A Tailored Rumor
Antonio breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Eugene walking away from his shop. Sometimes he felt the man ordered more outfits than all the nobility combined! That was an exaggeration of course, but still the man asked him for an outfit once every three months! He had said he wanted one for each season. Of course, he was paid handsomely for his efforts, but still the work load combined with all his other customers was exasperating. He was an old man now. His gnarly hands didn't work as fast or as feverishly as they once used to. And Eugene seemed to be completely oblivious!
That was why when the Humpherts offered him a generous stipend to go spy on the royals whenever he went to the palace to tailor one of Eugene's outfits, he took it readily. He just really offered little tidbits about palace life. It wasn't hard to obtain information really. Prince-consort, Eugene Fitzherbert was a talker. Besides, he had no real dirt to offer anyway. He figured the information would be something the Humpherts would get from someone else, if not from him. He was an old man. He needed the money. He had just walked up the bridge back to town returning from a house call to tailor one of the Humpherts outfits. They had a country manor in the woods. Of course it was going to be more than a house call.
They wanted information on the royal family. Earlier that morning, Antonio had walked to the palace to see if Eugene wanted him to tailor a new seasonal outfit. It was in the middling summer, but nearing the season fall and Antonio was starting to preemptively go to the palace before the beginning of each season, to see if Eugene wanted anything. He usually did. However this time when he arrived at the palace, he was told the prince consort was otherwise engaged, but would be told that Antonio came by. Antonio was just saying that he another appointment he had to go to, so he would not be back to his shop for a while, when he noticed the royal doctor walk off the premises and tip his hat to him. As Antonio walked away from the castle, he heard the servants chatting among themselves as they went about their daily errands and chores in the palace courtyard.
"She just might be! I have a feeling girls! And this gal," the plump servant put a finger on her nose, "is usually right!"
"So exciting! It's been a while since there was a little tike running around the palace halls."
"Get back to work!" Lady Crowley the domestic coordinator, asserted sternly. The girls scattered. Crowley gave Antonio a dark frown too and Antonio quickened his pace as well. He decided to go to the Humpherts early. He knew an hour or so difference wouldn't matter. They just expected him that morning sometime. He walked through the shady forest with his wide brimmed hat. Summer ferns and wild flowers burst out of the ground unashamed. As he forged a trail deeper he noticed with some consternation that there wasn't any sound. The birds were silent, the rabbits and foxes he would normally hear shuffling through the brush to avoid him were nowhere to be found. He wondered! Foosh! Helplessly, he found himself violently yanked, as something he could not immediately see pinned him against a tree. With a yelp, the force blew his hat off and the rough bark of the tree gave him a bit of brush burn against his neck and left ear. He shockingly observed there was a large arrow right above his left shoulder. It had pierced his jacket and narrowly missed penetrating his skin. Was someone trying to kill him? "Who goes there?" A booming voice called. "You are intruding on our land!" Panicking, "Let me down!" It was all Antonio could manage, his heart loudly beating with the certainty he was about to die. "Wolfgang!" A lilting feminine voice scolded. "It's just the tailor. He must have come early today, that is all." Some hounds bayed among them, excitedly mistaking him for their next hunting quarry. "Shhhush, dears, we're not eating this one today." The lilting voice admonished. Rebekah Humphert had taken walk with her dogs and her brother, Wolfgang Humphert, when they heard the distinct sound of human footsteps in the woods. They stayed still when, peeking into view, came a stooped over elderly man clad in a broad brimmed hat and entirely brown leather outer garments. At the sight of such a suspicious figure, her careless brother took no hesitation to act, but assumed the worst. She had just recognized who it was, when her brother let an arrow loose.
When Rebekah stepped out into Antonio's line of vision, he saw that she was dressed in the regency era fashion of the day. It was simple, tasteful and understated. An empire waste, with short puffy sleeves, satin in a pink coral color so faint it could be easily mistaken for cream. She wore a bonnet over her head, with a ribbon of the same creamy pink color, tied up underneath her chin. He guessed this was Madam Estrada's work. She was excellent at accentuating her mistresses' finer points. Her eyes were blue and her hair a mass of curly strawberry blond. She was stunning but in a way that spoke to comfortable elegance instead of the bright, vulnerable beauty of the princess. His neck and shoulder were cramping terribly and he realized he still wasn't down yet. "Help!" The pain made him cry. "Get me down!" Wolfgang, he guessed it was, guffawed as if he had not seen anything funnier.
He snapped the arrow, and with a loud crack, Antonio fell in a clumsy pile of limbs on the forest floor. Antonio's chin rested foremost ahead of his body, inches away from Wolfgang's well-polished boots. They were high top boots with shiny silver buckles, tight fitting slacks, fitted with a slick black belt around a navy hunting jacket. A sling of arrows was strewn around his chest, with the bow slung around his shoulder. He had a well-defined widow's peak, which is why Antonio guessed they named him Wolfgang. His hairline, along with the fact that his dark hair was thrown back, ending in uncouth layers, just a little below his ears, gave him the distinctive appearance of a wolf. He had sharp angles to his face everywhere. Sharp cheekbones, sharp jaw, sharp aquiline nose, all added to the harshness of his features. His mouth was too big for his jaw though giving him an incongruent and slovenly look. Antonio almost shirked back from the man's hand as he offered to help him up. "Sorry old man," the brother said, "I am a brute, but I can be amenable." He laughed. Besides, you've made some of my favorite outfits." Including the one he was in now. Antonio thought, which made him think of his own outfit and the large hole the arrow had made.
"This jacket is leather! It will not be easily mended!" He yelled.
"Calm down old man." The brute cautioned.
"Yes we'll pay for the cost." His sister placated.
"And what's a tailor doing wearing leather anyway?" Wolfgang rubbed his jaw. "I mistook you for a stray layman!"
Antonio thought about the lean smart clothes he used to wear when he was younger, ready to take on the world. Always thin, his aging figure was nearly devoid of fat now so he often took to cold. He found that the leather helped keep him insulated, but was cool enough in Corona's hot summers. Of course, he told none of this to Wolfgang. "None of your business!" He snapped.
"Oooh look Wolfie, this one has teeth." The lady smiled. It was not a friendly smile.
"Well I have teeth too!" Wolfgang replied venomously, looking like he might very well grab the nape of Antonio's collar and yank him up again.
"Wait, wait a minute brother," Rebekah stopped him, "Tailor what IS your business here? I know to customize new outfits for our male folk yes. You're talented, I agree, but not that talented for what we pay you. Have you seen the prince-consort or the royal family lately?"
"He was...indisposed." Antonio whined plaintively.
"Brother, maybe you better hang him up again."
"Wait! Wait!" Antonio racked his brain for what he saw earlier. He remembered the doctor vacating the castle.
"I think I saw the doctor."
"The doctor? Is he sick?"
Antonio remembered what the doorman said. They didn't actually say the prince- consort was indisposed, but otherwise engaged, with a promise to get the message to him so that the tailor might return later that day. It was unlikely he was sick then. He thought about what the maids said in the courtyard. "It's been a while since a little tike has been running around the palace halls." He had it! "No, no, no it's Rapunzel! The princess! I think she's pregnant."
Of course, he couldn't be sure, but it was best guess he could latch onto to satisfy these ruffians.
"Pregnant? Ooh this is news. You need to come with us to father. It is his outfit you need to tailor anyway correct?"
Antonio nodded as submissively as he could. He wanted nothing to do with that tree again. They walked in uncomfortable silence towards the manor, the dogs romping along their feet. Finally beyond the trees the Humpherts' huge manor and extensive grounds came into view. It was stately, with pillars and windows in lines. It looked to have about 10 ft high rooms on the first floor and 8 ft high rooms on the second. It was a pasty white in color, with wooden blue shutters accompanying each window. There was a line of ivy attempting to climb up alongside the front door. It gave it a more cheery, welcoming feeling than the house naturally possessed.
