to her, Mother had still raised her, after all, and as much as she might wish for one, there was, and never could be, a death cure.
Each time the nightmares came for her, Rapunzel was forced to relive Gothel's death, always outstretching a hand trying to reach her, and never quite fast enough to stop her from falling.
Rapunzel had not been able to drive away the melancholy when Eugene had first brought her to the castle in the kingdom's capital, to meet her true parents. She'd expected Mother's presence to haunt her, and she supposed in a way it did, as ever since Mother Gothel's death, Rapunzel felt as though someone hollowed her out.
She glanced down at her new gown and sighed, tugging on a fistful of the comfortable and light material.
It was long, light purple, and pretty, and one of Mother's handmaidens had trimmed her butchered hair as best as she could, fixing the uneven and blunt ends where Eugene had cut her hair off to try to save her life.
She sighed and reached up a hand to tuck a wisp of her new dark hair back behind the shell of her ear where it belonged. Her hair was short—shorter than it had ever been in her entire life, shorter than the chambermaids and kitchen girls, even. She cringed as she ran her hands through the newly shorn locks that now fell to just below her chin in stray wisps and strands Rapunzel winced worriedly.
She wondered if it would ever grow back, though with her magic now gone, she thought what was the point to grow it back, and Eugene had told her he liked it this length, and to be able to see her eyes.
He claimed he had a thing for brunettes.
Smiling softly, she shook her head and tried to send the memories of Mother Gothel away and continued down her path to the throne room, where Father and Mother were waiting for her.
Her parents had specifically requested her presence in the throne room, alone, without Eugene or even Pascal present by her side. It was her summons that quickened Rapunzel's steps down the lonely and desolate corridor. Rapunzel could not help but wonder what the reasons were behind her summons.
She had officially asked her parents for their blessing and permission to marry Eugene.
The king and queen had seemed shocked, initially, when she had introduced the man who had saved her life and brought their daughter back to him as the same thief who had originally stolen the crown and would have been hung in the town square in the gallows for all to see for his crime. Her stomach tightened at the thought.
Rapunzel was glad she had been able to convince her parents of Eugene's true nature, and that her love had been pardoned of the crime. She still worried about what her future might hold as she slowed her stride upon entering her parents' throne room. Her father, whose back was turned to her, sensed her before he saw his daughter.
The king greeted Rapunzel almost before she'd even crossed the threshold of the vast hall, having to lift the skirt of her dress a bit to avoid tripping over the long hem.
"Rapunzel," he nodded. "Please come in, come in, your mother and I don't bite, dear."
He motioned her closer towards their two thrones as he moved back towards his chair to take his seat.
Rapunzel nodded, quickly covering the distance from the entrance to her parents' throne in short order.
She lowered her head and sank into an awkward curtsy, trying to show her parents and rulers the utmost respect, and feeling like she was failing in that regard. Her sheltered upbringing thanks to Mother Gothel growing up had left her with almost no opportunities to practice her social manners.
She was still at a loss as to what her parents wished to speak to her about.
However, after being reunited with them after her entire life apart, she was eager to do anything she could for her parents to try to make up for all the lost time.
"Y-you sent for me, Father?" she inquired
Her father let out a good-natured chuckle and dismissed her curtsy with a wave of his hand. The various jeweled rings on his fingers sparkled even in the dim light cast about the throne room from the lit torches in their sconces. She awkwardly stood stiffly at attention as her father took a moment to settle into his chair.
"No doubt you are wondering why we have asked to see you, my dear," he answered.
Rapunzel nervously smiled, a bit embarrassed, as if her father had heard the very thoughts that were echoing through her mind.
In the short time since getting to know her father, she always got the impression he knew the thoughts of others. Perhaps he was merely intuitive, it was hard for her to know, or perhaps it was something else. She swallowed down hard.
"Yes, Father, Mother," she said shyly. "What can I do for you? I-is it my proposal? Have you given it any consideration to what I asked?" she questioned, suddenly nervous as she began to chew on her bottom lip and wring her hands.
The king and queen exchanged a glance with one another, and they nodded knowingly.
"That boy, Flynn," he started to say, though Rapunzel shook her head, correcting him.
