Birthright
By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty
Chapter 2- Heirs to the Throne
A thousand lanterns soared in the sky.
Eugene kept his arm around Rapunzel's waist and watched the lanterns with the same wonder as the first day he met his wife. These lanterns never grew old. After all the lanterns were released, Rapunzel officially announced the beginning of the annual meeting.
Slow music began to play, and the festival started with an opening dance from the host royal couple. Eugene took his wife in his arm. She looked great in a lavender gown with a matching necklace and her tiara shining atop her head.
"How did I do?" Rapunzel whispered as they crossed the middle of the courtroom. Though she looked confident while announcing the opening, her voice laced with a slight hint of worry.
"You did great, sunshine." Eugene flashed a proud smile at her, though he was not exaggerating. Being a queen really suited her- confident yet kind, wise yet cheery. The people of Corona not only admired their new queen, but they also loved her.
The music ended with a loud note, and the rest of the guest royalties began to pool around the royal couple, especially Rapunzel to congratulate on her coronation. Rapunzel gave Eugene a helpless glance when the prince of Ingrad asked her for a dance. Eugene gave her a nod of approval.
As Rapunzel was snatched away by the prince of Ingrad, Eugene decided to sit back in a corner and watch the lanterns. Some were still floating, some crashed in the lake below. One settled on Pete's helmet, nearly setting him on fire. Eugene chuckled. Everything was going on smoothly. Still, the news from yesterday was bugging his mind.
"Hi, Fish skin."
Eugene turned toward the voice, smiling. If he needed someone to discuss his thoughts right now, Adira was the perfect candidate. She looked different tonight. Eugene was used to seeing the large woman in a leather coat and boots with half of her face painted red, but tonight she wore a purple ceremonial gown with a purple gemstone necklace around her neck. Half of her face was still painted, but she looked regal compared to the warrior woman he met in the forest. Lance was somewhere outside with the girls, and Eugene wondered how he missed this view.
"Hi," he said. Adira slipped onto the chair beside him, wobbling slightly as she maneuvered her massive skirts into place. "Enjoying the party, Fishskin?" She said, looking at the guests around her. "The people at my table are horrid," she murmured.
"And you're surprised?" Eugene raised his eyebrows. It's a bit fun to see this confident woman out of her comfort zone.
"I guess not. But then Quirin abandoned me, so it was just me thrown to the wolves. How are you doing?"
"Me?" Eugene flashed a bright smile. "Husband of the queen, captain of the royal guards- it's a huge improvement from the legendary thief, who can ignore my charm?"
"Yeah? Definitely." She threw an annoyed glare at a small group of royal guests gathered nearby, swinging bottles of wines and at a young man at the center. He was cracking some jokes to his companions, and they definitely didn't look very amused. Then she turned her gaze from the young guest and looked at Eugene.
"So what are you thinking?" She asked.
"Huh…" Eugene was momentarily destructed by the young man among the guest. He had a head full of brown hair, just like him, and from this angle, he looked a bit like him. For a moment he guessed him as Brock, but when the man turned his head, he noticed his eyes were blue instead of brown.
"What are you planning to do now?" Adira asked more loudly, and Eugene turned his gaze from the familiar-looking young man. He looked at the older woman sitting across him, "About what?"
"About your duty?" She asked
"What duty?" Eugene clearly knew what she was talking about; still, he tried to dodge the topic lightly.
"The duty to your family, your kingdom…" Adira's voice sounded an octave louder, and Eugene cringed under her stern glare, "Your father is ill, Eugene. And you know what your duty is…"
"Adira," Eugene pushed back the chair and stood up. He tried to appear calm, but he already felt on edge.
"I know the healers treating dad are up to no good. " Eugene let out an exasperated sigh
His eyes scanned the guests, their vicious gazes and whispers, surrounded by gold and laughter and fountains of wine, and Rapunzel's growing uneasiness with dealing one royal guest after another. Their pricking gazes were fixed upon her, trying to judge the new queen, seeking for her moments of weakness. She stole another glance from him over the shoulder of King Trevor, and Eugene gave her an encouraging smile. She needed him here, to stand beside her, moreover to watch over all the security measures throughout the festival. Yes, his father needed him, but if he left Rapunzel alone now, those royal guests would eat her alive.
"We can convince him to come here at Corona and we can see a way to cure his illness." He ran his hand through his hair, not caring about ruining his perfect hairstyle. "Then he can go back to his duties- running a kingdom, etc…" He tried to smile, but in Adira's eyes, he saw his reflection and how forced it looked.
"Eugene…" Adira's eyes turned soft, "I know what you are thinking, But you must consider…" her voice sounded almost pleading. But Eugene let the emotions slip.
"My duty is here, Adira." He pressed his palms against his sides, willing his hands to still. He tried to force air to the bottom of his lungs. "I can't leave Rapunzel."
He could see the disappointment in Adira's eyes, but he decided to ignore her. He scanned the crowd again and found Rapunzel chatting with a dignitary from Inver. Good, she had not seen him yet. If she did, she would leave everything and run to his side. He really didn't want to ruin her first important meeting as the queen. All he needed to leave the room and breathe in some fresh air.
The doors stood slightly open, and Eugene stepped out into the gardens beyond. An October chill was in the air, and he gulped it in, stumbling farther from the palace. Calm. He was calm.
The world slowly came back into focus. The vast lawn had been decorated with floating lanterns and glistening statues, and some guests walked between them, whispering or simply enjoying the view.
The lake meandered through the garden at the bottom of a slight incline, reflecting the lanterns and the stars. Eugene staggered toward it, listening to the gurgle, looking at the lights. He knew his place, his duty. He had decided.
A faint footstep echoed through the garden, Eugene's ears peaked. They were approaching closer. Eugene's grip tightened around his sword handle. But they stopped. He felt someone standing right behind him. He turned, ready to unsheathe his sword.
The newcomer hovered about a foot away, watching him closely. Eugene recognized him immediately- the young guest from the meeting earlier. In the light of floating lanterns, his face looked very familiar- Eugene gasped at the realization. He had seen this resemblance before- the portrait of his mother.
The young man grinned and bowed deeply, "It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness, Prince Horace. I heard about your return to the family."
Eugene was so much surprised that he hardly noted that the man called him by his birth name. He blinked, "But…have we met before?"
A grin spread upon the newcomer's face, "Of course, we did, Horace, though we were only babies. Our mothers were sisters, and my father is the second cousin to King Edmund, your father."
Eugene blinked, confused. He was not sure if he had an extended family. But the resemblances between his mother and this man were way too much.
"Who are you?"
The young man smiled and extended his hand, "I am Prince William Fitzroy, second-in-line to the throne of the Dark kingdom."
Reviews? Faves? Follows?
Yes, I know Eugene is way too OOC here, but I am rusty. It is a filler chapter, but I needed some Eugene aghast, also to introduce a new character.
What do you think about the progression of the plot so far? Let me know in the comments.