Just then two men with ladders rudely yanked it off with vengeful force, shouting "Heave-ho!" and threw the unwitting plant into a huge bon fire, another third man had made, apparently for that purpose. It burned up into cinders quickly. "That's the last of it!" One of the workers shouted. Sapphias Humphert, the matriach of the Humpherts stepped out of the household, and gave the front of the place a once-over. "Yes, that will do. Thank you!" Then to no one in particular she espoused, "Disgusting parasitic plants aren't they?" Lady Sapphias Humphert looked like an older version of her daughter, but her hair's strawberry blond color had faded with age. Her delicate form, looked frail now over the years, to the point where a good north wind could probably blow her over.
"Ah Antonio! How are you signore?" Sapphias greeted, attempting to brush up on her Italian. Antonio gave her a weak, fearful smile. "Why whatever is wrong?"
"We just all surprised each other in the woods mother." Rebekah inserted. She asked quickly, "Where is father?"
"He's in the house, in the drawing room. Is this business urgent?"
"Antonio has new information for us." She said flatly.
"Ah, good man Antonio." The mother crooned. The siblings ushered him off before he could reply. "Father?" They looked for him and the hounds found him, happily pawing at their master and making high pitched noises. "Yes, yes," he told the dogs without looking up, "You can calm down now." He was standing over a table, looking at some old blueprints of Corona's castle. "So much wasted potential." They could hear him murmur. "Father!" Rebekah said louder. He looked up. "Ah son, daughter, how are you? Has the brisk morning walk helped your constitutions? And who is this you brought with you? Antonio?"
Antonio bowed. "Come here man," the head of the household urged, making a show of being friendly. He reached his arm out around his back to direct him to the blueprints he had been studying. "You see this layout of the castle? Hasn't changed since my grandfather the late king or indeed his grandfather had it last modified. All they've done is maintain it with necessary repairs. A shame, don't you think? A lot could be done in renovations and additions. Something to show our kingdom's enemies the true strength and grandeur of Corona!" He slammed his fist down and laughed. "But my cousin wastes the funds he receives by spending them elsewhere. But, se la vie? Yes? Ah!" he laughed again, "I forgot you are Italian not French. We have an Italian tailor in Corona!" The man's eyes glanced over his jacket. "Speaking of which, man, you have a large tear in your jacket. Not a good look for a tailor no?"
Antonio had to almost swallow his tongue. "Father," Rebekah interrupted softly in an almost pleading tone, "Antonio has something to tell us."
"Ah really? Well don't hold your tongue! Out with it man!" Lord Phineas Humphert, which he insisted was pronounced "fin-NAY-us" and not "fin-NEE-us" like most people were prone to do, was not a man to be messed with. He wore a cravat, tweed jacket and white buttoned vest. His high-waisted pants were the color of burlap, and his shoes were pointy. He was a bony man. The ends of his mouth looked like they couldn't help but tip into a frown because he lacked enough cheek muscle to hold it up. He had the height and similar looking visage as his cousin King Frederick, but other than that, there would be no way to tell they were related.
He had a nervous energy that Antonio felt made him more dangerous and unpredictable. Most of the outside world did not see more than a family man, but Antonio knew that the lord's ambition was only outmatched by his resentment at the fact that his lineage relegated him to the outer circles of lesser royalty. He answered Phineas quickly and did not mince words. "Princess Rapunzel is pregnant."
"He thinks she's pregnant." Rebekah corrected him.
"Well do you think? Or do you know? Which one is it?"
In as little words as he could, he described to Phineas what he saw.
"Hmmm, it does sound like she is pregnant. I have to admit, I am little surprised, after all that she went through. She must be a strong woman to still carry a child, after carrying around that foreign power within her for so long." He was referring to the Sun Dr
op.
"Father, the lineage?" Rebekah pressed.
"Yes, yes I know. I know. We will have to think about this." He looked up seeming to remember Antonio was there. "Antonio you're dismissed."
Antonio relieved, turned to go, and then remembered something himself. "Sir your outfit? I was supposed create a new one for you?"
"Oh yes. We'll do it another time. Same time next week perhaps?"
Antonio nodded.
"Oh Antonio," Phineas rifled through the top drawer of a round top desk and turned a key that revealed a small bag of coins. He tossed the bag to the tailor. "Make sure you go back to the palace to confirm what you saw." Antonio caught the bag from Phineas, but walked briskly out, before they could catch on that he left without making any promises. He felt something very insidious was going on, but whatever frustrations he might have with the prince consort, he wouldn't want any harm to come to princess Rapunzel.
Pancakes and Poison
"Are you sure going this fast is ok?"
"Yes! When has it not?" Rapunzel yelled back to her husband joyfully.
"Rapunzel,"
"I know, I know. In my condition, you were going to say right? Lighten up a little Eugene, we haven't gotten out like this in a while."
They had procured Maximus from the stables. The huge white stallion, still magnificently in his prime, greeted them happily. They gave him a few apples and then saddled him up. Eugene sat in the back, holding Rapunzel in the front. Rapunzel took it slow through the town, she didn't want to run over anybody, but as soon as her line of vision saw the bridge that crossed the moat outside of town, after making sure no one was coming through, she took off.
Max himself, their nickname for Maximus, seemed amply pleased to be using his legs and rippling his muscles to the best of his abilities. The warm early afternoon wind, blew in their faces as the landscape sped by, Max's hoofs thundering beneath them. Rapunzel even closed her eyes at one point to feel it across her face, not for too long though! When she opened her eyes, she heard Eugene holler in disgust. She jerked to look behind at him and saw an unfortunate fly had hit and expired on his eye. "Oh no!" She couldn't help laughing. He tried to wipe it out off his eye, but before he could, Pascal used his long tongue to lick it off and swallowed it, licking his lips. "Ugh!" Eugene grunted, wiping his eye with his cuff. "I don't know what's worse, a dead fly body or frog saliva! I think I am officially disgusted for the rest of the day."
"You know, he's a chameleon Eugene." She couldn't help saying, laughing, although she knew Eugene did know. "Why do you call him frog after all these years?"
"Oh it's just my nickname for him, sunshine. You know I have a penchant for making those up."
"So see! You are good at coming up with names!" Rapunzel pointed out triumphantly. "Oooh, I fell right into that one didn't I?" Eugene confessed. "Well I am good at making up nicknames, sunshine, but honestly I can't think of any baby names right now except maybe John or Jane."
"Oh I bet you'll think something else. I think if you can be that creative with nicknames, you'll think of something other than Jane or John. You were able to think of some other nickname for me! You used to call me "blondie" as well as "sunshine" and you switched "blondie" to call me "princess" now that I'm a brunette."
"Do you mind?"
"No, princess is what I am! Though since you call Pascal, "frog" I guess I should be lucky you don't call me 'queenie' or 'empress' or something related," she teased.
"Maybe you're right princess about the baby names." He decided to use her other nickname besides "sunshine" right then. "Though you know, I will have to figure out something different for you than "princess" when you do become queen." Eugene pointed out.
"Mmmm, always call me princess," Rapunzel decided. "Except at public functions when I'm queen. It's just sounds nice when you say it."
Eugene gave her a half smile, "As you wish."
They slowed to a canter because of the density of the forest around them. Rapunzel suddenly realized she was hungry, and not just hungry, but ravenously hungry. Her stomach rumbled, and she blushed as she turned back to look at Eugene. "Can we make a pit stop?" Eugene knew that the only pit stop with food relatively close by was the other direction. He whistled at Maximus to stop. Then without warning, without quite knowing himself why he was doing it, Eugene dismounted and picked Rapunzel's up off the horse's back as well, gently placing her on the ground.
He put his hands on her belly as if to remind her that things were going to be a bit different. He looked in her eyes with pride.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine really. Just hungry right now!" She smiled, but then her eyebrows knit together a little bit. "Did my father talk to you about his fears?"
"Yes sunshine. That doesn't worry you?"
"Eugene we faced so much together. We can get through this together too. No matter what comes our way." Shafts of flight flew in through the forest, greenery abounded and birds chirped. For a moment he said nothing, and in the silence, she thought he was going to kiss her. Then an emotion she couldn't quite pinpoint, flitted across his face. "Eugene are you alright?"
He opened his mouth and then a large uncouth rumble came out. She laughed hysterically and then realized the feeling in the pit of her stomach that the rumble had come from her. She blushed furiously. Her laughter turned awkward.