"Eugene, Father. His real name is Eugene."
Her father quirked a thick greying brow at his daughter and nodded, though he continued speaking as though Rapunzel had not dared to interrupt him.
"Yes, he has demonstrated his honor in returning the crown and brought you home to us, love."
"It was his privilege, Father," Rapunzel accepted her father's compliment of her lover humbly, and she felt some hope swell in her chest.
Perhaps they had considered her request to be given their blessing to marry Eugene after all.
Though her hope dissipated as she saw a shadow of regret cross the king's sharp, angular features as he looked at the queen and continued.
"We could not have asked for our daughter to have had a better escort as you were guided through Corona and led home to us. But it is with a heavy heart, my dear, that your mother and I must tell you that you cannot marry him, as he is not of noble blood. Our laws dictate that any of noble blood must marry another in equal or superior standing. Another suitor has been chosen for you, a prince from a neighboring realm. It was our hope, Rapunzel, that you would join us all in the Great Hall tonight for a feast to celebrate his welcome," the king softly explained.
Rapunzel felt her stomach drop and her knees turn weak as her fear welled up inside of her.
Without Eugene by her side, after all that they had been through, what would she do when the painful memories and emotions of her time spent locked away in Mother Gothel's tower for the last eighteen years of her life, and then Gothel's death, besides, came back to haunt her again?
Another man would never understand her as he did. She felt all the blood drain from her face as tears welled in her eyes, though she sharply turned her head to the left so neither of her parents would see her emotions.
"I-I will, Father," she whispered in a shaking voice. "May I please be excused?" she asked in a choked voice that could no longer hold back her weeping. Before either the king or queen could plead with their daughter to stay, Rapunzel turned heel and fled the throne room, drowning in humiliation and more feelings of betrayal.
As she fled, terror rooted itself deeply in the pit of her stomach. Her stomach turned at the thought of marrying another man. She could not do it. Would not. She felt her cheeks turn hot and her stomach flutter as visions of Eugene's handsome face flitted through her mind and her legs moved as if by rote memory towards the chambers that served as the king and queen's guest bedroom, where he was staying.
Perhaps it was because Eugene had saved her life, or maybe it was because he tried to give her advice when he had the chance, whether Rapunzel listened or not. He had tried to tell her they would never agree, claiming her to be naïve to the ways of the aristocratic world. Rapunzel had vehemently argued, saying that as her parents, they would understand, though once again, it looked as though Eugene was proven right, after all.
She chewed on her lips, wondering if the two of them could flee Corona together, and make a life for themselves. Was it worth it? She did not know what Eugene would do. She thought she was pretty enough, and Eugene had told her a few times that he loved her, that she was his new dream. They had kissed. He had to want to her.
She was young, pure, and pretty enough. She sniffed and tried to hurry down the hallway as fast as she could. Rapunzel moved as swiftly and quietly as she could. Eugene would no doubt be able to slip past everyone unseen, as a former professional thief, but she was not so skilled.
Her legs moved on their own accord as her brain ordered her to turn back. Eugene might not even be in his rooms and if he were not, and she was found by a guard or maid standing alone in his rooms, what would people think?
It would put them both in danger.
But luckily, the guest quarters were lodged in a quiet part of the castle where everyone minded their own business. She knocked on the door and swallowed hard once she came to stand in front of her lover's bedroom.
It was late and he was without a doubt off somewhere, perhaps. She had no way of knowing and she found herself praying to the gods if they existed that Eugene was both there and away. She felt little beads of sweat break out over her forehead. Not this nameless, faceless Prince. She could not marry another man.
She followed up her first knock quickly with another in short succession. Fast, rapid knocks with her knuckles, insistent and urgent. She was in mid-knock, her third round of heavy wrappings on the door when it flung open.
Eugene stood before her, half of his face visible in the torch light.
He nearly stole her breath away, every single time with how handsome he was, and now was no exception.
She looked over his rugged face, her eyes widening as she arched her neck. Her resolve nearly faltered, and she almost turned to run, thinking she had come to see him at a bad time, but Rapunzel steeled herself and held herself still, straight, and proud, like the princess she was trying to learn how to become.
