" Leave."

Eugene recoiled, almost bumping into the wall. His better judgement told him to wait it out. Surely an explanation would come in mere moments. Still, that wasn't enough to stop the beating of his heart, or the sting in his lungs from breathing too fast.

" What?" He let out a pitiful laugh and cocked his head. A defense mechanism, he supposed. Rapunzel didn't laugh. She didn't smile. She didn't offer an explanation, a hug, a kiss, any kind of affirmation that it wasn't what he thought.

" Leave Eugene." Now her voice was quivering, about to break at any moment. Without a second thought he went to wrap her in his embrace. But she stood stiff as stone, and just as cold. That didn't stop her from leaning in just the tiniest bit. Redness throbbed through her face, trying to force tears from her eyes.

" There's a warrant for your arrest out. I've arranged a carriage to take you away before it becomes known in the kingdom."

" I don't. But I didn't? Why?" Eugene hadn't so much as touched anything that wasn't his since the famine. They were the only ones who didn't have to worry about starving to death, any wealth others had was much better off in their hands. Why would anyone accuse him of putting the kingdom at risk? Especially after all these years? Although his gut yearned for answers, a voice in his mind shuddered at the thought. Knowledge was light, letting people see what they couldn't before. Some things weren't meant to be seen.

" Because you stole my tiara."

For a moment, he was stuck in the confusion of the moment. Then it lifted. Again he looked at her face, begging for something to deny his fear. It didn't come. They both knew he hadn't touched her tiara.

His stomach folded in on itself. The sorrow flared into anger, for there is hardly a line between the two. Before he could recognize what was happening, he slammed his fists on the table.

" You set me up!" He snarled, baring his teeth like an animal. She didn't so much as flinch. Instead, she stood there with her head pointed at her feet. This was only another piece of confirmation." Every time I've been there for you, everything I've done to try and put my past behind me. A-and what did it get me? Kicked out!"

Now she was looking at him, with a frozen face of gray. There was regret sprawled across her face, and a plea for forgiveness at the back of her throat. Perhaps he should have seen it, but anger has a horrible way of warping reality. It's a living thing, rejecting anything that doesn't feed it. Still, he took her by the arm, asking one more question.

" Rapunzel, what's going on?"

" Leave Eugene."

The wind blew out the candle. And Eugene did what he was told. As he boarded the carriage, taking not a single memento, their new reality replaced their old one. Rapunzel watched every second out a nearby window. The further she got, the more tears escaped her eyes. Finally, he was out of sight. She melted onto the floor, sobbing. It was done. He was safe. He was far away from this miserable life she'd made for herself.