"You're hungry aren't ya?" Eugene grinned from ear to ear. "I know the perfect place!" He gave her a wink and a knowing smile. They mounted and trotted off, both knowing exactly where they were they going. "To the Snuggly Duckling!" The old pub that had served as a habitual hangout for them over the years and the first place they had ever gone together. They arrived before long and left Max at the front beside some excellent looking green tufts of grass. It was his lunch time too. "Garcon! Your finest table please!" Eugene exclaimed as they walked through the door, just to give Rapunzel a smile. "Well I know nothing about a finest table," A voice called from within, "But looks like you're stuck with me!"
"Lance!" Rapunzel and Eugene said together. The big man was behind the counter cooking. His adopted daughter Catalina clung unto his huge arm, while his other adopted daughter nicknamed Kiera sat on the countertop. She was never one for manners. Lance Stongbow was a tall bald black man, sporting a thin mustache and nicely trimmed beard. He was muscly, but really was just a gentle giant. He was the oldest and only friend Eugene had kept up from the orphanage. They had entered the life of crime almost like a pact together, and then tumbled into redemption out of it, though at separate times. He always had a mysterious gold necklace around his neck that Eugene had never inspected enough to see if it was real or just a knock off. He wore a white long sleeve shirt and a burgundy vest. Over that wore an apron with what looked like chicken grease on it. He was the new cook of the Snuggly Duckling, and thanks to what Lance put on the menu, the place was no longer so dank. It still had that feel of secret camaraderie, but it just smelled so much better. Lance had found his calling as a cook, and as a father. His girls Catalina and Kiera, were nicknamed "Red" and "Angry".
Nicknames Lance and Eugene cooked up upon first meeting the girls, when the girls at first, refused to tell them their names. Lance's two girls were also former orphans who also took to the streets to survive by thieving. Eugene and Lance found them and helped them turn their lives around while Eugene was working with the royal guard. Catalina was called "Red" because of her lush red hair that fell in cascades down her shoulders. Kiera was called "Angry" because she was always, well, angry. Kiera unlike her sister Catalina, had black close cropped hair and was a tomboy. Just a few minutes with them gave observers the impression that Kiera had to fight the hardest to survive, and that she was extremely protective of Catalina. No one knew if they were true biological sisters, or they had just bonded together on the streets. Rapunzel knew though, that despite their tough attitudes, both girls really were sweet. "Girls!" Rapunzel called, lowering herself down a little and extending her arms. With everyone else, except maybe Lance, the girls were stand offish, but not with Rapunzel. They ran towards her and all embraced. When they ran into Rapunzel for the hug, somewhat forcefully, Eugene steadied himself a bit, as if to bite his tongue from asking them to be a bit gentler. Rapunzel shook her head to herself. If he was going to be this overprotective the entire pregnancy, it was going to be a long nine months. "We missed you!" They said. "Yeah did you have to take her away for that long?" Angry halfway teased Eugene. "Hey now! I brought her back as soon as I could." He laughed. "Eugene my man," Lance and Eugene locked arms over the counter as best as they could. Rapunzel abruptly stood up. "Lance why aren't the girls in the school? Isn't it a school day?"
"Well for one, it's summertime! And for two, after everything they've been through, I've decided to homeschool them!"
"Homeschool them? That's great! What are they learning?"
"Right now they are learning how to make pancakes AND learning how to add and multiply them for customers."
"And subtract, definitely learning how to subtract them as well!" Angry said with a mouthful of pancakes muffling her speech. "That reminds me, we have five orders of three pancakes, girls. How many pancakes is that?"
"15!" Red said immediately.
"Smarty pants," said Angry.
"Correct!" Lance answered, happily. To the side he asked Rapunzel, "That is correct right?"
"Yes!" Rapunzel affirmed quietly. Lance had no formal schooling, but he was doing his best. The normal crowd of former ruffians was there. Big nose, Toll, Gunther, Urf, Atilla, Killer, Fang, Vladmir, and of course Shorty. They all gave Eugene and Rapunzel they're greetings. "Speaking of pancakes," Rapunzel began, her finger in the air, "I'll help you serve these if you cook me and Eugene up some! I'm starving!"
"Of course princess! You didn't need to ask! How many do you want?"
"Five." Eugene said, followed immediately by "Fifteen!" from Rapunzel.
"Fifteen!" both Lance and Eugene exclaimed. "Oh you, mean 15 for both of us right?" Eugene asked. Rapunzel usually ate like a bird, but Eugene had a hearty appetite.
"Nope, 15 for me!" Rapunzel doubled down, with a warning look at Eugene not to press the issue. "I'm hungry!" She shrugged.
"Whelp! That's five pancakes for Eugene and a whole fifteen for Rapunzel! How many pancakes is that girls?"
"Twenty!" They both said in unison this time. Rapunzel, Eugene and the girls all served the other patrons at the Snuggly Duckling in short order. "Coming right up!" Rapunzel called, "By order of the princess!" She smiled. "Well, not really by order of the princess, it's your order of pancakes." She explained to Big Nose as she put his pancakes down. "I was just trying to make a little joke." Rapunzel started humming and Eugene knew what that meant. She was going to sing and get everyone else to join her, somehow in key. Eugene shook his head, he would decline joining in this time, but he didn't know how she did it.
"Flapjacks, pancakes served to you on the fly!
One, two, three, four all the way up to five!
Pancakes fit for kings,
In the shape of golden rings,
Served to you by princess, by and by!"
'Incorporating the math into the song, clever' Eugene thought. Though she could work on her lyrics a little. By the end of the third lyric sure enough everyone was singing with her as if they already knew the chorus, improvising their own lyrics in their strange baritones in between, until the song concluded. Lance was a fast cook. Rapunzel and Eugene's pancakes were ready before they knew it. They sat down at the bar, Rapunzel looking like she was absolutely famished.
Eugene, the former thugs, the girls and Lance all tried not look at Rapunzel as she gobbled all fifteen pancakes, faster than Eugene could take three bites. Only Pascal looked on astonished. "Um, could I get you some eggs princess?" Lance inquired.
"Eggs? Those sound fantastic!"
"Ok! Coming right up!" He picked some eggs from a basket below the counter and broke them over a frying pan with one hand. As soon as they started cooking they had an amazing aroma. Eugene thought he might want some too. "Rapunzel, don't you think those smell..." He was about to say 'amazing' when he looked at his wife's face. She looked absolutely sick. Her countenance had turned a putrid green and she looked like she was trying hard not to loose it. Rapunzel had never been bothered by the smell of eggs before. She ran out of the room to the outside, barely excusing herself. Lance, Eugene and the girls again looked on, their mouths agape. "I better go check on her." Eugene told the others. He paid Lance for the pancakes. "The eggs are on the house." Lance offered. Eugene said his thanks. He stepped outside to find Max looking in the direction of the forest with a worried look on his face. "Hey there boy." He rubbed the horse's nose. "Did she go that way?" The horse 'herumphed' in confirmation. "Thanks." He patted his neck and started off. He found her underneath a tree in a position he had not seen her in for a long time. Sitting down, her knees drawn up a little and her head down.
Rapunzel had never felt this way before. She felt like she couldn't depend on her own body. For her to be bothered so much by the smell of eggs, what else was in store for her? "Hey," she heard Eugene say softly. She hadn't heard him come up. He still walked so softly that he was not heard, often unconsciously. "Are you alright?" He kneeled down to her level. She wished he wouldn't. She had never been sick before. She didn't know how to handle it herself, much less share it with someone else, even her husband. "I'm alright." She was ok physically. Her stomach had stopped rebelling now that she was away from the smell. "Just caught me unexpected is all."
"I understand."
"Do you?" She surprised herself by saying it a little defensively.
"Well no, but I mean this has to be hard for you, I could imagine. Have you ever been sick before?"
"No. I mean when I had the power of the Sun Drop, I would get tired and even pass out sometimes when I used it too much, but never anything like this."
"You know, from what I know about pregnancy, and I don't know a lot," Eugene admitted, "I think this is completely normal. I don't think this as anything to do with the kind of fears your father was talking about."