"Rapunzel, you're far from your bedroom, what would your parents think of this, hmm?" he rasped, and she colored when she saw Eugene remove a hand from the hilt of his dagger at his side. She rose her eyebrows in confusion.
He had been expecting some sort of fight to break out the moment he had opened the door.
"May I come in? It's urgent," Rapunzel asked, trying her best to keep the annoyance from her voice as she swallowed hard again. He frowned but he nodded, though he grumbled something inaudibly under his breath and stepped to the side. She entered and felt her muscles tighten as he quietly closed the door behind her.
"They said no, didn't they." It was not a question the way Eugene phrased it, and when the former thief spoke to the princess, the man's voice was dull, lifeless, as though he'd resigned himself already to their decision.
Rapunzel did not immediately answer him, too distracted by Eugene's room itself. She watched him place his dagger, in its sheath, on the table. The room was dark, lit only by the fire on the far side of the room. Other than that, the room was sparse, empty, and impersonal. It seemed Eugene owned little possessions.
Her cheeks burned as she turned around to face him.
She took a deep breath and let out a little breath before pushing forward. Perhaps she could ask this unlady-like request of her handsome thief with the subtlety and class of a lady, though Rapunzel doubted it.
"The king and queen mean to marry me to another soon," Rapunzel quietly announced as fresh tears filled her eyes and Eugene somberly nodded.
He had been expecting as much.
"Yes, I know. I was in the room when he made the announcement last week during breakfast in the Hall, but you weren't paying attention," Eugene said plainly, and she nodded, blushing slightly as she remembered.
Of course, he knew, and she hadn't exactly been paying attention as she had been trying to save Pascal from the wrath of the kitchens' cooks, who were frightened by the small chameleon and did not understand that the little lizard meant them no harm.
She looked towards the bear pelt rug by the fire and smiled as Pascal was lazily sleeping in its mouth.
"I won't marry a man I do not love, Eugene. What I want, who I want, is you," she informed him softly. She thought she saw his previously hardened expression soften in the firelight, though he still seemed unimpressed. "I-I don't want to give another man, some Prince I could never love, the satisfaction of him calling me his," she said, and Eugene gave her a funny smile.
He stepped to the side and his entire face was illuminated, his handsome, chiseled features looking warm and amber from the faint orange glow of the fire.
"You've little choice, my love. A princess yields to her mother and father's wishes. It is the way of royalty, as I tried to tell you. If you wish to remain alive and unharmed, you will marry whatever Prince your parents have chosen for you in my stead and give him all that he wants," he told her, the edges of his mouth turning down into a frown. She heard him sniff as he looked away, clearly sounding like he was fighting back tears.
Rapunzel vehemently shook her head. "I can't let that happen," she whispered to him passionately. She thought she saw the beginnings of understanding on his face, but Eugene was not allowing himself to believe her.
"And so, you come to me, when you know I cannot stay here?" Eugene asked hoarsely, his heavily lidded and hot, dark eyes slowly moving down the length of her slender body and then back up to her face.
"You've been kind to me, Eugene," Rapunzel started to say, but Eugene barked out a bitter laugh.
"I? Kind to you? I simply do not like seeing our kingdom's princess beaten and ill-treated by a woman who claimed to be her mother. I've told you, time and time again before bringing you here, that I am too old for you, too poor, and too dangerous, Rapunzel. What we thought we could have had, it was just a dream, nothing more and nothing less than that," he snapped. His tone was bitter, and Eugene did not sound as though he particularly enjoyed spouting such venomous words in Rapunzel's direction, but he could not take back his words.
She flinched away in both hurt and surprise.
His clipped and hurt voice reached her on the other side of the room, dark and raspy. It sounded as though he had been drinking since her parents had summoned her, as though he thought he would need the assistance of whatever alcohol he could find to brace himself for the bitterly disappointing news he expected.
Rapunzel swallowed. She felt her pride slightly wounded.
She knew his poisonous words were not directed at her but were misplaced by his anger at the situation that a law written into effect by other men was not allowing them to marry, when they cared for one another and loved each other, dearly. Why was he questioning this now? Should Eugene not be pleased?
Should he not jump at this chance while she was here and presenting him with it? Surely, he understood.