"It is normal Eugene. The doctor talked to me about that this morning. He told me this could happen. That and tiredness. I am not worried about what my father said. I just always thought since I had always been different, this would be different."
He sat down beside her, his legs straight and leaned back on his hands. "You are different sunshine. Beautifully, wonderfully different. You know, from first hand experience really, that I'd rather die than have you loose what makes you, you. But this might be a time when you want to slow down a little. You can still be yourself. Just take care of yourself."
For some reason that incensed her. She stood up. "Eugene Fitzherbert we beat Mother Gothel and a literal demon together, if you think that I am not going to fight this, fight how I am feeling," She rubbed her eye as a wave of fatigue hit her again. That would happen every so often. She forced herself to continue, "and push on, you've got it wrong!"
"Alright, alright." Putting his hands up. "You are a fighter I know." He stood up and turned to face her, grabbing her shoulders gently, "Look I'm not say you 'can't' or 'shouldn't', it's just that you're at a stage of your life when-" That got a fiery look from the princess, "Ok, ok you're right, that was patronizing. Look all I am saying is you don't have to listen to me, or your parents, or the doctor...well maybe you should listen to the doctor," Another look told him that he needed to get on with it. "I'm just saying listen to yourself. Listen to, you know, this." He rubbed her shoulder. "My shoulder?"
"No!" He chuckled. "Your body. It could be telling you something you need to know. Right?"
"Ok doctor Eugene." She said under her breath, still not convinced. She felt this was coming from the over-protectiveness she had seen from him earlier. He must have heard her.
"Rapunzel, you're no less of a fighter, or a leader, because you're dealing with pregnancy."
That disarmed her a bit. "I think I want to clean up and get back." She said, brushing herself off and walking back towards the Snuggly Duckling.
"You're the boss." He followed. She smiled back at him.
The last time Eugene said that to someone other than Rapunzel, it was to Missy at the orphanage. He hadn't allowed himself to think about her in years, but she came unbidden.
"Whooo!"
Missy grabbed the rope meant to draw the curtains and swung full force on it. "Flynn Rider then grabbed a vine from a tree, and swung right into his enemies," Pots, pans and spoons were all strewn over the floor to represent Flynn Rider's enemies. She slid into them with several clangs and bangs. "Then he leaped on his horse. Eugene come over here to be my horse!"
"You're the boss," he said and then neighed exaggeratedly. He got on our fours to represent the horse. She jumped on a chair and then onto him with a plop. "And he rode away into the sunset!" Eugene started to take off when a shriek ran out. "Look at these curtains! They are damaged! And all these pots and pans on the floor. Eugene and Missy you are going to have to clean all that up!"
"Fine," said Eugene. "It's not like there's anything edible cooked in those anyway."
Missy chortled. Matron Eva gave Eugene a dour look, and hooked him by the ear. "Now!" she said, dragging him by the pots and pans. "Alright, alright I got the message." He acquiesced. Missy and Eugene got to work washing the cookware in the sink. Missy was five and he was ten, roughly five years older than her. Missy, wanting to be older like him, was quick to point out that the difference between their ages was actually four and a half years. She had brown hair and large doe like eyes. She joined he and Lance at the orphanage when she was three, Lance was seven and he was already eight, but they bonded almost instantaneously over the Flynn Rider stories he would read the other children in the orphanage. She was like his little sister. Lance popped up into view, after emerging from mopping the hallway. He had gotten in trouble for something else. "What did you two do?" He asked. "Oh you know the usual. Had a little fun and joy." He put his voice down to a whisper. "It's not allowed!"
"Oh these curtains!" Matron Eva continued to moan. The curtains were completely tilted to one side, thanks to Missy pulling on their rope. "They're irreparable! Do you know how expensive these are? How difficult new ones will be to acquire? We don't just have people giving us charity every day you know. " She seemed to get madder by the minute when she turned to Missy. "You! You little rat!" She moved towards her with a whip. "I'll wallop you yet for what you've done to these curtains!" She moved to strike, but Eugene offered his arm to block it instead. It wrapped around his arm once and left a welt. It smarted, but other than a wince he tried not to let it show. Missy gave him a look full of gratitude, but Matron Eva did not look a bit impressed. "You know what? This all started with that Flynn Rider book. It puts ideas into your heads! Since the new curtains are going to cost us wood for the fire," the Matron grabbed the book, and before either one of them could stop her, put into the middle of fireplace. "No!" Missy cried. They watched it burn. She'd loved that book. They all did really. It was an old copy where the pages were worn, and the pictures were faded. Several pages were actually missing. Eugene had to sometimes make up parts of the story to fill in. Yet it gave them their only sense of escape.
In the months that followed, Eugene tried as best he could to recount the stories from memory when the most amazing thing happened. A brand new copy of the "Adventures of Flynn Rider" was delivered to the orphanage. The pictures were bold and dazzling, all the missing pages were present. The Matron cocked an eyebrow at him as she gave it to him to share with the orphanage. "I guess you have a mysterious benefactor out there." she pondered.
"Eugene? You ready?"
"Ready as you are princess."
Something was definitely wrong. Eugene wasn't making a show of it, but he was definitely chewing on something. Rapunzel knew him well enough to know. If it had been what they talked about earlier he would have just told her. Besides, they had both come to a mutual understanding of one another after that tiff.
It was a little out of character for him to mull over something like that, so it must have been something big. She wanted to ask him about it, but something told her he was not ready to talk about it. They readied Max to leave the Snuggly Duckling and said good-bye to their friends. If they were concerned about her, they didn't say anything. It made her wonder if they had their suspicions about her condition. She and Eugene had agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone they were expecting until she was a little farther along or they made a royal announcement. So many questions, but Rapunzel knew she'd have to find the answers in due time. Right now, she was so excited about visiting Varian! She hadn't seen the boy in months. He was travelling back and forth between Corona and the Dark Kingdom to inspect the soil and the crops for signs he was right about his hunch of it being a fertility agent. Rapunzel had heard he had grown up like a shot. He was actually a little taller than Eugene now, but so lanky, he still looked smaller. She really hoped he was right about the harvest. She prayed for it for her kingdom.
Before long they came upon Old Corona where Quirin and Varian's land was located. As the farmland came into their line of sight, Rapunzel gasped. It was beautiful even to her untrained eye. Rows and rows of verdant green plants, looking like lively sprites spurt out of the ground. There were acres of them and wheat fields too.
"Well Rapunzel if that doesn't look like hope I don't know what does." Eugene grinned. They stopped in front of Varian's house and hoped he and Quirin would be in. Before they even knocked Varian came bolting out of the door and almost ran into them. The efforts to stop on time made him fall down on his bottom. It was as if he was still getting used to his long frame and long legs. "Varian!" Rapunzel exclaimed, helping him up, "Are you alright?"
Forgetting her question, Varian looked up at them. "Princess! Eugene! What are you all doing here?"
"We came to see you!" Rapunzel responded. "And see how the crops were doing."
"Ah, well," He picked himself up the rest of the way and dusted himself off. "You can see for yourself! What do you think princess?" He extended his hand towards the fields.
"I think it's wonderful Varian! It's amazing the work you have done. What are all these?"
"Well potatoes, carrots, turnips," Varian went on to explain all the different crops that they had sown in the fields. There was a good variety. "Usually fields can't support all this variety without resting in between," Varian went on to explain. "But I isolated the chemical and mineral compounds and the soil microbes..." He could tell he was loosing them. "The soil is rich." He summarized. "And take a look at this!" He stalked off as his only implication that he wanted them to follow him. Eugene and Rapunzel looked at each other indecisively. Then Eugene pulled out his hand indicating to her to take the lead. Rapunzel didn't know if Varian knew how fast he walked with his taller frame. He took an almost brutally brisk pace that Rapunzel had trouble keeping up with. He was making a beeline for the fields. "Ah here!" He stopped abruptly. Rapunzel had to shore up quickly to avoid knocking into him, but Eugene wasn't so lucky and bumped into her, apologizing. Varian, deeply focused on what he wanted to show, didn't seem to notice any of it. "The turnips fields." He smiled. As he presented them, up close they were even more breathtaking. Deep green spinach looking leaves sprouted in rows upon rows. When Rapunzel looked carefully she could see small bright yellow flowers dotted the fields sporadically, like a beacon for the plants that still hung back in earlier stages of growth. "And!" He said with a finger in the air. "Look at this!" He yanked on an especially large hunk of leaves and with some wrestling, presented his prize to Eugene and Rapunzel. It was already a full grown turnip. The blend of purple and white circling the root was tantalizing, and it was almost as big as Varian's head! "Varian that's great!" Rapunzel praised, elated. He passed her the plant and she inspected it, handing it off to Eugene. "Are all the plants like this? Are they all ready to harvest?"
"Well yes!" Varian got animated. Then he just as quickly dialed back down. "And no." He shook his head. "What I mean is my father and I planted this row of turnips first. It was another test run to make sure all kinds of plants would be adaptable to this composite of black moon rock in the soil. We did it for everything we planted and they all took to it! The other crops will take a lot more time to be ready to harvest, while turnips take only about two months of time to mature. Still, all the crops should be ready by harvest time! But this row," he alluded to the first row they planted, "was ready one week early. And the results speak for themselves don't they?" He thumbed the straps of his signature apron like they were suspenders and rocked on his heels like a genuine farmer proud of his crops. It was endearing. Rapunzel thought with a stifled laugh that all he was missing was a straw hat with a piece of straw to chew on in his mouth. "From the data, I don't see a reason why the rest of the crops will not produce the same results." Varian concluded.
"I did not know you knew that much about farming Varian." Eugene observed, in genuine recognition.
"Well my father talked to me about it a lot. Among other things." He added with a side eye of disgruntlement. Eugene could only guess that Quirin had finally been up front with him about everything they had talked about. Hopefully that was a good thing.
Rapunzel ran up and hugged him. She was more than relieved. The faces of the people she had gotten to know over the years in her kingdom played out to her. She didn't realize how much the fear that those faces could be pained, even if it was only in the least bit of hunger, haunted her. "Oh Varian thank you so much!" Her embrace was truly grateful. "You're welcome princess!" He tried to bow, again realizing he was taller than her now, so he had to step back to do it. "I just wish I could get the other farmers out here to do it."
That stopped Rapunzel in her tracks. "Wait. You mean the other farmers are not implementing this into the soil?" She knew the other farmers fields were still recovering and that they would need something like this miracle element to get the bumper crop they desired.
"Well," He stuttered a bit, "A few are, like maybe one or two. Most were too frightened of the stuff. Don't worry though. I saved all of the dust. Even brought some back the Dark Kingdom didn't need in barrels. And the crops we have here are so plentiful, that I think between this and the stores you have at the palace, it will be enough to hold us over until more people see that it's safe next year. We'll win them over I know it."
"Varian, our stores will probably be barely enough if nothing happens to anyone's crops," Rapunzel began, "but we don't have a lot this year because of all the havoc the year before. What if storms, or drought, or snow, or something happens?" She wasn't blaming him. In fact, with some guilt she realized that convincing the people of the sensibility of Varian's plan was really her job. She had been so wrapped up in the wedding, and restorations around Corona, she just had assumed the people would trust it and follow Varian's lead. She didn't blame them either. That wouldn't help anything. And she understood. The black rock dust looked putrefying in ways. It would just take time to build their trust with results and heart-to-heart conversations. She just hoped nothing would go awry in the meanwhile.
"Hey, that doesn't sound like the princess Rapunzel I know." Varian interrupted her thoughts. "You're the optimist right?"
"Right," Rapunzel said slowly. It was nice to be reminded of that. "But Varian would you show me all of you've got? I'll need to know if we will need to ration some of it out."
"Certainly princess!"
Varian led her and Eugene through the fields explaining thoroughly which each one was and when it was expected to be harvested, even details Rapunzel didn't need to know like the soil mineral content, element by element and the number of rows they expected to expand in the coming years. To her relief the fields were a little more expansive than she remembered. Still they would need everything they could get. It was high afternoon by now and the sun was high in the sky. As Varian droned on, the heat started to get to her. That and another wave upon punishing wave of exhaustion hit her. It seemed to lay into her so ruthlessly this time it became difficult to walk. Finally she had to say something. "Varian thanks for showing us your fields and for helping Corona. Eugene," she bit her lip, "I think I need to sit down."
He turned to her already looking a little worried. "Sure sunshine. You look a little flushed. Varian could we walk back to house?"
"Well sure, I just had one more field to show," A look stopped him in his tracks. "Sure, sure, let's walk back."
Rapunzel both hated, a small part of her loved that she had to lean on her husband to walk back. Hated it that she couldn't power through, but loved the comfort of her husband. She hadn't had a lot of down time with him since they had been back. She felt it was really hot, and as the sun beamed down, her surroundings began to blur. It seemed a long way back to Varian's house. She barely noticed when they got inside, and Eugene's voice seemed concerned. It also almost sounded like it was under water. "Rapunzel would you like some water? Varian could you fetch some water? She's burning up."
They gave her a little water, which she drank hastily, but punishing tiredness still daunted her. "We have a bed. A guest bed." Varian offered. "Rapunzel," It sounded like Eugene asked her something about if she wanted to lay down but she wasn't sure. She thought she might have been led down a hallway and guided to rest. She felt something soft supporting her. She looked up at Eugene but the pull of sleep was too strong. Finally the precious sleep came upon her and the pain of resisting it drifted off.
"Doctor, Varian, please get a doctor." Eugene urged Varian trying to maintain an exterior of calm. He wasn't used to this. Rapunzel had always been so healthy. Varian only nodded. "Can I take Max?"
"Yes of course, please take Max." He said grateful the white steed was with them. As Varian ran out the door, Eugene diverted his attention to Rapunzel. "Rapunzel?" He whispered to her. She was still so deeply asleep. Pascal had climbed up on his shoulder croaking at him. "I know frog." He said. "I hope she's alright too."
"Well that was weird." Angry said to Lance and her sister after Rapunzel and Eugene had left the Snuggly Duckling. She shrugged. "Alright I think we've done enough math right? I'm going to go explore." She looked at her sister. "Red you want to come?" The red head shook her head. "No thanks." She could be a little clingy with Lance sometimes these days. The opposite of how she felt. She loved Lance, but sometimes she just wanted to get out. She looked at Lance and he gave her the go ahead. He knew he needed to give her a long leash at times after being on her own so long. He knew how she felt. Restricting her freedom too much would be too suffocating for her and she would run off again. She seemed to know when to come back. Angry, of Kiera, went out into the sweet sunshine and ran. Which tree should she climb today? After a thorough search, she found a really good one and climbed up, stretching her limbs to find good footing. Each time she did this she tried to beat her record on how far up she could climb. This was the tallest tree yet. The climb had been arduous, and she had a few scrapes, but, "This is totally worth it!" She shouted in exhilaration. In awe, she could see a lot of Corona from here! The air was a bit taut and chilly up here so she shifted, drawing herself inward. She had to shift carefully because the tree swayed with every little movement she took. Its branches were thinner up here. Oh! There was the palace! And the water, sparkling in the sun! And Varian riding towards town, at a break neck pace on Maximus, the palace horse! 'Wait. That was strange.' She thought. Why was Varian riding Maximus? Angry knew he was gifted, although half the time she didn't understand what was coming out of his mouth, but she knew he was smart. However horse riding was not one of his gifts. And why would he be riding Maximus and not Rapunzel? She jogged her memory. Didn't Rapunzel and Eugene say they were headed over to Varian's? Why was he frantically heading towards the castle on their horse? She remembered how Rapunzel was acting funny and seemed sick right before she left. She swiftly climbed down. Something was wrong.
"Do you think she's?"
"Pregnant? She might very well be."