Rapunzel, growing angry, lifted her chin a fraction of an inch in proud defiance and frowned.
"I am offering myself to you, Eugene," she snapped. "Or are you too daft to see that?" she asked.
He sharply turned to look at her, his dark eyes glittering. "You assume that I think you to be worth the risk, Your Highness," Eugene said gravely. "This handsome head is better left on my shoulders, Lady."
Rapunzel felt her face burn with humiliation. He thought to send her away. She stomped her foot in anger and stuck out her bottom lip slightly in a little pout, well aware she was probably looking like a petulant child, but she could not help it. She had not expected this sort of behavior from Eugene and did not like it one bit.
"I am worth the risk, Eugene. Marry me, take me away from here," Rapunzel said defensively, but she knew she sounded like a spoiled little girl. He barked another laugh and sat down on the chair, staring at her.
"Were that I could, lady, but I'm leaving," he whispered, suddenly looking shamefaced, as he turned to stare into the depths of the fireplace, looking as though he could not see Rapunzel nor hear her at all.
"Back to your home?" she whispered fearfully.
"No. I am leaving Corona. Despite the charges against me being dropped, with my many thanks to you, lady, I am still a wanted man by other gangs here in the kingdom. Coastal ones, mostly. I've angered them too many times over, I've made more than my fair share of enemies. No doubt they will have heard I'm back and will be looking for me. I'm a marked man, Your Highness, I cannot stay here. Were that I could, I would, but I can't."
She heard his words, and suddenly, Rapunzel felt as though she were trapped in her cold, dark tower all over again. An icy feeling of dread fell over her, and her mouth, already dry, turned yet dryer. She licked her lips to try to moisten them.
"Where will you go?" she asked in a meek voice.
"North might be," he murmured, running a hand through his dark hair that he was so proud of. "Somewhere bloody cold. Somewhere they won't look for me. I could take you with me, Lady. If you still want that. If you want me, that is. We could marry, as we've discussed. We could make a life for ourselves. It will be a far cry from your new lavish life that you've come to know in this bloody castle, but we will be together."
"We'd never get past the gates, Eugene—"
"Who will stop me, Highness?" Rapunzel let out a tiny cry when she felt one of his knives suddenly pressed to her throat as he bolted upright from the chair he'd been sitting in and moved so fast to stand in front of her that the man was a blur. "When I have this? Or this?" He motioned towards his sword in its sheath on the table alongside his threadbare leather satchel. The knife was slowly lowered from Rapunzel's throat, his point made. "Are you scared, princess? I could keep you safe, Rapunzel. Perhaps it's escaped your attention in the few months we've been here, but the people of Corona are afraid of me. No one would dare to hurt you again, or I would kill anyone who stood in my way."
Rapunzel hesitated. She could hardly believe it was true, but Eugene's words were said with conviction.
She gently rubbed her thumb over his cheek, feeling his salty tears already beginning to dry. She exhaled a shaking breath and looked into his eyes.
"If you are caught, they'll kill you," she whispered, barely able to choke back her weeping.
"Oh, Rapunzel. I'm dead if I stay," he choked. She did not know what Eugene meant by that, but she nodded slowly.
"Eugene," she said, his name funny on her lips. "Take me away from here. Marry me. Take me…home."
Eugene nodded. He looked as though he wanted to say more on the matter but thought better of it. He stepped back and grabbed a thick woolen navy blue cloak that was draped over the chair he'd just vacated.
She shivered as she realized the warm garment had used to belong to Gothel, but it was easily her most prized possession and in a twisted sort of way, she felt as though Mother were with her when wearing it still.
He wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled up the overly large hood to cover her face. She let out a squeak of surprise as he pressed a finger to her lips.
"Grab Pascal, make sure your lizard is safe, for the love of the gods, be silent, and do as I tell you," Eugene told her sternly, suddenly very sober, his usually playful and jovial expression grim as a grave.
Rapunzel nodded but said nothing as she did as was told.
She woke Pascal, cupping the sleepy and disgruntled chameleon in her hands as she struggled to keep up with Eugene's long strides, as the former thief now stole her away from the castle that was her new prison.