Lance answered Red back at the Snuggly Duckling. Eugene and Rapunzel had left a while back. There were only two reasons why someone could be so hungry and then have such a fast turn around of having their stomach upset. For a woman pregnancy, or something was wrong with the food. He knew nothing was wrong with the... Suddenly Lance remembered something. Every few days he would restock supplies in the morning. He'd go out to a few farms, sometimes there were travelling merchants around. He was starting to get to know some of the farmers, but on that particular morning he came across an old woman he was not sure if he had seen before. She seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't pinpoint her. She was hunched over and along with her produce she was selling spices and flavorings. They smelled so fresh and good. He was tempted by them. She was selling them at reasonable prices. One little brown bottle in particular she called fragrant flavoring smelt like nothing he had ever smelt before, except maybe in pastries. It actually made his stomach rumble. He twisted the lid off and tasted a little. It tasted horrible! It tasted bitter an sour, the aroma he smelt before only just touching his tongue in a faint aftertaste. He spat it out quickly. She caught him sampling her product and slapped his hand away. "You don't taste it like that!" She wheezed. "You have to pair it with something, like sugar and flour."
She got a spoonful of sugar from her cart and then put the smallest dab of the liquid with it. It tasted wonderful. With satisfaction, after looking at his face, she said, "There now see! This rare flavoring comes from a beautiful flowering plant, where after the flowers wither and decay, a long brown nut or bean takes its place. The contents of that nut bean looking like thing is scooped out and squeezed and smashed," she said with some vigor, "until this clear looking extract comes out and is bottled. It is a very rigorous process. Think of what this flavoring could taste like in some sugar, butter and flour."
"Oh wow! And it's called fragrant flavoring?"
"That's what I call it."
"I'll take a bottle!"
"Wonderful! It is very potent, pungent stuff, so only add a little."
"Gotcha."
Lance had just tried putting some in some batter he was going to try out when Eugene and Rapunzel came by. When she ordered fifteen pancakes he thought he would make it out of the batter he had made already. In the fray of serving other customers, he forgot he used the bowl with the new extract. He didn't think anything was wrong with the bottle. He had tasted a little of it and he was fine. Although it was a tiny bit and he was a big man, a lot bigger than Rapunzel. He swallowed, as he realized he had given her the whole batter.
Was he simply able to absorb the effects since he had only had a little? Could the hunched over woman have given him something poisonous? He knew princesses could have enemies, but he didn't think anyone would be targeting her. How in the world would anyone know Rapunzel was coming anyway? Unless, they had some inside information she was coming this way. But how would they know he would give it to her?
Unless the merchant was some villain that wanted to poison all of them. Some people still didn't like everyone at the Snuggly Duckling. "Lance get a hold of yourself." he told himself inwardly. "She's probably fine. You didn't just accidentally poison the princess." Just then Angry came stumbling through the door. "Varian's riding Max in a hurry back to palace! I think something's wrong with princess Rapunzel!" She shouted, arms outstretched.
"Oh Lance, man, you did it!" He mumbled to himself. "Stay here girls! Big Nose can you watch them for a while?" The gargoyle featured, Viking-like man was still lingering at the Snuggly Duckling without anything better to do. He was harmless though and Lance knew he could trust him to watch the girls. The man adamantly nodded. "Ok!" Lance threw off his apron, and started to run out the door when he remembered to go back and grab the little brown glass bottle. He might need it to be looked at if it truly made the princess sick.
As Eugene sat at the foot of the bed and watched his princess sleep, her layered brown hair framed her face and memories of Missy from the orphanage dredged up in him again. He didn't necessarily want to recall these memories, but lately they were coming up in powerful detail and he found he couldn't stop them. He was 11 and she had just turned 7, Lance was 9.
The Festival of the Lanterns for the lost princess had just begun in Corona. They had given Matron Eva an especially hard time that day, so instead of trusting the three of them at the orphanage, she brought them with her to the square for her errands. "That will teach ye to muss up the place. You'll go on errands with me and see all the hard work I do for you. Put you to manual labor with me, I will." Her Gaelic lisps curled the ends of her words. Unfortunately her plan backfired. With all the sights, smells, sounds and movement of the townsfolk in preparation for the festival the children were easily distracted and would often drop the items Matron Eva gave them to carry. She kept having to corral them too, and wouldn't matter how many dire threats she would growl at them, the temptation to explore was too great.
Finally they came up to the travelling merchant Matron Eva wanted to buy tonic from for her headaches. He was an older man with a dropping white mustache and bent hat, named Walter. "Ugh Walter these children!" Matron Eva complained. They circled around her skirts tagging each other and wrinkling their fabric. Walter only laughed. "They are bright and bushy tailed creatures aren't they?" He crouched down to their level. "Are ye enjoying the Festival of Lanterns?"
"We've never got to go before." replied Missy innocently.
He looked up at Matron Eva and she answered with some chagrin, "There's no way I can take the children of the orphanage out here at night. I would loose all of them in the darkness and never find them again! Oh Walter I have 15 more back at the place, and no one to take care of the wee little ones except for myself."
Walter looked at her and then back at the kids. "Well I think I have a solution for both of ye. Why don't I take these wee ones off your hands for the day? That way you can take care of the rest of them back home and finish your errands. And then these children can see the festival. I can return them to you after the festival's over."
Matron Eva looked over the moon. It took everything the three kids could not to squeal in anticipation. "Walter you can't be serious. You don't know how much these little weasels trouble me. They might be much more trouble than their worth."
Walter stood back a minute as if measuring them. "You are handsome young boy aren't you?" He asked Eugene. "You are not going have trouble with the ladies, mark my words." He laughed. He turned back to Matron Eva. " Well I reckon I can handle the lot of these. I had six brothers and sisters back home and I was the oldest. Three is not going to be a dent."
"Oh Walter I could kiss you!" Matron Eva exclaimed and then to everyone's disgust, even Walter's, she laid a wet sloppy one on his cheek.
"You're welcome Madam." He replied courteously regardless. "Well now children," she instructed. "You're going to go with Walter now and come back in the next morrow morning?" Matron Eva asked, eyeing Walter's reaction. He looked a little surprised. "You don't want them back before then?"
"Oh Walter I only think of you. By the time all the lanterns are extinguished at night, it is so dark and it might be dangerous and hazardous to try to find your way to the orphanage with theseyoungin's."
Walter seemed to weigh that, but finally agreed. "Ok Matron Eva, I can manage."
"You're a saint Walter!"
"Alright! Alright! Just don't kiss me again!" He laughed anxiously, throwing up his hands. She stopped in midair and tittered self-consciously. "Ok Walter I best get going." She turned to the kids. "Behave!" She instructed stridently. She practically ran off. "You're really going to let us see the festival?" Missy asked, hardly able to believe it. "You betcha." Walter stated. "The real fanfare doesn't start until at night when all the lanterns are lit. Until then I bet you three would be really good at helping me sell my wares."
"Really?"
"Sure. I teach you how to sell them. You have to be really showy and loud and project. Act like it's the best item in the world. A one of a kind. Remember even if it doesn't seem like that to you, it might very well be to someone else." He stood up and gave them an example. He didn't lie about his product, but might have oversold it a bit. Walter said that his hope was to connect the right person to the right item and then maybe it would be that big of a deal to them.
The kids learned quickly. Imagining all sorts of purposes for his various items, they moved from up selling it, to bragging about it too ostentatiously, to outright fabrications, in short order. Walter, with a downward smile, thought of saying something, but their claims were so outlandish, they were unbelievable. It had the effect of entertainment on his customers and they bought the items anyway. He sold a lot that day.
As he collected his monies together, he looked down at the kids. "Well I think you weasels were more than worth your trouble." He grinned and winked. "What do you all say we all treat ourselves to a little reward?" The kids cheered. He walked about the square with the kids traipsing behind him. They weren't sure where he was taking them as he seemed to be taking them to the outer rim of the town center towards the water. The sun was setting leaning in long rays of light against the shadows of nightfall. He bought a few snacks for them. And then he rented a boat.
At least that was what Eugene thought it was. The only boats he had seen or thought of were the illustrations boats in his Flynn Rider book. They were massive things though with lots of sails, ropes and a large deck. This boat was really small comparatively. It almost seemed like it could have been made from a single tree trunk, hallowed out to make seating. He did recognize the oars. He had seen those on the pictures of the galley ships. However there were rows and rows of oars there. Here they were only two.
"Is this a boat?" Eugene asked.
"Aye it is." Walter responded, only wondering a little at the question. He knew the children's cloistered background. "It's called a canoe. It's only for a couple of passengers, or one adult passenger and three little ones!" He said playfully making a face at Missy. "Why are we getting on a boat?" Eugene asked, still a little cautious. "Because boys and girl, it's the best seat in the house if you really want to see the most excellent view of the lanterns."
"Really? Awesome!" Missy cried and dove into the boat without a second thought. Lance followed with similar abandonment with an "Alley oop!" Eugene was a little more hesitant. "C'mon boy, I promise not to drown ye's until after you see the lanterns alright?" He winked. Eugene had to crack a smile. He let his guard down a little and climbed in.
The mustached man rowed the canoe he and his friends were on quietly deeper into the water, humming a nonsense song as he went.
"Lu la lu lay we sing in the day.
Lu lay lu la at night we serenade.
Lu la lu lay, the day is so bright,
But only due to the dark of night."
"Where did you get that song from?" Eugene and Lance couldn't help asking. It's melody sounded foreign and exotic. "Oh you know, a little here, a little there," the peddler smiled coyly. He then regaled them of tales of far off lands he had travelled to, the people he had seen, the languages he had heard. Eugene was fascinated. "I think I want to be a travelling merchant when I grow up!" Lance said. "Me too!" Eugene agreed. All that adventure and travel sounded so different from the life they led now. "Ah boys yes, there might be adventure in it, but sometimes me sales don't go so well and this peddler has a hungry belly for weeks. It's not all it's cooked up to be."
"Ah I can take hunger!" argued Eugene.
"Yeah we take it all the time." agreed Lance.
Walter cocked an eyebrow at that because he had noticed Matron Eva wore a very nice dress for errands today. And she bought some of his most expensive wares. "Oh, but surely Matron Eva has been taking good care of you. She was dressed very finely today." Eugene relayed that Matron Eva had been living much more comfortably ever since the mysterious benefactor had sent the Flynn Rider book over, among other trinkets.
He noticed she still treated him largely the same way except she no longer beat him. He had at first hoped that this meant that his parents finally found him and were going to come get him. Then when nothing happened, but Matron Eva seemed to reap all the benefits that this mysterious benefactor bestowed, he gave up. "But maybe my parents are travelling." He said. "Like you. Maybe that's the message they're trying to send me. That they're travelling just like the travels in my Flynn Rider book!" He excitedly observed, the eagerness of a boy in his features.
"Flynn Rider! Heard that was a good book." Walter said carefully in reply.
"Have you read it?" asked Lance.
"Well, no lad. I can't read."
"Can't read? Well neither can I very much," Lance responded. "Eugene's taught me a little."
"But I am really not good at teaching it." Eugene admitted. "Well how can you read boy? Did you ever meet your parents? Did they teach you?"
"Well no, I don't remember my parents. I have been in the orphanage almost my whole life. I guess I just kind of picked up on it on my own."
"Picked up on it on your own!"
"Yes sir." He couldn't explain it. He had just seen how the letters matched the sounds that people would say around shop signs and other things. He tested it out by slowly applying it to his only book and went from there. He had a lot free time at the orphanage.
"Why boy, you've got a good head on your shoulders. Both of you. Much too smart for a common peddler. You both better get a steady job that fills your tummies." He paused and seemed a bit sorrowful. "It is much more than she will be able to do," cocking his head toward Missy, "What, with not much honest work for unwed women."
Eugene had almost forgotten about Missy. She had been half paying attention to their conversation, dreamily twirling her finger outside the boat in the water, fascinated since she had never been this far out before. Twilight fell now, and it was completely dark. It was a disorienting feeling being out on the water in the dark. It almost felt like the water and sky were seamless and they were drifting altogether aimlessly, floating on a huge abyss of nothingness.
Then a light appeared. Followed by another and another. Gentle floating lights filled the sky and the whole of Corona felt bigger and more open to infinite possibility then it had ever felt in the daylight. It was as if Corona had captured the stars and lassoed them all over the bay, for one dizzying, spellbinding moment of tangible starlight, afterwards letting them float up the night sky again. "This is better than fireworks." Missy whispered to Lance, her large doe like brown eyes taking on the reflection of the lights, much like the water underneath them. "Do you think they'll ever find her?" Missy queried, still whispering as if speaking louder would disrupt the ambience.
"Who?" asked Eugene.
"The lost princess." Oh right. 'What this was all for,' he thought. He shrugged. Who knew? The lanterns started to burn out and others floated away into obscurity. They were replaced by the softer light of the actual stars, which seemed, though Eugene was far from a romantic even at this age, benevolent, in some way. The peddler started softly warbling his tune again,
"Lu la lu lay we sing in the day.
Lu lay lu la at night we serenade.
Lu la lu lay the day is so bright,
But only due to the dark of night."
It was starting to get faintly chilly so all the kids cuddled up together, with Missy in between Lance and Eugene. Deep into the night now, the dark of the sky returned to meld into the darkness of the water and again it seemed like they were floating on a soft, yawning emptiness. It was lulling, still Missy fought sleep, trying desperately not to miss a thing on her first big eyes were tearing up more and more at each small yawn. "Missy go to sleep!" Eugene laughed at her stubborn efforts of denial. One of the oldest kids at the orphanage, sometimes he took it on himself to act like the parent.
"No! I don't want to!" She scowled petulantly.
"Well, I am going to sleep." Lance offered yawning. He had never had a problem with naps, or anything else sleep related. It didn't seem to make Missy any less determined, despite both boys trying to convince her. "Ok, you can stay awake." Eugene pretended to give in. He had an idea. "Let's play a game." He urged enthusiastically, his eyes twinkling to intrigue her. "It's so dark out here, I wonder if it is darker with your eyes closed or open? What do you think?" They both took turns closing their eyes and testing it out. She insisted it was darker when she closed her eyes. He insisted it was the opposite. His challenge provoked her to prove her point to him, until she couldn't open her little eyes anymore and fell asleep. Lance, barely still awake, shook his head. "You're too good at tricking people."
"What? She needed sleep!" Eugene protested with a cheeky grin.
Walter, the peddler abruptly stopped singing and guffawed out loud. "Someday, someone will see right through you boy, mark my words! And if I had a farthing to spare, I bet it will be a woman." A clouded look passed across his face. "Happened to me so many years ago." He trailed off quietly, his mirth melting into a far away look. Eugene was going to ask him what in the world he was talking about, when the peddler shushed him with with a finger to his lips. Lance and Missy were piled on top of each other sideways, sleeping, and Lance was already snoring loudly. Eugene grinned. He peeked at both of them. He wished he could do better for all of them. Find some way to provide for more of this kind of life. Walter was gently rowing back to shore and the rhythmic lapping of the oars put him to sleep.
The next morning Matron Eva seemed almost peeved to have them returned. They would never celebrate with Walter at the Festival of Lanterns again. The other children gave Matron Eva and themselves too hard of a time about being able to go when they got stuck behind. He would never know how much it hurt Walter to not be able take all of them away from there, but the poor man could barely make ends meet at times, much less feed three children.
Eugene jerked to the present for a moment. Pascal had gotten up again to check if Varian and Maximus were anywhere near returning. The poor frog kept doing that, going back and forth. Eugene held Rapunzel's hand and stroked the bottom of the chameleon's chin when he returned. "Now my turn to comfort you frog." He smiled a smile that he hoped looked confident. "Don't worry. Varian won't let us down."
Varian could barely stay on the horse. He'd like to think he had improved on his horseback riding. However he felt all limbs lately. He guessed he was a late bloomer. He could barely keep his balance sometimes walking much less on the back of Maximus at this speed. He knew he was taller, but his father was still an inch or two taller than him. How did he function? He put the thoughts aside and set his mind up to focus, steeling himself to grab the reins.
By the time he crossed the bridge to Corona's town center, he realized he wasn't sure where the doctor was located. He asked a few shop owners and passerby without trying to draw too much attention, and finally found the doctor's little town house quarters. He was a little proud of himself for dismounting nearly gracefully. He didn't stumble off the horse at least. He then ran up to the door to knock loudly and urgently. The little balding man that Rapunzel and Eugene had seen earlier that day answered the door looking a little startled. "Can I help you boy?"
"Doctor, Doctor?"
"Kravitz."
"Doctor Kravitz, I am afraid the princess nearly collapsed and she's burning up with fever."
"Burning up with fever? I just saw her! I think I would see harbingers of ill health in the space from morning to afternoon!"
"I can't explain it sir. It's just what I saw."
"Ah very well." He went inside for a moment to grab his medical kit and then came back out closing the door behind him. "Let's hurry." The doctor quickly looked up to see what method of transportation they were taking, and spotted Maximus. "Oh you brought that?!" Maximus snorted, offended that he was called a "that". The doctor sighed impatiently, "I am sorry my pet, it's just that well," the doctor looked down at his generous physique. "We both won't fit on that." Maximus snorted again.
"Sorry Maximus! You know what I mean." The doctor apologized. "Here we'll have to hook him to my carriage round back. Make haste boy!" He pointed to where his carriage was located. They set up Maximus as quickly as they could to the carriage and took off. Varian drove up front driving and the doctor seated within the carriage. They caused some stir as people recognized the doctor's carriage was tied to Maximus the kingdom horse. They were about to cross the bridge over the moat towards Varian's land when Maximus reared in panic. A dark figure was running at them, then trying desperately not to collide into them. Lance stopped right before him. "Maximus! Whoa! Whoa! Hey now! Please don't trample me!" The big man begged.
"Lance! What are you doing?" Varian shouted. "Get out of the way!"
The big man looked sweaty, like he ran all the way here. "I can't! I have urgent business regarding the princess!"
"Well we have urgent business regarding the princess too!"
"What's this all about?" The doctor asked, peeking his head out of the carriage.
"The doctor I presume?" Lance asked. He noticed the man had a scholarly look.
"Yes man. Now what is it?"
"Doctor," he got on his knees in shame, and held up the brown bottle, "I think I may have accidentally given the princess something she wasn't supposed to have!"
"Shhhh," The doctor laid a finger on his lips, warning Lance to be more discreet. "Come inside the carriage. Let me see this thing."
Lance complied. " I-I-I got this stuff from a strange old woman selling it. She said it was good with cooking so I put it in Rapunzel's meal." The doctor unscrewed the cap of the little brown bottle and gave it a whiff. "It doesn't smell like anything dangerous to me. But I have no way to analyze it here."
"I do!" Varian volunteered, by this time down from the driver's seat and investigating what this was all about. "I mean, not here but back at my place we can analyze it."
"Well then, let's do that boy. Hurry we don't have a moment to loose." Varian ran to get back into the driver's seat, and Lance started to climb out of the carriage. "Wait, no, you stay in here." The doctor ordered. "You can answer questions of exactly when Rapunzel took this and how much on the way over."
Back at Varian's, Rapunzel softly groaned and moved a little in her sleep. "Rapunzel?" Eugene asked again, hoping she was waking up. He shook her softly, but she still slept. Eugene had wondered where Quirin, Varian's father was, but he was nowhere to be found in the house. The solitude was quieting and sounds from his past again came into his head. The final memory of Missy came to him, but he pushed it aside.
A nosie gave him an excuse to snap to attention in the present. He thought he heard horse's hoofs rumbling nearby. He held his wife's hand. "Hey there Rapunzel." He whispered to her sleeping form. "They're here!"
"You poisoned her!" Antonio stuck a bony finger out in accusation. He had stalked all the way back to the Humpherts from his little downtown shop. Arrows or no arrows, rough trees or no trees, wolf-like man or not, he was going to give the Humpherts a piece of his mind. "I never thought you'd act so fast!" He threw the little bag of money back at them. "I will not be your errand boy for this!"
"What are you talking about tailor?" Phineas Humphert yelled red faced. "Are you out of your mind?" His son Wolfgang who stood next to him, moved with the ostensible purpose of violence towards Antonio. Phineas waved him off. Visibly trying to calm himself, he asked, "Are you talking about the princess? What makes you think the princess was poisoned?"
Antonio told his tale of how he saw the exchange between Lance, Varian and the doctor right outside his shop. It was obvious from everyone's postures that the princess was sick. "Who was the old woman?" He accused again. "You?" He asked Sapphias who had come out by now to see what was the fuss. "Or your daughter in disguise?"
"You take those insults back now tailor!" Sapphias commanded. There were no smiles and no 'signore' anymore.
"Well you did this! And I am going to tell the king!" he started to say. Phineas nodded at Wolfgang. His son moved towards Antonio at a lightening pace and gripped Antonio to the wall. He stepped on Antonio's foot purposely and put a large hand on Antonio's mouth. At the pain of his foot, tears came to his eyes and he squealed but it was muffled by Wolfgang's hand. "No you won't tell the king anything because we didn't do anything."
"We really didn't." Rebekah Humphert, who had stood on the other side of her father, stepped out into greater visibility. Humor played on her face, as if she was amused at the tailor's sudden change of heart. As if she couldn't understand how the leap from occasionally spying on someone, to being confronted with princess' life in danger, could mobilize him into such rash action. Yet Phineas Humphert confirmed what his daughter said.
"That's right. We really didn't." He repeated adamantly. There seemed to be a ring of truth to it, which confused Antonio.
"Do you think I would really do something so obvious tailor? So clumsy? Huh?" He moved closer to Antonio, as much as space would allow, as Wolfgang still had Antonio in a stronghold. Almost eyeball to eyeball as far as their faces went, Phineas spat the word "No." Moving away he scoffed bitterly, "We have always been patient. The current royal family has always had a proclivity towards self-demise. First queen Arianna and her baby almost died, then the baby was kidnapped. Then for 18 long years with no heir to be found, all we needed to do was wait for our turn, being next in line. Then that rat of a thief Flynn Rider found the princess and she freed herself. We thought for sure that a naive girl with no experience and a rogue as her boyfriend would surely be tossed out as a viable heir. But the people loved her. Then we realized that the weakness of the royal family was not her, not Rapunzel. It was King Frederick. By uprooting the golden Sun Drop flower in an attempt to save both his queen and unborn daughter, he created an imbalance of power that set off the dark Moonstone magic. I know. I was in court when that foreign knight Quirin warned King Frederick that was a possibility of the consequences of his actions.
Frederick then lost his daughter to an old woman anyway. Even after he found her again, in the meanwhile, the rocks set off by the darker magic, had began to decimate Corona. Surely now with their farmlands being wasted away we thought the people would turn away from his leadership. However the people had faith in Rapunzel and she foolishly risked her own life, as only heir, to fix imbalance of power. We thought in her foolishness, she would perish, and the path to the throne would be made way for us.
It only brought rise to that demon Zhan Tiri. By then we didn't think we'd have a kingdom to rule and the point was moot anyway. Against all odds, somehow her and her commoner friends were able to trick the demon into self-destruction, as it reconciled the Moonstone and Sun Drop's power, causing a blast that sealed its own demise.
Still, even now, the people of Corona have been through so much. I don't think they will want a repeat. If Rapunzel is sick we can use that to our advantage. Remind them that if she dies, how inept my cousin Frederick has been and hasten our rightful seat at the throne. However if she pulls through, no longer will we wait!" He furnished that last part almost as a command, turning to his wife and daughter, seeming to almost forget Antonio was there. "The people of Corona have plenty of reasons to loose faith in the royal family. We only need to remind them of that." He had a thought, walking briskly to his desk and writing something down. "They could even loose faith in Rapunzel if we look for opportunities. Now is time to exploit that!"
The man finally seemed to remember Antonio was there. Antonio wondered dimly why he explained all this. It couldn't be good for him. Phineas gave Wolfgang the signal to release Antonio. The tailor fell to the floor gasping. Wolfgang's hand had been on his mouth the entire time. "Are you going to kill me?" He wheezed.
Phineas looked at him pitifully. "No, nothing as tired as that." He waited for Antonio to rise. "But I think it's time you earn your worth tailor. You didn't work out as a spy. No matter, we have another one." Antonio couldn't help looking surprised. "What you think we'd only rely on an oaf like you?!" He calmed. "No, we have another in the palace." He turned to his son. "Wolfgang take him down to the basement! I think the tailor's financial contract has ended with our family and it's time for some gratuitous labor."